A Bowl of Stupid

So I took a road trip for few days up north to Ubud, which is about 2 hours north of the Kuta/Denpasar area of Bali. Ubud has an increasingly renowned arts scene and is still very touristy, but it's off-season so it wasn't all that crowded (especially in comparison to the Kuta/Legion/Seminyak area where I live down south).

I really enjoyed the place. Despite the fact that it IS a well-known tourist destination, Ubud still has a great 'vibe.' Ubud also has the 'Monkey Forest', a small nature reserve that houses a temple and over 200 long-tailed macaque monkeys.

It's obviously a very artsy place. But it also has a genuine spiritual feel — the people seem to be much more about living their Hindu faith than here in the south, where it feels like the faith has devolved into a Westernised characterture of itself.

It's a bit slower. The people seem a bit more genuine. The smiles more forthcoming. The people — locals and expats alike — seem less influenced by the whole tourist trade than down here. They're all just a bit … nicer! (a friend of mine says most of the expats living down south area look like someone just pissed on their face — unfortunately, he's right).

Additionally, I took the cycle for a ride 2-3 hours further north and it all just felt a bit like India SHOULD have felt (if that makes any sense). Also, I finally got the first good back massage ever outside of Thailand.

So, all in all, it was very nice.

I just went for a few days to scope it out, but I'll be heading back up again in the next week or so. I plan to be up there often over the next couple months (which are the rainy season here in Bali, and the surf isn't all that great). Instead, I'll do what I did last year this time, when I went to Sri Lanka and India — focus on my yoga practice (there are several really good yoga places in Ubud) while still going out for a surf every once in a while.

I've been told there are numerous OTHER places in the north of the island that are just as,if not more, laid back as the Ubud area. I'm looking forward to visiting them in the coming months. And I'm just really glad I decided to move to Bali — especially considering I'd effectively be a hostage right now had I stayed in Bangkok.

P.S. I've started taking pictures again and should have some from this Ubud trip up online in the next few days.

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I'm back in Seminyak. Bali. I had an incredible 3 weeks back in Bangkok — essentially 'closing up shop' and packing up the rest of my things in my Bangkok apartment to bring to my new place here in Bali.

But, as always, I was also able to visit and spend some time with my friends in Bangkok (whom we sorta affectionately call The 'Bangkok Brat Pack' — I'm Judd Nelson). And while it's nice to back to an island pace, I already miss my friends in Bangers. I really can't describe just HOW lucky I've been in meeting the people I have in the past couple years (and beforehand too). My friends in Bangkok are simply amazing people and I love them dearly. I don't know what's gonna happen if and when I ever have to return to the States. I really don't.

But that time is (hopefully) some time away still. And I'm back in one of the most beautiful tropical paradises in the world. And I have friends here, as well. So my goal is to try to continue to enjoy myself as much as possibly in the midst of missing my Bangkok friends, and so much doom and gloom elsewhere.

On another note upon which I plan to expand later, I've recently been contacted on Facebook by a number of people I grew up with back in Philly. It's both interesting and a bit disconcerting. I haven't thought about many of these folks for a long time, and while it's interesting, I'm not sure exactly how I feel about having to explaining myself all these people I left in the dust decades ago — especially considering I've been doing it here — publicly — for the past several years.

We'll see how it unfolds. I'm going for a surf.

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I know the tone of my blog of late has been less than optimistic, to say the least.

Rather, when I've posted at all, those posts have reflected the high anxiety of the world financial markets, the vitriolic advancing of the U.S. Presidential election, and my own general frustration about my continuing inability to find my place in the world.

As my friend here has told me, tho — get the fuck over it. There's nothing much you can do about those things. But I am living in tropical paradise (of sorts) with immediate access to some of the best surfing in the world. I've enough money left to live like like royalty here for the next year, at least — so suck it the fuck up.

There is little reason for my high anxiety right now, expecially considering my current locale and my daily routine of surfing and eating cheap Indonesia food.

Ironically, I feel that much of this is tied to the fact that, for the first time in several years, I have cable television and internet at my home — incuding access to international news networks. I have, until now, been fairly segregated from the nightmares being broadcast 24 hours a day on these chanels.

I can't help but feel that my immediate access to these outlets hs at least SOMETHING to do with my growing unease and anxiety. I really think I ned to lose the television again, and by implication, admit that my parents were right: "Television rots your mind" — especially during a U.S. Presidential race.

And that doesn't even include all the political ads we don't have to put up with here overseas. I can only imagine how miserable the people living back in the States must feel — being constantly innumdated with bad financial news and bitter campaign politics.

Yep, I've got it pretty fucking good over here.

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So it's been a hectic several days since I last posted anything. I've essentially prepared myself for again moving (such as it is) from one Asian country to another. This time, it's back to Indonesia — possibly fo a couple years.

Given how much I despised Bali when I first visited (the Kuta area especially), I find it fairly ironic to find myself now looking for a home just a few kilometers from that same area. But, honestly, it just makes sense. I've been spending most of my time in Indonesia anyway, I've been particularly keen on practicing my Bahasa Indonesian, and with the U.S. Dollar trading so poorly in the rest of Southeast Asia (but not here), it just seems the right thing to do (although admittedly I may need to maintain a presence in Bangkok for a couple more months).

That's not to say that the whole 'moving' thing has not been a little bit stressful, despite the fact that most of my worldly belongings can fit onto a small hand trolley. Moving is always stressful, no matter what the circumstances — you're relocating your entire existance. However, I will say that the move has been eased greatly through the generosity and assistance of my friend Sean here on Bali, without which I would still be a bit lost. Thanks mate!

Indeed, I've a whole bunch more to write about the moving experience itself, as well as the Seminyak area on Bali to where I'm moving. However, continuing on that 'thankful' theme, Sean's help got me thinking about — and prompting me to thank everyone else who helped me on this current sojern (Oscar, Mike[s], Dario, Jonny, Rohit, Mina, Jill, Desho …. thank you guys so much, please don't ever think your generosity and kindness were wasted on me).

That's probably the worst part about moving again. Although I may one day wind up back in Bangkok or Miami or wherever, I miss my friends. And while, as I said, my friends here in Bali — both new and old — have already lent their hands in making this place seem like a home for me, no one set of friends has ever been able to replace another, and vice versa.

So in the end, I miss them all. But fuck it, I'm here now. I'm happy as hell to be here. And quite honestly, I'm not sure I'd have it any other way.

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(Me, walking in off the reef in Rote with my [semi] new 7′ retro single fin)

(Me, trying to figure out how to work that goddamn single-fin in head-high surf)

As you can see, I finally posted a couple of new(ish) photos from my most recent trip to Rote, Indoneisa. These were taken by a friend of mine. Although I've got a few more I also took personally, I've kinda reached the point where I just don't like taking many pictures — I tried, but I finally reverted to my old form (never photographing anything). For any interested friends and family, I'll try to snap out of it the next time I go someplace new.

Nothing much else to report, except that yesterday, there was a coup de tat here in Bangkok, and a massive earthquake down south in Indonesia. However, you wouldn't have even known about ANY of it in my neighborhood of BKK if if wasn't all on the news. Ahh, my first coup — I feel so … 'worldly.'

And finally, I'd really like to thank to a friend of mine for her extreme (and quick) generosity — thanks to her, I had the opportunity to see Al Jarreau and George Benson in concert last nite (and meet them both afterwards). Thank you very much, it was the best live music I've seen out in Asia in quite a long, long time, and all the artists were extremely nice and magnanimous, as well.

Okay, I'm in the midst of planning out my next move — depending on the rains and flooding up in the north, I may hopefully head to Laos later this week for some relaxation and white water rafting. I'll keep eveyone apprized.

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(Yep, I'm starting to handle those perfect Indo lefts okay enuf…)

So, after 5 towns, 4 airports, 3 plane rides, 3 bemo rides, 3 taxi rides, and 1 ferry ride, I'm back from Rote and in Bangkok again. And while the surf was less than I expected it was still a very, VERY enjoyable trip.

I was in Rote for about a month, and while I did get several days (about 6-7 total) of some really great, single to triple overhead surf … I pretty much got skunked (in terms of big waves). Oh well, not much to do about that.

Regardless, like I said, I still had a really good time there … again. I'm may be starting to enjoy that area just a bit too much. I enjoy learning Indonesian, I enjoy the local peeps (just such great folks), and even when the surf is small, if there are no (like 'NONE') people out in the water, it's still a fun little wave to dick around on in between naps.

As usual, I'm also now sans the extra 2-3 kilos I tend to put on living in civilization (i.e., Bangkok, Singapore, Miami … wherever). The food is soooo good, and sooo healthy — rice and veggies and fish (all locally and naturally grown stuff, too), that it's hard NOT to get healthy there. Also, I was spending anywhere between 1.5 — 6 hours in the water and practicing yoga almost every day — damn it feels good to feel this healthy!!

And my surfing has also improved tremendously — my new(ish) single-fin retro board doesn't do much in smaller waves (I just bought a 6′8″ super-fish in Bali to handle anything less than head high waves), but in anything 1.5 overhead and bigger … man, that thing fucking FLIES!! And it's so, so, sooooo much fun.

I never really knew what was achievable on bigger waves with the right equiptment!! Now I'm starting to find out … and I LOVE it!! Even now, after getting almost 'complacent' with surfing the near-perfect conditions of Indonesia for the past year, it's like getting that 'first time surfing bug' all over again. Damn, now it just feels so good to go surfing again!!!

Anyway …. and then there's Bangkok…

After almost another month sans electricity and internet, I got back to Bali yesterday to hear word of riots and another potential coup here in Bangkok. Strange days.

As usual, the mainstream media is doing it's best to overstate the situation simply to scare the world's population. As it turns out, however, it doesn't seem to be all that bad here. From what I've seen so far, it's pretty much 'business as usual' around here, except that the entire town is kinda subdued right now. It's sort of like everyone is just staying quiet and keeping their heads down until all the political bullshit blows over.

Noneteless, it does reminds you that regardless of all the western influences it IS still Asia and they do things a bit differently over here. I head to Krabi this weekend for a friend's birthday retreat, but I'll keep everyone posted.

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For anyone still paying attention, I just wanted to give y'all the heads up that I'm heading back down to Nemberala Beach, Rote, Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia again — where I will be sans electricity, sans telephone, sans internet, and sans running water for another month or so.

I'm hoping that I also won't be 'sans waves', if ya' catch my drift. I'm optomistic, because if the 6-8 foot swells that have been rolling into Indonesia over the past month or so are any indication, it should be a good month. We'll see how it unfolds …

Anyhoo, I'll abviously be unable to write anything here or on Facebook (my latest addiction) durng that time — I'm thinking of Nemberala as a sort of 'Betty Ford Clinic for Facebook Addiction.' If you catch me online any time during the next month, you can just call me Amy Winehouse.

I hope everyone has a good month, and in case anyone in interested in how the trip goes, feel free to check back around the beginning of September or so.

Stay safe, peeps!

UPDATE: Sorry to those people who have emailed me through this site over the past month or so asking for information, expressing admiration or support, or otherwise just saying 'hey' — I just noticed that my email spam filter has been blocking my messages from the blog for a month or 2. Sorry about that, thanks for writing, and now that I've noticed the problem, I SWEAR I'll respond the next time I'm in front of the computer.

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Taking a brief moment from responding to the emails I received while I was out "gone surfin" last month, I wanted to address a problem that's arisen in conjunction with my maintaining this blog — essentially this:

One of the main reasons I continued this blog once I started traveling was to provide some 'on the ground' guidance to others who may also be interested in the future in taking the same, or similar, trips as I have. I know I could have benefited from some of the information I've posted up on this site, and I wanted to 'pay it forward' … such as it is.

Truly, I've been able to live out the initial dream I had when I left the States, the dream of surfing waves that look EXACTLY like (or even better) than the break shown in the header of this blog — it is a gift for which I am eternally grateful.

However, I've also bitched — also on the blog (and elsewhere) — about the sheer number of 'surf-tourists' I've had to contend with in previously little known surf spots throughout Southeast Asia. Indeed, as has been pointed out, I myself am one of them — albeit in attendance at such spots for longer periods of time than some others (in all honesty, one of the biggest problems we 'surf-tourists' face are uber-rich surfers — mostly from America — who can afford to take 2-3 weeks out and pay thousands and thousands of U.S. dollars to charter boats, or stay in luxiurious resorts, or even buy property to use for 3 weeks a year. All this while we, the reletively 'under-funded' stay for months on end in modest surroundings, simply trying to find some good uncrowded surf-breaks.

It's a bit of a connundrum — how to repay the locals and others who helped me to obtain the gift of riding such great waves, while also not making all these great breaks super-crowded and not being a complete dickhead by 'hiding' such breaks for fear they too will be ruined next surf season for the uber-rich (or even the not so uber-rich).

It's for that reason that I've decided to do what I never thought I'd do (and never wanted to do) — I'm going to start censoring the information I write on this blog. Oh, don't worry, I'll write privately whatever notes I feel I need to remind myself about various breaks and spots I visit. But I'll no longer be making them public.

Sorry guys, but I'm done giving out this type of information when all it does is make the breaks more crowded for me (and the small number of other guys who choose to 'explore'). Yeah, I'll probably write a bit about the Philippines, since I already wrote about them last year. But once I head out into the Pacific — you're on you're own.

I know it sounds like a really dickhead move (and it probably is), but from now on, go find your own break … keep it off my wave.

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As noted a couple posts ago (while I was in Bali en route from Nusa Tenggara back home to Bangkok), I found a plethora of emails waiting for me upon my arrival to the wonderful world of indoor plumbing — some were asking how I'm doing, others were asking for travel advise, and still another was just hatin' on my blog in general.

I'll try my best to fully address each of these emails in due time. But I'll start with the last of them — which I just got from a guy (or girl … or potentially both) named 'Pat,' who wrote:

I read your blog from December 13, 2006 in which you discuss morality and responsibility. I find it ironic that your decided to discuss such issues while plagiarizing the work of others.

Your comment that related to occupying moral safe houses was taken practically word for word from the West Wing show - "No one in government takes responsibility for anything any more. We foster, we obfuscate, we rationalize. 'Everybody does it.' That's what we say. So we come to occupy a moral safe house where everyone's to blame so no one's guilty.". Granted you did take out "in government" so maybe I shouldn't have said anything.

If you decide to write a blog on the subject of hypocrisy, please let me know.

Well Pat, here it is …

Ignoring the fact that you're getting worked up about what some ex-pat surf-bum is spewing out on his BLOG, … on the INTERNET — you're absolutely right … I 'borrowed extensively' (okay, 'stole') from a West Wing transcript.

Big fucking deal.

I've no secrets here — I've admitted that I steal from the West Wing — and many other sources — on a regular basis. Fuck, if you haven't noticed, most of my post titles come from song titles. But c'mon, kid, unless you were on the writing staff, getting worked up about my failure to specifically cite back to a now-defunct television series is just silly.

And d'ya wanna see something else? I'll do it again … right now:

Quoting verbatim from the same T.V. show, Aaron Sorkin wrote that: "Good writers borrow, and great writers steal." (it bears noting this particular quote is one which Sorkin himself stole — from T.S. Elliot.)

Admittedly, you're also correct about the context of the original quote, and that by now equating myself with others who do the same thing, this quote is itself … it's, well … yeah, it's pretty hypocritical. But I think you're missing Elliot's (and Sorkin's … and my) point.

It's the sign of a good writer (or, in Elliott's opinion, a great one) to recognize that, when trying to aptly communicate your thoughts, someone else has already written what you're thinking (albeit, in my case, in another context) … far, far better than you could ever do. And I would fail to do justice to anyone reading my dribble NOT to use such rhetoric.

This is a philosophical issue, I think. Truly, is there ANYTHING we've access to — in literature, technology, or otherwise — that hasn't already been thought of, described, or built by someone else? Everything we've got, our entire culture is based on the prior accomplishments of others.

So, in this case, I forgot to cite. Again, it's just a blog — get a grip. Regardless, thanks for writing, and I hope you keep reading — I need someone to keep me on my toes.

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Gone? Gone, you say?

Not so fast, motherfuckers …

Yep. God bless the baggage handlers at Merpati Airlines and Air Asia in Jakarta and Bangkok.

Admittedly, for more than a few minutes there, I honestly thought I'd have to go back to Bali again on another shopping excursion — this time for 2 MORE new boards, plus replacement rashies, leggies, suits, and booties.

But apparently my bag is now sitting in the Bangkok airport, waiting diligently for me after being hustled back here on the same night-time flight I took back here — and only 1 day later.

Major, MAJOR props go out to the baggage handlers and customer service reps at both of those airlines — NONE of whom speak English as a first language, yet from whom I still get better service, and better results, than with other airlines I've flown with back in the U.S. (cough, cough … AMERICAN … cough).

Granted, I don't yet have my board-bag (or its contents) in my grubby little hands, but I have double independent confirmation that the bag is sitting in the Air Asia 'lost luggage' department at the Bangkok International Airport cross-town — which is a far cry better than having them languishing in the depths of another airport located in another country. Right?

It's funny. I never thought I'd be a good dad. I still don't, really. I'm just far too selfish and I don't really give a high-holy shit about anyone or anything else. But now I feel like I just went through one of those junior high 'Home-Economics' projects where you have to take care of an egg for a week in prep for parenthood.

Really, I thought I lost my eggs there for a moment. But I've got them back, god-dammit. I've got them back.

One word of advise, never let your surf gear (or your eggs, … or your kids too, I guess … whatever) out of your sight. God bless you all.

Excuse me, I think I'm gonna cry.

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Today — no pictures, no anecdotes, no nuthin'…

And you wanna know why? Cuz my surfboards (yes, that includes the BRAND NEW, NEVER BEEN FUCKIN' WAXED, SEVEN FOOT PERFECTION BOARD I JUST BOUGHT!) are now, as we speak, traversing the underbelly of the Jakarta lost luggage department.

They're either there or they've already been sold for a new house in suburban Jakarta.

Either way, I'm not a happy camper right now.

But fuck it, it's only money, right?

RIGHT?!?!

Sigh …

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(Rote, Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia)

Okay, I put up on my Flickr Account the first batch of new picture from Rote, for those of you that still give a crap (which pretty much comes down to Manny and the other random stragglers that accuse me of plagiarism … on the Internet! — don't worry I'll get to that …).

I'm leaving Bali in the next couple hours back through Jakarta, and then back to Bangkok later tonight. Home sweet home … such as it is.

I'll be there a couple of weeks before leaving for the Philippines … at this point, probably for the remainder of the summer. We'll see how it goes, right?

Finally, for everyone that wrote to me (both publicly and privately) during the last few weeks while I was away, I plan on doing a 'group response post' — addressing each of the comments, suggestions, compliments, and, in one case, an interesting 'call out' on some television script writing I 'borrowed' from (ahem) about 200 months back.

To all of you (including you, Pat), thanks for taking notice, and hopefully I'll give y'all something else good to get pissed off about soon enough. Until then, just chill out and take a look at the photos from Rote (which I ALSO stole … hahahaha!).

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Well, despite appearances (and some good shots from Mother Nature), I'm still alive — again.

And despite getting skunked for most of the 3 weeks I was in Rote, I still got some decent surf there (there were a FEW days the surf bumped up to 1-2 overhead). It was a bit more crowded this year than last, and I fear it is the beginning of the end for the place. But I'll write more about that later.

I'm now back in Bali (God help me). I chose to stop here for 1-2 days en route back to Bangkok — I need to stock up on surf supplies, including a new board (or 2, if things go well). As has been well documented here, I had problems moving down to the 6′8″ Tuf-Lite epoxy board I bought before I left the States for good (not only is it kinda short and built wrong for my style of surfing, the epoxy gives it too much flotation, and loss of control, in bigger waves).

So instead, I just bought something almost exactly like this beautiful Gerry Lopez retro, Pipeline, single-fin classic:

Holy shit, I think I'm in love.

It's a 7′0′ single-fin, double glassed, single concave, big wave classic. Fucking "A" man!!!

I can't wait to get to the Philippines in a few weeks to try it out for real. It's gonna take some more effort to guide it on my part, but I think I'm ready for it. It's more suited for my bigger wave, wide sweeping turning style, than is the smaller, lighter board I now have. Truly, I'm getting tired of having to stay on that big ol' mini-malibu of mine whenever I go out just cuz I either can't catch the smaller stuff or get tossed around too much on the smaller board.

I'm hoping that, after the past couple years, my skill level has improved enough so that I can ride well enough, and truly enjoy, this amazing new board. I'm excited.

Okay, I'm gonna go post some new pics from Rote to my Flickr account … and, oh yeah, I should probably give my folks a call to let them know I'm still alive. I'll write more in the next couple days.

Keep an eye or two open for the updates.

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2

Not really much to write about at the present. I'm just enjoying my stay here in Bangkok before leaving again back for Rote, Indonesia in three (3) days.

I've said it before and I'll say it again — Bangkok really is a great town. But it also has a tendency to drain money from your wallet at an alarming rate (and this is coming from an ex-pat who's living here — I can only imagine how much money all the tourist 'falangs' are forking out while here on holiday).

Just today, I bought a new rice cooker, a French drip coffee pot, and new headphones for my iPod. This is in addition to the books and DVD's I bought to take with me to Rote, as well as all the movies I've been seeing (including the new 'Speed Racer' movie … which sucked on too many levels to discuss right now without suffering a cerebral hemorrhage), and the new clothes, and the yoga classes, and the coffees, and the lunches, and the dinners, and the nightclubs.

It's kinda like Miami — it's so good it's bad.

Thankfully, I had the foresight to plan ahead — like I said, I leave again in 3 days. I really need to get out of this town and back to the peace and quiet of Indonesia before I go broke … or wind up marrying a Thai hooker, whichever comes first.

Okay, I'm off to go play poker with a bunch of Swedes — dammit, there's another 1000 baht I'll never see again.

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(Rote, Indonesia — August 2007)

If it hasn't been made abundantly clear by now, I absolutely LOVE Bangkok. Love. It.

My friends here, the food here, the music, the shopping, the … well, everything — it's just a great place. At times, it reminds me so much of NYC that it's ridiculous (except for the cost of living … which, although nominal, is still high by Thai standards).

So, for anyone who has the opportunity, I highly recommend both visiting and/or living here (at least for some time, if at all possible).

That being said, there is still no surfing to be done in Bangkok. Or the rest of Thailand, for that matter (and to those people who say there's 'surfing' in Phuket, I would respectfully disagree … STRONGLY. Really, saying that you can go surfing in Phuket is like saying you can drive a car with your feet — sure, you could do it, but it don't make it a good fucking idea).

So, despite everything, I just made plans for another month-long surf trip down to Indonesia in a couple of weeks.

This time I'm returning to Rote, Timur — the place in the above picture, where I spent a month last August. Although not perfect, it's the closest place to it that I've found so far — small (or at least only intermittent) crowds, consistent and great (if not 'world class') surf, no electricity, no running water, and cheap as anything else to be found in Indonesia. Best of all, it's located in a small, stable fishing village with local peoples still relatively unbesmirched by the lure of plentiful tourists and their 'easy-money.'

So, despite a long, fun (and ultimately debilitating) night out clubbing at "BED" and "The Supper Club" on Friday night, I'm still nowhere NEAR my fill of all that Bangkok has to offer. But give it a couple more weeks … I'm betting I'll be ready for the tranquility of another island out in the middle of nowhere … or at least, I hope so.

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