Confusing the locals

by Mantala Nkoatse (South Africa)

Making a local connection South Africa

For the first time in my life, I was leaving my fathers land to a foreign country. When the flight took off, I was ecstatic! However, I got exhausted from sitting and sleeping for more than 8 hours. My worst experience was watching that Muslim lady unpacking my clothes as if it was not enough; She asked me to follow her in an empty room- The lady asked me to take off my clothes; I knew I could've protested or refused but, as usual, I had no strength to fight with anyone or anything- So, I stripped naked, "please open your legs wide, bend down and hold your ankles."That sounded like a yoga pose, but why is it supposed to be this dirty? Does this woman find me exotic? I was so confused. She continued to say " Please hold that position and cough" I did so. "Thank you so much for your corporation!" she exclaimed with a crooked smile. The country chose me. First thing I did was to change my currency. I had 1 million Indonesian Rupiahs and five-hundred thousands, back home, I had never been a millionaire. However, I got to be a millionaire in a foreign country. I imagined myself sending a few thousands back home until I purchased a sim card. It turns out Indonesians' million Rupiahs is equivalent to a thousand Rands in South Africa. So, I was not rich- I still had less money in a foreign country, no friends, no family and no shelter as yet. Two months later, I was living in a Kos in Meduri, Denpasar. My favourite part was shopping in a traditional market with my landlord; who felt like a sister to me. She accommodated me as a sister more than a tenant- Balinese people are super hospitable. On my first Sunday, she took me on a morning tour in the market. My palate explored diverse Balinese treats, from savoury to sweet, all the way to spicy Balinese meals. I had even learned how to speak a little bit of the language. I could say good morning, good day, good night and thank you. I confused most locals as we have the same pigment and, my Bahasa sounded good when I spoke. However, my curly, coarse hair was what confused them. Some thought I'm from Papua, while some could notice by saying things I couldn't understand and wouldn't be able to reply and, that's how they would identify me as a foreigner. Nonetheless, I met amazing people and made friends, Kiky is one of the best people I met - She was more of an angel in a human form. One time, I was going through a difficult time, and, I didn't know how to deal with betrayal and, a broken heart. I knew I couldn't focus and, not even art could save me because my mind was blocked. I tried to eat it away and, my favourite nasi goreng (fried rice) nor the sweet bubble drink could fill the void. I tried to drink the void away and, the Balinese coffee activated my mind, but I was not productive. Kiky and Miky asked if we could meet at the beach and catch up over a cold coconut. I can't explain how happy I was to be in their presence. I briefly shared my story with them and, Kiky suggested we embark on a journey to the waterfall. The following morning, I woke up before the sunrise and the world wakes up. I did a 10 minutes' Pranayama, 10 minutes yoQi and, a 22 minutes' meditation. I was ready to let go of everything I had identified myself as and trust the unknown. Kiky finally arrived and the venture began - I embraced the fresh breeze as we rode to the north of Bali, from the east. In no time, my system rebooted. The yellow and pink petals enticed my senses, as we passed the lush green rainforest. We reached our destination in the next hour. Most Balinese attraction sites and restaurants had a separate price range for tourists and, I could pay the local price. The trick is greeting them, and, saying thank you in their language.