Revelations

I had two revelations last night. One, that Bali and India are both Hindu - they derive from the same culture. Bali is one of our favorite places in the world. We spent about four months on the island of Bali over three visits. Bali is all about family, religion and culture. Now, I knew that Bali was Hindu but until last night I never thought of it as part of the Indian culture - it's in Indonesia.

Last night Michael and I went to a wine dinner at Paul Hotel, put on by the OWC wine club. Before dinner, there was a cultural dance - one woman wearing a traditional dance costume. As soon as she started dancing Michael and I looked at each other surprised and said, "Bali." The movements were similar, as were the facial expressions and foot movements. It wasn't identical, but similar. It was a moment where a lightbulb went on and I saw the connection between India and Bali, which I hadn't even thought about.

The second revelation was on the drive home - it took a mere 20 minutes at 11:30pm! I've driven that route so many times during the day and it always takes about an hour. I never realized how close it is. The average speed in Bangalore is 15 km/hr - it's maddening to think how quick we would get around if there was less traffic AND if people would drive in the lanes!