I've never had less of a plan in my life than I do upon arrival1 in Bali. In all my history of careless travels, this is the most carelessly I've ever landed anyplace. I don't know where I'm going to live, I don't know what I'm going to do, I don't know what the exchange rate is, I don't know how to get a taxi at the airport--or even where to ask that taxi to take me. Nobody is expecting my arrival. I have no friends in Indonesia2, or even friends-of-friends. And here's the problem about traveling with an out-of-date guidebook, and then not reading it anyway: I didn't realize that I'm actually not allowed to stay in Indonesia for four months, even if I want to. I find this out only upon entry into the country. Turns out I'm allowed only a one-month tourist visa3. It hadn't occurred4 to me that the Indonesian government would be anything less than delighted to host me in their country for just as long as I pleased to stay.
As the nice
immigration5 official is stamping my passport with permission to stay in Bali for only and exactly thirty days, I ask him in my most friendly manner if I can please remain longer.
"No," he says, in his most friendly manner. The Balinese are famously friendly.
"See, I'm supposed to stay here for three or four months," I tell him.
I don't mention that it's a prophecy--that my staying here for three or four months was
predicted6 two years ago by an
elderly7 and quite possibly demented Balinese medicine man, during a ten-minute palm-reading. I'm not sure how to explain this.
But what did that medicine man tell me, now that I think of it? Did he actually say that I would come back to Bali and spend three or four months living with him? Did he really say "living with" him? Or did he just want me to drop by again
sometime8 if I was in the neighborhood and give him another ten
bucks9 for another palm-reading? Did he say I would come back, or that I should come back? Did he really say, "See you later, alligator"? Or was it, "In a while, crocodile"?
I haven't had any communication with the medicine man since that one evening. I wouldn't know how to contact him, anyway. What might his address be? "Medicine Man, On His
Porch10, Bali, Indonesia"? I don't know whether he's dead or alive. I remember that he seemed
exceedingly11 old two years ago when we met; anything could have happened to him since then. All I have for sure is his name--Ketut Liyer--and the memory that he lives in a village just outside the town of Ubud. But I don't remember the name of the village.
Maybe I should have thought all this through better.
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收听单词发音
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1
arrival
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| n.到达，达到，到达者 |
参考例句： |
- She's impatient for her father's arrival.她急切地盼望着父亲的到来。
- The new arrival was none other than the President.刚到的不是别人，正是总统。
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2
Indonesia
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| n.印度尼西亚 |
参考例句： |
- You see,I stayed in Indonesia for eight years.你知道，我在印度尼西亚呆了8年。
- Indonesia has more active volcanoes than any other country.印尼是世界上活火山最多的国家。
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3
visa
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| n.签证；vt.签准 |
参考例句： |
- You'll have to get a passport,and you'll also need a visa.你必须申办护照，同时还需要有签证。
- The visa expires next month.签证下月到期。
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4
occurred
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| v.发生(occur 的过去分词) |
参考例句： |
- The prosecution stated that intercourse had occurred on several occasions. 控诉方称发生过数次性交。
- These changes have occurred over a long time span. 这些变化经过了很长一段时间才形成。
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5
immigration
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| n.外来的移民，移居入境 |
参考例句： |
- The government has decided to tighten its immigration policy.政府决定实施更加严格的移民政策。
- Do British immigration laws conflict with any international laws?英国的移民法与国际法有抵触吗？
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6
predicted
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| 预言，预测，预示( predict的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- He praised the union's aims but predicted its early demise. 他赞扬协会的目标，但预期这一协会很快会消亡。
- She delivered exactly when the doctor predicted she would. 她恰好在医生所说的预产期分娩了。
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7
elderly
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| adj.年老的；年龄相当大的 |
参考例句： |
- He is getting elderly.他逐渐变老了。
- The elderly man is quite energetic.这位上了年纪的老人仍精力充沛。
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8
sometime
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| adv.将来某一时候；改天 |
参考例句： |
- He came sometime last month.上个月某个时候他曾经来过。
- It will happen sometime and somewhere.有朝一日这总会在什么地方发生的。
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9
bucks
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| n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃 |
参考例句： |
- They cost ten bucks. 这些值十元钱。
- They are hunting for bucks. 他们正在猎雄兔。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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10
porch
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| n.门廊，入口处，走廊，游廊 |
参考例句： |
- There are thousands of pages of advertising on our porch.有成千上万页广告堆在我们的门廊上。
- The porch is supported by six immense pillars.门廊由六根大柱子支撑着。
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11
exceedingly
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| adv.非常地，极度地 |
参考例句： |
- He drove exceedingly fast.他把车开得极快。
- They were exceedingly kind.他们极为客气。
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