2011
Off to Bali Again
27 September 2011
Just to let you know I am off to Bali yet again in a couple of days. I know I have barely set foot on the ground in Sydney since my trip in August, but the Writers Festival beckons! And you know how I feel about writers festivals - especially the annual Ubud one. Cathy is coming again, and this year some other friends are joining us who have never been before - my friend from when our kids were small and we were both teaching at the old Correspondence School, Anne Hewett, and a couple of women from our Zumba class, Sally and Vivienne. Anne and I are going up nearly a week earlier than the others so she can see a bit of Bali before we are overwhelmed by the festival activities. We’ll be staying with Josh and Jasmin those first days and then moving to Puri Saraswati in town when the others arrive and the festival starts.
Beside the big names Alexander McCall-Smith, DBC Pierre and Alex Miller, there are countless others not so well known to me, but will be by the time the festival is over. I’m involved with the Indonesian writers program again, having translated stories by five of the young writers chosen to attend the festival with the international writers. They will share the podium on panels with overseas writers, using interpreters when necessary – and there will be a special session for all of them and the launch of the bilingual anthology of translations - I will take part in this session again, I guess.
After the festival we are having a few days of luxury down on the coast in a nice hotel - nearby to ex-students Melinda, Arif and Zak (almost 6) who are on holidays in Bali that week. Zak was the baby my mother so adored when his parents brought him to visit often! And after everyone goes home I have another week up in Ubud with Josh and Jasmin. I will need a quiet domestic time by then!
I’ll be sure to let you know how the rice crop near Josh’s house is faring. With a bit of luck the harvest will be over and all the smoky burning off that goes with it – and the paddies will be newly planted.
Beside the big names Alexander McCall-Smith, DBC Pierre and Alex Miller, there are countless others not so well known to me, but will be by the time the festival is over. I’m involved with the Indonesian writers program again, having translated stories by five of the young writers chosen to attend the festival with the international writers. They will share the podium on panels with overseas writers, using interpreters when necessary – and there will be a special session for all of them and the launch of the bilingual anthology of translations - I will take part in this session again, I guess.
After the festival we are having a few days of luxury down on the coast in a nice hotel - nearby to ex-students Melinda, Arif and Zak (almost 6) who are on holidays in Bali that week. Zak was the baby my mother so adored when his parents brought him to visit often! And after everyone goes home I have another week up in Ubud with Josh and Jasmin. I will need a quiet domestic time by then!
I’ll be sure to let you know how the rice crop near Josh’s house is faring. With a bit of luck the harvest will be over and all the smoky burning off that goes with it – and the paddies will be newly planted.