View near The Project
Where do I begin? How do I begin? How do you describe a place that is so small yet so powerful? A place that is full of tourist traps - 'Yes, yes taxi miss?'
No thank you, can't you see I'm carrying a bike helmut? - yet make one, maybe two turns off the orang putih bus route and you are greeted with warm hellos, private ceremonies, and there isn't a tourist in sight (most times not even an expat).
Happy family
In a way, Bali is like a Mobius, endless surface area within a finite space containing as much discovery as mystery.
I still struggle to describe, much less sum up, my experience in Bali. I am forever grateful for those who opened their home to me, but that doesn't even scratch the surface of the great advice, and warm, open hearts I found. Perhaps I'm not supposed to spell it out. It was simply one of those things you just had to be there for.
If you were to ask me in my late-teens where (other than the US) I would want to live I would have said Switzerland. A few years ago I would have told you Denmark. You ask me at this very moment, I would say Indonesia. It is safe to say that I will be back. Like most places I visit, I left a piece of my heart behind, there are few pieces big enough to go back for; not just for a second visit, but for something more.
This is where we cook
Personal feelings aside, there are some cultural notes worth mentioning:
This is where we drive
For starters, you really have to admire the Balinese people. They've managed to keep out Muslim forces for centuries as well as avoid massive colonization by the Dutch. Aside from the south (Denpasar and Kota; which are mainly occupied by the Javanese, Russians, and some Chinese) they have done a good job at keeping their identity amongst a world with an increasing desire to join the homogenous virus of Western culture. I will, of course, save you all from yet another tirade by not elaborating any further. As far as, what I like to call 'tourist colonization' goes, they have done their best. They keep tourists mostly to a few distinct routes and they haven't let touristic development turn the place into Disneyland. Yes, you can see mock dances and the like, but at the same time, the people actually still do those dances at the appropriate times, with or without tourism. They bless and give offerings to everything, regardless if the tourist bus is passing by (you see it in remote villages). Furthermore, selling your land is considered dis-honorable, so family land is either leased out or does not have a price. These aspects are key to keeping 'culture rape' at bay.
The Project: one of the shrines
Does the place need improvement in sustainable practices? Yes, but it fares better than most. Is it too late? Absolutely not.
This is how I felt
Aside from being able to somewhat understand the 'interesting' tidbits that guys have to say about non-native girls (me included...don't kid yourselves fellas) standing right in front of them at the bars, knowing a respectable amount of Malaysian came in handy here. English is harder to come by and for those of you not in the know, Indonesian is the same as Malaysian with the exception of a few words and phrases. After all, back in the day, they were the same country.
One difference I found amusing is the use of the word 'hati.' Instead of 'awas' (meaning caution) Indonesians use hati-hati. Directly translated, this means 'livers.' Yes, you read correctly, 'livers.' Signs literally read: 'Livers! Hole in ground.' I'm not quite sure why or how this became the word du jour, but it is. If you take the translation one step further, in a cultural context, it still makes little sense. Hati becomes heart. So if you say 'he has a good heart' (dia ada hati bagus) you are literally saying, 'he has a good liver' but it means the same thing. So I suspect the sign could read as: 'Hearts! Hole in ground' which sounds something you would see in a tween SMS message but whatever.
Meet Neffs
Lastly, shops in Bali are often named with Hindu deities. My favorite shop name that I came across was Krisna Cargo. This is both simple and creative advertising if you ask me.
Working by the sea
Anyways, this mad sailor needs some rest. I'm sakit (sick)...again...however I'm going to pound some vitamin C and Afrika bush tea and pray it goes away. I'm not spending my last (lucky) 13 days down and out.
This is where I slept
-M
View near The Project
Where do I begin? How do I begin? How do you describe a place that is so small yet so powerful? A place that is full of tourist traps - 'Yes, yes taxi miss?'
No thank you, can't you see I'm carrying a bike helmut? - yet make one, maybe two turns off the orang putih bus route and you are greeted with warm hellos, private ceremonies, and there isn't a tourist in sight (most times not even an expat).
Happy family
In a way, Bali is like a Mobius, endless surface area within a finite space containing as much discovery as mystery.
I still struggle to describe, much less sum up, my experience in Bali. I am forever grateful for those who opened their home to me, but that doesn't even scratch the surface of the great advice, and warm, open hearts I found. Perhaps I'm not supposed to spell it out. It was simply one of those things you just had to be there for.
If you were to ask me in my late-teens where (other than the US) I would want to live I would have said Switzerland. A few years ago I would have told you Denmark. You ask me at this very moment, I would say Indonesia. It is safe to say that I will be back. Like most places I visit, I left a piece of my heart behind, there are few pieces big enough to go back for; not just for a second visit, but for something more.
This is where we cook
Personal feelings aside, there are some cultural notes worth mentioning:
This is where we drive
For starters, you really have to admire the Balinese people. They've managed to keep out Muslim forces for centuries as well as avoid massive colonization by the Dutch. Aside from the south (Denpasar and Kota; which are mainly occupied by the Javanese, Russians, and some Chinese) they have done a good job at keeping their identity amongst a world with an increasing desire to join the homogenous virus of Western culture. I will, of course, save you all from yet another tirade by not elaborating any further. As far as, what I like to call 'tourist colonization' goes, they have done their best. They keep tourists mostly to a few distinct routes and they haven't let touristic development turn the place into Disneyland. Yes, you can see mock dances and the like, but at the same time, the people actually still do those dances at the appropriate times, with or without tourism. They bless and give offerings to everything, regardless if the tourist bus is passing by (you see it in remote villages). Furthermore, selling your land is considered dis-honorable, so family land is either leased out or does not have a price. These aspects are key to keeping 'culture rape' at bay.
The Project: one of the shrines
Does the place need improvement in sustainable practices? Yes, but it fares better than most. Is it too late? Absolutely not.
This is how I felt
Aside from being able to somewhat understand the 'interesting' tidbits that guys have to say about non-native girls (me included...don't kid yourselves fellas) standing right in front of them at the bars, knowing a respectable amount of Malaysian came in handy here. English is harder to come by and for those of you not in the know, Indonesian is the same as Malaysian with the exception of a few words and phrases. After all, back in the day, they were the same country.
One difference I found amusing is the use of the word 'hati.' Instead of 'awas' (meaning caution) Indonesians use hati-hati. Directly translated, this means 'livers.' Yes, you read correctly, 'livers.' Signs literally read: 'Livers! Hole in ground.' I'm not quite sure why or how this became the word du jour, but it is. If you take the translation one step further, in a cultural context, it still makes little sense. Hati becomes heart. So if you say 'he has a good heart' (dia ada hati bagus) you are literally saying, 'he has a good liver' but it means the same thing. So I suspect the sign could read as: 'Hearts! Hole in ground' which sounds something you would see in a tween SMS message but whatever.
Meet Neffs
Lastly, shops in Bali are often named with Hindu deities. My favorite shop name that I came across was Krisna Cargo. This is both simple and creative advertising if you ask me.
Working by the sea
Anyways, this mad sailor needs some rest. I'm sakit (sick)...again...however I'm going to pound some vitamin C and Afrika bush tea and pray it goes away. I'm not spending my last (lucky) 13 days down and out.
This is where I slept
-M
View near The Project
Where do I begin? How do I begin? How do you describe a place that is so small yet so powerful? A place that is full of tourist traps - 'Yes, yes taxi miss?'
No thank you, can't you see I'm carrying a bike helmut? - yet make one, maybe two turns off the orang putih bus route and you are greeted with warm hellos, private ceremonies, and there isn't a tourist in sight (most times not even an expat).
Happy family
In a way, Bali is like a Mobius, endless surface area within a finite space containing as much discovery as mystery.
I still struggle to describe, much less sum up, my experience in Bali. I am forever grateful for those who opened their home to me, but that doesn't even scratch the surface of the great advice, and warm, open hearts I found. Perhaps I'm not supposed to spell it out. It was simply one of those things you just had to be there for.
If you were to ask me in my late-teens where (other than the US) I would want to live I would have said Switzerland. A few years ago I would have told you Denmark. You ask me at this very moment, I would say Indonesia. It is safe to say that I will be back. Like most places I visit, I left a piece of my heart behind, there are few pieces big enough to go back for; not just for a second visit, but for something more.
This is where we cook
Personal feelings aside, there are some cultural notes worth mentioning:
This is where we drive
For starters, you really have to admire the Balinese people. They've managed to keep out Muslim forces for centuries as well as avoid massive colonization by the Dutch. Aside from the south (Denpasar and Kota; which are mainly occupied by the Javanese, Russians, and some Chinese) they have done a good job at keeping their identity amongst a world with an increasing desire to join the homogenous virus of Western culture. I will, of course, save you all from yet another tirade by not elaborating any further. As far as, what I like to call 'tourist colonization' goes, they have done their best. They keep tourists mostly to a few distinct routes and they haven't let touristic development turn the place into Disneyland. Yes, you can see mock dances and the like, but at the same time, the people actually still do those dances at the appropriate times, with or without tourism. They bless and give offerings to everything, regardless if the tourist bus is passing by (you see it in remote villages). Furthermore, selling your land is considered dis-honorable, so family land is either leased out or does not have a price. These aspects are key to keeping 'culture rape' at bay.
The Project: one of the shrines
Does the place need improvement in sustainable practices? Yes, but it fares better than most. Is it too late? Absolutely not.
This is how I felt
Aside from being able to somewhat understand the 'interesting' tidbits that guys have to say about non-native girls (me included...don't kid yourselves fellas) standing right in front of them at the bars, knowing a respectable amount of Malaysian came in handy here. English is harder to come by and for those of you not in the know, Indonesian is the same as Malaysian with the exception of a few words and phrases. After all, back in the day, they were the same country.
One difference I found amusing is the use of the word 'hati.' Instead of 'awas' (meaning caution) Indonesians use hati-hati. Directly translated, this means 'livers.' Yes, you read correctly, 'livers.' Signs literally read: 'Livers! Hole in ground.' I'm not quite sure why or how this became the word du jour, but it is. If you take the translation one step further, in a cultural context, it still makes little sense. Hati becomes heart. So if you say 'he has a good heart' (dia ada hati bagus) you are literally saying, 'he has a good liver' but it means the same thing. So I suspect the sign could read as: 'Hearts! Hole in ground' which sounds something you would see in a tween SMS message but whatever.
Meet Neffs
Lastly, shops in Bali are often named with Hindu deities. My favorite shop name that I came across was Krisna Cargo. This is both simple and creative advertising if you ask me.
Working by the sea
Anyways, this mad sailor needs some rest. I'm sakit (sick)...again...however I'm going to pound some vitamin C and Afrika bush tea and pray it goes away. I'm not spending my last (lucky) 13 days down and out.
This is where I slept
-M
View near The Project
Where do I begin? How do I begin? How do you describe a place that is so small yet so powerful? A place that is full of tourist traps - 'Yes, yes taxi miss?'
No thank you, can't you see I'm carrying a bike helmut? - yet make one, maybe two turns off the orang putih bus route and you are greeted with warm hellos, private ceremonies, and there isn't a tourist in sight (most times not even an expat).
Happy family
In a way, Bali is like a Mobius, endless surface area within a finite space containing as much discovery as mystery.
I still struggle to describe, much less sum up, my experience in Bali. I am forever grateful for those who opened their home to me, but that doesn't even scratch the surface of the great advice, and warm, open hearts I found. Perhaps I'm not supposed to spell it out. It was simply one of those things you just had to be there for.
If you were to ask me in my late-teens where (other than the US) I would want to live I would have said Switzerland. A few years ago I would have told you Denmark. You ask me at this very moment, I would say Indonesia. It is safe to say that I will be back. Like most places I visit, I left a piece of my heart behind, there are few pieces big enough to go back for; not just for a second visit, but for something more.
This is where we cook
Personal feelings aside, there are some cultural notes worth mentioning:
This is where we drive
For starters, you really have to admire the Balinese people. They've managed to keep out Muslim forces for centuries as well as avoid massive colonization by the Dutch. Aside from the south (Denpasar and Kota; which are mainly occupied by the Javanese, Russians, and some Chinese) they have done a good job at keeping their identity amongst a world with an increasing desire to join the homogenous virus of Western culture. I will, of course, save you all from yet another tirade by not elaborating any further. As far as, what I like to call 'tourist colonization' goes, they have done their best. They keep tourists mostly to a few distinct routes and they haven't let touristic development turn the place into Disneyland. Yes, you can see mock dances and the like, but at the same time, the people actually still do those dances at the appropriate times, with or without tourism. They bless and give offerings to everything, regardless if the tourist bus is passing by (you see it in remote villages). Furthermore, selling your land is considered dis-honorable, so family land is either leased out or does not have a price. These aspects are key to keeping 'culture rape' at bay.
The Project: one of the shrines
Does the place need improvement in sustainable practices? Yes, but it fares better than most. Is it too late? Absolutely not.
This is how I felt
Aside from being able to somewhat understand the 'interesting' tidbits that guys have to say about non-native girls (me included...don't kid yourselves fellas) standing right in front of them at the bars, knowing a respectable amount of Malaysian came in handy here. English is harder to come by and for those of you not in the know, Indonesian is the same as Malaysian with the exception of a few words and phrases. After all, back in the day, they were the same country.
One difference I found amusing is the use of the word 'hati.' Instead of 'awas' (meaning caution) Indonesians use hati-hati. Directly translated, this means 'livers.' Yes, you read correctly, 'livers.' Signs literally read: 'Livers! Hole in ground.' I'm not quite sure why or how this became the word du jour, but it is. If you take the translation one step further, in a cultural context, it still makes little sense. Hati becomes heart. So if you say 'he has a good heart' (dia ada hati bagus) you are literally saying, 'he has a good liver' but it means the same thing. So I suspect the sign could read as: 'Hearts! Hole in ground' which sounds something you would see in a tween SMS message but whatever.
Meet Neffs
Lastly, shops in Bali are often named with Hindu deities. My favorite shop name that I came across was Krisna Cargo. This is both simple and creative advertising if you ask me.
Working by the sea
Anyways, this mad sailor needs some rest. I'm sakit (sick)...again...however I'm going to pound some vitamin C and Afrika bush tea and pray it goes away. I'm not spending my last (lucky) 13 days down and out.
This is where I slept
-M
