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Tuesday, September 04, 2012

Let’s Do Lunch–Bali Style!


This is the post that waited.

The post that was planned, but I woke up too late to finish it because at 2am I was still staring at the ceiling.

I knew that nap yesterday afternoon with the power out was going to be a no-no. But the power was out, the house was dark and quiet, it was too dark to even want to clean house – so what’s a girl to do?

And that bed with its freshly washed sheets and delightful fresh-from-the-laundry fragrance just beckoned to me in a siren’s call. COME! SLEEP! Just a little bit….

And I was out. For about 3 hours.

Today there has been no nap. No time for one! I woke up about 8:45 and hit the ground running for all that had to be done today.

I have a foodie post to share with you from Bali!

First of all – see this sign above? Kentucky Fried Chicken! Open 24 hours! And they had free wifi! LOL!

We cracked up at various “Stateside” fast food chains that were showing up everywhere. Burger King. Who wants Burger King in BALI!? Mc Donalds was another one….24 hour Mc D’s…with Mc DELIVERY!? Which set us into gales of laughter imagining the Balinese delivery guy on a scooter with a bunch of happy meals riding behind him. EVERYONE was on a motor bike in Bali. They swarm like flies around all the cars, up the center line between the two lanes, cutting off traffic, dodging here and there..it was really scary watching them!

So where did we eat our lunch? At a really cool place down the plaza from Mawa’s office! We told him we wanted Balinese food, and he said he knew of JUST THE PLACE. He called ahead, had them set a table for all of us!

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How jetlagged do we look?! This was also on our “Factory” day!

The menus really did have every kind of food on them --- ITALIAN seems to be a big hit there as well, so if you didn’t like Balinese cuisine, you could get spaghetti and meatballs. Or fish & chips. Or always a cheeseburger --- or chicken cordon bleu. That seemed to be on every menu I came across as well.

As for Balinese fare:

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This was a Balinese fish dish, the bean and noodle salad was quite spicy! And Rice. Always Rice. Bali leads Indonesia in rice production followed by the Phillipines and of course rice is a mainstay of every family – for every meal.

*Note* When you order food you've never had before --you don't know if they served you what you ordered or not! It turns out this was KAREN's lunch, and I had already taken a picture of it! LOL! I think I ate some of her bean salad too ---oops!

One thing you will notice too is that the portions are NOT huge. Just right. I never noticed a SINGLE grossly overweight person in Bali at all. I’m sure it has to do with the simple diet, which is mostly fruit, veggies, rice or noodles. Sometimes fish. Sometimes chicken. Sometimes eggs --- but meat is not an every-meal-occurrence. Dairy is almost non-existent. I think there is a lot to be learned here.

Dishes are often wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. A very healthy and delicious way to cook things. Of course, where do we get fresh banana leaves here in the US?

Desserts mainly consist of a variety of fruits. And even the “sweets” that we would call cookies are NOT THAT SWEET. One favorite is rice that is formed into patties and then deep fried to be like a crunchy rice cake…and it has a bit of a sweet glaze on it, but it is not cookie-sweet like we would have here in the US by any means.

What is the first two ingredients in most cookie recipes in Western culture? BUTTER & SUGAR!

I “KNOW” they eat more balanced than we do.

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Look at this stair case!

This was in the restaurant going up to where the restrooms were ---how cool is that!!

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Can I have this stair case, please?!

And this was the view from the top looking down at our happy little group as they chattered away about all we had seen and done so far this day:

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Fond memories, each and every one of them!

Update on my doc’s appt today:

The bulging disk is a bit of an issue, but it isn’t causing the leg problems I’m experiencing.

For the leg problems He’s thinking I’ve got a bad bursitis ((inflammation of the hip bursa)) and it’s just being chronic. Babying that has had a shortening effect on hamstring and glute muscles. And those deep hip rotators such as piriformis are ALWAYS key in the kind of pain I have.

Mix that with the sciatica and I’ve got a perfect recipe for shooting pain and persistent burning and pain in the hip/leg when I walk/sit/lie down. I’ve got another prescription for anti inflammatory, and he wants me to get some physical therapy going. It’s going to be interesting trying to fit that in with my schedule but I’ll do it. I’m hoping between everything that we can get things to ease up a bit and heal.

He said shots are still an option, but wants to do that as a last case scenario and I’m glad for that.

Oh, btw – all this from a doc who looked young enough to be Doogie Houser, only cuter. Dang! I’M OLD!!

23 comments:

  1. Interesting to read your comment about even the cookies not being so sweet in Bali - whenever I use an American recipe for cake or biscuits, I always cut the sugar quantity in half, and they work out just fine. Best wishes for your back/hip/leg treatments.

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  2. My sister-in-law is Japanese and she told me that a great percentage of Asian people were lactose intolerant. This may be the reason you didn't see much dairy in Bali. I don't know about that for sure, though.

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  3. Had Japanese friends in college and their care baskets from home were great - loved the not-so-sweet sweets! Hope your PT can help you get back on your feet. There are people in my yoga class who say that their dr's sent them to help with their sciatica.

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  4. Are you sure that picture was your lunch?

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  5. I'm really enjoying your Bali pictures. Just an observation (not a criticism) whenever I use American cookie recipes I always cut the sugar by a 1/3 the first time I make them. They are usually still too sweet for us and the next time around I cut the sugar further.

    Good luck with the hip and leg.

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  6. Lots of sympathy with the leg. I have had a prolapsed disc diagnosed this week, add that to my dud sacro-iliac joint and am now scheduling surgery! Good luck, 'cause I know what your going through.

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  7. I love the Bali pics! I will be disappointed when they end. (except for the:) monkeys!)I hope the PT helps. I am changing Dr's and making sure he/she is younger, bc I want someone to grow old w. I don't want the Dr to be my age, bc then he/she will be retiring soon. Don't want that!!1

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  8. Oh, dear, I hope you get a solution for the pain. I am really enjoying your blog, especially since you post every day. By the way, how do we include a photo with our comments if we wish to participate in the handsewing-an-hour-a-day thing?

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  9. Looked like a great lunch with the group. Sounds like you got some new things to ponder regarding your leg pain. Hope the strategy works. Sending soothing thoughts!

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  10. Anonymous6:45 PM EDT

    Your lunch looked great!! I would have went native too. Love ALL the pics from Bali,very jealous. Hope you heal soon. Going thru almost the same stuff myself, not fun!!! Pat

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  11. Anonymous6:51 PM EDT

    Oh Bonnie, I laughed about the doctor! When I got my new doctor a few years ago, my first thought was, is she even OLD enough to be a doc?! but she had to be at least 26 (8 years of post-secondary education, right?) and then she'd been practicing for a while so I guess she was probably at least 30.
    Andrea in Canada

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  12. I would have been interested in the difference Bali fast food. When in Germany we ate at KFC or MCD's every day at lunch but the food was so different from American. The german pastries were not sweet either. Interesting! Ive enjoyed traveling to Bali with you.

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  13. Take care of your leg and hip Bonnie. Those need to be a TOP priority more than your teaching or travelling. It's sad to see the "Western" diet spreading into these pristine cultures and with them they bring "Western" diseases like diabetes and heart disease, evenutally. I recommend watching Dr. Joel Furhman on PBS.

    Gail :)

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  14. Anonymous7:16 PM EDT

    My husband just had physical therapy for his hip bursitis and thinks it is miraculous.

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  15. lol at the comment on how young the doctor was - I had one like that once - made an appointment for my GYN and the new doctor walked in - looked like he was in high school! I never saw him again - it just made me really uncomfortable.
    I have chronic bursitis in my hips and it is no joy - hope you get help.

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  16. Hi, Bonnie: Loving your Bali pics. I noticed the same thing on my recent trip to Italy - portions are a lot smaller than in North America, and just as filling. Since I got home at the end of May, I have changed my eating habits and portion sizes, thanks to that trip!

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  17. Anonymous8:02 PM EDT

    We found the same thing with food in Polynesia. Mostly fruit & veggie, occasionally meat, and "unsweet" sweets. And so beautifully presented on the plate that you didn't notice the serving size was half what we get in the USA.
    Best way to lose weight? Cut your serving size in half!!
    Laura
    In the NC Mountains
    gmomalaura@yahoo.com

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  18. Did you make a deal for the plaid gown? :)

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  19. Anonymous10:07 PM EDT

    Had the shots--two weeks in a row. Each lasted one day. Sorry to tell you this. But I am 20 years your senior. Good luck.

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  20. Anonymous10:28 PM EDT

    When in Okinawa, we ate shrimp burgers at McD's. It was great. I have also liked following along on your adventures. Thanks for letting me tag along.
    Rosemary
    NW PA

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  21. Anonymous12:41 AM EDT

    I'm sorry to hear about your leg/hip/spine problems & hope they get resolved soon. I know health issues can get discouraging but try to stay positive.
    Thank you for sharing your Bali experience. I'm still thinking about Ireland.

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  22. Anonymous10:16 AM EDT

    Did you eat at McDonalds?! The one in Okinawa, Japan had this shrimp burger (EBQ I think)...omg good!!! I miss all the food over there.

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  23. Bonnie, I love reading your blog and especially enjoyed your posts from Bali. I have to say, you definitely are not old! I'm sorry to hear about your leg and hip problems and if you don't mind a little advice, I would suggest trying swim aerobics. I have done a deep water swim aerobics class for the past four years, two or three times a week. I feel wonderful, no aches and pains, and I really am old. :) The nice thing about the water is you stretch and build muscle with no wear and tear on the joints. It's something to consider. You could ask your doctor about water therapy.

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