Villagers, Farmers and Rural Life

From the farmer next door blowing me a kiss with a warm toothless smile to the two women perhaps on their way to make offerings at the temple ~ the Balinese villagers welcome with warmth, hospitality and kindness.  They are gentle and hard working people.

It's community; neighbors coming together to shovel soil, helping one another with shoring up the walls of the running water troth in front of their homes, chatting across the street at the nearby by shop where young people hang out like office workers at the water cooler.

Small town life is alive in Bali; seek it out; it’s the life and love of the Indonesians.  Steer away from main roads, take a drive or stroll through the fields, the country roads, the neighborhoods and you’ll see social networking at its best ~ people to people. 

girl scouts ready to do their community service

shop keepers little girl loved the camera!

What you might know of me is that I’m a farmer at heart, perhaps that’s way this life strikes a chord deep in my soul, my heritage. Why I’m drawn to paintings of rice workers in the fields, why the one intricate Indonesian style painting  is that of Dewi Sri, the rice goddess, and why I ask Karya, the driver to take the slow back roads to town.

hard work turning over the soil

cultivating seedlings

Since I arrived in Bali, this sweet potato patch has reminded me of my parents ~ I'd stop into Foulee's on Beacon Hill in Seattle to pick up camote leaves for soups and to sprout enough to plant in the garden for my Mom. So my Dad grew a few plants in his green house. With the hot weather in Bali these plants grew rather quickly!!

sweet potato patch then

More of the rural life...

do you know what these bottles are filled with and why?

critical wear for a farmer!

Road side wood carver specializing in carvings set into doorways and windows.  You can watch them work their craft...I even purchased a piece from this tiny shop.

Every part of a crop is used for something.  Some of these stalks may used as feed or in offerings.

You've seen the roosters before.  They are sometimes kept under these cages but often you'll find them darting across the street  or just following each other around. Some are kept under these cages to get them nice and angry for a cock fight.

Sort of a traveling food push cart operated by single person and who might offer spring rolls, satay, soup, noodles and any other variety of Indonesian favorites.

MORE TO COME....I've got to hop on a plane to Osaka now!