Tuesday....Nyepi
This was our first Nyepi, and a day I had looked forward to ever since I had booked the flights a few months ago, not only from the rest point of view but also for the cultural experience. I have so much about it, mainly from info on here, but also from friends who had been here for this time
Well, having now been part of the Ogoh Ogoh parade , we wondered how the day would pan out.Is it as good as what peole say , or, an anti-climactic 24 hours leading back to the mayhem and eccentricity that makes up a large part of this island? I can categorically state it is most certainly not the latter, and something I fully intend to repeat over the next few years.
With no need to get out of bed too early, it was pushing 8.30am before I headed to the bathroom for my daily stubble removal, luke warm shower and application on my Nivea cosmetics, ( I know how to keep my skin looking good girls ), plus my daily intake of hypertension medication and cleansing of my ivories. This wastes a good half hour, so I then dance up the steps Fredastairesquely, do a two tap shuffle from one level of the villa to another, and appear avec grandeur in the kitchen area ready for brekkie
Here, the chicken sausage , bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms and eggs are cooked by me, with love. Mrs W tucks in, (she always partial to a bit of my sausage), and compliments my efforts at satisfying her. No change there then :) The toaster merrily spurts forth 2 beautifully browned pieces of bread, the marmalade is smothered uniformly across the area, and I sit down to enjoy my own oasis on a plate.
So what to do? Watch DVD's...have a swim... listed to my Ipod... write up some more stuff for the BTF... lounge around like a grilled lobster...watch TV....check out those golden Wolverhmapton Wanderers or simply sit in the peace and quiet and chill to the sound of the birds, cicadas, and the rustling of the trees? Well.. you know what..at some stage of the day, I managed to do all of these.Simply fantastic, no stress, no time penalties, no hurry... I think we should campaign for Australia Day to follow suit.
Mrs W took to the sofa with some magazines she still hadn't read since purchasing at Brisbane airport. My gorgeous, incomparable step daughter has time in the pool, watches a DVD or four in the comfort of the aircon, and generally lazes around and does absolutely nothing. So a bit like being at home really
My mum and dad in law move in and out of sleep for a large part of the day, whilst also watching their grandkids , watching a bit of TV and chatting to us about the highlights of their holiday so far.
My brother and sister in law are without the Nanny today, so they have quaility time with the kids, in the pool, out of the pool, in the pool etc... they also get chance to have forty winks and watch TV and read books
That leaves my handsome step son and girlfriend, they appeared at breakfast time to partake in my veritable assortment of cholesterol enhancing fayre, and then returned to their bedroom from whence they didn't alight until 7pm. I can only specualte at how they kept themselves occupied
Around 4pm, and while I still have good light in the kitchen, Wharfie is summoned ny his brother-in-law to the double sink. Here we stand peeling potatoes, pumpkin, carrots and shallots. Then chop some onions and snake beans, cover and return to our Ipods. The Babi Guling, is already chopped and in the fridge, so we agree to rendezvous by the range hood at 6pm ish
That time soon disappears, and Status Quo live is barely half way through my earphones by teh time we start cooking. We ramp up the oven, oil the baking pans, salt the potatoes and verything is on course for a fabulous family meal. It's no mean feat to get 11 people to do the same thing at the same time, just ask Brisbane Roar's manager ! We decide to microwave the chopped up bits of pig, and brother-in-law takes charge of another pan in which he is to re-crackle the crackling
Dinner is served without the bang of a gong, and family members line up with there porcelain, and mount each one with a serve of each thing we had cooked. This was my first time at trying Babi Guling, and absolutely delicious it was too. The more foodie afficionado's amongst you may be able to tell me what the lemon grass spicy stuff was that it had been stuffed with, because it was absolutely divine
We all took a few minutes to tell each other what we had got out of today.The consensus is, (not rocket science this), that we are all too money orientated, time conscious, debt ridden, and selfish to truly enjoy our lives. These wonderful people on this glrious island have so little, and give so much, and bring heaps to our own 'table'
Brother-in-law and I agree that we should finish our day by insisting that we wash up, and clean everything down, ( I'd make someone a great wife), so at least its a couple of jobs less for the housekeepers when they come in at 9am in the morning. I felt good about doing this...I hate it at home!
My day is almost at a close, and I take the opportunity to lie flat on my back and gaze at the stars. Without any light pollution at all, the sky is simply stunning. I define two quite bright stars to the right of the 'saucepan' and I name these Mom and Dad in remembrance of the two people who gave me this life to enjoy
I'm in bed by 9pm, and I watch a couple of episodes of David Blain before reahing for the remote, and the final essence of tranquility is complete.
It has truly been a memorable, magical, bust most of all....a family day
Thanks for reading...good night..God bless.....WHARFIE....xxxx