Brides with baby bumps abound

Congratulations to my friend Komang! I saw him for the first time today in two or three months, and he informed me of the birth of his first child, a little girl. He mentioned that she will be named in a traditional ceremony at the age of three months, and I hope to be invited for this ritual.

At first, I was momentarily surprised at his announcement of a baby already three weeks old. After all, we attended his wedding reception on April 4 (a very auspicious day for weddings, when half the island of Bali's population seemed to be getting married!). How many months it that? That was fast!

It is not at all unusual for couples to marry when already pregnant in Indonesia. The two weddings I have attended in the past year in Indonesia both featured a (discreetly) pregnant bride. The bride of a  wedding I attended in the USA was not yet pregnant, but she hopes to be soon.

There is a striking cultural difference here, as it's still a bit taboo for couples in America to get pregnant before they get married. It isn't considered the natural order of things.

On the other hand, it seems that there is an accepted practice of "testing things out" before the commitment is made in Indonesia. Marriage is much about making families, after all. What if a family cannot be made between a couple, for whatever reason, and they've already gotten married? Hmmm...

Culturally unique Bali might reconsider mass tourism

I originally fell in love with Bali in 2004, on my first visit. The land, the sea and the people were all mesmerizingly beautiful, but the most powerful intoxicant to this romantic was the unique culture and elaborate rites and rituals that go along with it.

Where else on earth can you find tiny hand-crafted baskets filled with fruit, flowers and incense outside of every home and business offering up the day’s best intentions? Though they are shuffled and bustled aside with the day’s activities, they are freshly renewed again the following morning, day after day, in Bali.

Where else are you welcomed to witness extravagant funeral processions rolling through the streets on the shoulders of dozens of men as they parade colorful floats meters high, carrying the earthly remains of loved ones to the temple, where the entire edifice is then sent to the heavens in flames? Not only are you invited to witness them, but to dress as part of the family, walk with the procession and photograph these amazements until your heart’s content in Bali.

Like millions, I was drawn in by this unique culture. Millions more have also been drawn by Bali’s many splendors, not all of which are elements of the traditional and utterly unique culture. The pressures of so many visitors on the natural and cultural environment are weighing more and more heavily, as summarized in a recent scathing indictment from the respected French journal Le Monde.

Not only sheer numbers, but a cavalier attitude toward Bali’s cultural and environmental sustainability is also taking its toll. Balinese and Indonesian stewards of these treasures might take note and reconsider the best ways to care for and share of their bounty before they are but a memory.