Monthly Archives: June 2016
The Shadow Puppet Master
This is Wayan. The name Wayan comes from the word bayan, which means shadow. He is literally a national treasure. As one of Bali’s best puppeteers, and a member of the Indonesian puppeteer association with full honors, he is well respected.
Suzie’s House 463 : Wallflowers
So Gene still had a problem with Suzie adopting him. Drew thought that whole thing was settled weeks ago. What was there for the kid to complain about? He had come to Suzie’s house as an unruly kid from a violent, broken home. The way Gene had been forced to live would make anyone shudder. In comparison Suzie must look like a saint. She had patience to burn, knew right from wrong, and cared about everyone in her life with […]
Monkey’s on the Road
The morning after meeting the shadow puppet master we left Ubud and headed for Lavina. Along the way we stopped at a wayside where monkeys were known to wander. And wander they did.
Air Space
It was a disaster. Marge shouldn’t have booked her trip to Argentina through the travel company. Left to her own devices, Marge never flew with Jet Blue. She’d already been stuck on the tarmac for three hours. Another twenty minutes and there would be no way to make her connecting flight. At least she had a bit of breathing room since the aisle seat next to her hadn’t been taken. In the old days, when she still traveled with Jane, […]
Sudi Dancing School
We were supposed to visit the Sudi Dancing School the day we flew from Java to Bali. Since we were so late, that didn’t happen. Luckily our guide was able to arrange an alternate time for us. We slipped it in between the Sacred Monkey Forest and a visit to a puppet master. They welcomed us in full regalia.
Suzie’s House 462 : An Overheard Conversation
What a fine day to slip the leash! Walter couldn’t have been more pleased with himself. He’d been feeling a little tattered for the last few days. It seemed the more he stayed around the house, the more his mind wandered back to the past. That wasn’t a place he wanted to be.
Death of a Clown
Ronald got fired from his job as a short order cook because of his terrible fashion sense. Next he tried running away with the circus, but crashed the clown car. He lost his job as a security guard when he tripped over his own feet and let a burglar get away. Finally he tried piano tuning. He had a good ear, so things went well on his first couple of jobs. Then he hit a real challenge. With an iron […]
Suzie’s House 461 : An Open Invitation
“Hey, check it out! It’s the old guys.” Bruce pointed at a table on the sidewalk on State Street. “”Drew’s not that old,” Gene muttered. He didn’t think anyone heard him, though. Seemed like lately most people didn’t pay any attention unless he raised his voice. “Hey, we should talk to them. Right?” Tracy nearly bounced with anticipation.
Suzie’s House 460 : Coffee with the Soldier
“We really have to stop meeting this way.” Drew pulled up a chair at the sidewalk table at a small, State Street café. He caught the eye of the waiter to order a coffee. “But you found me.” Walter grinned. The old man sat with a coffee and a Danish in front of him. That was a good sign. He had his head together enough to buy something. He also wore some beat up old army fatigues. Oddly enough, they […]
Happy Memorial Day
I had planned on putting up a post with this title and pictures of Indonesian graves. They do things a little different there than you might find in USA. Didn’t happen. Part of it might have to do with the day job, but a lot of it had to do with my hosting company – Blue Host. My web site was dead in the water for the better part of the week. It seems to trace back to a new […]
