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Arrived home to Florida safely after a week of driving throughout California.  It was fun catching up with friends & family of Mr. Jhon there.

Back at home, my head is spinning with ideas for the new multicultural nursing course I will be teaching later this Fall.  My experience in Bali was so exciting, interesting, and thought provoking.  I hope to publish something about the concepts incorporated into mental health care there, including relationships to the banjar, family, spirituality, traditional healing, etc.

As I now work from the office in my comfortable home, typing on my laptop (at last!) enjoying "air con & hot water", I find myself missing the incense, people, vibe, beauty,smiles, and people  of Bali...

I will close my blog for now...but hopefully, the traveling nightingale will return soon with another adventure we can take together!!!

Om Swastyastu
(Peace be with you/us)

Heading home to the USA

The weather cleared quickly in Hong Kong. The winds were so strong that the next day the skies over the city were more beautiful than usual. No smog, fog, or mist. We toured Hong Kong island, Kowloon, Victoria Peak,etc. A ride on a sampan down on the harbor was especially fun. Lots of shopping opportunities here, but the suitcase is already bulging. I will be bringing home mostly memories from this trip. Last night was a huge celebration for the city. The 15 year anniversary for the new Hong Kong. A spectacular fireworks display. We first took the subway down to the celebration site, but decided it was tooooo crowded (yet, the most polite crowd you can imagine) and came back to the hotel to watch from the 42nd floor. An awesome site! Packing & repacking this morning. Off to the airport soon for the flight back to the USA. Only 13.5 flight hours and we will again be on home soil. I hope each of you have enjoyed reading the traveling nightingale blog. It has been fun sharing my traveling experience with you! Om santi santi santi om

Departures & Arrivals

What an interesting day yesterday turned out to be. We toured Bangli Mental Health Hospital. I have toured several similar facilities in developing countries in the past, but this one will be especially memorable. The staff were very informative and understood the need of treatment and programming but the facilities were very, very, basic. I would not want to suffer from mental illness and be hospitalized there. On the way back to Denpasar, we were treated to a suckling pig (Bali's national dish) for lunch. It was a local restaurant, with vendors selling tools across from where we sat. It was quite good (if you can get past pig hair in your rice). Today was goodbye to Indonesia as we flew first from Bali to Jarkarta. Things were going well until we were stopped by security as we were passing through immigration. "Stop!" "you two are over-stayers". Evidently, they counted our arrival day and therefore, we were in the country 31 days on a 30 day visa. Not good...They tell us we can leave if we pay 200,000 rupiah each. We have no rupiah left, so I must find an ATM. The guards send me WITHOUT my passport back to the entry of the international terminal. They shove me my boarding pass and tell me to bring back the money...I get the cash, and have to now start back through the security checkpoints without a passport. I flash them my boarding pass with authority only to see I am carrying Mr. Jhon's boarding pass instead of mine! Would you believe I still made it through 3 checkpoints? Mission accomplished and we sprinted to the gate. Four hours later (and now 10:00pm) we have arrived to Hong Kong. The good news is that I had booked us a lovely 5 star hotel on the 32nd floor overlooking the harbor. The bad news is that we just beat a typhoon in and now it is raining with very strong winds. We have been asked not to leave our hotel until they notify us to do so, possibly tomorrow afternoon. Oh well, at least I have a big comfy robe...

the count down

Today was our final day of touring the island of Bali. We headed north to the mountains and saw the beautiful rice fields, lakes and of course, more temples. With many Indonesian families touring due to school holidays, the roads and sights were busy. In the north of the country you see many women dressed in hijab (I am thinking this could be a short-term solution to my hair problem...) which is quite different from the south of Bali. We saw several vacationing Monks dressed in their crimson robes with baseball caps and iPads. Lesson for the day was...if you see a burlap bag on the sidewalk... and it is moving...cross to the other side of the street. Python inside. Please explain to Mr. Jhon that my behavior was NOT an overreaction! The guest lecture yesterday at Udayana University School of Nursing went quite well, I think. There were 87(!)4th year students in the class. I was to speak for 2 hours with a 15 minute break midway @ noon. As I announced the break, the students requested that I continue, they did not want to break. For 2 hours I lectured. The students were attentive, polite and very engaged. They then asked many questions! This is not a typical response I get from students back in Florida. Tomorrow, the guys are heading out early to east Bali and on to Tulembin for diving. It will be Ashok's first diving experience. Razia and I are planning to shop alittle as it will be our last chance here. I pulled out the suitcase tonight and have a positive outlook. Please do not expect gifts, as they won't fit. Can't wait to...see the family, pet the cat, drive my car, brush my teeth with tap water, talk on the phone, see my stylist, have a mani-pedi, take long hot showers, drink good wine, eat something besides rice and noodles, sit on the dock, and chill...just a little.

Dancing?

Sunday afternoon. OK, for the record...I can somewhat spell and punctuate however, my auto-correct is much too eager and the blog program adds and subtracts spaces at will. So please hold back with the red marking pen. The presentation is behind me. Just over 170 people attended. It was held at a civic center in Denpasar city. All in all, I believe it was a success for the institute. The attendees were so engaged and attentive. They sat and listened (except when doing chair exercises and dancing)for 3 hours without a break. Yes, dancing...I had to think of something to spice up the topic and make up some time. I also learned a few Balinese dance moves in the process! The attendees were a real mix of people...some old, some young and approximately 30 nursing students. What struck me interesting was that although I spoke of the importance of regular and nutritious meals when aging, not one single person in the group was overweight. Not even close! There were many great questions asked at the end of the session. Our time here in Bali is winding down. We hired a driver today to take us on a trip around the island. We saw some beautiful temples (Mr.Jhon is on overload) and scenery! Tomorrow the guys are diving and I am doing a guest lecture for Udayana University School of Nursing. Thursday we are scheduled to visit Bangli Hospital,the only mental health hospital here on Bali. We fly to Jarkarta on Friday, then on to Hong Kong(strictly pleasure, no work...I promise)for a few days. From HK, on to California for some more pleasure visiting friends & family, then home sweet home to the Sunshine State! I will miss Bali, the people, the smiles, it's culture and the constant smell of incense in the air. I hope I can leave more than I take away from here.

Danish?

Lots going on around here. Mr. Jhon is off with a driver to fetch & Razia at the airport. When the driver asked him what time to arrive, "now or earlier?" he wasn't sure how to respond, ha! I have spent the day working on my presentation for Saturday. Difficulties began early this morning when I arrived to the site for use of a borrowed laptop that we had previously arranged. Yes...they have a laptop with a (2003) power point program...BUT it is in Danish(!)...no...they don't want me to change it. Gulp, it has to done. I had no idea my Danish was so good. Ja, it's true! First draft complete. We attended a little party and magic show at the Dive Hotel last evening. We had a great time and it was good to catch up with the folks back there. On the way back into our little place just after 11:00 pm, we came up upon the night watchman with his fishing line in our koi pond! Indonesian catfish?

Tours, elderly & manta rays

Tours & tours, and not of beautiful architectural or historical sites. The tours are of schools and programs of nursing. Several days with very interesting experiences and seeing many differences between private and state funded educational facilities. Nursing programs here work from a recommended national curriculum that is similar to the US. Schools however, offer midwifery at the basic level and the diploma of nursing is still offered as well as a bachelor of science in nursing. Faculties everywhere are interested in obtaining post graduate and eventually doctoral degrees, but educational facilities here are limited at this level. The Indonesian government is starting a push for academics to study abroad to obtain advanced degrees. Each faculty member I met voiced an interest in studying in the US. In each of the programs I visited, a course titled Health Tourism was offered. This is the course that acknowledges and addresses cultural differences in a health setting. In discussion, it is an area recognized as needed in the curriculum, but not fully developed. Today I am scheduled to meet with the director of a Dutch organization, with a focus on developmental disabilities. Additionally, even on holiday, I am in my usual state of "overextension". I was asked and agreed to do a 3 hour program on Saturday by Dr.(who is now in Europe)with a presentation on health promotion for thre elderly. I was not so worried until saw flyers posted on my tours and I understand now the venue has been changed to handle more people. Omg, why didn't I bring my laptop!?! Now I am making offerings to the Gods on Bali like the rest of the Balinese... help! Mr. Jhon (as he is still so kindly called), had an exciting day yesterday. On his 13th dive here, he spotted a huge (10-15 foot across) manta ray! He said it swam up close enough for him to touch ( which of course he did not), with his mouth(2-3 feet wide) open. He said it was so beautiful and graceful. No worries, they eat Protozoa not people and do not have stingers!

The weekend

Much R&R this weekend. No work, all play. We did have to move out of our condotel on Saturday morning thought due to Indonesian school holidays. Our latest abode is a lovely little rustic hotel with Javanese charm that faces the beach (yeah!)until we leave on the 29th of the month. Our American friends, Ashok & Razia, now working as psychiatrists in New Zealand will be joining up with us later this week, so we needed something a little more civilized. This morning for the first time since arriving in Bali, I didn't hear the crowing of a rooster as my wake-up call. Instead, it was the sweeping of the path outside our room with a hand broom. Each are hand-made and practical. Our place has a front porch with old fashioned planters chairs and an ornate lamp that has been converted from oil to electric. Very quaint... My week starts tomorrow with a visit to Udayana University Faculty of Nursing and a visit to the hospital. John is focused on learning to wind-surf. I have asked him to wait until after tomorrow when I should have an opportunity to tour the hospital, including the orthopedic ward and operating theater before he moves forward with the idea. Happy Fathers Day to all of you Yanks that are fathers:)

Boat rides, ginger & the law

The more time we spend here on Bali, the more adventure we have. I have remained engaged with my volunteer work for the past two days which now includes the FBI. Really! Dr. has partnered with the FBI to address pedophilia which is said to be occurring here on Bali often by Dutch, Austrailian, and American men. The FBI is here looking for American citizens who may have escaped the US and are here to pray on vulnerable victims. Dr is educating the community about pedophilia,on what to watch for, etc. We spent 2 days working with an agent. Today I had the day off so I decided to join John scuba diving. That actually means riding along in the boat to the site and snorkeling for me, as I gave up diving years ago. Big mistake. I am feeling alittle under the weather with a bad cold so I thought the sun, sea air, and salt water would be helpful and relaxing. Not so. Once we were on the small boat with 6 other internationals, I remembered reading in the guide books that some of the water passages around Indonesia could be treterous. On the way out to Nuesa Penida (approx 45 min - 1 hr), the waves were large and rough and there were only groans now and then. After the 3 dives of beautiful fish and corals around the island however, it was time for the return journey. By now, the waves have gotten much, much, bigger with huge swells as we cross the passage home. This time, you hear whimpers as we ride up the swells and crash back down seeing the island, then not. Twice the young captain squealed a cowboy "yeeha" when we were airborne. He was the only one that found humor in the situation... Upon a safe return to Sanur, I walked to the pharmacy now needing not only cold medication but something for my headache. I asked the pharmacist for Ibprophen (advil) and she goes to a back room and searches through a laundry detergent box and returns to tell me "we're finished". I took that as...none left...and walked back to the condotel for some hot ginger coffee. They say it's good for everything!

Mountains & monkeys

Another free day yesterday. John and I spent our time hanging out on Kuta Beach with the Australian tourist here on Bali. We made it back to Sanur to have a lovely meal of snapper and potatoes at a local restaurant. A nice change from the routine of rice and noodles. Not sure about the American Christmas carols being played during dinner though... Today was a hard 11 hour day. Up at 5:15 am for a trip north across the mountains to Singaraja, the largest city on Bali. We were scheduled for a educational program there. The scenery was breathtaking and included many monkeys on the roadsides near the top of the mountains. The long trip back down had all 5 of us in the van feeling sick from the altitude curves, and heat. The educational session went smooth and was well attended. Then it was on for a local lunch prepared for us of dried fish,beans,noodles, etc. The lunch was so thoughtfully cooked and delicious. The only drawback for me is always the darn toilet situation... the pan of water for the toilet, no flush, no paper, no towels...you just have to suck it up and get over it:) Off to bed, another session tomorrow!

Starting a new week

Monday morning - a free day! After a busy weekend with Dr.(educational sessions, outreach & awareness initiatives)and temple experience, today I am chilling. Although I'm the one "eating local"' John has come down with "Bali Belly". Our morning so far, has involved mostly sitting on the beach drinking coffee and reading. We are now settled into our little condotel. Not posh, but adequate with hot water, air con and a little kitchenette. Did you know that folks (most that is) in Bali do not have ovens in their homes? It takes too much power to run so they only have burners for stir-frying, etc. Microwaves are not common either. This means you need to drink your instant Nescafe quickly in the morning, ha! We have found a local laundry to drop off or clothes. Very inexpensive(a matter of cents per item). Our one bag each motto for traveling means we don't have too much. They even iron! Hair update (I know, I know...too much time spent on this topic) but for you that know me realize I have so much! I have located and purchased a small pair of scissors with rounded ends like children use in school and given myself a good trimming. If only I could attach pictures so we could all have a good laugh!

Up Country

More busy days here on Bali. Yesterday I was picked up by Dr. to make community home visits to Balinese individuals unable to access services. As we turned off the main roads, up narrow winding roads toward the mountains, we saw fewer and fewer automobiles. From our 4-wheel drive truck, we passed rice, roots, and cloves drying on the roadsides. We saw 6 clients on this day. We followed a man on a motor scooter (I was told a human GPS)to know which road to follow through the switch back roads. Each client we saw was suffering from chronic mental illness without services or resources. To see our last client of the day, we drove up a steep hill(getting stuck twice), then we parked and walked the remaining 15 or so minutes up a small dirt path (approximately 12 inches wide) through thick jungle-like foliage. The path was unmarked, steep and slick. We came upon a small group of very small homes. There was a young man living there suffering from mental illness and quite paranoid. He was given donated medication from a suitcase, ...as it is not available from the health system. Dr. is not only a psychiatrist, but a social worker, nurse, teacher, etc. While we were there, a distressing situation occurred. We noticed a bedroom window nearby with bars and when we looked in, we found the man's small 8 year old daughter on a bed. She weighed no more than 20 pounds and could not walk or speak. She presented more like a 3 year old. They brought her out for Dr. to examine. It was so very sad. Dr. spoke with the family on how to feed, stimulate and communicate with her. She also left them 100,000 rp ($10.00) of her own money because they were so lacking of means. Needless to say, it was a long walk back out, and a sobering experience. There is indeed a dark side to the beautiful island of Bali.

Day off (by default)

Was scheduled for a 7:30 am meet up this morning in Denpasar. Trouble started with the taxi. You need to use the BLUE taxis with meters to prevent rip-offs so I first stood on the sidewalk outside "the Dive" on watch for the usual constant stream...no luck at this hour. I walk up the street and finally find one, unfortunately I text Dr. to let her know the situation and they must go on to the meeting without me. I decide I have time to pick up mosquito repellent at Hardys (grocery). I ask for mosquito repellent, they say " before or after bite". After...I have been eaten alive and John does not have a single bite!?! I am now wearing citronella cream as my perfume. Next, in response to this bad hair experience, I guess...I decide on a $3.00 pedicure. Well, I said NO CUTTING but I am now limping with a hunk missing from my left foot. To boot, Emma ( my 4 year old granddaughter could have shown them a thing or two on the polishing aspect). It's all natural from here on baby! John left just before 7:00 am this morning for his second dive on Bali. They drove 2 hours north up the coast and saw beautiful fish and turtles. He is scheduled next week to swim with very large manta rays. We continue to enjoy the varied, cheap and delicious cuisine of Indonesia. I am swimming each day for weight & heat control. The weather is very hot and humid. As I applied my make-up this morning outside our little room (I hadn't started the natural bit yet), my little mirror fogged over and over. Just so humid...not complaining though, it is so very lovely here!

Out and about

Holiday? Not hardly...up and at it by 6:30 am for my pick up to the country. We made the trip through a much more rural area of Bali for a meeting with several people at the district level. The meeting was held to discuss statistics, issues associated with individuals with mental illness & developmental disabilities. I saw no clients with actual disabilities today. The meeting was held outside in a pavilion among rice fields and beautiful scenery. I joined in barefooted, sitting cross-legged on the tile floor & mat for the entirety of the 3 hour meeting. Why am I the only one squirming, and aching from a numb arse??? From there it was on to another village to discuss strategy and community initiatives. Very stimulating! Back for a swim and to meet up with Jhon (lol). His task today was to explore alternative lodging. He has a few new options for me to explore once I return tomorrow :) A lovely (and cheap) Japanese meal tonight together. Off to bed early tonight...

Busy days

Busy here... I am hoping the last two days of meditation will assist me in coping with the lack of hot water at "the dive". At least I am not traveling in Alaska with only cold water showers! Mr. Jhon (as he is called and spelled by everyone) was up and gone @ 7:00 am for diving up the coast. He says it was so beautiful and some of his best diving. I wish so that I could attach some of his pictures, but believe my issue is iPad/safari incompatibility. I have been observing the Dr. here in her private practice as well as some other community initiatives. Tomorrow morning I will be joining her to visit a center for individuals with Developmental Disabilities. I am learning more about the Balinese people and the culture every day. The full moon has seen many ceremomies! On a personal note, the climate is so hot & humid here (which we like) but I am struggling with my hair, of all things... (go ahead and say it...I am turning into my mother!) It has taken on the texture of fur with a feeling of glue when you run your fingers through it. I bought some " anti hair fall" shampoo tonight, Lord knows what tomorrow will bring!!

Motor scooters & meditation

Well, we are starting to get the hang of things here. We checked out of our lovely little villa and moved to an area closer to Denpasar. This whole traveling by car is a challenge though. Cars & motor scooters everywhere and no obvious rules except for horns. You beep for everything. We have mostly walked, but needed a driver to bring us to Sanur. At least I know my heart is strong! Our hotel is a dive hotel, which will allow John to renew his diving credentials. Actually, the place is kind of a dive too. John is thrilled however, so here we are for the next while. Food is cheap, basically good, and spicy(mmmmmm). Last night's dinner ran us about $5.00 for the two of us. Gasoline is more expensive than the US and is often found for sale on the sidewalks in Absolute Vodka bottles. It makes it easy and accessible for the motor scooters. I met Dr.K. last evening who I will be working with me during this immersion. We are scheduled almost everyday together. Today we went first for meditation to a place in the country (yes, in a car again!) where she has been meditating since a child with her family. Now she participates with other families. We went into a small temple area and sat on mats. Men in the front, women behind. After a few words the meditation began and lasted for approximately 30 minutes. Shortly afterward food was brought out for everyone. Rice, curried meat, and spinach with chilies. Next were nuts, fried tofu,watermelon and very sweet coffee. We then drove to a beautiful temple on the ocean for meditation by the sea. It was explained that we would sit on the sand, relax and let the enery of the sea come to us then after a time, lay down in the sand to let the energy return to the sea. There were approximately 15 people there sitting on the black sand beach with the temple behind us meditating. We were there for almost 2 hours as the waves crashed, the sky went dark and the full moon appeared. What an experience!

Bali

My hope of adding photos to the blog is decreasing, I'm afraid. My template has now converted to Balinese so please hang in here with me. Our first day was spent exploring the area around Seminyak where we are now. We move tomorrow for a few days to Sanur. We are staying at a lovely little villa and as soon as you walk out of the gates of the garden across stones over a koi pond, you walk through very narrow footpaths. Yesterday to my surprise in the middle of town we met 3 cows! We were on the way to the big supermarket to pick up this and that and again to my surprise, I ran into a woman shopping with her pet monkey! I definitely know I am no longer in Kansas... Just everything is available here in Bali. We also find things (food,clothing,etc.)inexpensive, especially compared to both New Zealand & Australia. Yesterday we had mangosteen and other fruit for breakfast, cheap lunch on the beach and Nasi goreng with fresh prawns for dinner. No weight loss program in force here. Stay tuned...

A long day of travel

Yesterday was filled with flying and waiting. We left Port Douglas at around 9:00 am for our 12:45 pm flight to Darwin. We faced a 6 (growl) hour layover there after the 3 hour flight. The airport is the smallest international airport in Austraila so we placed our bags in a locker and headed to a local shopping center. We thought it cost too much to get all the way in to the central business district,so this would have to do. Darwin, in the Northern Territory of Australia felt like the wild west. The 4 wheel drive utes and vehicles all had "roo bars" and long poles attached to the front for communication in the outback. The shopping center was like most any other in Australia, we basically just walked and looked. John had good Turkish pizza, I had bad Thai soup. Upon leaving we walked through a waiting area for an urgent care when I noticed a large rat on a chair. As I bolted through the front door, John went back to let them know there was a large rat waiting in the waiting area. It didn't make the ladies in the office happy, needless to say! We boarded the next 2.5 hour flight on to Bali and arrived at this exotic place just before 10:00pm. It has been 14 years since we were here last, can't wait to start this next part of the journey.

Leaving soon

Leaving Australia day after tomorrow. The sun is finally out today after too many cloudy days. We have enjoyed our time here with an old friend from New Zealand. He is a gracious host and fun to be around. Our last few get-to-gethers have been threesomes as his wife and our dear friend was killed 18 months ago in a car accident. We spend our evenings cooking together, and solving the world problems sitting outside in the warm dark nights of Northern Queensland. This side trip has mainly been R&R and very enjoyable. Since our last visit to Port Doulas, over a decade ago, not a lot has changed. Still a small quaint town. The economy here is suffering though like so many other places throughout the world. The trip Wednesday will be a long one. Not that far but another killer layover in Darwin ( 5 hours this time). We should arrive to Denpasar, Bali late night.

Port Douglas, Australia

Monsoon alert in Northern Queensland! Not really, but it is the wettest May in history and it IS the dry season!? What else to do in the rain but visit another rainforest. We took the sky rail yesterday from Kuranda back down to Cairns. A frightful yet beautiful 7.5 kms through bush, forest and mountains to the Coral Sea. We stopped for lunch and the Aussie fare offered was Kangaroo meat pie, Crocodile sausage & chips, along with fish & chips. I wimped out with the fish. Caught a glimpse of several wallaby grazing on the way back up the coast to Port Douglas. Today we will truck on with skies forecasted to clear in the next day or two. Wishing I had room in my bag for gumboots...

Gidday mates!

Made the five and a half hour flight from New Zealand to Australia yesterday. The 4:15am wake up call was not very welcome but necessary. Upon arrival, the time had changed another 2 hours. I am not wearing a watch and have given up on setting any routine. We are in Port Doulas now and it is warm and tropical. We have been before but not for many years. It was raining as we awoke this morning so we spent the day tramping in the Daintree Rainforest. It is said to be the oldest in the world. Beautiful scenery in the forest and along the northern coast of Queensland. I will be adding some pictures once I figure how to upload into the blog from the iPad :( Once the weather clears we will be heading out to the Great Barrier Reef for some snorkelling.

New Zealand

Hi all! I've been almost too busy to write. Since arriving to New Zealand for this very brief visit we have managed to see Ragland Beach-a lovely beach for surfing, bridal veil falls, Haka falls,Lake Taupo,etc. Our friends Ashok and Razia have been such great hosts. They are both working for mental health services here and I know making a real difference. I wish we had the time to visit the South Island where I have so many fond memories of living and working. Another time...

Air travel

The whole "carry on"bag theme started to crumble just before take off. The concept seemed reasonable and we had been successful before...BUT everyone else evidently had the idea to bring along hand luggage plus check their bags so there was no room in overhead to "carry on". Now our enire trip belongings are in the belly of various planes (we can only hope,and our plane at that)...and it seemed so simple.. This situation did not compare however, to the adorable Frenchman traveling behind us through security at LAX when he copped an attitude and threw the luggage cart over the stairway when asked to follow procedure. He,his lovely hot-pink leather shoes, matching bag and exquisite attire didn't make the Paris flight. The security men In crisp blue won.

Kia Ora! Sorry about the delay in posting, but has been a long haul to New Zealand. The first leg was Fort Myers to Dallas to LAX. An early 5:30 am start on Wednesday for the day and a 10 (yes 10) hour layover at LAX. We entertained ourselves at a nearby outdoor mall in California for a $2.00 bus ride then returned for the 12 hour flight across the Pacific. Some funny stuff happened along the way but I am just too tired (it's Friday night here and I still haven't slept)to share...stay posted.

Getting ready to go!

This is my first attempt at blogging.
I hope that you will find my travels interesting and can share in my next adventure.
Departure date:  16th May, 2012  USA - New Zealand-22 May New Zealand to Australia-30 May Australia to Bali, Indonesia.  I am starting the trip with alitte R&R prior to getting to work in Bali.

The purpose for my trip to Bali is for a cultural immersion.

As a Professor of Nursing, I am in the process of developing a new Multicultural Nursing course to teach in the future.  I hope my global experiences will enhance my teaching skills and broaden my cultural awareness.