Simplexity of Human – by Mohammed Ali
25 March 2021
Settling into the local rhythm
24 January 2025
What a profound statement to be greeted with on the morning of our Anisa’s induction day
Dear Friends
Well, I know some of you may be thinking, Bali? Indonesia? How?
I cannot start the first newsletter of the year and start of our journey, without a nod to my mother, who returned home in October last year. She was my role model and a rock. As we were growing up she always shifted our focus to how important education was for us and our futures : “It will be something you will fall back on one day”. I’m sure she was referring to education in it’s many forms.
She was also a woman of strong faith, never really at peace (with 5 daughters and 2 sons – it was a tall feat!), but her faith helped her hugely. She handed this spirit down skillfully to all her children – despite the challenges life presented us all. I am in such gratitude for having being brought into this world through such an intelligent, smart and loving human being. I can feel her with me every single day.
Rest peacefully. Until we meet again.
How it all began
Around this time last year, we had friends staying with us in London. Tim, Yasmene and their beautiful girl, Hadeeqa – The founders of The Tealeaf Trust (Look them up – they have and continue to do incredible work across Sri Lanka). They were travelling from New Zealand at the time and we got onto the conversation of our girls education – who were born weeks apart.
They shared the details of the school they enrolled their daughter into – The Green School – after doing a lot of extensive research.
We were inspired!
Our daughter was having a difficult time with her school – often asking us why we were sending her to “Juvie”. It felt too soon to be sending her from a primary space with a community feel, to secondary. Middle school was missing!
So we asked her if she would consider this opportunity and she lit up. Her application – an essay and a video testimonial – was completed in half an hour.
At the same time with world events happening, particularly with the destruction of the majority of the Palestinian population and its land – something just wasn’t sitting right for me. I wanted our daughter to have an education which was in line with what was happening in our world – now. Today. Not about the past or the future – and the ethics of the Green School fit.
Our current climate predicament was also instrumental in my thought process – and yes – we are conscious of our carbon footprint on our planet. This is not a flyby holiday – we have had less of those over the past few years and work (and the opportunity to perform the mandatory hujj) was the only travel motivation. This felt like an investment in our daughter and ourselves in the time of our metacrisis. So we have given this educational trip a year. If we decide to go back into the British curriculum, now is the time to do this.
Travel ready at Gatwick Airport
At the top of the world’s tallest building in Dubai – The Burj Khalifa. Our flight delay meant we missed our connection, so Emirates put us up for the night until the next flight to Bali early the next morning. Not a bad vantage point to begin a year of project based, now based, community based learning.
No sleep was had.
We arrived 34 hours after leaving the UK and the jet-lag set in.
A quick beach stop next to the airport.
Finding our home for the year
We were told by the School that most parents rent an airbnb for a few weeks and then look for somewhere to live while they are in Bali. There is a lot of construction happening across the country as a whole, and we were advised to see a property before committing for the year.
We were very lucky to have Yas – who was a great help in showing us some properties at the end of last year. We wanted to be near the school for convenience and after staying at an airbnb for a few days, we are now settled into one of these houses. Thanks Yas!
Making Conscious Tech Decisions
Something has felt awry since I have been learning about our climate predicament, and with all of the conflict in our world, it has felt as though the most important thing we can do as citizens of our planet is to be more conscious as consumers, and this also includes tech.
This newsletter has taken a while to release because I was researching the companies I have been using for work. My previous newsletter subscription company are owned by corporates – who invest in Arms. So it was time to change. Yes, I am aware that this could change again – but I’m still doing everything I can to stay informed. Check these guys out as a starting point – The Ethical Consumer
The other thing I have stepped away from is Social Media. I don’t think there is any need for an explanation here. I was addicted and it has been hard to come off completely – but I am doing better than I thought I would have. It is a process.
Having said all of this, guess where all the Green School Community messages take place. Whatsapp and Facebook – the Meta connections which I am trying to get away from – persist. It’s incredible how we become so unconsciously reliant on these platforms – for connection. Once we settle (hopefully by the end of the month) – I will give it another go.
Reflections
The last few months have been tough for me. Deep loss and uncertainty with such a big decision resulted in me being ill when we moved into our home. It was pure exhaustion. I slept a lot, ate raw and drank a lot of water (my mother kept saying “water is life” during the last few weeks of her life. Sound statement).
It is not lost on me how blessed we are to be able to take this journey. Did we know we would be here this time last year – no – it was a bit of a dream. And here we are – with challenges.
So just a little reminder to everyone. The grass is never greener on the other side, definitely follow your dreams and do your best for your children (and they don’t need to be yours!). Give them enough string to lead their way. We need them to do this more from the inside out – than ever! Trust their instincts as well as yours. If the path feels effortless – it’s a good sign. It will not be without challenges, and these are designed to help us grow.
We are all in the right place, at the right time, – even if it doesn’t feel like it sometimes.
Just follow your heart.
Reflections from Suleiman
Getting on the plane to Bali felt like a real achievement after the stresses of the previous few weeks. Our missing cat continued to cast a shadow over our journey, but knowing that so many people were committed to finding her gave us much comfort.
The plane from Gatwick left 2 hours late due to de-icing which – given we only had a 1hr 50 min connection in Dubai – meant we were up against it to make the second leg of the flight to Bali.
I secretly hoped we wouldn’t make it, as that would mean an unscheduled day in Dubai, and so it transpired! It was particularly enjoyed by Anisa who had never been before. My last visit was 20 years ago, and a good day was rounded off by an excellent dinner at Mahnaz’s friend’s house (thank you, Neelum!).
We didn’t sleep but flew at 3am, and therefore instead of arriving in Bali at 10pm on the Thursday night, it was 4:30pm on the Friday afternoon. On reflection, it worked out better this way.
My inflight movies, incidentally:
In Bruges: 9/10 (a modern classic, IMO)
American Fiction: 8.5/10 (very wry, funny and moving film about an unsuccessful African-American writer who writes a “down-with-my-boys-in-the-hood” type of book as a laugh, and sees it lapped up by Hollywood)
Kneecap: 7.5/10 (very enjoyable Irish film about the Northern Irish rap scene)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: (no rating – clearly a great film but a complex one requiring full attention and watching on a plane and interrupted by sleep isn’t conducive to accurate scoring)
Dinner for One: a 20-minute short from the 1960s featuring British comedian Freddie Frinton that has bizarrely became a staple of German and Northern European Christmas/New Year schedules. The three of us watched this simultaneously and really liked it.
Feeling the sweet, humid air of South East Asia felt fantastic. We spent the first night at a nearby hotel, and after breakfast of egg fried rice at a local cafe and a brief walk on the beach, we checked out and journeyed 90 minutes in the steamy rain to our AirBnB for the week.
We initially arrived at a very basic traditional Balinese house. Confusingly it lacked the promised pool but in its place were chickens, a dog and a mattress in the yard! Clearly the wrong location (as evinced by the politely bewildered reaction of the very old Balinese couple when I asked where the Homestay was).
We finally arrived at the AirBnB in Abiansemal, a basic affair for the week which gave us time to find our permanent base for the year. In fact, we were able to check out early as having seen three properties on the Monday, we plumped for a house 10-15 minutes’ walk from the school, and which has space for guests too.
Some initial reflections on Bali:
1. The Balinese people – Clearly tourism and attitudes to monied visitors from overseas (and probably colonialism) play a part, but they have been without exception very kind, welcoming and proud of their island.
2. Weather – It is rainy season until April but the cloud and rain of the first few days has given way to days of blazing sunshine and torrential downpours. It’s said that you haven’t truly seen rain until you’ve seen it in South East Asia. Well, I’ve seen it now!
The heat is constant at around 28-30c, but it is the humidity which is the most challenging. 2-3 quick cool showers a day are sometimes in order. But I can’t complain, as t-shirt weather is my happy place.
3. Guests:
– Mosquitos – not too bad so far, they appear to be mute and not the outgoing type. Have been warned not to be too blasé about them, though, as some carry dengue.
– Ants – an open bag of Haribos taught us a valuable lesson
– Spiders – I have no issues with spiders and there are so few of them here, unlike the warnings we had before we left.
– Lizards – I do have problems with reptiles, but these are so sweet. They occasionally make a cawing call that sonically sounds like “Geck-oooo”. They seem more scared of us than we are of them, so even hearing their call in our bedroom in the middle of the night is not as terrifying as it might seem.
We had one under our dining table – Lizzie the lizard – who didn’t move for a day or so. We thought she was being indolent and just having a snooze, but sadly not. RIP Lizzie.
I am very conscious that we are guests in their native habitat, and not the other way round.
4. Getting around – Taxis are plentiful, usually booked via apps like Grab and Gojek. They’re cheap too. A 25-minute drive to the popular area of Ubud – full of brunch and yoga and massage places – costs the equivalent of £4-5. The airport is 90 minutes away and costs just £8-9.
Just as the streets of the Netherlands are thronged with families on bicycles, the predominant vehicular culture here is not cars, but scooters. We’ve seen them driven by pensioners (who look like they shouldn’t have a licence), lots of women of all ages (some juggling young kids), and even what appear to be 10 year olds (who definitely don’t have licences!). It’s really quite a sight when a horde of thirty of them scoot off from a set of lights.
We have to walk in single file on most roads as they are narrow with no pavements as such.
5. Events back home – Thanks to iPlayer and a VPN app we are still able to keep up-to-date with The Traitors. Episodes drop at 10pm UK time which is 6am here. We aim to watch it at breakfast but always end up watching it the following evening. (Prediction: Charlotte FTW)
Waking up to the results of English football matches is a complete novelty for me. Anything that kicks off later than 3pm in the UK will mean staying up to nearly 1am here, and committed as I am to the beautiful game I value my sleep more.
I did make an exception on Saturday and watched Darwin Nunez score two late goals for Liverpool, and my screams showed you can take the boy out of Liverpool but not the other way round. Perhaps the answer is more of the dreaded 12:30 kick offs in the UK which will be prime time (8:30pm) here?
My Lowlight: On one of the first nights, walking close to our home in the dark with lots of wild dogs baying and barking. This wasn’t the Bali I thought I would be encountering!
My Highlight: Waking up on Saturday to the news that our cat was found safe and sound after 12 nights away.
Actually, to be totally honest, it was Darwin Nunez’s first goal! (Mahnaz, please edit this bit out, thanks x)
Anisa’s Experience
Hello!
My first week in bali was really nice.As soon as we left on our second flight everyone stopped being stressed and switched to tired and a bit more relaxed but we were all still busy.
When we arrived in Bali i was jetlagged, exhausted and ready to chill for a bit in our hotel with a nice book. After that, i was still tired but we took an hour or half hour car journey to our air b and b. Bali was so different to the uk being much more hot and more “jungle like”. I was still worried about my lost cat Singapurra who was lost a couple of days before we left, but there wasnt enough time to concern about her as we were looking at houses and villas where we could live. The first one was boring and had a broken fridge and no doors to block the mosquitos.
The second house had 2 floors and a swimming pool with a large inflatable whale that was taking up most of the space. It was nice altogether but didnt have a couch , but only hard wooden chairs and benches which really hurt my bum.
The third villa was really nice and much more modern and in my opinion built a bit better than the others.It had a massive swimming pool and those amazing LIGHT UP MIRRORS.
However my dad really loved the 2nd house so we went with that which was okay i guess as it was still nice but my bum still hurts a little bit.
This is getting really long so i will skip to yesterday\orientation day at the green school.
And i really like that school but am scared that i will make no friends and look lonely. But the food is really nice and i have after school clubs for trading investment and literacy and stuff.
Also yesterday……..
MY UNCLE FOUND MY BABYCREAMPUFFSINGYBINGY!!!!
YAYAYAYAYAAYAYAAYYAYAYAYYAYAYYAYAYYAYYYAYAYAYYAYA!
Im excited for school now.
BYE BYE!!!!!!!!
So now, you have heard a little about our journey, please do write back and tell us about yours. With little and no presence on social media nowadays, this is the only way we can keep in touch with friends/ family/ aqcuantences/ teachers and my fellow learners. So do please keep me posted on how you are doing. I will read and repond and like the idea of taking this slow approach with little to no distraction of an app on my phone and the worldly dramas which play out – just like the good ol’ days. If I need to know something, i will hear about it. This was something I said about mainstream news channels years ago. Social Media is sadly no different today.
Drop us a comment below, which we will all read.
With Love
Mahnaz
Date : 10/01/2024
61 Comments
Absolutely loved reading this blog!!! Everything written is so inspiring. Its a massive step you have all taken and I cant wait to find out more about your experiences.
Hope you guys have settled in and are keeping well 💚
Thank you, Khadija. We can’t wait for you to come and visit 🙂
Really enjoying your journey so far, escape the noise and reconnect with what is important family, 💚
Thank you, Jason. Focusing on what’s more important than anything else. Our planet, our community and ourselves – hopefully in balance
Loved reading this and your new journey ahead wishing you all well In your new chapter agree totally follow your dreams dont just say them do them as life is to short loved reading your journey so far
Thank you, Barbara xx
Reading this has given me smiles, joy and tears. Following your intuition, guided by wisdom and research is inspiring. Thank you.
And open you can find some comfy chairs !
Thank you, Helen! It’s been a rollercoaster and worth every minute. Trusting the process 🙏🏽
So wonderful to hear all your news! You are, as ever, an inspiration – your resilience, wisdom and balanced perspective are wonderful. So great the way your blog started with a tribute to your mother. Sending huge love. Just about to go into hospital for a total knee replacement – so I’m out of action for a while. Have fun all. xx
Thank you, Kim! Holding you in our thoughts as your body welcomes your new knee. Healing vibes on their way and ease in recovery too xx
So inspiring Mahnaz, wishing you all the best for your new adventure, ❤️ Looking forward to hearing more stories xx
Thank you, Nazima. Hope you and family are all well xx
Absolutely loved reading this glad you got there safe and saw Dubai too!! Great to hear you’ve found a house too. Send me some bali curry and rice, the rice tastes the best.
Jealous of the weather nothing but cold and rain here. Hope the amazing journey continues xx
Thank you, Saj. Glad you’ve enjoyed reading this. The food is yummyt. I can bet you anything we have more rain than you here, although I do love the rain and it’s welcome in the heat. Side effects – Mosquitos. They like our blood. Hoping they get bored!
Dear Mahnaz, what an AMAZING life adventure for you all, I loved reading Anisa’s thoughts & look forward to hearing about her school adventures. Sending you all much love, I hope you get to experience some Balinese gamelan music!! 🎵 xx
Thanks Anna. Balinese music is played every day at school so we are experiencing it a lot. I hope your family are all doing well xx
Thank you Mahnaz for all the beautiful sharing!So inspiring! I am sure it is a wonderful experience to be so close to nature’s beauty and Bali’s lovely people
We are all well, thank God! Sending hugs to all of you!Keep you in my heart.🥰
Thank you for reading, Lili. It is special. Glad you are all well – please give your little princess a hug from me. You are in my heart too! xx
I will my dear! Sending hugs to you and beautiful Anisa! 💚Happy for your experience.Waiting forward for the next postings!😇
Lovely to hear from you and read 3 different accounts which I noticed my brain read in your 3 different voices. What an adventure … wishing you all a wonderful time. Had no idea your cat went missing but so glad it’s been found. Thinking of you and missing your presence in the UK but happy to know you are out in the world and living your path. I’m excited to read more. Big love and hugs, Ahmad
Thank you, Ahmad. Singy definitely had us on tender hooks. I hope you and Ella are well and thriving. ps. Shook man will soon be making an appearance! 🙂
It’s obviously been quite a journey already! Sending you all love as you embark on your new adventure. I’m in awe of the boldness of your decision and also its clarity. I wish you loads of happiness for your exploratory first year. It was great to read your three different perspectives (and ongoing sweetness to you, Mahnaz, as you reorientate after the loss of your dear mother – who is clearly still an incredible force for good in your life.) looking forward to hearing more over the weeks to come and hopefully “popping” over to visit at some point. And a question for Anisa… I’m going to visit a four-year-old cat today with a view to possibly adopting her. What are the pros and cons? Do you think I should – and we why? Much love, Olivia xxx
Thank you, my dear friend. I am so glad you enjoyed it. Anisa will respond shortly x
Hello auntie Olivia thank you for the nice message but for the cat :
Pros: They are easier than dogs
They are cute
You don’t need to scoop the poop
They are independent
Needs feeding twice a day
They reduce stress and are therapeutic
Cons:
May get fleas but that’s a teeny meeny possibility
It depends on the cat really like the environment and if it’s indoor or outdoor but I think that you should definitely adopt it because CATS ARE AMAZING🐱🐈⬛🐈😸
I would echo this.
Cats are so beautiful and elegant and independent, provide great companionship, and are known to reduce blood pressure.
Unless you get a psycho cat, Olivia, and there’s only a small chance of that … (40%)
Ooops! Sorry about the typo!!
What typos? I felt your words – way more important 🙂
How wonderful to read your updates, I love how different they are, it’s reminding me of having pen pals when I was a child! Lots of love!
Thank you, Claire. I never saw it like that – I loved having a pen pal. Social media makes things too convenient and recently more congested. Feeling so much space without it now.
Loved reading this. I think it’s great to write a real ‘letter’ like the good old times as children we had no social media you’re so right! Beautiful home and the photos made me smile to see you all. Look forward to following your adventures! xx
Thank you, my dear Nadia. It’s the space in my head that’s been created which I value more than anything else. Time feels more fluid already xx
Just joyful reading this! As you know we did a similar move (although now thinking we could swap Kent for Bali!) for quality of life, particularly for Stella. A few years ago, just before she started school we took a Sabbatical and travelled to Sri Lanka for 6 weeks. Best life experience ever. Love the idea of following your dreams. Life really is too short. Lots of love ❤️
Thanks, Jenni. Sri Lanka was a wise move – I didn’t realise you’d taken a Sabbatical. It really makes for more well rounded kids – and I am so aware of how lucky/blessed we are. It feels profound leaving the Global North – which has its benefits. It is very different here. Lots of love to you all xxx
I’m so glad you guys are settling well and you found Singapurra! I loved reading everyone’s perspective. Please get Anisa some cushions for the hard chairs!!
Orkney is freezing cold but you know I do like the cold but it’s getting a bit too cold for my liking now. The snowdrops are out which means nature is rejuvenating and waking up after its slumber.
We escaped most of Storm Eowyn but wave watching was very cool, (from the safety of my car as the wind was so strong I struggled with opening the door)
Love you lots and sending you some cooling breezes your way!
We have cushions! The landlord has been great.
Isn’t this all preparing you for the North Pole or Alaska? You really are a crazy woman and I love it!
Ahhh snowdrops. Spring is in the air!
I’m sitting here responding to comments while a storm passes through. Absolutely hammering it down and the tall tress are almost horizontal in the crazy wind. In minutes it will be clear again.
Love you too xx
So excited to read this, you’re an inspiration lots of love to you all
Thank you, lovely Lara. Where are you in the world atm? We so missed you in Nelson Road!
Loving this! The Green School has been on my radar for a while so I’m excited to hear stories from ‘the inside’ so to speak!
Thanks Rachel. We will share as much as we can 🙂
This is a beautiful idea and a gift to all of us to be able to learn and follow and be inspired by this mighty project. I absolutely love the 3 different accounts and it offers such a great perspective on who you are and your collective experience.
Sending you lots of love and duaas to you all. I’m so excited to keep receiving these updates. What a blessing!!
Ahhhh bless you Arwa. Thank you. You are as much a blessing as I am. I’m looking forward to seeing where your heart leads you. I will be there to support in any way I can. Love you dearly.
Lovely to read your journey. Exciting times.X
Thank you, Shirley 🙂
Hi Mahnaz,
Found this truly inspiring and looking forward to hearing more about your new life.
What an amazing decision to make and I can see why. Taking positive, proactive steps to improve your lives is the key and we forget sometimes we have the steer of our lives, when bogged down with the grind, and historical beliefs of how to live your life.
We’ve got to grab with both hands.
I’m still busy with community development, like when I met you at SCCL. It makes me smile seeing the libraries posts. This year, the snake feels very pertinent and I’m shedding all things that no longer fit or feel of purpose. Ensuring I have time for daily creativity and space
Hoping you all cintinue to thrive
100% Alison. You are a real asset to community work in London – your support was appreciated. It’s a shame it was short lived. The shedding of these layers will be profound I am sure and will lead you to a new awareness. Excited for you too.
Mahnaz this was so lovely to read!! And I’m son glad we will still hear from you this way as I did panic when you said you were disappearing from social media but totally understand why. I also love the 3 views of your experience to far, what a great idea, and thank goodness the cat turned up! It’s awful when they do that, had happened to me twice and both times I was like ‘but where have you been?!’ Expecting them to tell me 😆.
Anyway can’t wait to hear more of your adventures, cold and gloomy here today but I’ve had a fabulous week under the Aquarian new moon and things are continuing to take off! Lots of love and hugs to you all, and enjoy this amazing experience! 🙂❤️🌙🌳
Haha! Cats hey? It was such a relief when she returned! I wish I could speak with animals.
I do miss your lightness and sharing on Inst (and others too) – but I really am not aligned with Meta any longer and can’t perpetuate its usage. The last month has been a huge turning point.
It is a lunar year this year! We’re all as ready as we will ever be
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Thank you and much love to you and your beautiful family xxx
Love your blog Mahnaz. What a fantastic adventure to be undertaking, good luck with everything. Xx
Many thanks, Christianne xx
What a brilliant blog! I feel so connected to your journey and love that all three of you shared your experiences.
Thank you, Harbi 🙂
Love this! What an exciting time for the three of you. Hope to hear more about your experiences in Bali.
Another one coming shortly. I am looking forward to reading your piece btw! Thank you for reading xx
hey amazing to read your highlights of your trip so far – it sounds exhilarating and I’m sure you’ll all be learning so much by living out there. Wishing you the best of luck out there whilst you settle down, and so glad you managed to find your cat! I look forward to hearing more about your updates 🙂
Thank you, Imran 😊
Dear Mahnaz,
Loved reading this.I had no idea you were making such a move. Very inspiring. Lovely to read your family’s perspectives. Such a beautiful place, it’s going to be an amazing experience.😊
I’m so glad you found your cat.❤️
Thank you for reading, Maariyah. It was a huge relief to have Singy home 😊
I must say I really enjoyed reading your blog. I found it inspiring. I wish you guys all the best in Bali!
Thank you, Jamaal 🙂
Wow.. Thankyou for sharing! Hope you guys have settled in and are enjoying Bali.. keep me posted
Ahhh you’re welcome D! You can catch up on the latest if you go to the next blog. There are a few 🙂