Okay, so this is the third time I’ve started this post. The first two times it somehow turned into a bit of a rant about all the government-decreed holidays here in Bali. (There are 13 holidays declared by the national government, and an additional 14 days decreed by the Balinese provincial government…that’s alot of holidays). Anyway, I guess I was just trying to work through the shock of seeing all of these days in print on the same page. I’m over it now, thank goodness. But being over it kinda leaves me with nowhere to go with this post. So excuse me while I ramble on…
A Welcome Ceremony for Guests at nearby Resort
The thing is, it can be so easy to get your panties all in a bunch living here in neverland. But it’s so much better to find the humor in it and get a good belly laugh instead. I’m trying!
The last month (two months, really) have been like a never-ending Fourth of July celebration. It all started with the Hindu holiday of Saraswati, which occurred in November. It involves all kinds of lavish offerings to the Ganesha, the god of Knowledge. It also precedes the really big holiday of Galungan, which I know has some traditional religious or cultural significance, but I have yet to get the same explanation from any two people. The degree of anticipation of this (Galungan) and of Kuningan (occurring 10 days later) is a frenzy of temple and banjar activities, leading up to a huge pig roast, Bali-style. Ya, you probably don’t wanna know! Not too bad, though…I’ve been to a few. You only must be sure to ask what it is that’s being offered. Some of the “delicacies” are just way too foreign or repugnant to this American palate.
So, to get back to the celebration… Indonesians, at least the Balinese, have an irresistible fascination with fireworks, any kind, all kinds. And though “illegal”, they’re pretty easy to come by. And this year, for some reason, everyone and his brother seemed to get in on the action. The fireworks mostly started out in November and early December as the bang poppers or little cherry bomb types — a lot of noise, but no show — mostly beginning in late afternoon on through until about 10pm or so. All up and down the ridges of the gorge where I live, all around us. About mid-December (Galungan & Kuningan), the fireworks activity started picking up, starting earlier in the day (sometimes at daybreak) and going a little later into the night. The week between Christmas and New Year was the almost never-ending climax. Everyone broke out their very best — all the lights, sparkles, booms and whistles almost ceaselessly for about 10 days. It was absolutely incredible! I even read a report that they had to keep the arriving flights circling the island for about an hour on New Year’s Eve — there were just so many light shows happening everywhere at that time. But it was said that many of the pilots were afraid to attempt landing their carriers amidst such random and unpredictable explosive displays.
Well, what was the point of this post? Beats me. Oh yeah, I was looking for the underlying humor in the midst of my rant about all the holidays. .. guess I’m over it.
Same ceremony - Taking guests to their Villa
Merry Adventure 