I spent a week in Ubud, and finally moved on after my sickness subsided fully and I felt good again. The relationships I made in Ubud were most important. I took the slow 5 hour ferry to Lombok yesterday, which left over an hour late, even though we boarded nearly an hour beforehand. I tend to get a bit seasick, and this slow ferry was not an exception, but it was manageable, and I decided to start dancing on the deck with my earbuds in. It REALLY worked to stave off the sickness, as I also found great gratitude for life and enjoyed the colours of the ocean, the wind whipping my hair, the changing balance of the boat, and the incredible flying fish(!!!) that launched themselves from wave crests into extended glides through the air in the glimmering sun. I made a few Indonesian and tourist friends in that ride as I chatted and beatboxed for a few fine folks. Catching the boat with a scooter driver Hans, who taxied me to Kuta 75 minutes from Lembar Harbour to stay in Ike’s hostel that hasn’t even been open for a week and is lacking in some amenities. I didn’t sleep well the first night because the hostel is right next to a highway and is very loud.
I’m really loving chatting with hostel mates, I learn the wisdom and I love sharing my perspectives. I set some goals today and will set some more tomorrow.
It’s almost funny about meeting other backpackers… “Oh I’ve only been travelling for 2 months” “I’m already at 1 year!” And the difference in attitudes and learning about how to travel and ask people for help, or the value of money, or how to haggle.
Today at Dinner at a restaurant named “cheap Zone” I had some tests, and several kids came up all throughout my meal and were trying to sell me bracelets that they claimed to make themselves. Whether they made them themselves or not, I will never know, but they learn how to speak Bahasa Ingriss (English) and they learn sales techniques and so many other things. I was looking to gauge what about me was attracting them, and why I was reluctant to pay. Obviously I overpaid for the bracelets I bought, but I learned that for money, it really is a market based on what some people decided something was worth, and then decided what something else was worth based on that, and so on and so forth. When it comes to intangibles, it’s hard to gauge what that is worth but we try to do it anyway i.e. counselling and emotional problems. I mean, how much would it be worth to you if you resolved all the traumas that you have accumulated, or faced all the fears that have ever held you back, or was personally inspired daily by someone you paid to help you achieve your specific goals? Depends, is the answer. I decide what my time is worth when I own it, so I am moving toward owning my time.
For the record, I bought 20 bracelets for ~$40 CAD hahahahahaha don’t worry about a thing, because every little thing is gonna be alright. Thanks Bob. I wonder if the kids realize they are selling more than just bracelets yet?