Worried Walkers Part III – How do the Balinese do it?
Since the very first time foreigners set foot on Bali, the Balinese have been celebrated for their grace and posture. Perhaps with the exception of driving, Balinese apply this finesse to everything they do, including walking. Constantly aware of the tropical heat and seemingly unbothered by achievement-oriented time (something most modern societies seem to be fanatically obsessed with!), people choose to cruise along the sidewalks in a relaxed, poised and care-free manner. Often you will see people, normally of the same sex, hand in hand, smiling and laughing as they calmly negotiate the typical hazards of Balinese pedestrian life.
Something that surprises many foreigners is how rarely they see Balinese fall over, no matter what their age. It seems that we are so ‘nannied’ now in developed countries that we expect all our terrain to be safe and pedestrian-pampered, that when we are faced with few bumps, wholes and other street hazards, we fall over in an instant. I have to say that as a foreigner who has lived in Bali for more than 10 years, I’ve only seen one local person fall over, and this is because they were very elderly.
In their day-to-day lives, Balinese walk a subdued fashion, quite contrary to the populace one of their nearest Asian neighbours, Singapore, where everyone seems to be on a mission to get somewhere and achieve something. The only time I can think of when Balinese walk with any pace and vigour is in an effort to keep up with a ceremonial procession. A cremation or a pilgrimage to the beach or another temple will often be a fairly hasty affair, as the long line of followers are seemingly propelled forward by the hypnotic pulse of the baleganjur marching gamelan orchestra. Processions such as these can cover several kilometres at a time, giving most people a somewhat rare opportunity for some aerobic exercise. The nice part about it is that they are walking, whilst enjoying themselves and actually achieving something that they consider meaningful – now that’s what I call bearable exercise!
