Bali interlude

Thurs 23 Nov
Sleep well again and this time with no mosquitoes thanks to Ayu finding a coil to burn. One cockroach in the night but none of those annoying mosque noises! Continuing diarrhoea, but staying in Senang Hati all day so not a problem. Senang Hati is the training centre run by and for disabled people from all over Bali, is based in a former school high up in the wooded uplands of the island where I am spending 4 or 5 days as their guest. I have been invited at the suggestion it seems of Jantine, a Dutch vso physiotherapist who has been working here for two years. Back in Jogyakarta I had imagined that they were seeking advice on a small extension to some shabby building in the sweltering hot bustling city of Denpasser down on the coast but no, I am in this idyllic spot discussing a completely new building because they have to leave the present buildings in a couple of years. They already own the new site thanks to a local benefactor, have a local architect (English speaking Gde) who I met on site yesterday. I discuss with the trustee members of the community the need to be specific about the quantity of accommodation that is needed so the architect, who is apparently freely giving his services can draw up realistic proposals. We go through the existing accommodation and catalogue requirements to present to the architect. They also seem little concerned at the two year time scale which has to allow for fund raising as well as the necessary contract arrangements but hopefully are now more aware of the work to be done by all parties to achieve that goal. In the afternoon the architect arrives for a meeting, two hours late but at least he has texted his apologies in advance. For his part he is unaware that Senang Hati have to leave the present site in two years and welcomes the schedule of accommodation and some sketch advice on the space standards required for the disabled dormitories and toilets. I advise him of the trustees concern with the suggestion in some of his drafts for two storied sleeping accommodation in the event of emergency evacuation being needed. He agreed in principal but noting the changes of level on the site felt that it might well still be reasonable with no increase in danger. I said the trustees accepted his broad approach of a series of areas (linked courtyards) progressing from the public area, craft shop and temple to the community zone with the meeting hall and offices, to the working area of classrooms and work studios, up to the sleeping and eating area with the swimming pool and finally the guest accommodation for sponsors, visiting dignitaries etc in the quietest far corner but still enjoying views out across the countryside. The detailed site measurements and levels taken yesterday were now being translated to drawings and with the accommodation list felt able to press ahead with further proposals. There is to be some grand exhibition in nearby Ubud at the end of December and the trustees would like to have proposals with costs of different bits for sponsorship to display. Mind you, next week is out for one of the more major Hindu festivals so I feel dubious but we will see… The thirty two present residents produce large volumes of pottery, carvings, shoes and clothing and paintings ( a large variety but surprisingly virtually none of the beautiful surroundings with the hills, the forest with its giant leaved trees, colourful shrubs and orchids, glimpses of temple roofs and the winding country roads but there you are – living in paradise perhaps you just get used to it!). The new site, though less attractive will have less steep slopes, at present several of the wheelchair users have problems with the worst 1 in 4 incline and, with my present bowel condition I can see that two indoor toilets are less than desirable particularly at peak times! A power cut causes me to lose a stack of work on the computer which has to be repeated but with plenty of help thanks to their training courses and of course the Indonesian language. They do have internet access but a slow and expensive dial-up service. The government last year for the first time came up with some assistance, limited to a supply of rice for the kitchen for the year which they hope to repeat next year and maybe even improve upon. An offered walkabout with one of the boys has to be cancelled due to a meeting but hopefully will take place in the cool of the morning sunshine tomorrow before I catch my plane back to Jogya. On a slightly worrying note a text from Pak T.O. in Mandungan does not confirm that my new accommodation is ready, just forecasting that it will be by Saturday. Also Biwa texts to say that Thomas’s phone is not accessible (has the lad gone walkabouts again?) but that I will be met at the airport on my return. Tomorrow is a big day, for always excitable Jantine is to have a ‘surprise’ leaving ceremony and party before she moves on to another project on Lombok island.
Picture loading problem again, pictures of paradise later