Hello there,
How are you? I trust you are well! So here are some photos, the first is a design I created and my teacher helped me draw on canvas, it was so fun! The other photos are from Nyopi, (pronounced nippy, it's far from nippy here, well sometimes at 6am). Nyopi is the Balinese New Year. They really know how to celebrate New Year. They make these glorious, creative and magnifescent, oh and huge creatures they call ogres or monsters that they take 3-4 weeks to make from Bamboo and paper mache and then parade them around. They have small ones for kids to carry around, shake, make seem scary and man some of those big ones feel like they come alive, look down on you and really freak you out and make you feel they are alive! They are so huge they have to push up the electric wires as they wouldn't be able to pass. So they parade them around, running them toward the crowd to scare them, make them think the monsters will drop on them and then they stop. It's quite the workout for them- a culture that doesn't much work out and most of them call themselves lazy, they make these creatures and then run them around the streets. I think I made a mistake, who ever said these people don't have creative minds are wrong, they are brilliant. I did read something that said they all copied each other until the past years they have done their own creative thing. I can tell from these. Well after all this work, just as I said to someone, "I wonder if they ever fall apart" they brought this one out again and they shook it until it's head fell off, they were thrilled about it. They weren't happy when it didn't fall apart or part of it. They are so well put together only a small part like a head would pop off and glitter would go every where and then they take these ogres, put them on the street, everyone goes into their homes for over 24 hours, from 10pm the 18th to 12am-ish on the 20th. Then they burn the orgres to get rid of the bad spirits-remind you of burning man at all? Yep. Well all lights, electricity, nothing is to be used in that silent time. It's a time for reflection, no work, only family time, some don't eat, no cooking, just reflection time and family time together. If the West adopted this, how lovely it would be. It was great to awaken to no car sounds, to silence. I spend the day dancing to my head phones, drawing, working out, being drawn by my neighbor, cleaning my room and really feeling things.
Speaking of my neighbor, he's a Japanese man, probably in his 50's or 60's here to relax, draw and escape his wife, he LOVES to draw and paint. He really taught me about friendship, this lovely man, who spoke little english, is an alcoholic (he tells me everyday a few times a day he is), but he has the most wonderful heart and shown me what friendship is. It's not about how much you tell someone, it's not about knowledge or how much you anything, it's about sharing. And he was great at this. He was so childlike and loving and exciteable. When he'd get done with a painting he'd run over wanting to show it to me, or get excited when he's ask to draw me or when his camera started working after he dropped it in the river and turned off for a day-his face would light up and become so ecstatic over these wonderfully little things that so many take for granted. We went for a walk one day to draw the rice fields. I had no idea what he was doing was sharing his passion with me, what he loved, taking me to his spot where he loves to draw. It was so touching. Yesterday when we couldn't go any where, we spent time drawing and it was easy to just share some food with him and how he appreciated it. Yet it was funny that I gave him half an avocado (which are huge here) and he poured vodka in it and drank and ate it out of the avocado, as he says, I'm an alcoholic-talk about telling yourself what you are and being it. But he was wonderful, sharing his spirit, his passion with me. It was so sad to see him go, he has no idea how he has touched me and how much he taught me. Life is funny, you think you know a culture of people and then all of a sudden the Universe send you lovely people to contradict our beliefs. This is why it's good to live every moment as it's the beginning, now this moment, this moment, each moment we get to start over and have a new beginning and forgive the past. Let go and stop living from the past and let the present take ahold. It's not always easy but it's what I'm working on.
So I realized the other day that it's as if we were all checked into the same place, all for different reasons. Yet all for the same reasons at the same time. It's like my neighbor, he has his reasons to be here, I have my reasons to be here, but when broken down, it's all the same-love, passion, freedom, creativity, to share, isn't this life? Why are you here in life? Isn't it good to know this? What is your purpose? What is your passion? What is life to you? Why were we put here? Do you know? It blows me away to think of these things. I am loving it! If you don't live your passion, then how can you share it with anyone-this is what I'm finding more and more. And if you aren't sharing it that part of you is dieing, or at least on hold and might as well as be dieing. For me dance is my life, my passion, music, I love to dance, sing and create clothes, even though who knows what I'm going to do with them. Thinking of a whole dance design of clothes, but we'll see. It will take time and money, but it could be a lot of fun to dance in them and see others in them-if I get that far with it. The options are endless. I've thought of making a line of clothing before but it could actually happen here.
I hope you are being creative every day, I wish that for you. May your heart sing everyday. Take a day off to play, really, it does a world of good. At home I'd take a "me" day from time to time, no phones, no one, just me doing exactly what I want. It was marvelous! I recommend that for everyone. Everyday we do for everyone all the time, answer phones, work, think of work. Take a day off of work for a day-stop the mind, especially those self employed and just enjoy the self, yourself, myself. Yes! Create. Create the life you want! I have thought about money so much these past years I'm tired from thinking of it. Money doesn't buy happiness, maybe some freedom to come away like this, but really it's not the money that is buying me this insight and happiness, it's the experience of being here. People could come here and hate it and yes there are things I don't like, but honestly, over all it's brilliant and teaching me everything I need to know about myself in the moment. So live my friend, live outloud so we can all hear you, feel you, see you and share you with others.
I send you hugs and love, Heather
Remember to smile a little more everyday-maybe even at strangers down the street, see how you brighten their day (even if it takes them 10 minutes to realize it, how lovely-you may save a life in the one small gesture of a smile). Or my favorite is to touch someone in a grocery store-I love that one! People are shocked at first but it reminds us we are human. How blissfully lovely!
I love you and thank you, Heather
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