When we decided to move from Vancouver to Yellowknife and were considering how we'd handle the extreme cold, a friend pointed out that weather, good or bad, doesn't cause one's state of mind. Similarly, being away from the pressures of home and missing most of winter doesn't mean that life is without challenges. I keep intending to write a post about this because we mostly write about fun and adventure which may leading people to imagine the angels singing and skies opening to the heavens over Bali. By now there have been enough circumstances that have sufficiently irritated me so I can authenticity describe some of the drawbacks of being here.
Where oh where did my I Pod go? (and watch and phone and binoculars)
We've been enamored by this lovely summer-cottage type house we're renting and by the staff who work here. We are fed great food, our children are treated like gold, and we enjoy their company. The last thing on our minds has been the possibility of theft. So when we couldn't locate Alex's watch in January we assumed it was misplaced and would turn up. Same with the binoculars. And then the cell phone. But when my new I Pod Touch that Alex gave me for Christmas disappeared recently and can't be found anywhere (in spite of ransacking the house several times) it makes one's mind turn past absent mindedness and to more sinister possibilities. No one seems to think that it could have been an intruder so I'm left either believing I'm totally crazy and have lost my memory or wondering if it was taken by someone closer. And of all things to lose, the I Pod is such a useful tool - it's got all of the photos I have taken since we left home, a contact list, music I use at the gym, and has been so much fun on this trip. How I wish we'd enabled the security features on it before it was lost!
Our last attempt at getting it returned is going to be posting notices offering a reward and if the I Pod isn't found I'll put it out of mind and replace it when we get home. There are many more important things than an I Pod and, in a place which puts much emphasis on karma, if there are any sticky fingers people live with theirs.
“You've ruined my life”
Our children didn't want to be plucked from Yellowknife and transported thousands of kilometers to the other side of the world. And in spite of all of the amazing things that they get to do here, they'll tell you they want to go home yesterday. In fact, Chloe's complaints to my mother when she first arrived in Bali in February led my mom to offer to bring Chloe back to Canada. This rescue plan became obviously absurd once she saw how engaged Chloe is in life here. But even still, Chloe has told me “you ruined my life by taking me away from skiing.” So, not to put too fine a point on it, family life continues with the same moments of fire and fury as it would wherever we are. People still have their ups and downs, likes and dislikes.
“Too damp, too dank...”
We recently spent nine nights in air conditioned hotels and a villa with friends visiting from Canada. It was blissful! The cool air when sleeping and dry sheets reminded me just how humid it is where we're living. The humidity at our place ranges from a low of 73% to a high of 85%!!!! Consider that in summer in Yellowknife the humidity is about 35%. There's no air conditioning or possibility for dehumidifiers (there aren't even real ceilings in the house). What that level of humidity feels like is climbing into a wet bed at night or putting on wet clothes in the morning. There were nights in the beginning when I would wake up thinking someone had poured water on me! Getting up in the morning and choosing what to wear is fun. It always begins with a sniff test to see which clothes are the least musty. If they haven't been worn in a few days or weeks, they smell like a mushroom farm... Mmmm, fungi. The scary thing is that it's to the point where I am becoming desensitized. I had some flip flops with cloth straps and I went to put them on at the gym but someone had left me a note telling me my shoes stink. So me, with my bloodhound sense of smell couldn't tell my shoes smelled like mold!
Our plan has been to move down to the beach for the or the last three weeks we're in Bali, but now we're considering increasing that time. It's a longer commute to the school, but it would be so nice to be in a drier climate for a bit...
What does it all mean? I guess what this all makes me think is no matter where you go, there you are. There is good and bad in everything and I suppose I have to just appreciate the good and decide how much of the bad is acceptable. Will I risk more things disappearing? Not sure. We may move along earlier. Do I risk inflicting suffering on my children by having them away from home? Absolutely (they just look like they're having too much fun and I don't believe that they're suffering). How much moisture is too much? Well, I'm getting to think that four months, several ruined bathing suits, some mouldy runners and gum boots, two mouldy back packs, innumerable ruined pictures where the ink has run may be the answer to that question...
Riah
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