I lost count of how many days there actually were, what with that damn date line. This number seems about right if you’re willing to count travel and I guess I am. The trip before this day had been mostly about food, some shopping, and ignoring tourist attractions. I mean, we started this trip with Diana cupcake muling goods from Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery to Singapore. Do you know how difficult it is to resist eating the sassy pumpkin or pistachio when your only other alternative is “the chicken or the fish?” I haven’t shown that much resolve in years. We spent much of Singapore with the Mankansutra guide, eating several delicious things with little break in between. We also spent a lot of time in connected mega-malls, I’m pretty sure that it’s possible to cross the city entirely by mall, though that’s not as entertaining as watching terrorist-scare propaganda videos on the subway.

Anyway, fast forwarding a bit. We were supposed to go to Thailand next, you know, to eat more delicious things, and spend some time on the beach (where The Beach was filmed even!). But then that whole thing with the protesters taking over the Bangkok airport happened. We figured we could Amazing Race our way somewhere else in southeast Asia, so we purchased a flight to Bali scheduled to leave in an hour. Ran to the check in counter, and got laughed at by the airline agents, because, you know what? You need a visa to go to Indonesia, and guess what? You can’t get one without a return flight. Silly Americans! It turns out that on the Amazing Race the show pre-obtains visas, genius really. Determined not to be You Shall Know our Velocity’d out of our vacation, we quickly changed our flight and booked a return flight.

Yada yada. We’re in Bali. It’s the low season, probably because of the rain. We got a good deal on this outdoor villa thing with three bedrooms, outdoor showers, a private pool, and people that are waiting on us a little too hand and foot. Everything we’ve eaten has been not good. This is a little depressing, we would have eaten so well in Thailand!

This is what’s amusing. People in Bali apparently like to shout “Obama” in the direction of black folk. I’d heard that this was a thing, but to experience it up close was just amazing. I suppose I should have been insulted, but man was it funny. Take the feller on the right. He asked me where I was from, I said “New York!” and he says “Alright! Obama!” So I bought some corn from him, not too roasted please, and no butter. Street hawkers selling crappy t-shirts and sunglasses used it to get attention, “Obama! Sunglasses?” No thanks ma’am, the sun’s not out! And just regular folk too, “Hey Obama!” This is so much better than the quiet staring of the Singaporean folk. I think. I’m not sure.

Things to eat in Bali

1. The roast suckling pig at Ibu Oka. It’s delicioso, tender, with bits of cracklins. Yum.

Um, that’s it I guess. Mozaic was underwhelming, and bebek bengil is skippable. Streetside martabak manis is quite good. It’s fluffy and buttery and sweet. My favorite kind of thing really. Here’s a recipe.

Sleepy time.