December 2000
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| Bali - Part One December 2000 |
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How Not to Offend in Bali:
There are some things that should be avoided, one of them is not touching other people`s heads,
e.g. do not pat cute little children on the head and stay away from seated persons. This is because
the head is viewed as sacred. The second important thing is to give and receive things only with the
right hand, and never point at anything with the left hand. The left hand is considered impure and
using it is something very nasty and untidy, like spitting on the floor would be in European countries.
A third thing is never, ever to photograph people that are bathing. You will see this very often, as
most Balinese have no bathrooms of their own and they have no other way to get a daily bath than
going to a brook or a canal or a river. This is always to be discreetly ignored by passers-by. In
general, it is better to be careful when taking pictures of persons. Always ask, and do not take too
many pictures. Indonesians do not blow their noses (at least not in public) and you should also
avaid it. Laughing loudly, for whatever reason, counts in Indonesia as a symptom for a mental
disorder.
No wonder they look at me so funny !!! god it all makes sense now. . .