Loss, restraint, necessity and desire!

Loss and Necessity?

5 days in Bali, 3 purchases!

Purchase # 1 - 2 little padlocks purchased at the International airport, after much discussion with traveling companions and internal debate; to avoid all potential Schapelle Corby type instances. 

Purchase # 2 – A little red utilitarian purse purchased after two days of using my Bra to store money and cards (why don’t women’s pants have bloody pockets?) as a result of  being relived of my bag, purse, phone etc by a very well executed drive by mugging on my first night in Bali (Yes, be careful what you wish for indeed! I proclaimed I wanted to relieve myself of my excess possessions but obviously forgot to mention that I’d like to choose the items I get rid of!) 

Purchase # 3 -  Four locally made friendship bracelets purchased because I couldn’t fight off my desire to support these two very poor local ladies. The idea of just giving them money was discussed but 'where is the empowerment in that?' These women were so amazing, I spent two hours talking with them and they wanted desperately to ‘give’ me more bracelets because I hadn’t bartered with them. Amazing! Genuine, engaged, amazing...they made my heart sing!!!!!!

Restraint and desire!

Colourful cotton sarongs

Sexy strappy leather sandals (that can be made in big hoofer size)

Silk sarongs so divine it would make a grown gal weak at the knees!

Batik fabric 

Gemstone rings and jewelry, oh my!

Silver, silver and more silver

Bags galore

I am grateful for all the opportunity and abundance in my life...and for the privilege and ability to share it!

Preparing for Bali

 So, I’ve never been to Bali…Yes, yes I know WTF? You’ve never been to Bali?

Well in the 90’s when every man with a dog was off to Bali to partake in the developing Aussie ritual of cheap shopping, copious amounts of alcohol and sex with random strangers who just happened to also be Australian….it just never appealed to me! So here I am at the ripe old age of 37, living just a stones throw from Bali’s door, finally making the trek.

On the advice of well-seasoned Bali travellers, I find myself riffling through my cloths looking for long, lose, pants and shirts. Bali in January…..full of mozzies, ripe with Dengy fever waiting for fresh foreign blood.

This little exercise finds me noticing a thing or two about my clothing style or rather lack of it and linen/cheesecloth glad rags just aint me.

As the departure date looms I still don’t have the needed items and as mozzies and I have a special kind of relationship, they love me and I love to hate them, I know these recommended items are essential.

I ponder the idea of making the hours journey to Geraldton to riffle through the second hand stores with the inevitable disheartening outcome…. aint nothing to fit you here sista!

I allow myself to play with the idea of buying something new…. and in fact I find myself thinking about it all day, trying to justify it under the ‘health and hygiene’ rule. I actually find myself getting a little panicky about the whole situation. What am I too do!

Then I find myself turning to my own words about my reasons for doing this whole Compact Gratitude gig, looking to reinforce my commitment and strengthen my resolve….and then, there it is, in my own words, the answer…BORROW!

…and so I do and its easy, so easy..why haven’t I done this before?

Bali here I come!

I’m grateful for this simple but somewhat new way of looking at things

I’m grateful for gorgeous friends with generous spirits (love you Jane)

I’m grateful for the opportunity and means to travel

Evil, wicked, tempting bastards!

….today in the mail I received an artists porn mag: The Bunning’s Catalogue !

Evil, wicked, tempting bastards!


Today I am grateful that I live an hours drive away from the closest Bunnings hardware store!

I purchased a QLD Flood!

The sense of deprivation that swept over me as the haze  from the fluro lights gave everything that lovely fresh white glow and attempted to pull me into that all too familiar shopping trance was brief but very real. I felt like a child whose mother had said NO to the latest ‘must have’ Barbie doll accessory.   

Stopping only briefly to eyeball the dress that would be perfect for my up coming trip to Bali, I headed to find the pencils and frames I needed for work. I proudly made it too the check out only with the required items. 

…and then for $100 I purchased a QLD Flood, although this doesn’t seem like much considering, I figured it was at least the amount I would have spent in Tarshae (AKA: Target) prior to Compact Gratitude. On what you ask, on that cute maxi dress that no doubt now has a few drool marks on the front of it and the small army of DVD’s that would have made into my basket, with their seductive red tag screaming, ’I’m on sale! I’m a bargain!’

Thank you Target for your contribution and good will!

I’m grateful for big business with a conscience!

150 little bits of poxy plastic!

Piles of plastic straws pretending to be aussie flags lay strewn in front of me… …'pretending' because they have not been born on aussie shores, nor do they like our climate or wish to embrace the freedom we enjoy; ever so neatly and tightly packed in plastic wrapping they have of course, come from china! In contrast to how I like to see Australia; tough, durable, real and embracing; they are plastic, cheap and lifeless. 10 'aussie' flags for 2 bucks, yeah baby cheap as they come!

It has become so automatic for me to purchase these dodgy little suckers that I did it this year, with my Compact Gratitude vow and all, without even thinking! Yes, you heard me, I purchased 150 poxy little bits of plastic to help this town celebrate Australia Day.

Even though this purchase was made in my capacity as Community Development Officer, I must admit I have disappointed myself with this very un-compact purchase! 

This Australia Day I am grateful for:

• this towns ability to put the past aside and come together (Black and White) to celebrate 'where we are right now'!
• our local volunteers and 'Active Citizens'
• (in 44 degree heat) pools of water big enough to submerge my body in!