Hi again;  Wednesday and it’s another beautiful day in Paradise. As long as I had aircon, I could live here, I reckon. You even get used to the warm humidity and you probably wouldn’t need aircon after a few months. Also, every breeze is a cool breeze.

This is our view across the bay from the hotel. I’d like to say I took this today, but this was 25 years ago. ‘Course it’s all changed now – there are rows of these bloody mountains all along the coast, blocking the sun, casting shadows on the beach. The locals are complaining and want a council ban to stop any more. Twin cities with Cottesloe and Scarborough…

Another good night’s sleep last night after a great meal just down the street. Nasi Campur – mixed rice, but it’s actually a bit of beef rendang, a bit of gado gado, a bit of chicken curry and so on, with rice. It was delicious. I had a small calamari entree, the main dish and a large gin and tonic all for $13.87, total. Excellent.

Speaking of food, the title above reflects the laugh I’ve just had while browsing the room service menu [my comments in brackets]:

• Roasted Slice of Lamp Salad  [nice and crunchy no doubt, but watch out for the glass noodles, and the filaments of tungsten are electric on the tung. Power cord supplied. Ideal for a light snack.]

• Wok tossed lamp of beef  [another light dish, but a bit heavier.]

• Foccasia  [popular Italian bread but with an Oriental touch]

• Grilled N.Z. Lamb Chop with potato of the day [freshly caught potato, straight from the bay, no doubt]

They do extremely well to speak and write our language. I’m not criticising one bit.

I’m finding it very hard to do any serious photography, I’m afraid. I tried some close-up shots this morning in the gardens but my eyesight is now so bad that I can’t switch easily between looking at the subject some distance away and looking at the camera screen for composition and framing. I’ll include a couple of images and my first attempt at some video (shot yesterday), but oh dear, I’m not like I was 20 years ago. Way out of condition and way out of practice. I’ll try, but …

Actually,  that was using the small Panasonic camera, which doesn’t have a viewfinder, only a rear screen. My Canon 40D SLR has an optical viewfinder, however, which is adjustable for eyesight. I must get it out of the bag and see if that solves the problem.

This is awful, I know, but it’s the first time I’ve posted video. Shot in full HD and squashed down to mp4 in Edius. I’ll have to experiment to see what works. I don’t know yet what file size, image size or video formats work.

There was very distant thunder at about 5am and I tried to make myself get out of bed and go down to the beach for the dawn. It’s only about 200m, but I couldn’t make myself do it. Must try harder!

Everything else is going fine. No tummy troubles, even though the other guys are rumbling a bit. Maybe that was the thunder I heard!

I may go over to Kuta today, just for a look, but it’s hard to get moving. Don’t know.

Now to make the long, 20m trek to the lobby to use the wi-fi to post this. Oh, it’s a tough life in Paradise. Hang on … if this is Paradise, which everyone says it is, where are my 72 virgins? Naughty, naughty. Oh, you have to die first, you say?

Amazing – I’m hungry again. Cheers.

I’m not sure if that’s a word in Indonesian, but that’s what it feels like to be out in the streets in Bali. So full of people, so full of life, so invigorating.

I’m back on line at last, having endured over 36 hrs without my computer (sob!). I had to go into Denpasar this morning to buy the three pronged clover-leaf shaped power lead for my laptop charger. It was easy to find and now I’m charging up again after nearly running out of battery. The lead cost Rp. 80,000. I nearly started haggling until I realised that’s less than $10! It’s $9.30 to be exact. Let the guy have his profit margin.
Same with the taxi – the fare to Denpasar was about Rp. 35,000 on the meter and I only had a 50,000 note. I did initially ask for Rp.10,000 back, but, “Sorry, no change.” So I let him have the Rp.15,000 tip – that’s $1.74. It’s OK.

Random thoughts from this morning:

• The beautiful manners, the politeness, the smiles, the friendliness, the quiet demeanour of Indonesian people. What a difference. Sure, the constant “Hello boss”, “Taxi boss?”, “Where are you from, boss?” as the opening gambit can get a bit wearing after a while, but just give a polite no and it’s fine. I can live with it.

• The fabulous variety of shops and the huge range of stock they carry.

• Call me an MCP if you like, but how great to see the clothing departments catering for men. I’m sick of the total domination of Aussie shops by females! Here, men are very nicely catered for.

• Not only are men’s clothes in abundance, I can immediately see colours and patterns I’d like to buy! I’ve been thinking for years of complaining to Myer, Woolies, DJs, K-Mart and Target etc about the utter drabness of their clothing. The overall impression I get in these shops (DJs possibly excepted) is black and dirty colours. Colours are impure, drab, ugly, just plain weird! Yet immediately here I see fantastic earth tone combinations, metallics, complementary tasteful blends, fine patterns. I’m talking shirts, polo and golf shirts, everything. It’s simple: at home, I can’t find clothes I want to buy. Here, I’m awash in stuff I’d love to buy.

• So why don’t I buy all my clothes here? Er, I’m afraid I’m too big for it now. They don’t make size 4XL or 5XL here. How embarrassing it is. What a nation of fatties we’ve become! It’s incredibly noticeable in the hotel and on the streets. We’re all huge, most of us, anyway. The guys  I’m with are OK, but we tourists stand out for our flab. Oh dear. On the flight here, I simply couldn’t fasten my seatbelt because it wouldn’t reach! I tried other seats – same. Same problem in the taxi this morning – I couldn’t fasten the seatbelt. I’m just too fat. I sat in the back seat on the way home. There are no belts in the back, but I had trouble getting through the door! This is not good.

• I’m afraid I’m unlikely to get many good photos, too, for that reason. I’m having to be so careful when walking to avoid tripping and falling that I just can’t think about photography any more. I’m carrying my small camera, but only in the bag, not at the ready. Maybe it’ll improve, but …

I drafted this in my hotel room (nice and cool), but I’ve found that the wi-fi only works in the lobby, so I have to take the computer there to connect. How annoying! The lobby is a typical open Balinese area, open to the air. Very pleasant most of the time, but I want to do things in my room, not there.  I’m trying to think of a way around this, but all I can think of is buying a USB wireless broadband modem and a month’s connection with one of the local telecom companies. Possible, but a bit expensive, I think. At home, you can buy a USB modem and a 2GB data allowance for $69, I think. Maybe I can do something similar here.

Boy, did I sleep last night! I crashed at about 8:30pm, I think, and although I woke several times during the night for a wii, and saw the dawn light at about 6:30am, I slept until 8am. I felt much better for it, too. It rained heavy and long last night, as well.

Breakfast is included in our room tariff and how pleasant to go and sit overlooking the pool and gardens and be served fresh fruit, Bali coffee, OJ, eggs and bacon and toast. It’s something I haven’t tasted for years and it’s great.

OK, 6:00pm and a golden afternoon light. Time to go on-line, post this and then have a nice cold beer or two. Wow! I can live like this.

(I really want to post pictures but no time at this moment. Won’t be long.)

 This is where I’ll be from Monday morning!

What a rigmarole! Organising for Bali seems harder than it used to be 20 years ago, and I know why. It’s all the new choices and things that can be taken along now that we have computers and digital this and that.

I can’t imagine being without a computer for 10 days any more. How would I do this blog? How would I store and organise the photos each day? How would I transfer the video from the camcorder to DVDs to bring home? It would be possible to not do any of these things I suppose, but I might as well try to stop breathing.

So, laptop, mouse, security cable, blank DVDs, DVD sleeves, memory cards, USB cables, external hard drive, laptop power supply and cables, power plug adapters, headphones, ….

Some mp3 music to listen to. Phone, (why? possible emergency call, that’s all), phone charger …

Cameras (three! One biggy, one medium and one pocketable), lenses, SD and CF cards, camera chargers, tripod, …  Camcorder, charger, …

Anyway, you know how it is. Not to mention all the tablets, mosquito repellant, hats, books, magazines … and I haven’t even started on clothes, bathers, towel and bathroom things!

I just noticed that the weight allowance on Air Asia X is 32Kg checked baggage. That’s amazing. I defintitely won’t need that, but I’ve never seen that in economy before.

One extremely annoying thing is that my usual insurer won’t insure me without a hefty loading, even though the doctor has written on my form “No cardiac rsik. Normal heart function.” and signed it. That’s going to cost them my future business, I’m afraid. I’m very annoyed. As there’s also a $500 limit per item for photo and electronic gear, it’s useless as far as I’m concerned. At this stage, I’ll be relying on the cover provided with my credit card since it was used to buy the trip. Hmmm. I’ll just have to be extra careful up there.

I’m hoping the volcanic eruption in Java might provide some spectacular skies at sunrise and sunset, too.

I’ve also discovered today that the latest version of my slide show program, ProShow Producer, accepts full HD video from the Canon camcorder without any need to convert first, so a slide show in HD complete with video is entirely feasible. It can be output to the web in reduced size as well, so I don’t think I’ll be bored in Bali. I hope to post some video, edited, processed and produced as a show all on this laptop. This is fantastic. I’ll do a bit of experimenting asap.

Cheers.

Sorry about that. Just over a year since I last updated this blog. You know how it is, what is there to write about?

Plenty actually, but the reason I’m back now is that I’m off to Bali next Monday, 1 November, so I thought I’d use the opportunity to get back into the habit and try to post news and pictures, and perhaps even some video, as it unfolds.

I’m going with some guys who used to be in the TV game at Channel 9, so we have a common interest. I first went to Bali in 1980, then again in 1983, 1986, 1988 and 1989, I think, so it’s been a while since I was there. They tell me it’s changed…

So have I, unfortunately. I’m a bit heavier and a bit wider and a bit thinner and greyer on top, so I’d better wear a hat! The damn plane leaves from Perth at 10 to 5am!! That’s cruel.

We’re staying at the Besakih Beach Resort in Sanur, right on the beach front, I believe.

More soon.
Pete

At the Channel 7 Reunion display last week with Peter Partridge
and one of the greatest videotape recorders ever produced, the Ampex AVR1.

I’ve had a bit of action on my gastric Lap Band in the past fortnight. It was put in in May, but up to two weeks ago, there was very little effect. I sometimes felt the food scraping as it went through, but I sure didn’t lose any weight. I must admit I should have gone back more often for the band to be tightened.

Then two weeks ago, I got an extra 1ml added, and although it felt OK in the surgery, when I got home I found out what a tight band really feels like. I couldn’t keep anything down, but thinking back, maybe I wasn’t understanding how slowly and how little to eat.

But I couldn’t hack it, and so went back a week later (last week) to have 0.5ml taken out. It’s better, but still no picnic. I didn’t realise how drastic and uncomfortable this is going to be. I have to be so careful not to eat too much too fast. Sip at liquids, nibble at food, then wait for it to go through before taking the next nibble. Ugh!

At the moment, I’m very discouraged. I thought it would be easy, but it’s not. I suppose I just have to get used to it, and I suppose I am, but the restrictions on what I can eat are very disheartening.

I have my next appointment on 11 November, so I’ll see how I feel then. I’ve lost 4kg in the past two weeks, so I suppose that’s something. Stay tooned.

PC

Having our group photo taken in Studio 1 yesterday

Wow, what a buzz. Sorry I’ve been so quiet for so long. It’s just the usual excuses: inertia, apathy, laziness, nothing to talk about. But the 50th Reunion of TVW Channel 7 in Perth was held yesterday, 18 October (which was the actual date we went to air for the first time in 1959, I believe), and we’re all feeling great about it today.

I was in at Ch7 three days this week helping set up all the old bits of equipment we could drag in. Talk about nostalgia! All totally obsoleted by digital now, even quite modern gear. We talk all the time about how this gear must be saved, but we’ve got to do more than talk, we’ve got to act, and that means finding some premises. We have a few ideas …

There are many photographs on the WA TV History web site: http://watvhistory.com/

Cheers,
Pete

Minnie with kids March 2003
This is one of my favourite photos, for the charming expressions and poses of the girls, but I’ve never been game to show it in case I was accused of something. But it was made over 6 years ago and taken in a public place, and I’m now aware that the law is quite clear – there is nothing illegal about photographing people in public places, provided the photo is not used in a derogatory way. I don’t think this falls into that category.

Yesterday I wrote of the two dogs that adopted me and didn’t want to leave. Well, there’s been a happy ending.

I put them outside my fence as I said, hoping they’d get bored and move on. Unfortunately they sat there all morning yipping and whining and pleading to be let back in. Eventually my neighbour suggested ringing the council pound, which, amazingly, is open for business for two hours on a Sunday.

I made the call and they had had a call shortly before mine reporting two lost dogs. To cut a long story short, I was able to contact the owners and they came around to collect their obviously much loved dogs. They came from a street a full suburb away, about 2-3km! These dogs were way out of their territory. I said it would have been much simpler if the dogs had name tags and they said the dogs “chewed them off”. Huh? How can a dog chew a tag off its own collar? The collars were in fine condition.

Anyway, I asked what the dogs’ names were; how about Minnie and Bindi?! Minnie is my dog’s name, of course, and Bindi is/was the name of a little dog three doors down from me.

So all’s well that ends well there, but there’s a bit of tragedy too. Late in the afternoon I was chatting to the neighbour at 126, the owner of the Bindi in our street. He said his Bindi is no more. It has ceased to be. It was only about 5 months old and took off down the street recently. His kids chased after it, but the puppy ran out onto the road and was hit by a car and killed. His young son had to carry the dead puppy back home. What an awful thing to happen. The only mercy is that it died at the scene. It would have been worse if it had been badly injured and decisions would have had to be made about vet bills etc. Thank goodness I’ve never had to face that dilemma.

Also, while we were talking, his 4 yo daughter was playing with my Minnie and talking to me, when she suddenly said, “You’ve got a fat tummy.” Oh dear, the innocence of children. Ya gotta laugh, though.My beloved Boopsie, who died three years ago this week aged 8.

Image:International Space Station

I said my next DVD project would be on Venice and Milan, but I’ve been hijacked.

A week ago someone emailed me a Powerpoint slide show of Hubble Space Telescope images, accompanied by “Wow, these are so good, you must see this…” etc etc. Trouble is, I’d already seen all the images and in much higher resolution. That set me thinking that I’ve been viewing and collecting these astronomical images for years, so I did a count (I don’t physically count them, my viewing software tells me how many there are). It turns out that I’ve got 324 of Earth and the Universe, 131 just of Hubble images, 11 of Jupiter, 193 of Mars, 6 of Mercury, 99 of Saturn, 29 of Titan and 3 of Venus.

So! There’s a challenge, if ever I saw one, and my next project is now called Reaching for the Stars: The Earth and the Universe. This time I’m using software called ProShow Producer which is designed for still images, rather than video, but it can incorporate video as well and I’ve got a few clips.

The result will be hundreds of stunning space images set to music, with motion and effects, and my jaw drops just in the process of making it. This software is great stuff and with images like this to work with, I’m in raptures. Of course, they’re not my images or my music; all I’m doing is pulling it together in sequence and timing. It should be good.

Yesterday two roaming dogs came sniffing around my front gate, and being a dog lover, I went out to say hello. One’s a Jack Russell similar to the one above, but much whiter, and the other is all black with white tips, looking like a labrador/staffy cross, maybe? (I didn’t take that photo above, but I don’t know who to credit it to or I would. It’s just one I found on the web a few years ago.)

They were obviously pals together, these dogs, very friendly and well looked after, with collars but no tags. But they were wandering all over the road and were heading across the street to Marmion Avenue, a very busy, 80kmh dual carriageway. I thought I’d better stop them doing that. However, with no tags, I don’t know where they’re from or how to contact the owner/s.

I brought them inside the yard and put a big sign up on my fence, “Your dogs are here. Come and get them” and my phone number, thinking someone would be out looking for them. I would be if it was my dog gone missing.

No-one came, of course, so they’ve stayed with me overnight, having a nice meal and sleeping on my bed. They think they’re in dog heaven, so what happens now? I’ve put them outside the fence, hoping they’ll roam off to their home, but an hour later, they’re still sitting outside looking wistfully at me and wanting to come back in.

Oh dear. Much as I’d love to look after them, it would be a disaster for my future plans. Much as I love Minnie, she’s a ball and chain around my leg. I think all the time about travelling or moving into a retirement village, but having a dog is not compatible with most of my plans. It breaks my heart to say it, but Minnie needs to pass on.

I guess I’ll have to make up some leaflets and take a walk around the neighbourhood, posting them in letterboxes and on the local noticeboards. I suppose taking the dogs to a vet to see if they have a micro chip ID is also a possibility, but I’d have to pay for that.

Minnie © PJ Croft

As I write this, Minnie’s making doggie noises as she dreams, a very regular occurrence. She’s barking and yipping in a very muted way, so she’s obviously in a dream scenario.

She also has emotions: happiness, sadness, loneliness, wistfulness, joy, friendliness, fear, and so on.

She also observes, predicts, draws conclusions, reacts, makes decisions based on observations, recognises situations and people, makes decisions on how to behave and so forth. In other words, although she might not be self aware in the way humans are, she has a mind. She dreams, therefore she thinks.

So if she thinks, does she have a soul?

Humans are deemed to have a soul, which, according to religion, if we’re not good, won’t go to heaven when we die. What about dogs? Dogs have no malice in them, unlike humans. Dogs can be vicious, but it’s because they’re reacting to fear and reverting to pure animal behaviour: defence, aggression when challenged etc.

So given that dogs are innately ‘good’ and don’t naturally make plans out of malice or revenge or dishonesty as humans do, where do dogs go when they die? Do they have a soul? Is there a dog heaven? Does the loving God make a special place for these wonderful animals? Or do they just cease to exist?

If so, what about cats? Many people ascribe emotions to cats and love them just as much. Do cats go to heaven when they die?

If so, what about rats, those tireless workers sacrificing themselves in the search for cures for human disease? No-one suggests rats are malicious, not like some Wall Street or Macquarie St financial people. Do rats go to heaven when they die? Or bats, or gnats?

Oh, what about dolphins? We all know they’re intelligent, lovable, capable of forming bonds with humans. Surely dolphins wouldn’t just cease to exist when they die? I saw a program years ago about a performing horse and its owner. The love that horse showed for its human owner was just blindingly and emotionally evident. Did it go to heaven when it died?

You may recognise a reductio ad absurdum, an argument or proposition taken to extremes to prove a point. Why is it that religion believes there’s a Heaven where we go when we die? If there is a Heaven, is it reserved for humans? We share 97% of our DNA with mice and rats, let alone monkeys, chimps, baboons. Is there a God watching every living thing that dies and operating the gate depending on that 3% difference? Sorry Minnie, you can’t come in even though you’ve loved Pete, your owner, without reservation throughout your life.

I respect people who believe in God and Heaven, provided they live up to their principles and don’t try to convince me. But I can’t summon the uncritical acceptance to believe that there’s a soul that will somehow rise out of me when I die and somehow submit itself to the Heavenly gatekeeper, who is simultaneously admitting or rejecting all the millions/billions of dolphins, cats, earthworms and oysters that die each day.

I believe we have evolved to have self awareness, and that makes us aware that we have choices about our time on earth to do good or not, but when we die, that’s it. Our life force was sustained by well known biological processes, but when they stop, that’s it for us as individuals. That’s all there is. I’d be delighted to be proved wrong, but I don’t think I will be.