...So as our friends were growing more and more unsober as the night wore on, things just got more and more interesting. Now, before I go on, I have to explain that everything around Kuta revolves around tourism. Visitors from all over the world are practically the only source of income for most people and businesses. Because of this, tourists are treated like royalty (except at the airport and when people try to smuggle drugs; they get put to death) where practically anything goes.
With this understanding, our group knew we were free to do as we wished, but everyone else in The Bounty knew it as well. The first instance this arrogance appeared was at around 2 am as I was taking a break from dancing and talking with Gerry; two European men start to climb into and on top of one of the dance cages in front of us. Laughing with Gerry, we were taking bets as to who would fall off first (about a 10 foot drop), when out of no-where both men pulled off their pants and started dancing nude. This display continued to massive applause for about the next 30 seconds, until the owner made them pull up their pants, and then bought them a couple drinks to settle down. Seriously, these guys didn't even get kicked out, but were actually rewarded for their efforts. Tourists rule.
As the night continued on our two unsober friends, Jason and Ben, continued their fine display of classiness as Ben proceeded to fall asleep while sitting on the edge of the cage steps. The beer he was holding must have been pretty tired too because it decided to take a nap and laid down right on his lap, spilling the beer like he had peed his pants. Jason was a much more awake site, but no less entertaining. The money he gave away eventually got spent on shots for his new friends, but he should have saved that money and purchased a new pair of pants and t-shirt. Why, do you ask? That's because his attempt at leaning on a table ended up nearly flipping the table and succeeded at putting him on his butt with all the alcohol from the drinks spilling all over him.
It was about this time and Adam, Gerry, Rodg, and myself decided to head home and call it a night. We were all exhausted, but for some reason Adam and I thought it would be a great idea to have a swim in the pool (since it doesn't shut like in most hotels). The water was nice and refreshing after such a long day, so it was completely worth hanging out and talking until the sun was just peaking over the horizon. "Time for bed" we said, and headed off to our rooms to sleep in our comfortable beds. But no such luck for birthday boy Ben, as he lost his key, didn't go to the front desk to get another one, and ended up sleeping on the tile floor outside his room. The only possible way to ended the night.
The following day was much different than the first crazy night. Everyone sort of went their separate ways as the girls got massages and went shopping, the guys relaxed by the pool (where I got sunburnt), and Ben and Jason slept away most of the day. I took this time to have a walk around and take pictures because the weather was perfect. Absolute paradise. The night was highlighted by a group dinner outside the Japanese restaurant attached to the hotel and right next to the pool. All the food was freshly prepared (cooked right in front of us) at the indoor buffet. I'm pretty sure I filled up my plate about 5 times. Once dinner finished I headed to bed to get a good night's sleep before the Meerkat workshop the follow day.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Bali - Post 2
...And after we ran away from the security guards like boys out of the girl's change room, we figured it was about time to head out on the town. So, with numbers in force and monopoly money in our pockets, we headed out to the town of Kuta for some great fun with the locals; and we weren't to be disappointed as the run in with the security guards was only the tip of the ice berg.
Leaving the hotel the group of us piled into a couple cabs and headed into the bar district which resembles River Splash (a Milwaukee celebration), except with miniature streets, the smell of sewer (I guess that is sort of like Milwaukee...) and much seedier looking people. After walking around for about 25 minutes finding our co-workers' friend (she is Australian but now lives in Indonesia), our first stop for the night was some random bar I don't know the name of. I don't know the name of it because my friend Adam and I went in, looked around, and ran back out because we were pretty sure we walked into a gang bar.
The second stop for the night was at the Sky bar, a much classier establishment that resembles a 3 story apartment building in Chicago (tall and thin). The bar is located on the top story, with an open top, and music louder than a KISS concert. A great place to hang out with a group, but not a great place to socialize with co-workers. Still though, the view was fantastic as we drank under the stars and looked out over the entire street scene below. Quite a site as we saw no less than a dozen people almost get run over by cars and motor-bikes.
One by one people headed back to hotel content with calling it a night. Feeling a bit tired myself but not quite ready to head home, Adam and I decided to move the party to a more upbeat and free-moving location. So down the stairs we went and over to our third stop of the night, The Bounty (named so because part of the exterior resembles a pirate ship). Wow...that's all I have to say. No words can quite describe this place, but I'll do my best. As you first walk in it looks like any other dance club, with an elevated dance floor, dance cages, and a massive bar. But, upon further inspection, you realize that all the lights are on, about 1/3 of the guys aren't wearing shirts (awkward...), and half the people are European, but that's besides the point. This place was a full-on dance club that serves alcohol in fish bowls and doesn't care when your 60 year old co-worker insists on coming along (he didn't know what he was in for).
Feeling in the groove and ready to shake my rump, we all set out for the dance floor with fish bowls in hand (except Gerry, the 60 year old) and some pep in our step. I'm pretty sure The Bounty has never seen a group of such awful dancers, so it's safe to say we are practically legends of the club. Soon though we were cutting a rug and watching our friend Ben (it was his birthday) ignore every girl who came up to talk to him; he wasn't ignoring them because he is a mean guy, he was ignoring them because he was too drunk and didn't realize they were talking with him. Beside Ben was his ever present companion Jason, who was much worse than he was and literally giving away money to people. Quality...
Ok, this has gotten long enough and I have some work to do. I'll try to write again tomorrow!!
Leaving the hotel the group of us piled into a couple cabs and headed into the bar district which resembles River Splash (a Milwaukee celebration), except with miniature streets, the smell of sewer (I guess that is sort of like Milwaukee...) and much seedier looking people. After walking around for about 25 minutes finding our co-workers' friend (she is Australian but now lives in Indonesia), our first stop for the night was some random bar I don't know the name of. I don't know the name of it because my friend Adam and I went in, looked around, and ran back out because we were pretty sure we walked into a gang bar.
The second stop for the night was at the Sky bar, a much classier establishment that resembles a 3 story apartment building in Chicago (tall and thin). The bar is located on the top story, with an open top, and music louder than a KISS concert. A great place to hang out with a group, but not a great place to socialize with co-workers. Still though, the view was fantastic as we drank under the stars and looked out over the entire street scene below. Quite a site as we saw no less than a dozen people almost get run over by cars and motor-bikes.
One by one people headed back to hotel content with calling it a night. Feeling a bit tired myself but not quite ready to head home, Adam and I decided to move the party to a more upbeat and free-moving location. So down the stairs we went and over to our third stop of the night, The Bounty (named so because part of the exterior resembles a pirate ship). Wow...that's all I have to say. No words can quite describe this place, but I'll do my best. As you first walk in it looks like any other dance club, with an elevated dance floor, dance cages, and a massive bar. But, upon further inspection, you realize that all the lights are on, about 1/3 of the guys aren't wearing shirts (awkward...), and half the people are European, but that's besides the point. This place was a full-on dance club that serves alcohol in fish bowls and doesn't care when your 60 year old co-worker insists on coming along (he didn't know what he was in for).
Feeling in the groove and ready to shake my rump, we all set out for the dance floor with fish bowls in hand (except Gerry, the 60 year old) and some pep in our step. I'm pretty sure The Bounty has never seen a group of such awful dancers, so it's safe to say we are practically legends of the club. Soon though we were cutting a rug and watching our friend Ben (it was his birthday) ignore every girl who came up to talk to him; he wasn't ignoring them because he is a mean guy, he was ignoring them because he was too drunk and didn't realize they were talking with him. Beside Ben was his ever present companion Jason, who was much worse than he was and literally giving away money to people. Quality...
Ok, this has gotten long enough and I have some work to do. I'll try to write again tomorrow!!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Bali - Day 1
Back from Bali, and back to reality. What an incredible trip that no words can accurately describe. It is such a land of varying contrasts that it's hard to fathom a place like Bali actually exists. From the approach on the landing through to the departure of the plane, never have I been as continually surprises (both good and bad) as I was while in Bali. Because of that, I have broken up the trip into a few different entries so that I gave give each entry its due.
After months of waiting the big departure date arrived. For the week preceding all anyone could talk about was the trip and how much fun it would be. Having never been there before, I listened intently to every story and felt like a Junior in high school going to their first Prom. So, I got a great night's sleep, woke up early, packed my bags, and I was ready to go. Our plane departed at 1:50, so our group was directed to arrive at 11:30 so we could check in together. Since I live about as far away from the city as possible, I was ready to go by 10:30, just to give myself plenty of time. Good thing Dad trained me well, because as soon as I was ready to go, my car wouldn't start. I tried and tried, but nothing worked. Freaking out I ran across the street to the neighbors' house to get a jump, but that didn't work either (the guy thinks I have a block in my fuel line). Absolutely panicking now I called a cab for a ride, which surprisingly showed up in a matter of minutes (they usually takes about a half hour to show up, so my heart was quickly sinking) and got me to the airport only 15 minutes late. Not the best way to start a trip, but from then on it was smooth sailing.
The flight boarded around 2 and it went as smooth as possible. I sat next to my best friend from work, who in turn sat next to another friend (I had the window), which it just so happens are both pilots, which means I learned a whole lot about flying. From take off to landing, I learned all about airplanes, but managed to tune them out a bit as I watched the movie and drank some free beer (international flights are the best). Our flight touched down just after 5 on the beautiful island of Bali, and we were immediately immersed in the culture, as the entire country smells of incense, the workers force their services on you (seriously, my bags were practically ripped our of my hands by porters who was forcing me to a money changer to give them a tip. I eventually gave them 3 Rupia, which equates to about .0003 cents American), and the weather makes you sweat through every piece of clothing, even the clothes you aren't wearing.
Our guide, Dewa, picked us up from the airport to take the group to the hotel, the Hotel Padma, about 25 minutes away. Along the ride he talked all about the culture, how to say certain phrases, how to haggle for clothes, and how to avoid getting Bali Belly (getting extremely sick from drinking the water; use only the bottled stuff). I sat on the bus trying to take everything in, but in no way did it prepare me for going out on the town. Arriving at our hotel was like arriving in a postcard. Set off one of the main strips, the Hotel Padma is build as a monument to the natural beauty of the Island. Massive palm trees, stone statues, water fountains, goldfish laden reflecting pools, and anything that can possible enter the imagination. What an incredible experience and an inspiring sight.
Once at the hotel our first order of business was to change some money (1 AUD / 8900 Rupia), check in, and head down to the pool for a drink and a swim. What a stunning sign at night, as the pictures show, with the illuminated pool and the elegant bar set in stone where a person can swim right up. After a quick swim and a couple drinks (the local beer, Bintang, is excellent), we got our stuff together and headed down the road to have a bite to eat before the night began. For dinner, we walked about 1/4 a mile away to this excellent Italian restaurant located directly on the beach. All in good spirits, we all had a great dinner, had too much to drink, and ended up lighting off illegal fireworks on the beach. Not a bad way to spend some free time, until the security guards came down with flash lights and told us to move on. It was funny, but I was scared.
Well, this has gotten pretty long so I am going to get going, but I had a lot more to tell!!! I hope you enjoyed the first bit!!
After months of waiting the big departure date arrived. For the week preceding all anyone could talk about was the trip and how much fun it would be. Having never been there before, I listened intently to every story and felt like a Junior in high school going to their first Prom. So, I got a great night's sleep, woke up early, packed my bags, and I was ready to go. Our plane departed at 1:50, so our group was directed to arrive at 11:30 so we could check in together. Since I live about as far away from the city as possible, I was ready to go by 10:30, just to give myself plenty of time. Good thing Dad trained me well, because as soon as I was ready to go, my car wouldn't start. I tried and tried, but nothing worked. Freaking out I ran across the street to the neighbors' house to get a jump, but that didn't work either (the guy thinks I have a block in my fuel line). Absolutely panicking now I called a cab for a ride, which surprisingly showed up in a matter of minutes (they usually takes about a half hour to show up, so my heart was quickly sinking) and got me to the airport only 15 minutes late. Not the best way to start a trip, but from then on it was smooth sailing.
The flight boarded around 2 and it went as smooth as possible. I sat next to my best friend from work, who in turn sat next to another friend (I had the window), which it just so happens are both pilots, which means I learned a whole lot about flying. From take off to landing, I learned all about airplanes, but managed to tune them out a bit as I watched the movie and drank some free beer (international flights are the best). Our flight touched down just after 5 on the beautiful island of Bali, and we were immediately immersed in the culture, as the entire country smells of incense, the workers force their services on you (seriously, my bags were practically ripped our of my hands by porters who was forcing me to a money changer to give them a tip. I eventually gave them 3 Rupia, which equates to about .0003 cents American), and the weather makes you sweat through every piece of clothing, even the clothes you aren't wearing.
Our guide, Dewa, picked us up from the airport to take the group to the hotel, the Hotel Padma, about 25 minutes away. Along the ride he talked all about the culture, how to say certain phrases, how to haggle for clothes, and how to avoid getting Bali Belly (getting extremely sick from drinking the water; use only the bottled stuff). I sat on the bus trying to take everything in, but in no way did it prepare me for going out on the town. Arriving at our hotel was like arriving in a postcard. Set off one of the main strips, the Hotel Padma is build as a monument to the natural beauty of the Island. Massive palm trees, stone statues, water fountains, goldfish laden reflecting pools, and anything that can possible enter the imagination. What an incredible experience and an inspiring sight.
Once at the hotel our first order of business was to change some money (1 AUD / 8900 Rupia), check in, and head down to the pool for a drink and a swim. What a stunning sign at night, as the pictures show, with the illuminated pool and the elegant bar set in stone where a person can swim right up. After a quick swim and a couple drinks (the local beer, Bintang, is excellent), we got our stuff together and headed down the road to have a bite to eat before the night began. For dinner, we walked about 1/4 a mile away to this excellent Italian restaurant located directly on the beach. All in good spirits, we all had a great dinner, had too much to drink, and ended up lighting off illegal fireworks on the beach. Not a bad way to spend some free time, until the security guards came down with flash lights and told us to move on. It was funny, but I was scared.
Well, this has gotten pretty long so I am going to get going, but I had a lot more to tell!!! I hope you enjoyed the first bit!!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Nearly There
Well the week has finally arrived. This weekend, I travel to the beautiful island of Bali!! Our group is leaving Saturday mid-day and returning Wednesday at about 4 am. Should be an incredible time. For those of you who wish to get jealous, the area we are staying at is name Kuta, at the Legian (there are two, but I'm not sure which one). One of my co-workers was there just a few months ago and he describes it as an idyllic paradise. I can't wait. All we've been doing this week is talking about the upcoming trip and how much time we're going to spend relaxing with a beer near the pool and ocean. I can't wait to get a sunburn in another country!! Wahoo!! Not a bad way to spend 4 days. I'll be sure to take as many pictures as possible!!
In other news...my team scored a great win over the weekend! We played against the Beechboro FC at their home ground, which was in the middle of no where. Seriously, no where. 3/4 of the town turned out to watch the game as their is nothing else to do in the area. But, I was more than happy to disappoint their home crowd as we impressed with our incredible come from behind win. At half-time we were down by about 3 goals, but came out with a mission in the second half and walked away with a 3 goal win. Quite the turn around. Personally, I thought I played a great game. Took a few hard marks (as I got punched in the head), was in the middle of two scuffles/fights, had about 20 possession, and a number of tackles. All the training is finally paying off as I am beginning to read the play much more easily. It's just a shame I won't be around to play this weekend as I want to keep this play going!!
That night we had our awards at our club sponsors bar, the Paddington Ale House (a pretty fun pub). Kristyn and Alex have been there and can safely testify that it is a fairly dodgy place to spend a Saturday night; not because there are a lot of scuzzy people, but more because it's full of Australians. Haha! But, instead of dancing, me and my buddies watched the Rugby match between Ireland and Australia on the projection screen. Great match as Australia pulled out at victory with a gusty performance. Nick and Beth would have really loved watching it. I was glad I watched the match (instead of drinking/dancing) as Sunday morning it felt great to wake up without a hang over, have a good work out, and then go play in the ocean. Jared and I decided it would be a good idea to go swimming despite the fact that the waves were about 10-15 feet high, it was raining, and the wind was blowing. We had a blast riding the waves into shore while getting tossed all over the place. Freezing cold, but very worth it.
Besides the normal weekend stuff, things lately have been pretty ordinary. I'm still enjoying every second here, but I miss everyone from home. Just over three months until i get to see everyone again!! Cheers!!!!
In other news...my team scored a great win over the weekend! We played against the Beechboro FC at their home ground, which was in the middle of no where. Seriously, no where. 3/4 of the town turned out to watch the game as their is nothing else to do in the area. But, I was more than happy to disappoint their home crowd as we impressed with our incredible come from behind win. At half-time we were down by about 3 goals, but came out with a mission in the second half and walked away with a 3 goal win. Quite the turn around. Personally, I thought I played a great game. Took a few hard marks (as I got punched in the head), was in the middle of two scuffles/fights, had about 20 possession, and a number of tackles. All the training is finally paying off as I am beginning to read the play much more easily. It's just a shame I won't be around to play this weekend as I want to keep this play going!!
That night we had our awards at our club sponsors bar, the Paddington Ale House (a pretty fun pub). Kristyn and Alex have been there and can safely testify that it is a fairly dodgy place to spend a Saturday night; not because there are a lot of scuzzy people, but more because it's full of Australians. Haha! But, instead of dancing, me and my buddies watched the Rugby match between Ireland and Australia on the projection screen. Great match as Australia pulled out at victory with a gusty performance. Nick and Beth would have really loved watching it. I was glad I watched the match (instead of drinking/dancing) as Sunday morning it felt great to wake up without a hang over, have a good work out, and then go play in the ocean. Jared and I decided it would be a good idea to go swimming despite the fact that the waves were about 10-15 feet high, it was raining, and the wind was blowing. We had a blast riding the waves into shore while getting tossed all over the place. Freezing cold, but very worth it.
Besides the normal weekend stuff, things lately have been pretty ordinary. I'm still enjoying every second here, but I miss everyone from home. Just over three months until i get to see everyone again!! Cheers!!!!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Back to Footy
Hello all again!! Time for another chapter in my tale of adventure (well, not so much). So the past two weeks have been rather uneventful. Last weekend our footy club had a bye so we took advantage of the free time by having our annual BeerFest!! What better way to celebrate the Queen's birthday (Monday was a public holiday for it) on a Sunday afternoon at the Club House! The idea of the event was a sampling of beers from around the world. What a great idea in theory, but in actuality it just turned into a drunken spectacle of people participating in competitive golf shots, roof beam climbing, wrestling matches, and shirtless dancing on tables. It's a night I'll never forget because I've never said "holy crap" so much in my life. I left around 11, but I believe the latest people went home was around 4 am. Not too bad considering that's over 12 hours of drinking. Australians can party, hands down.
This past weekend we again picked up our footy seaason and notched another loss on the belt. If it sounds like I'm being cynical it is because I am. I am not used to losing this much and it is extremely annoying. For 3/4 of the game we played extremely well and were leading the reigning Premiers from last year at the end of the third. But, again we fell flat and ended up losing by about 21 points. Not too exciting, but at least we know the potential that we do have. I feel our first win is just around the corner!! Individually, I played pretty well and ended up winning another award, despite being semi-sick during the week and dry-heaving in the first 5 minutes of the game. Wasn't my best outing, but at least I know I am getting better.
Besides these two events things have been pretty uneventful. The weather is turning a little more dreary and is reminding some of my co-workers of London. Just this morning it was raining cats and dogs, but now the sun is peaking through a bit. Not a bad turn of events. The weather for the rest of the week is set to be beautiful, so I'm hoping to spend a bit of time at the beach or around a bon-fire in my back yard. I hope everyone back home is beginning to enjoy the warm weather (besides the rain and tornados)!!
This past weekend we again picked up our footy seaason and notched another loss on the belt. If it sounds like I'm being cynical it is because I am. I am not used to losing this much and it is extremely annoying. For 3/4 of the game we played extremely well and were leading the reigning Premiers from last year at the end of the third. But, again we fell flat and ended up losing by about 21 points. Not too exciting, but at least we know the potential that we do have. I feel our first win is just around the corner!! Individually, I played pretty well and ended up winning another award, despite being semi-sick during the week and dry-heaving in the first 5 minutes of the game. Wasn't my best outing, but at least I know I am getting better.
Besides these two events things have been pretty uneventful. The weather is turning a little more dreary and is reminding some of my co-workers of London. Just this morning it was raining cats and dogs, but now the sun is peaking through a bit. Not a bad turn of events. The weather for the rest of the week is set to be beautiful, so I'm hoping to spend a bit of time at the beach or around a bon-fire in my back yard. I hope everyone back home is beginning to enjoy the warm weather (besides the rain and tornados)!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)