awaiting to board, tonight ayah is going to fly to bali to meet the lovely family...
fly a bit late due to looking for cheapest airfare, hmmm
look like going to be delay, arrrggghhh
anyway, next week going to be nyepi day in bali, but ayah will be already back to jakarta. so the whole family will only be staying at home, not like previous nyepi that always stays in hotel to avoid inconvenience since abang and adik still so young and a bit difficult to control if have to stay at home for the whole 24 hours and could not make any noise..
so at this nyepi, ayah unable to accompany adik and abang to watch ogoh-ogoh parade where usually adik will feel scare to see but curious to see them...
anyway... nyepi is the balinese "day of silence" that is commemorated every isakawarsa (saka new year) according to balinese calendar (in this year, it will be on march 23rd). it is a day of silence, fasting, and meditation. the day following nyepi is also celebrated as new year.
observed from 6 a.m. until 6 a.m. the next morning, nyepi is a day reserved for self-reflection and as such, anything that might interfere with that purpose is restricted. the main restrictions are: no lighting fires (and lights must be kept low); no working; no entertainment or pleasure; no traveling; and for some, no talking or eating at all. the effect of these prohibitions is that bali's usually bustling streets and roads are empty, there is little or no noise from tvs and radios, and few signs of activity are seen even inside homes. the only people to be seen outdoors are the pecalang, traditional security men who patrol the streets to ensure the prohibitions are being followed.
although nyepi is primarily a hindu holiday, non-hindu residents of bali observe the day of silence as well, out of respect for their fellow citizens. even tourists are not exempt; although free to do as they wish inside their hotels, no one is allowed onto the beaches or streets, and the only airport in bali remains closed for the entire day. the only exceptions granted are for emergency vehicles carrying those with life-threatening conditions and women about to give birth.
on the evening before nyepi, there will be a parade called ngrupuk parade in which people will carry ogoh-ogoh (statues of demons especially built for this parade). there are normally eight or more men carrying the ogoh-ogoh on their shoulders. this procession is accompanied by orchestral music performed by the youth. during the procession, the ogoh-ogoh is rotated counter-clockwise three times. this act is done at every t-junction and crossroad of the village and is intended to scare away the evil spirits.
on the day after nyepi, known as
ngembak geni, social activity picks up again quickly, as families and friends gather to ask forgiveness from one another, and to perform certain religious rituals together.
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