EVERYDAY LIFE IN BALI

THE HOUSE

From time to time some of the boiling water was poured over the rice with a ladle of coconut shell to prevent it from drying up and sticking together. The result was a deliciously dry, separate rice that served as a medium for the peppery sauces. The food was prepared with cleanliness, everything carefully washed first, and the food covered until eaten with squares of banana leaf.

As soon as the rice was done, they prepared a tray of offerings (ngedjot) for the spirits that haunt the house: little squares of banana leaf, each with a few grains of rice, a flower, salt, and a dash of chili-pepper. No one could eat before the little portions were distributed in front of each of the house units: at the enthere is one, and finally at the gate. The woman who distributed the offerings was followed by the eternally hungry do who unceremoniously ate the grains of rice as soon as the offer ing was placed on the ground. Nobody cared, however, since they were intended for evil spirits, which might, perhaps, be embodied in the dogs.

There were no set meal hours and they ate whenever they felt hungry. A little before noon the men returned from work after of banana leaf over them. When finished, the leaf dishes were simply thrown to the pigs; no dishes were left to wash. A kendih of water was passed around after the meal, each drinking in turn and at a distance from it, letting a continuous jet of water fall into the open mouth, the lips never touching the spout.

When we tried to drink like the Balinese we succeeded only in choking or drenching ourselves. The mouth and fingers were rinsed, and after emitting a loud belch of satisfaction the men took a nap or went to the bale bandjar to chat before resuming work, Generally the women ate after the men were finished, then fed the pigs, and spent the rest of the afternoon weaving, threshing rice, or simply delousing each other, a great social pastime.

For a while it seemed as if the art of hand weaving would be wrecked by the ever increasing importation of foreign cloth Chinese silk thread was hard to obtain, aniline dyes gave brighter hues and were infinitely easier to handle than the old vegetable dyes, and Japanese rayon for a few cents a yard looked almost like real silk. In later years, however, the affluence of tourists has increased the market for Balinese handicrafts and many women derive an income from selling garish brocades. On our second visit the women of our household took to weaving and ever\ afternoon the characteristic rhythmic sounds of many loom! came from all directions.

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