Real life in Bali – part 4/5

I soon saw more of these Balinese ceremonies. The wedding, the ceremony of the child’s completion of 3 months, then 18 months, meetings in the temples. They were always accompanied by gong music and a ritual Balinese dance.

read more: Real life on Bali – part 3/5

A seemingly it’s nothing, just rhythmic hits in dulcimer and gongs. For me, the world championship. Precision and accuracy. A perfect combination of several, sometimes a dozen or so men in cycles of vibrating metal hits.

And a ceremonial dance. Performed mainly by women. Every gesture, nod, movement tells its own story. It has its specific meaning. I tired Nilla for hours with questions about meaning. How a patiently mother, she endured my curiosity and was shared with me her world.

I mentioned to you earlier that an integral part of the celebration in Bali is a festive outfit. For the first time I have wearing up it during the cremation ceremony. I was charmed by the pattern on the fabric from which the sarong was made. Later, I learned more about batik in Poland.

You know that painting Easter eggs is not a European tradition? You will see painted eggs in Bali throughout the year. I was in shock. And batik is nothing more than arduously painted with wax and dyed fabric. Patterns are often so small that it sometimes takes several months to make a sarong. Unfortunately, batik clothing is not used every day. I only saw it twice. Usually this is a printed fabric, but the patterns on it are captivating. Mass industry.

During your travels around Bali, take a look at the craft village in Ubud. In addition to furniture, wood products, and silver jewelry, batik fabrics can be found there.

read more: Real life on Bali – part 5/5

– Agnieszka Ruda

Economist by profession, firmly embedded in numbers, “absorber” of books and a fan of good music. She has been traveling constantly since 2010. In 2017, finally found her place in the world – the Indonesian island of BALI.