Our Pad in Bali

I had the assignment of planning the whole trip, and my search for hotels took more than a week to complete. It wasn't easy looking for a hotel when you didn't know what to expect. MY man texted his friend in Jakarta to ask for advice, and this friend suggested we stay at Kuta Beach, and even got good discounted rates for us at a couple of five-star hotels located at Kuta. "Your first time in Bali," he said, "you've gotta stay at Kuta. Not for the beach, but the culture." Problem was, I've stumbled on one too many negative comments about Kuta. Touristy. Crowded. Dirty.

We want a quiet vacation, and the Nusa Dua area seemed the perfect place for us. At first I hesitated because I did not know how far exactly it was from the airport, and I wasn't sure if I could arrange for airport transfer. Thanks to Kuya D who just came back from Bali. His description of the area narrowed down my search to Nusa Dua hotels. I'm not even going to say I'm just lucky, I believe it was providential, that I stumbled upon a hot deal at Novotel Bali Benoa. Non-refundable, non-cancelable, at $35 less than the normal rate. So Novotel Bali Benoa it is!

Note: The write-up below was written in Bali, 13 February 2009, the night we arrived.

There were only a few greeters at the arrival area. We scanned the signboards that each person was holding up. Couldn’t have missed the hotel representative. He was right there, at the very front of the cordoned area. I couldn’t make out the words, but I knew it was NOVOTEL the moment I saw the familiar blue insignia. He met us at the exit.

“Ms. Eris?” For a second there, I thought MY man had a new name again (I should write a post on that.) But the guy was looking at me. Eris. Yep, that’s me.

With a friendly smile, the driver led the way to the parking lot. He stopped in front on a Toyota Innova and loaded our bags onto the car. “The drive to the hotel," he informed us, "will take about thirty minutes.”

It turned out to be a pleasant drive. “There’s no traffic in Bali, mommy” Roo observed. We had our first glimpse of Balinese architecture on the way. The driver informed us that 90% of the people in Bali are Hindus. No wonder they say that Bali is the only place in Indonesia that serves pork. We were wondering about that because from what we know, Indonesia is a Muslim country.

When we arrived at the hotel, bellboys bowed their greeting and welcomed us courteously. They were all dressed exactly like our driver, in plain beige long-sleeved shirt with chinese collar, and traditional batik sarong that ran all the way to their ankles. Welcome drinks were served at the front desk, and to Roo's delight, Novotel Dolfi Kid's Club had a welcome gift waiting for him! A stuffed reindeer, which he quickly named as Nicky.

The hotel, beautifully designed in traditional Balinese architecture, overlooks Tanjung (Cape) Benoa. We walked to explore the resort and found ourselves in the middle of a lush tropical garden.The atmosphere lent a relaxing and soothing feeling as soft Balinese music played in the air. We trekked to find the beach, passing by a swimming pool with a lifeguard on duty who seemed to have his hands full, but was not too busy to greet us with a smile. We decided to have lunch at their restaurant by the beach, and much to our surprise, the food was very affordable! Vegetarian pizza and a dish set of grilled dory fish with rice and vegetables turned out to be less than $10, inclusive of 21% government tax and service charge. God is good!

Well, God was not finished with His surprises yet. "Your room is not ready yet," the receptionist said, "but we are upgrading your room. You will stay at the tropical terrace room." My smile widened. After all the research I've done on the hotel rooms, I knew quite well that this room is nicer, more spacious, and umm, well, beyond our budget. Isn't that just a wonderful surprise? We paid for a superior room but we got to stay in a tropical terrace room instead!

Here are some pictures of the hotel:

View of entrance to the hotel on the beach side. Taken from the hotel wing across the road.

Balinese flutist playing music at the lobby

Pathway that led to our room: gate opens to a tropical garden

Rain shower beside the gate

Terrace fronting the room

View of the garden from the room

Roo exploring the bathroom

Every evening, hotel staff came knocking at our door to give us the next day's weather forecast. And these calachuchi (plumeria in English) flowers.

Pathway outside our gate, leading to the gardens, and out to the beach

Roo's welcome gift, Nicky the reindeer

Restaurant by the beach where we ate our first Balinese meal

Once Upon a Weekend

Sure he checked our bags. The customs officer had politely asked to look into our luggage as I handed him the customs declaration form. Putting the forms down without even glancing at them, he proceeded to scrutinize the contents of our big bag.

“Did you bring milk?” first thing he asked. Daddy E nodded and showed him the can of Pediasure milk we brought for Roo. Still sealed.

The officer smiled and waved us on, “Enjoy your stay!”

I have heard and read about the friendliness of the Balinese but I wasn’t prepared to see it in the many hands that beckoned from currency exchange counters right across the exit from customs. Smiling faces peered from their little cubicles, each of them urging us to have our money exchanged with them. Several of them were holding signs that said, “No Commission.” How do you choose which counter to go? “Same rate, same rate.” One kept repeating. That settled it. I headed to the counter nearest to me.

One hundred dollars please. The lady beamed a smile and quickly counted out some bills, “That will be one million one-hundred-forty thousand rupiah." Ahhh, just what I’ve waited so long to hear. At long last, we ARE millionaires!

About thirty minutes before landing, when the plane started its descent, I braved the glare of the sun and pushed the plane window up. The scenery below sent waves of homesickness all over my being. For a moment there, I imagined myself going home to Roxas. The ocean and the islands below didn’t look any different from the ones I see when we’re about to land in Roxas. The structure and layout of the houses looked so similar I choked back a few tears, realizing once more that when I go home to Roxas, mommy won’t be there anymore.

MY man voiced out the thoughts in my mind when we emerged out of the airport. “My love, it’s like we’re in Roxas!” he said. The smell of sea breeze in the air, the people, the cars at the parking lot, all these reminded us of home. Everything looks so green, so serene, and so laid back, that just like every homecoming I’ve had my entire life, time had come to a standstill once again.

Thank God! Our vacation has begun. I took a deep breath of the cool ocean breeze.

Man, it sure smells like home!

Greetings from the Insomniac

Two-sixteen am. Wish I can say I'm in dreamland. Nah-uh. As usual, my boys are fast asleep. Me, well, I've folded the laundry, finished packing. Now I'm facebooking, blog-hopping, and waiting.

We're off to Bali for the Valentine's weekend. Blame it on the excitement of very cheap air tickets, the flight time didn't sink in until after I've received the confirmed itinerary. We leave at six am so we have to be at the airport by four. That explains my vigil. I can never sleep just before a flight, if that flight is not during the day. Well, I'll have three nights in Bali to catch up on the lost zzzzs.

So, if I can't get online access at the beach, let me greet one and all a Happy Hearts' Day!

Pray Without Ceasing

"Pray without ceasing." (1 Thess. 5:17)

I have yet to read my lil Roo this text, but he's already teaching me the meaning of this biblical admonition. One day not too long ago, we were talking about missing Lola, and how wonderful it will be to be with Lola again when Jesus comes. I mentioned that we need to pray for tito J and tito A (my brothers), that the Holy Spirit would work in their hearts, that they would decide to give their hearts to the Lord, that we'd all have a happy reunion with Lola in heaven. Since then, Roo has been praying earnestly for them. Whether he's praying for blessing on his food before eating, or asking for God's protection before we leave the house, Roo does not forget to implore Jesus to work on the hearts of his titos. They're in his prayers in the early morning, and late at night. He ceases not to pray for his beloved titos. Lately, he's even including their girlfriends in his prayers.

Early this morning, I was encouraged by what I heard from one speaker in 3ABN. He was talking about how we should always pray and read the Bible regardless of how we feel. He pointed out that our relationship with the Lord should not be based on our feelings. Our feelings change from day to day, there are days we might not really feel like praying, or opening our Bibles to read, but he stressed that we should do it anyway. Jesus, he said, did not feel like going through the Calvary experience. Three times Jesus prayed, "Let this cup pass from me." He didn't feel like going through it all. But did he shirk from it? No. Because He knew that Calvary was the only way to save us all. And if praying and talking to my Savior, and reading about Him and learning of Him, is the only way to be like Him, then I should do it every single moment, no matter how I feel.

Pray without ceasing.

I Want My Ketchup!

Holding tightly to my plastic bags full of food, I hurried towards the beach with great excitement. My boys had gone on ahead as I had to stop and buy me some green mangoes. As the cool sea breeze blew on my face, I hastened my pace. Can hardly wait to bury my feet in the sand and breathe in as much fresh air as my lungs could take in.

The sight that greeted me made me stop dead in my tracks. For a split second, I had to think. Am I where I think I am? Where's the beach??!

Sprawled in every empty space in what used to be the beach was a farang (foreigner). Pardon the expression, but they all looked like walruses straddled on the sand, catching as much of the sun as their already red, lobster-like skin could allow. The whole stretch of beach was full of umbrellas and chairs, and people sunbathing. Gone is the quiet, restful beach (read this post) we came for. How will I find my boys now? Oh yeah, how else, but call.

Daddy E gave me directions over the phone. Go down the stairs, follow the path to the left till you reach the beach fronting the second condominium building. Okay, got that. Now will have to change mindset. Pretend there's no crowd. Tune everybody out. Listen to the rhythm of the waves lapping on the shore.

I found my boys without any difficulty. Roo was already busy filling his bucket with sand, while daddy E arranged for seats at our chosen spot. Responding to my rumbling tummy, I dug food out from my bags and prepared the roast chicken and rice for Roo. My little boy must have been as hungry for he opened his mouth without any objection. Reclining my chair to a comfortable position, I settled in to eat. Yum!

While we were eating, I noticed this guy right in front of us, furtively glancing at us. He was with three other guys, two of which were old British men. Under my breath, I muttered to MY man, Is that guy gay or what? He seems to be checking you out. MY man chuckled in an embarrassed sort of way and said quietly, "He must still be new at his trade. He's very conscious about it, and maybe because we're a family, he's kind of feeling guilty." My doubts were confirmed a few minutes later when a vendor walked up to them and showed them posters (of naked women). The elderly British man asked loudly, "Do you have naked boys?"

One thing I am most thankful to my Accounting professor for is not related in any way to Accounting. When she briefed us on the rigors of preparing for the CPA board exams, she brought to our attention the necessity of learning to tune things out. That I learned very well. Three years of my college life, I lived in a boarding house with twelve college guys. I don't know what it was about exam weeks, but those were the times when these friends became extraordinarily loud and rambunctious. Too much cramming, maybe ;D To survive, I had to learn to tune noise and even people, out. I can be looking at you and not see you. And that's what I decided to do that day in Pattaya.

Roo succeeded in coaxing his daddy to read for him, so I had a little quiet time to myself and my thoughts. Fastening my eyes on the shimmering ocean ahead, and breathing in the fresh air, I willed myself to tune the crowd out. I grabbed a book from my bag and settled comfortably in my chair to read. Ahhh, life is good!

The serenity of my little corner was soon shattered by a loud, angry voice. Glancing up, I saw the old Brit stomping back to his friends. He had apparently gone somewhere and had gotten into a confrontation with the vendors. Clearly infuriated at the treatment he received from the these people, he expressed his rage at his friends.

"THEY WON'T GIVE IT TO ME BECAUSE THEY SAID I SIT HERE, AND NOT THERE!"

"I AM NOT PAYING THEM ANY MONEY AT ALL!"

"WHAT KIND OF A PLACE IS THIS? NO KNIVES, NO FORK, HOW DO THEY EXPECT ME TO EAT?"

The Thai guy who kept glancing at us earlier grabbed a shirt and started covering his face. No way, this is not happening, he must have thought, I can't show my face to people now. The old British guy did not stop yelling.

"I AM NOT GOING TO EAT THAT, !@#$ YOU!"

The vendor marched up to him, grabbed the box of food from him, and shouted back, "YOU DON'T WANT THE FOOD, GIVE IT TO ME, !@#$ YOU TOO!"

No Thai smile here. No apologies. You don't want the food, don't eat it. You can't put up with whatever is here, leave.

"I AM LEAVING!" "I'M GOING BACK TO CIVILIZATION, AND YOU (pointing to his friends) ARE COMING WITH ME!"

No choice for his friends. They all stood up quietly and with their heads bowed, followed their furious friend away from the beach. The vendors came and tidied up their spot, and explained to us what happened. The poor old guy's burger came without ketchup. He asked for ketchup from them but they couldn't find any. Desperate for ketchup, he walked up to the other stall to ask but they refused to give him any, giving him the excuse that he is not renting their chairs. That made him extremely mad, hence, pandemonium.

Poor old man. Made me think. Many times in my life I act like that guy. I ask God for something, and when He refused, I throw a fit. God, can't You see I need this? I'm hungry and I can't eat my burger without ketchup! Give me the ketchup! God in His own wisdom says no, and I stomp away, to go back to my own selfish, convenient world. Never mind that He brought me to a beautiful and relaxing beach. Never mind that He gave me food. I wanted my ketchup and He didn't give it, so I won't have anything to do with Him!

Me and my narrow-mindedness. God, only You can help me!

Europe Trip Frenzy

The past two weeks I was on a quest. Now that Roo is old enough to travel, MY man and I agreed that we can take that long-dreamed of trip to Europe. So I took on my mission with great excitement. Whatever free time I had in my hands, I was either on some airlines' website clicking on their promotions, or straining my eyes to see the microscopic travel packages on the classified ads. Singapore Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, et.al. could have earned fortunes from my frequent visits had they charged me per page load. Our telephone bill this month will surely be higher as I had to call several travel agencies to inquire about airfares and taxes, and whatever else that make up an airticket. To say that I got all dizzy is an understatement. Destinations and their corresponding costs were constantly swimming in my head, my insomnia got worse. I couldn't sleep until late at night. Where do we go? How much would it cost if we go there? Which neighboring countries will we visit? How far is it from here to there? Da da da da da.

When I finally found one good deal to Paris, I could hardly believe my luck! Almost all the airlines have skyhigh fuel surcharges for April which is when we're planning to travel. But Etihad Airways has a cheap promotion til June 09. Bkk-Paris-Bkk for only Bht.29,700, and that's all-inclusive! With other airlines, the fare starts from 25k up, PLUS fuel surcharge and taxes, total airfare amounting to about Bht.4ok. Not wanting to lose those cheap seats, I lost no time making reservations for the three of us.

Off to French Embassy website I went to check out the requirements for Schengen visa. Oooopps. No changes there. They're still as meticulous as before. And as slow. 'Twill take one to six weeks to get a visa. About eight years ago, I had a bad experience with the French Embassy. They promised me a visa within one week, and had me go back and forth for three weeks since it was impossible to contact them on the phone. I cannot understand why they would tell you to call them then nobody from their end picked up the phone! The visa did come, when my vacation was over. Then to add insult to injury, they asked me for my airticket before they would give me the visa! Who in their right mind would buy an airticket without knowing when and if they'd be issued a visa?!

So we decided to take the advise of a friend. She said it's much easier to get a visa from the German Embassy. I went on the German Embassy website and found out that they can issue a visa within 3 days. Good. I called the travel agent and booked a flight to Munich, Germany. The fare, it turned out, was even cheaper than going to Paris. Yey!

With that done, I proceeded to check out hotels. One requirement for the visa was the hotel vouchers. Whoah. They're not cheap. Two to three-star hotels start at 60 Euro/night, that's about Bht.2,700. And they don't provide airport transfers. We'd still have to arrange for airport transfers to and from the hotels which are like 50 Euro. Per person! The trains are more affordable, and they say everybody takes that, they cost about 18 Euro/person. If we buy Eurail passes from here, we get access to all the train systems, and a 5-day visit to three countries costs 225 Euro/person.

The more I research about the trip, the more I appreciate my life here in Thailand. Life in Europe seems to be so expensive and so hard. Here I can get to places so easily. I can either drive, or take public transport with a wide range of choices: the bus, the tuktuk, motorcycle taxis, river taxis, or the taxis at a very affordable price. Going to and from the airport is not much of a problem. Food is cheap and found everywhere. You want cheap accomodation, you can find as low as Bht.80/night at KhaoSan Road, or Bht. 590/night at Nasa Vegas ;D I was talking to some people who've been to Europe and they were saying that people there don't really look happy. Well now I understand why so many Europeans come to Thailand and stay here for like three months at a time. Life here is so much more pleasant!

As much as I am excited to see all the sights and finally get to see the famed scenic landscapes in Europe, I'm not exactly looking forward to all the hardships that I now know we will have to go through travelling with Roo (leaving him at home is not an option). For those who have kids, you know it's like next to impossible to travel light when you're with one. How do you travel on the train with luggage and little ones, I wonder? Will the train wait til you get on and be seated? Then if we want to spend less, we can avail of a free fare for him on the trains, but we'd have to sit him on our lap the entire time because he won't get his own seat. That arrangement is ok for short rides, but what about the length of like Munich-Paris? Hmmm.

Oh well. I think I've seen enough of Europe for now ;D My virtual tours have brought me exploring in the castles of Bavaria, and I've sang my way through the Sound of Music tour in Salzburg, Austria. Right now, I don't mind waiting a lil longer til my boy can pull his own weight. Then maybe I'll be more smiles as Roo snaps a picture of me sipping hot choco while trying not to freeze in the Swiss alps.

Why? Why Not?

On Wednesdays, Roo and I drive to Jusco around nine am to buy groceries. Jusco is a Japanese-owned general merchandise store about one km away from our place. Wednesday is market day at Jusco. That means on Wednesdays, all the farm produce just arrived, therefore they are fresh. And cheap. Cheaper than they are on other days. So many people who live in our area go to Jusco on Wednesdays to get their weekly supplies.

We used to drive there as a family late evenings, when daddy E came home from work. But ever since I started driving again, Roo and I head there soon after we eat breakfast. It's so much nicer to go in the mornings. The shopping experience is more pleasant. The staff look refreshed, they smile, and they are more helpful. Parking near the entrance is available, and the vegetables and fruits look so much more delectable and luscious. Not to mention our fellow shoppers don't look haggard and stressed out. Most of them are senior citizens, those who are already retired for they look even much older than my dad. Wednesdays at Jusco I imagine, must be a much anticipated event for these elderlies, an activity that must look forward to every week.

Anyways, so much for the intro. Today, Roo and I were having fun identifying the produce at the vegetable section, when this darling old lady peered closely towards our trolley, and inquired curiously, "Mai pai rong riyan wan-nee ha noo?" Literal translation: You didn't go to school today huh little boy?

I gave her a smile. Khao yang mai pai rong riyan khah. (He doesn't go to school yet.)

Apparently she did not understand that. "Khao pen wat lo khah?" (Is he sick?)

This is the second time an elderly lady we met at Jusco asked us about Roo not being in school on a school day. On the first encounter, the much-concerned senior, upon learning that Roo was three, looked like she would have given me a scolding had I not been a complete stranger. She was like, "He's three?! Shouldn't he be in school?!"

I'm not surprised at this reaction anymore. Since Roo turned two, MY man has been getting a lot of pressure from his colleagues about this issue. When MY man shared our views about too early schooling with them, they looked at him like he was from another planet. They think we are depriving Roo of an education. They mentioned that here in Bangkok, kids go to school when they are two. "And doesn't your wife get bored, just staying in the house with your son? Why don't you send him to preschool now?!"

I must admit I am affected by all these feedback. But because our decision was made with a lot of prayers, careful thought and consideration, I'm not about to back up. I taught third-graders for only five years but I've seen enough of the disadvantages of kids going to school at an early age to not want that for my son. These kids' parents send them to school very early, primarily because both parents work, and they think it's much better for their kids to be in the school with teachers, than be at home, doing "nothing" with uneducated nannies. And what happens? These kids who don't get to play as much as they want to, play or act up in the classroom. They become 'problem' students and the more parents, and (most often) teachers put pressure on them to put their act together and do what they're supposed to do, the problems just continue to worsen or escalate. Enter any classroom and you'll find more than half of the students bored or not showing much interest in their studies.

MY man and I have had to make sacrifices because of this decision. First, financially, we'd surely be earning more if I'm working too. Then, there's the career thing for me that's put on hold. God knows the struggle I'd had to go through, putting all my plans aside, just so I can be home for my little one. I do enjoy interacting with my toddler, asking questions and finding answers to questions. I just love watching him blossom and grow. But I wouldn't be honest if I say that there are no downtimes at all. It's not easy being a stay-at-home mom. Sometimes it feels like a lonely thankless job. I'm at it seven days a week (sometimes it feels like eight), twenty-four hours a day, no day-offs, no sick leave.

But why do I stick at it? MY man and I believe it's for our son's best interests. We want him to enjoy his childhood, be free to play and explore the 'world', and his imaginary world without the limitations and structure of school. Yet. With God's grace and wisdom, we hope to build and plant values and virtues in him before he goes out into the 'real' world. We want to get bonded with him in a way that whatever happens to him later on in life, he will know he has a place to come home to, where he's loved for who he is, and where he will always be safe being who he is. We yearn to lead him to the Saviour, that when he finds himself in difficult situations later, he will trust that His Saviour will see him through it all, and that he will choose to be on God's side no matter what. We know that our time to do all that is very limited. Time flies fast, pretty soon, he'll zoom out into the world, all ready to explore and be on his own, to find his own niche and purpose in life.

So for those who ask why he's not in school yet, I say, He'll be in school soon enough.