Pigma Micron pen and watercolor

An afternoon at Rudy's Salon

It was time for a cut and color. So off I went, on my bike, carefully merging onto the busy "Bypass". It costs me about $25, which is a far cry from what I pay in the USA. They speak enough English and I speak enough Indonesian to get the job done. I leave with my usual "bob" cut quite well, but my hair tends to come out a bit dark. I call it "Balinese black". They are so nice and I can always have my usual color and  highlights when I get back home in June. Better start saving up for that!

Not so good for the unhappy tourist below having a very bad hair day...

Sitting in the chair next to me, she was scowling at the mirror, smoking, having a pedicure and throwing a bit of a tantrum about her hair. She was so busy being angry that she didn't even notice me sketching her out of the corner of my eye. 

Hari Natal from Bali

Living in a mainly Hindu and Muslim country means Christmas (Hari Natal) is not celebrated. However, many Balinese merchants do their part to help us expats get in the spirit and hopefully spend more money. There are some crazy looking pohon Natal (Christmas trees) around town. This one happens to be at the Kalimantan restaurant, across the street, where I enjoy a Bali Kopi, everyday. It is fake or plastique, leans to the right, has lots of foil garland, a few red ornaments, some cotton that is suppose to resemble snow and an exposed tree stand. My favorite part is the lowest strand of lights that hangs almost to the ground. Saya cinta pohon kecil ini.