Monday Morning in Basel

Guten Morgen Freunde,

All is well here. We arrived on Saturday, early evening, about half past six. Paul started documenting the signage for the bathrooms in Basel's small airport. Design is certainly at an elevated level here, as one would expect -- no exceptions. I snapped some posters declaring the rights of citizens to publicly demonstrate and protest.




The town seems quite manageable -- small, clean and quietly running, like a well-oiled machine, minus the oil. Prices are what they say. But we don't dwell on that -- it is what it is. In the downtown, store front shops are adorable and ubiquitous, lining cobble-stoned streets, running this way and that, up and downhill.

Immanuel is quite well -- looking as dashing as ever. His flat is very comfortable with floor to ceiling windows in the kitchen and the bedroom that look out onto a lovely natural landscape. The garden has various plants, trees, shrubs, an oval-shaped stoned area and a water garden. He has a small patio adorned with plants and herbs. The exterior walls are painted a bright peachy pink accented with a red trim -- influenced by his landlord's travels to Thailand, I am told. This is unusual for Basel, but I think it's uplifting and for a moment I reminisce about Bali. I like it.

Immanuel has graciously stocked the fridge with a plethora of goods that would impress any foodie. There is everything from Landjäger to Emirates dates in a package resembling a book that opens from left to right -- the opposite of how our books open.

Yesterday morning we visited a flee market where the vendors were largely Turks. They sold everything from underwear, [yes] shoes and antique musical instruments to the common Swiss army knife. There was also good ethnic food and good coffee which we all enjoyed. Nearby, and somewhat hidden are what look like abandoned warehouses. This is a happening party district late in the evening and a place where Immanuel frequents when the mood strikes. The site was literally on the other side of the tracks. One venue, a two-story red bricked train station looked like it was presently occupied by a some squatters.

The weather is a bit on the cool side. The day started off with warm sunlight filling the flat as I did my morning Kundalini practice. Later, it became overcast, breezy with drizzles of rain, but not cold.

At night we visited a traditional Swiss village and dined in a restaurant there. The beer tasted the way a good beer should. Coming soon to smilepolitely.com Paul will have a write up on the meal. My German is non-existent at this point -- I know Guten Morgen, Guten Tag, Ja, Nein, Bitte and Danke. Finally, we ended the evening at home with Immanuel making homemade Tiramisu -- Yum!

Hope to be posting more in the coming days...later in the week we go by train to Zurich to visit a design museum and next week Immanuel has two trips planned for us -- one to Alsace in France, the second to the Swiss Alps. It is very exciting!

Peace, Light & Love,
Bonnie

Jalan Jalan...

Friday morning kicked off with a two-hour walk through some small villages on the outskirts of Ubud. We have had a morning walk scheduled all week but the rain has prevented us from going the more secluded route.

It was a nice change from our morning yoga and dance classes. However, pounding the pavement before breakfast was exhausting and really pushed right up against my edge. I needed an extra hour just to take care of myself before returning to the class for the pregnant woman demo. Yes, you all know that I was broken-hearted to miss it. I arrived just in time to be a demo body and receive some low-back work. The pregnant women came in a bit later. One was ready to burst.

Statues on the road during our walk. I think they are to ward off evil spirits. Some of these would be useful at the Internet when the foreigners start complaining.

Ok, nuf said. Until next time.

Peace & light,
Bonnie

Offering touch to the people at Senang Hati.

Yesterday we had an outing to the Senang Hati Foundation. These are two of the young girls we worked with. I should say played with, really. Wayan [on the right] giggled most of the time I spent with her. This is an organization for Balinese with disabilities. Most are wheel chair bound. Since we did not receive much of an orientation before or after our visit, being present and allowing ourselves to do the simplest kind of touch with compassion was the best possible approach.

The girls really seemed to enjoy it.

Victoria, Kathleen, Carolyn & I at dinner.

Monday night at the lovely Indus restaurant, just across the street. We had a group dinner with some great salsa music. The band played many familiar songs of the Buena Vista Social Club. It was a much needed evening when we could let our hair down. Believe it or not receiving massage every day and practicing yoga is hard work.

I indulged myself with two watermelon martinis. Yum! They cost more than the whole meal at $7.50 a drink. Oh well. In the photo from left to right is Victoria from Taipei, my roomie, Kathleen who will return to Florida after having been traveling in India and Thailand for several months, me and Carolyn is who also a homeless traveler.

Until next time lots of love coming at ya! --Bonnie

A young beauty.

There is much beauty here in Bali. This is the grand daughter of one of the male helpers here at the Ananda Cottages.

Luso lives in a hut in the jungle, but stays on the property when groups are in residence. He acts as a nighttime security guard and sleeps amongst the stacks of pillows on the floor of the Wantilan. He also is an expert at climbing the tall palm trees for coconuts.

Today is a slow Sunday. Much more to my liking than the full on schedule we normally keep throughout the week.

One of the boyz in the training, Made [the youngest in the training {22} and the most obnocious Balinese I have met here] actually called me lazy on Friday. An unusually direct accusation for this culture. This was after the two-hour walk that exhausted me and pushed the boundaries of my bodies limitations. I was an hour late to the morning session and I just observed the session of working with pregnant women.

What a brat! Pictures of the Balinese boyz to come. Having downloaded them to my Ipod I am lacking the necessary cord needed to access them.

The training is coming into the home stretch. We are now practicing doing full sessions with partners and on the teachers.

Home soon!
Peace & light,
Bonnie

What a difference a day makes!

I could actually lighten up a bit today. More on the sludge later -- promise. I ditched morning yoga [after being given permission] and took some extra time for myself. It was so nice. While walking to the internet to skype Paul I was thinking about the coolest job in Bali. Each morning one makes offerings to the Gods, asking for good luck and blessings for the day. I have been noticing a young girl on the property doing this daily as a morning ritual and thinking about how perfect that would be. Today we met on the path and she was kind enough to allow me to snap a shot. This is Wayan.

First week of Esalen massage training

Recalling the vast ocean of the week...Some moments in time.

Hmm...Well, sl-ooooow-ing down, connecting to earth, reaching for the sky, opening the heart in the lush tropical jungle...beautiful faces shedding. Shedding fears, presumptions, expectations, tensions, anxieties, insecurities, more and more.

The workshop is taking me to a deep place. We begin early each morning with movement. On alternating days Ellen, the group leader guides us in Chigong exercises. We slap ourselves silly awakening our sleeping meridians, organs and muscles, stimulating our skin.

She segues into feeling energy, much like in Tai Chi practice. We begin with our hands feeling energy. Then we are including our feet, shifting our weight from side to side. Before we know it, she has slyly led us into a personal dance.

As a group, we are dancing without effort in a beautiful open air pavillion made of dark wood called the Wantilan. We are moving together, communing, a combined energy that is one.