Day 3!

I love how we can wake up everyday at 7:30AM and still have breakfast and go for a walk on the beach before we start having classes (very interesting classes by the way). So, today was an unexpected day since we thought it would be cloudy all day but it was actually pretty sunny and nice. At 9AM we started learning the third part of the Baleganjur song we are playing. Baleganjur is one of the most popular styles of gamelan music in Bali. There are five instruments we are playing: The Reong (which embellishes the main melody), Kendang (a double-sided membrane drum), Ceng ceng Kopyak (large crash cymbals), Kempul (which guides temporal flow of the music) and Gong (a flat metal disc which is hit with a mallet). Each student played one instrument and it’s incredible how we are getting better in only three days. I feel already so proud of this crew! After playing for a while, we had a break to eat some Balinese snacks and drink the delicious Balinese coffee (even Selena who has never had a coffee before drinks it everyday). To enrich our culture about Bali, we watched a video explaining Bali’s art, music, and everyday life in the 30’s. In the afternoon we continued learning the Pendet dance with Tarika. She is so sweet! Later on, Selena, Amanda, Bazil, Annie, Aubrey, Dr. Sacks and I visited the Puputan Renon monument, a huge monument with a mind-blowing view. We also visited the Temple of Denpasar. It was really nice. We had to wear a sarong (a fabric that we wrap around our waist) and a very interesting fact is that who has their period can’t get in because a temple is a sacred place and menstruation is considered a spiritually unclean. To finish our journey, we went shopping at a traditional market. The Balinese saleswomen laughed at Amanda and I after we walked out of the market with a bunch of Balinese clothing, Balinese jewelry and, OF COURSE, the Luwak coffee, which is a coffee made from Asian Palm Civet’s faeces. Believe it or not, we will try it tomorrow and let you guys know if it is worth it drinking it! Soooo, I’m having an amazing time and I’m in love with the Balinese people, who treat us like queens and kings. UAU, what an amazing trip!  

Sofia