Spooky

Fact: Ady is a soothsayer!
Last night I dreamed that I was at the aftermath of a Silchester common fire. Walking along Pamber road & Kings road all the houses were blackened, the ground too.
Today the mountain behind us has small clouds of smoke billowing up where the farmers have been burning brush to promote new growth. This got out of  hand and threatened some of the houses (including Chris's). Walking home from dinner along the beach (tee-hee) the mountain was covered in tiny orange specks. Romantic but tinged with the feeling that it shouldn't be happening.
However, I failed to predict the 2.2 earthquake a couple of days ago which
occurred at about 07:00. I'm sitting in my dressing gown with the usual
morning cup of java (yes, really) when I get the feeling I'm on a boat. I
grip the arms of the chair but this doesn't help and I "know" that
standing up is not an option so I ride it out. It lasts about 10 seconds
then it dawns on me what it was.

Maybe I've angered the gods and famine and pestilence are sure to follow -
can't see it though.

The Dutch tried to teach me some words - I can say them but not pronounce
them. A scuba regulator is a 'tweede trap', a simple enough looking phrase
but I spend an hour making them laugh trying to get my throat to do things
a Klingon would struggle with.

Amanda is teaching me French, Indra (Clare knows him as he was in the
background of our last skype session) is teaching me Indonesian, German is
widely spoken and now Dutch? I have enough trouble with English.

N by NW

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside, oh I do...

We've been up north for a bit. So peaceful & relaxing after Sanur, and drier too, apart from the sea bit of course. Left town p****ing down, rained all the way to Munduk but as we crested the hills out came the sun and there it stayed until we came back, just hung all the washing out and there's that pitter-patter again.

In between times we've witness the major village fest of 09/09/09 in Pemuteran. Started early with all the under 12s gathering on the beach. They patiently sat through a few speeches by local dignitaries because after they get to relase a turtle - magic.

Then there was the painting competition, followed by an evening affair where the whole village came together to be congratulated by more local dignitaries on their good work bringing in the tourists while preserving the community & environment. Oh, and to give out the Football League & Badminton trophies. And provide a stage for the numerous local bands - long live rock (full marks for effort but keep practising lads...)

Got a spot of diving in, my new hair is great, my husband's is a little spiky since small, slightly alarming but non-fatal accident probing power supply with sharp stick, we have taken Mike (the moto formerly known as Jim) to BIG town. Ooh you thought electrocution was scary, try Denpasar in rush hour which actually lasts from about breakfast on Monday to tea-time Saturday. Got stopped by the traffic police, along with every other bike, and miraculously had all the right paperwork, even if we did have to explain to the chap that 09/07/16 on driving licence wasn't 16th of July and therefore not expired. It was all worth it as we now are the proud owners of proper sized coffee mugs, a lime squeezer and a kelambu.