Archive for November, 2008

Some Candy for Your Thoughts

Wednesday, November 26th, 2008

The expatriate community in Bali is a world unto itself. Recently an Australian expatriate attempted to pay for purchases at a Kuta supermarket with candy. This isnt quite as crazy as it sounds. There is a widely accepted practice in Indonesia that substitutes for small change the ‘gift’ of candy. Well this Aussie simply tried [...]

A Long Distance Relationship

Monday, November 24th, 2008

I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday about Kasi, this site, and her initial comment was something like, “You know your posts are heavy with information but light on feelings and personal experience…”

My first response was simply, “Well I have never been to Bali… but simply been fascinated by its culture and music, [...]

New Life in Indonesia

Wednesday, November 19th, 2008

Recently three specimens of the pygmy tarsier, a nocturnal creature the size of a small mouse, with an uncanny resemblance to the Furby electronic toy and having the appearance of a big-eyed gremlin, were trapped and tracked on Mount Rorekatimbo in Lore Lindu National Park in Central Sulawesi on an expedition to the region by [...]

The Multiplicity of Names in Bali

Monday, November 17th, 2008

Balinese names are both a simple and complex affair. The names Wayan and Made are very common. The following lists the Balinese conventions adhered to for names as determined by birth order:

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 

 

 
First Born
Second 
Third
Fourth

 
 
 
 
 

Male
Wayan
Made
Nyoman
Ketut

 
Putu
Kadek
Komang
 

 
Gede
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

Female
Wayan
Made
Nyoman
Ketut

 
Putu
Kadek
Komang
 

 
Iluh
Nengah
 
 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

 

 

 
 
 

 

 

 
 

 

 

The 5th born begins the cycle over again. Names also depend on caste. The castes are Brahmana, Ksatria, Wesia, Sudra. Something like [...]

Archaeology in Bali

Sunday, November 16th, 2008

Most of Bali’s archaeological sites have been marred by graffiti; there are drawings and names etched into some of its most precious ruins.
A recent exhibit, this past September, in Denpasar highlighted not simply the problem of vandalism but the lack of attention archaeology receives in Bali. The archaeological displays were set up in the basement [...]

Bali on the Web

Friday, November 14th, 2008

There is an immense amount of information on the web about Bali. And an even larger amount on related topics, such as, for example, gamelan orchestras, or the Legong, a Balinese dance. A great many of the websites on Bali have to do with travel and tourist information. The island is legendary of course as [...]

The Climate of Bali and Global Warming

Thursday, November 13th, 2008

The climate of Bali is tropical; it is but 8 degrees south of the equator. Year round the temperatures average 31 degrees Celsius; that’s about 88 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Dry Season is between May and September and the Wet Season between October and April. Rainfall is usually greatest between December and February. Overcast skies and rain [...]

Terima Kasih Bali!

Wednesday, November 12th, 2008

Settling on a name for this site was an interesting detour into the byways of Indonesia. I don’t speak Malay, or Balinese, and trying to find something in words that expressed my feeling for this place was an exploration. A friend of mine suggested ‘terima bali’ as a translation of gratitude; and ‘thank-you Bali’ seemed [...]

The Morning of the World

Wednesday, November 12th, 2008

It was India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, on a visit to the island back in 1951 as an official guest, that first used the expression ‘the morning of the world’ to describe Bali. Still in the midst of volcanic upheavals, just as the entire archipelago has been since its creation, the island’s lush vegetation [...]