Hello, hello!
Hope everyone had a stupendous week last week. I know I did!
So much has been going on recently – things are really picking up here.
First of all, the weather in Bali this time of year is GORGEOUS. It’s the dry season which means the air is less humid and it’s cooler. I’m sitting on my porch wearing socks and long sleeve shirt and it’s 11:30am!
In more relevant news, Mark and I have just completed class 1 of our 5 class Pembantu Course Series. The Pembantu (house staff) Series are a unique and fun experience for us. Because it is a series of 5 classes, we are able to go much more deeply into raw food. Both in the areas of health and preparation. The goal of the series is to teach the pembantus not just how to make a specific recipe, but how to really get comfortable, familiar and creative with raw food. The most challenging and exciting part is finding a way to do this with people who not only have completely different cultural norms that Mark and I do, but also came because they were sent by their employers and not out of their own curiosity or passion.
Luckily, Mark and I have an AMAZING translator – a dear friend of mine, Estee, from Jakarta. Although she is not Balinese, her Indonesian commonality as well as her general ability to relate with people and traverse cultural borders has made her an invaluable resource. So with Estee’s help we are able to easily communicate ideas, information and techniques. And the fun and innovative part for Mark and I, is coming up with class content, recipes, hints etc. that Balinese will be able to relate to and feel excited about.
In just one class we are already achieving these goals! It’s wonderful how inquisitive people are, asking about the healing power of raw food etc. As well as how much they like the food! As the typical Balinese diet is based on fried rice and satay (skewers of marinated grilled meat), it is exciting and inspiring to watch them eat fresh greens, seaweed, and raw chocolate pudding and enjoy it.
I’m also excited to see what they have to say as they have raw food become a part of their diet twice a week for the next 10 days. It will be interesting to see what, if any differences they feel. My guess is there will be some positive feedback 
Blessings,
Leah
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