2014
Gallivanting on Garuda again
28 September 2014 - Sydney Airport
So I am off to the Writers Festival. It is that time of year again. Festival No.11. The busiest five days in my annual calendar, but I hope to have a few minutes every now 'n’ again to share some of the excitement and glamour of the festival with you. The biggest name draw-card guest writer, VS Naipaul has withdrawn. After agreeing to come, he only recently demanded a $20,000 payment and first class travel for all his entourage, which UWRF certainly cannot afford to pay - nor do they want to set a precedent of paying authors to attend. (They all get free 5-star hotel accommodation and are very well looked after.) The Festival was gobsmacked by his demands. Still, there is a rich array of Asian, Australian and International writers to entertain and enthrall us, including the emerging young Indonesian writers, some of whom I have translated for the festival anthology again.
This year my brother Dave and his wife Jen are coming too - they fly tomorrow. They're then going on afterwards to join the Spice Islands trip on the Ombak Putih, the traditional sailing vessel, with author Ian Burnet, the same trip Cathy and I did two years ago. Also with me at the Festival this year are John and Ann Mill, family friends from Perth. They are all staying at Puri Saraswati in downtown Ubud while I occupy the new granny flat at Josh's. (Josh and Stacy decided to build additions to the old house, done while Josh and Jazz were in Sydney for 6 months with me) rather than find a new one so I am going back to my beloved Bali home with its rice field views after all! Yipee!) It has been newly furnished and be-curtained I believe, the original furniture from my July visit having been moved to Roman's room in the main house, which is the front verandah now enclosed). So I am apparently in for a lovely surprise.
So looking forward to seeing Josh and Jazz, Stacy and Roman en famille - all going swimmingly. Josh loves family life! The house is full of mod cons and they have a car! And a new puppy, Rosie, that a neighbour thrust into Jasmin's arms on her birthday in August and no one had the heart to send back home. The kids are loving school, back at Pelangi, Jazz's old school, rather than changing schools involving a long drive down to the coast each day. Jazz seems to have adapted easily back into her Bali life. It will be interesting to see if her seven-month Australian sojourn has had lasting effects.
Off to go through Customs and Immigration. Indonesia here I come!
This year my brother Dave and his wife Jen are coming too - they fly tomorrow. They're then going on afterwards to join the Spice Islands trip on the Ombak Putih, the traditional sailing vessel, with author Ian Burnet, the same trip Cathy and I did two years ago. Also with me at the Festival this year are John and Ann Mill, family friends from Perth. They are all staying at Puri Saraswati in downtown Ubud while I occupy the new granny flat at Josh's. (Josh and Stacy decided to build additions to the old house, done while Josh and Jazz were in Sydney for 6 months with me) rather than find a new one so I am going back to my beloved Bali home with its rice field views after all! Yipee!) It has been newly furnished and be-curtained I believe, the original furniture from my July visit having been moved to Roman's room in the main house, which is the front verandah now enclosed). So I am apparently in for a lovely surprise.
So looking forward to seeing Josh and Jazz, Stacy and Roman en famille - all going swimmingly. Josh loves family life! The house is full of mod cons and they have a car! And a new puppy, Rosie, that a neighbour thrust into Jasmin's arms on her birthday in August and no one had the heart to send back home. The kids are loving school, back at Pelangi, Jazz's old school, rather than changing schools involving a long drive down to the coast each day. Jazz seems to have adapted easily back into her Bali life. It will be interesting to see if her seven-month Australian sojourn has had lasting effects.
Off to go through Customs and Immigration. Indonesia here I come!