rucina's birthday 2009

awww my sweet boys (missing one, Arie, who was in Java) serenading me on the day...

Women's baleganjur in Bali (don't remember where I took this, sorry).

The Dirt Market in Beijing is a swirl of shops and you can find almost anything there that smacks of "antiquity" and "ethnicity". Here are some traditional neckwear from the hill tribes and two lovely ladies with whom i had a lively conversation but neither side knew what we were saying. and if you need a paintbrush, this is the place to be!

Our fantastic seniman tua (master dancers!): I Wayan Dibia, Jero Puspa, Jero Gadung , Ibu Raka and Ibu Arini performing at Hotel Tanjung Sari in May.
Amazing energy and inspiring!

my two sons being silly and Agung using his magical sakti to blow out his birthday candles!

the campus at WAP is lovely. My last day there it was quite foggy--this is the bridge that connects the high school to the middle school campus.

There's a lot of foot massage in Beijing.
One day, after hours of teaching and walking around, I wanted to get a foot massage. but almost all the places I passed had women with high heels and fishnet stockings on and not much else. These were the "plus plus" massage parlours and not for us women....

BUT I was turned on to a great visually impaired masseur named David (see him with his wife and son here). He does a lovely shiatsu type massage (fully clothed with no plus pluses). You can find him by crossing the street in front of the Lido Holiday Inn and going into the park. He's on the left side of the street about 50 meters in.

all over Beijing people are on bicycles. Some are electric, most are simple push bikes. Vendors push around their wares, like this nursery man, on foot powered carts.

In a hutong (little neighborhood) across from my hotel was a park and lots of machines for stretching and shaking da body. It is used mainly by the elderly who are more flexible than most Westerners half their age.

Some of the students and their masks...

Arriving in Beijing, each of us had to stay seated and have our temperature taken by having a sensor placed on our forehead (swine flu alert).

Arriving in Denpasar, each of us had to fill in a yellow card stating where we had been and if we had any flu symptoms. Have the card went to the officials and half we kept. That way if we came down with any symptoms, we'd have the yellow card to remind us where we had been.

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THE FORBIDDEN CITY IN BEIJING. In the middle of a sprawling metropolis is an ancient city...well at least lots of buildings, gardens and throne rooms. I found it interesting that most of the tourists there were Chinese and wondered if they took pride in their heritage. So little of Beijing seems "chinese" to me, or at least old style Chinese, but I'm such a neophyte what do I know. The foto of the steps with the dragons carved in the centre is where they used to carry the emperor up to his throne room. In the book FOREIGN BABES IN BEIJING, the author claims that his derriere was so wide that the steps had to made that width so his servants could carry him up the stairs!

What a great idea! have a foot flusher--very hygienic. and teh chic rectangular design!

made in china

beijing in summer

In June I went to Beijing to teach mask dance at BISS and WAP (two international schools). I had a weekend there, so I went to The Great Wall and the Dirt Market among other places. Here are some shots....

the north sea in belgium. rucina and the infamous frites (no, I couldn't handle them with mayo), horse cart in bruges, my friend and guide Isabella at the Chocoalte museum (where I inadvertantly left my pashmina!)

At the Brussels International School, I gave workshops in Topeng, Balinese dance, Kecak and Wayang.

Michel and Kunang in front of the Town Hall where they were married over 20 years ago!
Rucina and Kunang in Paris.

Paris!!!! A delight. Sunny and blue skies yesterday. Michel and Kunang are taking great care of me--I sleep on their couch and walk their neighborhood again and again. They live close to the Seine and the Louvre (which I saw today--amazing). Here are a few fotos....the closest i got to Le Eiffel taken from the POmpideu Centre. A frozen dog on the streets and Kunang and moi.

Am in Brussels but can't find a WiFi place for my Mac so can't upload photos.
Day Three of teaching Middle and Senior High School kids Balinese dance, maskwork, puppetry and kecak. Weather is cold and crisp and quite sunny.
The city is a bustling one, lots of young people sitting out in bars and cafes all day and night. Hear French and Flemish everywhere and of course, loads of tourists.
Am about to go see Second City do a show here at the Int'l School.

I shocked a true Belgian the other day by asking if one could order regular tap water at a restauarnt. AT A RESTAURANT? she looked at me in wonder....i thot I had said something horrible and then asked a Canadian: What kind of water do yOU drink in your restos? Tap she replied. I guess us North Americans are just kinda gauche. and cheap.

Happy Galungan to all who celebrate it. Strange not to be surrounded by penjors....

on the boat to dinner and at dinner with mark and liz

Mark at his soon to be new home in Lugano.
Godmother Liz Linden with Adam Weingard.
Mark with Adam