"I was unmistakable part of the natural rhythm of a place and life itself seemed entirely worth living" ~ Alice Waters
So obviously it's been a while since I've written anything. The thing I've been busy doing who knows what. I guess the update is that I'm just enjoying myself.
In short, I'm living in Bali and loving it. I have a job teaching english online and spend my days off at the beach or exploring new places. I would suggest to anyone that has the chance to come to Bali for yourself to experience the magic, like my sister calls it. And it really is magical. There truly is something special about this place and the people that live here. For some reason it's like a little oasis in the world. The generosity and respect Balinese have for each other and everyone else is like no other. They are caring and peaceful and pretty much the definition if laid back. And most of all they are accepting. Accepting of others, of their lives, of obstacles. The don't try to change things or control things. I'm sure most if them ignore the things that could cause stress and focus on the beautiful things in life, thankful for what they have. And they are friendly, but not in a just being nice because they feel they have to be way. They are friendly in a long-lost-friend kind of way. They are welcoming to foreigners and want to share their culture.
This is another thing to mention. Even though there are so many tourists and outside influences swarming the island, the Balinese culture is so rich. Of course there have been changes over the years, but they don't take away from the spirit of the culture. I don't know what it was like here 50 years ago, very different from what I hear, but today the Balinese still hold on to their traditions and way of life that identify them. This focuses around their religion. Balinese Hinduism is about honoring the gods and respecting life. I do believe there is no other group of people like the ones living on this little island.
Each day they take time to offer thanks to the gods by making a flower offering and placing it in their homes or family temples.
There are also about a million ceremonies too, to honor specific things like the full moon, the goddess of education 'Sariswati', or recently there was one for transportation like bicycles, motorbikes, and cars. For these ceremonies offerings are taken I the community temple for praying. Everyday it seems there is something to celebrate and honor. It's hard to keep track of! There is a lot to learn about this way of life, it seems complex, but the theme of it all is to be thankful and respectful to life. It's a great place to learn about the pleasures of life.
