I'm actually on holiday...

From Bali 2

and in Bali, to boot. Cliche? perhaps, but get this - I meet a nice fella on a Monday and then proceeded to spend an inordinate amount of time eating, chatting, and getting to know each other while walking around KL city.

(People walk around KL City? Apparently so, and despite the crazy sweat action going on, the company was great and the distance seemed less strenuous.)

Stephen's been traveling around Asia for about 8 months or so and I met him on his last day in KL and from the get-go, we just got on. We clicked, we were on the same wavelength and it felt like we had been friends for a long time.

So over dinner - our 4th meal of the day - Stephen asked if I would be interested to join him in Bali over the weekend, which was gonna be an in-betweener before his birthday celebrations in Koh Samui. I didn't see that coming and no, it wasn't that sort of invitation. This was platonic and agenda-free, from what I could gather. And I gather good (sigh).

In spite of my usual over-mulling and calculating every last dollar, I said 'OK'. So flights were booked and arrangements were made for hotels and a driver and all that fun stuff, and 4 days after we meet, Stephen and I are in Bali.

I have to say, this is totally out of character for me. But then again, I've just turned 37, I've got major work fatigue and I figured, what the heck. Stephen didn't seem like an axe murderer, and even if he was, I'd be in Bali, so I would be dead in a great location.

So it's now Day 3 of our Bali trip and I'm happy to report that we're still friends and that we've gone on to talk about farts, Number 2's, our medical history, our sexual proclivities and our favourite lines from Sex & The City and Will & Grace.

Meeting Stephen has to be one of the highlights of my adventures in making connections. His living out of 2 bags for the past 8 months, and his playing-by-ear and go-with-the-flow state of ming are all inspiring and refreshing. He makes me look forward to turning 40. And that's saying a lot.

The fact that I'm sharing a room and bed with Stephen after having 1) lived alone for more than 11 years now, and 2) never shared rooms/beds on trips before, is truly saying a lot about this friendship. Is this growth for good ol' Jeffers?

God, I'm in Bali.