Musings on Myth

Back when I was in university the only stories I ever heard about Bali were from my friend Geoff. His uncle was one of the old-school surfers who helped to first carve out the expat surfer havens back in the 70s. The life was described as one where he would basically surf all day, shoot heroin and eat carrots. Nothing but carrots. He turned orange. Died of an OD. Kinda an epic life. South East Asian paradise. Extreme sports. Drugs. Cliche perhaps, but not a cliche as it happened. This of course colored my ideas of Bali and South East Asia in general (my friend Blair's experiences did the same for Viet Nam).

Anyway, such things receded into memory and only when I arrived in Korea did I entertain the thought that I too could go to Bali. I feel one does't so much think about things like that when one is busy grinding out days at the New York Public Library. Halfway around the world is quite literally what it sounds like and the only times I ever read about Indonesia were in Chomsky books about press coverage of the Indonesia/Timor L'este conflict.

When you think of these places, they take on an other worldly quality. Some far off place, full of lush jungle, blindingly white beaches, Hinduism-infused spirituality. Of course when you get to Asia this is all clouded over with people talking about how a place like Bali is rife with overweight tourists spending their Euros and never leaving their beach resorts. I suppose all those things are true and a whole bunch more as well. I thought long and hard on the short flight from Singapore to Denpasar about what it is to be searching for something. To want to carve out something in the world of travel to call your own. To resent others who somehow ruin it for you. No doubt many people have the same sentiments/concerns/fears about their attempt at a unique traipse across the world (be it Indonesia or Mozambique or your own neighborhood in whatever city you live in). I guess my conclusion is that people are in it together. You can be busy resenting all the other tourists or expats you find crass or somehow dampening your experiene of a place, but no doubt that is counter-productive and only allows you to dwell. Probably not a good thing. Leave that to the people who say things like I remember when the LES wasn't so gentrified blah blah blah. I'll take the experience where I can find it and carve out what I can for me. Even if that is in a sea of faces.

...Oh yeah, I'm in Sanur, Bali. Gonna relax on the beach for a day or two before heading inland to the art capital of Bali; Ubud on recommendations from both Dray and Candacee.