Life in Bali is very different from the place most expats originate from. Not just the climate or the scenery, but the whole mentality, priorities and thought process of the locals. That’s actually part of the attraction of Bali.
Recently I’ve seen a couple of examples of how local mentality is out of sync with its western counterpart. First we had Nyepi, the wonderfully absurd idea that we can chase away demons, then have to hide for a day in case they come back! At least one restaurant owner in Seminyak found himself in the kitchen the day before Nyepi, his staff all having taken off without telling him. Last night at another restaurant bar the owners were working for the same reason. “You trust them and they screw you,” the lady said to me, “they all planned this together.” For most Balinese locals a career is something that is just not going to happen. Service jobs provide an income, but when it’s a choice between pleasing the boss or attending to the important stuff (ceremonies), the job often takes a back seat.
This morning at Cafe Seminyak, I had a long conversation with Rick, from Grants Pass, Oregon. He has been to Bali a few time before and we laughed about some these differing ideas on right and wrong. I mentioned that in other parts of the country and also in Papua New Guinea, the idea that there is a balance that has to be maintained, often overrules the law. A friend on mine married a girl from the highlands of New Guinea. She said that when her tribe had a dispute with another tribe, members would meet on the edge of thew village. Food (pork and sweet potatoes) and drinks would be served, and afterwards the neighboring tribe would burn down a few huts. If it was a serious issue, involving a death, they would grab someone from the village and kill them, bringing everything back into balance. Crazy for us to comprehend, but perfectly logical to them.
This morning I read in the newspaper about how a local dispute was handled in East Bali recently. Here’s more from the Jakarta Post.
