Problem solving Bali style

Life in Bali is very different from the place most expats originate from. Not just the climate or the scenery, but the whole mentality, priorities and thought process of the locals. That’s actually part of the attraction of Bali.

Recently I’ve seen a couple of examples of how local mentality is out of sync with its western counterpart. First we had Nyepi, the wonderfully absurd idea that we can chase away demons, then have to hide for a day in case they come back! At least one restaurant owner in Seminyak found himself in the kitchen the day before Nyepi, his staff all having taken off without telling him. Last night at another restaurant bar the owners were working for the same reason. “You trust them and they screw you,” the lady said to me, “they all planned this together.” For most Balinese locals a career is something that is just not going to happen. Service jobs provide an income, but when it’s a choice between pleasing the boss or attending to the important stuff (ceremonies), the job often takes a back seat.

This morning at Cafe Seminyak, I had a long conversation with Rick, from Grants Pass, Oregon. He has been to Bali a few time before and we laughed about some these differing ideas on right and wrong. I mentioned that in other parts of the country and also in Papua New Guinea, the idea that there is a balance that has to be maintained, often overrules the law. A friend on mine married a girl from the highlands of New Guinea. She said that when her tribe had a dispute with another tribe, members would meet on the edge of thew village. Food (pork and sweet potatoes) and drinks would be served, and afterwards the neighboring tribe would burn down a few huts. If it was a serious issue, involving a death, they would grab someone from the village and kill them, bringing everything back into balance. Crazy for us to comprehend, but perfectly logical to them.

This morning I read in the newspaper about how a local dispute was handled in East Bali recently. Here’s more from the Jakarta Post.

Mob burns houses in Klungkung regency, Bali

DENPASAR (Antara): Fire razed at least eight houses in Klungkung regency, Bali when hundreds of people burned them early Wednesday, an official says. There is no report of casualty. The incident in Tusan village caused some 125 people to be evacuated from their houses fearing that the mob would burned their houses.

“Not only residents, whose houses were burned, who were evacuated, but also those living in their surroundings,” spokesman of Klungkung regency administration Dewa Oka Subawa was quoted by Antara news agency as saying.

According to Dewa, the incident was sparked by a dispute between two communities known as Soroh IB and SD. Before the Hindu Day of Silence, three members of Soroh IB passed through the areas of Soroh SD with swords on their hands.

Members of Soroh SD considered it as a threat to the communities and therefore they attacked houses of Soroh IB early Wednesday. Dewa said more houses could have been burned if police officers would not immediately come to the location.