Three Incredible Weeks in Bali
I have just spent 3 weeks in Bali and I enjoyed every minute of it. Going there, all by myself, I was a bit nervous. I didn’t know what to expect, so I expected nothing. During the first breakfast with the other participants I already felt at home and welcomed. We also met our coordinators who took very good care of us during our whole stay there.
The first week was introduction week and it was SO fun. We got to experience all of the Balinese culture, visit temples, be part of the flower offering and explore the city with the help of our coordinators. I went in March which is in the end of their raining season so we did also experience a lot of rain during our tours.
“If you have the opportunity to be a part of this program- DO IT, you won’t regret it. As my mom said, it’s the perfect mixture of tourism and working, it can’t get better than that. I can just agree.”
Culture in Bali
I learnt that most of Bali believes in hinduism and that reflects very much in their culture, which is very different from my own culture. Visiting temples, watching a traditional balinese dance show and learning the language really makes you feel like you are a part of their culture. Even If you don’t believe in hinduism it’s nice to enjoy the culture.
One of my favourite days during the introduction week was the day we had a cooking class and our coordinator taught us how to make typical balinese food like Gado-Gado, sweet tempe and fried banana. Most of the balinese food is vegetarian, which makes me, a vegetarian, very happy. If you ever go to Bali you must try the Sweet tempe, it’s amazing.
During that lunch we got to discuss a lot of different topics with our coordinator, who was very open to talk about his beliefs and his culture. We realised that in some cases we have very different opinions and other cases we think very similar. It’s cool to see that even if we grew up in so very different conditions and so far from each other, we can still agree on a lot of things.
One of my favorite days during the introduction week was the day we had a cooking class and our coordinator taught us how to make typical balinese food like Gado-Gado, sweet tempe and fried banana. Most of the balinese food is vegetarian, which makes me, a vegetarian, very happy. If you ever go to Bali you must try the Sweet tempe, it’s amazing.
During that lunch we got to discuss a lot of different topics with our coordinator, who was very open to talk about his beliefs and his culture. We realised that in some cases we have very different opinions and other cases we think very similar. It’s cool to see that even if we grew up in so very different conditions and so far from each other, we can still agree on a lot of things.
Without knowing it, I went there the week that Bali celebrated their new year (they have a different calendar). Because of this there was a big festival in the town, where we lived, called the ogoh-ogoh festival. People carry big, scary looking mascots which are supposed to capture all the bad spirits and then later in the night you burn the big “monsters” and the bad spirits inside them.
The first day of the new year is celebrated in total silence. You are not allowed to work, no fire, no travel and no partying. That day me and the other participants had to stay at home and not use any electricity. We ended up playing games the whole day and night so we didn’t bother that the wifi was off.
