Bali Perspective
Bali Reality
Fact is, the Balinese do not descend from a long line of hotel clerks, spa masseuses,
and waitresses.
Road to Bali really is a lot of fun. But it probably isn’t any more accurate than your guide book.
The real history of Bali and of all Indonesia is fascinating, complex, and often violent, but for
most of the 20th century it was a forbidden subject, suppressed first by the Dutch
and then by Suharto’s New Order.
The replacement history—of a happy island of dancers and artists—provides a wonderful
basis for a booming tourist industry. But the easy spiritual paradise assumed by
many New Age adventurers is an entirely different universe from the daily life or
the Hinduism experienced by most Balinese.
But hey!
Who cares, right? As long as you’re going my way!
In the immortal words of Bob Hope when Dorthy Lamour (as Princess Lala) tells him that the friendly Balinese ceremony his friend Josh
just innocently joined is a ceremony of marriage:
“Josh? Gosh!”
That’s Hollywood. But in the real world, ceremonies you take part in, documents
you sign, and stories you believe can have the most serious consequences.