Zo-Babble

ZoBabe manages to get a fuzzy, out-of-focus snapshot of a bird.

Okay, honestly, I wasn’t actually trying all that hard. It just kept leisurely strolling past my window several times a day, as I was blissfully ignoring the natural splendor that exists just outside of the little bubble containing me and my computer, and disrupting my peripheral vision. So, I would stop whatever I was doing, for just a few moments, to try to catch it on film (well, not film exactly) just to have it do something like this:

Yet, I persevered, since my mom seems to like these silly snapshots of random fauna, and eventually prevailed (sort of).

Wait a minute.

As I was writing that very last sentence, I noticed a slight movement in the corner of my eye. A quick glance confirms, it is an entirely different bird. Much to my chagrin, I realize that this silly over-sized quail looking thing, surreptitiously stealing cookies from the offerings, is actually the bird I was after in the first place.

ZoBabe has done gone and shot the wrong bird. G’ah!

All right. Now it’s personal…

These days, than when acting in her de facto roll as Editor in Chief of www.CempakaPutih.org.
Helping our volunteer Dee put his evocative stories of his time here with CPF to virtual paper almost makes her feel as though she is not, in fact, chained to the computer.
Well, I’m not “in fact” chained to the computer, so one of these days I’ll really just go and actively participate.
Novel idea…
Although Dee seems to be having way too much fun teaching some of the most remote school children in Bali the English language, and exploring parts of the island few tourists ever get to see (and I certainly have way too much fun helping him tell people about it) they really do need additional support for their medical and outreach programs.
In these dramatic times, and with the horrifying realities in Haiti and the many, many places around the globe ravaged by war, I am aware that the relatively quiet struggles of the families CPF was founded to support would be hard-pressed to find a place in the forefront of people’s minds. And yet, the basic needs of food, shelter, medicine, and education still go unmet for far too many people.
Oh Jeez, before I go talking myself into feeling bad for even bringing it up, I’ll just go donate something to Haiti relief.
Z

Hey, it happens!

  As it turned out to be pretty simple after all, I went ahead and imported most of my old posts. I just left out those I find really irritating. I find most of my old categories to be pretty irritating, and have been wasting bucket-loads of time I don’t have recategorizing everything.

  It’s a bit chaotic at the moment, but I doubt anyone will really mind. I’m always open to suggestions if anyone thinks I should move things around.

  One of these days, I may surgically remove myself from the computer and actually find something to write about.

Bebek (Bengil atau nggak? Tidak apa-apa)

Ha! New blog, clean slate… Time to start reoffending. When ZoBabe can’t come up with something to say, she reserves the right to post pictures of ducks.

Not that there’s nothing going on, mind you. I just don’t feel like formulating my thoughts enough to share.

This pic is a couple months old, when the ducks clear the fields of pests before the farmers plant the new rice. There are guys that literally go around renting out their gangs of ducks for just that purpose.

Right now, however, is really my favorite time of the harvest cycle. The rice fields are lush and full and almost too beautiful for words. (Actually my second favorite, I like it a little better when the rice is so small you can still see the sky reflected in the water.)

But am I gonna post a picture? Only time will tell…

Newest Tattoo in Progress

“So, do you think you’d ever want to get more tattoos?” The Favorite Man asks over Saturday evening cocktails with friends. “Well, d’uh!” I reply (as would seem obvious by now, I would think).

  So, of course, bright and early Sunday afternoon, who should turn up at my doorstep but Favorite Man’s friend the tattoo artist, toting his box of gear.

 Fortunately (or unfortunately, perhaps, from the point of view of more conservatively minded folk) taking my time, agonizing, weighing pros and cons, and thinking things through in a painstaking manner has never really been my forte.

  So, approximately 20 minutes later, three little fishies has been decided upon, and I’m under the gun.

  By now, of course, there’s a bit more color involved. But no-one bothered to take another photo. So this is all ya get ’til it’s done.

  Peace out,

  Z

Sterling Silver, Paua, and Resin Pendant

It is always nice to get out of the damn house and putt around with my Favorite Man on a Vespa. One of the things that I really love about living in Bali is that, no matter how caught up you get in day-to-day drudgery, once in while you can just take a look around, and go “Wow!”

This has truly got to be one of most beautiful places on Earth. Or maybe I just don’t get out enough…

Anyway, my nominal excuse for ripping myself away from the computer for almost an entire afternoon was to check out a new line for www.BaliPaua.com. So, rather than showing you the stunning ricefield terraces and river valleys, quaint villages and ceremonial processions, I’m just gonna show you a new pendant that will shortly turn up for wholesale on another website anyway.

Ha!