Notes from Bali

Firstly, thank you for all you messages and well wishing.

Working with so many children this last week has reminded me what it is like to be like a child again: Curious, playful, joyful, playing the fool, simple amusement, lightness and full of wonderment. In fact it is impossible to be serious or heavy here!

Each day I have no idea what I will be doing, yet each day turns into an adventure. Typically I will call into the Bali Children’s Project HQ at 8 a.m. and they will send me to a village to teach. Last Monday I headed to Gianyar, 30km from my home, to teach an expected twenty children. Thirty eight turned up of different ages, full of mischief and enthusiasm to learn. We learnt how to order in a restaurant with hilarious role-plays with little waiters and waitresses followed by a few bundles and games near the rice paddies. I actually turned up a little late to the class owing to a burst tyre on my bike. Much to the amusement of the locals was the scene of a foreigner pushing his bike uphill for a mile in the blistering heat to find the nearest repair shop!

Then later in the week I got the call to head up into the mountains of Munduk, in Northern Bali, 2hrs away. Feeling like the flying doctor I scooted up winding roads, avoided numerous potholes and wacky races stlye driving to arrive to a greeting by the whole village which included wonderful food, wonderful views and a nights stay with a family. We all stayed in a one room. Grandparents, father and mother, four kids and me all sleeping side by side in age order!

I love the fact that I don’t know what I’ll be doing each day or who or how many people I will be teaching or what part of Bali I will be visiting. It demands that I am creative, spontaneous, comfortable with the unknown and have a good sense of direction to navigate the unsignposted roads. It also gives me a chance to meet so many varied people and get a taste of what it is life is life of Balinese people.

It seems Balinese people are genuinely kind hearted and warm but are fast grasping for the ideal of success . Asking elders whether they preferred life in Bali now or thirty years ago they are unanimous that they where far happier before when benevolence was the main facet of Balinese life: when the whole village helped someone to build a house, when ceremonies had meaning rather than just a tourist show and when someone was homeless or in need they would be welcomed into a household. In fact before the advent of tourism very few people were in poverty here, the land and benevolent system in place provided plenty of food and shelter for everyone. Yet the spectre of success (bigger car, gate house, more new friends) through servicing tourists and people moving out of their communities of origin has engendered self interest, where it is rare of anyone to do anything for free, where theft and violent crime are on the increase and where the rich/poor divide is widening. When I asked what their view of what life in the west was like, their fantasy is that it is a place where no one goes hungry, everyone is happy and has what they want. Ironic projection given what Bali used to be like

Interspersed with meeting the local people and children I have had the chance to visit beautiful botanical gardens, take long walks in the jungle see waterfalls and monkeys and also indulge in the famed Balinese long-stoke massage. Funnily enough I was a little confused during the massage as the rather attractive masseuse asked if I would like it “With pleasure”. After the massage I realized she was referring to having the massage with ancient art of “acupressure” which of course I had received!

I look forward to posting same time next week. Unfortunately I’m having trouble uploading pictures so two will have to do for this week…..please feel free to post a message in the meantime