Handicraft

Be it, jewelry-making, woodworking, sculpting, stone carving, panting or tie-dyeing, it is quite easy to see if a Balinese had had his or her hands on it.

delicate silver

chip off the old block

garuda_coloured

Style can be cultivated, but the Balinese seemed to be born with it.

oriental mask

From the grosteque, to the enigmatic, Balinese handicraft displays the attention to detail in their expressive art and intricated patterns.

devil in the details

village scene




the famous couple immortalized


These trinkets makes fantastic souvenirs. However, the Balinese must have felt very passionate about their art, that they proceed to decorate and ornament whatever they could get their hands on, regardless of scale. You can see it in their boundary fences, roofs, houses, etc....

delicate silver

Vishnu & his vehicle

crude_babi guling

And when it comes to Monuments, the artists must have had a field day.



Neptune-like guy at the traffic lights



Look at that, we are talking about a culture that places crazy, dramatic figurines all over the town.




Denpasar_museum cum gallery

This immense structure (badly taken), was like an alien warship that had landed in the bustling town of Denpasar. It looked quite out of place, not just in Bali, but on Earth. Maximalism to the Max?

chariots of fire

But who wouldn't love the idea of living in a city where the council solidifies the local stories in such majestic illustrations?

Balinese handicraft - words do them no justice.

Kuta

Kuta, Bali's very popular tourist hotspot was at one time, at the risk of being remembered solely for the horrific bombings that happened sometime ago. This was also where we were based during our short stay in Bali. When we were there however, there was no feeling of unrest nor were we at any point feel threathened for our lives.

The Grand Istana Rama

The travel agency arranged for us to stay at a resort named Grand Istana Rama.

manicured lawns

age old tree & her gnarled roots

The resort itself, apart from being incredulously expensive, strategically located and having lovely gardens, is really not worth the time. In other words, don't go there. The building is not maintained, and while everything may look 'grand' at first glance, they are in actual fact very much in need of repairs.

dining

In Kuta, or rather, Bali, everything was carried out in style. We were pleasantly surprised when we were brought to dine out on the beach. Rows & rows of white-linened tables were laid out with black deck chairs beneath the starry sky. Opposite, is the ocean and it was high tide, thus you get the view of cascading white waves upon waves.

entertainment

The restaurants must decide that beach-side dining with the occasional flare of fireworks display is not enough. They have arranged for traditional dances to be carried out on platforms near the dining tables in case the ocean breeze bores you. They have also engaged a quartet of multilingual musicians who performed "Sweet Home Alabama" to the American guests and sang "月亮代表我的心" for the table with Singaporeans.

the man who sells jagung on the beach

Kuta also has a pretty happening nightlife. Unfortunately we did not have much time to venture around the streets except to do some hurried haggling and shopping. And the shopping is of course, fantastic! Bric-a-bracs, Balinese massages, food ~~

intergrated cultures_horse carriage in Kuta

Kuta is very much westernized, compared to the other parts of Bali. Some of the buildings, the food, the beer, the items they sell - they are to cater for our Western counterparts, especially Australians. Aussie brands like Billabong, Ski & Surf, Victoria Bitter, etc are quite prominent. Fortunately we didn't spot Vegemite.

street view

The Balinese while they are probably not born salespersons, are thrust into the whirlwind of tourism and embraced the art of selling and buying the best they could. It takes less than 10 minutes for D to be alone on the beach, before he was almost coerced to purchase various services.

hanging ten

D was walking alone on the beach taking photos when a jovial local approached him: -

Local: Hi Mate! Do you want to buy some surfing lessons?

D: No thanks... : )

--- pause ---

Local: Em...Do you want to buy some marijuana?

D: Uh....No, thanks....

--- pause ---

Local: So, do you want some hookers?

--- pause ---

Hehehe...hehe....D walks away.

Tarian Kecak @ Uluwatu

While we were queing up at the immigration dept. @ the airport, we were bombarded by brochures & pamphlets describing Bali's must-dos, must-sees, must-eats. Being a dramatic person, I am naturally inclined to the cultural shows Bali has to offer.

One such cultural event is the famous 'Tarian Kecak'. One of the site that offers such an attraction is the Uluwatu Temple (Pura Uluwatu).

paved entry

To enter the temple's holy grounds, you are obliged to cover up all parts of your bodies from the waist down to the ankles (sarongs are provided should you turn up in shorts). Also, an entrance fee is required.

procession

Whilst we were there, the locals were carrying out some sort of annual worship festival. The ladies were a sight in their kebayas with a sash in the middle, balancing some offerings on their heads, further accentuating their hour-glass figures.

offerings

Alas, the offerings seemed to be in symbolic only, as the physical 'attributes' were cast aside, as trash. Makes an interesting eyesore.

track to temple

The dance will be carried out in an ampitheater located on the edge of the cliffs. A beautifully crafted stone retaining fence stands between the pavement leading to the ampitheater and the cliffs below.

precarious

pavilion on the edge

guardians

Corresponding to the Hindu teachings that the path to enlightenment will be full of obstacles, our path to the ampitheater, is littered with Balinese monkeys. While they are a tourist attraction at first glance, they became a menace when they are within 3m away from you.

smart-ass snatchers

The monkeys are suspected to be trained to snatch belongings from tourists, (cameras, hats, food, jewelry, etc.) and a local in charge will usually step up after your item had been snatched and proceed to coax the animal to return your item. Thus, you are then obliged to pay the local person who will look like a good samaritan (and is in fact, a part-time monkey-trainer) some cash, in gratitude. you have been warned.

ampitheater & the pintu gerbang

Finally, we get to the ampitheater, where we will be witnessing the Kecak Dance. This Dance will be depicting a heavily edited verison of the Ramayana. Ramayana is one of the most famous folklore that is being retold countless of times through various mediums. The Kecak Dance is of the many creative ways to bring this tale to life.

chorus speakers

Traditional Balinese theaters are accompanied by an orchestra. The Kecak, however, relies on a group of male dancers cum singers who acts like a pack of chorus speakers. They relay the entire story verbally while providing the required sound effects & musics, using nothing but their vocal prowess and some hand gestures. Think human beatboxing.

Act 1

the moulding of a scene Of course, the play will have greater depth if the main characters makes a physical appearance to help our imaginations along. Sita, the tragic heroine

a monster disguised as the golden deer as Sita's temptation

Garuda, a vehicle of Vishnu

This version of the Ramayana covers the exile of Rama, Sita & Lakshman to the forest, the capturing of Sita and ends with the triumphant rescue of Sita from the clutches of the evil warlord, Ravan. Garuda the mythical bird made a fledgling appearance while Hanuman the White Monkey General stole the show.

the crowd favourite - Hanuman

Ramayana's real ending however, does not end with a rescued princess nor was there a happily-ever-after between Sita and Rama. Despite its rather sexist + racist concept and because of its multi-faceted interpretations, the Ramayana remains one of the most endearing Indian epic of all times.

scene finale - storming of the palace in flames

It was, to me a generally appealing play, an eclectic mix of Balinese culture with Hinduism, acted out with much gusto and talent. Watching a timeless legend from an ampitheather perched precariously over towering cliffs, overlooking the sun setting into the sea. Priceless, no?

Bali : Glimpses

We had the pleasure to visit Bali sometime in January this year. I am the sort of person who gets apprehensive about my holidays, wondering if I will enjoy / loathe the place of my visit. With Bali, though, it's an entirely different worry.

'pintu gerbangs'

How would you react with a city that offers you architectural delights like this split portal gate, at the freaking airport?!

fearsome

A place with so many carefully detailed depictions of myth ...

gajah

you feel as if you are living in a real-life fairy tale.

guardian

Where agricutural fields nestle comfortably within the bustling metropolitan area: -

paddy fields

A city so stylish and unique, their homes look like this: -

genius loci

The people who lead a balanced life, where the line between tradition and modernity is slightly blurred.

cruisers_father & son?

A land of genteel manners and hospitability, ...

locals

and a land with much stories to tell,

the banyan

I worry I don't want to leave.

Cameron Highlands

One of Malaysia's tourism highlight for the locals is Cameron Highlands. C.H. is very alluring to Malaysians because it offers a cool respite to the constantly warm and tropical weather elsewhere in Malaysia. Foreigners tend to go to Malaysia to enjoy the sunshine whilst Malaysians tend to flock to the highlands to indulge in the cool climate. We go to CH to eat steamboat.

petai_smelly beans

On the way up to the highlands, you get to pass along little stalls selling the local produce. We saw bunches of petai for sale and we thought they look quite bright and exotic, not because we are 'suaku' but because it has been a while since we last saw a petai. Not that I have ever eaten them, pungent beans...

handicraft

Be sure to stop by the roadside for plenty of souvenir shopping.

Iskandar falls

C.H. has 3 main townships - Ringlet, Tanah Rata and Brinchang, in ascending order. I was surprised the name 'Cameron' stuck on for so long as the local authorities liked to get rid of pre-independence reminders such as places named after British personnels.

Camellia sinensis

green green grass of home

I like how the landscape unfurl itself as far as the eye can see. The boundaries created by the tea bushes are like black crayons etched unto a green canvas.

sungai palas boh tea centre

The new Boh Tea Centre is an unobtrusive piece of steel and glass engineering, cantilevering over the green plains. It comprises of a cafe area, gallery corridor, a museum and retail outlets. The cafe menu features English snacks such as scones, pies, cream puffs, sandwiches - reminiscence of the eating habits during the colonial times. C.H. was after all a getaway for the English during the British occupation, where the Mat Sallehs could take a break from Malaysia's hot weather.

gallery

timber cut facade

Nestled among the hills are what we presume to be the worker's quarters. Inhabited by what appears to be mostly Indians, they look to be constructed with some pretty basic layout albeit having million dollar views.

workers quarters_green huts

Besides tea, C.H. is thriving with vegetables & fruits. The farmers' labours are evident in their abundant crops.

cabbage patch

vegetable terraces

Here we made the mistake of having tea break in a westernized cafe in Brinchang called Desert House or something. They serve strawbery strudels that looked appetizing, yet totally unedible.
Don't Go There. Ever.

don't bother

Next destination - cactus farm. With a RM4 entrance fee, you get to see an array of cactus and some weird + wonderful plants. Some plants look like they come straight off the Avatar movie set.

prickly heads

gaping orchids

flaming wall!

periuk kera _ pitcher plant

While this taman bunga is carefully maintained and well worth the entrance fee, the management could not do away with the most resilient pest hanging around ... Pests being the park patrons. Can you believe how people seem to have an irrepressible urge to leave their marks, that they have to mutiliate cactus with their names. (??!!) Some morons even left their phone numbers, email addresses, etc. It is quite alarming really to know that many people carry penknifes about, even when they are visiting a flower garden.

I'm beyond angry and find this strangely hilarious. In a bad way.

tattoos

cactus vandalism


Finally, some real action! Sorry for droning, but now's the time to tuck in ~

charcoal roasted birdies

This is one fantastic Malaysian culture that we can hardly find in Ozieland. Pasar Malam. Literally, night markets. Walking buffetts. Economical, delicious, exciting. Stalls after stalls of food, trinkets, junk, toys, groceries.

I like the colours of this makcik, her blue apron, black head scarf , her red stall and her golden drumsticks

the man who sold honey, hives and all

Each and every pasar malam in Malaysia is similar yet slightly different from each other. C.H.'s nite market features their local produce, namely fresh mountain vegs, strawberries, fungi and cacti, amongst the usual fares.

malaysian crepes_dessicated coconut / custard

The Pasar Malam is definately a must-try authentic Malaysian experience. I have never come across a stall that sells crappy food. The price is so competitive, there is no place for sucky stuff.

deep fried fatty foodie

All in all, C.H. was not as enjoyable as I would like it to be. C.H. is under the threat of developers without any sense of aesthetics and the old charm is slowly fading away. Commercialization and tourism is both C.H.'s best friend and worst fiend. I hope she have a better future. And I hope more would realise that soon.