Adventures In Hardware

Day three of hunting down a proper front screen door closure mechanism because the initial one installed by Javanese man who couldn’t read instructions and broke it while installing and now slams the door hard on you coming and going, take that you pesky foreigners - maybe they’re uneducated barbarian head hunters in Java 😳😉?  Don’t know why it was mentioned him being from Java had anything to do with explanation so added my own Hollywood King Kong imaginary interpretation which will no doubt cause an international outcry and I will be shamed, shunned and not be allowed out of the country until I demonstrate proper contrition - oh my.....

But seriously folks, a borrowed quip from good bud Leo - while running around in crazy traffic on steamy tropical days may not be a Travel Agencies advertising come on to visit Bali, it can add to other cultural understandings of daily life, such as........larger stores employ many young people in company uniforms who seem to stand around a lot doing nothing in particular but being very pleasant and not payed much to do so, you pay maybe twenty cents to park in secured gated parking lots which I guess may prevent holdups that doubt happen as often as in US if at all, little palm basket offerings with incense burning in the aisles, escalator entrances, doorways - fire hazard code violation?!, odd off the wall misunderstood requests that lead up to multiple dead ends before finding out they don’t have what we want, never did or will, nooks and crannies where you can use a massage chair or have a cup of tea - not big differences really, but patience and pleasantness abounds.

We head out again today with two more possible leads - a repeat of one which we drove to yesterday only to find it closed just before we arrived because of special new store opening celebration - sure, they saw us coming, and another store we haven’t been to yet.  We are feigning optimism but most likely will end up ordering something from Amazon.

Five hours later.......we are back after another long sojourn with added stops.  There were a few directional missteps but in the end the one store that was the best possibility and the last, of course, turned out to be the one that we think has what we want did, but not in stock, was ordered with expected arrival tomorrow or who knows.  I did learn that the store pay for parking is a way for the neighborhoods to make extra money and staffed by volunteers.  Reminds me of the Sheriff of Nottingham routine charging to pass through the Sherwood Forest but at least in this case the money is presumably going to a good cause.

Attempted to peruse the fabric shops that lined the street next to the big box Home Depot style store before the above last stop.  I was looking for some nice Balinese batik fabric for my wife but was immediately overwhelmed by choices, especially not knowing the quality and being overly helped by a rather insistent women who even hounded me as I fled to David’s favorite nearby coffee shop.  Sorry dear, I return home empty handed, just like you advised me in the first place - Karma, neh?!

At the coffee shop we ran into Depak, a friend of David’s who lives closer to his neighborhood, now being in the middle of the large city of Denpasar some distance away.  Depak owns one of the few organic grocery stores in Sanur where Chadwicks do some of their shopping - an interesting outgoing man in his mid to late seventies probably.  He told the story of his Hindu family finding themselves on the new Muslim established Pakistan side of the border after the partition in 1947, I believe.  Not good and they eventually fled to Bali where Depak was born and raised along with five other siblings. He would like to go to Pakistan where his family was from someday but is not allowed in - politics and religion, a difficult combination to overcome, at least in that region.  There was an Indian family on vacation in the shop and we struck up a fun conversation with them and Depak was advising them on the best Bali coffee and tea to buy as gifts as we left for home.  But wait, why not a stop at Depaks organic store to get some supplies on way home..... with rush hour traffic building, it took a while to get there but as we arrived, lo and behold  Depak with the Indian family in tow arrived right behind us and we celebrated like a big family reunion!  We spent some time there and gathered up our healthy organic goodies, said our goodbyes to “the family” and headed once again for home.

But wait! Why not stop at The Laughing Chicken restaurant and get some good freshly prepared food to take home - but of course, why not and save all that time preparing dinner and give Katrinka a break.  As we waited, David pointed to some giant Jack Fruit hanging off what appeared to be stiff curved rope from the trunk of a big tree in the back courtyard.  Investigating further, they indeed were growing out of the sides by thick stems and way above, more were growing in clusters among the branches and large leaves - most unusual.  I took some pictures and walked back towards courtyard entrance and heard a loud thump, turned around and about where I had been standing lay a giant barbed Jack Fruit.  Bali Headlines - American tourist dies of severe head injuries while standing under fruit tree ........

The Pad Thai, Curry Mushroom soup and homemade rice was delicious and welcome end to another day traipsing about a very crowded and busy city, gathering in more sites and sounds and plenty of pictures to try and capture life in this crowded part of Bali. Soon, we head out into the country again on several more excursions.  Tomorrow’s another day in the timeless rhythm of my sojourn here, to be made up as we go along.....

Back street life - when you want to turn you watch for smallest gap, make turn in front of oncoming traffic, they slow down and stop for you, no problem....

Coffee shop with Depak, white shirt with friend to his left

Another entrance representative of Namaste, palms separated...

Could be in Arizona....

Life threatening fallen Jack Fruit, large as my head or bigger!

Fabric market place with shade cloth down in middle of day...

Hardware store refreshment nook

Parking booth at entrance to big box hardware store

Deadly Jack Fruit tree - fruit is delicious after much trimming work and IF it doesn’t fall on your head and kill you.....

Depak in his organic food store

“Help” standing around looking good and smiling as necessary....

The Laughing Chicken  restaurant

Neighborhood Parking Association sign - with pride...

America corporate presence is everywhere !
















Big box hardware store a no go .....

Employees Still standing around and seem to enjoy each other’s company with Occasional  glance towards us being waited on by sales clerk...

Modern Mall - dared not enter

Statues everywhere and Who dresses them?

Odd way for Jack Fruit tree to hang its fruit but who would know better....

Traffic

Another smaller Namaste greeting....

One of seemingly hundreds of canals throughout city