My Balinese Children's Book: Next project

This is a picture book I wrote and illustrated based on a mythological
little Balinese fairy living in Bali and a girl, named Wardani who found her.

I started this book while living in the Island of Bali, Indonesia.

Whenever I am in Bali, I try to stay in the same town called Ubud

This is the view from the porch in front of my bungalow:

I got the inspiration from one of the sketches of a particular Balinese lantern in

front of my porch which looks like this:

I imagined the little fairy living in this lantern that looks like a small Balinese temple.
The setting for my story started with this image:

Below is the porch where I sometimes wake up just before dawn ( yes--that early!)
 and I start to sketch the Balinese lantern below in the dark :

I love to wake up very early and sketch or write in my journal until

I hear the cock crows.
In Bali, you will always hear them crow when the sun rises.

They are actually music to my ears.

Here you can see one of my sketches while drinking coffee. 

Another illustration of my fairy character living in the lantern house:

More on my Little Girl in Bali story next time--to be continued....

Goodbye Bali

April 20, 2009

Before leaving Bali for Hanoi, Vietnam I made sure I went to some spas in Bali.
All tanned from swimming, I am realxing after a massage at one of my favorite Spas in UBud: The Sangrila Spa and Verona Spa:



Maritel and I after our full body massage and Lulur Balinese scrub finished off with a soak in petal flower bath at the Verona Spa in Mokey Forest Road, Ubud. Bali:

The facility at Verona SPA:

Madonna Davidoff in a Typical Balinese costume

Madonna Davidoff in a Kebaya:

I am wearing the traditional balinese temple dress called kebaya.

April 18

My last walk to the rice field with friends from Holland, Yvonne , an Occupational Therapist and Parham, a Physchologist from India.
Yvonne and Parham carrying a coconut seedling that will grow into a big coconut tree:

We stopped at a warung-balinese local store in the middle of the rice fields, for drinks:

Madonna,(left) Yvonne(middle) Parham(right)

on the way we stopped again at artist Nyomans studio and gallery.
Nyoman also teaches traditional Balinese painting technique:

Nyomans Paintings:

More farmers :

A tree house in Bali:

After the morning walk, a dip in the pool at Ubud Bungalow:

Then at night, I had dinner with Robin , a writer from Turkey and SanFrancisco who now lives part of the year in Bali and again with Yvonne from Holland. We ate dinner at Noori's near the Neka Museum in Ubud, known for its famous Grill and martini.

Tour of Gianyar Regency, Bali

April 17, 2009

On the way to Gianyar Regency, outside of Ubud, Maritel & I hired a private van with driver to take us around. This is my Maritel's last day in Bali before she goes home to Australia.

Below two landmarks entering Gianyar, Sculpture of Arguna

and Sculpture of Visnu:

More Balinese landscape:

We stopped to buy some Sarongs and souveniers at Sukawati Market:

I bought a kebaya (temple outfit) and a Balinese headress which I tried on myself below:

We proceeded to a Balinese Temple and wearing our sarongs and sash:

Below, Madonna in the Temple:

Maritel ,my friend, in the Temple below:

We had lunch at MAHAGIRI a restaurant that serves buffet overlooking the panaromic view of Mt. Agung, the biggest sacred volcano in Bali

Lunch was typical Balinese and Indonesian cuisine of nasi goreng, rendang, fish and chicken sate with peanut sauce, chicken curry,s oto ayam ( balinese soup) and several trpical fruits like snake fruit ( a fruit that has a skin that looks like snake skin--delicious. And of course ,we finished the meal with delicious strong balinese coffee and tea.

Madonna with the view from Mahagiri Resort & Restaurant:

The view with Madonna & Maritel below:

The view with Mt. Agung:

After lunch we went to see one of bali's waterfall:

And on the way to the water fall, we saw some Balinese preparing for the ceremony for the Besakih temple carrying their offerings:

Then we stopped at a weavers workshop:

At the workshop was a balinese instrument called the Gamelan.

With myself and Maritel trying to play the gamelan:

Then, back in Ubud, Maritel and I getting ready for a nice dinner in town :

April 15, reconnecting with Friends in, Bali

Chantal from Belgium

One of the things I like about traveling are meeting people and making friends from different parts of the world. On one of my trip to Bali two years ago, I met Chantal from Belgium who is now living in Ubud.

Below, Chantal (to the right) and I having lunch at Lotus Pond,
a beautiful restraurant in Ubud overlooking a Balinese Temple:

We are having Reistafel for lunch: Bon Appetit!

Chantal worked for a book company in Belgium until deciding to give t all up and move to Bali. She is an astrologer and also designs some handicrafts. She just moved into a very cute balinese house with her dog and cat.

Chantal’s cute home in Bali:

I am relaxing at Chantals front garden:

Jasmine from South Africa:

I made a new friend in Bali. Her name is Jasmine and we met in the plane from my flight from Singapore to Bali. We were seatmates and found out that we were staying near each other in Ubud. It is Jasmine's first trip to Bali and she is here to participate in a Yoga retreat.

Here we are( Jasmine and Madonna) in this fantastic restaurant in Ubud called Bebek Bengil where they serve a delicious meal of Crispy Duck, a Balinese delicacy.

More of Madonna and Jasmine in Ubud, Bali:

Our Dessert:Sinfull Balinese chocolate cake and Balinese Rose wine:

Maritel , a childhood friend from Australia:

I am happy to see my friend Maritel again. Maritel and I went to the same private all-girls school in Manila called Maryknoll College. She came to Bali for a couple of days to hang out with me. Yours truly with Maritel overlooking one of the Rice Terraces :

More of Madonna & Maritel by the rice terraces:

Madonna & Maritel With a Balinese Farmer:

Maritel and Madonna at the Ubud open market where you can buy lots of Balinese handicrafts, paintings, batiks , cermamics, etc.

Below, with a Balinese lady vendor wearing her traditional Balinese costume called Kebaya:

Madonna and Maritel Having a meal in a restaurant by the Rice terraces:

Hanging out in cafes and restaurants in Ubud, Bali, both located in Monkey Forest Road :