May 2013
2 posts
Hmmm...
silverliningsandstarryskies:
What are the chances that he would want to come Spanish clubbing with me?
I will go Spanish clubbing with you!!
April 2013
5 posts
Whenever anyone eats something with cilantro in it
whatshouldwecallme:
But I’m just like
Make me feel alive: truly, the best thing about... →
silverliningsandstarryskies:
truly, the best thing about music is that not only can you relate to it but you can actually feel it. whether it’s the rhythm that moves you or the tune that soothes you, you can take it in; let it overwhelm you.
&&& then, you can also just make a simple song have so much meaning. whether it’s…
March 2013
5 posts
February 2013
2 posts
December 2012
1 post
June 2012
12 posts
6/7
Returned to Ubud today, and it seems strange to still be in Bali without our Balinese friends and knowing these people so well. The next few days will fly by with the markets, the food and the sights of Ubud. I’m loving spending time just as a Northeastern group relaxing after so much work.
6/5
The presentations are done. Our projects are in motion. The waiting game begins.
6/4
The final day. We finished our presentation with the final touches of statistics and Prezi animations and practiced narrating the whole thing. As we spent our last hours in the internet cafe, we made plenty of time to laugh at ourselves and each other about the most ridiculous English and Bahasa phrases.
It’s hard to believe that this time tomorrow, it will all be over. All of our blood,...
6/3
This is the last six miles of our Singaraja marathon. We have completed our packets and now are working on our presentation and racking our brains for creativity. We have our last meetings scheduled for tomorrow morning and the whole afternoon to practice like it’s the real deal because on Tuesday, it is. It is difficult to stay on task all day, as the heat and exhaustion of the last...
6/2
Pemuteran was like a dream. The beach was so pretty and clean and the water felt incredible. The mountains were so close to the beach, it made for an incredible view. The coral restoration was so amazing to not only learn about but to see up close under water.
Our Balinese friends loved the day as well, and not just because we taught them inappropriate words in English. We are so amazed that...
6/1
Final day of classes. After a riveting ice-breaker of the little-known-game of Musical Chairs, our challenge this morning was to sell a product in 15 seconds telling the audience what it was, how much it cost, and where to find it. Our the name of our product, Gadeaux Faces, was some gobbilty-gook that Ryan exclaimed. But I took the challenge with full force. I asked my group to trust me in my...
Olivia's Adventures in Bali: A man in a skirt?... →
livsolivia:
Ok, so I stole Rae’s joke, but it’s appropriate.
THE MANY USES FOR A SARONG:
1. Skirt
2. Dress
3. Towel (for drying)
4. Beach towel (for tanning)
5. Tablecloth
6. Curtain
7. Sheet
8. Blanket
9. Cape
10. Pillow
11. Picnic blanket
12. Blindfold
13. Knapsack
14. Scarf
15. Turban or…
Mama Braggins, this is for you. The many uses of a sarong, and why you need/are...
Reflection and post-reflection
It is difficult to think about what I am experiencing right now. Bali is a whole other world, a world where everything and nothing is different. People can survive on one dollar a day, and many are struggling to make even that. But while trying to grasp what is going on around me here, instead of trying to wrap my head around the fact that the family I wave to every morning and evening lives in...
Having a BALI: Gotta live for today so life won’t... →
sarapressman:
At every chance that I’ve had, I’ve tried to just stop and take a moment to look around because I know that when I leave Bali, its just going to feel like a faraway dream. It’s hard for me to put into words exactly how I feel at this moment and about Bali in general, but I just have such a…
Sara Pressman, you da best. Love you.
5/31
The final field research day, things got real, real fast. We talked to our main contacts here in Singaraja, including the nurse from Kosala as well as new contacts including a doctor at a clinic and the district office of the Department of Health. The nurse said she would help us get off the ground with the supplies we need to test for HIV/AIDS, including not only vials and tourniquets but an...
May 2012
46 posts
5/30
Today was another pulling-out-my-hair kind of day, but not too bad. The morning was spent identifying who our audience was in terms of finding support and our target audience. After a lunch with a pile of my favorite, white rice, we had a long hard afternoon of budgeting and coming to terms with the fact that we have ONE more field research day and that we present on TUESDAY. As in 6 days from...
5/29
Second Field Research Day. We had so much support for our Bondras project. The challenge we are facing is finding “tangible measurements” meaning a way to measure our direct impact, which is close to impossible for an awareness campaign. The likelihood of being able to create a mobile health truck to test communities for HIV/AIDS is very slim not because it’s not something the...
ANTS IN MY PANTS
Ok, so they aren’t actually in my pants right now, but here are places where ants are commonly found in Bali
1. All over the floor, especially on the grout in between the linoleum tiles, also known as the ants’ expressway
2. In the shower
3. In food, both covered and uncovered
4. Clean, hanging laundry
5. Dirty laundry on the floor
6. Towels
7. Our beds, both in and on the...
5/28
Today was breakthrough day. Ratih, my Balinese guardian angel, taught us about drama gong, a Balinese cultural performance that happens in villages every few months. They have been utilized by a famous dalang, or puppet master, Nardayana, who has become famous for integrating political messages into his puppet performances, or wayang. For our social enterprise, we are going to attempt to form...
“I have definitely learned to thrive in this heat. But I do not think I am alone...”
– (via visitthepins)
5/25-6
This incredible beach weekend began with the best van ride of the trip. We drove past volcanoes all along the coast. For two hours, I couldn’t look away from the window. We stayed in beachside bungalows., I got to sleep outside on the outdoor daybed under mosquito netting. We lounged around, swam in water that is hotter than any water we have bathed in, and had a bonfire with some...
Amed for the weekend
sarapressman:
5/24
Today’s class began with an activity about stereotypes. The Balinese students were invited to explain what they had thought we would be like and then what we were actually like. They also talked about what was different about our culture and referenced TV shows like Friends and movies like Transformers. Our participation in class is very different from what Balinese classrooms are like. ...
5/23
Yesterday was frustration central. We have narrowed our focus to infected housewives because we determined that they are the largest at-risk community here in the regency of Buleleng. But we were challenged to find a solution based off of a non-profit, for-profit or hybrid model. And we all nearly pulled all of our hair out.
Nothing seemed to work: Do we provide an incentive for women to get...
Things I've Discovered and Learned about Bali's...
While this may be a very sensitive topic that is difficult to discuss, I find it extraordinarily important to address this issue, especially when analyzing the spread of HIV/AIDS. These are GENERALIZATIONS, not all men, women, teens and children participate in this behavior by any stretch of the imagination.
1. 1,500 of the 4,000 Balinese infected with HIV/AIDS live in the Buleleng region, (more...
5/23
We had a very, very long and involved day today. Bear with me.
We started our day off by being brushed aside by the general hospital of Singaraja and can’t get an appointment for at least two days. Gotta love processing!!
We then went to every surrounding drugstore to inquire about condoms: who purchases, how many, at what times, how often, how expensive, how available, anything the...
5/22
We did it. We chose our topics. Our group will SINGLEHANDEDLY STOP THE SPREAD OF HIV/AIDS IN BALI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just kidding.
We did these things called “Issue breakdowns” for our topics (which you can see a lovely picture of on my blog) that got crazy involved. Our initial chain that we followed was values and social stigma cause a lack of protection and not being tested cause...
