2015
So far so good with the volcano
8 November 2015
The volcano, Gunung Rinjani in Lombok has kept quiet for a couple of days - or else the winds are blowing the ash in another direction away from Bali's airport. So unless the situation changes today I should be winging my way home tonight. Landing tomorrow morning - right into the middle of a strike of airport Immigration workers. Except they are called “Border Force" now, just to strike a note of fear - I refuse to use the term, nor be intimidated!
Last days here livening up. Been seeing friends and getting out and about. Jeffrey had headed off after the festival to fly to Madura with a SeaTrek guy to do further reconnaissance there for future sailing trips, but was prevented from getting away by the volcano. Ended up coming back to Ubud. So he has enjoyed catching up with some of my Ubud mates too, such as Anita "Ganesha", pictured here in her famous Ganesha bookshop with Ian Burnet's latest book Archipelago. As Ian had pointed out, one is already famous, the other about to be. I did the talk at the Sydney launch for the book a couple of months back, and indeed it will be famous one day soon. So read it!
Last days here livening up. Been seeing friends and getting out and about. Jeffrey had headed off after the festival to fly to Madura with a SeaTrek guy to do further reconnaissance there for future sailing trips, but was prevented from getting away by the volcano. Ended up coming back to Ubud. So he has enjoyed catching up with some of my Ubud mates too, such as Anita "Ganesha", pictured here in her famous Ganesha bookshop with Ian Burnet's latest book Archipelago. As Ian had pointed out, one is already famous, the other about to be. I did the talk at the Sydney launch for the book a couple of months back, and indeed it will be famous one day soon. So read it!
Also had a final get together over lunch with Stephen of Cinta Bahasa language school. Jeffrey had met him through me on a previous visit so came along too. With both Anita and Stephen we got more of the low down on the still seething controversies over the ‘65 and Tolak Reklamasi bans at the festival. Both Janet the Director and Pak Jun are copping lots of very unpleasant flak from the activist community here and abroad for having acceded to the demands to shut down those sessions at the festival - saying they should have fought against the pressure apparently and risked the festival’s future by making a stand. Of course these people have no idea of the consequences of possibly having such a huge event lose its licence at the last minute and have to be cancelled. I learned that it was not just local authorities behind the ban, but Janet was summonsed to Jakarta last week to meet the national Chief of Police! Activists are saying it is just a bulé event, but in fact the committee comprises 4 expats and 22 Indonesians, and the program involved as many Indonesian and other Asian writers as foreigners. It has become a truly Indonesian writers festival. I hear the morale of the committee is very low after all this and no doubt many of them will not want to continue. Yet most of the tension behind the scenes was hidden from participants and overall the festival was quite splendid!
Finally got a photo of the short-haired Jazz, but the compromise deal was no smile! The cut has changed a lot in the two weeks since it was done.
Finally got a photo of the short-haired Jazz, but the compromise deal was no smile! The cut has changed a lot in the two weeks since it was done.
Josh and I had a quick visit with Yoga on Friday after the school drop. Their house is down that way. Lucky to catch them as a couple of hours later he and Alby were about to fly off to Samarinda to see his frail old father who seemed to be going downhill after the news of the death of his very elderly mother. The airport had opened again. Good to talk to him as always. Looking forward to having him join the rest of the family who have already moved back in Sydney, once he finishes his work contract at the end of the year. Lovely to see their beautiful wooden home one more time too - maybe for the last time! Lots of happy memories staying there with them over the years.
A flurry of final (for me) meals out - about to do Sunday brunch again at Tutmak's with a family whose daughter is Jasmine too. And last night we had dinner with Josh's friends, Gove and Stacia at the Cinta Bar - happy hour mojitos! Great food too! Jolly night, and I got Gove's perspective on the Tolak Reklamsi activists he knows. They apparently thrive on stirring up enmity, which is not always the best way to further an important cause.
See some of you very soon! Fingers crossed the Lombok volcano stays quiet. Will be checking the Garuda website throughout the day.
Otherwise have been having a very quiet life, well and truly relaxing after the exhausting days of the festival. Reading a lot, splashing in the pool with Jazz after school each day, baking cup cakes with her, and generally "keeping house". Josh was unwell for a couple of days so no swimming, but back to our routine today. I stayed on in town after the school run this morning for an hour to do a bit of shopping, but the heat overwhelmed me. Josh came and picked me up and we went straight to the pool. Was so restored by that first plunge into the water!
The Writers Festival next year is also going to be held at the end of October, not the beginning as it used to be. And it is so much hotter at this time. Janet said it is because the Ubud hotels don't want it to be held in the Australian school holidays so they get to be full over much of October, both with tourists then with festival participants.
You will have read that Gunung Rinjani is blowing its top again in nearby Lombok. Bali's airport has been closed the last couple of days due to the ash cloud blowing this way, but open again this afternoon. Am a bit concerned about the situation on Sunday night when I am due to fly home, but can only wait and see. Don't want to be delayed. People to see, things to do, places to go!!
I am writing this after just coming back from an after dinner ice cream excursion. Kamasan cafe has a fabulous new home-made, high-quality ice cream parlour attached! Jazz was most impressed!
See some of you very soon! Fingers crossed the Lombok volcano stays quiet. Will be checking the Garuda website throughout the day.
Otherwise have been having a very quiet life, well and truly relaxing after the exhausting days of the festival. Reading a lot, splashing in the pool with Jazz after school each day, baking cup cakes with her, and generally "keeping house". Josh was unwell for a couple of days so no swimming, but back to our routine today. I stayed on in town after the school run this morning for an hour to do a bit of shopping, but the heat overwhelmed me. Josh came and picked me up and we went straight to the pool. Was so restored by that first plunge into the water!
The Writers Festival next year is also going to be held at the end of October, not the beginning as it used to be. And it is so much hotter at this time. Janet said it is because the Ubud hotels don't want it to be held in the Australian school holidays so they get to be full over much of October, both with tourists then with festival participants.
You will have read that Gunung Rinjani is blowing its top again in nearby Lombok. Bali's airport has been closed the last couple of days due to the ash cloud blowing this way, but open again this afternoon. Am a bit concerned about the situation on Sunday night when I am due to fly home, but can only wait and see. Don't want to be delayed. People to see, things to do, places to go!!
I am writing this after just coming back from an after dinner ice cream excursion. Kamasan cafe has a fabulous new home-made, high-quality ice cream parlour attached! Jazz was most impressed!