my yesterday

i am so glad that i didn't just start blogging yesterday. now that all the prompts (is that what they are called?) are in indonesian, i have to go by memory to make sure i am clicking on "publish" instead of "reject" or "delete" or something. let me go ahead and apologize in advance if you don't see your comments up here. additionally, let me apologize for the lack of photos. it takes so long to upload just one photo and we don't even have internet access at our house. i sit on a stool perched on our top deck with the laptop on the rail facing my friend's house across the rice patty fending off huge red ants. the view is so beautiful that i forget to get frustrated if i lose a signal in the middle of a skype conversation.

there are so many things that i keep forgetting to blog about until i am falling asleep at night or walking by a certain place in town.

I got my haircut yesterday. the woman who cut it did a great job and the other woman who took ez outside to play so i could relax while andy read a magazine did a great job, too! the people of bali seem to love and respect kids in this easy sort of way. as parents, andy and i feel so at home with it. an impromptu massage came after the cut was finished with a woman on each arm and another woman behind me all over my head and shoulders. after spending 12 hours massaging a woman in labor the day before, this was an indulgence that i deeply enjoyed.

our fave restaurant,"bali buddha" was where we spent lunch after a nice 2 mile walk into town. bali buddha uses as much organically grown goodness as possible. they have a vegan menu, a raw menu and a vegetarian menu. it's amazing. and, they deliver. i work with the sister of the delivery guy so whenever we order from the clinic he stays for tea after dropping off our yummy food.

we walked home gazing at stores full of beautiful paintings, wood carvings, embroidered dresses, toddler clothes cuter than zutano, and sandals that want to slide onto andy's tired feet. we have not bought anything outside of food or household goods at the grocery store. i have a book on hold to buy today and fear my wallet is opening to never shut. as odd as it sounds, $6 US seems a bit steep for a skirt when i am used to buying 98% of my skirts at the local goodwill. i need to get over it perhaps and show my support for the local businesses. i have also been encouraged to pick out fabric and let the seamstress across the street make my clothes. two pairs of my pants didn't come back from the laundry yesterday...perhaps they will show up eventually but i need pants for work and need them to be washed. things like blood and other body fluids make their way onto my clothes at most births just as it was in doulaville, usa. thus, the need for washing and available pants.

our saving grace (the woman who helps us cook and stay clean) has the next two days off. it was difficult to understand but we think she has to go to her home (not her house here one block away but her family's home) for a cremation. so, we're just holding here in our thoughts and prayers the next two days and missing her company and food. her daughter and ez and becoming dear friends. they play together and run after each other and sit on the stairs sharing books.

i worked from 5pm last night doing prenatals, which i am still learning how to do. i did take a few blood pressures but mostly observed and charted. the midwives and nurses all had a good laugh at me b/c i had indonesian words written on my hand so i wouldn't have to use english or look up the words every time i needed them. then i attended a woman in labor. when i left after 10pm, she was resting to avoid swelling after she pushed for a good hour or two. today, i will pop in at some point to see if she transferred to the hospital (from exhaustion) or to make sure breastfeeding is going okay. one of those two things has happened by now. andy will be at the clinic today to help with the internet installation that is happening. they are upgrading to a high speed connection. so, let me go see him off and get ez in the shower!