Coffee, Chaing-Chaings and Crumbling Commodes

The last couple of weeks have been super busy, filled with school activities and a few family excursions. With the school year wrapping up, the kids (and their parents) are getting really excited to travel back to Los Angeles and visit everyone they’ve missed so much over the last five months!

Allie and her class recently performed a concert on the Gamelan which is a traditional Balinese orchestra. They worked on their piece for about two months and performed it last week. We were really impressed! Each of the kids played their own instrument and it all came together really well! Allie played the chaing-chaing cymbals which is the instrument that gives the Gamelan it’s ~~deafening~~ distinctive sound. Thankfully, she didn’t have to practice at home!!

: Girls waiting to begin the piece

: 4th grade with their Balinese musical directors and their teacher Shaun on the right

Fletcher reading a poem he wrote for Earth Day:

Video of the Gamelan performance:

In addition to preparing for the end of the school, we’ve been exploring some other parts of Bali. We have spent most of our time in Ubud, with an occasional trip down south to the beach so, last weekend we visited a coffee plantation in north Bali. We also participated in the Green School white water rafting trip with a bunch of other families. It lasted about two hours down the beautiful Ayung river that flows around and through parts of Ubud.

: On the way down to the boats. 509 stairs down!! Could barely walk for three days after!

: The Ayung River through the jungle – really beautiful!

: The kids in their gear

: We survived – we did make the mistake of launching our boat at the same time as the 4th grade boys raft (all well-armed with super soakers)! It was a long trip for mom getting squirted in the face!

: Our guide, Wayan with recently picked coffee

: All picked by hand

: Fletcher about to jump into a pile of dried coffee beans

: Coffee beans on the vine

: Fletcher leading us through the plantation

: Wayan’s friend from California had this made for him!

: They also grow cacao on the farm

: We tasted it off the tree – the kids were disappointed – nothing like Hershey’s!

: Papayas

: “A ladder” – these farmers are spoiled! – most coconuts get picked by men who just climb the trees

: Fletcher trying the coffee – we’ll pay for this later!

: Allie with her sarong

: The village temple near the plantation

Living in Bali is always filled with unusual experiences, here are a few we were able to capture lately:

: The aftermath in Allie’s bathroom of one of our cleaners climbing on the counter. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Needless to say, building codes are a little different here! (not sure they even have any!)