First church, then the beach!

After visiting the local Balinese pura, we headed over to the new Orthodox temple pastored by Fr Stephanos. The Orthodox Church in Bali has grown and now has its own temple in Singaraja capable of holding a large congregation. Fr Stephanos Boik Nino, the priest of this church, received us warmly and with great hospitality. Unfortunately he was pressed for time, as we visited on a day when he was getting ready for a pan-Christian feast in honor of Christmas, and we did not take his photograph.

Yes, the Balinese Orthodox presbyter is the chosen leader of the Christians in Singaraja, regardless of their denomination. I was surprised by this, but there wasn’t an opportunity to discover how this arrangement came about. What I have learned about Christianity in Indonesia in general is that it is far less denominationally fractured than in America. Yes, there are denominations, but Christian churches, not just individual Christians, seem to adhere to one another.

This is possibly the result of being in a sometimes hostile environment. I know that there have been cases of Muslims attacking Christians, and even the reverse, on some islands such as Ambon, of which I will tell later, but in Bali there seems to be a more peaceful attitude of coexistence. True, the Orthodox pura that Ibu’s family is building has been verbally attacked in print, but that was due to misinformation. We often find this to be the case in Indonesia. Riots start because of hostile and unsubstantiated gossip.

After we visited the church, Ibu was feeling tired, and it was time to let our car and driver go. We wouldn’t need his services anymore on this visit. From now on, Moda’s wife Laurensia would drive us to the pasar first, and then very close by—we walked to the waterfront from the pasar—the beach. It was a glorious, sunny day but not too hot. Remember, Bali is an island, and the breezes keep the temperatures down.

The pasar that we went to was actually something like a cavernous flea-market. It reminded me of ‘The Red Barn,’ a flea-market in Bradenton, Florida where my dad lives. I didn’t take a photo, but I found this image of what I think may be the exact one we went into, on the internet. If this wasn’t the place, it’s very much like it: an entrance off the shops lining the street, leading to a labyrinth of stalls within.

After buying a few household items that are unique to Bali, like fabric hangings for the family shrine, and woven plate and cup covers, and a few other small items, we found our way back to the outside world through the maze by following Laurensia showing us the way. When we emerged, she took their son and went back to the car to drive over to the waterfront, and the three of us big guys walked.

Singaraja is not a tourist hotspot, although people who like the real Bali would feel very much at home here. The waterfront is beautifully maintained as to the promenades and monuments, but the beach itself is a bit desolate. I mean, where we were anyway, it wasn’t the kind of beach you’d go sunbathing on. There was driftwood and other sea debris along the waterfront. The tourists go where the coast is maintained for their use and activities.

Neither Yudhie or I are swimmers. We just like the sea. So for us, it was great to just be there. Moda’s little son Michael had a great time just being a kid, and I had a great time watching him. I was a bit sad, though, reflecting on the fact that Moda is in America making a living for ten months a year, and only comes back here in the winter.

How much like it was for some of our own ancestors in America, working there and sending money home to Greece or Poland or Italy, and still saving to be able to bring wife and kids to America. Those were the days. Too bad it’s not like that now. Governments exercise a hidden ownership over their peoples, disguised as protection, not letting them freely move between countries and lands, but restricting them, causing untold hardship to families and individuals.

I’m for a world without borders—ultimately for a world without any but local governments—where I can travel to and live in any country I want to, without hindrance. Yes, social structures will have to be revised, but in the end, fullest freedom is still the seedbed of greatness, just as ‘necessity is the mother of invention.’

Time for… An evening walk