Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Bali rice fields: Green, greener, greenest!

GREEN...

...is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered one of the additive primary colors.







“Green how I want you green. Green wind. Green branches." - Federico Garcia Lorca

"Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises." -Pedro Calderon de la Barca

"He had that curious love of green, which in individuals is always the sign of a subtle artistic temperament, and in nations is said to denote a laxity, if not a decadence of morals." Ocar Wilde

“Absolute green is the most restful color, lacking any undertone of joy, grief, or passion. On exhausted men this restfulness has a beneficial effect, but after a time it becomes tedious.” - Wassily Kandinsky

“Green represents the dead image of life.” - Rudolf Steiner










The natural greens, from forest to lime, are seen as tranquil and refreshing, with a natural balance of cool and warm (blue and yellow) undertones. Green is considered the color of peace and ecology.











Green is the color of the Heart Chakra, also known as Anahata. This chakra is located at the center of the chest area and is linked to the heart, lungs, circulatory system, cardiac plexus, and the complete chest area. The Heart Chakra bridges the gap between the physical and spiritual worlds. Opening the Heart Chakra allows a person to love more, empathize, and feel compassion.










Green occupies more space in the spectrum visible to the human eye than most colors, and is second only to blue as a favorite color. Green is the pervasive color in the natural world, making it an ideal backdrop in interior design because we are so used to seeing it everywhere.







Green was the favorite color of George Washington, the first President of the United States.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Ubud region, Bali - Indonesia

Saturday, November 05, 2011

The seaweed farmers of Lembongan



The main (or actually only two) sources of income on the tiny island of Lembongan, Bali are tourism and....seaweed! The seaweed is grown in clean shallow ocean water, harvested after around 4-6 weeks and dried in the sun. The farmers receive between 600 rupiahs (around USD 0.06) and 3500 rupiahs (around USD 0.39) per kilo. That is a hell lot of seaweed you have to sell in order to makea living.




You may have just washed your hair with it! The seaweed is mainly used in hand lotions and shampoos. It is a thickener and interacts with human carotene to give soft skin and silky hair... Fortunately, it loses its horrible smell!













- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Nusa Lembongan, Bali

Surfin' dude...


What a talent...















Should try Jaws next year I guess...


Book tip: The Wave by Susan Casey!

A Love Story



It takes a few dates to discover the true inner and outer beauty of Bali. Once you do, most likely you will fall in love.

The first date is slightly disappointing. Denpasar ain't all pretty. Rubbish in the streets, ugly buildings, a McDonalds, neon lights... The colourful little offerings on the pavement, the carved statues wearing black and white checked sarongs and ribbons of smoke circling up from the incense reveil her spiritual mind though and make you want to know more about this mysterious island...










On the second date, Bali seduces you by introducing her chique hotels hidden in lush gardens full of beautiful flowers, white beaches, the delicious Balinese food and relaxing inexpensive spa treatments. Unfortunately, the sunburned crowd of Dutch, Germans and Aussies is an unwelcome distraction.














On the third date however, you manage to escape the crowd by taking the ferry to a small island just of the coast inhabited by a small population of seaweed farmers. No cars, no ATM's, no Wifi, no distractions. While sleeping in a traditional Balinese hut, wandering the banana plantations, enjoying grilled seafood and sipping cocktails at the postcard-perfect sunset, you start to really like Miss Bali.










It is not until you are bedazzled by the amazing beauty of Ubud and its surroundings that you fall in love though. The green rice fields are magic! Smiling farmers with conical hats are followed by quacking ducks while harvesting the rice. The shades of bright green are surreal. The little arty village of Ubud has a great vibe, yoga during the day, the rythm of traditional dance at night, cozy restaurants, spiritual temples and many craftsmen.













And there seems to be more...coming week will be about surfing, biking, volcanos and bounty islands.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Denpasar, Sanur, Seminyak, Nusa Lembongan, Ubud - Bali, Indonesia

Friday, November 04, 2011

Peking duck, paksoi, prawns & peppers

Shop the markets!































- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Hong Kong