Terrorists didn't bomb my hotel.
No drugs were stuffed in my bag.
I didn't lose my virginity to a Balinese woman.
And I had a blast (no pun intended).
Five days in Bali. After weeks of mulling over it, I finally decided to take a vacation somewhere...anywhere. So why Bali? One, it was cheap. Two, it was near. Three...it was cheap. Yes, I'm a typical Chinaman who values a low-cost holiday over my life.
But what an experience! I don't think I scratched the surface of what one could do in Bali...and factoring in a relatively tight budget, I still managed to jet-ski, scuba-dive, go sight-seeing near a volcano, play with turtles, snakes, monkeys, visit temples, para-sail, watch sunsets and lie like a bum on the beach.
I also went alone, which felt quite depressing at first. But it turned out to be a surprisingly great move, as I discovered I could do what I want, for as long as I wanted. I doubt anyone would have wanted to walk with me around Kuta for four hours, but I enjoyed it immensely.
It turns out I learnt a few things about myself. For one, I realised I love soaking into a certain kind of environment. Away from my comfort zone, I forced myself to mix with the locals, who delighted in showing me the nooks and crannies of their beautiful island. One took me to a coffee plantation near the hills, and we spent almost one hour chatting with workers while sipping freshly-roasted coffee. Another took me on his motorcycle on a tour around Jimbaran (one of the tourist hot-spots), and brought me to his favourite seafood cafe to eat ikan bakar. Another taught me scuba diving for a cheap price. I drank it all in, and loved every minute of it.
I also realised that I am a scenery-freak. Specifically, I'm a sky freak. And whether it was on the hill-tops of Kintamani overlooking Mount Batur, one of Bali's two active volcanoes, or my 6pm ritual of sitting on the beach gaping smack-jawed at the sunset, there were plenty of sky to savour.
I'm not sure why, but the sky fascinates me. It's this huge canvas filled with an array of colours and beautifully crafted clouds. It all reminds me of the greatness of my Creator. He's so big...and a big mystery. Where is He in that universe above me? It's almost like God is hiding behind the very clouds he creates. I can't really see Him...is He there somewhere?
For me, that's one of the greatest tensions of my Christian faith: knowing that I'll never fully grasp and understand the glory of this limitless Being called 'God'...yet still learn to sense His presence in my world anyways. It must be a leap of faith, the steps of the deranged, to follow a Divine who you can never really pinpoint and say, "There He is!" Maybe that's why it's so much easier for churches to reduce God and our faith to easy principles and standards - it's so much safer to listen to preachers trying to simplify Him than trying to let our hearts listen to His leading.
But as I looked at the sunset, I pledged my heart to follow the God Behind the Clouds. I can't really see Him...but He is there and present. He is involved in the heart of this adventurer, and I can't wait for the destiny He has in store.
Which, I believe, includes a special companion. My wife-hunting trip in Bali didn't yield any fruit...but I have candidates! So should I choose:
a)
b)
c)
d)
"Stay hungry. Stay foolish."
- Steve Jobs.
j
