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Monday July 23, 2018
All 10 of our Bali Global Health Initiative participants have officially arrived!
The first 8 got back in time for a Indonesian dinner of fried chicken, rice, rice noodles, veggies and samba (spicy!). We drank young coconut water straight from the coconut and tried Terang bulan (a typical Indonesian desert that is similar to a think pancake with layers of chocolate, peanuts and cheese!) complete with candles to celebrate Cole’s 18th birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY COLETTE!
Out last two students arrived later after some delays from lost luggage – their bags won’t arrive until tomorrow so until then they are borrowing clothes and made an indo mart run for toiletries! (see picture of Vera and Aina with mentor, Kate at the airport). We are so excited to start getting to know each other, and to explore the beautiful island of Bali!
We will keep sending photos and updates along the way. Until next time!
Tuesday July 24, 2018
Om Swastiastu!
The past couple of days we have been exploring more about Balinese culture. Our first full day after arrivals, we woke up and dove right in with our GLA orientation. After lunch we had a language lesson led by Eka, and then head out in groups to explore Ubud on an “amazing race”. Ubud is a crazy place! We practiced bartering, ran into some monkeys, and Kyle’s group went on a determined search for Asia’s smelliest fruit – Durian. After Dinner we had our first mentor group and talked about our goals for the program and created our GLA “banjars” – these are the local community centers here in Bali.
Wednesday July 25, 2018
We started off the day walking to a nearby family complex and learning about the Balinese community Banjar and the activities they do there. This included woodworking (we realized how hard wood carving is by trying to carve just 3 letters of our names), music making, traditional dance, and we learned how to make an offering our of bannana leaves, sticks and flowers.
We came home for lunch and then had a GLA workship on Global Citizenship where we talkeld about our different values and beliefs. After the workshop we put our sarong and sashes on and walked to the Palace of Pelitian for a tour and special (and spicy) dinner with the prince. OH! And we found durian on the walk back from the palace, so some brave souls tried this famous fruit.
Best memory of the day: “The prince taking a selfie with all of us and posting it on his instagram!”
Quote of the Day: “A smile is a small curve that can fix a big problem!” – our tour guide at the palace… or Sumara.
Leaders of the day – Colette and Alayna
Thursday July 26, 2018
Today we continued our exploration of Balinese culture with a walk through traditional rice paddies. Our guide Elik took us through the farmers field and showed us local plants and their uses. We took a quick break for a second breakfast and donned our sarongs for the water temple’s purification ceremony where we learned about the god and how to do a traditional prayer. We went to a buffet lunch with a crazy view of a volcano and delicious food.
Our session today was an introduction to healthcare where we tackled different struggles of Healthcare from different perspectives by holding a true life court case on aids medicine and its cost. We had dinner and then returned to consider the lives of the physically and mentally disabled throughout the world. After a heavier topic we went on a late ice cream run to finish off the day
Best memory of the day: “Getting to do a offering at the water temple.”
Quote(s) of the day: During a game of mafia Vera: “Nurse wake up” Sumara(Nurse): “What?”
“10,000 IQ level right here” Kyle
Leaders of the day: Aina
Blog written by cecatae!
Hello friends and family!!
We have arrived in singaraja at our new home base – where we will be jumping into service (home health checks) tomorrow. But first, a quick update on the past two days.
Friday July 27, 2018
We slept in a bit and then after breakfast headed to a local nonprofit – a home for people with disabilities. We toured the center, ate lunch and practiced our drumming and dancing skills.
After lunch we had some down time at the home base before we went to learn about another organization – the fair future foundation, which is a restaurant that funds health care serviced for the underprivileged around Bali. After dinner we went to a very unique dance performance… I don’t think anyone was expecting the intensity of the fire dancers! It was a special performance due to the full moon.
Saturday July 28, 2018
We woke up and packed our bags to head out to our new home base!
Along the drive (through the windy but beautiful countryside) we stopped to visit the organization Bumi Sehat, a world renouned natural birth clinic, and then explored a temple alongside a lake. Finally we made it to our home base, and had dinner with the Balinese medical students who will be leading our service.
Tomorrow our first day of service begins! Everyone is very excited to get started and head to the beach after. Sending love to friends and family!
Leader of the day: Emily
Quote of the day: “We decided to do this work because the smiles on their people’s faces make me smile.” – one of our medical students volunteer partner (Tipe)
Sunday July 29, 2018
DAY 8: We woke up ready to go… slightly earlier due to an suprise earthquake and do our first day of service! Everyone was super pumped to help the people in the more rural parts of town. It was a solid day of service the highlight being able to hold 5 month old puppies and a little baby bunny. We then went to the beach, a long awaited treat after sweating it out walking around the town. We went to an adorable coffee shop and finally got our American food cravings fullfilled with pizza as we watched the sunset.
Monday July 30, 2018
DAY 9: We started our day with service. Again it was really inspiring to walk and help and we definitely helped 75-90 people with the highlight being telling a man that his 200/160 blood pressure was not normal and that he should definantly see a doctor ASAP. We might have saved a life! We then went back to home base to change and get ready to go to the childrens home. A HUGE welcome was given to us as we rolled in to the home in our dope van. We sang, danced, meditated and ate dinner. The children’s homes’ food was all vegatarion so that left most of us craving meat. We made a quick pit stop to KFC on our ride home to complete our very full day.
Wednesday July 1, 2018
Hello again from Bali!
We finished out last day of home health checks – such a cool opportunity to connect with the community, see how Balinese people live and learn about preventative health care. Our last day we played games with the local kids and they helped us pick up trash around the neighborhood. Thanks to our amazing medical student partners for being our teachers, guides and translators!
After our last day of service we went back to Lovina Beach to enjoy the afternoon and get coffee and French fries. We went back to our home base and did some competitive activities before heading to bed.
Today we woke up and jumped on a red bus to head to pemuteran village beach where we spent the day learning about the Biorock coral restoration project which has planted 130 structures in pemuteran bay and has rejuvenated the coral reef there. After a presentation and lunch we got to snorkel and see these structures. Visibility may have been low, but we still had a lot of fun! We perfected our duck dives to get up close and personal with the coral and fish.
After snorkeling we had time to chill at the beach resort and pool and ordered lots of American food that we had been missing. Tonight we got into new service groups and began prepping for our next round of service – children’s health education workshops. Tomorrow we will be teaching classes on oral hygiene, sports, and emotions. Wish us luck!
Sunday August 5, 2018
Hey friends and family, it’s Colette, Aina, and Cecetae writing from our beach bungalows to update you on our adventure.
The health education workshops with the children was an inspiring challenge for all of us, not being able to speak their language and also some cultural differences created a noticeable barrier.
The first day all of us were awkward not really knowing how exactly to connect with the kids, but through the days we learned that there are more ways to communicate than just language and by the last day all of us had a dance party in the common area as a goodbye to the children. Every day after service we did other excursions – to a hot spring, waterfall and deaf village.
Last night we stayed at east Bali immersion, which had a beautiful view of Mount Agung we had a cashew harvesting contest as well as a cooking contest between two groups, then as we sat around the campfire reflecting on our day there, the ground started shaking and we all looked around as our mentors told us to go out into the open area, everyone had quite a different reaction to it, some were scared and some were wondering what heck was happing, but thankfully we are all safe and sound and slept well through the night.
In the morning they also taught us all about the east Bali cashew business, with factory tour concluding our stay there.
Today we headed to Amed to stay in our luxurious beach bungalows, as tomorrow we will be scuba diving.
Love and miss you all having a great time in Bali!
*A note from the GLA Bali Program Staff 8/5/18: As you may have heard, tonight we experienced an earthquake. We just want you to know that we are all safe here!! There was no damage near our home base and everyone is calm and in good spirits! Also, we are inland in Bali and far from the coast so there was no risk of a tsunami here!
*Update from the GLA Bali Program Staff 8/6/18: This evening, there was a moderate aftershock off the coast of Lombok island. There were very minor tremors experienced in Bali for a few seconds. We’d like to reassure you all that the students are safe, secure and sleeping at the home base now. There has been no damage reported in Bali and there is no danger of a tsunami. Staff will continue to monitor the situation and provide you with updates.
Hello families! Here are some photos from the weekend:
What a whirlwind our final days have been! From the adventure of scuba diving (some saw a turtle!), exploring temples, shopping, a crazy morning of river rafting, visit to a traditional healer and surfing… the past few days have been jam packed.
Last night we finished our program together with a final dinnner and closing activities. Everyone recieved the wood carving they worked on of their name at the beginning of the program, we shared what we learned and finished with an appreciation circle and final offering together for the new moon.
Students are currently on their way to the airport and will soon be on flights across the world. Safe travels to all.
Note from international director, Allie:
Thank you to all the GHI participants for the incredible energy, inquisitive questions and work you have done these past three weeks. We love you all and cannot wait to see where life takes you. We hope you continue to process this experience as you get home and that it has sparked something within you. Keep in touch! So much love to our keluarga (family in bahasa).
We hope you continue to Be the Change, and continued to BE CHANGED.
Thank you to the support from friends and family along the way – this was a crazy program especially with all of the earthquakes, so much love to everyone who followed our blog! 💕