18th Aug:: Day 10 ~ Ubud || Some Pigs

Goodbye: bro_phang, marco & XXL. They'll depart tonight. I'll move on to Ubud in central Bali.

60,000RP standard shuttle service from hotel to Ubud.

Along the way, I pulled out my Bali Times... newspaper reflects pretty accurately the philosophy of society it operates in.

Interesting greeting: May you always be secure. So cool isn't it ((: quite an enlightened paper ^_^

So random =.="

But the contents are quite shocking though... see below...

Actually, I saw an article by Paulo Coelho (of The Alchemist)... that's why I bought the papers.

An article by Mark Ulyseas:
"Seize the day, pluck it & suck on the nectar of life - & be happy, one day at a time. .. Many among us brood & grieve for things in the past: the death of loved ones, failed relationships, days of beauty and tenderness like the warmth of a mother's breast, lost in the haze of yesterdays. we vainly reach out to grasp the fading memories because we are afraid of losing the strength to dream. To dream of things we want to resurrect so that we can live our lives to the fullest. But in attempting to do so we are confronted with the truth."

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I've put the link there ... so u can read the rest from his article. But this article sets me thinking for the day, hmm...

Its interesting that Coelho contributes to the Bali Times; in Spore, we only have characters such as the I'm-single-but-I'm-happy-really-Sumiko Tan... or some others who have nothing better to do than to harp over body weight, beauty or the lack thereof or the multitude of food critics.

So 肤浅

I have nothing against food or beauty. Just that its not something that inspires me intellectually =.=" & it doesn't really open up my mind to new things. To read about being unmarried every other week is simply too much for me o.O"

Anyway... back to the special report:

At 1am, it starts: the cows that have been chosen are led to the front of the main room, and one by one, they have their left back leg tied up to a rope that hangs them from the ceiling. Still alive, their throats are cut above a tiled reservoir; sometimes the head remains, but sometimes it it cut off to be skinned and taken apart. The freshly killed bodies then slide, one by one, to be skinned. The hides will be sold, as well as the blood and forelegs, which are cut off and put aside....

(pigs)... before being transported to the slaughter house, they are kept for several hours in round rattan baskets that prevent them from moving, so that when they are freed, their legs give out and they cannot walk. Staff often push and hit the animals to get them moving, which sometimes ends in injuries so bad for the pigs they are covered with blood. The cows are able to walk but do not want to...

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I thought about yesterday night's Babi Guling

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11am: Finally arrived at Ubud. Standard motorbike ride 10000RP; I snapped at the uncle who tried to offer me 15000RP *ops* so uncalled for behaviour in zen-Ubud -.-'

Within 30min of stepping into my guest house, I found rest.

My stay: Gusti's Garden II (not featured in media, unlike it's brother setup Gusti's Garden I)... take a deep breath, exhale .....

No matter how squeezed, they have space for even a dipping pool (no, I nvr used it once)

It features padi field view, open space, fresh air, sounds of nature & peace. XXL, this padi field is for u (:

tc planning his excursion. so excited!! ^^

I haven't been to a padi field in my life. The rural setting somehow triggered the kampung-ness hidden in the deep recesses of my consciousness. In Ubud, I became the happy kumpung boy that I once was.

In another Bali Times article featuring the Last Lecture, it talked about never losing a child's sense of wonder, the marvel at the simple, natural things in the world...

Sometimes, a child teaches us many insightful things... right??

Padi field excursion :D

Only the Haviannas were left behind as he dived into the padi fields

Oh, lovely padi field! I can see the rice stalks waving & smiling at me already. Glorious steamed rice ^^ I love rice =.="

The gentle farmer (who asked me if I wanted coconut)

... & padi field drainage systems

Saw my grandfather's bicycle & decided to turn it into black & white

... initially, I turned down his offer of a coconut (I tot he's trying to cross-sell). A moment later, I decided that I should have a thirst-quenching coconut. Nothing wrong with cross-selling rite. Just go with the flow lah... drink when thirsty, eat when hungry, sleep when tired ((:

The coconut was really fresh from the tree *tweeze*!!

No straw/ spoon, but still can drink & scoop out the flesh with some innovative cuts off the shell *yum*

Oh... here's my it-could've-been-worse haircut (& the triple eyelids from car-ferry ride)

My feet: after jumping around the padi fields


Artsy workshop & cross-selling painters

The padi field is lined with many artist workshops; 好culture 哦!! Here, I bought my post-card sized traditional balinese painting... it's drawn with chinese ink & sharpened bamboo stick. It shows the view of the padi field with volcano Gunung Agung at the background (painting not for public view ^^)

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Surprise surprise...!!!

Walking on, I discovered a really-really nice eating place in the middle of the padi field - Sari Organik... it's really lovely ((:

钓鱼: 2 Jap ladies enjoying their conversations. I can't help looking @ them

They grow their own organic veggies. Look at the fluffy lettuce!! I can sleep on 'em *pat-pat*

Frangipani flowers

My healthy lunch: rice + organic veggies & home-made sour lemon drink
I pondered over my lunch with the vast padi field in front of me. Nice*

My dessert: mango crepe... look at the filling *yum*

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Lunch reading: In one of the life-style mags (The Bud), I saw this article on Made's Warung... we're supposed to go there for our 1st lunch in Bali (but was waylaid by Bamboo Corner); an inspiring interview with the entrepreneurial woman (yes, Made is a lady)...

"Made's Warung is arguably the most popular eatery in Bali"

Her hubby is an ang moh; he got her attention by throwing peanuts at her (she's selling peanuts then; lucky she din sell bricks =.=') ... & here's her philosophy in life, very interesting:

"My favourite for 'why relationships work' is ngalah. It means to give in, sort of. For me, it's the number one principle of love. Strong. Like giving in but with strength."

"I don't call myself successful and I don't live 'rich'. I just do what I do.... I just love what I do and say thank you to God each day...."

"When I am in Bali, I am close to God. Each house has their temple - number one is not to see big things, but to see small, close up, so you look in, then God will guide you. If you are always looking out you can get lost in the view..."

"... Like the bomb, we do not seek revenge... we look to ourselves, what did we do wrong, how can we learn from this? The more you do that, the more you cleanse yourself then you have room for a clean world, a clean life, a clean spirit.

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... on hindsight, we should've gone to Made's Warung first day in Bali (& check out how she looks like) ^^

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After lunch: keep walking...

... now, I see that a farmer's life is really hard work. This uncle has to claw through the field with his bare hands, plot by plot around each rice stalks... (supposedly to get rid of weeds)... how painstaking.

To think about how we wasted rice when we eat everyday... how can I not finish up every grains of steamed rice served on my plate? I learn to appreciate my steamed rice more after this field trip... I love rice.

My new friend, Lynn Sim: thx for taping up my toe @ Gili

Irrigation: very complex system running thru the padi fields

Girls: Very friend bunch of ppl who practised their English by saying "hello hello...!"

Balinese are very religious people... offering for the gods at corner of padi field plot. Like me, they're thankful for their steamed rice (:

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HORROR III

So, the million-dollar question: why tc doesn't eat meat?

I stumbled upon the answer as I dragged myself out of the padi field (yes, I almost got lost... & was still lost when I saw the pig)...

Tomorrow is Galungan celebration. It's a day to celebrate the triumph of Good over Evil. It's supposed to clear the negative energy & restore the balance (smth like yin & yang?). This occassion happens every 6mths (they have 25 days in a mth, which makes it every 150 days). Important to know this 'cos most shops will be closed during this period.

So, they killed animals to offer to the deities. So this fat-pig was wheeled to the slaughter house to be weighed (& ultimately sacrificed the next day). I followed the men into the slaughterhouse to witness the cruelty of it all...

Some Pigs

This pig is not from Charlotte's Web =.="

Another pig was wheeled in... waiting to be weighed

The legs were tied onto a pole & carried around. I wonder how it feels to be treated in this manner.

With the piece of meat deliciously served on our plates, we're very much removed from what actually happened behind the scene (see Bali Times report above).

I look into their eyes. It's wide open & crystal clear. It's a mix of fear, anger, helplessness & the cruel realisation that after being fed all their lives, they will eventually be slaughtered by the very hands that fed them.

The screams... was beyond my literary skills to describe it; I'll let the snippet say it all.

Listen to the pained scream: just a short 30sec

After this particular incident... I'm very much convinced that my choice is the right one.

From a scientific point of view, as the animals got agitated, scared and tormented at the very final moments before death, much toxics are released into their body... which people will ultimately consume.

"We are what we eat"

I definitely won't wana eat the meat of an angry animal (tell me which animal is happy to be killed for food?)... nor do I wana eat a piece of carcass whose body is contaminated throughout its life by the things its being fed with.

Sometimes, people will try to be clever & ask: veggies also feel pain, why you still eat veggies? How about eggs? Do eggs have life?

I prefer to see the obvious & act on it, rather than debate on theories that do not serve me. There a lot of things in life that cannot be understood by mere intellects alone.

I realised that, for me, not eating meat is a humanitarian decision. It's more about health & science; it's more about spiritual (although that counts too); it definitely transcends religion... it's about making a conscious choice to lead a 'good' life.

It's about treating all lives as equals, to see that all living things, although different in form, are but one.

An ant is no different from a human.

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So I left the slaughterhouse with a new realisation of my own being. I hope the short snippet will inspire more people to rethink more about themselves too (:

As I got more lost along the village, some interesting scenes of people preparing for the killing festival....

Long bamboo pole decorated with coconut leaves, rice stalks and many-many...

... to be lifted up in front of the house...

... it's meant for good fortunes & all things good etc

Authentic Bali design: split-gate @ village temple

Evening: I made my way out of the 2hr village road-march.

Then I visited Gusti's Garden I (the brother guest house, I think)... it's a little paradise by itself... lush greenery built in steep valley. I can't imagine they can design such a nice guest house with so little space!!

Same thing: dipping pool in confined living space. Genius (:

But I still prefer my padi field view at Gusti's II :D

Dinner: at this quiet humble roadside place that played jazz music (not live)... although a simple set up, it has a short history behind it. They really take pride in their own establishment. Impressed*