Bali Diaries

I was randomly hunting some blogs related to opportunities for youths and something on the blog: opportunity desk, made my eyes wider.  It was about call for application to attend Asia Pacific Youth Training on Media and Civic Participation. I scrolled down and read eligibility criteria and airfare support. There was a line the organizer won?t be responsible for the airfare. This line made me dissatisfied to some extent. Meanwhile, one of my juniors knocked on my door and entered into the room. After a short conversation, he suggested me to apply and he also suggested me to ask for airfare support, if I got selected. I did the same. I applied and finally got the confirmation accordingly. Immediately, I replied him as I was unable to arrive there unless I was provided with the airfare support. =D

However, I was amazed after getting the reply. ?Dear Dhiroj, There must have been a misunderstanding. Since Nepal is considered an LDC, UNESCO will cover your round trip ticket to Bali?. This reply made my face sanguine and made me one of the happiest people of the world for a while. Now, Bali became an easy cake for me.  Later, after getting Indonesian visa on my passport, I was ready to fly to Bali on 19^th of August via Malaysian Airlines with great excitement. I was happier than other participants from Nepal for the hospitability and services of Malaysian Airlines because previously I had travelled only to Pakistan via its national airlines. The services were comparatively better than Pakistan Airlines. Therefore, I was happier for what I had got. When the plane was about to land at Denpasar Bali Ngurah Rai International Airport, I was peeking outside the window stretching my neck. It was because I was for the first time about to see the thrilling sea and her aggressive tides.

Bali, city of immense culture and good people, humbly welcomed me. The organizer i.e. the UNESCO arranged my stay at Mercure Hotel Nusa Dua with my Indonesian roommate, Mohamad Ishilutfidianto Pratama. Immediately, after registration on the hotel, I went hurriedly to the swimming pool and enjoyed swimming. After getting fresh, I together with few other participants went out to have the glimpse of Indonesia. The city streets were managed. Although there were roads of almost same width as that of Kathmandu, the traffic system looked systematized. No dirt and garbage on road, no irritating traffic horns and no any people with eagerness to violate lane and traffic rules as that in our cities. The architecture of the city was unique with statues of Hindu god/goddess on road islands, in front of buildings and so forth. The atmosphere used to send a cool breeze having full faith on Hinduism. Aw! As we were so called Hindu nation, disable to preserve own heritages and religion and hence such cultural treasures in foreign shores really delighted me. Those Ganesh statues abundantly present in streets of Bali made me feel like I was in some cultural cities of Nepal and India not in foreign shores. In fact, Bali reminded me some indigenous areas of Nepal.

On the evening of 20^th August, UNESCO welcomed all participants. All the fellow trainees listened to the UNESCO staffs and were very eager to expose themselves to the global community. The welcome dinner and opening of training made us energized and I whispered to myself, it is just the beginning ).

Really, it was the starting of a long journey of learning because we, participants were in front of veteran personalities who had deep knowledge in their respective fields. The depth of their knowledge was difficult to identify. The training lasted for 5 days and we developed a proposal at last as per the schedule of training. Our group of four Nepalese and a member from Laos submitted a proposal related to the empowerment of former Maoist child militias of Nepal using media technologies. Although, the result of that proposal is yet to come, I?m very much hopeful regarding our selection because we have chosen a serious issue which can bring a real change at ground level. At the end of Global Media Forum (We had also given an opportunity to participate in Global Media Forum), Bali Road Map took its birth from the forum which has given an insight for global freedom of expression. The topics discussed on both GMF and training was very relevant in context of Nepal because many journalists are unable to write what they have seen due to political pressure and fluid state politics. Decade long so called Maoist civil war also violated freedom of expression and many journalists were tortured and or killed. Many FMs and radio satiations, presses were attacked and damaged by both state and anti-state forces. Frequent threat to Kantipur and other publications by state and non-state forces, killing of journalists like Dekendra Thapa, such wounds are still fresh in Nepal. Taking the advantage of liquid politics, freedom of expression is not yet secured in Nepal. Not only in Nepal, but also in other corners of the world like present Hong Kong, Ukraine, Syria, Palestine and so on where people are fighting for their freedom and freedom of expression, those discussed topics are quite relevant. Our mother didn?t ask anyone while giving us birth, we didn?t ask anyone while crying just after birth, and we rejoiced each drop of time without asking any other and without affecting any other as well.  Therefore, we freely want to express our opinion in a way that we originally think about. It is because we are human and we want to cherish our inborn right.

There were lots of new things happened to me in Bali. I was, for the first time standing facing the high tides of Indian Ocean. De facto, Bali gave me the first chance to enjoy sea which I had seen only in Hollywood and Bollywood movies. I enjoyed the Sea beach like I was in heaven surrounded by angels. Sea food dinner in Jimbaran Beach was also new and exciting for me. Every dish was new. The rafting in Ayung River added extra flavor to my Bali stay. That was my first rafting experience and which became possible in foreign shore.

One of the very memorable events to Bali happened with a TAKSI (taxi) driver. We were returning back to our hotel from sea beach by our foot. One man on a scooter waved his hand and asked for taksi. Obviously, we accepted his proposal and he requested us to wait for a minute. We waited him for almost 10 minutes on the footpath and finally, he again returned on his scooter and asked again for taksi. He again asked to wait for a minute and we again waited him at the same spot. After a while his scooter guided a taksi and brought to us. Before heading to our hotel, he made us to promise to call only his taksi if we needed. He was driving from very inner streets and taking unusual time to reach as well. Now, we started to suspect on him as we were foreigners. Everyone?s face became reddish due to the unknown fear. It was the situation like we were going to be looted very soon by the driver. Therefore, I started chatting with friends that we were from Indian defense division and our security satellites were tracking us so that the driver could listen. After a while, we noticed our usual path and finally reached the hotel with thrilling emotions. I still remember that moment and smile even when I?m alone.

All the trainees: youths present there from across the Asia and Pacific were awesome. In fact super fabulous. They were real change makers. Each moments spent in Bali still reminds me those days and those awesome people.

Immediately, after arriving back to Kathmandu, I flew back to Pokhara. I rushed because my semester examination was just after 2 days of my arrival. Now, I have expressed my Baliful feelings through this article.