MORNING OFFERINGS

          One of my favourite places to visit is Bali. I find joy and peace in her beaches, culture, simple life styles and kind people. Sure, I can see they have challenges like the rest of us, but they seem to have attain some inner peace which eludes the rest of us. Perhaps it is their strong belief in their religion where about about 90% of the population practise Hinduism. 

     Every morning, the women will make offerings in a tray containing little plates weaved from coconut palms and filled with fragrant chopped screw-pine leaves and colourful balsam flower petals together with lighted joss sticks.

The offerings can be bought in the markets with the palm leave plates already filled with flowers or the items can be bought separately and put together later.
This little girl has already learnt the art of making the plates by cutting and shaping the palm leaves with the large blade. She is so young yet she has learnt how to handle the blade so carefully and expertly. When there is a need, kids grow up so quickly. Looking at her, I realise how protected city kids are with our kid-safe knives. 

In the markets, the ladies arrange the many different coloured flower petals in the palm leaf trays for sale which are quickly bought for the morning offerings.

The offerings can be placed in specific prayer areas,

by the roads just next to their shop lots, homesor at the entrance of their shops.
These offerings are carried out without fail every morning and the streets are lined with palm leaf trays, flower petals and joss sticks.

POWER TO THE BALINESE LADIES

 The women in Bali need no  empowerment lessons. They were empowered before this word was coined. The word "empower" had been hanging around for quite some time, like since the 17th century. In 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton had tea with four friends and questioned, "How the republic would benefit with women playing more active roles in society?" This chit-chat become the impetus of a "revolution." Well actually not quite a rioting revolution, but the first public meeting for gender equality. 

 I believe the Balinese men are just as hard working. But, when I moved around the streets of Bali I marveled at the ladies. Dressed in their kamben (similar to the sarong), kebaya blouse very often in lace and sometimes with a waist sash (sabuk), they moved so effortlessly with their daily chores.

 Whether carrying prayer offerings for an "upacara" (ceremony), 

beginning the daily morning offerings,

 carrying impossible loads on their heads or

amazingly riding side saddle. They are LADIES WITH SUCH GRACE and OMPH!  

I caught some young ones at Sanur beach 

in more comfortable (to me) wear. 

When I returned home, 

I walked with a book on my head (it couldn't be that hard)

and sat side-saddle on a motor bike like women also in Vietnam and India. 

Alas, I failed miserably. The book fell off. I slid off the bike. OUCH!

I was born and bred a Malaysian, 

NOT a gracious svelte Balinese lady. 

Embrace DIVERSITY.

BALI - CHILDREN WITH SMILES

 

Balinese children are born to sun, row and swim in their lovely tanned complexion. 

 Oh, how I wish for  their natural sun baked colour. I go out in the sun, just to dry the laundry and the freckles on my face light up like bulbs on a Christmas tree 🎄.

Taking a page from my 2017 holiday collection, when holidays were a norm then, I found these children just having a good time. 

The sun was hot in the early evening. No need for expensive toys, speed boats or jet skis to have fun.

A ducky float and 

a good friend makes their day.

When the sun got low and it started to get cool, the babes got wrapped up into cute bundles.

 The sun has gone to bed and so must I.

'Tis time to bid you "selamat tingal" (adieu).

"Mak's waiting with 'makan' and I must 'pulang ke rumah' (be on my way home)."

YOGA AT SUNRISE

 

Is what the local people at Sanur Beach, Bali, Indonesia practice every morning. This is how a day should really start - 

exercising in the “nippy air” with a golden sunrise and to the sound of lapping ocean waves. At sunrise, I am already stuck in traffic jams driving Savvy Girl to school and rushing to clock in at work before 8am. Doing yoga at dawn would be a preposterous thought.  

Thus, it was a surprise catching this scene on a past pre-covid trip to Bali. Some locals came walking and others on bicycles. None in cars! Some rolled out their straw mats, but most just did their yoga in a “true-blue” manner on the sand. 

To our delight, the instructors allowed us to join the class. We tourists of course disgustingly rolled out our hotel towels as the sand felt kinda icky.  Class was conducted in Bahasa Indonesian. We sort of followed by example.

As the sun rose higher, the class continued on intensely.

The Balinese people were awesome, stretching and effortlessly propping themselves in various positions. The instructors had to prop me up as I was quite out of balance, falling to the left and right. 

Salutations to the sun as dawn slowing turned into morning. I found the moves difficult. Imagine keeping my legs right up pointing to the sky and supporting my entire body on the shoulders. Come on people, make me feel better and tell me this is simply not natural. 

I couldn't get my legs up, not even half-way. It is not my fault cos' gravity kept pulling my thunder thighs (that's what Savvy K calls my legs) right down. Isaac Newton's law of gravity states that everything that goes UP must come DOWN … sooner or later. It was definitely sooner for me. 

The Balinese group was so focused and disciplined. It felt like it was a ritual for them to daily train their bodies for flexibility, balance and to strengthen their minds before they faced the rigors of the day. I will always remember this morning where they shared with me their way of attaining inner peace, and their beautiful sunrise on Sanur Beach. How I wish I can start my every day like the people at Sanur Beach.

BALI - TEMPLE FESTIVALS

Bali - the island of a thousand temples. Hinduism is the main religion and temple ceremonies or "upacara"are frequent . There is a temple ceremony every day to celebrate different occasions - "adalan" to celebrate the first day when the temple was built and "pamusapati" where the spirit is invited into sacred objects like masks and amulets. Men and women wear traditional Balinese clothing and offerings are brought in cane baskets.

Cremation ceremony at "Pura Agung," or Bali's Mother Temple in Besakih.

Some of the "upacara" are accompanied by men playing musical instruments.Note the four colours of the umbrellas at the ceremony - black, yellow, white and red.