a small adventure

today I ventured out and walked through the rice fields. it was a long walk but very rewarding i took lots of photos and a video on my phone. wow too beautiful. the path was fairly easy to follow except when it  narrowed and got a little bit steep. as i am really unfit it was a bit of a challenge but not too hard. i passed lots of tourist on the way and lots of locals. i stopped to talk to a man who sold me a coconut drink, he lopped off the top and put in a straw. it was very refreshing. he also sold beautiful oils but i didn't buy any. maybe next time. yesterday i tried to make the trip but it got a bit late so i turned back. i'm so glad i made it today. i will try and upload the video and the photos but  they are on my phone and this is on my tablet. i'll try. the weather here is really nice, warm not too hot, food is amazing and the home stay where i am is lovely. the people are marvelous, so so nice. my friend may not be able to come as his mum is sick. maybe next time. i'm leaving ubud on friday to go back to kuta and catch up with some friends. yesterday I had the best massage I think I've ever had at golden hands salon. I can't find out how to add photos on the tablet, I'll keep looking.

it's raining

it's cool and has been steadily raining for hours.  i love it

i was excited to find a link to my favourite indonesian tv channel yesterday.  too cool.
no subtitles but lots of those crazy soap operas and i just love the commercials.  the music channel has awful reception so not really watchable.  sound is ok though.  the site also has some web cams of traffic around bali but it's fairly boring after the first minute.  it rained there yesterday apparently. and a bonus is the road traffic cams all over bali.  it's too fab

my son and i fixed the shadecloth out the back.  it's patchy but practical and shades the back of the house (not upstairs) quite well.  we are going to put some auto sprinklers in which will be good.

i'm going up to pick up cookie to stay for a day or two. we may bake a cake.  :)  i had nasty migraine last week and missed work.  much better now and i will go back to work on wednesday.  :(   i've been looking at old pics i've put on picasa over the years.  mostly of bali.  i've booked for 10 days in cairns for may and may not get to bali this year.  i'm missing it like mad.  yesterday, i watched the traffic cams, drank my bali coffee and sat outside waiting for my son and g/daughter to arrive.  someone close by started cooking and the most fabulous smells wafted my way.  garlic and chili frying.  just like bali.  :)  all i needed was the smell of clove cigarettes and incense, insane traffic, ten thousand scooters and i would have been set.

i've put these photos up before i know, but here they are again

enjoy your day wherever you are

delicious

honey, ginger chicken.  whilst i was in bali i went to one of my fave eating places, basil leaves.  i have several favourite eating places in bali.  no surprises there.  they serve vietnamese, thai and indonesian delights. i've never had a bad meal there.  it's such a simple little place.  it's in a back lane next to a club that plays 60s favourites (really badly). my favourite dish is the honey, ginger chicken and the lovely friendly people that work there let me watch it being made.  i should have videoed it but i took notes instead.  i looked through a small window into the kitchen which was absolutely tiny.  here is the recipe:

1 chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
1 onion sliced
1 tbs ginger, finely chopped or grated
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, chopped finely or crushed
1 tbs oyster sauce (i used hp coz i don't eat oysters and ran out of the vegetarian version)
1 tbs kecip manis (thick, sweet soy sauce)
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs honey
1tsp sugar
pinch salt

stirfry the chicken and onion in peanut oil until well done.  the cook used about a cupful of oil but i just used about 1 tbs.  she did remove some after the chicken and onions were cooked though. i tried to ask what kind of oil but didn't really get an answer coz she didn't understand my indonesian.
add the sugar, salt, garlic and ginger and cook for a minute or two.  add the sauces and honey and add a little bit of water if necessary to make the sauce a nice consistency. it should be thickish, not too runny.  i also cooked some broccoli and served both on steamed rice.

mine was so different to the original but it tasted very similar and was really delicious.  maybe i will add a tiny bit more honey and ginger next time.  if you give it a go i hope you enjoy.  pics below are of warung indonesia and a few other great eateries in bal.

i'm back

https://picasaweb.google.com/princessyevisha/May272012

click link above for a few photos.  nice to be back actually.  three weeks in the same room/hotel with my sister was enough.  we should have stayed in a few hotels.  next time.  i had a fab time.  some highlights/lowlights:

• got my suitcase off the carousel and it had a broken wheel.  not good. bought a new one.  i hate it. it's too small
• broke my camera. bought a new one.  old one works perfectly now.  two cameras :)
• kuta is a building site.  a new modern hotel going up on every other corner
• i really miss having my washing/ironing done.  my meals cooked for me.  delicious food.  and someone coming in to clean my room.  
• we went up to git git waterfall which is spectacular.  clean gorgeous air.  so green.  noisy too.  :)
• bedugul, the water temple, is wonderful.  i had a pic of it on my computer, now i've seen it in person.
• gorgeous happy people everywhere.  i went shopping when i got back and no-one smiled at me and pulled me into their shop.  go figure?
• fab flight over.  smoothest landing ever.  thanks Bev
• lovely to get home and see the kids and grandchildren.  missed them so much
• got to save up for next time
• very small,  tiny motor bike incidence.  small graze.  i'm fine :)
• broke my glasses.  fixed my glasses.
• sister finally got prescription glasses.  two pairs
• shopping, lots of shopping
• we were underweight coming home  
• three hours shoe shopping with my sister was three hours too much.  
• juice.  fresh juice.  watermelon, avocado, mango etc etc
• noodles
• bali  coffee
• swimming and going to the beach most days
• oh i nearly forgot, massages and more massages.  i can't believe the price.  even the bad ones were good
• temples and culture so different from ours

now it's back to work on friday for me and the dreaming starts planning the next one.  maybe we should go to thailand next time :)

packing

i am packing.  ahhh.  i have too much stuff.  my new specky purple suitcase is smaller than my old now out of service red one. we have a 23kg limit and atm it only weighs 17 but it's chockers.  my sister just rang and she's slimmed down her stuff considerably. i still have tomorrow to get my act together.  packing is part of the fun of course but it's also a pain.  i will get there.  yes, i will.  nothing like a bit of positive thinking.  i have a few errands to run tomorrow and that's it.  my sister is bringing down my nephew as he leaves about 10.30 am.  it's all good.
i took the g/kids out for lunch and shopping today. i won't see them for a while.  i'll miss them.  we had a fab day.  i saw the puppies again.  there  are only 2 left and they are keeping one.  very cute.   i have a list of presents to bring back.  tshirts, so easy, for son and family and maybe the same for the kids.  ants asked for  a skate board but i said maybe it would be better to get it here.   i'll have a look though.  it might be doable.  :)  enjoy the rest of your weekend wherever you are.  it's chilly here and i'm just about to settle down and watch a movie with a hot cup of milo.

a burnt sausage anyone?

very cool

cute

it's been a while

hello.  it's been a little while since i blogged.  nothing too much has happened.  i'm having a bit of a thing with my daughter atm.  i won't go into it but it's been quite upsetting. not for the first time or last i guess.  my aunt died on Thursday (my birthday) and the funeral is on tuesday.  she was elderly and went into hospital a few days before she died.  my cousin is coming over from canberrra with her family and i haven't seen them for many years.  we are not a close family really.  i'm going to bali next monday and although not really packed i'm mostly done.  i'm looking forward to a break as it's been a yucky time since my last trip.  what with the cancer and other things ahhhh. i'm hoping a tsunami/earthquake/bomb doesn't go off while we are there. my sister's health is not good either, her blood is too thick. she's worried about it too and is booked in to see a specialist.  her son broke his collar bone at football the other day.  first game of the season.  he was booked to go to bali too and will probably  have to cancel.  it's a very bad break.  they are coming to the hospital Tuesday.  ahhh again.  on a much brighter note i had a lovely birthday.  before  it went pear shaped (daughter problems) we went to breakfast and had a nice day.  son and family gave me a dwarf meyer lemon tree in a specky pot. i will attach a photo.  we went out to lunch yesterday to celebrate.  ???   i guess it's something to celebrate still being around at my age and so far surviving the big c.  should that be C?  lol.  sorry for such a down blog.  i hope you are not about to slash your wrists coz i've depressed you.   shall i tell you a joke to brighten up the mood?  yes?  ok.  q. why did the koala fall out of the tree?  ... scroll down for answer ....













a.  it was dead.   i hope you are laughing and not thinking what a bad taste joke to tell.  i'm laughing.  

at work bird of paradise came out in flower recently.  lovely

the girls plus beetle

dil planting the lemon tree.  i hope it thrives