I’m writing this with some homemade cookies and a coffee complete with milk. Dairy, wheat, caffeine, sugar, it’s all there and it’s glorious. I’ve been in rebellion mode for a month now. Two months of austerity in Ubud came to a crashing close at the Writers and Readers Festival where the arrival of the literary elite pushed away my … Read more
This post is part of my “Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it” series. My trip to the applied kinesiologist inspired a rage inside that surprised me. I felt furious, and I couldn’t say for sure why. Was it because he gave me a diagnosis I didn’t want to hear? Or was it because I … Read more
When I first heard about Per, he sounded like an archetypal compulsive liar, full of the tallest of tales that would put to shame Frank Abagnale Jr. In a town like Ubud, you have to have your bullshit detector on. Then I met him, and the doubts were gone. This man, the youngest of ten … Read more
I woke up that morning, fed up and tired with this journey. The rats had returned to the ceiling, causing another disrupted night’s sleep while they played gymnastics above our heads, the thin plaster amplifying their patter to the sound of elephants’ hooves. Tonight we’d have to re-plug in the sonic repeller, pushing aside any … Read more
You may be starting to wonder if I’m going to come across something I don’t enjoy in this series – well here’s the first one. It started badly with a gaze that lasted too long. You know the type. You say your hellos and then they proceed to look deep into your eyes, nodding their head … Read more
Update: In 2018 (after this post was originally written), John of God turned himself in to the police after over 600 accusations of sexual abuse. In December 2019, he was sentenced to 19 years and four months for the rapes of four different women. This kind of story is all too familiar in the world … Read more
“Oh god, what have I got myself into?” “I thought it was a meditation.” “So did I, but I just watched a video about it on YouTube and they said something about a sexy dance and shouting.” “You said you wanted to come out of your shell.” Steve was right, I did say that, and … Read more
“We are delighted to be invited here today,” says a small Indian woman who reminds me of the witch in Brave. She’s mischievous, and even though her eyes are closed, I can sense the twinkle behind her lids. This woman doesn’t exist in physical form. The voice is coming from an American lady, sitting cross … Read more
“I don’t think I’ll go tomorrow. I’m not sure I can bear it. It sounds like exactly the sort of thing that’ll be full of people who annoy me.”
“Why do you want to go at all?”
The workshop is question was “Energy 101 —Join us in this 2 day experiential workshop to explore everything you want to know about your energy, including identifying, shielding, grounding and running energy. Use this knowledge in your daily life to support your life force and maintain vitality!”
There are people here who pray as they eat. Palms upturned beatifically, and beaming orgasmically with every bite. These people aren’t Balinese but a different breed of Ubudian — the spiritual seekers, here to find themselves in what has become a magnet for the esoteric. You see these people in the bounty of health food … Read more