Tamarind - Asem Jawa
Date: May 23, 2008
Tried out a new fruit thanks to Swanny, my illustrious driver and tour guide!
While we were looking through a dusty open warehouse for unusual furniture finds and other treasures, he pointed out one table that was made of Tamarind wood which, I learned, is the next hardest wood compared to teak.
Anyway, he and the warehouse owner were trying to explain what Tamarind was and described it as a big tree with fruit that looked like a banana and tasted like a mango. "Ok" I said, "Sounds interesting."
The next thing I know, Swanny sent someone to the nearest fruit stand to get some. Well, he wasn't really wrong, but what he forgot to say was that these tamarinds looked like hard, rotten shriveled bananas! Once I got beyond the site of the long, dark gift-from-your-dog looking fruit, I liked it a lot! I cracked open the shell, and discovered that the meat was soft and tast ed like a combination of mangos, prunes and sweet potato. And I found that I became quite a pro at spitting the big black seeds which were inside lined like many peas in a pod! (Picture 1)
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A Brilliant Idea for Computer Desks!
Date: May 19, 2008
My hotel's old computer finally gasped its last whirl and died a slow death due to "the government", or "bad plug" or maybe even more big ants, who knows!
After traipsing around to various internet cafes to find cramped little counter spaces to work from, Eureka! I came upon a brilliant idea for this new can't-live-without- it necessity in the States!
So, armed with a few sketches, I went to one of my more creative carpenters and described this idea for great computer work stations: Find old cabinets with lots of Indo character, reconstruct the doors to open wide and add interior shelving and storage (expertly made and stained to match, of course!). Then add a slide-out keyboard tray on roller glides to conveniently slip out from under the 30" height interior "desk" shelf. Lots of chatter and sketches later, then having to import the roller glides - I think that, with any luck, my carpenter will have at least 4 of these great new computer cabinets for my container! See the cabinets that I've found to be transformed into compact, stylish work spaces- what do you think?! (Picture 2&3)
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Date: May 16, 2008
One day, while on a winding drive back from an especially crafty village through the rice fields and over gushing streams coming down from the mountains, we meandered towards Swanny's village - since I had Balinese spirits on my mind we had a lengthy, but somewhat disconnected Balinese/English discussion about it all.
I've visited his village before, but he was very excited to stop in and have me be the first American to see his newly improved family temple. After detouring down a terribly bumpy and pot hole infested road to his village, we stopped at his home, stepped over baby chicks, a few puppies and around other family members seated in the shade to get to the back of his home compound. And what a surprise awaited me! The glitz and gleam from the 8 temples that graced Swanny's back yard was astonishing! (Picture 4)
He explained that it was better for his family to have these various temples at home to remember and honor the real ones in Java (where his family came from 5 generations before), pay homage to his dead family members and to have one very special
