Massages and Markets

May 31, 2013

Yesterday, after a delicious lunch of Asian curried chicken and vegetables and fresh papaya juice, we were treated to our first Balinese massage which was part of the package of experiences for the students. The spa is located on a busy street on the edge of a rice paddy. The walls and roof of the building are partially exposed to the exotic plant life that seems to want to come right indoors. As I lie on the massage table, waiting for the masseuse, the sounds of the screeching birds and monkeys can be heard just outside the windows.

The massage is divine, accompanied by a medley of exotic smells and sounds, transporting me into a profoundly relaxed and utterly altered state of consciousness.  After about 90 minutes of bliss, the masseuse with the her sweet smile, assists me in standing up and walks me to a tiled area with a drain. She rubs me down with a seaweed scrub to remove the oil and dead skin, rinses me with several scoops of water and then applies yogurt all over my body. While the yogurt is soaking in, she fills the deep marble tub with warm water and then sprinkles the water with a thick layer of petals of various colors. The only petal I recognize is bougainvillea. The others are purple, blue red, and pink. I slip into the tub and soak, while sipping ginger tea. Aah.

Walking out into the waiting area, I spot the students emerging one by one, their faces serene and smiling. The girls have frangipani flowers in their hair. They look like goddesses of pleasure.

It was a jolt to walk back into the chaos of the street with the intense traffic.

Ubud is actually made up of thirteen little villages. Each village is known for a certain art specialty, like fabrics, woodworking, silversmithing, and painting. This morning, after taking our peaceful sunrise walk along the rice paddies, we went with our driver to a big sarong market. Each student was given 50,000 Rupias ($5) and was briefed on the art of bargaining and the vocabulary necessary for making a business transaction was reviewed, such as "Mahal" which means, "That's too much," or "Lihat Lihat saja" which means, "I'm just looking around."We all had to end up with a sarong and a sash to wear at the many ceremonies that take place here...without spending more than the allotted amount. The men also had to purchase ceremonial headgear as well. For many of the students, the experience was a fun sport. But for some, the bargaining was a painfully awkward and foreign experience that felt mean-spirited toward the vendor.

It just started raining hard. I'm on the balcony, watching the night roll in.

Selamat jalan----which means, "good-bye," but literally means "Happy Walking Around."