The last few minutes were the most difficult of all. Jacob and Diana were among the last of their flight to make it through the slow baggage claim and customs line of the Denpasar airport.
We stood outside excitedly waiting – not just 40 minutes after arriving at the airport, but 12 months after begging them to come visit us somewhere on our travels. Their arrival was the culmination of both our bugging and reminding them and their hard work, saving and planning.
Although I’m always proud that Jacob is family, I’ve always counted him among my friends. Jacob and Diana are the first friends we’ve had visit us since Autumn and Sharon met up with us in Hania, Crete in August. We couldn’t be more excited.
While we were filled with energy and excitement, poor Diana was tanking low after 24 hours of travel from Los Angeles to Bali with a three hour stopover in Taipei. There’s no quick way to get to Bali.
After greetings, hugs, standing around chatting incessantly and a quick trip to the ATM, we all hopped in the car, but Jacob and Diana stepped into another world – the magical world of Bali.
It was fun to hear Diana’s amazement at the giant sculptures of Shiva defeating the Naga at several of Bali’s major intersections. She had never seen anything like this environment.
Jacob on the other hand, was here visiting me when I lived here in 2005. He knew exactly what he was in for, and couldn’t wait to get out of southern Bali and up to the beautiful, rice field covered lands to the north.
Given we’re four chatty people who haven’t seen each other in nine months, the car had enough energy to power half the island. Topics bounced all over the place. We’re people who see each other frequently at home. We didn’t know where to begin catching up – it was all so fun and exciting.
Of course, Emily and I are not people to allow our guests to go hungry and unfueled. So, on the hour drive home, we bought fried sesame ball snacks from a vendor who sells at a major traffic signals and then we stopped at a place with several street stands to by some freshly fried bananas and cold waters. This was Diana’s first exposure to street food. Because the minimum order was 20 pieces of fried bananas – each half a banana – her first exposure was a major one.
Jacob was anxious to get back to the house – knowing the beauty in store for Diana. On a March night much like this one, Jacob arrived in the compound at night, looking around with wide eyes, saying, “You live here?!”
There’s no way to really convey what the compound gardens look like or how impressive they are in person. There’s nothing that prepares you for the feel for the rice terraces, the landscape and the beautiful smelling air. So, despite Jacob’s tales of his time in Bali, Diana seems expectedly surprised and impressed.
So far, no one has stopped talking. No one. Except me while I pause to write this blog. It’s just so much fun to have our good friends and family back in our lives.
The only difficult part of their arrival was explaining it to Nengah, our housekeeper. After Emily’s mom and aunt left only a few days ago, I knew it would perplex Nengah that more Americans were coming to the compound.
So, much like I explained to him about Emily’s mom (Ibu) and aunt (Bibi) would be coming, I had to explain that my Sepupu and his wife (Istri Sepupu) would be here for nine days. I tried in vain to help him jar his memory of Jacob. It was too long ago. But he was very gracious and even excited about my Sepupu returning after so many years. He thought that was cool.
I do too.
As Jacob said outside the airport, “Can you believe it? We’re back here together – you and me – and with both of our WIVES?! Who would have thought?!”
It’s true. Our lives have changed dramatically since March, 2005. Only our friendship and mutual admiration haven’t.
And not surprising for my masterful cello playing Sepupu, that’s the perfect note on which to begin an exciting week and a half together in Bali.
Sent from my iPad
