Holiday

Galungan day. Very special day for the Balinese. They dress up and go to village temple in the morning and family temple later. Many businesses in Ubud resume after 10 o’clock but businesses in villages are closed for two days or to Monday next week. Government offices are the same, they had shorter hours yesterday, holiday these two days, and ‘sandwiched day’ (if a holiday falls on a Thursday, Friday is always a holiday too).

I read in A Blurb Kulture [sic] Kid column in Bali Advertiser this morning about “Bali’s relaxed timeframes are summed up by the humorous Indonesian acronym for the island: ‘Ba-li’ (Banyak Libur), ‘meaning many holidays’. Any excuse for a holiday it seems.”

Having lived in other part of Indonesia before, I didn’t realize this holiday culture. Of course I know that Balinese have zillions of important days in a year because some important days are repeated monthly and six-monthly; but obviously they also take the official Indonesian holidays. So imagine American offices in Bali that also observe official American holidays like in office I used to work ten years ago. Three official holidays in a year!

Further in the column:

“Balinese spend a large portion of their lives waiting. Well, at least, that is how we see it. It may be trying to get things done at government offices, anticipating the arrival of a priest at ceremonies, starting a gamelan practice, or simply sitting on the side of the road ‘waiting’ for something to happen – for many, Balinese patience seems to know no boundaries.”

Well, as I don’t have business with government offices (as yet) I don’t have the experience of achieving little progress with the office. I follow a friend who has to deal with government offices. A signature has to wait for: the completion of the regulation change, the out-of-town training, the New Year family holiday, the completion of local government election, and of course the Balinese holidays. Happy birthday! Live with the Balinese patience would be the best.

I decided to stay home today. The usual first day in Ubud. Actually I unintentionally followed ‘acceptance and surrender’ Tolle mentions in his book Stillness Speaks. My excuse of not doing things I don’t feel like doing at the moment. Tolle says:

“Can you detect even the slightest element within yourself of not wanting to be doing what you are doing? That is a denial of life, and so a truly successful outcome is not possible.

If you can detect this within yourself, can you also drop it and be total in what you do?”

Smile. Yes, I unpacked artworks I brought from Jakarta slowly since last night. I don’t unpack them if I haven’t known where I’m going to place. I’m happy to see Ubud House becomes more home with artwork and personal framed photographs. In between unpacking, I browsed websites for friends who need information on business in Bali. A friend from Jakarta is serious about starting a small-scale villa-compound with time-share management. So both of us have to learn the principle of the business. We are complete novices in the field. Not my plan that I become a resource for real estate and merchandise businesses in Bali. I’m most happy to help though.

Ubud was so hot that my chocolate bar melts. I don’t let myself melting but I melt into my wants. It’s holiday!

Photo of Ubud House’s shrine that has been decorated for today.