BALI – Land of Discovery – July 11 – July 31, 2014

Headed Home!

All students are on their way home after an amazing program!

Saying Goodbye

Today was our final day in Bali, a bittersweet moment for both students and staff. We spent our day together at the beach in Legian, where the student partook in surfing lessons taught by local balinese surf instructors. We enjoyed our final dinner while watching the sun set at a beach front restaurant. It’s been a great three weeks and even though our program has come to an end, the memories we created will last forever!

Elephant Safari Park

Hey everyone! Today was a great day for GLA. We went to the Elephant Safari Park in the morning and saw the Sumatran elephants. We fed the elephants, played with them, saw an elephant show and even got to ride them. Everyone had a great time feeding them coconut stalks and taking lots of selfies with the elephants. Some people even got sprayed with water from their trunks! Afterwards everyone was pretty tired so we had free time for the rest of the day. We had our final GLA session and spent time reflecting on our trip and talking about issues and causes we feel passionate about. Then we finished our 3-day game of charades (dua won with 76 points) and closed with an amazing second to last night.

– Isabelle, Roxy, and Nathan

An Action Packed Day!

Today we had a very early but action-packed morning. First, we headed to the morning market in Ubud where we immersed ourselves with the locals during their daily shopping routine. It was here that we found the cheapest prices for goods such as incense and jewelry along with authentic sweet treats. We then made our way to a rice paddy field where we learned about the importance of rice in Balinese culture. After trekking through the field and eating some rice of our own, we drove to the Tirta Empul Temple. This temple is known for its sacred springs in which the Balinese come to cleanse themselves and pray. We got to bathe ourselves before being blessed by a priest and taking part in a Balinese prayer. It was a very unique and enlightening experience. After, the temple, we had six hours of free time in Ubud to eat lunch, shop, and for those who won the Amazing Race challenge, receive an authentic Balinese massage. Needless to say, we were all very ready for a well-deserved sleep by the end of the day!

–Alex H., Elizabeth P., and Elizabeth B.

Traditions, Snakes, and Sunsets!

Today, on July 26th we had a nice homemade breakfast prepared by our fabulous chefs at the Madra Homestay. We had a great and eventful group session where we made our own communities that would go well with each others different cultures, it was an eye opening experience that taught us how to adapt to new traditions.

After the group session we took the buses to Tanah Lot, Bali where there was beautiful art with vibrant and vivacious colors, intricate wood carvings and great restaurants that had fabulous coffee. While in Tanah Lot, we got blessed by the priests using rice and holy water from the spring. My favorite part is when I got to pet the holy snake, that was in the cave guarded by another balinesian priest, unfortunately I didn’t get to hold it.

Our day ended by watching the beautiful sunset, and then we had a drive home, everyone slept well that night.

Scuba interviews

SHANNON:
What was your favorite part of scuba?
My favorite part of scuba was diving in the ocean and seeing all the coral and fish, it was breathtaking.

What was the most challenging part of getting certified?
The most challenging part was the written test because we had to know information that sometimes didn’t apply when we were in the water.

How does it feel to be certified? What will you do with your certification?
It feels great, I feel very accomplished. I feel inspired to go scuba diving again.

NOLAN:
What was your favorite part of scuba?
My favorite part of scuba was being able to adventure underwater and see a new perspective. To actually be able to swim with the fish and not see them behind glass in an aquarium.

What was the most challenging part of getting certified?
The final exam because I was close to failing, actually scuba diving is easier than writing down the facts

How does it feel to be certified and what will you do with your certification?
It feels great, I am hoping I can go on excursions to Florida, California, to scuba dive and maybe someday Australia to the Great Barrier Reef.

ROXZI:
What was your favorite part of scuba?
Conquering my fear of diving deep and being able to enter a different world.

What was the most challenging part of getting certified?
The long days of diving and staying confident in myself.

How does it feel to be certified and what will you do with your certification?
I’m excited to be a scuba diver, it’s a very cool skill to have and I plan on going home and continuing my diving.

-Kathryn Belkin

Last Day of Volunteering

Today was our final day working with the students at the elementary schools in Lovina. It was sad to say goodbye but we ended our night back at Annik’s place for a beach day and bonfire. It was super cool and fun. We wish that we could do this kind of thing more often! The kids where all super upset about us leaving but we think that we impacted them like no teacher ever could.
It is safe to say that volunteering was beneficial for both the students and us. The children were so grateful for us being there, even though today was technically not a school day a large group still showed up. Their enthusiasm to be with us warmed our hearts like no other. So far Lovina has been a great adventure on our long list of new journeys.

The Internet is Back!

Hi everyone! Sorry it’s been so long since our last blog post we’ve had some internet problems but we are back and ready to recap the past couple of days! Today was our second to last day of teaching English in elementary schools. Our groups got creative because we were allowed to teach any topic that we wanted. After school we had a great lunch at a restaurant with a beautiful ocean view. Following our delicious lunch we trekked through some rice paddies and a jungle to go swim at a gorgeous waterfall. We swam around for an hour and then started hiking our way back up the mountain. After a tiring and eventful afternoon we ate dinner, made our last lesson plan for school, and then rested in anticipation for the last day of volunteering at school.

-Jacob Tye and Antonia

An Action Pack Day

Today was an action packed day filled with laughter, adventure, and life-long friendships. After volunteering with the children at the local elementary schools we embarked on our journey to the local boarding school. Though we entered not knowing what to expect we were in utter awe with what welcomed us. The students spoke fluent English and were skilled with traditional Balinese dance, music and martial arts. As they explained how their school was ran we some-what felt that if the communist manifesto were made into a school, it would have been that one.

After the tour we were able to plant a tree with them in a field. They said that in a year or so we should come back and see the progress the trees had made. Once everyone finished with their tour we met inside the auditorium for games and festive activities. There were exhibitions of traditional dance, martial arts and games, such as Gua Gua or Crow. Afterwards, we played a game of musical chairs and ended the day with a dance party with the students at the school. Once the activities ceased, we all exchanged contact information so we could keep in touch.

Another Chapter

Today, we wrote another chapter of our lives in Bali. Today officially marked the end of our first full week here in Bali. We started our day with a good breakfast and headed off to our separate schools. Today’s topics: animals.

After class, we ate lunch and headed back to our home at the eDotel. The rest of the day was a peaceful, relaxing night, but with a little competition. Both staff and campers participated in a friendly game of soccer.

As the night went on, we all celebrated a completed week in Bali with a dinner full of PIZZA!! A little western food will always put a smile on a kids face. In recap, it was a peaceful day.

Tomorrow, we expect to see more excitement tomorrow, and all of us from Bali would like to wish all of our parents good days and goodnights! Talk to you soon!

A Great First Day of Volunteering

Yesterday was our first day of volunteering in Bali. All the children were so happy and excited to see us, as were we to see them! Three separate groups taught numbers and colors to the children through games, arts and crafts, and a normal classroom setting. Everyone was nervous, but in the end it was a lot of fun, and we were all very excited for the next day teaching the kids.

We had a short break back at the dorms, designed our next lesson plans, and then headed to the beach! We all swam and listened to music, and hung out on the black sand. Then, we got to take an amazing sunset boat ride. We took the boats out, swam over the coral reefs and then watched the sunset.

We headed back to the coast for dinner, and after a delicious meal, got to hang around a bonfire with the owners of the restaurant, singing and dancing. It was an overall great evening, and a great first day of volunteering.

Leaving Ubud

Today we left Ubud and started our 3 hour journey to Singaraja with a few stops on the way. Our first stop was at a traditional Balinese market where students had there first encounters of bargaining with the locals. Then we stopped for lunch where we had the usual Balinese cuisine at a restaurant with a view of a beautiful lake and mountain. Down the road we stopped at a temple where we were given time to explore and take in the sights. Near the end of our ride we stopped at a supermarket where the group had the chance to by goodies and other items. We finally arrived at Edhotel where we settled in to our home for the next five days. Once settled in we had a discussion of what to expect during the next week volunteering at the schools. We then went to dinner at a restaurant on the harbor that overlooked a breathtaking sunset. Some students even partook in a karaoke session. We ended the day by planning a lesson with our volunteer groups for our first day of volunteering at the schools.

-Alex, Emma, and Nicla 

Rain, Fog & Rice-Paddies!

Our journey to the local market in the morning was cancelled as result of an unexpected thunderstorm that lasted all night. Instead, we stayed at our home base in Ubud and continued with activities to get to know each other. Later, we drove to a restaurant with a beautiful view of a volcano to have lunch, but unfortunately the weather was not in our favor again and the fog blinded the amazing landscape. As we have learned to go with the flow, we took a picture anyway. On our way back to the home base, we stopped on the road to take photos in front of a scenic rice paddy and had lots of fun!

-Abby Leung, Alix Barel, Carolina Grande

Starting Off

The last two days have been packed with fun and culture! Last night our group had the privilege of meeting royalty! We were invited to tour and dine at the royal palace with Prince Cok Agung. He discussed significant topics in Bali, such as the education system, the effects of tourism, and the difficulties in preserving the Balinese culture. After our dinner, we watched a traditional Balinese Legong dance performance.

Today the group went to a Banjar workshop, where they learned a lot! They learned to make wood carvings and offerings, they played gamelan music, and they learned the traditional Balinese dance that they had seen the night before. After the Banjar they went on an adventure around Ubud as the competed in a very fun scavenger hunt!

All is Well in Bali Land!

Last two students, Sean and Antonia have arrived and are on their way back from the airport! We are ready for our program, stay tuned for blog updates and photos!

Om Swastiastu!

After many, many hours traveling around the world, our GLA Bali students have arrived! We are so excited to start this 21-day journey with such amazing young people!

Check in to this blog throughout the program to witness all the fun we are going to have 🙂

– GLA Bali Staff

We’ve Arrived!

All students have arrived, except the 2 who missed flights and will be arriving tomorrow!