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 The Suitcase Importer
And I’m not talking about people who import suitcases. For our purposes, a “suitcase importer” is a person who visits Bali and leaves with a suitcase, bag or backpack full of products with the intention of selling them somewhere else.
It’s the fun end of importing.
Suitcase Importers go to exotic destinations like Bali, Thailand, the Philippines and Goa, stay for a while and travel around and then, before flying out, fill up a case with small products that can be easily carried and sold elsewhere.
Continue reading 'Importing from Bali by Suitcase'
Australia, Britain and the United States embassies have gone ahead and issued travel warnings advising people to reconsider traveling to Indonesia.
You can read the warnings yourself by going to:
It seems the warnings are a response to the somewhat confusing messages coming out of Bali before New Year’s Eve — first there was a warning of a possible threat on New Year’s Eve sent out by the US Embassy in Bali in which the Governor of Bali, Mangku Pastika, warned of a possible New Year’s Eve attack. The confusing part came later when a spokesman for the Governor’s office yesterday denied Mr Pastika had made such a statement.
You can read that story in detail at: The Herald Sun (Australian Online News).
Despite the confusion and that I’m mostly sure (99%) that nothing will happen, please read the warnings if you’re planning a trip out here any day soon.
Sean
A quick update on the Long Dresses update. I somehow messed up the links to all our clothing categories… not exactly sure how I managed that but, for now, I’m blaming lack of good coffee. Anyway, now fixed so you can revisit the original article on long dresses and go through the links below the slideshow.
Enjoy,
Sean
 Bali Driftwood Lamp I found out yesterday that our driftwood products category was broken in the catalogue and have now fixed the pictures and put everything back together.
Sorry to everyone who got annoyed about that but if you have missed the category or had a quick look and then threw your hands up in despair when you could only see thumbnails, you’re now welcome to return and check out the big pictures…
The original ‘new product’ article can be read here: Bali Driftwood Lamps
Or, if you prefer, you can go straight to the Driftwood Category in our catalogue.
Don’t forget that, as with most of our handicrafts, if you don’t see exactly what you’re looking for, please talk to us — nine times out of ten we can make what you need or find you a producer to make what you need.
Also, as a reminder, all of our prices are online but you first need to logon at: http://www.indonesiaexport.com/logon.php. If this is your first visit to Indonesia Export (hello & welcome), we’re a wholesale only company based in Bali — please take a moment to fill out our contact form and we’ll send you details for accessing our prices.
Merry Christmas Everyone,
We wish you joy, happiness and fun and all the best for your families and friends.
Regards,
Sean, Sophie & Athina and Everyone at Indonesia Export
 Recently, we’ve heard a few unsettling reports related to products with alang-alang (thatched grass) roofs.
Alang alang, if you’re not familiar with the term, is quite a common roof component in gazeboes; garden lanterns and tiki bars (as in the picture to the left).
On one occasion, a container with thatched roof was rejected in Hawaii and sent back to Indonesia (where it was not accepted by the authorities and is currently languishing… whereabouts unknown). In another case, the container was accepted into the US but after the thatched roofs were separated and incinerated by US customs.
After searching a little on the US Customs website and talking with a few customs brokers and shipping reps in the US, we’re still not able to find official confirmation that alang alang has been banned but we all agree that at this time, it’s not at all wise to try importing the thatched items.
Sean
[Update: December 28th, 2009]
You will also find a number of posts in our News & Updates pages related to “bamboo”.
You can start by searching “bamboo” (you don’t need the quote marks) in the search box at the top right of every page.
Other notable posts include:
Bamboo Root Masks
Bamboo Products
Bamboo Tiki Products and the Update on Bamboo Tiki Products
Also, as a reminder, all of our prices are online but you first need to logon at: http://www.indonesiaexport.com/logon.php. If this is your first visit to Indonesia Export (hello & welcome), we’re a wholesale only company based in Bali — please take a moment to fill out our contact form and we’ll send you details for accessing our prices.
A couple of weeks ago, we learned that one of our suppliers had almost been put out of business by a dishonest agent.
The story, in very short form, is a big customer from Europe put together a multiple container order of furniture, decor and handicrafts through his individual / independent agent in Bali.
The order was placed with the manufacturers here with a promise (but not the reality) of a deposit and work proceeded.
After a month or so, the agent requested the balance payment from his customer. All told, about one hundred and forty thousand US dollars (US$140,000).
That’s the last anyone heard of the agent. Disappeared without a trace.
There’s little else to say on the subject except:
- Established companies with a track record are less risky than individuals (I know we’re an established company and therefore biased but it doesn’t make it any less true). You can also ask for references and then check references.
- Forget law. During my time here in Bali, I’ve seen little use or satisfaction from ‘legal channels’ — you’re better off assuming you have no legal recourse and working through your business relationships from that angle. Protect your investment in every way you can. By this, I don’t mean to imply that in Indonesia people are less or more honest than people anywhere else… just that there’s practically no legal infrastructure of use to you if something does go wrong.
Sean
[This is a copy of our June 16th Update Emailed to our Customers]
Good Morning & Merry Christmas!
We’ve just hit the mid-point of June and, as far as we’re concerned, that now means we’re officially at the start of our Christmas Season.
So, from now until the end of the year, our monthly update will include a countdown like this:
You have 83 days left to order your container in time for Christmas.
I’ll take a moment to explain that in case there’s any confusion.
As a general rule, a production order from Indonesia Export takes around 30 days but we allow up to 45 days as a safety margin… I’m including quality controlling, handling any rejects or major problems, packing and preparing to ship.
We also assume 40 days shipping from Bali to your place of business — that accounts for 30 days on the water plus another ten days clearing customs and getting trucked over to your warehouse or store.
Thus, if you order a production container load of products on September 7th, it would be arriving at your place 85 days later…December 1st.
I would say that was about as late as anyone could realistically be to start preparing for Christmas Sales.
Late but doable. So, from where we’re sitting, we can guarantee that any order placed up to September 7th will be at your place in time for Christmas.
After September 7th, we can’t make any promises — we’d need to be rushing, pushing suppliers and crossing our fingers hoping that we can have your order produced quickly and that there would be no major snafus with shipping.
In my opinion (and I’m guessing many people will agree), if you have your products in your hands by mid-November, you’ve got a good start on cataloguing and promoting your inventory ahead of Christmas. In that case, you’ll want to have your orders in to us by the last week of August.
Ok, that’s enough about Christmas – now here’s the Bad News…
…last month, fuel prices in Indonesia went up by around 30% — this will impact on all of our pricing right across the board.
Over the past week, we’ve been struggling against hikes of between 10% and a colossal 44%.
These increases do not affect any orders currently in house and, most likely will not affect any orders throughout June.
We’re doing everything in our power to not raise prices but, truthfully, it’s inevitable – we believe that by the start of July, we’ll have to begin the process of increasing prices over most of our lines.
Usually, I consider it crass to say something like, “Buy Now as Prices will Go Up” but in this case, it’s absolutely true.
You can read more about the fuel hike by clicking here and we’ll be keeping you posted about specific price increases on the News & Updates pages.
And talking about News & Updates…
The last batch of New Products and Updates for June are as follows:
Pirates & Skulls from Indonesia Export
A mix of updated models and completely new items re-organised to make life a little easier.
Wall Decorations
An update to one of our more popular product lines.
MDF Wall Plaque Aquarium
Pretty and inexpensive wall decor — we like these.
Albesia Wood Table Top Items
Cute table accessories.
Storyboards Update
One of my personal favourite products — updated with new models more comprehensive picture sets.
Later this month, we’re expecting a large update to our natural root and vine furniture and accessories lines… we’ll drop you a note about that when it’s done.
Regards,
Sean
Fuel prices in Indonesia rose by a whopping amount last month… nearly 30% across the board.
You may have missed the kerfuffle here… my recollection is that oil prices surged around the world but in Indonesia, it was less about the global market and more about cutting back on government subsidies.
If you had been in Bali on May 23rd, you would have noticed that a few Gas Stations were jam-packed with motorists eager to fill their tanks ahead of the midnight price increase (the other Gas Stations were all closed with HABIS [finished/empty] notices scrawled on bits of cardboard at the front).
Here’s how the increases broke down for us:
- Kerosene increased 25%.
- Premium Gasoline / Petrol / Benzene increased 33%.
- Diesel / Solar increased 27.9%
As you’d expect, price increases of this magnitude will affect everyone in Indonesia.
Everyone and everything.
The price of food has gone up.
Transport costs will go up and, for our customers, the price of furniture and handicrafts will go up.
Salaries will have to go up to cover the shortfall.
This has already started.
Based on conversations with our carvers and suppliers over the past week, we’re looking at product cost increases of between 10% and, shockingly, 44% on certain items.
We’ll do our best to soften the impact as much as we can and phase the higher prices in as slowly as possible and we’ll accompany each increase with a note in our news & updates pages under the General News category.
Sean
 We’ve made a few small changes to our structure over the past 2 days — hopefully, they’ll make your life easier.
The Indonesia Export Site Map
You can access this from our Information tab in the top navigation menu. We hope it will give you a clean and easy way to navigate through the website.
Product Index with Thumbnails
In addition to our Alphabetical Product Index, we’ve now added an Alphabetical Index with Thumbnails (first image from every category). You’ll have to navigate through page by page (using the menu at the bottom) but rather than our sometimes obscure product line titles, you’ll have a handy small image to help you identify what you’re looking for.
Product Index by Type
We’ve also broken down the different product lines into categories that may help you find similar or related product lines while you’re putting together an order. No hard or fast rules, just fairly general headings:
- Furniture
- Classic Bali Carvings — Decorative Artwork & Craft
- Modern Craft — Decorative Giftware & Home Decor from Bali, Lombok & Java
- Candles, Incense & Oils
- Homeware, Tableware & Functional Home Decor
- Stone, Glass, Ceramic & Terracotta
- Stock Lists
(These links, by the way, are clickable — you can use them to go straight to the relevant section on the Product Index.)
Finally, I had removed the Logon link from the top navigation bar — sorry about that, it’s back now.
Afternoon,
Sean
This information can save you a significant amount of money — you might want to consider getting a cup of coffee or whatever — this may take a little while.
If you understood more about how to order a mix of products that utilizes cargo space more effectively; more about cargo rates and how they work; more about how containers actually move along in their travels; and more about how (and where) to buy appropriate insurance for your order; and finally, how to handle your order once it reaches your port …
…then not only would your life (the part that is involved with ordering from someplace like Indonesia) be less stressful, but actually you would save a helluva a lot of money (you do want to keep the profit in your pocket, don’t you?)
It’s interesting — Indonesia Export only has two types of regular customers: 20′ and 40′ container buyers — whose orders run approximately $7,000.00-$12,000.00 and $12,000.00-$30,000.00 respectively.
At this time, about 60% of our customers order full 20′ containers and our remaining customers buy 40′ & 40′ High Cube containers. These customers already understand the great savings in freight costs and the other added advantages of using containers (though it still may be useful for you container buyers to read on)…
…however, I’m really trying to talk to new customers who may know very little about moving a shipment around the world.
Your Shipping Options from Bali
The first thing you need to know is that there are 5 ways cargo can move from here to you:
1. LCL Sea Cargo (less than a container – charged per cubic meter)
2. 20′ Container (30 cubic meters)
3. 40′ Container (60 cubic meters)
4. 40′ High Cube Container (72 cubic meters)
5. Air Cargo
LCL & Full Containers out of Bali
We will not ship an LCL order (less than a container load), but it would be good for you to understand why we won’t do that. (Basically the worst & most expensive way to go because shipping companies hate handling loose crates and charge a fortune for doing so).
Shipping via LCL means that your products are packed into paper cartons and then we build wooden crates around the cartons.
Your crates are then moved to our cargo company; official government documentation is completed; the shipment is then trucked to the port of Surabaya, Java (which is the closest international shipping port to Bali.)
Since your LCL shipment is just a few wooden crates and doesn’t fill a container, then it must wait at the port while the shipping company “consolidates” your order with other small orders going in the same direction. (Specifically, that means your crates sit there [inside/outside?] while the shipping company waits for enough orders to combine with yours and fill a container — usual waiting time: 2-4 weeks — then “X” number transit days on the water to you.)
First major disadvantage: as you’ll see below in the cargo rate example I’ve given you, LCL is much more expensive per cubic meter than a container.
Second major disadvantage: while in a sealed 20′ or 40′ container, you get the full use of the cubic meters inside that container — with LCL wooden crates you lose about 25% of the useable space due to the wood crate and lack of flexibility when packing large products. That means you’re actually paying 25% more just in lost space (remember that, please).
Third major disadvantage: because LCL shipments always have to be consolidated, the transit time is usually double that of a sealed container — for example, a container to the West Coast of the USA takes about 30 days, while an LCL order to the same port more likely will take 45-60 days.
Final major disadvantage: your wooden crates are manhandled in a variety of places. From our warehouse to the truck; from the truck to the cargo company; from the cargo company to the port; from the port to the ship; from the ship to your port; and from your port to your front door. (We happen to be wonderful packers and rarely have breakage, but let’s face it, that’s just not the best way to ship things — how would you move ceramics safely in wooden LCL crates?)
Before I go any further, let me put an example of cargo costs in front of you to make what I’m saying super, ultra clear.
Destination: Vancouver, B.C., Canada
LCL – $195.50 per cubic meter — so if you shipped 8 cubic meters (maybe $2,000.00 or so of product), you would pay about $1,564.00.
Worse, if your order happened to take up 11 cubic meters of space because you ordered large products (like giraffes or cats), you would pay close to $2,150.50. (100% freight costs are a pretty heavy expense given that you can do it a lot more cost-effectively.)
Watch this: the rate for a 20′ container (30 cubic meters including all the related trucking, handling, documentation & miscellaneous charges) to the Vancouver port is $3,875.81 (or about $129.00 per cubic meter). Compared to 30 cubic meters via LCL ($5,865.00), that’s a savings of about $1,990.00 — about 35% less.
Another way of looking at is: for the same price that it would cost you to send 20 cubic meters via LCL, you can send 30 cubic meters by container. (And remember, those 20 cubic meters by LCL were really only 15 cubic meters of product, while the 30 cubic meters in the container is all product!)
Let’s take it a step farther: a 40′ container (60 cubic meters) to Vancouver might cost another $1,000.00, but it would hold an additional 30 cubic meters of product. You basically get a bit over 20 cubic meters of space for free.
And then there’s a larger container, a 40′ high cube (72 cubic meters) that costs just fractionally more than a 40′ regular, but holds another 12 cubic meters. This most often gets used when we planned an order to fit into a 40′ regular, but underestimated the space necessary, so we’ll step-up up to a high cube. Extremely cost-effective.
Now, the example of savings I gave you using Vancouver, holds true for just about every other destination in the world. LCL is the most expensive way and least safe way to go while 20′ and 40′ containers are the safest and most cost-effective.
In addition to the very obvious cash savings, containers have some other significant advantages over LCL shipments:
When we pack an order for a container, we use only cardboard cartons (we do not have to pack anything in wooden crates with the exception of something extremely valuable). Thus, you get the entire use of the 30 cubic meters of space (remember, you’re picking up 25 percent more useable space compared with LCL shipments; and you also save the expense of wooden crates).
When we order a container for your order, we have already pre-planned which ship we’ll be using (and when); a truck is brought down from Surabaya, picks up the container, immediately returns to Surabaya and puts it on the ship. There is no delay.
Containers going to the United States get there in 30 days or under; Europe usually 3 weeks; Asia, even less time (yeah, there are a couple places, like Trinidad, that can take 45 days or more).
If you plan an order well (and we’re happy to help you massage an order to get the best deal for your cargo money), you can generally get $8,000.00 to $12,000.00 into a 20′ container. And, of course, double those numbers for a 40′ container.
Also, you can see examples of recent freight rates by clicking here.
Air Cargo out of Bali
Every now and then, a new customer wants an order sent via air cargo…
…and our immediate response is “did you know the air cargo costs will equal or be more than the value of your order?” (With the final result being that the customer switches over to LCL sea cargo, which might be as much as 75% less than if the order went by air.)
Most people believe that air cargo is charged out by the kilo; so they “guesstimate” the kilos in their mind and multiply it out by whatever the actual air cargo rate is. However, that “guesstimate” would most likely be very far from right — I’ll explain:
Airlines, in fact, do charge by the kilo, but in addition, also by volume, whichever happens to be greatest. For example, our standard shipping carton is 50 x 58 x 33 cm (20 x 23 x 13 inches). According to the way the airlines think, that carton’s volume is equal to about 15 kilos (33 pounds).
If there is less than 15 kilos of product in that carton, then you still pay for 15 kilos. If there is more than 15 kilos, you pay the greater amount.
Let’s say the air cargo rate for you is about $3.25 per kilo which means that carton costs you in cargo expense at least $48.75. Well, if it’s a carton of low-cost products such as wooden fruit or wooden flowers, or small carvings, etc., (which will definitely weigh less than 15 kilos/33 pounds) then you will have paid more for the cargo than you paid us for the product.
Another example: a cubic meter (100 x 100 x 100 cm or 39 x 39 x 39 inches) of space on an airline is almost always calculated by volume as opposed to kilos and is charged out at 185 kilos or $601.25 (using the $3.25 rate).
Maybe you bought giraffes from us; maybe 6 or 7 of them fit into that space; and maybe you paid us $50.00 for the giraffes. (Do you get it? You would have paid $600.00 to move $50.00 of product. Not good!)
In certain situations, air cargo can be utilized very cost-effectively. Small products with high retail value work fine. Maybe you’re paying $48.75 for that carton of air cargo space, but if you’ve got product in there that you can re-sell for $250.00 — Go for it!
Another situation in which Air Cargo can be extremely effective is that many of our customers take small portions of their Sea Cargo orders via air so that they can get samples quickly in front of their buyers or fill-in some inventory needs.
Cargo Rates
We handle all the cargo arrangements and take care of all necessary official documentation (certificate of origin, B/L, commercial invoice & packing list, quota visas, etc.) for most of our customers.
The reason for this is simple: most of the time we can get better cargo rates here than you can locally.
But sometimes you can get a better deal on your end, so when a new customer sends us his or her first order, we automatically check the rates on this end and also ask you to check the rates on your end. (We don’t make any money on packing or cargo related expenses — whichever rate is best for you, that’s the way we go.)
You can get an idea of recent freight rates out of Bali by clicking here.
Insurance
Insurance for your shipment can be purchased in Indonesia from our cargo company — for a relatively high price.
But, more importantly, collecting a claim from an Indonesian carrier or insurance company sometimes can be a life-long event and in general, not worth the hassle.
If a customer wants to insure their shipment, my advice always is go to your local casualty agent (the same company you buy car & house insurance from) and ask your agent to sell you a policy that insures your shipment “Ex-factory to your front door”. Safest and most cost-effective way to go.
Customs Brokers
One of your responsibilities to yourself is to get on the phone and talk with about five or six customs brokers (or however many necessary) and shop their pricing. You’ll see that the pricing will be all over the place. My personal experience is that you have to bargain with a customs broker the same way you would bargain with a used car salesman. Really!
Anyway, once you have a broker, it’s his or her job to handle all the paperwork that we send, clear your shipment through your customs, settle any duties necessary and so on.
Your customs broker is also a good person to recommend the most cost-effective way of moving your shipment from the port to your front door (remember, we’re charging you only for delivery to your nearest port. Our responsibility stops there and yours begins.)
As you can see, it is necessary that both you and I take great care with regard to the mix of products in your order and how we go about shipping your order.
When we receive your order, we will advise you the approximate cost of shipping it. In addition, we will always make suggestions regarding upgrading or downgrading the size of your order so that you get the most cost-effective cargo rates and methods of shipment.
Did you know that…
…you don’t have to be a gigantic conglomerate to join in the import business. This business got its start about 16 years ago by buying some stuff in Bali and taking a few boxes to Taiwan on the airplane and then re-selling it; and…
…you don’t have to buy $50,000 worth of product or 500 pieces of one model to get started. We’ve set our minimums per product relatively low, so that new customers may start out slowly.
Because you’re buying direct, you can mark-up our price significantly to the end-buyer — and still have a very satisfied customer who feels he or she got their money’s worth.
Most people are absolutely astonished at the mark-up available (and some refuse to believe it) — but there’s no magic involved — up until just a few years ago, these prices were available only to a major buyer who had the time, money, and courage to travel out here. The Internet has given all of us a practical, efficient way to display products for sale and a superbly economical system for communicating about everything at lightening speed.
We have quite a bit of experience retailing in various countries, and in many cases, if you ask our opinion about what sells well and at what price level, we’ll be happy to share our experience with you.
We have helped quite a few people enter the import business from the ground floor and now they are good customers. Of course, we wish the same for you (and for us). Please feel free to question us in any manner you like and we’ll try to help out.
And did you know that…
…most people tend to think that buying and importing products from one country to another is quite difficult, complicated, and involves all sorts of bureaucracy. We’re happy to inform you that that’s not true. In most countries, the procedure is quite simple.
But, most importantly…
…you need someone on this end that you can trust and depend on — to handle your money correctly, to make sure you get the right order, the right quality, the right documents — to complain to if there’s a problem.
We’re in a business that requires repeat customers. Taking care of you is an automatic concern of ours. We do that very well and we’re proud of it.
[More Information about Cost-Effective Shipping]
When most people think of the didgeridoo I would guess that, like me, they think of the Australian instrument.
Didgeridoos, however, are also made in Bali — we should know, it was one of our earliest product lines (we’ve been producing and shipping them since 1998).
 A couple of weeks ago, we raised rainstick and didgeridoo prices by nearly double. The hike was long overdue; we hadn’t raised any of the digeridoo pricing for a few years and it turned out we were getting killed on the pricing.
Since then, we’ve been doing our best to look for alternative carvers and pricing to bring the line back down to a more realistic price level and we think we’ve done it.
To give you just one example, a 120cm bamboo didgeridoo (as in the picture) is now priced at US$3.76 each… I’ve seen bamboos of the same type and size for sale in the UK at around US$35.00.
The new prices are now online (you need to be logged in before you can see those prices) so please take a moment to look them over and let us know how we’re doing.
http://www.indonesiaexport.com/frame.php?category=Drums%2C+Rainsticks+%26+Didgeridoos
Along with pricing, we’ll be taking pictures of new models sometime over the next couple of weeks — I’ll update with a news story at that time.
Enjoy,
Sean
 Wednesday this week (June 27th, 2007) is the Balinese Galungan celebration.
It’s not a red day (as national holidays are marked red in the Indonesian calendar system) but we will be closed along with most every other company in Bali for one of the more important holidays of the year.
Here’s a little background information on the holiday (mostly copied from Wikipedia).
The Balinese calendar (or Pakuwon) is a cycle of 210 days and has absolutely nothing in common with the international or Gregorian calendar.
The day celebrates the victory of “Dharma” (virtue) upon “Adharma” (evil) — the word Galungan means, “when the Dharma is winning”.
Galungan marks the beginning of the most important recurring religious ceremony that is celebrated by all Balinese.
During the Galungan period the deified ancestors of the family descend to their former homes. They must be suitably entertained and welcomed, and prayers and offerings must be made for them.
Those families who have ancestors that have not yet been cremated, but are still buried in the village cemetery, must make offerings at the graves.
Although Galungan falls on a Wednesday, most Balinese will begin their Galungan ‘holiday’ on Tuesday — this is when the family begins to prepare offerings and food for the next day.
Leading up to Galungan, everyone has a job to do.
One of the odd — you could say, ‘funny’ — things about Bali is that there are many, many holidays & ceremonies but in our experience, everyone works much harder for a ceremony than they would in an office or on a construction site for that matter.
And, of all the Balinese holidays, Galungan is probably the busiest and the most expensive in terms of offerings, feast & decorations.
There is the purchase of fruit for offerings; a pig for slaughter; pastries, snacks and so on and many flowers and coconut fiber for making ‘banten’ — a standard woven offering. I’ll often walk out of the office to find a small woven basket of flowers and perfume ‘banten’ on my car or under my foot (they’re easy to miss and tread on). The banten for Galungan are bigger, more complicated. The making of banten, by the way, does require skill — Arie’s mum has been practicing for years and only recently felt accomplished enough to make them properly.
Traditionally, the men of the family get together to buy a pig and then kill it.
Around this time, you often see small flatbed trucks wizzing around with rattan baskets in the back — a pig in each basket.
With the pig sorted, the men will get up around 4 or 5 in the morning to slaughter the pig — the meat is diced, ground and made into sate (kebabs) and the guys also make lawar – that’s a dish I’ve always found kind of gross — it’s basically mixed vegetables sometimes with raw pig’s blood and pork. I’ve also heard of white lawar which has no blood. The only time I got close to trying it, it was a crazy hot concoction by one of our friends (Arie was crying).
Once that’s done, the guys usually move on to making the penjor — curvy, bamboo poles heavily decorated and placed outside the homes, temples and the sides of the streets.
On Wednesday, the day of Galungan, one will find that most Balinese will try to return to their own ancestral home at some stage during the day, even if they work in another part of the island. This is a very special day for families, where offerings are made to God and to the family ancestors who have come back to rest at this time in their family temple. As well as the family temple, visits are made to the village temple with offerings as well, and to the homes of other families who may have helped the family in some way over the past six months.
The day after Galungan is a time for a holiday, visiting friends, maybe taking the opportunity to head for the mountains for a picnic. Everyone is still seen to be in their ‘Sunday best’ as they take to the streets to enjoy the festive spirit that Galungan brings to Bali.
So, courtesy of Wikipedia and Arie, there you have it: a kind of Christmas, Halloween & Thanksgiving all rolled into one day.
See you on Friday.
Sean
 A quick note to explain that we’re going to close the comments section of our News & Updates area at Indonesia Export.
It’s just too much work.
This morning, I had 1,720 comments and, from what I could tell, not one of them was from a human being. Sad.
Along with the 1,720 dummy ads for drugs that do this and people that do that, I had another 943 bits of junk on one of our email accounts and over 800 bits of junk on the main email account.
I might not mind so much if I had super high speed internet but, alas, Bali is not the smartest tool in the shed when it comes to the Internet Superhighway.
So, I start getting the stuff at around 9 in the morning and now, it’s lunchtime.
Of course, if you do want to make a comment, send us an email.
Morning,
Sean
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