Bliss and Mayhem

 As promised many, many months ago, welcome to my best Bali tips series! - Bliss and Mayhem style. We will cover heaps of topics throughout this series, so that when you are ready to book that trip of yours – you’ll be well and truly armed with so much information about where to stay, what to do and see, where to shop and so much more.   So. In the wise words of Molly Meldrum, “Do yourself a favour!”   Bliss&Mayhem Recommends   ** from cheapest to most expensive**   Grand Sinar Indah – Legian   Where:  Jl. Padma Utara, Legian, Kuta, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia   How much: Rooms start from $30 per night   What’s so great about it: This is my favourite budget accommodation so far and we will definitely staying here again. Because we love the tourist hub of Legian – it is close to all our favourite eateries, bars, massage places and more.   With 2 full size pools – all rooms over looking these, room service 24/7, super clean rooms and great working air

     " You feel deep sorrow and sadness."  "I cannot see Joy in you." I must tell you, it was extremely confronting but somewhat relieving to hear those words.  On my recent trip to Bali, I made an appointment to see a a Monk Healer that on our previous trip, treated Steve for his sciatic pain that he was experiencing in his hip and back. I had reached out onto social media searching for recommendations of treatments to help him as he had gotten to the point where he was struggling to walk. My girlfriend messaged me and hands down recommended him to see Dr Suhu, who had treated her for the last few years in Bali.  I was willing to give anything a go.  Steve had one treatment with Dr Suhu. Since that day, no more sciatic pain.  Dr Suhu has an amazing presence about him. Being in his space, instantly calms your soul. It feels like you are cocooned in a warm hug even though he hasn't yet touched you. I've never come across that type of energy before. In

 " Let's go camping" "It'll be fun"    And it really was. The End.   Just kidding. That would've been the quickest and shortest post possibly in the history of blogging. But it does give you premise to how part of the conversation initally started.   I am not a camper. To repeat, not a camper. My idea of camping is in a caravan, at a caravan park with running water, toilets and showers. The idea of doing the whole bush thing, squatting to do poos and wee's freaks me out. But, I am and yes person to experiences so when the opportunity arose - there was a firm "yes" from me, despite my hesitation.  We went for two nights and three days.  I packed supplies enough for us to be stuck in the wild for two months....   I literally brought with us {including the entire house!} 17 cans of spaghetti and baked beans! There was going to be no shortage of sustenance or farting!   I still pinch myself to the beauty of the area that I live in. B

 I think it'll be three years soon that I would have been typing words onto this blog. Three years of stories, ideas and most importantly a release of sorts, coming to this website, opening the back end and watching the blinker tick away while i hang for a moment and the fingers start tapping like a mad woman. Here was me thinking that my next post would be all about my recent trip that I returned back from in Bali. I even made notes on my phone for post ideas, photographed that crap out of stuff - like a blogging boss!  - with the plan to do a series of posts about Bali. So why did I just open this fresh post up and type in "fear of people seeing". Truth - My book. I have stage fright.  Truth - My blog, I feel like no one and everyone sees this.  Second truth - Both truths are really bullshit truths. Blogging can be quite lonely. Unless you have "made it" and even that, what does that mean?? There is so many of us that purge away, create, write, press pub

  I am the daughter of migrants. My parents migrated from Poland to Australia in the 80’s during a big movement of Europeans migrating to Australia. They arrived in Melbourne, after claiming asylum in Austria under social and economic distress. Their story, which I only heard in full a few years ago, still blows my mind away. My parents left Poland during a time where there was much unrest in their country. Communist rule governed the nation. There were national curfews in place, food and housing restriction and control. You could get stopped on the street at any time by the police and they could arrest you and didn't need to let your family know where you were. If you were out in public after 10pm, you had better had a good reason; otherwise there was the possibility of being arrested and detained. Waiting in line for food for hours upon hours was the norm. Not being allowed to own a business for longer than 7 years and then handing back your livelihood to the government was st

        " Will he ever be able to read properly?" " I don't know." "You know, like a Harry Potter book or something?" "I'm really not sure. We didn't even think he would be able to speak to us a few years ago, but I think he may have trouble with big stories, maybe even filling out and understanding forms when he's older. I just don't know..." This is part of a conversation that I had recently with Ethan's Dad. Those questions that I do not have the answers for. As a mum, I am wracking my brain to work out ways that I can help Ethan with giving him the best tools and skills so that he can get through this thing we call life.  Society is brutal. And I can only imagine how even more brutal and perhaps frightening it could be for a young person with an Intellectual Disability trying to navigate their way through the maze.  I just want to protect him for the rest of my days. As Mothers do.  I've reached out to a

       I have started this post probably 50 times and that damn blinking curser on the blank page just stares back at me. Blink, blink, and blink. It has been quite easy to just press the, as my son says “x marks the spot” and shut it all down, but I continue to be drawn to open this blank page and the nudge to start pressing the buttons on the keyboard has finally allowed the fingers to start pressing. The human condition can suck balls. Most of the time.  I’ll digress. I have, ever since I can remember, had an intense feeling of inadequacy. I have, ever since I can remember felt truly alone in the world. I have, ever since I can remember had a looming sadness – a sadness that you feel in the deep, down depths of your stomach. When it comes to the “flight or fight” mode, there has always been the fight in me. I have struggled my entire life to ever be told what to do, how to think, who to be. This has served me well though throughout my life, but it has also, not served me well