I arrived in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia on Wednesday 19th of October, 2022,
after flying for two days from Boston, MA, USA. I was greeted by Jaedy, holding a
sign with my name. His father, Rudi, owns Air Ubud, the Artist Residency
properties. Rudi was waiting for us in the car. I was warmly welcomed, my
suitcases were wheeled into the car and they offered me a bottle of water to drink. I
took in all the sights on the way to Ubud, despite it being dark and the fact that I
was jet lagged and exhausted.
We finally arrived at the garage and they took out my suitcases. I could not
understand what was going on. It turns out that the car could not go any further
because of the rice fields. They had arranged for three scooters to come and meet
us there, each one carrying one suitcase. I refused to climb onto a scooter so Putu,
Rudi’s wife, walked together with me until we arrived at Air Ubud. My suitcases
were delivered to my room which was quite large and comfortable. I had to ask
them to keep the two cats away from trying to constantly sneak in, by lying in front
of my door. I finally unpacked my carry-on case and decided to take care of the
rest the following day. I could not sleep because I was so tired; it took a while to
relax from the exhaustion.
There were chickens crowing in the morning and dogs barking. I pushed my
earplugs in further and was able to doze off for a few hours before breakfast.
Breakfast was an absolute delight every morning at 9 AM cooked by Wayan Nano.
It consisted of a vegetable omelette, a piece of toast, a potato pancake, a fruit bowl
and two cups of coffee. This kept me going until the afternoon. I walked
everywhere every day, at least two miles. I was determined not to waste any of my
precious time and just explore more and more of everything on my four-page list
of "to do's." The city looks very old and it looks like it needs a good paint job.
However as soon as you take a peek into the alleyways, you are in for the most
pleasant surprise. Spirituality is everywhere. As soon as you enter each alleyway,
there is a sculpture of Lord Ganesh. I mean absolutely everywhere! The Balinese
believe that Lord Ganesh removes all obstacles and negativity.
I was quite taken aback by not seeing any elevators or handicapped ramps
anywhere. There are steps everywhere and you need good stamina. Even though
my bedroom to my bathroom had a step, I got used to it afterwards. Most tourist
areas in the center of the town have loose or broken bricks; you have to be very
careful while walking. It was also like that in Buenos Aires, Argentina, therefore I
forgive Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.

The foot traffic is non-stop especially after an evening show. They need more
crosswalks or lights for there are so many cars and scooters going both ways. I was
taught that if you hold out an umbrella, they will get the message and slow down.
They have ride and food delivery service by Grab and Gojek - their Lyft and
Uber. I was determined not to go to a restaurant twice despite them all
being incredibly stunning. I never paid more than $13.00 for a main course,
dessert and a bottle of water. A lot of places serve breakfast, lunch and
dinner which is good because no breakfast is served at Air Ubud on Sundays. They
are supposedly closed because people go to the Temple or sleep late. There were
two dinners and karaoke evenings which were fun but 11pm was my limit. They
went on until 2 - 3 AM.
I was interested in culture, the other artists were all going clubbing or the beach or
waterfalls. I was looking for inspiration from Hindu/Balinese art. I experienced
more than I ever have anticipated. I was always going from one place to another
and became the “Residency Directory” for best places to eat and to go for culture.
The owners of Air Ubud asked me for a list of everything I did, for
recommendations to share with “newbies". I was always on time for breakfast at
9AM sharp.
It rained very heavily at least once a day. A raincoat and umbrella does not do the
job. I preferred the dryer times and the heat; at least I could get around and take my
sweat with me! All the streets were well lit. I got used to walking in the dark with
my flashlight because taxis cannot go beyond the rice fields. If I stayed at a resort,
there is no way I could have had all this cultural exposure. I like eating with my
fingers on banana leaves, sitting on pillows and wearing sarongs. I think they are
way more sexy than a sari. I was fascinated by the men’s fashions; they are unique
and colorful. I am sure more ideas will bubble up; the highlights are on my
Instagram page.
Canang sari offerings are everywhere. A small portion of a meal is offered to Sang
Hyang Widhi Wasa as a form of thanking for the peace given to the world; it is the
simplest daily household offering. Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa is the Balinese Hindu
name of the One Eternal Cosmic Mind or Principle, equivalent to Brahman, from
which all else manifests. These offerings are done once or twice a day and a lot of
times they are eaten by dogs, cats or birds. However, I was taken aback once
seeing a snail climbing up and eating one all up!
Bali is known for its beaches and waterfalls where the tourists are found. But the
city of Ubud, its cultural capital, abounds with temples with exquisite sculptures.
There are also splendid museums and art galleries. Concerts featuring some of the

nine traditional classic dance forms of Bali, such as Kecak and Barong, are
beautiful to watch. Bali is home to several types of traditional gamelan music. Of
course, after you are cultured-out, there is great shopping. When you are starving,
fine gourmet dining awaits you. Some outdoor restaurants overlook the expansive
rice fields.
I had the pleasure and delight of being invited to the five-day Odalan festival that
occurs every few months. It is extremely moving to absorb. The gist of what is
happening here is that the Balinese are honoring the deities that rule over the
temple by giving them a myriad of offerings, performances of vocal music, dance
and gamelan music. They invite them down from their abode on Mount Agung to
partake in the activities. I had to get a lace kebaya top to wear to all ceremonial
activities. I bought a red one to match all my sarongs. Kebaya has become
Indonesia’s most proud national attire for women. Each province and area has its
own distinct kebaya style. Kebaya Bali is especially unique and distinctive
compared to other areas in Indonesia. Its uniqueness lies in the colors of kebaya
used for different religious ceremonies. The statues of the deities housed in the
Royal Palace are taken by a large procession to the town's temple where they are
worshiped for five days. Then they are removed and returned. The level of
commitment of the musicians, drummers and everyone is wonderful to watch as
they put their everything in these proud moments. There were more crowds on the
weekends than during the week. I was invited to join everyone for lunch and felt
like I belonged to that community.
The decorations were incredibly beautiful; everyone was dressed in their finest. I
went out and bought six more sarongs! I was invited to a Balinese wedding by
Rudi and his wife Putu. I felt so accepted when I was invited to take photographs
with the bride and groom and to join everyone for lunch. I had been shopping in
Ubud Market for an ikat wall hanging and spent quite a while in this shop chatting
with the lovely woman owner. Ikat weaving refers to yarns that are first dyed
before they are woven into patterns. The weaver has to precisely dye the threads
then align them into the correct pattern, a very complicated process. On top of that,
there are three different ikat weaving techniques!
One week later, I was walking around Ubud Market and saw that same shop owner
again. She came to chat with me and wanted to know when I was leaving. She
invited me to her "Granddaughter’s three-month Baby Ceremony". I was ecstatic about
the invitation and blown away to see the level of devotion, love and support that
was showered by everyone to this baby. Lunch was delicious, I tried everything
including the roasted pig. I also got a box of treats to take back with me. It was

attended by a lot of people whom I had met in the temple and at the wedding. It is
a small town, everyone knows everyone else, they all knew my name and wanted
to know when I would return to Ubud!
My first week I bought six puppets from a store in Ubud Market from an old lady.
She was very sweet so whenever I walked past once or twice a day, I would stop to
check in on her. I went to say goodbye to her before I left, she had a beautifully
wrapped gift for me to travel safely, until we could meet again. I look back at
everything I did and it was the best three weeks of my life. I have learnt that I have
touched so many lives here and they have done the same to me. On my walk back
on my last day, another woman stopped me asking if I did not remember her. I
honestly did not. She said that she had shown me how to put one hand on another
and had sprinkled holy water on me. I was so inattentive that I did not notice her, but
she noticed me!
Of course! There was also a smiling lady from the fruit stand. She knew exactly
what fruits I ate for dinner every evening and saved my supply to pick up daily!
Yes! I will miss their sweet smiles and pranams. Washed faces, hair tied back,
flowers in their hair, matching kebaya and sarong. Hinduism in Ubud is far more
sacred than India or Trinidad. They are all very sincere. I love how everyone takes
their religion so seriously, whether inside the temple or outside in daily life.
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I recently returned from 3 weeks at: Air Ubud, Artist In Residence, the ideal place
for the title: "Eat/Play/Love." I am a visual artist and went there for "Inspiration
and Content" for my upcoming Hindu Balinese Art Exhibition on: "Beautiful, Ubud,
Bali." I got much more than I had anticipated.
I would like to thank everyone for everything that they had done to make my stay
educational and enjoyable:
Kharisma - Orchestrated and hosted the 2 best Dinner/Karaoke evenings that I had
ever attended.
Wayan Nano - Cooked the most healthy, nutritious breakfasts daily, also kept my
bedroom and bathroom neat and tidy. Invited me to the 5 day "Odalan Festival" at
Pura Gunung Lebah.

Wayan Nano's Mother - Cooked & delivered to me a delicious, scrumptious
Balinese Fish Breakfast, also invited me to their home for a traditional Balinese
dinner.
Wayan Nano's Father - Delivered a rice package to me lovingly wrapped in a
banana leaf.
Rudi Rodah - Drove me to several museums and invited me to a traditional
Balinese wedding.
Putu Rodah - Introduced me to a tray of offerings and taught me how to wear
kabayas and flowers in my hair.
Kaja - Invited me to her granddaughter's 105th day Baby's Ceremony.
Trina Acacia - Invited me to an art exhibition and her dance performance.
Returned the following week to have lunch with me at Murni's Warung.
Siddharth Bagga - Invited me to dinner at Lazy Cats Cafe.
Suka - The Fruit Vendor who saved a bag of my favorite fruits, to pick up at the
end of nearly every day.
Suja - For the beautiful wrapped gift she gave to me, to fly home safely and return
for Gulungan..
Vendors - Ubud Vegetable Market & Clothes, etc. Thank you for your daily smiles,
every time I walked back and forth daily.
Restaurants that I ate at:
1) Lunch at Sweet Orange Warung Restaurant.
2) Lunch at Karsa Kafe Restaurant.
3) Lunch at the Puri Lukisan Museum Restaurant.
4) Breakfast at Cafe Lotus Restaurant.
5) Lunch at Naughty Nuri's Restaurant.
6) Dinner at Dapur Usada Restaurant.
7) Lunch at Gedong Sisi Restaurant.8) Lunch at The Paon Restaurant.
9) Dinner at Lazy Cats Cafe Restaurant.
10) Breakfast at Casa Luna Restaurant.
11) Lunch at The Legend Ubud Restaurant.
12) Agung Rai Museum of Art, lunch at ARMA Restaurant.
13) Lunch at Arang Sate Restaurant.
14) Dinner at Bali Buda Restaurant.
15) Lunch at Warung Makan Bu Rus Restaurant.
16) ) Lunch at Murni's Warung Restaurant.
17) Breakfast at Menari Cafe Restaurant.
18) Lunch at Miro's Garden Restaurant.
19) Lunch at Odette Restaurant.
20) ) Pyramids of the Chi, had lunch and dinner there.
21) Lunch at Clear Cafe Restaurant.
Activities that I attended:
1) Pura Taman Saraswati Temple.
2) Ubud Palace, Puri Saren Agung.
3) Pura Dalem Temple.
4) Campuhan Ridge Walk.
5) Museum Puri Lukisan.
6) Kecak Fire and Trance Dance at Pura Dalem Taman Kaja.
7) Neka Art Museum.
8) Neka Art Gallery.9) Puri Lempad Bali Home and Gallery.
10) Blanco Renaissance Museum.
11) ) Setia Darma House of Masks & Puppets.
12) The Legong Dance Performance at the Royal Palace Courtyard.
13) Art Exhibition "Pentimento" by Noella Roos, Dance Performance by Trina
Acacia.
14) Agung Rai Museum of Art.
15) ) Wayang Kulit, The Shadow Puppet Theater, Oka Kartini.
16) Barong Dance Performance at Ubud Palace.
17) Gangga Studio and Gallery.
18) Rudana Museum.
19) Pyramids of the Chi, "Full Moon Ceremony" and "Ancient Sound Healing".
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