Being a dad in Bali

Before I was a parent I had no interest in kids, and it was not my ambition to have them. Now that I have a son Jevon, I think it is the most wonderful thing. Its better than having a pet, because a pet will only take you so far. I mean the smartest dog will still be salivating and wagging its tail, even as its intelligence peaks. A kid however, is a different ball of wax.

One of the aspects of being a dad I most enjoy is to see, on a daily basis, how Jevon’s awareness grows, and how he starts to consider how his actions will affect others. Tonight we sat on the step on my porch, and watched a couple of gecko’s having sex. When I tried to photograph the action, my extented macro lens accidently tapped them, and they split.

As far as diet, Jevon is displaying ‘bule’ tendencies already. He doesn’t really like rice, but likes bread, spaghetti, milk, cheese and fruit juice. Ika said in the evening she gives him fried tempe (soybeans) in soy sauce and he loves it. when she tries to give it to him for breakfast he won’t
touch it. “There you are.” I said. “Us bule’s don’t want to eat the same thing for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

The little bugger can now climb up on the table, climb out of bed and into the bathtub. He touched the hot iron the other day, so has an idea of what ‘hot’ feels like. So far we have not used a ‘Kiddie backpack’, only the sling that Ika had, or a push chair. We either carry him or he walks. In a restaurant he is happy to sit in his own chair. Having a kid in Bali has been very easy so far.