Beginnings of Cultural Insight

After a few brief weeks I do not claim to understand the culture here but I am gaining some insight.  Pondering the differences here is like being an armature anthropologist.  First I notice something or lack of something and wonder why.  I have quickly come to see that most things here are done (or not done) for a good reason.  Makes me think of the missionaries and travelers who went to Africa and brought all their lovely Western objects of civilization only to have them devoured, ruined and destroyed by the environment, bugs and animals.  A major influence in of life in Bali is humidity.  Bali’s humidity must be around 70-90% everyday.  Thus the moss grows quickly and thickly on everything.  I love moss.  I love looking at the different kinds and I love the vibrant green of moss.  I was sad to see that it is someone’s job to scrape the moss off the walls and statues but it was pointed out to me if they didn’t that moss would quickly take over.  Even with my great love of moss I can understand this issue.  A less lovable lover of humidity is mold.  Things mold here very quickly.   One of the first things that struck me is the lack of photographs in Robin’s house.  What fun to look at peoples pictures of family and friends and wonderfully dated wedding photos.  Why no pictures?  Mold.  The few that are here are molding.  I have seen mold on paintings too.  So humidity has influenced the kind of art here, which is mostly statues and carvings and fabric.   Anything that can’t dry quickly gets moldy.  Within a week of being here James’s dop kit was covered in mold.  Eeewww what was on that thing? Clothing is light.  Homes are airy and windows have no screens letting afternoon breezes wind through.

fancy villa pool.  Harmon is in there somewhere.

So other than anthropological pondering we have been swimming in at a very fancy villa.  It seems there are no guest staying here and the door man is happy to let us swim for a tip.  Finn has started swimming like a fish.  He just started lessons this summer and wasn’t particularly making fabulous progress.  After a week in a pool in NC and now here he has taken off.  Harmon is a bit more reticent but I imagine but loves going to be in the water.   After this extra 4 mos. in water I am sure he too will be swimming.

Finn swimming.

Vaughn on the other hand is fearless and love jumping in.  I am not sure he is clear that I need to be in the water, looking at him and ready to go.  He might be swimming by the end of the trip too.  Pictured here is Vaughn in the bath.  Big enough to swim in.

I have decided to learn only cliché sayings like-

Ada gula, ada semut (where there is sugar there are ants).  This is an excellent way to reply when I need to respond to conversation I don’t understand.  I am also committing to memory all the double word.  Kadang-kadang which means sometimes.  Another great reply I use when I don’t have a clue as to what is being asked.  I have almost created a sentence using all double words.

Kadang-kadang saya suka jalang-jalang  hati-hati- pelan-pelan dengang anak-anak imut-imut.

Sometimes I like to walk carefully and slowly with cute children.  There are more other doubles we add to this sentence but it gets pretty silly. 

Tomorrow we celebrate Harmon’s birthday with a trip to the Bird and Reptile Park. 

Stay Tuned….