Ashes in cocktails, island romances and strained stomach muscles from surfing after a 40-year hiatus … it was one of the best weeks of my life.
I left you last time, dear friend, with my task of taking dad’s ashes to Bali so my siblings and I could have a little ceremony after he left this world during Covid times.
Well, I completed my mission, but not without mishaps. My brother and sister and I had a wonderful day surfing for the first time in decades all together on Nusa Lembongan.
With my daughter, niece and sister-in-law, we then had $15 massages and went to a fancy restaurant on the water to have an Aperol Spritz and throw some of dad’s ashes into the turquoise water below.
It was all going to plan until, of course, the wind picked up some of dad and tiny sprinkles of him landed in the German tourist’s cocktail at the table right next to us.
We were stunned, but then laughed (probably in shock) and promptly told the aghast couple it was just lucky sand in their drinks and shouted a new round.
The thing is, my larrikin father would have loved every bit of this diabolical situation.
The week in Bali very much felt like a pilgrimage and it was a reminder to go back to basics.
We read, we snorkelled with manta rays, we drank $3 Bintangs on the beach (there is a fancy new one called Bintang Crystal for us upper-class bogans) and we had time together.
Time – the thing I have not made allowance for in decades.
My niece had an island romance with a local who could swim like a merman and hold his breath forever underwater while pointing out the coral, turtles and exotic fish to us.
I watched in awe one night as the same young man was gifted a whole fish by his friend to cook for their dinner.
The fish was in a plastic bag and they both got on their motorbike and rode off happily to cook it on an outdoor grill and turn it into a stew fit for any food snob.
I watched the locals offer their flowers and rice to the gods daily and saw how religion is entwined in their daily life.
I saw how simple pleasures made them so seemingly happy.
Thank you, Bali. You were a reminder to me to avoid material things and ego.
Mind you, my credit card was handy to buy that German tourist a fresh cocktail. Bravo, dad!
Sami Muirhead is a radio announcer, blogger and commentator. For more from Sami, tune into Mix FM.
