ah bali, it's been a week with no alarm clock, no straightening iron, and no decisions aside from what bathing suit to put on and where to eat. it has been glorious.
bali has the perfect weather. heat without humidity, a breeze without the chill ... our villa was more outside than in, and the thought of our shanghai return has me mourning the fresh air.
swim, sand, surf, sun, and soccer. the bali life.
i do hope to see you again.
this morning, chad went surfing and i went along. we had an instructor named sunny. the english between us didn't come easy, so basically, sunny was there to tow me out, line me up, and yell "STANDING UP!" just before the ocean cannonballed me to next tuesday.
the ocean is both terrifying and exhilarating. typically, for me, i taste the exhilaration, but have terrifying for the main course. so it wasn't a surprise when sunny said, "one more?" and started yelling, "paddling HARD!" just as i caught sight of the biggest wave i'd seen silently building behind me.
in an instant, i was on top of the world. (exhilaration: check)
and then i did it. the unforgivable sin. i looked down. (entree is served)
i looked down just in time to see the nose of my board getting sucked down into an elephant sized drain, and i'm pretty sure i led the way. it was then, with monstrous authority, that the ocean reminded me who was in charge and thanked me for playing.
some of my girls want to go to surf camp this spring in costa rica.
tal vez mujeres ... tal vez.
it's an unlikely assortment. local bali is here. most young, likely having run to their mopeds at the school day end, and made their way to the beach for their nightly game just before sunset. a few from italy, can say no more than where they come from. chad found them with their make shift goals on the first night we were in bali, and ever since ... his mind is here when he knows they will be.
tonight we walked down the beach soaking in the salt and sand, and along the way, saw the little groups of boys fully in their element. they wear their jerseys, they build goals in the sand, and they come to play ... every night. their broad and carefree smiles declare perfect contentment. their uncontained laughter is evidence of the life giving energy they pass between them with bare feet and a ball. as we walk, the players get bigger, the goals more official ... and as a girl who spends many hours thinking about how best to communicate the essence of sport, i'm keenly aware that i'm witnessing its purest form.
then we come upon chad's crew. they have nearly full teams, goals made of pvc, and an audience. in an instant, he is waved across the sideline and into their world.
just like that.
i'm envious of his skill .. the international currency of instant camaraderie. and i'm proud of him. i've watched a lot of games, and i never get tired. his ability earns respect, but it's the quiet wisdom, generous strength, and new perspective i notice now. tonight, in the precious few moments before the bali sun sets, i know that this is some of the best of life.
