I cleaned the bathroom today - a rare event in our household. Today's effort wasn't just a lick and a promise, it was major heavy-duty stuff that took me hours on hands and knees, getting into nooks and crannies. Everything was sprayed and dusted and scoured within an inch of its life. Horrid, I know, but someone had to do it.
The only thing that kept me at it was dreaming of Bali. It's never difficult to dream of Bali at my house, because not one room is without a small piece of treasure, brought back as a reminder of wonderful times spent there over the past 20 years. Even the bathroom displays bits of Bali: the chubby laughing gamelan player, the iridescent shell, the silver figurine, the clothes hamper...
The thing that kept me going was realising we'll be back in Bali very soon - January 9, in fact. And that spurred me on to do the nastier stuff, like scrubbing the tub. In under six weeks, I thought as I scrubbed, I'll have two weeks of no cleaning, no washing, no cooking, and no work. Two weeks of saying ‘allo' a thousand times a day, of smiling faces and tropical vegetation. Two weeks of lazy days and balmy evenings, where the only decision to make would be where to eat and what to wear. Two weeks of new places to explore, and old favourites to revisit.
God, how I love Bali. It's my happy place, and I miss every last little bit of it - even the smelly drains!
Last March we finished our stay at Novus Bali Villas, a delight, but flawed by the need for transport to and from everywhere we went. The next trip, however, would see us at Bali Garden for the whole fortnight. While I sprayed and scrubbed, I made a list of must-dos, and realised that most things on my list would be within walking distance. Oh the joy, I thought as I worked up a sweat, of being able to duck into Discovery Mall next door for manicures, pedicures and provisions. And Waterbom Park would be just over the road. Jenny's Shop, and sunset cocktails at Ma Joly? About ten minutes away. Even closer for a yum cha at the Dynasty - if they still did yum cha. Having a new pair of specs made up from the opticians? Over the road and down a bit. I'd be able to walk to the Animale outlet and spend hours browsing and trying, without the evil half saying ‘are you done yet?' and the ten year old saying ‘Mum, can we go? I'm bored.' Might even lose weight!
Not everything would be so close, but one must keep the drivers in business somehow. A fabulous meal somewhere in Seminyak. A trip to Bali Galleria, to explore Matahari, to lunch on club sandwiches and espresso frappes at the Excelso coffee shop, then have serious attention paid to hands and feet at Johnny Andrean - with haircuts for daughter and hubby. Horse riding, a trip to the ARC clinic - wherever that might be - and one to Geneva (18 trips to Bali, and I've never been to Geneva!) would all require wheels.
By the time I'd finished musing, the bathroom sparkled, and I felt energised. So energised that I nearly started on the kitchen. Nearly. No point overdoing things, I said. I went back to my computer, logged onto BTF and read about my happy place again.
Thanks for the great postings, everyone; they're the only things that keep Bali addicts going between trips!