Bali - the name alone conjurs images of exotic beauty, idyllic locales, deep peaceful spirituality, soaring mountains, lush forests and warm sand beaches. The place itself boasts all this and much more.
Bali is one of the islands of Indonesia and is home to the majority of Indonesia’s Hindu population (Bali is 93% Hindu). It lies between Java and Lombok and is 95 miles long by 69 miles wide. It’s often called “the island of 10,000 temples” because of the incredible number of temples and shrines. In Bali, spirituality permeates every aspect of life. Every day on the island sees a major religious festival somewhere and, literally, thousands of tiny thankful offerings made to the divine.
Bali is 6 degrees south of the equator, so the weather is pretty consistent: varying between the mid to high 80's all year round: March avgs: 62 - 84 w/ 70% humidity. April avgs: 62 - 88 w/ 65% humidity. There are 3.2 million people on Bali. The currency is the Rupiah (IDR) and the most recent exchange rate is around 9,100 Rupiah to the dollar. First thing to do when you arrive in Bali? Go to the ATM and become a millionaire!
The topography of Bali is varied and beautiful going from sea level to over 10,000 feet on the peaks of its numerous volcanic mountains. But despite Bali's numerous charms, it's most famous for its many forms of art: from painting to sculpture, woodcarving and dance.
The Balinese use three different calendars at the same time:
•The Gregorian calendar (to stay current with us in the West).
•A lunar calendar that is the basis for religious festivals and temple celebrations.
•A special 210 day Balinese calendar that has a complex numerological significance to it. The first week of this calendar is 1 day long, the second week is 2 days long, the third week is 3 days long, etc. up to the tenth week - and all 10 weeks run simultaneously!. The Balinese consult specialists in the calendar systems in order to figure out the best days on which to undertake anything special (like a trip, a wedding, or even a funeral).
Balinese Names
The Balinese can be called by 6 different names: personal names, birth order names, kinship, teknonyms, caste names and public job titles. Birth order is extremely important to the Balinese and it's reflected in a person's name. The first born is called Wayan (why-en), with "I" (ee) and "NI" (knee) added at the beginning depending on gender. So a first-born male would be called I-Wayan (ee-why-en) while his wife might be called Ni-Wayan (knee-why-en).
The birth-order names are:
1st born: Wayan, Gede or Putu.
2nd born: Made, Nengah or Kadek.
3rd born: Nyoman or Komang.
4th born: Ketut.
Then the whole cycle starts over with "Balik" (which means "again") added to the name. So the fifth-born child is called Wayan Balik (or "Wayan again"). This naming system is used until a person's first child is born - then their teknonym (child+name) starts to be used. From that point on they are called "Mem (Mother of X)" or "Pan (Father of X)". This teknonym is used until the first grandchild is born, at which point they will be called "Grandmother of Y" or "Grandfather of Y".
So - are you a Wayan, a Made, a Nyoman, a Ketut, a Pan or a Mem? And you thought the Balnese three calendar system was complex. These names don't even take into account the FOUR other ways that a person can be called!
Here are a few useful links:
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