Nyepi Day in Seminyak Bali

As you read this I am manning the bbq in my garden busily cooking steaks and chicken drumsticks for Ika and her brother and sister.

Nyepi, the day of silence is a day of introspection, reflection and clarity for Balinese. By keeping quiet, refraining from eating, drinking, cooking, working, talking, sexual activities and going out, they convince the evil spirits who have returned after the previous night that no one is home in Bali, so they should not stick around.

I hope evil spirits do not like the smell of bbq.

Some hotels in Kuta have boarded up windows so guests can enjoy themselves indoors. My house has a high wall around it and we plan to use a limited number of candles. I told Ika to bring over a Monopoly game for later. The Apprentice is on tv tonight (the only show I watch) so by Friday night I will feel all Trumpy and ready develop the heck out of my relatives.

My Nyepi will be spent working on articles as well as making a few small Bintangs dissappear. I like steak and Ika requested chicken legs, as they have more grissle and are chewy unlike breast. She told me her favourite part of the chicken was its head and said she could be satified with a bowl of rice, some sweet soy sauce and just the head. I have got to try to shake more of the kampung out of her, although there is one thing I like about the kampung mentality, it knows how to live cheap.

By dawn on Saturday we will be allowed out again and things will go back to normal.

Reading Covarrubiass book, Island Of Bali itis interesting to hear about Nyepi from 1937. He says that like nowadays people are expected to abstain from daily practices and on the north coast they are especially strict. Surprisingly he says that in Denpasar people went out visiting like it was a holiday. Special games were organized by the local banjar including a med-medan (tug of war) between men and girls.

The night previous to Nyepi a special ceremony called a metjaru, involving 9 pedandas (high priests) lure evil spirits. Intense chanting and bell ringing chased demons from the area and the leaders of each banjar were given New Fire, presumably a Olympics torch type of deal, and holy water.

Fireworks accomopanied the finale and every kul kul split log bell in Denpasar was rung loudly. Local people painted their faces and ran all over town with lights on the end of poles chasing remaining demns away shouting Get Out, Get Out.

Things have changed in some ways and now the ogah ogah monsters do the chasing. After being locked in my house with the relatives I might be shouting Get Out, Get Out when its all over.