A whole new world

So here i am, settling into my new life, my new role as a teacher, explorer, tourist, anthropologist ....You name it.
The first thing i noticed when i arrived was the traffic.
To say it is scary would be a huge understatement.
Its like everyone got their license with a pack of butter when they went to the supermarket, like we have the 'moestuintjes' from the Albert heijn. There are no speedsigns, everyone just drives how fast or slow they like, we're supposed to drive on the left side, but its very common for people to drive (albeit slowly) against the traffic direction. There is a sidewalk, but people rarely use it, they prefer walking on the street. The main means of transportation is by scooter, they are as common as our bicycles only not as safe.
When people pass cars, they are supposed to do it on the right side, but the truth is that they just do it on all sides, whenever they feel like it. It makes the entire situation even more dangerous. The first two days i used my scooter i was pretty scared, now im getting used to it( although im not sure if thats a good thing)

The first week after I arrived was a holiday week, so I did not teach much. The silent day celebration, or 'Nyepi' as the balinese call it is one of the biggest celebrations of the hindu's here.
It is a 3-day celebration to chase the demons out of bali and I was lucky enough to be allowed to celebrate it in the traditional way with a balinese family.

The first day is centered around a parade. Families make wooden statues that will be paraded through the city to capture demons inside them, and will then be burned at the end of the night, to let the demons leave bali
The 2nd day of the celebration, which is the true 'silent' day is very interesting. All work stops,
It is illegal to go out on the streets on that day (punishable by severe jail time, unless its a medical emergeny) and you are not allowed to use any eletricity (no phones, no e-reeaders, not even light in the evening) it is spent with the family and gives a lot of time for introspection, and meditation. The idea is that the demons have not truly left bali yet, but are flying above the island, and by hiding in the house the demons will think that everyone is gone from bali, and therefor they will leave aswell.

The 3rd day is about making things right with your friends and loved ones. Paying respect to your elders and asking for forgiveness for any wrongs you may have commited in the past.

I loved Nyepi, but there was one thing that made everything really unpleasant for me. It may sound like a minor complaint, or even petty, but the longer i stayed, the bigger the issue got.

THEY DONT HAVE FURNITURE!!!!!
No benches, no chairs, no beds (just a matrass on the floor)
People sit on the floor the entire day, and it hurt my back like crazy. In fact, it got so bad that i fled the compound after the celebration and tried to find a decent western style restaurant to be able to sit down properly for a while.
i was in luck, because I found the best place ever..
About 10 minutes from my home is the beach, there is a lovely guesthouse/bar/restaurant there where im enjoying my weekend, with proper chairs, fruit drinks, a swing and the best view ever ... (See pictures)

Feel free to leave a comment below!

See you next time!

Rob