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Hello again –`

I am very happy to imagine that you are sitting there, reading this, and at the same time I have to say that I am most amazed that you do so.

How come?
Well, almost everything these days is overshadowed by the election campaign in the US, the replacement of a Supreme Court Judge, and, how can it not be, the rising numbers of
Covid-19 cases worldwide.
To put a light note on the latter and then brush the issue quick under the carpet again, here is a funny thought:
“Of course the Covid-19 cases increase in numbers because there is more testing happening.
Would we do more IQ tests, there would also be more idiots”.

You may already know that, by writing each month about Ubud-related stuff, I try to help our Company keeping contact with you, our clients, and friends.
However, with the events surrounding the US election, even Kim Jong Un cannot compete in terms of catching the public eye. How then can a humble article from UbudProperty expect to find your attention at all?
Beats me, but commitment is commitment. Monthly means monthly. Thus, here we go:

Seemingly unrelated to anything which is going on on the grand international stage I had one of those ‘senior moments’, when yesterday traveling at an average speed of 34 kph to Sanur. As you see, the traffic is sadly picking up again. Takes now 50 minutes instead of 35 last month.
Without a special reason, I thought about the term ‘interconnectedness’. Maybe it came up because I read recently an article on metaphysics, which was about how we are made out of stardust, which, if true, sure makes you and me incredibly valuable and important.
A concept that is not easy to grasp.
Already my wife will disagree. She says if I’d come onto the market for sale, the sale would likely fetch far less than 75 kg of fine sand.

The plan today is, that we will try to find a bridge leading from stardust and interconnectedness to the remarkable town of Ubud.
You may have heard of the metaphor, that a blade of grass that moves in the wind in China can trigger an earthquake on the other side of the world. This of course is an extreme way of trying to explain how things are interconnected. However, because the idea is so abstract, the image easy sticks to mind, right?

What would you now say, if we find out that there is a fairly solid connection between your brain waves and Ubud, the place which is responsible for you looking at this very page?

In this month, October, which is dedicated to mental health, you will be forgiven for thinking that:
“… finally it happened, this Ray from UbudProperty, he sure lost it. He fell victim to the irrationality that there is possibly some kind of mental rubber band between the plans in my mind and Ubud- Town”.

It is your good right to suspect I went off the rails, but I was here first. So, please let me continue, although you are fully excused if you hit ‘esc’ now. What can I do anyway?

Still here? Good! Let us go on with a quick look into the latest scientific discoveries, adjusted for the layman, such as myself.

According to the big bang theory, the entire universe and all its contents were contained within a single point of infinite density and zero volume. When then this mighty explosion took place, the contents of that single point – a sea of neutrons, protons, electrons, anti-electrons (positrons), photons, and neutrinos – formed the universe in its original state. Those particles cooled, swirled around and bound to each other by the gravity caused of rubbing against each other. (Somewhat like a thin plastic foil, which is rubbed, released and is floating to your body). This way steadily growing stars formed over about 4 billion years in time.

The Canadian physicist and Cosmologist Lawrence Krauss explained in a lecture in 2009: “Every atom in your body came from a star that exploded, and the atoms in your left hand probably came from a different star than your right hand. You are all stardust; you couldn’t be here if stars hadn’t exploded, because all the elements – the carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, iron, and all the things that matter for evolution – weren’t created at the beginning of time, they were created in the nuclear furnaces of stars. And the only way that they could get into your body was if the stars were kind enough to explode. So forget Jesus – the stars died so that you could be here today.” 

Is it now too far-fetched trying to link the energy of your thoughts about Ubud to the actual physical subject?
I am asking, because if it is true that everything, indeed everything, is just energy or waves of different lengths, can there be a connection between thought energy and physical things?
Already philosophers some hundred years ago were suggesting so.
Today, based on what scientists say, there is indeed reason to take serious note that our brainwaves, made up of stored information and bioelectrical charges, are linked to hard substances such as a toilet when nature calls :o) -or even an entire town.

If, for example, such a town has created impressions deep enough to stick to our long-term memory, any related issue coming up is triggering more brain waves again to float around.
Ubud, in its particular way, surely more so than most other places, would have a special strong effect on this process.

Let us guess, what is happening to YOUR brain when the word ‘Ubud’ comes up.
Of course, each one of us has a different position from which to look. One common view would be:

Despite having a nice climate, green surroundings, good connection to beaches and shopping in Denpasar, Ubud is known as a town which is strongly connected to searching for the good life and self fulfillment.
Ubud means healing, and this concept is attractive to many in present generations, who are living under ever-increasing regulations, pressure, and environmental threats and have no fun in coping with most of this.
You don’t actually need to be in a state where healing is needed, to improve your wellbeing. If you are already happy, content and fit, Ubud still has plenty of extra attractions and adds good value to the time on earth.
Try to find any other location, where a relaxed lifestyle is possible, without unpleasant extremes as a side effect.
Ever been to New Orleans, San Francisco, Rio and other places, which seem to radiate cheerfulness and positive vibes, but also have their high dosage of stress and drama?

In contrast, have you on any visit here seen a drug addict stumbling around at the corner of Ubud Palace, or you had to move out of the way of drunken hooligans on Monkey Forest Road?
Probably not.
We do not even think of these possibilities, because they simply don’t fit into the image of Ubud, as it is established in our mind.

Before I pointed already out that I spent living and working decades in other countries.
The most delightful peak was when staying for 2 years in Martinique in the Caribbean.
What a super pretty island, well organized and highly cultivated as a State of France (Department de Paris), great people, gorgeous food, European health system, frequent daily flight connections to Miami and Europe, the list goes on, - but here I am in Bali.
Could have returned to there, but did not.

And here is why:
Although not all deserve a five-star rating, but when summarizing life here in Indonesia and particularly in Ubud / Bali, the overall ambiance has so many likable aspects that my search for a suitable place to live had to end here. Well, that is me. Others would feel happier in Madagascar perhaps.

Some years ago I was invited to hold a public speech on property issues and living in Bali.
I prepared by asking ex-pats about their personal search for the ultimate retirement location, their dreams and needs. Then I checked the Internet about the top recommended destinations for retirement. This serious in-depth research brought up the same result: Ubud is a favorite place for many people with above-average awareness. Same as you. More on being clever in a moment…

Sure, there are other nice places left on our planet.
The Algarve-area in Portugal? Life would be great there. Close to the center of Europe. But do you speak Portuguese?
Brazil maybe, having western facilities and hospitals, mountains and the sea, but also an extreme number of murders and kidnapping.
The stunningly pretty Palawan islands in the Philippines? Yes, wonderful - if you don’t mind the lack of infrastructure and an unpredictable government.

There is likely no perfect spot on our planet which is fitting the needs and expectations of everyone.
However, if we can secure our life in a 4 star rated environment, it is up to ourselves
to work on star No. 5 and then live there happily ever after.

Here, as the result of the mix of Hindu tradition and spirituality in Bali, together with the local concept that time is not very important, we find very suitable pre-conditions for a peaceful and pleasant life. Furthermore, and on a less elaborate level, I kg rice is 15.000 rupiah (1.05 USD). Fuel 6.500 per liter (0,45 USD). When not craving for imported goods, life is also very affordable.

How else come that a certain type of personality, I guess, usually with an IQ over 110, is attracted to the lifestyle here?
(Indeed some tests have shown that there is a correlation between being smart and taking decisive and effective action towards improvement).

Btw. On the internet are free tests. Take one and 
enjoy the confirmation that you are smart, -
as already proven by the fact that you intend to read a little further.

Is the following reasonably close to the image of Ubud in your mind?

• Open-minded, polite, friendly considerate population; also matching western ideals in their physical appearance (not truly essential, but comes as a nice bonus)
• Pleasant climate, due to the average elevation of 230 m above sea level, sufficient rainfall for creating a lush tropical garden.
• When coming for business, good aspects for success, because the local competitors are not (yet?) fierce business vultures, mainly due to their spiritual teachings and family values.
• A wide range of tourist and family attractions.
• Options for quiet country living outside of the township, more vivid life nearby, or a mix of both.
• Expats in Ubud can easily connect to like-minded migrants; the average age of long-term residents is 46 years. They are usually well settled, well educated, and often really interesting folks. (in Canggu/Seminyak area the average is 37 years, which indicates different lifestyle preferences).
• There is an easy co-existence going on between the very wealthy ones and the ex-pat, who needs to look more carefully when deciding if and where to eat out. (Compare to Beverley Hills or Monte Carlo, with those massive invisible barriers between the two quarters).
• Plenty of upmarket or budget Restaurants, Coffee bars, Spa, and health care facilities.
• An International Hospital is in the planning stage.
• Affordable salaries and employment conditions for caretaker, housemaid, gardener.
• Easy going authorities, when approached in the local way – polite and considerate.
• Politicians seem sometimes naive or self-serving but are at least not dangerous.
• Safety on the streets. Women can worry-free walk alone, theft is rare.
• Proximity to a number of by ex-pats favored schools
• No apparent religious tensions
and
• Last, but not least, the good people of UbudProperty, assisting anyone who asks, in bringing all this together under one roof.

This list may not be complete. Add what you know.
To be fair, we also have to say that under normal conditions the traffic in ‘Ubud is detrimental to declaring Ubud “the ultimate heaven”. But then, it is also solid proof that Ubud still has much to offer. Why else have those 10.000 visitors been flogging to town?

For most of us, there have been moments in our life where too much was simply too much.
When it was hard to take it any longer. Stress at the workplace, social tensions because maybe where we came from, we had issues with developments /opinions in the neighborhood, job, kindergarten, school. Even family issues, possibly magnified by the competitive lifestyle in the West and economy-related stress.

With that background, and based on minimum 3 decades of lessons from life, you also can relate more readily to the fact that life is finite, and that making the most out of the days is not only wise but essential. Good to be able to say: ‘thank heavens, I arranged for the changes when there still was time’.

I remember a quote from Sahdguru:
“If one of us just disappears tomorrow morning, - everything in this world will be fine”.

Right, because the world could not care less. But it would not be very fine for the one who disappeared before his/her time. What a horrible waste of potential enjoyment and happiness, which everyone has a natural right to and even duty to participate in. (just ask your parents)

Here we have it! As soon as we start to understand what is happening around us, we are wishing and hoping for the Good Life, ideally starting right now better than tomorrow...
Maybe here is the reason why you have been taking the time to go over the UbudProperty newsletter to find some confirmation for this line of thinking?

Next point. The wiser (sometimes older) we become, the more important are relationships for our quality of life.
This can go so far, that we value living in an environment, where we even want to function as members of a society with people who have ideas, attitudes and beliefs, that are different from our own.
How wonderful having the option and means to choose in such a richly diverse community like Ubud, how we want to feed our mind and how we would like to take care and being taken care of by a wide variety of available mindsets.
Here you can step out of line and do your own thing, without running against a wall of judgmental opinions.
-The locals have unfortunately their own cross to carry, as this still does not apply to them.

Anyway, some 5 years ago friends, a couple from Holland, left Bali for seeking ‘a change of tapestry’. Since February they are back again.
She was a college headmaster, he built a civil engineering Company. Both are people who are used to think straight. They said that throughout the times in Malaysia, then Vietnam, then Argentina, finally Canada, they felt and missed their connectedness to Ubud.
Once you have been living here, this certainly is easy to relate to...

So, enough said on what Ubud means to many and possibly to you too.
Of course, I propagate Ubud as a wonderful destination. Why would I not? I get paid for this.
Just kidding. I am retired and write here on my own free will, without having to free my son from kidnappers in the local tourist office.

Again, if you feel drawn towards such nice life style, it is, because your brain has been influenced by former events and experiences in your life to value such an environment.
Why not lean back and go over your plans again?

I think it is difficult to keep tabs on all the reasons for wishing and doing what we do.
The subconscious is controlled by what it feels is good for us, and therefore is often more rational than actual conscious thought. In addition, if your conscious mind also realized that in order to provide a base for contentment and happiness, moving to a place such as Ubud would be a great thing to do, then all must be right and seems to be lined up correctly.

If you, my friend, find that at least part of the above speaks to you, I will now happily close the laptop cover.
Okay, I love Ubud as you sure have noticed, so please excuse me for having kept you so long.

For special input about what to expect here or about some details you want to understand better, just email us at info@ubudproperty.com
You will find that all in the office will genuinely care. Try it.

Finally, and until next month - you will look after yourself, right? It is not so much, that we cannot overcome another virus infection, but this one, a bit nastier than others, could possibly also affect those you need to keep out of trouble. Cannot forget.

Same place, same spirit next month? Hope to see you there and then.

Cheers from
Ray for the team of UbudProperty

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