tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60271615880059715532024-02-20T14:56:44.605+08:00remote and rawA raw food & surf lifestyle in the backblocks of Indonesia. The quest for a simple and authentic life.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger392125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6027161588005971553.post-62260833340109066242015-06-28T11:33:00.002+08:002015-06-28T11:33:23.617+08:00i have moved (blog) houseAfter a long relationship with blogger I have moved to incorporate this blog into my new <a href="http://www.sallymaymills.com/">website</a>.<br />
You can now find me sharing stories, photos and inspiration for an authentic free-range life <a href="http://www.sallymaymills.com/blog">HERE</a><br />
Thanks to everyone for supporting Remote and Raw. The barefoot season continues; same beach and the same village, but now with a decent internet connection and a new blog name. x<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6027161588005971553.post-48012908229882552692014-08-06T08:44:00.003+08:002014-08-06T08:59:20.009+08:00back in the days of puddles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-align: justify;">The last heavy rain of the west season was on Sunday 13</span><span style="text-align: justify;">th </span><span style="text-align: justify;">April. There are two reasons that I remember this: one is that I am a weather geek and love to study synoptic charts, satellite patterns and record climate data, the other is that this particular rain was a tropical deluge unmatched throughout the wet season. It was Sunday morning, the power was on for church, and I thought I’d clean the desk in my studio, plug in my laptop, ring out some background tunes, write a few words and do a yoga session. The rain started while I was in the shower and was so heavy I sheltered in the bedroom for 15 minutes. I couldn’t hear that the music had stopped and wasn’t to know what was happening behind the studio door. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I returned to the desk to see my beloved Macbook Pro lying in a puddle – lid open, plugged in, screen black. Cue short repetitive expletives. I ripped out the power cord, picked it up and a waterfall poured out of the disk drive. The tin roof had leaked directly above the desk and flooded the studio. Poor Banjo, he wasn’t ready to die, he was still so young and vibrant. Despite three days in front of the fan, I was not able to resurrect his spirit, and when I plugged him in, smoke emerged from the depths. Not a heartening sight. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I returned to Australia from Bali on a bargain $73 Air Asia flight, surprised mum and dad, and organized a replacement laptop in 48 hours. It is here I would like to give a plug for <a href="http://www.sgio.com.au/">SGIO insurance</a> who were outstanding in their service, understanding and support. A week later I was back in Indonesia, and it is from Banjo Mark II Macbook Pro Retina that I write you this post. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Meanwhile our internet is unreliable and choked, and my enthusiasm for blogging wanes with the moon. I read of the supportive, communicative blog community out there in the connected world, moving in vibrating circles of creative juice, gathering for Instameets, collaborations and <a href="http://www.kinfolk.com/">Kinfolk</a> dinners. I’m in the back end of Indonesia in a surf camp populated by 60 year old blokes who don’t even know what a blog is, with an internet slower than a smoke signal. Networking here means getting together with the neighbours to discuss the swell forecast, decipher village politics, play scrabble and eat banana muffins. I have nothing to sell, I’m not offering to take away anyone’s suffering, help them parent better, advise on shares, weight loss or how to be more popular, richer or more productive. If you are feeling the bite of winter and nursing a cold, perhaps seeing the waters of a tropical lagoon may even make you feel worse. What I have to offer are stories, authentic experiences, considered images; moments from a life of cultivating simplicity, awareness and love, with barefeet, a tan and gardener's hands. To all of you reading, thank you, I hope this is enough.</span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6027161588005971553.post-60681835354194637692014-06-30T09:48:00.002+08:002014-06-30T09:48:48.746+08:00white roads to nowhere<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since gaining autonomy, our local island government receives an annual budget from Uncle Jakarta that they can play with however they see fit. In a country rife with corruption, transparency is murky at best, and coupled with our minimal understanding of the political wormholes, it is impossible to know how funding is channelled. What is evident are new white gravel roads through uninhabited and rugged inland areas, that end in a swamp or at the foot of a cliff. Many are built along former goat tracks, and do little but provide easier access for trucks to infiltrate the interior and pillage free rocks. No doubt the mayor's brother owns a truck or two and our local member happens to be in possession of earth moving equipment that can be contracted out at a handsome daily fee. </div>
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Many of these roads are built in the wet season while we are away, so upon our return I am met with many exploring opportunities. We are fortunate to be babysitting a Yamaha trail bike that skips along the back tracks. Fuel has been scarce, as high winds have prevented the ferry crossing from the mainland, so long distance outings have to be timed with a full tank. </div>
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Our village is relatively affluent since the introduction of seaweed farming as a profitable cash crop, and as a result almost all of the traditional houses have been replaced with brick hot boxes of mosquito infestation. For people in the interior, life is very basic and subsistent, and houses are still made from materials gathered in nearby bushland. Thanks to juice from the lontar palm, caloric intake is sufficient and stable, without an annual period of famine that effects other regions.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6027161588005971553.post-39733589555568854922014-06-07T11:55:00.001+08:002014-08-06T09:04:19.027+08:00it's the time, and it's slow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">String out your hammock, wax up your quiver, the season is well underway. We have been back on our island home for almost three months, arriving in mid March after two months of summer in Western Australia and one month travelling in Sri Lanka (you may have seen the photos on my other blog). Nothing happens fast on island time; our days are a gentle wash of tides, watching the breath, watching the mind, watching the waves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is officially winter in the southern hemisphere, and while the temperature barely dips below 26 degrees, the signs of the changing season are evident. The occasional black cloud dissipates without a drop and the green tinge of the wet season has already withered to brown. Trade winds blow with persistence, and the cold fronts pushing through WA are bringing us consistent swell. It’s been a solid start to the surf year, and Aquaman has notched his share of barrels on the bedhead. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If the exasperating internet service will allow, I will begin to fill in the past and keep up with the present. I am actively posting photos on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/sallymaymills">Instagram @sallymaymills</a>, and my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sallymaymills">Facebook page</a> , but blogging is difficult given a connection that gets slower every year. </span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6027161588005971553.post-77621180168697168422014-01-18T17:44:00.002+08:002014-01-18T17:56:05.508+08:00away for the wet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You may have wondered where we are: have we disappeared down the crab hole of tropical torpor or into the heart of a deep green barrel, never to return from the bliss of the present moment? Fear not, we are in our summer residence in Western Australia, frolicking under days of cloudless blue skies while our island home sleeps through the wet season. The presence of Cyclone Christine last month whipped up a few waves and strong winds, but other than a couple of broken light bulbs we believe the house is at ease. The garden will be doing its wild wet season thing, and hopefully we will return to a six foot mango tree and fruiting papaya. More likely a tangle of creepers, weeds and a few goat eaten sticks. </div>
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We are leaving Australia in less than a month for a long anticipated trip to Sri Lanka, then back to Indonesia for the barefoot season of 2014. There are some big plans and crazy ideas coming up this year; I hope you can paddle in for the ride. Thanks for being patient with the infrequent posts; with the lack of internet connection last year, it was difficult to sustain a continuous online presence.<br />
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A happy new year to everyone, I declare it is still ok to wish this throughout January. Some of us take a while to warm up.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6027161588005971553.post-83047104977835679782013-11-18T11:51:00.000+08:002014-01-17T09:31:37.765+08:00beach reverie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While the pace of western life accelerates in a flurry of infernal busyness, and the time stress tightens like a corset as Christmas draws near, I tend to get slower as the torrid wet season approaches. After eight months on rubber time it can be hard to muster up enough motivation to move anywhere - under stimulation being a converse problem to overload. Each day begins as a blank page, challenging me to be mindful and quiet, while the inner being never shuts up. It can be confronting when the distractions of the typical modern life are stripped away and you realise the commotion is in the mind as it fights with reality. </div>
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See what pondering your navel does? In between times there is always the wind, surf and tides to consider.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6027161588005971553.post-47175907831386406142013-11-16T10:36:00.001+08:002013-11-16T10:36:17.534+08:00a visa run around<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There was a plan and it was good. Then there was a most unexpected incident and the itinerary went spiralling into oblivion, washed away by my tears. I had to dig very deep to accept the reality of the present and release my attachment to the outcome I had envisaged. Our highly anticipated trip to Yunnan province in China was foiled by a single sentence from the smiling immigration secretary at the Chinese embassy in Jakarta.</div>
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Do you have your KITAS? (a working visa for Indonesia). </div>
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With a surprised stare we answered no. No KITAS, no Chinese visa. Next please.</div>
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The embassy had recently changed the rule, and we were going by the email I had received earlier when a passport and driver's license was all one required. No visa, no China, do not pass go…</div>
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In shock, we laughed, I cried and we regrouped with a strong coffee and discussed our options. We had to leave Indonesia the following day as our visa stipulated, so would take the booked flight to Kuala Lumpur. From there we had no plan.</div>
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Our Air Asia flights to China were non-rerouteable and non-refundable, a generous donation to their profit, and to book a last minute flight from KL to Bali was cost prohibitive. We are both averse to cities, traffic and noise - the very essence of our time in Jakarta - so were not about to immerse ourselves in the agony of central KL. I had visited Melaka, in the south-west of Malaysia, as a backpacker in 1997 and remembered it fondly. The old town has been <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1223">UNESCO World Heritage Listed</a>,and with a direct bus link from the airport, we had ourselves a destination. With a large Chinese population, traditional shophouse architecture and green tea, we could squint and pretend we were in Yunnan, minus the mountains, yaks and snow, but with the added bonus of authentic and ridiculously cheap Indian food. </div>
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One week after leaving our island home we were back, our unused thermals still in the bottom of the bag. We both picked up a horrid flu from excessive exposure to open mouthed coughs and snorts on every mode of transport. My birthday was spent in bed rather than at the foot of a glacier in a Tibetan home stay, and my surprise dinner postponed. Aquaman took it all in his gentle stride, proving he is just that little bit more enlightened than most (or at least me).</div>
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Yunnan, you will keep. I have a well thought out itinerary for anyone interested. Wherever you go, there you are.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3Malacca, Melaka, Malaysia2.205685 102.256155000000041.9518194999999998 101.93343150000004 2.4595504999999998 102.57887850000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6027161588005971553.post-64303910716428936762013-10-02T13:54:00.000+08:002013-10-02T14:17:10.371+08:00300 steps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There is a <i>tourist object</i> on the south coast known as <i>300 steps</i>. We have been aware of its existence for many years, however it was only this week that we finally made it over the potholes and dubious bridges to climb to the lookout and survey a new horizon. I didn't count the steps, so cannot confirm the accuracy of the title.</div>
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The idea of an afternoon outing sounds easy enough, but the reality is that our severe aversion to sitting in vehicles and travelling on headache inducing roads means we generally prefer to radiate out from home within a walk or bike ride distance; but after a while I grow restless. I have a very low tolerance for boredom and yearn for unfamiliar places and the thrill of experiencing the unknown. I long to indulge in the affair of travel and flex my shutter finger, and this desire outweighs the discomfort involved. Plus there is the joy of sharing it with you my dear bloggies. Where have you been lately?</div>
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When we get out of the glass bottles of our ego,<br />
and when we escape like squirrels turning in the<br />
cages of our personality<br />
and get into the forests again,<br />
we shall shiver with cold and fright<br />
but things will happen to us<br />
so that we don't know ourselves.<br />
<br />
Cool, unlying life will rush in,<br />
and passion will make our bodies taut with power,<br />
we shall stamp our feet with new power<br />
and old things will fall down,<br />
we shall laugh, and institutions will curl up like<br />
burnt paper.<br />
<br />
D.H. Lawrence<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6027161588005971553.post-28595687632680203852013-09-17T16:56:00.000+08:002013-09-17T17:01:10.325+08:00up the back<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This post has been steeping in the mystifying pot of the internet for a week, where I have been unable to access it. After many long frustrating hours it has finally loaded and I am pleased to send it on its way with images from an early morning walk; the old architecture and the new, locals doing their thing, and a couple of four legged friends. </div>
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The season is changing - as southern Australia heads into spring our winds shift onshore and the humidity heralds the beginning of the build up. After 45 days straight with waves Aquaman has been spending a bit more time at the desk this week, where he is dedicated to learning Revit (computer aided design) and moving out of the dark ages of a pencil and drawing board. No more crinkled drafting paper on humid days or scratching off pen lines with a scalpel. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6027161588005971553.post-82610392468489364652013-09-02T14:17:00.002+08:002013-09-02T14:17:41.967+08:00a cake for aquaman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was under strict instructions not to make a fuss for Aquaman's 40th birthday, and I tried, really I did, but the opportunity to bake a cake and get out the teaspoon collection was too much to bare. It was just a little afternoon tea, with no candles or hoo-ha, and only one painfully sung line of happy birthday. The invited guests were instructed to drop in casually between 3pm and 4.30pm, so as to divert attention away from the notion that I had indeed orchestrated a forbidden event. </div>
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The birthday cake was the first one I have baked this season as I don't have an oven, and the idea of attempting a chocolate cake in the camp oven under a midday sun was ludicrous. Instead, I was able to borrow Hildi's oven space. I sifted the dry ingredients into a large bowl, and packaged it up with the wet ingredients and cake tin into my bike basket and carefully cycled into town. Talk about the slow food movement. I had a minor mishap when the almost cooked cake slipped out of my hand and upturned into the oven, losing its tender middle. Hildi reported the next time she lit the oven it caught fire and smelt suspiciously like burning chocolate. </div>
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Once cooked, the cake was couriered by another friend on her motorbike back to the house. All this time, Tom was meant to be surfing macking six foot waves that I had especially dialled up for his birthday. Unfortunately for him, his nose and that of the board met on his first wave, and Tom came off a bloody second best. He was quick to suspect a gathering of some ilk when I arranged more than two cups and plates on the table. It is impossible to hide party preparations in a one room shack. I think I was forgiven after the birthday boy polished of his second slab of cake and third donut. </div>
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Happy birthday dear Tom, you are a inspiration and I am honoured to be sharing my days with you. xx </div>
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<b>One Bowl Wonder Chocolate Cake</b></div>
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2 cups plain flour</div>
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1 tsp bi-carb soda</div>
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1/2 tsp baking powder</div>
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1/2 tsp salt</div>
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1 tsp cinnamon</div>
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1 - 1 1/2 cups raw sugar (depending on how sweet you like your cake)</div>
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1 cup cocoa powder</div>
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1 1/2 cup milk (non-dairy or cow)</div>
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2/3 cup canola or coconut oil</div>
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1 tsp vanilla</div>
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2 mashed bananas plus juice one small lemon (or 2 eggs)</div>
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(optional: add half cup of almond meal for a denser cake)</div>
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Sift together flour, bi-carb, baking powder, cinnamon and cocoa. Add sugar and salt.</div>
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Combine milk, oil and vanilla.</div>
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Add bananas and lemon juice (or eggs if non-vegan)</div>
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Combine well.</div>
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Bake in 20cm round tin for 35-45 mins at 180 degrees until a skewer comes out clean. </div>
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Cool, then turn out onto cake rack and decorate. </div>
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I frosted the cake with a ganache made from coconut cream and melted 70% Lindt dark chocolate, then sprinkled on grated chocolate and smashed up Beng Beng bars (an Indo classic). </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6027161588005971553.post-34050985878169274332013-08-31T13:18:00.001+08:002013-08-31T13:38:47.942+08:00race round<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The hus is a pre-Christian ritual tradition, formerly held to ask the deities for rain, a good harvest or other bounty. Horseman sport the distinctive <i>tilangga</i> hats and <i>ikat</i> cloth, and the horse’s mane, tail and head are decorated; these days with crepe paper and strips of plastic. A woven pandan mat is used in place of a saddle and there are no stirrups. Originally the riders would circle a large tree that was believed to hold secret powers, while today they circle a dusty oval with a few sticks and string to mark the track. Horsemen representing different clans would approach the arena from each cardinal point (representing specific powers) and circle the tree at a fast pace. While riding they whipped their horses and themselves with the thorny young shoots of the <i>lontar</i> palm until blood was drawn. Drawing first blood was considered highly auspicious. Each clan would present a young coconut to be split by the priest, with the coconut water hitting the earth representing coming rains. </div>
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With the domination of Christianity on the island, the hus has become a spectacle rather than spiritual tradition, held at any time and place. The breaking of the coconut tradition is forbidden as “black magic”and the flagellation has been replaced by a less bloody test of speed and form. The rules appear very loose, and the winners of each round are difficult for the uninitiated to distinguish. Races are based on maintaining a specific gait or outright speed, with prizes awarded for best decorated horse and rider. Lively gong music is played to arouse greater speed and bravery, and the crowd cheers with high pitched yips and yodels that western men find impossible to replicate. Tourists are encouraged to have a ride, with inevitable spills into the dust as six foot Aussies drag their feet beside the squat Timor ponies. As far as I am aware, there has never been a female rider, and with my complete lack of horsewomanship, I won’t be the first. </div>
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Thanks for Libby House of the <a href="http://www.indigofoundation.org/projects/rote-indonesia">Lualemba Indigo Foundation</a> for organizing this year’s local hus and providing information about the tradition. </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6027161588005971553.post-77762214960008104412013-08-19T18:50:00.000+08:002013-08-19T18:50:11.056+08:00a moveable feast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After the indulgences of Bali, I was happy to return to the raw vegan sensibility - fresh, ripe, organic fruit and vegies, sprouts, seeds and occasional nuts. Simple, grain free, unprocessed, with nil by mouth other than herbal tea after sunset (which is 5.45pm here at 11 degrees south). The exceptions to our raw diet are a small amount of tempeh (an Indonesian delicacy made by fermenting soya beans), steamed sweet potato and dry grilled eggplant. </div>
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Aquaman strung together an impressive 25 days caffeine free, whereas I crumbled after nine - my longest stint totally caffeine free (with not even green tea) for at least ten years. I was shocked by the mental space hijacked with thoughts of coffee, the internal struggle to stay away from the bean and leaf, and the feelings of deprivation as I drank another rooibos. Giving up yoghurt and cheese was much easier. It was pathetic, annoying and I was napping like a wombat. Behold the power of a single shot. Lord knows how I’d react to anything stronger, or if I had a three-cups-a-day habit. </div>
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We are fortunate to have some foodie friends that aren’t afraid to have vegans at the table, and this week has been a culinary sensation of epic proportions. Firstly, a lunch next door with our newest neighbours, a Moroccan/Israeli living in Bali and his Italian friend. Cue falafel with tahini dressing, the most hummus ever to be served on the island, mixed salads, toasted rye bread, grilled eggplant with chilli, and floods of olive oil. All served beneath a shady coconut leaf cabana with a white sand floor. </div>
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After 24 hours to recover from the surfeit of garlic, we attended the <a href="http://www.remoteandraw.com/2011/07/deep-fried-dough.html">annual Lodge afternoon tea</a>, with its much anticipated menu of Balinese black rice pudding with coconut milk and banana, hot donuts and tea. Yes I said donuts. As in “I want to wash myself with a sponge on a stick” kind of calories. It is my one deliberate fried food item of the year, and I ate it with as much mindfulness as I could muster among the animated conversation. </div>
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We had a 48 hour sabbatical after the donuts and before the third invitation; a glorious raw meal with our friends Colin and Linda. Despite an unexpected break in power supply, Linda came through with her promise of banana and pistachio “semi-freddo”; the exclamation mark to a poetic stanza of ingredients.</div>
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Back in the days of no refrigeration and smoky pots of rice cooked over an open fire, I couldn’t imagine ever seeing a pinenut or mizuna leaf in this environment. A splash of balsamic vinegar at someone’s house was a luxury to be savored for weeks. Now we have rocket and fancy lettuce, miso, walnuts, dates and Lindt chocolate. They are all still carefully rationed, but I am grateful for their mere existence and the generosity of friends who share their supplies.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6027161588005971553.post-77486210501953600912013-08-09T14:10:00.000+08:002013-08-09T14:10:12.032+08:00winter walk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today was the coolest morning of the year, down to 20 degrees at dawn. Just the right level of winter nip for this tropical koala. An extra sarong on the bed at night, beautiful conditions for a sunrise walk, then by 9am it is back up to 30 and the endless summer continues. My admiration and commiseration for those of you wrapping up against the wild storms currently lashing the south west of WA. Wrap up, put the kettle on, and join me on a stroll up behind the village.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6027161588005971553.post-82979100134686808672013-07-30T13:09:00.000+08:002013-07-30T13:09:39.491+08:00burger queen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you follow my instagram feed @sallymaymills you will have seen a version of these photos already. For those of you who don't 'gram it, and I know there are many, I didn't want you to miss out on my last camp oven beach bake. Bread is a real rarity for us; six foot swell is more commonplace. There are no bakeries around the corner turning out warm baguettes or organic sourdough, and the Indonesian excuse for sliced bread, only available from the shop one hour away, is like sweet white cardboard. A total waste of resources. </div>
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Using the basic loaf recipe I made pull apart rolls, served with grilled tempeh, eggplant, hummus and salad. Behold the first island vegan burger. Take that evil Maccas, you wouldn't even come close. </div>
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And for my southern friends feeling the chills of winter, a bit of sunshine and sand for you to gaze into and think warm thoughts. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6027161588005971553.post-57346110282001197632013-07-29T11:44:00.001+08:002013-07-29T11:44:14.807+08:00little tom turns one<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Aquaman has more than one namesake in the village, and yesterday was the first birthday celebration of the most recent Tom. We thought it was going to be a small family gathering, perhaps with a cup of sickly sweet tea and little else, so we took a pack of biscuits to contribute. How wrong we were. The birthday was secondary to the baptism, and half of the village had turned up to welcome little Tom into the flock. Kids and dogs were tumbling out of the doors, lining up for their free feed in a takeaway box. The fattened pig was chopped up and boiled, a flock of chickens deep fried and more rice boiled than we would consume in a year. What a shame we had just eaten...couldn't possibly, so full. I accepted a tiny square of cake presented on a fork, then almost gagged when Tom said the very same utensil had gone into every child's mouth as the plate went around. That's the community spirit. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6027161588005971553.post-70227490041563678932013-07-26T10:23:00.002+08:002013-07-26T10:24:30.329+08:00i've been to bali too<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am home from two weeks of stimulation and interaction in Bali. Most of my time was spent at <a href="http://www.micksplacebingin.com/">Mick's Place</a> in Bingin, where I acted as relief manager, dog walker and surf reporter. Yes, I know, tough gig. I had to smile and meet and greet and answer questions; and fend off surly dogs and wanderers that chose to ignore the "guest's only" sign. In between there were new cafes to review and laps of the lagoon to swim. My sister-in-law and two nieces visited for two nights, bringing me treasured family contact and news from home. Sadly, the four kilos of dates from mum and my magazine subscriptions didn't make it into their hand luggage. Back on island time now, sheltering from the ferocious trade winds and meditating on my fourth day without caffeine. </div>
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I am thrilled to be featured on <a href="http://www.carlacoulson.com/">Carla Coulson's</a> wildly popular blog as part of her "Inspiring Lives" series. You can read the interview <a href="http://carlacoulson.com/inspiring-lives-sally-may-mills/">here</a>. Thank you Carla for the opportunity to share a little of my life with your readers. </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1Pecatu, South Kuta, Badung, Bali, Republic of Indonesia-8.8054909180773535 115.11492530478517-8.836874418077354 115.07458480478518 -8.7741074180773531 115.15526580478517tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6027161588005971553.post-87534580796718130882013-07-13T21:05:00.002+08:002013-07-13T21:05:56.375+08:00mr whippy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ironmen have aid stations to help them get through the heinous event, so it is only fitting that we stop on our afternoon walk to fuel up on coconut "ice-cream" from the not-so-whippy-nor-frosty boy. This is my first sighting of Coneman the Icetarian, but Tom admitted that he has had close encounters with him down in the past when I was away. I thought the bike vendors only offered stinky fish, which I am in no hurry to run after. The theme music comes by way of his mobile phone wired to a speaker, and the ice-cream is kept firm with the help of crushed ice and a high concentration of seaweed powder. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPzXrHPWDITSyCJ6daZJdPCs_dYzPkhF_OUMlPRzk2FAlxD53JydNnQrWrdnaTP1PYMrHyaO4at8xQ0dcR4W33ruleHXY3YijEM3vlEFXG3Sqv09YBWNWRZAO1DqDasdFafeOU5RPnKg/s1600/IMG_1859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPzXrHPWDITSyCJ6daZJdPCs_dYzPkhF_OUMlPRzk2FAlxD53JydNnQrWrdnaTP1PYMrHyaO4at8xQ0dcR4W33ruleHXY3YijEM3vlEFXG3Sqv09YBWNWRZAO1DqDasdFafeOU5RPnKg/s1600/IMG_1859.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyhqTa59LGQe0Rqqik3u9O4dF9BOvOho2-ybJsEBQHk3ZoKoEf1ZqRRY2JK9BLMXEe_0HmR_3OxJveSDmo2WhFEID6403oCNjV67eOmdVaIc9HxgxrHRj2V0m5G3vPBGlqGE1QdxbsiQ/s1600/lontar+walk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyhqTa59LGQe0Rqqik3u9O4dF9BOvOho2-ybJsEBQHk3ZoKoEf1ZqRRY2JK9BLMXEe_0HmR_3OxJveSDmo2WhFEID6403oCNjV67eOmdVaIc9HxgxrHRj2V0m5G3vPBGlqGE1QdxbsiQ/s1600/lontar+walk.jpg" /></a></div>
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With energy restored, the walk continued to aid station number two which offered a mouthful of fresh lontar juice. Immanuel is our contracted climber, and he provides us with one litre, three times a week for use in our green smoothies. This is a small portion of his weekly collection, especially in the peak flow months of July and August. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0YBlw8egzhgjHzNuSTArgBNSO1bgLs-oirS0-QNxMO-JP33RVqhIrq_NED1m0LM8otALeY5Ccu3fL88wEOVGZPquFRdnwmIHtVsUF9W2H65qWvRXWd56V3UW_oceIXi6V3FcQ2m9bA/s1600/IMG_1838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0YBlw8egzhgjHzNuSTArgBNSO1bgLs-oirS0-QNxMO-JP33RVqhIrq_NED1m0LM8otALeY5Ccu3fL88wEOVGZPquFRdnwmIHtVsUF9W2H65qWvRXWd56V3UW_oceIXi6V3FcQ2m9bA/s1600/IMG_1838.jpg" /></a></div>
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Being that the walk was a gruelling 30 minutes long and the sun was low in the sky, we had to finish the day with a few beers. <br />
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Just kidding. Here is photographic evidence of the first recycling programme in our village. The locals don't drink beer, but they are happy to collect the empties from the expats and trade them for half a cent each. Collect enough and you can buy yourself a new plastic bucket. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6027161588005971553.post-59760121278727615572013-07-06T15:52:00.000+08:002013-07-06T15:52:21.976+08:00market report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ01ZLYtqGfBLWC__t2h35e6HxaWKwwilVz4bF1Ikx8LlPxdsjmV5Wc3h1UpgtbjfCbgyBPgIr0iUt7lW5_xqUZjGUtFpanaHaXgKLKIRoKQ2HKlcAT50ckR8BJ8cw_7XjDX8TbAuNZQ/s1600/IMG_1868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ01ZLYtqGfBLWC__t2h35e6HxaWKwwilVz4bF1Ikx8LlPxdsjmV5Wc3h1UpgtbjfCbgyBPgIr0iUt7lW5_xqUZjGUtFpanaHaXgKLKIRoKQ2HKlcAT50ckR8BJ8cw_7XjDX8TbAuNZQ/s1600/IMG_1868.jpg" /></a></div>
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Number of tomatoes per heap increases each week, price steady at 50c/pile</div>
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Leafy greens are plentiful, with lettuce a hot favourite among the expats, but too expensive for the locals at 50c a bundle. Early season watermelons are expensive, lack flavour and are seedier than the back streets of Bangkok. Pumpkins on their way out, carrots just arrived, coming in at a costly </div>
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$1 per bunch.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhDhrRBSFB1w0LNoCAA9vMfGhb6uCPSAO0UjW4EOS4ri0Zti8_XqwYZ-DNNpjWBu-7yR5F0dk8dzAxZG8bOcMn0ZIR_8T1Y89l509hP74T7ud6gI-5TyQNI0Brz3WnMo__X4BHhlTjA/s1600/IMG_1876.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhDhrRBSFB1w0LNoCAA9vMfGhb6uCPSAO0UjW4EOS4ri0Zti8_XqwYZ-DNNpjWBu-7yR5F0dk8dzAxZG8bOcMn0ZIR_8T1Y89l509hP74T7ud6gI-5TyQNI0Brz3WnMo__X4BHhlTjA/s1600/IMG_1876.jpg" /></a></div>
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Hand harvested sea salt virtually free. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWMwRdsKMsWY2iF2KieI6z0uP7X9iq5o9_bO9P_byHEnR0VQeFym9zh4SZpfEEfEvF2OEexxLUnUatA05yd8RYV0lCwgl9bpsBu5_cYYjH6givRraXdCvvPZschNYlG61Vf9oZPjh2A/s1600/IMG_1879.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWMwRdsKMsWY2iF2KieI6z0uP7X9iq5o9_bO9P_byHEnR0VQeFym9zh4SZpfEEfEvF2OEexxLUnUatA05yd8RYV0lCwgl9bpsBu5_cYYjH6givRraXdCvvPZschNYlG61Vf9oZPjh2A/s1600/IMG_1879.jpg" /></a></div>
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Beans in abundance, but how many beans can one eat per week? Only 50c/bucket.</div>
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Small red chilli only for those with tolerant, or dead, tastebuds.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrpmIWsELvoXc8r8n0ZGn1BispaTRkmpD2A9TaoWPotQlQD7G0T0VLvRCb2kisjsjdQ3GpDJ7LLrRq-3bl0rdiveFUsb3DrrXUFRfQOc1HifJc1qDOwCYqjRCt-Yh4NEFlJ9epf559og/s1600/IMG_1870.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrpmIWsELvoXc8r8n0ZGn1BispaTRkmpD2A9TaoWPotQlQD7G0T0VLvRCb2kisjsjdQ3GpDJ7LLrRq-3bl0rdiveFUsb3DrrXUFRfQOc1HifJc1qDOwCYqjRCt-Yh4NEFlJ9epf559og/s1600/IMG_1870.jpg" /></a></div>
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Spices by the cup or in painfully small packages, shrivelled ginger and balls of fresh tamarind, </div>
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20-50c each. Bugger it, just get the MSG it's cheaper. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaD6YmKmj9BKSqZdsjEI_L9N4OfTFB6g3thKYTFywfkWHyzFHpE0dUAkgVHHfIZhcFcU2uMMv-fh-4b9rwFx9TrVXfy_5pD00Iej8WzX0095PMGcc0HQOWOUfXN1sfksyLe6ArHslRuw/s1600/market.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaD6YmKmj9BKSqZdsjEI_L9N4OfTFB6g3thKYTFywfkWHyzFHpE0dUAkgVHHfIZhcFcU2uMMv-fh-4b9rwFx9TrVXfy_5pD00Iej8WzX0095PMGcc0HQOWOUfXN1sfksyLe6ArHslRuw/s1600/market.jpg" /></a></div>
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Cold donuts with rank margarine and sprinkles, or deep fried dough balls with fluorescent sugar frosting, all going out at a bargain 5c each. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxds0-rOxH_nPzQcuZRRiV4VVlEuSnN6Icvob5Xm7NnElfLo5axWK9-y1TMAlzueLg8erxAllJ_v1OTHyGVauq4fXbgnPe5IOYiFBPNBaGRA_Gr-kKvWXSxVNdhGOHx9vta9xrXFQA7w/s1600/IMG_1872.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxds0-rOxH_nPzQcuZRRiV4VVlEuSnN6Icvob5Xm7NnElfLo5axWK9-y1TMAlzueLg8erxAllJ_v1OTHyGVauq4fXbgnPe5IOYiFBPNBaGRA_Gr-kKvWXSxVNdhGOHx9vta9xrXFQA7w/s1600/IMG_1872.jpg" /></a></div>
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Triangles of tasteless glue and seaweed, useful for fixing surfboard dings or illuminating the dark, </div>
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5c each.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOiFq2iT6eAYb3D-cjYJWvs3lkdfnNNY3wIFRrkZ58He7tKGvj4lQ4WfgrQ-dKmSGzCS_U8JOqIS7sMvDmHYbGr4EALGWWw7a21TNuKVKSMKkjFYbFC_bHXLbiid6QaaLijUcqzo9l5w/s1600/IMG_1883.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOiFq2iT6eAYb3D-cjYJWvs3lkdfnNNY3wIFRrkZ58He7tKGvj4lQ4WfgrQ-dKmSGzCS_U8JOqIS7sMvDmHYbGr4EALGWWw7a21TNuKVKSMKkjFYbFC_bHXLbiid6QaaLijUcqzo9l5w/s1600/IMG_1883.jpg" /></a></div>
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Organic shallots for the patient cook who can be bothered skinning and chopping them, $1/tin.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvlqLmqRetXtFr1bTZE3vvyi9_TYLzpVDgz7NUxmI3WCCKpH02hguHsz20i6bm2Y4GHW0aPSfaBNjKleJKITkzqs5Eh2Nd4-The-srkLs64a7jf-qak4VnmUgloSEtZfR-LtuLpTp3Q/s1600/market2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvlqLmqRetXtFr1bTZE3vvyi9_TYLzpVDgz7NUxmI3WCCKpH02hguHsz20i6bm2Y4GHW0aPSfaBNjKleJKITkzqs5Eh2Nd4-The-srkLs64a7jf-qak4VnmUgloSEtZfR-LtuLpTp3Q/s1600/market2.jpg" /></a></div>
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Unidentified balls of boiled dead animal on a stick, price unknown. Limes steady at 4 for 50c, while bunches of <i>kankung</i> persist as the best value green, 50c/bunch.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6027161588005971553.post-82804783064541164792013-06-21T13:21:00.000+08:002013-06-21T13:21:42.365+08:00sunset picnic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtO4Rd9STU9L4MhmcA9MXyzVD8qDgpoi69XNQI_s-li_tU7u9mXvHqZ2OgFIR-Y_tEUytdT19mosQAKByO_gm2dt-XpP6LAjDNb7vl08z0bS2yxqxEvpSy_Yn2ciQ7PQ8LxTJQVGnj1g/s1600/IMG_1824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtO4Rd9STU9L4MhmcA9MXyzVD8qDgpoi69XNQI_s-li_tU7u9mXvHqZ2OgFIR-Y_tEUytdT19mosQAKByO_gm2dt-XpP6LAjDNb7vl08z0bS2yxqxEvpSy_Yn2ciQ7PQ8LxTJQVGnj1g/s1600/IMG_1824.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGV86zVlKuq-QKmwi2lZaQlo1Zn_06DHNy0sLn0JXi5MRmVhyphenhyphenpokTx-Ka4A6mVkhid46VKA7E7n3g5nUJZBvmPZ8rMcK0w7vq9YSzkHMXbLVDS0HR3yGZODtLqyiDgJh6Uz-4uZnyBg/s1600/picnic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGV86zVlKuq-QKmwi2lZaQlo1Zn_06DHNy0sLn0JXi5MRmVhyphenhyphenpokTx-Ka4A6mVkhid46VKA7E7n3g5nUJZBvmPZ8rMcK0w7vq9YSzkHMXbLVDS0HR3yGZODtLqyiDgJh6Uz-4uZnyBg/s1600/picnic.jpg" /></a></div>
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It is not often we get visitors, so when someone makes the effort to brave the unreliable transport connections and overnight stopovers in Kupang, we are very excited and grateful. My cousin Jamie has been threatening to come for years, and finally the planets aligned for him and his girlfriend Rachel to escape their busy Sydney lives and spend a week in our island home. </div>
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After a rough start that included six hours waiting in the Denpasar domestic terminal for a delayed flight that was eventually cancelled, an extra night in Bali and a missed connection to a charter flight we had organised, they made it the slow and steady Indo way. Utter boredom and frustration led Jamie to buy the featured tropical print shirt from the airport. Very becoming. </div>
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In between the surf and eating programme, we went on adventures by foot, motorbike and ute to visit our favourite beaches, bush tracks and palm groves. Throw in a few cold beers and a sunset beach picnic and you have a complete holiday. </div>
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Thank you Jamie and Rach for coming all that way to share our simple life. X</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6027161588005971553.post-90298451837980921052013-05-31T12:31:00.000+08:002013-05-31T12:31:54.756+08:00captain's breakfast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Each year when the <a href="http://www.thebalicamp.com/sama-sama">Sama Sama</a> sails into its channel anchorage, a flutter of excitement rises with the anticipation of our annual breakfast outing. The graceful teak boat is owned by an Austrian couple, and in between charters they slot in a ten day holiday, before the boat heads to the Mentawai for the remainder of the surf season. </div>
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With their Balinese cook they laid on a buffet breakfast that lasted all morning. Two loaves of bread -warm from the oven - fruit platter, toasted muesli, eggs, salami, banana and chocolate cake, a selection of jams and spreads, juice, tea and a bottomless plunger of coffee. Oh how variety can cause one to overeat. Sweet to savoury, back to sweet...another coffee? more bread? </div>
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In between courses we dived off the deck, did laps around the boat, the girls played cards while the boys battled it out in chess. Tom found a spot on the daybed with 360 degree ocean views, and slowly slipped from the position you see above to a more horizontal one. </div>
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Thank you Susannah and Gerfried for generously sharing your supplies and space. Your visit is always a highlight of the year. Until next time, may the wind fill your sails. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6027161588005971553.post-54466661492713897972013-05-28T15:28:00.002+08:002013-05-28T15:28:46.912+08:00renovation stage 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When we began building our house in 2005, the situation was very different to today. Materials were hard to get, skilled builders were rare, we were on a minuscule budget, and our land was held under a handshake lease. Tom claims he wanted no more than a thatched squatter's hut, whereas I was hoping for something a little more, shall I say, concrete. Nothing fancy like running water or electricity. Just a roof high enough to stand under, a clean floor, and a wall to hide behind when washing out of a bucket.</div>
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Today we "own" our land (as far as possible in Indonesia) and feel safer to invest a little more, knowing we won't have to walk away in ten years. The old toilet has already gone and been replaced by the glorious <a href="http://www.remoteandraw.com/2013/01/flush-and-store-new-pavilion.html">flushing number</a>, and we have big visions for a full reno of the kitchen/living. </div>
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Stage one began last month. A local friend was knocking it down for free, in return for keeping the bricks and rubble to build a new bathroom at his house (recycling at its best). The work was a bit tough and he only lasted two days. Tom borrowed an angle grinder and made two cuts to isolate the walls, then found a willing worker down the beach, who for an exorbitant price bashed away for the afternoon and brought the lot tumbling down. </div>
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We are now left with a bomb site out the back; so close that we can't get the door fully open. The salvage process is underway, with a pile of bricks relocated at the front gate. Given the island pace, we have agreed to give our friend fuel money to "borrow" his brother's car, and collect the rubble in one busy bee afternoon. Hopefully some time before Christmas.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">first wall down, one to go</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6027161588005971553.post-52851741008521764182013-05-28T13:22:00.000+08:002013-05-28T13:22:19.881+08:00weather & mozzies, all the important stuff<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The wet season was late to start last year, and so is lingering on well beyond its usual pattern. The weather we are getting now is what we were expecting in November, when it was still offshore, dry and dusty. Today is delightfully cool, down to 25 degrees this morning with steady rain. A welcome relief from the suffocating heat and humidity between the showers. </div>
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Anyone who says that only meteorologists should write about the weather obviously hasn't lived in a house without walls, where every change in temperature is noted on the skin, every rustling palm frond and rain drop audible. We do not have glass or doors buffering us from the elements, and being aware of wind, tide and moon cycles is a critical aspect of the surfer's path. Combine this with a look at the 4-day <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDG00073.shtml">forecast chart</a> and <a href="http://www.buoyweather.com/">Buoyweather</a> and we can predict the future.<br />
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Aquaman has been out of action for a week with dengue fever. Taking into account incubation time, we suspect he caught it in Bali on the way over, as it is rife there and relatively rare here - we get the pleasure of malaria instead. Once the threat of cerebral malaria was cleared with his second negative test result, he was left to sweat and sleep the fever off, as there is no treatment other than comforting the symptoms. With 48 hours of sleep and three days of light duties, where I feared his hummingbird totem had been hijacked by a sloth, he is back in action and ready to take on the next swell. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6027161588005971553.post-62189807238781415222013-05-20T12:26:00.002+08:002013-05-20T12:26:31.228+08:00one month down<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The humidity today is horrid. Old Testament clouds are building, tempting us with the hope of rain and a relief from the last tendrils of the wet season. The cold front that swept over the southern half of WA last week pushed up a macking swell, with three days of waves at least triple overhead. Unfortunately for Aquaman, he was suffering a severe bout of the flu and missed the best part of it in bed. Being the water wife that I am, I kept one eye on the patient and the other on the waves, with timely gasps as mountains of white wash crashed down beyond the reef. </div>
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At one stage we made a dash to the clinic for a malaria "rapid test" to be sure it wasn't another case of cerebral nightmare. They took a second blood sample to check under the microscope that night - when the power came on. With Tom still sleeping and sweating, I called the nurse at home and was relieved to get the all clear. Meanwhile, I spent the weekend hunting for driftwood, drinking tea and gazing at rainbows. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6027161588005971553.post-79845594615266900272013-05-15T10:52:00.001+08:002013-05-15T10:52:11.619+08:00RIP Sumba<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Many of you have been asking after our dear little fella, Sumba. I am very sad to say that he died two weeks before we returned. He was going along great, living with his adopted family, sleeping with the oldest son in his dirt floor bedroom, and foraging with the other free range animals. Then he contracted some kind of goat flu, and rapidly deteriorated with diarrhoea. An Aussie friend found him back at our house, leaning against the wall, very weak and battling to stand, so he made the decision to put him down. It would have been terrible to see him suffering. Returning back to the house that he filled with such delight was sad, and I miss his funny antics, even if he was getting a bit destructive and rough as he grew into a teenager. </div>
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I'm sorry we had to leave you little mate. Better to have had eight months of loving life than none at all. </div>
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Forever bleating in our hearts.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6027161588005971553.post-63785826303848139092013-05-09T10:30:00.000+08:002013-05-09T10:31:05.688+08:00back on island time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome to the barefoot season. We are home in the tropics after four months interlude in WA. The wet season has waned, leaving a tinge of green grass and humid conditions. The trade winds are on cue, grooming the swell in Aquaman's office. We are in residence until Christmas; so get you bikini, boardies and quiver ready for the long dry season. </div>
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If you have been following us for a while, you'll know that each year <a href="http://www.remoteandraw.com/2011/05/goat-hotel.html">the arrival </a>is a shock. Eyes that have grown accustomed to Australian standards over the <a href="http://www.sallymaymills.blogspot.com/">summer</a> are assaulted by exposed wiring, busted fences, rubbish and decay (in contrast, when returning to Australia everything looks so neat and correct as to seem stale). Our cleaner had knocked the top off four months of gecko shit, coconut matter and rampant vines blocking the back door, but we still had to spend two full days with rags, mops and secateurs to regain a respectable level of dignity. The pump was seized, leaving us without water for the first 30 hours (and the locals had drained the tank long ago). I couldn't even flush my beloved new <a href="http://www.remoteandraw.com/2013/01/flush-and-store-new-pavilion.html">toilet</a>. White ants had a nibble on the bathroom steps, and a light bulb went missing, but otherwise the camp is sound. The house was void of fresh food, and with market day still five days away, we dipped into our precious imported oats and dates for a porridge dinner. Word of our arrival spread quickly through the village and by next morning bananas and pumpkin had appeared from a friends garden. </div>
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The internet connection is painfully slow this year, and even google home page can take ten minutes to load, if at all. It is infuriating, and many days my attempts at blogging are derailed by dial-up. In between times I have started posting photos on Instagram @sallymaymills (which also appear on my FB page) and send the odd tweet @sallymaymills</div>
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The swell is picking up for the first big waves of the season, I still have the lagoon swimming pool to myself, and we have slipped quickly back into a state of voluntary simplicity that we relish. I look forward to sharing words and pictures from our island home. Thanks for being here. </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1