Balinese boy's day is full of work and play
Balinese boy's day is full of work and play
By Wawan S. Husin
SINGARAJA, BALI (JP): Elementary school student Nyoman Sukarma is about 10 years old but his day begins long before school opens.
At 5:30 a.m. he wakes up to help his parents set up their coffee stall on Tejakula Beach.
In addition to coffee, the stall sells soft drinks, tea, and snacks, with rice and side dishes also available upon request. Nyoman helps his parents prepare glasses and plates, washing the dirty utensils and returning them to the kitchen area. He cleans the tables before getting himself ready to go to school, about a 15-minute walk from the stall.
Nyoman is eager to go to school, but he is also happy to return home at 1 p.m. If there are no chores to be done, he sails toy ships made from the stems of banana leaves in the Kali Mas River. He uses plastic as the sail, watching as the ship is tugged by the wind.
In the late afternoon, he often visits mask maker I Gde Sandi to watch the master at work.
Nyoman is already showing his culinary flair. It was apparent one day before school when a bearded man stopped by and asked him to help grill some fish. Nyoman was eager to help the old man. First, he washed and cleaned the fish. He then built a makeshift grill from two concrete blocks and six pieces of sambuk, the dried coconut husk. He put two branches on the blocks and set the coconut husk on fire. He deftly rubbed margarine and soybean oil over the fish, which were large at about one and a half kilograms each.
"Sambuk makes the best burning material," he told the bearded man. His friend, Badut, watched from a short distance away and another older friend, Wayan Suwarjaya, came and parked his bicycle to get a better look. Nyoman's dog, Sempol, waddled over with the expectation of grabbing a bite to eat. His young master tossed him a piece of the fish, with the dog wagging its tail in delight.
He enjoys his life, helping his parents and showing his expertise at cooling, but what does he want for the future?
"I want to be a trader," he answered. "I want to continue my studies."
He desires more than an elementary school education, although his two sisters, like millions of other children in the country, were forced to drop out of school during the devastating economic crisis of the past three years.
Nyoman lifted the last of the fish off the grill and handed them to the bearded man. He walked back to his home and tucked his schoolbooks under his arm, ready to continue his studies.