I live close enough to 'work' that I can walk there in the morning, which is a nice walk past the beach, even if a portion of it is very steep uphill (the office is on up on the headland of Jimbaran Pentai). It's good because it kinds of makes up for all the exercise I'm missing by sitting inside at a computer all day. Locals seem very concerned when they see me walking to work. One guy who was driving past on his moto asked if he could help me, the receptionist from the office gave me a lift home yesterday because she was concerned about my safety with the street dogs about, and another staff member suggested I wear a cloth over my face when walking near the beach because it's very sandy/dusty (they're doing some work on the road there)! Very amusing but sweet that they're concerned.
Walking to and from work I exchange smiles and occasionally small talk with every local I make eye contact with. It's really nice, like you'd expect in your local neighbourhood. Walking home from work this afternoon a couple of little girls popped out behind a pile of bricks and shouted "HELLO!!!!" with so much enthusiasm it made me laugh. It's funny though, I am yet to get a hello or even a smile out of a Westerner. In fact, it's hard to even make eye contact. I always look at them to try and say hello but never get so much as a look. It's really bizarre considering that most people in this area would be staying in the 4/5 star resorts (there's little else here in the way of accommodation, and the resorts are the main drawcard here)and yet watching them walk past they all seem so shut off and unhappy. Especially compared to the locals, who in comparison, have so little!
Had my first site visit at work yesterday to a mockup of a one bedroom villa that the firm has designed for an extension of a resort in the Nusa Dua area. Very different to an Australian construction site methinks... no white card needed.. or any sort of safety protocols at all haha. Was very interesting. One of the founding partners, Martin, was explaining that in the 70s there was a big concern about hotels in the Kuta area being 'dangerously unsanitary', and so the government set up electricity, water, and sewerage to the Nusa Dua area and ruled that all 5 star hotels must be built in that area. The area is crammed with all the big name resorts, but now the restriction is no longer in place.
Oh I almost forgot! What's a blog post without a rash update, right?! Here is a picture of how lovely and blistery my latest rashed looked before I got my antihistimines. Thanks a lot RID tropical strength insect repellant. Took about 4 days but it eventually went down and I am currently RASH FREE!! Woo! Although my skin is a little scarred from it. Physically and emotionally. Haha.
Looking forward to a sleep in tomorrow morning and then a day at the beach trying to achieve a tan! My days in the office have been hindering my progress! I've got another week at Grounds Kent and then I fly out the following Tuesday morning to INDIA!!
Amiee xx
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