It's not unusual to have fun with anyone...

The lack of blog updating for the past few days is a telling sign of how much fun we've been having down here in our cozy southern hemisphere. Our trip is currently in the second round of homestays which has brought about a plethora of exciting stories. The morning van/car rides have become even more enjoyable than usual. It is a time when everyone shares the latest oddity or 'culturing experience' that they had the previous night or for breakfast in the morning. I feel as though I lucked out by being placed at Bot Donu's guest house (Bot Donu is one of our drivers and an all around awesome guy).

Aside from getting comfortable in our new homes we have been experiencing true Balinese culture. Our scheduled programs have been great including a visit to the Mother Temple, a compilation of 22 temples that acts as the centralization point for the surrounding villages, and an interview with Bendesa Besakih, a man elected by the people to serve as the leader of the temple. Perhaps even more exciting though is the unplanned events that we've been able to take advantage of.

Last night those of us not too tired from the day's events took part in Balinese dance lessons. If you're lucky you might see a performance by the star-studded group at some point (when I say star-studded I'm really only referring to a select few of us, but we're humble about our talents). This afternoon provided another chance to see Bali at her finest. I decided to skip out on posting this blog entry earlier and instead went to take in a football (soccer) match between to local clubs. The players ranged in age from 19 to 25 and played well. The influence of soccer is prevalent all around Indonesia as it's rare to not see a least a few kids running around in soccer jerseys (even the famed medicine man Ketut Liyer was sporting a jersey the first time I met him... gotta respect the man for his style). As I sat watching my love for soccer mesh with my love for Indonesia I felt very culturally immersed.

As we are closing in on the conclusion of our trip I feel as though this will probably be my final entry. As such it is necessary for me to express my true feelings about each and every group member on the trip: I have nothing but love for all of 'em. We have formed, normed, stormed and performed as a team. My 14 peers as well as our fearless leader and her husband have made this trip a sick-nasty experience, for lack of better terminology.

Time to go check for cockroaches before bed...

-Jake