(Posted the 1st day yesterday if you want chronological order of my JBR)
Up early,great breaky at Bumi Ayu Bungalows and then a couple of hours walking along main streets and back along the beach to see what I'd missed on the July visit - blisters for one thing!
Got measured at the tailor for some clothes to be made and then off to see Dewi again.
Took some bubble blowers for the littlies living in the area and had a lot of fun with them (bubbles are instant and cheap fun with Balinese kids).Dewi has started calling me 'mother' which is both generous and amazing to me.
As my hotel is a few minutes from her home she came back to use the pool and as she put it for me to 'study swimming with her', she had been in a pool twice before but was full of nervous excitement.
Later we went to the big Hardy's supermarket to get some things for her mum which took some cajoling as she would just say 'up to you' at my suggestions for food choices. At the eggs she thought one or two would be very good and buying a dozen was a shock. She was a little disappointed on our return that her mum wasn't home to see the shopping straight away as she had gone to the village as a grandmother was in hospital and Dewi's dad was staying there to help look after her.
Late tea of Shrimp/Avocado and met up with the chap who had organised some printing of colouring booklets and masks etc to use at the school.Midnight saw me making a few kilos of playdough in my room - (the boiling water method so no kitchen required)for the morning visit to the dump school.
Very excited to be visiting the school and taking lots of resources and helping with some English/craft activities and also seeing my five year old sponsored child.The morning was very busy, the kids great and the young teachers very caring.The view from the school is the rubbish dump but the school is like an oasis, looking out - the dump, looking in - priceless!
After lessons I walked over to the homes to meet my sponsored child's family, someone ran up to the dump to get her mum from her work and we had a short but lovely visit. I did find I had to 'suck it up' as the living conditions are very basic and quite confronting. I realized that a pale blue rabbit was not the right gift for the two year old sibling given the surroundings and offered to bring some rice the following week after my school visit.
The next bit of the day was to buy shoes at Centro but I couldn't even try them on and went to get rice etc instead.(I certainly did my share of shopping for myself but just not this day.)
Nice lunch at Febris and then to Carrefour for some clothes and food for the family.
The hotel was being 'fogged' round the gardens on my return so went out with Dewi and some of her family to the local market.A different experience with locals with you and a lot of fun. My kids wanted to get Dewi new 'temple' clothes and boy can her mum bargain!
Next, to an internet cafe to teach Dewi how to hotmail so we can keep in touch a little.(her first message arrived just prior to my returning home and said "Hi mother, you finish Australia? I longing you, Jamie and Krysee, Love Dewi" so the email lessons were valuable in allowing us a continuing emotional link.
Cheers, Jan