A Humbling and Heart Warming Time.

Having lived in Indonesia, on the Island of Bali, amongst a community of people within a Banjar, located at the not so small anymore rural hilltop place named Ubud, at the end of a narrow gang or laneway, with three damaged albeit recovered and rehabilitated Bali Street Dogs, has been an experience of proportion only surpassed by residing in India, a sensory experience of 360 degree immersion.

Living anywhere as a non local, as a foreigner, as an expatriate or as a Bule, as is the ‘fond’ term and preferred label reserved for us lot on Bali, is certainly not always an easy stroll down the reality path of daily existence in the layered life of island time.

But by God, whatever God or Gods you believe in or not, it has been a time of life within a lifetime of pleasure, pain and everything in between, honestly.  Absolutely nothing bad has happened, even when bad things were perceived to have occurred, they were in hindsight seen clearly as misconceptions, reactions to clumsy perceptive actions on both sides, in a place where things are just done differently.

It was The Bali Street Dogs that nearly broke the back in those early days weeks and months and it was The Bali Street Dogs that finally broke the ice, or on this equatorial located zone, the rising suspicion of humidity and for that and to them, we will forever be indebted and humbly thankful.

The Banjar of Kutuh Kelod and its people have undoubtedly been our biggest critics and are now are greatest support network, earning their respect has been no different to the diligent work  required in order to also be accepted by the standards of The Bali Street Dog.  The foolish and the false are readily seen through and are not to be suffered; there is certainly enough of that to go around already.

Bali is not a paradise and Bali people are not struck and imbued with the fragrant palm leaf of human kindness, to think otherwise is stupid and arrogant.  Struggle and worry and stress are a universal malaise and a reality of inescapable and growing proportion, for everyone.  In that, at least we have found that we are no different, at all.

Doing no harm, being open and honest, assisting were possible and being humble and respectful, has seemed to quell whatever fear and suspicion about yet another flying in foreigner understandably instills.  It also seemed to be the right attitude when working with and living our lives with The Bali Street Dog, a unique and amazing canine, truly the dog of all dogs.

Thank you warmly from our open hearts.  It has, it is and always will be a pleasure to spend our time with you.

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