Back in Singaraja once again after a
few months in Denpasar (written about over at lifeinthetropics),
Rebecca and I have been taking hour walks around the city early in
the morning so that she gets some doctor-ordered exercise before she
gives birth sometime later this month. I tried to get the other
children to accompany us, but they are definitely not up for early
morning exercise. Today we took off to wander the streets and
neighborhoods to the west of Kampung Bugis. Even at 6:30, the streets
are teeming with traffic and the small, local markets packed with
throngs of ibus (ibu is a generic term of address for adult women
similar to Mrs. or Ms.; it also means mother ) doing their shopping
for the day's cooking.
Unlike years past, many of the
neighborhoods now have narrow sidewalks, although using them can be a
challenge as they are often used as parking spaces for motorbikes,
convenient spots to expand the boundaries of small shops and eateries
called warungs and places of rest for the irritating presence of
Bali's wandering dogs (still here despite the roundups over the last
few years due to the rabies epidemic on the island). We navigate our
way through these obstructions, carefully hugging the edge of street
so as not to become one of Bali's many traffic fatalities. A young
mother-to-be and her old father gather a few stares and some smiles
along the way, as well as some surprised greetings from neighbors,
family and acquaintances who are also out shopping, having some
exercise, or just passing the time watching life in neighborhoods.
Out on Jalan Dewi Sartika, we pass an
old acquaintance who built one of the first discos in North Bali
several decades ago. I rarely see him these days and am surprised to
notice his graying, thinning hair. I still have a mental image of him
as he looked decades ago when we'd sit in his bar/restaurant having a
few beers while talking about life in North Bali. We chat about what
we're up to these days and how many grandkids we have and make some
plans to get together in the near future. The chance encounters with
old friends that I've had since I've been back in Singaraja reminds
me of just how long I've been here in Bali and how much things have
changed here over the past several decades. The north coast is in the
process of changing from a quaint, sleepy, laid-back melting pot of
Bali's diverse population to a bustling large city somewhat marred by
the lack of central planning in its development (something common to
all areas of Bali these days, as everyone from locals to Western
expats to monied Javanese rush to get a piece of Bali while prices
for land and houses continue on in a crazy spiral onwards and
upwards).
A nephew drives by in his bemo and
gives us a few honks and a wave, a brother-in-law pulls over to the
side of the street to ask where we've been on our walk today, a
neighbor corrals Rebecca to check her tummy and ask when she got back
from Denpasar. We walk out onto the main road, Jalan A. Yani, and
surprisingly the traffic here is less intense than on the little
sidestreets. A few policemen are out controlling the traffic; one
waves and I gesture to inquire if I can take his photo. He gives me a
big smile and the thumbs-up sign.
Farther along A. Yani as we head for
home, I notice a new bakery. I know that there's another one on Jalan
Diponegoro. As I take a photo, I wonder what market forces have
brought about the openings of all the bakeries that I came across
while living in Denpasar and see now opening in Singaraja. Baked
goods have long been a part of the Indonesian diet, but in the past
they were generally sold in small shops along with a variety of other
goods; now we have gleaming, Western-style bakeries specializing in
cakes, donuts, and a variety of breads. I know now where to buy my
wife's birthday cake this year.
Back home again, the cat that Rebecca
and I rescued a few months ago in a field in Denpasar is racing
through the house looking for our rabbit; the two have become
somewhat unlikely friends. It's time to begin the chores for the day
under the cloudy Singaraja sky.
