Tripping Out Alone

Lucienne and I headed out in the brand new Wings-Lion prop jet to the serene shores of Sire Beach. It's a twenty five minute flight and so easy to do going Bali to Lombok, because wehn you get to Lombok you get no traffic.The Tugu Hotel Sire Beach is magnificent with huge arching ceilings, expansive views and the most dramatic display of antiques, motifs and sculptures. Over my huge bed was a painting on wood of a very loved-up Hindu couple enjoying a forest tryst...inspiring. Yet I was there to work and despite Lucienne having met her husband there there were no clientele in my 'romance range' on this trip. This trip was all about me, it was only two days and one night but that was enough to get me comfortable in the joy of the gardens and the patter of my fingers on the keyboards as I settled down to some serious writing, interrupted only by the delivery of ginger tea and my drop ins in my email and facebook pages..to check all was ok back on Bali with the girls - reall...

Ambassador Cab in Delhi Tanja and I with Monks Tripping Out Alone gave me a year of adventure through 2010, and as this year draws to a close I have both my daughters in Bali with me. Kepsibel, having graduated, took a five month adventure of her own that allowed her to spread her wings from New York, to London to California and back to Melbourne via a weekend with me in Bangkok and Severen who has come back to visit from Melbourne where she is succeeding in her University studies and enjoying her teaching placements. It is such a great feeling to know they are now on their own paths to their futures. This past year I have had the great fortune and freedom to travel to diverse and beautiful locations and be in the company of wonderful people, some strangers, some friends, and some strangers who became friends. The year started in Burma...

Nizamuddin was a Sufi Master and his lover Khusra wrote devotional songs to praise him. Each evening in Nizamuddin West at the temple members of Nizamuddin's family, relatives of his sisters progeny gather to sing the songs of their ancestors lover and to dispense advice to those who petition them. Prayers for love and acceptance are chanted around the tombs of both Nizamuddin and Khusra. Crowds sit and listen to the songs, gather together in harmonious community and celebrate life and love through prayer... This is where Cushla and I headed last night, into the crowds and smells of 'old' India and it was so good.

Standing on the roof top of the haveli in Neemrana with the fort behind me..feeling sort of heat and dust in it all..the evocative chaos of the past and the fulfilment of the present and all the growing up in between and that's me , not India.

My friend Cushla is studying silversmithing under the tutelage of a grand master, Shashi..he inherited the gift from his uncle who while awesomely talented died early due to alcoholism. His father took on the craft but was never really comfortable with it, preferring instead the craftsmanship of building. Fortunately for the lineage it was Shashi who was able to develop his craft into something more and with the help of his enterprising brother, Balua, has developed a business that allows for grand artistic expression and market expansion. Cushla now not only learns from Shashi she assists in the promotion of the shop and brings the jewellery to her friends in Delhi and beyond to admire and acquire. Having had some experience in the marketing and retail side of jewellery I was eager to lend a hand myself and spent a really great morning amongst the rings, bangles, bracelets and earrings creating the sort of displays that had been taught to me by Fani in our days at Love and Hatred in ...