Rating: 
Summary: "The Real Bali"
Review: My wife and I recently returned from our first visit to Bali. Wherever we went , guides were offering to show us "the real Bali"--as if "the real Bali" could be contained in a particular place or sight. What we eventually learned was this: As beautiful as this island is, the real Bali exists primarily in its people--as well as in the mind of the beholder. We were very lucky. While in the city of Ubud, we were given William Ingram's superb book by a Balinese artist we happened to meet. We found it so engaging, so beautifully written that we had difficulty putting it down. In this book, Ingram provided us with a vivid, three dimentional portrait of a Balinese extended family--and it's relationship to the broader community. It is first rate anthropology--written with love and warmth--as well as objectivity. But it is much more than that. Ingram's book provides an indispensable guide to understanding the spirituality, generosity, and open-heartedness of the Balinese people. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Delightful Memoir, Life Amongst the Balinese
Review: This book has amassed a cult following, and for good reason. It is an amusing, light-hearted account of a couple's life with a Balinese family. Certainly offers western readers valuable insight into Balinese culture. Great for a visitor or even an armchair traveler, but is pretty much de rigeur reading amongst expatriates in Bali and the rest of Indonesia. Reader sees Ingram making the jump from long-term backpacking visitor to full-on expat, a transition that many have made, albeit with great culture shock. Ingram and his wife make the compromises and changes with admirable patience and refreshing good humor. Lesser mortals can find a welcome bit of comfort in this text. Never condescending (neither towards the Balinese nor towards bumbling westerners), this series of stories are told with a gentle, smiling tone. Not exactly a page-turner, but delightful and bright. The author and his wife have gone on to found a truly marvelous charitable concern which is contributing to the rebirth of textile weavers and dyers in the Indonesian archepelago. Their warm attitude toward the people of Indonesia lives on in this work. When visiting Bali, do not miss a visit to Jean's gallery in Ubud, named Threads of Life.
Rating:
Summary: Delightful Memoir, Life Amongst the Balinese
Review: This book has amassed a cult following, and for good reason. It is an amusing, light-hearted account of a couple's life with a Balinese family. Certainly offers western readers valuable insight into Balinese culture. Great for a visitor or even an armchair traveler, but is pretty much de rigeur reading amongst expatriates in Bali and the rest of Indonesia. Reader sees Ingram making the jump from long-term backpacking visitor to full-on expat, a transition that many have made, albeit with great culture shock. Ingram and his wife make the compromises and changes with admirable patience and refreshing good humor. Lesser mortals can find a welcome bit of comfort in this text. Never condescending (neither towards the Balinese nor towards bumbling westerners), this series of stories are told with a gentle, smiling tone. Not exactly a page-turner, but delightful and bright. The author and his wife have gone on to found a truly marvelous charitable concern which is contributing to the rebirth of textile weavers and dyers in the Indonesian archepelago. Their warm attitude toward the people of Indonesia lives on in this work. When visiting Bali, do not miss a visit to Jean's gallery in Ubud, named Threads of Life.
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