See the efforts of Ms. Mass to show visitors the everyday life and culture of the Balinese people
Learn about efforts made to show tourists everyday life in Bali.
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Transcript
NARRATOR: On Bali, everyday life, culture and religion are so closely intertwined that they can no longer be separated from one another. For most tourists this is a hard to comprehend, yet extremely fascinating phenomenon. Here in southeast Bali, on the edge of the village of Kemenuh, Ms. Mass has created a meeting place that offers relaxation and unadulterated access to life in a Balinese village. Over 20 years ago Ms. Mass returned to Bali after an extended stay in Germany. Since then she's been championing the cause of age-old Bali, endeavoring to strike a harmonious balance between tourism and tradition. She's furnished eight rooms in the manner of typical village dwellings. Not exactly plush, but her establishment is supposed to boost travelers' respect for the island's culture.
MS. MASS: "We offer guests a taste of everyday life. It cannot be compared to a typical hotel. We don't have a reception desk, suites or things like that. Our guests are asked to tell us what they would like to learn about or see. We have typically Balinese rooms and fare."
NARRATOR: Visitors can learn everything about the life and culture of the Balinese inhabitants, on occasion they're even integrated into the village community. Ms. Mass feels this close contact between tourists and locals provides a learning opportunity for both sides. The inhabitants of the village profit directly from this encounter. One dollar of the daily lodging fee benefits the community. Ms. Mass uses this money to finance temple festivals and a community social fund. The ultimate aim of the Balinese is harmony between humans, nature and the gods. Ms. Mass hopes to protect local culture.
MS. MASS: "After 30 or 40 years of tourism we no longer know if we are preserving our culture or selling it. That is where we are today."
NARRATOR: Ms. Mass's hotel overlooks rice terraces. The landscape, the people, it all seems like the antithesis of a world shaped by stress and frenetic activity. More than 1.5 million tourists visit the island of the gods. Nonetheless, Bali has managed to maintain the delicate balance between mythological tradition and modernity. Ms. Mass might deserve some credit for this.
MS. MASS: "We offer guests a taste of everyday life. It cannot be compared to a typical hotel. We don't have a reception desk, suites or things like that. Our guests are asked to tell us what they would like to learn about or see. We have typically Balinese rooms and fare."
NARRATOR: Visitors can learn everything about the life and culture of the Balinese inhabitants, on occasion they're even integrated into the village community. Ms. Mass feels this close contact between tourists and locals provides a learning opportunity for both sides. The inhabitants of the village profit directly from this encounter. One dollar of the daily lodging fee benefits the community. Ms. Mass uses this money to finance temple festivals and a community social fund. The ultimate aim of the Balinese is harmony between humans, nature and the gods. Ms. Mass hopes to protect local culture.
MS. MASS: "After 30 or 40 years of tourism we no longer know if we are preserving our culture or selling it. That is where we are today."
NARRATOR: Ms. Mass's hotel overlooks rice terraces. The landscape, the people, it all seems like the antithesis of a world shaped by stress and frenetic activity. More than 1.5 million tourists visit the island of the gods. Nonetheless, Bali has managed to maintain the delicate balance between mythological tradition and modernity. Ms. Mass might deserve some credit for this.
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