I missed you dear but there was also good…

My good friend in Ubud just arrived from spending summer in her hometown in Switzerland for five weeks. She really wished I could come with her next year. Picking up strawberries!! But she also did trekking in France. I might skip the latter. Anyway, it’s just nice to have her around again.

It’s nice Sunday that I prefer to stay in. It’s Sarasvati Day yesterday. A day to respect goddess of knowledge and also mother of all. Balinese looked busy on the day. They flocked in the temple and out so the traffic was busier than usual. It’s once a year celebration so it’s rather big.

I did something I never did before again! I attended a Toastmasters meeting as guest! I’ve been invited to ‘have a look’ a few times that this time I took it as a kick to broaden my knowledge. It’s an interesting forum for self-development. We are encouraged to be more open and spontaneous by doing public speech or speak before an audience. It is believed that people who speak well (be able to open up?) before others can do better in life. Hm.

A new member is given a what they call manual with some ten assignments to do in his/her own pace. The assignments cover personal assignments like making speech also do secretarial/organizing works in the organization. So all aspects of skills are developed. It’s interesting but… what a commitment! They meet 1.5 hour every other week. Sounds fine but I need time to consider. For me is more than 1.5 hour because of driving to and from Ubud. Yes, it’s in Sanur. Actually it’s good that many happenings are in Sanur instead of in the city of Denpasar. But hm… become a member is a lifetime commitment. Of course, it’s not that stiff because we are allowed to ‘skip’ meetings too unlike attending a course.

It’s good to know that I have something to start because I can write. For some people, if not many, making a speech needs making a note meaning one needs to be able to write. And some others are good speakers that they can talk about something without preparation but this also needs an art because we cannot just talk. They time it! Practice is the key.

So it’s nice to experience something new then continued by a nice chat with a good friend over naan and dhal. It’s nice to catch-up and later sell necklaces as well. She selected from the pictures I sent out and saw the necklaces when we met. She also likes my bracelet! I need to introduce my bracelet creation to know the market.

I ended the day very nicely. I had 'reunion' with my good friend and her husband in the evening. We had early dinner then went watching a Chinese-American singer – the kirtankar the other day – sang in another noted yoga studio. She played with four other musicians that she called it ‘international band’ since they come from different countries. They played in jam.

It was a very nice evening with audience mostly people who use the studio. It’s just nice to be among people with nice bodies and good to know that yoga is proven good for body shape. We enjoyed the music but later we really had to enjoy nice bodies around us because some had started dancing. And suddenly, we could not sit anymore since too many people on the dance floor or the floor where we sat! We got up and joined the dance. It went quite crazy for the last half hour. It’s been long I didn’t dance crazy. It was super good! We laughed a lot.

Bali is winter but we sweated heavily. It was really good…

Sunny morning in bed. My usual Sunday.