Migrate Your Bookmarks

I’m posting over at the new domain now, so update your bookmarks and head over there for the latest updates on all of my Bali adventures.

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Category: Bali

$5 its a White Boy - Week 6/7 Summary

Three Important Things Before We Start:

1) I’m in the process of losing theflattestcat.com probably (long story below), so if you visit and the site is down, go to theflattestcat.ca which I’m in the process of setting up (new design coming as well).

2) Been having a few issues uploading to Flickr from the work connection here so you might have to wait a bit to see all the photos I’ve taken lately.

3) Updates are going to be a little bit less stagnant as I’ve decided to forego internet in my new pad since the guy whose internet it is has decided to charge me almost 2x what the previous tenant was paying. So now I’m writing the posts at home on my downtime and then uploading them to my server when I get into PT Bambu in the mornings or evenings after work. Anyway, been an eventful couple of weeks so I’ll try to remember as much as possible.
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Category: Bali, Life

The Thunder Rolls… :: Week 4 + 5 Summary

I just got back from paying the deposit on my new place in Ubud (more details next week) and figured I should pump this summary out before another week goes by and I’ve forgotten to write again. + Continue Reading

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Tagged in: Bali
Category: Bali, Life

The Jazz Beetles Quartet - Week 3 Summary

Above and beyond what would actually be a pretty dope jazz band name, there’s a reason behind the title: I’ve been introduced to the beetles here in Bali this week. And I’m not talking about the little guys that constantly buzz my face and land on my keyboard while I’m working away here at night. I’m talking about the Bali beetle. This thing is like, 2.5 inches long, about three-quarters of inch wide, and about an inch high. The thing hums when it flies. I was kinda working away at my computer and kept hearing this weird humming noise. Hmmm… that’s much too deep to be any kind of mosquito or other insect, and it’s too loud to be my computer. Not my phone. What is that?!?. Turn around, and there’s this giant thing on my wall. Being the only-slightly-nature loving person that I am, I definitely killed the damn thing. I’m sorry but I’m not going to spend 20 minutes trying to shoo the damn thing out my door and let another 2000 mosquitos in. I’d rather just feed the ants. + Continue Reading

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Tagged in: Bali Beaches
Category: Bali, Life

There’s Gecko Poop on My Sheets - Week 2 Summary

Yes. The title is true. There IS gecko poop on my sheets. I guess this is one of the beautiful side effects you get to enjoy when you’re living in the heart of the jungle. As I found out from an ex-pat earlier this week, apparently if you don’t have geckos in your building you’re in trouble. I don’t know if that’s true, but I guess I should take solace in the fact that the geckos are enjoying my yurt. Mi casa es su casa and all that noise. + Continue Reading

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Category: Bali

Jonesin’ for some Grilled Cheese - Week 1 Summary

Wow. Where to begin. Well, I already covered the bamboo hut I’m staying in, so I can leave that out. I guess I’ll just re-cap as much as I can remember from the rest of the week. + Continue Reading

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Category: Bali, Life

iCrap

Okay, this is a small rant that I just have to get out of the way now so that its off my mind and isn’t annoying me anymore.

What the HELL went wrong with Apple’s production line on the iPod Classics? I bought my 160gb iPod Classic back in February to use as an additional external hard drive (in addition to its more generic uses like playing music obviously). By mid-March the Hold button on the top of the stupid thing had broke. So I took it in in late April to get it fixed under warranty (I was slammed with school before and didn’t have a chance before that), they ended up just replacing it on the spot with another 160gb version (yay Apple!). So it got replaced at the beginning of May, I spent most of May and June chilling in my apartment working which means that I didn’t have to worry about using the iPod because I was at my computer. July and August I spent most of the time on the road between Calgary, Edmonton, Pemberton and Vancouver so it never got used then because the Vee-Dub comes with an mp3 cd deck. So back into September, it got used a fair amount while I was running around packing up my entire life into a storage locker and preparing for this trip to Bali, still not THAT much though, maybe 4 or 5 hours a day for a few weeks?

Sometime between the time I arrived at the Vancouver airport and the time that I landed in Bali involved my essentially BRAND NEW iPod deciding that it didn’t feel like holding a charge. Ever. I’ve left the thing plugged in for an entire day while I’ve been at my comptuer working and not once did the stupid thing ever manage to take a charge (EVEN THOUGH IT SAYS ITS CHARGING). The worst part of all is that the stupid thing is so damned low on batteries that my computer won’t even recognize it when I plug it in, which means that I can’t even pull off my favoritest music to play from my harddrive until I get back to civilization to get it fixed.

There’s a Mac authorized dealer somewhere in Denpasar (an hour or so drive) that I may try to get it fixed at but… I’m so infuriated right now with this that I’m tempted to just try and get my money back from Apple. Utterly ridiculous. I know people with Gen 1 iPods that still work better than their new lines. I wish they’d stop chasing the bottom dollar and work on improving the toughness of their machines. Thankfully their laptops don’t seem to suffer from the same poor materials, but I guess I probably just jinxed myself.

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Tagged in: Apple
Category: Life

The Handshake

I think one of the things I’ve been noticing the most since I got here (outside of the crazy traffic - but that’s for another post when I have pictures) is the handshakes. They’re soft. I know that a handshake isn’t traditional in asian cultures and that the people I’m meeting here are, for the most part, doing it out of courtesy to the new Westerner. Its just kinda weirded me out a bit. Or maybe not so much weirded me out, as left me pondering. I don’t know if it’s just because I’m so used to dealing with Western businessmen from the last few years freelancing…. but I’m just really used to a firm handshake. I expect it. When I get a soft handshake now my mind explodes with the over-analysis of that person’s character, self-esteem issues, work habits, trustworthiness, etc. Its kinda weird. The Handshake is making me think about the implications it has on East/West business relationships as well as the psychological implications it has in regards to the Blink factor.

Anyway, I know The Handshake is not a part of the culture here. I know they don’t understand the implications of The Handshake… it’s just one of those things I noticed myself noticing and thought I’d mention it. I’m planning on trying to put down as many things as I possibly can on this blog that I’m noticing here in the East before I get too adjusted to the culture… so there may be some more random posts like this to come.

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Tagged in: Bali
Category: Bali, Life

Dang

A guy could get used to this:

Been meeting an absolute ton of people out here over the last couple days and actually spent my first full day in Bali on the beach (how wicked is that?). This is actually about an hour and a half drive away from where I’m staying on the campus, which is kind of unfortunate because I almost didn’t want to leave once we were there. It’s called Geger Beach and is, I believe, south-west past Kuta (major tourist destination).

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Category: Life

Tha Diggs

Here’s a collection of photos of the Yurt I’m staying in as well as photos of the “camp” area that I’m staying in (there’s a number of teachers, teacher assistants, and interns staying in similar Yurts in the same area that I am in).
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Category: Bali, Life

Sleeping in Airports

Overnight in an airport is a really interesting and bizarre scenario. Up until about 1:30am you have massive amounts of people filling all of the corridors: shopping, transferring to new flights, running to catch flights, security, cleaning staff, stewards and pilots heading to their next traversion across the planet, and staff working duty free counters…. once 1:30am hits though, it dies to a mere whisper of it’s former self. And it feels like it happens in a matter of minutes. The only people you find at this time are minimal cleaning staff, the occasional duty free shop that stays open 24hrs, and various travellers also stuck on long layovers all trying to find some semblance of sleep in the horribly uncomfortable chairs spread throughout the massive landscape of the airport. I don’t imagine it helps much that I’m 6′1 and trying to fit into chairs designed for a much smaller-on-average population (I almost have to squat to get under the top of the urinals). There are, of course, places to ‘nap’, but that’s going to run you about $10/hr. And from the weary carcasses I’m finding strewn about this campus of travel, it doesn’t appear that many people are willing to shell out that kind of money either. Maybe once I get older and I can’t recover in a day or two from a poor sleep I’ll consider paying it, but for now I’ll stay zoned out on the Football Channel with everyone else and try to cram my frame into a form that will allow me a brief attempt at sleep.

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Category: Life

Proper Vancouver Send-Off

I guess it wouldn’t be a proper Vancouver send-off coming into winter without the skies overcast and pouring rain. I’m about 3.5hrs now from my flight to Bali and it still feels surreal. I can’t believe that this has all come to fruition in less than a month. I know it IS happening though, and while I was freaking out a little bit last night, I’m starting to get really stoked for the trip now. I can’t wait to find out everything I’m going to be doing and I can’t even imagine everything else I’m going to see. I’ll update again as soon as I can, which will probably be during my 10 hr layover in Singapore. In the meantime, I’m going to go catch a cab to the airport and deal with all the customs stuff early.

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Tagged in: Bali
Category: Bali

Bali: and so it begins…

Yup. I’m starting to freak out a little bit that I’m packing my entire apartment up in the next two days to move it on Thursday into storage. From there it’s a 7 day run to the finish line and a flight to change my life forever. I still can’t believe I’m doing this. I’m so damn excited to be out there. And I’m so damn excited to show these guys what I can do.

This is going to be the first time I’ve ever truly been on my own though. Like. When I moved to Vancouver my dad was here for the move, and then Lindsay & Co. were here, and then Rob was here, and then Neil was here. That was the first 3 weeks I was here. Then I had met friends through school and I had an extremely robust social circle already. Not to mention the fact that I had been to and from Edmonton two times before Christmas, then was there at Christmas.

This is going to be different in Bali. I know that people will be friendly and helpful but… it won’t be the same. It’s going to be really BIZARRE not having my close friends and family a mere phone call or msn away (15hr time difference will make it difficult to just “pick the phone up”). I’m looking forward to the challenge though and how amazing the country is. That’s not even to mention all of the crazy and amazing memories I’m going to have by the time I get back. I know that the first month or so is going to be an extremely intense and emotional experience. It will make me a stronger person though. The nervous excitement is almost overwhelming.

I still don’t totally feel like this is happening… but… I know it is. I’m sure the 10hr layover in Singapore will help make it very apparent that it’s “real”. 10 days and counting.

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Tagged in: Bali
Category: Bali

Bali bali bali

I don’t even know what to say about this right now, I’m still in a little bit of shock and awe that I got accepted for this opportunity. In around the 25th of September I’m going to be hopping a flight to Ubud, Bali, Indonesia to start an internship through my school at a luxury furniture company developing a website for their products. The company focuses on sustainable design/production and utilizes mother nature’s super grass bamboo as it’s building material.

This blog will officially become a lot more active as I’ll be utilizing it as a journal of my travels to help myself document the day-to-day for the two reports I’m required to file over the course of the semester.

I don’t even know what to say right now. I’m still in shock I think.

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Tagged in: Bali
Category: Life

Fashion Shows

I just stumbled upon the Rock & Republic Fall 08 show called Noir and was pretty impressed by the stage setup as well as a lot of the clothes were pretty dope.

Also, you can go to the Rock & Republic website to see the full version in full screen. Definitely worth it.

Which also reminds me of the truly brilliant Diesel Liquid Space show from last year.

Hopefully this is the start of me getting back to a regular posting schedule again. I spent a couple months in Alberta visiting people and hitting up weddings so I wasn’t around the net much, but I’m back and settled into Vancouver now so things should start getting back to normal here.

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Tagged in: Diesel, Fashion, Rock & Republic
Category: Inspirational