So, Bali… I don’t quite know where to start. Bali is overwhelming in every sense. To the ear, Bali is a symphony of bells, birds, gongs and frogs (not a bad combination!) To the eye, Bali is rice paddies, coconut palms, tall mountains and crafts everywhere. Even I, someone who deals in the buying and selling of crafts, was overwhelmed by the shear amount of carved, woven, printed, cast, painted, drawn, sewn, etc. crafts that lined the roads in and out of our base in Ubud. My family and I didn’t do beaches in Bali - I’ll get to those on the island of Lombok - we did culture and art. And what culture and art! Bali is primarily Hindu. That translates into constant ceremonies and festivals, over-the-top ornamentation and design and amazing music and dance. (Above photo: author on balcony in Bali)

The landscape of Bali is one of the things that struck me the most. You hear about the rice terraces of Bali but it is quite amazing to actually see them! Our beautiful, two-level cottage was set amid the rice fields so we went to sleep with a chorus of frogs and awoke to birds and the chattering of ducks in the flooded paddies. We attended music and dance performances - sometimes by firelight only. And we visited temples around Ubud that were so unlike any place of worship - Jewish, Christian or Muslim - that I’ve ever seen.

Wood worker at Tropical Salvage production facility on the island of Java, hand carving a door made out of re-purposed wood.

The shopping in Ubud (shown at right) is totally overwhelming. Literally miles of wall to wall stone carvings. Followed by miles of wall-to-wall wood carvings. Followed by paintings, followed by batiks, etc. etc. You get the picture. I couldn’t help but think, where is all of this going? And indeed, we have read and witnessed that tourism and the craft export business is down in Indonesia. We worry about high fuel and food prices, well the same thing is happening here and it’s affected tourism on an island that relies on it in so many ways. It’s affecting the price of their crafts as well and their competitiveness in a market often dominated by cheap imitations. So, Bali needs all of us I think. To visit, to learn and to appreciate and buy their crafts. In thinking about it I can’t help but feel that we need Bali too. It is a truly amazing place that adds immeasurably to the fabric of our world - art, culture, religion. If Bali becomes poorer and less able to thrive - so do we all.

For more info on Ten Thousand Villages, click here.

–Karen LeAnn McKay

We are seriously shaking our pink tushies this morning at PPnG. That means ‘incredibly happy’ for those of you new to the blog. Wink, wink… Why you might ask? Easy answer. We are huge fans of fair trade guru Ten Thousand Villages. So much so that we produced an eco-video short on their store here in Portland.

We are thrilled to welcome Karen LeAnn McKay, (pictured here in Indonesia) manager of Ten Thousand Villages Portland, Oregon as our newest blog contributor.

Ten Thousand Villages is an independent, non-profit store selling fair trade crafts from developing countries. A native Oregonian, Karen has lived in Central Africa, France, Seattle and the east coast of the United States. She has consulted throughout Africa in natural resources management, non-profit management and small enterprise development. She is passionate about fair trade, her love of beautiful things and interacting with people about aesthetics and meaning.

Stay tuned for Karen’s first PPnG blog post direct from Indonesia where she is working on fair trade projects.

I am honored to have had two of my photos (included here) featured in the July 2008 issue of Vanity Fair Magazine. What makes the whole experience even more rewarding and affirming is that they are reflections on my travels to the wonderful island of Cuba.

In my five visits over the last three years to the controversial island, I have developed a deep love and respect for all things Cuban: the people, the easy way of life, the music, the colors, the textures, the cigars, the socialist aspect of governing (where everyone is truly equal) and of course, the mojito’s. But baseball, oddly enough, is at the center of that love. Baseball is Cuba’s national pastime, and although the game has lost some of its luster stateside, it is by far my personal national pastime.

Throughout its history in America, baseball, in a very strange way has always reflected our society. Whether you’re a fan of the game or not, subconsciously your life has been impacted by the game of baseball. Point in fact: after the vicious 9-11 attacks on our country, we were all paralyzed as to what to do next. But if you remember back, it was baseball that got our country rolling again. After taking a week or two off, the Commissioner of baseball, Bud Selig, insisted that it was time to “Play Ball” and so the games resumed, as did our lives.

In Cuba, baseball is a way of life. Now, not everyone follows the game religiously, but all Cubans are quite aware of its impact upon its society and have a profound appreciation for what the game means to the island. My Vanity Fair photos are a reflection of that love.

To read the article posted in the July issue of VF, click here.

–Byron Motley

I was beyond thrilled the other day when Byron Motley said yes to my invitation to guest blog on PPnG. Byron is a dear friend, his work is phenomenal and I’m a huge fan.

Byron Motley is a singer, songwriter, filmmaker, lecturer and photographer.

As a singer he has performed and recorded with such luminaries as Natalie Cole, Dionne Warwick, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Melissa Ethridge , and Barry Manilow. He also lent his vocal and songwriting talents to movie soundtracks and TV shows including “Ghosts of Mississippi”, “Amistad”, “21 Jump Street” and “Men of Honor”.

As a photographer, his work has shown in galleries, boutiques and restaurants in the United States as well as Europe. Two of his photos are featured in the July issue of Vanity Fair Magazine, in the article entitled, “Commie Ball: A Journey to the End of a Revolution.” Click here to view Byron’s photo gallery and blog.

With diverse interests and talents, Byron is currently producing a television documentary about the historic Negro Baseball Leagues in partnership with acclaimed producer/director Penny Marshall.

Byron has also recently co-authored his father’s memoir Ruling Over Monarchs, Giants & Stars: Umpiring in the Negro Leagues & Beyond (Sports Publishing, LLC). The book chronicles his father’s journey growing up in a segregated America to becoming one of the first African-American Marines to his experiences in Negro baseball. The book is a candid, funny and emotional story that contains much historical relevance as well.

His latest CD “Jazz & Cocktails” (Cocoa Blu Records) has garnered great reviews and is receiving attention both stateside and internationally.

For more details on Byron Motley’s lifetime achievements, click here.

It was a beautiful sunny day in Portland as I walked along fabulous Mississippi Avenue with all its super cute boutiques and cafes. I suddenly noticed this interesting musician (show to the left) singing and playing the guitar. Thinking of Green Streets, I approached him, introduced myself and asked a couple of questions which he was happy to answer. Here’s a glimpse:

PPnG: What’s your name and how old are you?

Peter: I’m Peter and I’m 42.

PPnG: What do you think of green living and do you practice it?

Peter: I think it’s great. I’d love to export it to my original hometown of Atlanta. Being green happened to me (in Portland) by osmosis. I’ve been living here for most of the past 17 years and I just became accustomed to putting bottles and cans in the proper receptacle where they can be recycled. Everything makes sense. It’s not that difficult and it doesn’t make any sense not to do it. I consider myself a steward of the earth and I am happy to do all the wonderful green things that we do here in Portland and with no complaints.

Thank-you Peter for sharing.