Oh Ubud

Bali is a very quick flight from Darwin. The airport was quiet but the streets of Denpassar were a crisscrossing mess of scooters and bikes. But yet I felt relaxed :) And just for those that may not know,Bali is a mainly Hindu island, in the mostly Muslim country of Indonesia. And Ubud is cosidered a peaceful mecca for artists. The minute I got to the house I giggled! It was amazing, tiled, pillars, pool...I could go on and on about all the little superficial things that were mouthwatering...but really what I love most about Bali is the vibe of Ubud...even at night it gave me a little peace of mind...just what I needed...as you have seen, Darwin was a bit intense for moi:) Now Bali was not in my plans but you know what I always say..."you wanna hear "god" (rather whatever power out there that one believes in) laugh, start making plans" So I am so thankful I did choose Bali...and it is the cheapest place to get to from Darwin) Anyway the lovely house is where Travis was staying (his friend's place) You may remember I met bango-playing, scooter-driving Travis in Darwin at Noodles' place,. Anyway he is a really sweet guy with tons of great Ubud friends too!!!So I stayed with him for 3 days (then he left to be reunited with the good ole USA)Thank you Travis for letting me crash and couchsurf in a canopy bed (yes it was me and Bippy in a princess bed). And Ubud is so....oh I can't find the words now....anyway I have met interesting people and am getting used to hanging off the back of a scooter. I even lucked out and am housesitting for a family that is going to Thailand for 2 weeks. I may volunteer at a language school and a birthing center....who knows....and thanks again Mr. Bonderman!!!

Retta Dixon Home

"I am so glad I met Daniel, he is the one who took me to where I was taken from, I must have been about 4 years old. I was with my grandmother at the river, she told me to hide behind her so I did, she knew the men were coming to take children, but I peeked out from behind her...I was a curious child, and they saw me, and took me from her....my grandmother walked 80 KM looking for me...she never found me and she died 2 days later. Daniel took me to that place where they had taken me from, and I realized that they were able to see me, even if I had not peeked out from behind her...all this time, I thought I was to blame...but they would have seen me anyway....I never saw my grandmother again..."

One of the most profound experiences that I had while in Darwin, one that sits with me still while I type this 2 weeks later from Ubud, Bali; is that of the volunteer work with the Retta Dixon Home Reunion. Many of you know about the various "homes" in the US, Canada and Australia that took Indigenous children from their parents and forced them into a "school" or "home" whose main purpose was to wash the "native" away and force them into domestic lives. The Retta Dixon Home was such a place that housed "half-caste" kids from Aboriginal communities around Darwin. I assisted with doing filmed interviews of the men and women that stayed there, that had been taken from their families. Many were only allowed to see their families when they were 18 years old. It is so hard to imagine all that can be lost during that time; the culture, the ties, the history....so much...This was all not that long ago, some were in their early 50s...this is all so recent. I went with them to different sites of significance and saw exhibits of photos and art representing that time. It is interesting to talk to some White Australians about the experience, some are extremely empathetic and angry at their government while others think that "they should get over it, it was so long ago"....Well it was not that long ago and even if it was one does not just "get over it" As most of you would likely agree, it is part of a history that flows like blood through veins, like imprints in a rock that lasts through hundreds of years and seasons..history is part of the memories and experiences of how people can shape themselves and their world...just the experience of being present at their reunion affected me in ways that will be ingrained upon me forever. I am so grateful that these inspirational people let me be a part of their reunion experience and let me listen to their stories. Through my experience with the Retta Dixon home I met many unforgettable people and 2 of which were the only other African Americans I have met on my travels (in 7 months people!)

A Home Cooked Meal!!!!
So Stephanie is married to a Retta Dixon Home alum named Keith. They were such fun and really sweet people. She is from Chicago and it was so nice to hang out with them. Stephanie used to be a "house mother" for Aboriginal teen girls that came in from the "bush" to go to school. She has such energy..and is a great cook! My last night there we met at Daniel's house. Daniel has lived in Australia for over a decade and is the Daniel that is referred to in the first part of this particular blog. He is a counselor with "Link Up" and organization that reunites Aboriginal people with their families. He has done some really amazing work with the community. Anyway we all had a major feast at his house. It was great! Cornbread! Mac and Cheese, GREENS!!!!and Sweet Potato PIE!!! Thank you all

Oh and I met 2 more African American men then next day, basketball players that live in OZ (Australia) and then a couple days ago in Ubud another woman from LA....yes I notice these things okay:)and some of you may wonder why i notice these things..why not? I say:)

Oh and I will be house sitting in Ubud:) how great is that!

disclaimer: the story at the beginning is not exactly word for word but based on my memory.

Larrakia Nation

Through Noodle I met a really nice guy Coz, that works with the Larrakia Nation (an NGO that assists Aboriginal people) I volunteered with them for a week and had a very powerful experience working beside the wonderful people (Margie, Jossette,Paul Joe...) of that organization. Basically for a week, Margie would pick me up in the mornings and we would drive out into the "long grass" bush and assist people living out there. We would bring things like blankets, food, toothpaste, first aid supplies, clothes, etc...(one day Paul gave them haircuts and shaves) We also provided transportation. Which is really key! Basically any of you that have been without wheels knows how time consuming and tiring the bus system can be (no matter where you live) the luxury of having a car really saves so much time; and especially when one lives out in the bush and has to come up with the money to take the bus...and also deal with the obvious prejudices of some of the other bus riders. So one day we would drive people to their doctors appointments, their DMV tests, their hospital surgeries, their families house..you get the idea. Providing transport for people is really a easy and profound way to assist someone...I know I feel crazy lucky when someone offers me a lift. One of my most eye-opening days was when Josette and I had to get a mob's (what many here refer to as a group of people, it is not used negatively here) swag and belongings (swag - bedding) from the ranger's station. The rangers here patrol the bush and really in general I have had positive experiences with them; but that being said, they do sometimes remove people's belongings in such a way that makes me wonder . (They removed a pan with the food still in it, so when we picked it up 2 days later you can imagine the bugs, smell etc....now would it have been so hard to just dump the food out of the pan?) Anyway rangers constantly have to "move people on" in the bush when companies and individuals complain etc... When Josette and I met with a ranger he honestly seemed a bit frustrated too...so Josette was really calm and thoughtful, she proposed to them that they contact her before they "move people on", maybe contacting her could illuminate some of the issues that do not get discussed and also having the Larrakiha Nation NGO involved could also reduce some of the stress and increase understanding for all involved. Anyway she was really great in that meeting. Another interesting experience was attending a feed (feast basically) we picked up the people living in the bush and brought them to the LN Center which is also a Senior day Home, and we had a feast. Traditional food was prepared and people really enjoyed it. I am really honored to have met everyone and I feel privileged to have had a glimpse into the history and the stories of the people from that region. Darwin is developing at such a fast pace and what strikes me most is that people keep moving on, development is creeping in all around them and groups of families living in the bush keep moving...to spots where the fishing is good, or places with shade...but the bush is getting smaller...development is getting bigger...and it mostly is all about the dollar.....will there ever be a balance? like so many histories of Indigenous, the various Aboriginal tribal histories are extremely painful....I sit here now overwhelmed and overcome by all of it really, because here it all seems extra raw in many ways that though I had anticipated, I am still surprised by. It just is so recent really, It was still in the law books in the 1970s that in some parts of Australia it was legal to kill an Aboriginal person. When I went out into communities there are large signs that talk about alcohol and pornography being illegal...these signs were placed by the government in Aboriginal communities ONLY...as if they are the only people that partake in things like this...there are other better ways to handle peoples dependency issues...there are better ways...how about instituting more programs run by Aboriginal people themselves for their communities? Maybe it is done but from people I have talked to it is just not done enough...but then what is right? Sorry about my monologue but that is what a blog is...:) Anyway.... I saw many things that most Australians never see...though maybe they could if they really wanted to....any maybe if these things are really seen and talked about something good could come of it all....but I am sure I am not the first nor the last to say that. The power is in the stories I say ....and speaking of stories...Samson and Delilah is a great movie and see it if you can...it is about 2 young Aboriginal youths in Alice Springs.

Volunteering at The Darwin Festival

So yes I volunteered at the festival. It is a very interesting one full of a diversity of music and art. The artists ranged from various cultures: Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Indonesian, African, European....it was a great festival in terms of what was offered. The first day I signed up for a free Aboriginal Dance class...which was amazing except I did not read the fine print that said "master class" Ha Ha so yep I was tripping all over the place compared with the "professional" dancers that were next to me....very funny ...and humbling too but I learned some nice moves:)I even interviewed people on-camera for the site. I also saw Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. He is a great musician from Elcho Island (Aboriginal Lands) and had the best show...I had seen him also in NZ at WOMAD. My volunteering shifts introduced me to some fun folks but I have to say that as a volunteer I just expected a tad more...like volunteers should not be excited for getting ONE discounted ticket to ONE event (some volunteers were actually fine with this...not me!)...Hello Darwin Festival Volunteering Organizers...volunteers should get FREE tickets to any event!!! We work our asses off and with a smile :) But you all know me, I just walked into a venue and it became free cause I ain't paying for standing in an open air space, hello people why am I volunteering...sure cause it feels all good to help out but come on ya'all I want some free tickets...is that so crazy?.....our supervisors would constantly say "the event is sold out" sure it is, sold out on a field under some stars...PLEAZE!it aint a fire hazard on a field to have some more people out there. so yep I created a bit of an uproar over certain things especially the night the amazing Black Arm Band played....I basically had the staff quickly redo how they were admitting people into the show because their technique was ...well, it just breathed of classest inequalities so I made some suggestions...which thankfully the venue coordinator agreed with. They were trying to make people with standing room tickets wait for an HOUR outside the gates while the people with seated area tickets go in and get all cozy in their seats....can you believe they were doing this because they thought the standers would steal the seats...ha ha....anyway I suggested that everyone be let in the main gate but just have an extra volunteer standing near the seated area double checking the tickets for the seated area. Then I went on a political diatribe about privilege oppression, the history of indigenous people being pushed out and the fact that most people who could afford seats would likely be white while the standers would likely be people of color...and the possible psychological impact of having "standers" wait an hour. Yes I went off...and mainly cause the festival staff really needs to chill out and also really think about the people that are attending and the people that are working there...yes there were some really cool folks that I worked with but well...I just had to vent...and I think I lost it extra that night because I had also been volunteering with the Larrikia Nation and seeing up close the impacts, on many people but in particular Aboriginal people, of all the freaking "development" and construction going on in Darwin... One was a metaphor for the other in some ways...to me at least......But yes I learned a bunch and had a very fulfilling experience, I will write more later about the Larrikia Nation and the Retta Dixon Home Reunion .

Couchsurfing with Noodle

So I hugged Diane and left Fiji. I do miss it there but my adventures will carry me on and on...and first on a plane that charged for EVERYTHING...peanuts too! but I had a kick ass flight attendent who secretly thrust in my hungry hands a chocolate bar, crackers, cheese, and a water...THANKYOU! And seriously it is a good thing that I was completely ignorant of how long it would take me to reach Darwin...cause it took 8 freakin hours.....so,I arrived in Darwin (very tip of Australia near Indonesia ...extremely multicultural place!!!! )at about 1 am...and figured that is way to early to show up at my host's house so I attempted to sleep in various yoga positions on little couches at the surprisingly crowded Darwin airport.....(all the flights there seem to leave at crazy hours between midnight and 4 am!) then at about 9am I called Noodle and got in a taxi and walked up into Noodleland :) And well....the main reason I picked Noodle as a host...and thankfully he picked me (and many others :) to host...well simply put I am missing my favorite summer festival Burningman...and Noodle's couchsurfing profile embodies Burningman and I have not been disappointed. I am having great fun. The other couchsurfers here that I have met are great. Travis is planning to host me in Bali which would be nice....so anyway I just wanted to put in a bit about Noodle. He is a creative generous spirit that makes various objects out of cheap wine bags (the bags in the boxed wine :) he also is an excellent poet. Wrote a great one about how lovely women are without make-up :) so it is an experience living here with him and his roomies...Vanille is french and was a couchsurfer but now works at an art gallery, her and I are driving to an Aboriginal Festival soon), Dave is a freakin AMAZING guitarist! and the couchsurfers really vary....italian Pierji that taught me how to make gelato, Emmanuelle laughing at my jokes and really good at making some, Melody, a fellow Burningman fan bonding with me over times spent on the Playa....Travis taking photos and volunteering with me at the Festival.....and Samantha, a film student with a beautiful tattoo of Ella Fitzgerald...now there is a father and son team that are hunters from Aberdeen WA,...crazy....oh I could go on and on. Anyway I will write more later....but Darwin is very interesting, presently my volunteering at the Darwin festival is ending and now I am volunteering with the Larrikia Foundation which assists Aboriginal people living in the "long grass" bush. That experience will be another later blog because that has been a very interesting experience to say the least.

Fiji's Top 10s: Laughter

The laughter here generally seems to be louder and more free. It has reminded me to be more joyful. I noticed the laughter immediately and am still amazed by it because really how many times in my life did I ever think that laughter could be so different in another part of the world. But to me, it is. The laughter here makes me reflect upon my own laugh and wonder about it's boundaries. Maybe I am getting way too deep in this but visit Fiji and I guarantee you will notice the laughter. As I write this I am reminded of my dear friend Taura who shared and office and a crazy teaching life with me. Now Taura's laugh makes me think that she had a past life in Fiji. I miss you T!!! Here are photos that Ana took at her school...the laughter of these lovely children filled my ears most days.

Fiji's Top 10s: Treasure House Children's Home

I heard about the place while on the island of Naviti. Another traveler, a woman Lisa from Canada mentioned that she had been volunteering at a orphanage nearby the town I was staying in. Knowing that i had been a teacher she mentioned that there was a little 10 yr old girl there that specifically really needed help reading and that that could interest me. I agreed and when I returned from the islands Diane and I went to the orphanage and hung out with the staff and the 13 kids (17 now as I write this) . I LOVE Treasure House. It is a warm pleasant little house with little rooms full of children's beds, the walls are bright colors and stuffed animals and other toys line the shelves on the walls. The children smile so often they light up the rooms and the babies amazingly enough rarely cry and if they do, picking them up for a cuddle is the cure. The staff is full of warm cuddly women with a nice dose of firmness and sweetness, the are all called Mother. The staff is about 8 to 12 people that rotate day and night shifts. They usually have a baby on their laps. There is also a cook that makes all their meals. Treasure House is the main reason why it is getting so hard for me to get on a plane out of Fiji. The kids happily shout my name when I walk up the driveway. Some poke their little chubby hands through the openings in the fence so they can link their fingers with mine. As I get in the gate, little 3 year olds rush up and put their arms up to be held. I hold various kids and play with others for about 20 minutes then I make my way to Ana's room. she smiles her big beautiful smile and takes out her school books. For the next hour or two we go over her homework and then do reading and writing. During that time her three other roommates enter, there are two 16 year olds, so smart and thoughtful. Great, considerate, personable girls with gentle smiles and big sister sweetness. then the final roommates or house sister is another 10 year old, a funny girl that opens up a book of French words that is not part of her school work actually she found the book, she speaks topics she seems to grab from the air. I have grown to love these children, I wait in anticipation of wild difficult moments with them but after weeks and hours with them, those moments just do not come. Treasure House is a lovely little spot that is doing something so right, when I reflect upon my time working with foster youth in Seattle; not once do I recall walking into a foster home or children's home that even came close to the warmth and homeyness of Treasure House ....I arrived there in awe and expecting the awe to end but after volunteering there for about one month I have a strong feeling that I will be leaving there in awe....the staff, the children, the happy little house with a trampoline in the spacious front yard, it also has a new swing set :). the little living room with fluffy couches where three year olds like to climb, the cribs with smiling peaceful babies looking up at me with big brown eyes...the bath tub full of kids, oh I could go on and on. Treasure House is an inspiration to me, the staff, the children, the warm inviting energy. Thank you for everything!!!
(sorry if you read this twice, for some reason it also posted under July 14)