Little Rascals

"As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life - and travel - leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks - on your body or on your heart - are beautiful." ~Anthony Bourdain

I've lost track if time since being here. I often have no idea what the date is and time is an arbitrary thing. The thing is, life is simple here. The people are kind, the food is delicious, the weather is sunny, the ocean is blue. Not much else you could ask for really.

Of course not everywhere is perfect. The moment you get on a road in Bali you remember that life isn't stress free. The roads are skinny and drivers seem to think there are 5 more lanes than there actually are and that honking will clear any obstacles so there's no need for brakes, only gas. Somehow I'm still in one piece with not a scratch on me so I guess it's one of those organized systems of chaos. 

Speaking of chaos, I've been teaching 4th graders English. Just after I got here I started teaching at an elementary school. This has been one of the hardest and most rewarding things I've ever done. (This and my divemaster course have tested my limits!). But what can I say about it other than that these Balinese kids have been such a joy. We have class every week day for a few hours, after their Balinese schooling. The English lessons are optional for them, but I usually have a full class of eager students. A few months together has given us the chance to really get to know each other and have lots of fun! We play lots of games and laugh most of the time. Of course there has been plenty of tears, and only some of them were my fault. When you get twenty competitive 10 year olds together and start playing games with stickers as the prize, things can get a little crazy! 

Despite the major language barrier that hopefully has been lessened since my teaching and their relentless energy that has often erupted into chaos, each one of them has wiggled their way into my heart. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity not only to teach the little rugrats, but also to learn so much from them as well. It's nearly time for me to say goodbye to them, but I'll think of their smiling faces often!