A Very Special Balinese Ceremony

I’d like to share a very special and moving ceremony we recently experienced at our home in Bali. Back in 1994, I visited Bali for the first time on a business trip (yes, really a business trip…) and I fell in love with the island, its culture, and above all the Balinese people. I knew even then that I wanted to retire in Bali someday and sought out some oceanfront land in the countryside to lease long-term and build a forever sanctuary.

 

In a nutshell, we eventually had the opportunity to lease out the land where our house is now and we built stage one of our home in 1996. The family which owns the land is headed by patriarch Bapak (which is a honorable term of respect or “father” for an older man) Wayan. He and his wife had five children, three of whom we currently employ to manage and run our house (so the land/house is “all in the family”). The land is adjacent to the ocean and is on a coconut grove (70 trees)…as opposed to the famous rice paddy fields throughout Bali. Throughout the years, we might see Bapak Wayan walking through the land at any given moment, shirt off, machete at his side, savoring his betel nut chew and stopping to chat (in my bad Indonesian Bahasa and his growing English vocabulary).

 

However, not only is Bapak Wayan a coconut grove farmer, he is also a major shaman/priest in his banjar (village), so throughout the years, we would also see him, his wife, and his daughter carrying out small ceremonies on our land and at the back of our house; new moon, half moon, full moon, new year and for so many other occasions throughout the year, we’d spot them, dressed in ceremonial clothing and silently walking the land and stopping to carry out ritual prayers using stunning little offerings of flowers/rice/herbs/holy water, etc.

 

(Click on any image to enlarge)

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An Eternal Star for the New Year

I received the most beautiful and thoughtful new year’s gift from dear friends Aoiffe Downey and James Connaughton: a star named for my beloved Princess. You can view her eternal star with me at: www.starmoniker.com (click on “search our database” and then registration Number: 36562 ).

Wishing you all a joyous, meaningful and healthy 2012.

Wishing you (and the Snow Leopards, and all of the earth’s sentient beings) a happy and healthy 2012!

Congratulations to the Snow Leopard Enterprise for winning the 2011 BBC World Challenge! Below is the announcement made by Snow Leopard Trust’s (based in Seattle), Conservation Commerce Manager, Marissa Niranjan:
 

Dear Friends and Colleagues,
 
We are thrilled to announce that Snow Leopard Enterprises won the 2011 BBC World Challenge! This was only possible because supporters came together from all around the world to cast their votes for the preservation of this rare and beautiful big cat!
 
Your vote ensures the expansion of our flagship program, Snow Leopard Enterprises, within Kyrgyzstan. This will bring more families into this successful conservation program model that benefits people and wildlife alike. Thanks to your vote, millions of people across the globe will be exposed to the beauty of these amazing cats and the conservation needs they face. Because of you, snow leopards will have a safer, brighter future for generations to come.
 
We would not have come so far in the competition without your help. You took action on behalf of the endangered snow leopard, and made this unprecedented accomplishment a reality. Please share this success – the result of your efforts – with your friends and family!  Thank you.
 
From all of us at the Snow Leopard Trust
 
Please share this information on your website, social media sites and with friends, colleagues and supports.  The BBC World Challenge organizers were so excited, they decided to announce early.  Please take a look at Brad, SLT Executive Director and Bayara, SLT Country Program Director – Mongolia and co-founder of Snow Leopard Enterprises as they accept the award!  http://www.theworldchallenge.co.uk We cannot thank you enough!!!
 
With Gratitude,
 
Marissa
 
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Marissa B. Niranjan
Conservation Commerce Manager
Snow Leopard Trust
4649 Sunnyside Ave. N. #325
Seattle, WA 98103
Phone: (206)632-2421
Fax: (206)632-3967
www.snowleopard.org

 
And, here is another letter from Marissa about my long involvement with the SLT (Click here to download). She is overly generous in her comments, but  I am proud of this amazing organization and have been thrilled to be a supporter for about 20 years now….if you’d like to learn more about how you can support the SLT, write to me at cawolfson@gmail.com or click on to their website at www.snowleopard.org

One of the best restaurant reviews, ever!

This is one of the most spot-on, clever restaurant reviews I’ve read in a long time (and as obvious as it is, think of all the starving children in this world…). I went to Charlie Trotter’s once (and only once) in the early 90s and thought that was an extremely obnoxious experience (and left the restuarant quite hungry), but this takes the cake (or in this case, perhaps the “essence” of a cake). I understand the concept of performance art, but not when I’m hungry in a restaurant (and I’d expect front row seats at this price!). By Frank Bruni, in the NYT.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/18/opinion/bruni-dinner-and-derangement.html