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Life Lately: Weekend Blurb

Life Lately: Weekend Blurb

Sep 24, 2017 | Lifestyle

I was listening to Spotify the other day and I realized I don’t know any of the artists anymore. I honestly haven’t been paying attention to pop culture music, except for some of the top 40’s that play nonstop on the radio – but those are like years old anyway. I wonder if other millennials have the same experience. Maybe it’s because I live on an island, but I thiink it’s because of the “Discover” option / genius playlists–like my music is selected for me now, I just tell it if I like it or not. #MillennialProblems

Ian is on Rose Atoll right now!!! If you don’t know where that is, it’s a very very very tiny remote uninhabited island that is managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. It’s so tiny, with vegetation no taller than 6 feet, that it may disappear due to climate change within my lifetime. And entrance to the island is prohibited unless you apply for a research permit. I’m low key jealous because I’m from American Samoa but he gets more opportunities to explore the outer islands than the average Samoan because he’s in science. It kinda makes me wish I was in a science field too.

Also, Ian has my camera (I told him to take a bunch of photos since I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to visit Rose Atoll) so I haven’t taken any photos this weekend. I have another camera here at home but only one battery that gets shared between both so I guess I should buy an extra battery.

It’s like 3am right now and I’m watching chick flicks on Netflix, cuddling with my cat, cozied up under the covers and writing this blog post. This multitasking – I like.

But I should probably go to bed now. Goodnight.

DIVE LOG: Wreck Diving the USS Liberty in Tulamben, Bali

DIVE LOG: Wreck Diving the USS Liberty in Tulamben, Bali

Sep 20, 2017 | Lifestyle, Travel

My week in Bali was coming to an end and I was bummed about it. There was so much more that I wanted to do and explore, so much ground to cover in so little time. I didn’t want to say goodbye yet.

 

With a hurried sense of adventure, we took a risk, and what we ended up doing may just have been our best decision yet.

The day before our departure flight, we got on our moto-scooter and drove for 3 hours from Seminyak to east Bali, including a quick stop at Padang Bai for lunch.

Surf & sea pizza for only $7 in Padang Bai!

Our destination: Tulamben
Our goal: Scuba diving

If you’re in Bali and want to go scuba diving, there are great dive sites all along the east coast. Tulamben wasn’t our first choice–we heard lots of great things about Amed and Padang Bai, which were closer–but after finding out that the USS Liberty shipwreck was a shoredive and having the option to dive without a guide, we were sold.

I would have loved to do a boat dive and wouldn’t have minded a guide, but we were running on limited time, and still had to moto back for 3 hours to our place in Seminyak.

We didn’t do much planning for this dive, which is something we really should have done. We Googled a list of dive shops in Tulamben, and almost all of them wouldn’t let us rent gear without a hiring a guide. Finally, we found one called Madha Dive Shop. The location could not have been any more perfect – it was right next to the USS Liberty shipwreck!

We met the dive shop operator named Made, and he set us up with our gear. We forgot to bring our GoPro so we rented an Olympus Tough point and shoot camera.

And in case you’re wondering why I’m wearing a wetsuit in the Indian Ocean, they were available as an option at the dive shop and I didn’t want to risk getting cold. Basically, I’m spoiled for warm waters.

About the USS Liberty

The USS Liberty was a US military cargo ship that was torpedoed by a Japanese battleship in January 1942 during World War II. It went down 10-miles from the Lombok Strait and was tugged back to a beach in Tulamben so parts could be salvaged.

Twenty one years later in 1963, the nearby Mt. Agung volcano erupted (one of the most prominent volcanic eruptions of our era) and the rattling of the tremors caused the USS Liberty to slip back into the ocean on a slope with depths ranging from 15ft. to 75ft.

I was nervous at first

Because I always associated shipwrecks with sharks for some odd reason, and I kicked around awkwardly as it was my first time wearing open heel/strap fins.

I was totally fine though as soon as I started my descent and dipped below the surface–my weight distributed until I was neutrally buoyant, my muscles relaxed, my breathing slowed, and my ears equalized.

The first thing I noticed were the fish.

There were so many of them. At least 3 different schools were swimming past me as I sunk lower until I was hovering over the ship. And they were huge! The fish, I mean. They must be protected in that area or something because we have (some of) the same exact fish in American Samoa, but these were 2 to 3 times bigger! And they swam up to me curiously; not at all scared when I would reach my hand out to say hello.

The Lonely Grouper

This Goliath Grouper was about 4ft long and was chillin’ out super hard in one of the hollow crevices of the USS Liberty. They are typically shy gentle giants and I stared at this guy for a long minute. I also just realized that I have never seen more than 1 grouper at the same time, which is ironic because of its name.

Down here it feels like roaming on another planet and I’m flying through a spaceship

Side note: while writing this I stopped for like 10 minutes and stared at this picture of fish (below). I don’t know if it’s just me, maybe I’m really tired or something but the fish look like they’re moving! I swear, it’s so cool.

You can click on it to zoom. Do you see the fish moving? Is it really just me? Am I going insane????

There’s so much life down here.

It’s a different kind of dive than back home. Here, the ocean floor is a muck and looks bare, but after closer inspection, you’ll find garden eels and stingrays hiding in plain view. A few spots of coral here and there, but on the shipwreck there is all sorts of living matter that now take residence.

Shout out to my guy for doing it all

Driving through crazy Bali traffic (on a scooter nonetheless) to and from Seminyak and Tulamben (is nuts). But you made it happen. Thank you for resting your hand on my thigh every now and then to check on me. I am leaving out so so so many reasons why you’re amazing, but just know that you are, and that I love you!

Dive Log 05:

Date: August 23, 2017

Site: USS Liberty Shipwreck, Tulamben, Bali – Indian Ocean

Depth: 70 feet

Total time: 75 minutes

Visibility: 50 feet

Weather: Partly cloudy

Dive type: Shore dive

Gas Type: Air

Dive buddy: Ian M; Divemaster

Dive Shop: Madha Dive

 

Back on land

It was abaout 3pm when we got out of the water, and I could immediately feel gravity taking a toll on me. I trudged up the shallow beach, rinsed off, drank some iced coffee, and waited for the photos to transfer to my iPhone, while Ian bought a pair of (probably knock off) polarized Oakley sunglasses from Made’s friend who was there selling them for super cheap.

We geared up for the long ride back to Seminyak and stopped a couple of times to refuel the bike, our bellies (we needed more caffeine!!), and admire some of the most incredible views of Bali on the vistas along the way. The drive was long and hard but it was so worth it to see the beautiful countryside and witness some traditional religious rituals along the way.

Tired but stoked in Seminyak

We finally got back to Seminyak at 7:30pm. Our butts were so sore from the roadtrip, and we felt thoroughly burnt out. But we were hangry!!! We didn’t eat a proper breakfast and that surf and sea pizza seemed like forever ago. It was our last night in Bali too, so we took a cue from one of our favorite shows ever — Parks and Recreation “TREAT YO’SELF”! We took long hot showers, dressed up in our fanciest clothes, and prepared to indulge.

Ian was craving for a heavy meat so we stopped by Smokehouse BBQ for some real American goodness and ordered some of the best sliders I’ve ever had. They even had American beers! I on the other hand was feenin’ for seafood so we headed over to The Holy Crab for shrimp and callamari galore.

We stuffed our faces like mad. We were tired but we felt so electric that night–high on our epic adventure–and we had zero regrets about it!

Bali, i love you

xoxo Nerelle

One more excursion

We made one more stop to check out the popular Potato Head Club. It must have been an extra high key night for the club (or maybe there were famous people there that I missed) because the security was intense. They searched our bike before we even turned in to the parking lot, which was a bit of a maze to get to, and then patted Ian down and checked my rattan bag. I didn’t even think about what to expect of the place but once we got there, I was impressed. The exterior design of a couple thousand shutters was really cool, and inside, the vibe was really laid back, tropical, and just. so. cool… We lounged on the floor pillows to look up at the string lights swinging between palm trees and admired the view and the sound of the ocean not far away. The ambiance was so chill that I almost fell asleep right then and there, so we yawned and decided it was time for bed. We had another long day ahead of us.

All photos taken with either my iPhone 6 or the Olympus Tough camera. Ian took almost all the underwater pics!

Life Lately: Mid-September

Life Lately: Mid-September

Sep 18, 2017 | Lifestyle

Can you believe it’s already mid-September?! Less than 100 days till all my favorite holidays!

Lately, I’m learning to live slow. I have this tendency to do too much, wasting time on things that don’t matter and don’t build me up. I still need to rid the habit of multitasking, and focus myself on my priorities.

This is my life lately in photos and paragraphs.

Process.

I love spending time in the studio, aka my 2nd happy place (the first being my bed, obviously). It’s an organized mess right now, and every day it looks a little different depending on my mood. I’ve been going through my old journals, reading my favorite blogs, binding notebooks, and sewing cotton plastic bag dispensers. I have a lot of personal projects that are on my list of creative to-do’s, and since part of slow living is appreciating the process, I’ll be sharing some photos along the way.

Nerelle Notebook

When the workbench gets cluttered and I don’t want to put things away just yet, I’ll move some work to the floor.

 

The yellow fabric was from my natural turmeric dye project (read more about it here).

 

Ian made me spicy saimin with eggs and my favorite thick cut Daily’s bacon.

Nerelle Notebook

Speaking of projects.

One of my personal projects is binding notebooks by hand. I scanned, printed, and binded this traveler’s insert notebook. The painting was from last year and I’ve been meaning to scan it and do something with it, so here it is. I was thinking of selling these on Etsy eventually because I’ve been making a whole bunch. Should I?

Nerelle Notebook
Nerelle Notebook

It’s almost Officer Scruffles’ birthday.

He’ll be 2 human years next month and I still can’t believe I’ve adopted this furball. He’s such a rascal sometimes but he’s also very sweet. Gotta love his dirty little paws too. As much as I try to keep him indoors, he’s always sneaking out on a new adventure, hanging out with his puppy friends, pouncing on anything he finds suspicious, and then coming back home and spending the evening licking his dirty paws.

Nerelle Notebook
Nerelle Notebook
Nerelle Notebook

Ian-credible eats.

Ian has been on a cooking kick all week–he made all our food this week!! It’s so nice to come home from work to a handsome guy and a homemade meal. I am so spoiled and in love. We usually watch Netflix while we eat, but since we finished Limitless and Narcos season 3, we’re on a binge break. That means more balcony brunch dates and conversations.

Nerelle Notebook

Disconnect.

I always wake up and check my phone even before getting out of bed, and before I know it I’ve been scrolling for half an hour. It’s a bad habit I’ve been trying to kick, or at least control, so I don’t waste my morning staring at a screen.

Nerelle Notebook
Nerelle Notebook

Listening.

I’m still new to podcasts, but my current favorite is RadioLab. We were driving around the east side one rainy weekend and I decided to stream RadioLab on Spotify, and was blown away for the next 3 hours listening to these podcasts:

/ Where The Sun Don’t Shine

/ Truth Warriors

/ Breaking News

/ The Ceremony

/ Revising The Fault Line

Nerelle Notebook
Nerelle Notebook
Nerelle Notebook

End Ugly Instas:

I just found out about this awesome app called UNUM. It’s a free Instagram grid planner app by Adobe (which I didn’t know existed) but basically the app will automatically load all your photos onto a grid, and you can import other photos to essentially plan how your feed will look, and turn it into an #insta worthy gallery. If you couldn’t tell, I really really like aesthetically pleasing things so I just wanted to share this. I’ll probs be curating my insta with this now so you can go ahead and follow me now, it’s gonna be epic 😛

 

*This isn’t an ad or anything, I’m honestly just impressed with the app*

You Need to visit Ubud Art Market

You Need to visit Ubud Art Market

Sep 17, 2017 | Travel

About the Ubud Art Market: 

Locals call it Pasar Seni Ubud. It is one of the most popular markets in Bali, and is a must visit if you enjoy shopping and handicrafts. The traditional art market itself is located at:

Jalan Raya Ubud No.35,
Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar,
Bali 80571, Indonesia

It’s open from 8am to 6pm. The Ubud Art Market is a street maze of shops and souvenirs, and if you look hard enough and bargain, you just might find some amazing hidden gems.

What you’ll find:

// Sarongs – We call them `ie lavalava in American Samoa. Probably the most versatile piece of material ever, I love sarongs. You can find mandala prints, elephants, batik and ikat designs in every color and pattern imaginable.

// Penis things – I’m not kidding here. Lots of penis made of wood (yes, it’s punny) that pay tribute to the old practice of penis worship. I don’t know the details of the practice, but you can find huge penis bottle openers and incense holders, which might make a funny and functional souvenir.

// Jewelry – Ubud is known for its talented silver smiths, so you can find silver jewelry pretty much anywhere, and even take a silver making class! I don’t usually wear jewelry, but I couldn’t resist this sterling silver wave shaped ring I bargained for only 40,000 rupiah (~$3USD)!!

// Clothes – Lots of great cotton, linen and even silk garments. Ian bought a blue cotton batik shirt with coconut shell buttons, and I got a 100% silk batik robe which makes me feel so luxurious.

// Bamboo straws – Sustainable and makes great souvenirs to take as gifts for friends. I fell in love with these straws when we had dinner at La Pacha Mama, and was so stoked to find them at the market.

// Bags – Who doesn’t love bags? The rattan roundie bags from Bali are especially popular these days (you might have seen them on instagram). But there are so many different bags to choose from. Straw and canvas totes, cross body bags, clutches, leather purses, backpacks, yoga mat slings… am I missing more?

// Homeware – Dishes and bowls and cups, and candles and cushions and home decor. There is a lot of really beautiful handmade homeware that are perfect for decorating your home.

// So much more – There’s a plethora of fun and interesting trinkets and homeware and decorations. From keychains and koozies to handmade baskets, paintings, toys, and home goods–the Ubud Art Market is a bargain shopper’s heaven.

How to Haggle:

Ask how much, but only ask for the price if you really want to purchase it. The vendors expect that you will haggle so they’ve marked this up by a lot. I’ve found it works best to my advantage when I start asking at only 30% of the ask price. Think about how much you’re willing to pay for it, and consider the time and resources it took to make it. Be fair and always ask with a smile.

*Pro tip: Go to the market early in the morning because vendors believe that their first sale is a sign of a good luck, so they will often offer you the cheaper “morning price”when you’re haggling.

How to Deal with Impulse Spending:

I wanted to buy so many things! I already know that if I ever become a homeowner in the future, I am coming to Bali just to shop for all the cute things to fill my home! On this trip though, I came prepared to resist the urge of spending money on material things. Call me weird but I actually Googled photos of the Ubud Art Market before my trip just to see what I might want to buy and I thought about whether or not I wanted it or needed it. It was actually super helpful. I asked myself: Would I use it? Do I really want to travel with it? For so many of the kitschy things, I probably would get buyer’s regret. Plus, I was determined to make it through this trip with just my backpack and duffel, so my mind was made, and I only bought 6 things I could easily travel with.

What I bought:

1. Silk batik robe. I loooooved this purchase. One of my favorite garments to date and it was in my favorite color, green!

2. Rattan roundie bag. You can probably tell by now from all the photos that I was obsessed with these rattan bags. There were dozens of different shapes and sizes, and if I was to mail a box home, I would have definitely gotten a bunch more.

3. Incense. Ever since my trip to India, I will pretty much only buy sandalwood incense because the scent reminds me of that time of my life, which I loved.

4. Bamboo straws. I love buying things that support environmental wellness, and these eco-friendly bamboo straws were perfect for traveling souvenirs.

5. Sterling silver ring. There were so many to choose from, but I honestly didn’t even want to get a ring until I saw this very simple wave-shaped ring. It was too cute to pass up.

6. Wooden magnets. One of those kitschy things I said I wasn’t going to get, but ended up getting them because they were cute (picked out the flip flops and surfboards shaped magnets) and super cheap.

Q:

What are some of your favorite markets?

And if you could choose, what would YOU buy from the Ubud Art Market?

Meet Aidan King

Meet Aidan King

Sep 9, 2017 | Meet, Photography

We all wonder and wander in our own little way. Everybody’s got a story to tell.

If you want to have a chat, I’d love to MEET you!

Meet Aidan King

UH Mānoa college student, intern, big brother, and football fanatic.

Aidan shares his some of his favorites here at home in American Samoa, his passions, his goals, and his definition of the word ‘stretch’.

Tell me about yourself – where you’re from, age, where you live, what you’re doing?

I’m Aidan King, and I’m from here, American Samoa. I just recently moved to the Mānoa Valley in Oahu and I go to school at the University of Hawai`i Mānoa, and I’m studying to be a Communications/ Mass Communications major with an emphasis in multimedia arts. I’m 20, about to turn 21 next month though! Really excited for that.

I came back home this summer to spend some time with my family, and take a break from the semester, and I’m currently finishing up my internship at Bluesky! I interned for the marketing department, and It was beyond a great experience for me, but other than being an intern, I’m a full time student.

Current hobbies? How do you like to fill your time?

Hmm hobbies? I guess it really depends on my mood, but for the most part, I paint and do art. I really like to paint and create things. I use a variety of mediums including acrylic paint, oil pastels, and I’m now getting into watercolor, which is really cool. It’s a bit tricky for me because I’m not good at details when it comes to painting faces or stuff like that, I kind of just throw a bunch of colors together to try to create a picture.

I also really enjoy spending time with my little brother. He’s really entertaining, and it’s never a dull moment with him. Whatever he is interested in, I try to relate to and it all turns into a really great time.

I also really like swimming. Haven’t had many chances to go swimming at the beach this summer, but in Hawai`i I’d go to the beach a lot.

Oh, I also like playing and listening to music. I don’t have a set genre of music I listen to, but I’m very open minded to music.

What inspires you?

When it comes to art, I get my inspiration from things that are off the wall. Things that aren’t mainstream. I like things that may seem odd to most eyes, but I try to look deeper into it, as I try to understand what the art is really about. I enjoy, and pull inspiration from street art, or unconventional art that you see on Instagram, or Pinterest. Even with music, I like to stray away from mainstream music, and I like to find my own. But when it all comes down to it, it really is just anything that I find interesting.

Inspiration pertaining to life, or anything else I get from my little brother, believe it or not! He is only 11, but I tell you, this kid puts life into a whole different perspective, and I use him as a way to look at life differently as well.

What are you passionate about?

I’m passionate about a lot of things, actually. One of them (which is pretty cliché) is football. I really do know football; I can read and call plays before they happen, I know formations, and strengths and weaknesses of teams. Aside from football, I am passionate about creativity. I like being creative, even if I don’t put it down on paper or anything, I like seeing creativity in any form.

What’s on your bucket list?

Oh! I definitely know that going to Japan is at the top of my bucket list. And I don’t mean just Tokyo, I mean I want to experience all of Japan, like Kyoto, Osaka, Yokohama, Nagasaki, etc. I’m part Japanese, and I would love to see that side, and experience the culture. I want to travel around the world, and try different foods from everywhere, even the weird types. I want to be out at sea, to be able to be on a boat, even if it is a cruise.

Describe yourself in 3 words

Hmmm… Adventurous, Hungry, and Lost.

Adventurous in a sense that I want to explore more; to get out of my comfort zone, and try new things. Hungry, not actually hungry hungry, like for food, but hungry for knowledge in every aspect.

Also actually hungry, I want to try new and different types of food from around the world. Last but not least, lost. I admit that I am lost, not physically, but lost in a way which I don’t know exactly where I am with my life, and don’t really know where I want to go, ultimately, but I totally accept that.

I’ve said it before in past interviews and conversations that it is okay to feel lost. It is the best way to find out where you are and where you are going.

Any personal projects you have planned for the rest of 2017?

Hmmm, not any exact, big project, more like smaller projects that I eventually want to piece together at the end of the year and say “This was my 2017”. Whether it be a collection of pictures that I’ve taken, a souvenir from a place I’ve been, artwork that I have done, etc.

Favorite spot to hang out in American Samoa?

Oh Canco Hill. My friends Mana, Nikki, and Tasi live up there, all the way at the top, and they have this killer view, and it doesn’t matter what time of the day, or what the weather is like, the view remains just as thrilling as it was the first time. I also love being near the water. I love hanging out in my cousins, Nick and Chris’ backyard in Vaitogi, which are the cliffs. Being able to see the edge of the island meet the vast ocean is something really special. Also I love hanging out at my family’s beach in Poloa, although I don’t go there as much as I’d like to, it’s still an amazing place.

Favorite place to eat in American Samoa?

I have to be biased on this one, I love eating at home! My dad’s cooking? Nothing beats it in my book. It doesn’t matter, he could be making ramen noodles, and I’ll think it is the absolute greatest out there. My grandpa is always trying new things with food, and can also stick to the basics, and still make it great. My grandma is Filipino, so you already know that her Filipino food is A1!

Goals for the next 5 years? Ten years?

Definitely graduate from UH with my bachelors degree in Communications, and I would like to work in Hawai`i for a bit, gain some off island work experience. Then I eventually would like to continue on to graduate school in the mainland. I would absolute love to go to graduate school at Stanford University, and live there for a while, but we’ll see where life takes me.

What advice would you give your 10 year old self?

There are a lot of things that I would tell my 10 year old self, but if there was one thing I would share it would be “Stretch”. Stretch before and after you practice/work out, when you wake up, before you go to bed – you’ll feel better. Stretch your hand out to those in need; it means a lot more than you think. Be the reason why someone’s day was made better. And stretch beyond said limits. You are greater than you hinder yourself to be. Stretch your mind to learn as much as you can, the mind is a beautiful thing. Use it to the fullest and then some. Stretch to be a better person than you were yesterday, today, and stretch to be a better tomorrow, than you were today.

“Stretch your mind to learn as much as you can, the mind is a beautiful thing. Use it to the fullest and then some. Stretch to be a better person than you were yesterday, today, and stretch to be a better tomorrow, than you were today.”

Follow Aidan King on Instagram and Twitter @AidanKing32