Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Salon Nasty









Although Salomé takes great delight in the accidental muddling of the English language in Balinese signage, she is sure it pales next to her own butchery of Bahasa Indonesia. For more happy accidents, check out this post by Paisley's friend Richard Hancock.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Extreme Fruit




Resembling a Medieval weapon, the durian fruit is renowned in South East Asia. The odor is formidable, "No Durian" signs are often found in public transport stations and hotels. Paisley has found there are two camps, those who love its pungent custard-y taste and those who despise it. (Paisley's in the "love" camp) The fruit can grow up to 12 inches long and can weigh up to 7 pounds, which makes being a durian picker one of the most dangerous jobs Paisley can think of.







In Paisley's opinion, the Mangosteen is the "Buah Raja", or king of fruit; so delicious its rumored Queen Victoria offered knighthood to anyone who brought her a fresh one. Break one open yourself and inside you'll find a fleshy white cluster of fragrant, sweet, citrus-y fruit.

Until 2007, the fruit was banned from the US because of the Asian Fruit Fly that sometimes lives within its thick skin. Now that irradiation techniques have been approved by the USDA, the fruit is available in the US, but can often fetch prices of up to $45 a pound. (Just one more reason to come to Bali)

Sunday, December 28, 2008

"A Celebration of Indonesia Vespa Culture"




More fun was had at the Dewata Scooter Club Rally this weekend. Live music, contests, parades, and even the planting of 500 trees took place amidst the usually more reserved town of Ubud. Salomé commented on how pleasant, friendly and respectful all the "Scooterists" were. "They may look edgy, but they're sweet as pie".














A little night music



Last night Paisley and Salomé took in a show, and saw the greatest living delta blues guitarist in Jakarta, (he says there's one other guy but he's not as good). Check out Adrian Adioetomo's MySpace page for a flavor.


Friday, December 26, 2008

Pimp your ride, Bali-style






The Dewata Scooter Club Rally is being held this up-coming weekend, (Dec. 27 and 28, 2008) in Ubud Bali. Interesting scooters are already arriving and Paisley is looking forward to the festivities.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Merry Christmas



During his recent trip to Bangkok Thailand, Paisley made some new friends at Cabbages and Condoms, part restaurant part health awareness program. Founded by former Thai senator Mechai Viravaidya who believes "birth control should be as cheap as vegetables", it's now run by Thailand's Population and Community Development Association.




Salomé and Paisley wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Little gifts of no intrinsic value Vol.4




Why not start the new year with a new desktop wallpaper? "Chroma" was inspired by a bubbling pot of melted chocolate sauce and is part of the Source One wallcovering Exclusive2 Collection. (Visit this page for the actual recipe)

Click on the pixel dimensions closest to your screen resolution, then click the "download" button in the new window. If you have a Mac, drag the image into your "Pictures" folder, then go to Preferences> Desktop & Screen Saver> Pictures Folder and choose the image. (Paisley is unsure how PC users accomplish this, but it must not be too difficult). Here are the links:
Chroma desktop wallpaper 1024x768
Chroma desktop wallpaper1280x1024
Chroma desktop wallpaper1440x900
Chroma desktop wallpaper1920x1200

A trip to the Ikat Village


Paisly loves pattern and in Bali, patterned textiles are everywhere. People wear them, statues wear them and even buildings wear them, (on special occasions).

The most traditional Balinese textile is the Endek, or weft Ikat. While the warp is one color the weft thread goes through a complicated process of pre-stringing, binding and hand dying to create a multicolored fabric. The characteristic "fuzzy" edge of the final weaving is the result of the slightest stretch or misalignment of the thread during the weaving process. Each linear foot of Endek ikat is the result of many skilled hands and many hours of work.














Friday, December 19, 2008

Balinese temple dress



Everyone who enters a temple in Bali must be attired correctly, even foreigners. Here we have a handsome group all dressed up for the three day Odalon temple anniversary ceremony. The purpose of the ceremonial dress, (or adat dress), is to focus the chakras, or energies of the body toward a higher purpose. Both men and women wear a cloth called a kamben, (as opposed to a sarong, a more casual option). Women wrap it tightly around their hips and tied on the left, men fold it into drapes and tie it in the center.

Various layers of different textiles are also worn according to the ceremony and are often symbolic in nature. For instance different parts of the male headdress, the udeng, symbolize the Ulu Candra (a Balinese letter), the gods Siwa and Brahma, the male lingga AND the female yoni. Phew.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Ask The Googly




Dear The Googly,
For the second year in a row, we are not sending out Holiday cards. Instead we have started a blog. Is this a good replacement?
~Salomé Bambang


Dear Salomé,
Anyone who spends at least 20 minutes a day, tinkering with html, gadgets, widgets, midgets (and whatever the heck these blog programmers invent next), will forever be held in the highest regard by friends, family and the public at large. Broadcasting the minutia of your daily lives is a calling answered by only the most self obsessed of net pioneers, and you should be commended for your contributions to the digital gestalt, the memory banks of a vast array of web servers, and the coffers of Amazon.com. (By the way, where is your Amazon link?)
Yours truly, The Googly
Send YOUR burning questions to The Googly, click the contact button

Monday, December 15, 2008

The Man Behind the Legend




A variety of stories and legends exist regarding Saint Nicholas, (or Nikolaus, spellings vary). He is the patron saint of sailors, having saved a fellow sailor from drowning.

In another story, he takes pity on a man with three daughters who was too poor to afford proper dowries, (almost certainly condemning them to a life of prostitution). When each girl came of age, he secretly left a small pouch of money, (being too modest to help the man publicly). The third daughter's dowry was dropped down the chimney, in order to remain anonymous, (word got out that the father was laying in wait to discover his benefactor). Legend has it that the daughter had washed her stockings and had hung them by the fire to dry, and that's where the money landed.

The feast of Saint Nicholas is held on December 6th a day medieval nuns used to anonymously deposit baskets of food and clothing on the doors of poor families. In many countries Saint Nicholas' Eve remains the primary occasion for gift giving, remaining separate from the typical American Christmas celebration. (click on the image above and drag it to your desktop to use it as an ipod wallpaper).

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Last minute gifts



Nothing says Merry Christmas like an insulated lunch bag made of Indonesian litter.

80,000 tons of flexible plastic packaging are manufactured each year in Indonesia and proper recycling is practically nonexistent. The XSProject is working with Trash pickers and craftspeople in Jakarta, paying them a fair price and producing very well made, funky, (and CLEAN) items.

Paisley buys his in Bali, but you can visit the excellent XSProject website and online store to see the entire line of bags, wallets and other carry-alls. According to the site, all orders are processed within 24hours, (Paisley suspects US orders are shipped from the US), so there's still time enough to make it under the tree. (Paisley accepts no advertising, favors, candy, etc. for any endorsements)

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Bali News Flash: Visiting Fashionista Hurls Herself off Four Inch Platform




On her first day in Bali, Salomé Bambang enjoyed a delicious lunch of tofu crusted tofu patties (with a side of tofu salad) at Kafe on Jalan Hanoman. Having pulled out her little notebook to compose her "things to do in Bali 2008" list and just written, "take yoga classes", she wandered to the back of the restaurant to pick up a class schedule. In a move that was describe by local witness Wayan Suparman as "kurang indah sedikit" (slightly less than elegant) she flung herself off the step to land at the feet of several startled wait-people.

"This confirms my suspicions," stated concerned husband Paisley Foulard, "...that yoga is a vicious contact sport and should be avoided at all costs". "Salomé should stick to more sedate hobbies, like Nascar racing and Buzkashi."

Friday, December 12, 2008

What's for lunch?




For centuries Bali's rice fields have provided nourishment in a variety of forms. Children have long caught dragonflies with bamboo poles with sticky tips and roasted them for snacks. Frogs and eels have also provided much needed protein. Paisley can vouch that a sambal made with eels is a very tasty treat indeed. In fact, Paisley believes that a meal in Bali without sambal, is like a meal in Austin without salsa.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Mad for Mod




Paisley has a crush on the lovely Ms. Mims. Her upholstery weight 100% certified organic fabrics are printed here in the US, use non-toxic pigments and comply with stringent Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) for NO off-gassing into Paisley's pristine home. In keeping with her green philosophy, her wallpapers use water-based inks on cellulose paper.

But most importantly, her Mod Green Pod designs defy the earthy-crunchy, yoga-mat-toting, tofu-munching aesthetic. (not that there's anything wrong with that). Visit the Mod Green Pod online store to see for yourself.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Nasi, Balinese rice




Rice cultivation can be traced back 2000 years in Bali. It is so important that there are at least five different words for it in the Balinese language and the length of the traditional Balinese rice growing season, 220 days, is also the length of the Balinese year. This traditional rice has been largely replaced by a high yield variety capable of 2 to 3 harvests per (western calendar) year. This "miracle rice" has led to a rice monoculture, making the supply more vulnerable to pests and disease, (therefore more dependent on pesticides).

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

All the rage




Paisley is pleased to report this year's fashionable commodes are sporting color. Just don't do as the package suggests, Paisley suspects the color gets to the bowl in a more direct fashion.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Little gifts of no intrinsic value Vol.3













Here are a few images from Paisley's archives. For those fortunate enough to own a Mac or an iphone, you may assign them to friends' entries in your address book or use them as wallpaper. For those using other devices, Paisley has faith you will find some other creative use for them. (Paisley hopes you will contact him with helpful hints so that he may serve you better)

To download the full resolution file, click on the image. When the new window opens, drag the image onto your desktop.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Paisley arrives in Bali



With minimal fanfare, Paisley Foulard arrived in Bali on December 2nd, 2008, despite the seizure of most of Thailand's airports by anti-government demonstrators.

Now safe and sound in his Ubud compound, Paisley is making plans for new adventures. Armed with a battery of new recipes and cooking techniques gleaned from the Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School, Paisley plans to win new friends. (stay tuned for a tasty khanom recipe, Bali style).

Monday, December 1, 2008

Stranded in paradise



Because of the Suvarnabhumi airport takeover by anti-government protesters, Paisley has found himself on an extended Thai vacation. While visiting the Wat Rong Khun near Chiang Rai, he spotted this rather exuberant No-Smoking sign. Forget what they taught you in art school; More is More.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Little gifts of no intrinsic value, Vol.2




Another goodie from the archives. To download this free iPhone wallpaper, click on the image. When the new window opens, drag the image onto your desktop.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

It's Nice to Share





If it were not for his excessive international travel and the attendant abundance of "moral signage", Paisley would most certainly would have wandered off the straight and narrow path long ago.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Art in Public Places



A new and controversial urban art installation opened this evening at the 4901 Strass Gallery in Austin, Texas. This is the third in a series of installation/performance pieces by renowned local artist, Cowboy the Roving Rottweiler. In a brief statement to the press, Cowboy suggested that his latest work is a political comment on “the planet’s need for greenness and sustainability balanced with his personal need for leftover BBQ and tastier pizza delivery boxes”. The show was quite the “Buzz” tonight. However, if you didn’t catch it, you’ll have to wait for the next one. Some savvy art collector has already scooped this one up.~Jackie Stence

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Little gifts of no intrinsic value, Vol.1









Here are a few images from Paisley's archives. For those fortunate enough to own a Mac or an iphone, you may assign them to friends' entries in your address book or use them as wallpaper. For those using other devices, Paisley has faith you will find some other creative use for them. (Paisley hopes you will contact him with helpful hints so that he may serve you better)

To download the full resolution file, click on the image. When the new window opens, drag the image onto your desktop.