“Got a gift for me??!!” If you’ve lived in Indonesia for any period of time, you would have heard this phrase over and over and over and over again. Said for the most part in earnest, gift-giving and receiving is an important Indonesian tradition to keep everyone happy (especially if an official asks for one).
In the West, bringing back souvenirs is a bit of an afterthought: a bonus for the recipient rather than something that is expected. However, the tradition here is so strong that shopping for souvenirs for family and friends is placed higher on the list than sightseeing and touring. Being involved in event management, I’ve taken many Indonesian groups overseas. When they’re not performing, fat chance they’ll ever do any sightseeing or get to learn much about the culture or history of the country they’re visiting; they’re all in the souvenir shops picking up cheap pieces of plastic for all the cousins, nieces and nephews… The irony of the situation is that many of these battery operated gismos are not accepted in cabin luggage and end up in the trash can along with all those bottles of mineral water—bad luck for those who neglect to pack them in their suitcase.
The locals I’ve toured with overseas seem to prefer to act as tourists rather than travelers. They follow the flock, shopping in a large group, probably getting ripped off along the way. For seasoned travellers, souvenirs take the form of an experience: a taste of the local cuisine, learning a bit of the local language, hanging out with the locals, seeing sights off the beaten track. I’ve met few Balinese who seize these opportunities and get to really appreciate the country they’re visiting. With the abolishment of the fiscal tax in January, more Balinese are expected travel, and, who knows, more may do so as ‘travelers’ rather than bearers of the obligatory oleh-oleh.
Vaughan Hatch has immersed himself with Balinese culture, living with locals in Bali since 1997. He speaks fluent Indonesian and Balinese, and is unashamedly addicted to playing gamelan. A linguistic, archaeology and publishing graduate, he works for indOKiwi ‘linguistic and cultural solutions’ in Sanur. Email him on contact@indokiwibali.com or call (0361) 464201 for further queries.
