Back to Bali for Beach Bumming
Dang, did you see that alliteration?!
Now, Indonesia is a huge country made up of thousands of diverse islands. Bali is only one of them. In two months of visiting Indonesia, I wouldn't typically choose to spend ten days in the south of Bali, as it the most touristy part of the country, by far. Luckily, there is a good reason for this- mainly the pristine beaches and peaceful culture.
So why, you ask, did we go back to Bali when there is so much more of beautiful Indonesia to see?
Our visas only allow us to stay in country for thirty days. In order to extend our stay, Dana and I had to visit the immigration office. Three times. According the annoying immigration laws of Indonesia, we had to make our first visit after we had been in country for three weeks. On top of that, the process, lasting a week, has to be done before our visa expires. That left us a three day window to turn in our forms and begin the visa extension process.
Once we figured out what day we would turn in our forms, we decided that it would be best to use the office in Kuta, Bali because mom would have to fly back in the middle of our extension process. Luckily, it wasn't too hard to find a cute little place to stay in Seminyak, a short taxi ride to the immigration office and just a stones throw from the beach, and we bummed for a few days.
When we weren't body surfing, playing soccer with the local kids, or working on our tans in the sand, we strolled through the endless, narrow, colorful streets, lined with vendors of every sort.
Avoiding traffic was a complete fiasco. Not even the sidewalks are safe.
Every now and then, a parade would come through the streets. We were never sure if it was a wedding, a funeral, a religious ceremony, or something completely different.
And pedicures, duh!
I had a humbling and insightful conversation with the woman doing my nails. She is 22 years old and although she looked young, she seemed wise beyond her years. She has a four year old daughter who lives with her mother-in-law back in the village where she grew up, four hours north of Seminyak. In Indonesia, public school is available to children until they are twelve. Families need to pay small fees for things like books and supplies, but otherwise school is free. After twelve, however, education comes at a price- one that not many families can afford. University is nearly impossible unless your family is very wealthy. This woman and her husband, therefore, left their only child under the care of their family so they could find work in the tourist area of the island. Her husband does construction. Determined to be able to send her daughter to secondary school, she works every single day, taking one day off per month to visit home.
What is disheartening to me is knowing that she is part of the majority. She started working herself at the age of twelve as a house cleaner after her education came to an abrupt, and early halt. She will likely work this way for the rest of her life. Unfortunately, this is the fate of many, many children in Indonesia and throughout the world.
It was a brutal reminder to be grateful for everything I have. I didn't ask to be born in a place where opportunity thrives, education is highly encouraged, and equality is pursued with persistency; just as the girl in front of me, on her knees, scrubbing the dead skin off my feet didn't ask to be born in a place where corruption runs rampant, gender equality is practically nonexistent, and tremendous sacrifice is required simply to survive. Life is unfair.
Neither of us, no one on earth, is able to choose when or where or under what circumstances we are born. We are all here doing the best we can with what we have. That, in itself, is deserving of the utmost respect.
On that note, don't forget to stop and smell the flowers,
and tell your mom how beautiful she is,
and eat a second breakfast, my favorite meal of the day :)
then go down a road you've never been before, just to see where it might take you.
In the end, let's not forget that we are all in this together; that each day, no matter who we are, where we came from, or where we're going, the same sun shines lovingly down on all of us.
