Life in Bali Martin began his life in Bali with a massive feeling of excitement. Here he was in paradise, surrounded by palm trees, white-sand beaches and crystal clear waters as far as the eye could see. But it wasn’t long before he realised that it’s a bit different actually working in paradise as opposed to being on holiday there.
When he and some friends had visited the island for a holiday a couple of years before, he had fallen for the lifestyle hook, line and sinker. It had become his passion to find an excuse to live there extendedly. Of course, this meant he would actually have to do something while he was there to fund it all. It couldn’t be just days on end with nothing to do but lie on the beach or sit by a pool and chat about random things with the locals.
There were all sorts of fantastic opportunities he had in mind: be a yoga instructor, give kayaking lessons to tourists, give tours of the cultural centres on the island. Not only did he have the dream location in mind, but he had the dream job in his sights as well.
And of course there was the modest and traditional living accommodation he was sure he’d find, with big windows to let in the warm breeze throughout the day and a stunning ocean view. All of this a matter of steps away from the water he’d swum and surfed in as a holidaymaker.
But things rarely turn out how we want them to be, and Martin’s case was no different. Without any real qualifications in any of the vocations he’d imagined, other than being armed with a sociology degree, Martin was forced to settle for whatever he could find. He accepted the first position he could actually manage to obtain, which was at a quaint resort a little way from the busy touristy area. He would work as a drinks server for little pay and few perks, aside from being by the seaside.
And the dream house he thought would be easy to find turned out to be a little out of reach in terms of rent. He ended up being closer to the jungle than the sea. None of this was as a result of not trying; it was just going to be a while longer before Martin got all that his heart desired.
As the weeks passed by, Martin’s island life slowly filled up with minor daily annoyances that took a certain change of perspective to handle. His move to Bali wasn’t intended to be an escape-from-it-all adventure; he still very much cherished the modern conveniences in life. He had to learn to anticipate that the internet wouldn’t always be bn or that getting laundry done might take hours. Power cuts, while entertaining at first, can be a real pain when you’re actually trying to accomplish something.
Eating became a real adventure as well, which Martin had got a taste of, so to speak, while he was there on holiday. He loved Indonesian food, but not all of it from every vendor was fit for consumption. Those charming power cuts meant that sometimes food had thawed, and then been refrozen. The flavour wasn’t the only thing lost in the process, if his occasional stomach aches were anything to go by.
But Martin was determined to make it work. If the inconveniences frustrated him, he reminded himself not to cry over spilt milk. He told himself that, after all, if he had got everything he wanted in the first week, he might not appreciate his achievements as much, and there was plenty to appreciate on Bali. |