The adventure continues with a slight change of plans
hitting up Tokyo in place of Hong Kong will be in Thailand by
tomorrow!!! On the flight after much airport insanity excited to
unwind and sleep xo goodnight beauties I can’t wait to dream up
tomorrows reality. Much love and inspiration! X
Wow. Back to New York City which is an adventure all amongst itself. Upon my return I attended a faerie wedding in the most beautiful of places (pictured above). I had an epic photoshoot with Pixievision Productions, spent some downtime in North Carolina with my Hoop Family, I found a new and amazing home in Brooklyn and as of last night it’s back to the grindstone gigging.
I really appreciate how underwelmimg taking a gig is these days. No anxiety, no bullshit, no overworking. I learned how to work the appropriate set time-how to give just enough of myself, how to stay close on the managers heels to get paid on time. It’s also a good way for me to see bars and clubs even though I’m not a bar fly. A way to drink for no
Money and paid practice time to refine hooping in small spaces.
All and all re-entry is happening. Slowly slipping back into my own shoes and refilling space but also making the necessary adjustments for growth and nurturing moments.
Thank you NYC for always being the magick that I hoped you be.
Xo
-=ali*
As you near the end of time in one place all the things you love about it rush onto you like a fresh breeze. You instantaneously start tapping back into the feelings, sensations, and perceptions we all so quickly come to take for granted.
Im leaving Ubud, I ve left before, but was not going so far away.
Ubud I will miss you and all of your secret ways.
Your warm and sweet ancestral love, incense wafting out of every window and door.
Ubud I will miss you. I will miss your dragonflies galore.
I will miss the lil dance of the taxi drivers call and the unbelievable taste of the nasi campur.
Weve been so spoiled every morning -breakfast brought to our door. Fruit tower, banana pancake,pineapple pancake, omelet, scramble, local plate, you could never ask for more!
Ubud I will miss you and all your ceremony! THe holy water flicked by flowers onto every single thing. The celebration of knowledge, of love, and of history. The gamelon floating and hanging thick in the air, with every moment hammering the story of a thousand years.
Offerings made everyday, dogs following along the way, motorbike buzz, and rhumbutan love, and flowering passoinfruit vines, Ubud my dear, your vision is clear, your liveliness frozen in time. And Bats! Ill miss the bats. They are large and loud and clattering around but i still love their presence so. The geckos! My favorite house pet ever. We even had a hip hop gecko at one place he was so cute, saying Geck-Geck-Geck-Geck-OOOOOOO. they are big , bigger and small. .. .your lil friend hangingout by the light on the wall xo
So many lil magickal wonders loom in every nook and every crack-what a place to discover and be rediscovered back, ubud, already, you are like a long lost friend.
Ubud you breed flowers, bells, coconuts and reeds!
I am parting, it is true, but it is not nearly the end of this, only onward, gayly forward, merely shifting continents.
I’ve been thinking a lot about fire. About fire performance, about fire conclave, but also about the rudimentary element of FIRE. Its a constitution, a way of life, a tool, a means of communication, an element, a type of breathing, the force of creation, and the force of destruction.
In Costa Rica a grandmother of the Bri-Bri tribe taught me that when a fresh banana leaf is folded in half to wrap a piece of cacao or make a papuse for a baby. . . that it will snap—first you must place the banana leaf over the flame. Only then will it become flexible AND stay strong.
In Australia the Aborigines make canoes from the trees to navigate the mucky swamps and stay further away from the crocodiles, but before the trees can be shaped and made strong-they also must go through fire.
We use fire as a ritual, as a right of passage, and as a marker as the sun coming around for spring. In Iranian tradition, Nowruz marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the year in Iranian calendar, at spring time it is common to jump over small fires to mark the increase in light that spring brings and to let go of the shade of winter.
This from wikipedia: The tradition includes people going into the streets and alleys to make bonfires, and jump over them while singing the traditional song Zardî-ye man az (ane) to, sorkhî-ye to az (ane) man (“az-ane to” means belongs to you); This literally translates to “My yellowness is yours, your redness is mine,” with the figurative message “My paleness (pain, sickness) for you (the fire), your strength (health) for me.” The fire is believed to burn out all the fear (yellowness) in their subconscious or their spirit, in preparation for new year.
In the east village in Manhattan there are many gardens and last year I had the honor of celebrating Nowruz and getting to jump over the fires. I was a bit hesitant at first but it was quite liberating. Jumping over fires is also common in the up coming Beltane-another celebration of spring.
As I have been traveling one word that comes up a lot amongst holistic healers and yogi’s and other higher mind seekers is that of a person’s Constitution- which needs to be in balance per Chinese Medicine. I actually had never heard this term before traveling. . . but once I learned about it I started hearing it EVERYWHERE. Funny what a lil awareness will bring to light. So there is also a FIRE Constitution (www.herbdoc.com) -The Fire constitution is associated with warmth and light. Fire, like our minds, illuminates and sheds light on a darkened world. It’s lively, full of imagination and vitality. When kept under control, fire is very useful. However, it will dominate and consume if not kept in check.
The circulatory system and the upper parts of the body are associated with the fire element, because heat rises. The heart is seen by the Chinese as the home of insight and understanding. Courage is also associated with the heart.
Excess fire leaves one “out of touch with reality” and living in a dream world. It can also result in excessive imagination and the over pursuit of perpetual happiness. Not enough Fire may leave one unable to accomplish goals, antisocial, and with a fear of trying something new.
You can be cleansed with fire, initiated through fire, and burned by fire. Fire is the sun and is the core of the earth and exists through out the galaxy.
What an amazing, versatile, life saving, technology advancing element in existence. Much love to the fire. Burn bright. ox
Well Lovelies I have been on an extraordinary adventure but I return back to the USA next week and am already gearing up for new projects. I could really use your help on this one! Please vote for me to be the voice for Neil Gaiman’s Audiobook “American Gods.” Everyone can vote 1 x per day and I only need 400 more votes to be in the finals. Help me out*
http://neilgaiman.bookperk.com/engine/Details.aspx?p=V&c=29933&s=7911901&i=1#SD
Username:snapdragon T hanks so much* xo -=ali*
Puttering along the Indonesian Ocean to an island an hour from the coast where sunsets and sunrises envelope each day and fishes and coral reefs fill the inbetween.
Swimming in water so thick with fish you can see the water current swirling through the school- the silver backs flash sunlight into our eyes and suddenly I’m eye to eye at the surface with a school of long tube nosed needlefish and then another swirling cyclone of smaller fish come swimming through- their limits outline our bodies as we paddle through the water- the eye of the storm- the calm center as they circle around us trying to avoid being prey. So wild. Dangerously beautiful we soar through the ocean, island to island, full of dragons and dolphins and Manta Rays and Sharks and color changing cuddlefish and the many layers of the lionfish at full sail- I don’t think I have envisioned or visited a more psychedelic place then underneath the middle of the ocean. Huge clams larger than dogs with electric green, purple, and yellow lips- coral that are perfect replicas of human hearts tiedyed in dayglow pink, green, and yellow- ginormous fish floating by like submarines, grand mountain ranges, towers, and valleys- creatures upside down and backwards with super human strength, more decked out than I am on my best paying gigs, when everything is measured in meters it’s hard to comprehend how deep I’ve actually been going- but for anyone who has enjoyed a sunset on my roof with me in manhattan – imagine those 6 or 7 stories inverted under the ocean and the buildings replaced with coral and the people replaced with fish and that’s about where I’ve been hanging out- in a mirror of my previous existence 7-10 stories deep, breathing under water.
I’ve spent lots of time swimming in the sea over the past few weeks, seafaring Indonesia as the faerie mermaid pirate that I am, which incidentally has allowed me to check in with all the scrapes and scars on my body- the roadmap of lines, moments, and events that have left their mark on my vessel, like an old boat after many years at sea. However, it doesn’t matter how many layers of paint have weathered away as long as the planks of wood are rot free and the boat still floats-I feel that over the years my vessel has only become stronger, letting go of what no longer serves me, creating a more streamlined and efficient voyage. Opening up secret treasure chests of gems and jewels I am still discovering teeming with riches I am only now bringing to the surface.
Sitting with The Gypsy princess plucking starshine from the sea. My final hours in gill T spent at the seashore letting the tide bring forth our lil phosphorescent friends. Hours spent listening to the waves and drifting off into the milky way. The gili islands are quite simple but also totally endearing for the same reason. Your elders are papa and mama and the locals your brothers and sisters – there is no separation- all people are family here. It is never goodbye-only see you later. There is a laxidaisicality seeping from every store front, market, and family stay. . .typically sung in the tune of Bob Marley or Guns ‘n Roses and accompanied by acoustic guitar.
Time to move forward to our next leg of the journey- further east in Indonesia for the next 36 hours. English is slipping further And further away and full immersion is imminent. Already today I have taken two ferry’s, three buses, and a minivan and am now driving across two islands over- by tomorrow afternoon we will arrive in Flores- nearest to Komodo island
Already the buildings are different the people are different, their religion is different-more Muslim, barely any Hindu- more mosques- partaking in the call to prayer five times a day, leading to their dress being different- instead of Kabaya’s now the womens hair is covered. The local food is changing. The Indonesian dialect is notably different. However- one thing remains constant throughout all of Indonesia that I’ve seen so far, the younger generation here is undergoing their “hardcore” stage- they all have swooshy and spiky hair styles, tips bleached with peroxide, shirts with metal font, skulls, and even Iron Maiden is coming through on tour. It’s so funny I remember in Bali we’d be at these peaceful organic restaurants in the rice fields and you’d go downstairs to use the toilet and you’d hear nothing but hardcore metal pouring from the kitchen 🙂 m/
In the capital of Lombok in Matarhan where we made our major bus connection we had a 2 hour wait and Justin and I went to grab some super yummy local food. On our way we passed a lil Toko (shop) that makes keys—they even make skeleton keys. When the young key maker saw my tattoo he got very excited and asked me to wait while he finished his customers- he then hand cut a real skeleton key to match my tattoo!!!
Atcha- make that 36 hour trip something longer- as it’s 11am and our ferry is broken down and will not leave Sape, Sumbawa, Indonesia until 4pm- rather than 9am. It’s all good though this is all part of the adventure. The night bus was pretty crazy lolol we drove all the way across the island of sumbawa-through the mountains, in the rain- the ac was so cold that there were ice blocks in the overhead luggage bins by morning-for real! and several times throughout the night all passengers on the bus would bolt awake from sudden jerky stops, bumps, and near accidents. we made it to our bus transfer in the early morning and rode another two hours to the east coast to catch our 10 hour ferry. So im chillin with the locals brushing up on my Bahasa Indonesian and as I’m writing this there are cute lil
Goats hanging out by my bag*
Wooohoo ferry is now in service at 6pm- had a nice day hula hooping and introducing toroflux magick to locals. Feeding goats and watching Indonesian news. I guess there was some crazy stand off between malaysia, Indonesia, and some pirates! I hope that’s not what was wrong with our ferry 😉
I love the public ferry actually it’s mad cheap-$4.50 and then we even got beds for $1.50 more- and it’s a 10 hour ride. The ferry is in full swing! Families, teenagers, babies, vendors, crazy space alien movies with fire swords and ice queens and Hercules, people playing music- lil girls selling things with the baskets balanced so nicely upon their heads despite the swaying of the boat. It’s unbelievable how tight they pack the trucks and buses on these things too- man oh man you could barely fit a piece of paper between vehicles.
LaBoun Bajo is a scruffy lil harbor town that is 100% authentic. It’s lil brightly colored ramshackle houses and piers laden with drying fish have not been touched by the sticky fingers of 7-11 or Circle K. There’s a bumpin night market and a beautiful mosque and all the trucks here have crazy huge stickers and lights across them saying things like “mobil sexy,” “sniper,” and “Tom Cruise!” at night the trucks all flash and light up different colors- Justin and I call them techno trucks.
This one street town is lined with lil family style restuaraunts and, the main reason we are here, dive shops! Well and our awesome view.
Oh yeah and really fresh coffee
Oh yeah and KOMODO Dragons! The diving here though is some of the best diving in the world! The mix of hot and cold currents creates abundant and colorful marine life- so many fish your head spins and yesterday we seam with huge MANTA RAYs!!!! But more about that later as I’m about tp board a boat to a deserted island for the next couple days!!!
Much love to you all and may you seek amazing adventures**
Xo
-=ali*
Welcome to Gili Tranwangan-(literally translates to dreaming) a land that has crystal blue waters, jingly miniature pony taxi’s, and no cars. An old sea town where most structures hold the undeniable history of going a few feet underwater at some point -as most doors don’t close warped by the moisture and all paint on the walls below your knees is crumbling- but most the restaurants and cafe’s don’t have walls anyway. A village full of charm and wonder off the coast of Lombok, Indonesia.
Dining bungalows a few feet from the shore provide cool shade in the hot sun and the days seem to lap over you like the tide on your toes.
Second day here getting school’d by mama ocean excited about spending the next 4 days under water working on my Mermaid skills. Currently sitting by the crystal blue ocean at the foot of misty volcanoes drinking coconuts with flowers in them surrounded by dragonflies- pretty deluxe.
Sunset bike ride delivered the gift of low tide- allowing us to walk out on ghost coral bed ocean floor for about 75 yards discovering THOUSANDS of live brittle Starfish!! They were so cute and they were everywhere!!!! So cute with their lil Velcro legs sticking and unsticking together- some of them staulking and sliding across the lil puddles of ocean like an octopus or Poisiden. Climbing into shells and peaking out waiting for their next meal to swim by.
Sitting on the ocean with the warm night breeze blowing over us. Red snapper caught today cooked whole was our scrumptious dinner. Candles flicker in the wind and a cute old man busts out sick melodies on the didgeredoo, the rain stick and this smaller circular breathing instrument with a high pitch- then he grabs some poi and starts doing under the leg tosses lolol. Teaching us tricks in the middle of the dirt road.
Bali had many dogs, Gili has cats- there is a cat for every table it seems lol. Lil cats all over the place- and roosters.
The interior of the island is very poor, barebones, houses and raised shacks where multiple generations of families live sans furniture, neatly tucked away. It’s a stark difference To the touristy seashore just a few meters away. . . And for most remains totally unseen and unknown.
Snorkeling in front of our bungalow on the north part of the island is spectacular!! Tons of angelfish, damselfish, big turtles, I even saw a ray one day- it was so great- that we actually decided to get our scuba certification so we could go deeper and we actually completed today. Yesterday I spent 5 hours under water and today we had two beautiful dives! We saw lionfish, moray eels, barracudas, clownfish, large blue seastars, huge green turtles, hawksbill turtles, stonefish, sweetlips- the oriental sweetlips looks like a lichenstein painting all stripey and polkadotted, pufferfish, and some triggerfish that remind me of drag queens. Lol. Our next dive is an adventure night dive and works towards getting our advanced open water scuba certification. I hear that there is so much bioluminescent sea life that every time you tread the water it looks like you are surrounded by faeries!!!!!!!! And I found this out AFTER I signed up- sooo cool.
Slipping away into Balinese life is quite easy and rewarding. Every day is an adventure as we uncover secret white sand beaches, black sparkly beaches, ancient temples, volcanoes and lakes, and artist communes deep in the jungle. Yes please!
I’m always amazed when driving down the road that at any moment 100s of people may go past by the busload flowing out and over the top, carrying offerings, dressed in matching outfits, playing instruments, or perhaps surrounding a 20 ft cow in transit decorated in a golden crown and neck piece or a huge beastly god or goddess with fake fur dripping from the bed of it’s fingernails fighting off some crazy demon. It’s a choose your own adventure book that you are reading over someones shoulder and they are picking all the right options you didn’t even know were possible.
One day we had a beach day even though we will be spending much of our remaining time here on epic beaches-we just needed a lil sand and sun. So we drove east and stopped along the coast and visited super black sparkly beaches and then snuck away to one of the few white sand beaches.
A lot of the southeastern part of the island is eroding away. The water has crazy rip tides and at one of the beaches the ocean came all the way in and through the the market and up to the main road at high tide- but then washes back out in a few hours. The lil white sand beach we found is in a protected cove and not so fierce. Perfect for flying kites (shaped like sailboats!!!) drinking coconuts, and jumping in the waves!
We have driven in every direction on this island and have gone to many Balinese ceremonies-and even attended one at the largest temple here, Pura Besakih, that goes on for 11 days so that all the people on the island find the time to pilgrimage there and pay their respects. Once in the temple complex which is nestled into the side of the largest mountain on the island- you move temple to temple -ceremony to ceremony- through the different colored areas until coming upon the final area where all the triple stacked parasols and flags are all the colors representing all the gods as a whole. Their was an all female gamelon playing at the last stop and they were INCREDIBLE!!! All their children were about and were very cute too-repeating every word I said in English at the top of their lungs in unison and then rolling to the ground in laughter. When you exit the temple you walk down the face of the mountain trolloping between beautiful fabrics blowing in the wind overlooking the whole island.
On our way back to Ubud we stopped at Pura Goa Lawah-which is an ancient bat temple. When you arrive it seems like any other temple-but once you step through the gate you hear the cluttered chirping of thousands of bats coming from the altar. Bats closest relative, rats, are also on hand- 9 or 10 deep snacking away on the evening offerings. I was a lil freaked out – but then put at ease they weren’t interested in leaving their evening dinner in the middle of the altar. As the sun goes down the bats chirping and flapping of their wings get louder and louder and they start flying small circles within the cave and then-right at dusk- all the bats fly out together. It was fascinating! In general there are a lot of bats in Bali, flying around your porch, over the rice paddies, visiting the restaurants at dinner time- but to see so many in one place for so many years that they had their own temple built for them- kind of takes the cake for my experience with these lil flying mammals.
Heavy machinery is not really present in Bali and the primary means to complete most projects here has a simple answer- just use your head! No, literally, they carry most things on their head. Offerings, sure, that didn’t really take me off guard, rice, okay, but then- you start to see large piles of earth laying around. . . Then you start to see people carrying baskets and shoveling the earth into the baskets- then all these baskets of earth- boxes of goods-bags of rock- they all get piled – on your head! Arms free- posture good- items balanced and transported successfully. I still haven’t gotten over it and I see it all day every day lol because it’s not 18 year old boys carrying baskets of rocks on there head in the middle of the hot hot day- it’s 40 and 50 year old ladies! They are buildings roads, building temples, tending rice fields, and making things happen. These ladies are super hard core! It’s inspiring.
Speaking of hardcore – I have been taking Balinese dance classes! Wowzer! That shit is difficult. Lolol despite the intricacy, combination of movements, and foreign postures -I have really been enjoying the classes. My teacher is amazing and has been teaching a balinese, odissi, tribal fusion mix of techniques in an open air studio on this amazing valley in the jungle on the otherside of the rice paddies.
Tonight the moon is glowing so bright. Even in it’s lil Cheshire moon crescent it lights up all the flower vines and all the roof tops in the neighborhood. I hear there have been 3 earthquakes on Bali while I’ve been here- which I very thankfully had no idea happened (as I’m not comfortable with them- tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding- I can deal with- earthquakes not so much) and 1000 Balinese people went to the top of the mountain to let the earth know it’s okay and bring her offerings and ask her to calm down. Trucks and trucks of people made there way to pay their respects and asked her not to be upset anymore.
Every day is blessing, and the people here give blessings every day. It’s something I hope to
incorporate into my everyday life upon my return. It’s easy to do when it surrounds you- and I hope to make it easier for others by surrounding them. I think a lot of it is about taking time for those around you. Society here is built around others, the greater good, the group collective accomplishing more- and that does exist in NYC- in a different way- but just like any other thought, idea, or vision you want to share- you first must take the time for yourself to be prepared, to be nourished, to be ready to carry and share that flame. Age old lessons we already know – but it’s the power of practice that allows us to achieve.
Misty mornings layered with the waking roosters, wafting incense, and the distinct and whimsical sound of gamelan-floating village to village, east to west.
Every morning we are greeted with towering plates of fruit and amazing eggs and incredible pancakes (stuffed with banana and coated with fresh coconut and palm syrup) are brought to our garden porch overlooking the teracotta rooftops, house temples, and neighboring family stays. I watch the neighbors bring their offerings to each temple within their compound. The woman don their Kabaya and the men their sarongs and cool little hats, and pray and splash holy water with the little flowers they use in their offerings. Each day I shake the sugar bowl three times and the lil sugar ants run in a frenzy up and out of the dish and you know this would never happen back home and thankfully start to munch away on this amazing homemade gourmet breakfast.
Walking down the street in Ubud I’m constantly thinking-oh a temple! Only to realize, no, this elaborate stone work, carving, and flowers are another garden-likely harboring a “home temple” but not the full on complex. The Balinese believe that each pillar, each item, each piece of existence has a soul and is honored as thus throughout the day through intricate offerings. There are special days they honor the spirit of the machine and when we come outside there are offerings on our motorbike. 😉
People here are so lovely! They are so kind-even when you obviously don’t know what you are doing in certain religious and ceremonial situations. People here are inclusive, even when you don’t belong. It’s quite refreshing. they give impeccable directions through visual hand symbols even though you
Don’t speak their language and the food is cheap and so so so good!! Lots of vegetarian options, the home of Tempe, you can get it cooked everyway imaginable, fresh corn on the cob on the side of the street and nasi campur! Yum! One day when hiking through the rice paddies to the deep and misty river valley we found this amazing hobotech style man carrying around this blue box on his bicycle that was hooked up to a gas can he filled with water and converted into a steamer. We eagerly watched him put green rice flour into a little piece of PVC pipe, then some brown palm syrup, then more green rice-next he placed the PVC on the steamer and soon a whistle blew! Like a tea kettle! THen he wrapped up 8 lil rolls-kind of like sushi rolls into wax paper and handed them over for 2000 rupiah (about 20 cents) and Justin and I were happily surprised!!! It’s the best snack I’ve tasted my entire time here. Warm and sweet and light. Yum!!!
Driving in Bali is fucking wild. There’s no speed limit, no stop signs, no helmet law, and apparently no maximum occupancy for how many people you can fit on a moped or motorcycle. It is quite common to see the lil babies on the front, griping the mirrors standing infront of dad, and 1-2 children squished between mom
And dad, or side saddling moms thighs on the back-one on each leg if they are too big to fit between, many times the children are sleeping with their legs thrown whichever way lol. The lanes or direction of traffic in those lanes appears arbitrary and it’s always a surprise to watch two lanes of traffic magically merge into five within the same space. It is wild. There are places where the road itself has fallen away from it’s foundation leaving a gaping whole twenty feet deep, hairpin curves, steep ass hills and when it rains parts of the road wash away completely. But, somehow, it all works. You can never let your guard down though-you just never know when a dog or a chicken with it’s neck stuck way out is going to dart across the road or if when you turn the corner if there’s going to be a semi truck in your lane dodging the potholes on the other side. so we always drive “hati-hati” with caution.
It is a beautiful island though surrounded by the Indian ocean, complete with volcanoes, lakes, and temples. Full of geckos, chickens, bats, dogs, and ceremony. Accented with daily flower offerings at every doorstep, arch, and pillar. Ornate with ancient architecture, a light with modern art and classic styles and beaming with a vibrancy I’ve never seen anywhere else on earth.
