Joanna James
Bali is often referred to as the Island of Gods owing to its temples and statues of deities found in every corner. The Balinese culture is largely influenced by its many forms of arts, dance and music.
This is quite the spectacle as Balinese dance performances take the route of a story. They use their whole body to convey the story. There can be skilled dancers and mediocre ones. In any case, these dancers learn their art at a very early age. Many forms of dancing are traditional and are meant to appease the gods. For example – Wali dances and Debali dances are performed inside the temples in front of statues of gods. However, Balih-balihan dances are meant for entertainment – these performances usually take place outside the temple or in the outer court of the temple.
Managed by a single person, known as dalang or puppet master – the shadow plays are figures with the shape of animals and people silhouetted against a big white screen with the help of coconut husk lamps. It is usually an ancient story brought to life through shadowy figures. These plays are made more entertaining by traditional Balinese music. These shadow plays go back a thousand years – in addition to being fun; these plays carry a degree of historical importance
It is believed that Indonesian royalty is the first to embrace Hinduism and later others followed. There are also those who say that the traders from south India brought the religion with them. Whatever the story of origin is, Hinduism lingered around for decades, and even now you can see its strong presence in every nook and corner of Bali.
Balinese people have a quiet and calm manner about them. They do not usually express their feelings in a loud manner, especially when angry. If you are dissatisfied with something – calmly express how you feel about it, do not, in any case, yell as this will most definitely give offence. Also, Balinese people are not big on speaking English – they might give you the impression that they understand you – but in truth, most of the time they don't. So, try using simpler terms when communicating –if you have a guide, ask them to help you.
Bali cooking style has greatly influenced by other Asian countries. They have a wide variety of dishes – all of them are infused with spices as is the hallmark of Balinese cuisine. The most popular and common dish is nasi goreng: a dish served by all the major hotel chains and the average restaurants. Just like nasi goreng, other popular dishes such as bebek, sate lilit and gado-gado can be enjoyed at any hotel including Minor Hotels.
The local language in Bali is Bahasa Bali – but the widely spoken is Bahasa Indonesia. English does not come easily to Balinese people, they might say yes to everything, but the chances are they understood nothing of what you said.
Balinese museums are the places where you can really educate yourself on their culture. These museums display a massive collection of paintings and wood carvings. If you an art lover, Balinese museums are a must visit.
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