Famers' Yard Part II

Djuca jamming at an open mic

     The Yard was always full of charismatic adventurers, and it was fun to go out on the town together. Because so many people were in bands, we often went to see their shows at open mics or parties. About 45 minutes away was the Manic Organic Cafe in Sanur, and one night we packed Djuca's pickup truck full of pillows, musicians, and instruments and headed over. Most people crammed in the back, but Holly got the privilege of riding up front since she was pregnant. We got there a bit late, but still got to listen to many of our new friends play professionally. Carrell got up with Djuca's band and jammed on his violin, while we sat back and enjoyed a delicious date shake. After the cafe closed down, the party moved to a nearby beach, where someone built a fire, and the jamming continued long into the night.

A Keyhole Garden

The homeless tiny horse

     As a side project, Djuca had founded Permablitz Bali. The Permablitz movement was started in Australia in 2006, and now has chapters all over the world. The goal is to unite people around permaculture, permablitzes are events where a large group of people descend on a space and create edible gardens while building community and, of course, having fun. One Sunday we all piled into the truck and drove to Mark's place for a "blitz". Mark and his brother were members of the band The Mongeese, and we had seen them play several times. Mark had an impressive garden with a grand keyhole design, and the Permablitz mob descended to help expand it. Keyhole garden designs usually have an active compost pile in the center, which helps hold water and nutrients.

Cabbage mid-pollination

 We helped dig new beds and sift through the soil, removing the rubble that had accumulated over generations. Our labor was casually witnessed by a slightly out-of-place tiny horse. Mark had recently adopted a small horse, by virtue of being the only person who did not flat-out decline taking it in. After an afternoon of working in the garden, Mark's mom fed us an amazing meal of curried chicken, rice, green beans, and corn. As we'd come to expect, the event ended with an impromptu jam session before we all headed home.

     In our midst was a phenomenal drummer from Japan, Mitsu. He was the first person who introduced us to the concept of the ice bucket challenge. He got a message from a friend, and at that point in its infancy the challenge was to dump 2 buckets of ice water on your head, or pay the person who challenged you $100. You had 24 hours to accept the challenge, and with a concerted effort it took about that long to make that much ice. You might think a bucket of ice in Bali would be refreshing, but judging by his reaction, it was not a pleasant experience. Our friend Tom was the one who poured water on Mitsu, nice and slow to prolong the effect, so Mitsu didn't hesitate to pass the challenge to Tom next. Tom accepted the challenge, and this time Mitsu got to dump water on Tom's head. 

The caremai tree

     As hot as Bali was, we never felt too stifled, because the Yard was one of the few places in the city with shade trees. As an added bonus, many of the trees produced food in one form or another. Coconut trees yielded delicious coconut water and meat, and the caremai trees had sour berries which could be used to make jellies, sauces, or candies. Tom showed us how to climb up to the coconuts using notches that had been cut into the trees. Randy was able to harvest a nut from a 30 foot tree, but the precariously placed nut slipped from his fingers and fell out onto the clay roof of the kitchen, smashing three roof tiles.
     Luckily, a few days later we accompanied Djuca to Ubud, and along the way we stopped at a roof tile maker. It was fun to see the thousands of handmade decorative tiles, and the giant wood-fired kiln used to bake them. We also stopped at the Green School, "the greenest school on earth," a private, international pre-k through highschool school focusing on sustainability, that Luna and Katie had attended. We were bummed to learn we had missed the opportunity to hear Jane Goodall speak, as she had been there just days before.
     It seems like it's impossible to travel abroad without getting at least a little sick at some point. Holly got a mild cold that stuck around for almost a week, despite lots of bed rest, but Randy's was fast and furious, with intense stomach pains and a fever. He would've been more worried, but Nico had the same malady a few days earlier, and lived through it.

Homemade pasta

Decorative corner tiles waiting to be fired

      A few weeks before we left, Sylvie, a French photographer, organized communal dinners. Every night two people would cook for the group, often showcasing their native culture's cuisine, and always delicious. Mustapha, an Egyptian political writer, began the tradition with an enticing chicken stew. One night Nico and Sylvie made a French feast, another night Mitsu made Japanese food. Ruta, a no-nonsense, take-charge kind of girl, made Lithuanian food for everyone. Carrel made spicy Czech food one night, which ended up being a bit too much for the French quarter, who weren't used to spice. We were thinking of serving pasta one night, but when Djuca heard this, his Italian roots demanded that he make the pasta from scratch. Of course his family's recipe for sauce and pasta were incredibly tasty.

Putting the finishing touches
on the banana cream pie

 Our first contribution was our version of the quintessential American meal; bean burgers and oven fries, which was a hit. Our second dish was biscuits and gravy, which was initially met with skepticism and confusion. The British contingent equated biscuits with cookies, and everyone thought putting the gravy on the "rolls" was counterintuitive. But, once they got over their confusion, people were into them. Sylvie said that after our meals, her concept of American cooking went from "down here" (hand near the floor) to "way up here" (hand level with head).

Tom and Holly enjoying another day at the beach

 Although we realize our cooking style doesn't reflect the average American diet, we are still proud to drum up a little respect for the homeland. Holly also made cookies for various events, and once Randy made a fruit sauce from the tart ceremai berries, and layered it on top of a homemade banana cream pie. Another welcome culinary experiment was Paul and Ruta's quest to make the perfect loaf of bread, like with any project in Bali, they had to surmount a lack of materials they were used to (yeast and wheat flour were hard to find, and there only oven available was an unpredictable toaster oven). Their end result would be at home in any fine bakery.