The Body Language of The Balinese

The men are squatting, huddled against each other. Several keep their arms stretched in front of them, while others hold on tightly to fighting cocks. They stare blankly at your passing car. You gaze back, no less awed and empty-eyed.

Body language is one of the less well known, although most obvious, aspects of cultural encounters. There are few instances where differences between a Westerner and a Balinese are more distinctly mirrored. While the former keeps his body 'open' and stretched out, even when sitting, the latter tries to keep his 'closed', often in the foetal position, as illustrated for example by squatting or lotus-sitting. It ensures better familiarity with the body and better control. Compared to the elegant Balinese gait, with its slowly balancing limbs, Westerners look awkward and ill coordinated.

If not innate, the physical ease of the Balinese is supported by a close intimacy with nature that starts at a very tender age. In Balinese yards, naked young children frolic about freely playing with whatever comes to hand, be it earth, wood or kitchen implements.

Most fascinating is the way the Balinese relate bodily to each other in a social situation. Whenever possible, they huddle and touch – or at least keep within 'breathing feeling' distance of one another. Very different indeed from Westerners, who tend to keep each other 'at bay', even when – or because – they shake hands or give each other a tap on the shoulder.

=The examples are two numerous to be given here. Most obvious is the picture of young men crowding within the bale bengong (roadside shelters), resting huddled in each other's arms for hours on end. One may also notice the handholding or shoulder holding of the prowling groups of boys or girls that venture out in the village evenings. But as a foreigner you will not likely witness the cuddling and hugging of brother or sisters spending the night in their big family beds.

To the outsider, the key to understanding Balinese collective physical behaviour might be found in attending a ceremony, particularly a temple festival. The Balinese crowd is just different: not only does it move 'body to body' calmly, smoothly, without displaying any hostility – least of all, to the outsider – but, on a deeper level, it actually creates an inner calm that dissipates any tensions. Bali has no need for crowd control: the Balinese crowd, literally, controls itself, with everyone in close physical symbiosis with everyone else. It shows even in the crowd's ritual 'violence', such as trances and cockfighting.

Balinese do indeed have their moments of physical 'aloofness'. But again, this is shown in peculiar ways. Eating is not to the Balinese the basic social event it is to the average Westerner. It is private, a bodily function, and an impure moment. When he eats, the Balinese tends to isolate himself, either by going to a place where he is alone – the kitchen – or by 'closing' himself and his body from the surrounding environment; he does this particularly during ritual meals. A social being par excellence, the Balinese is very reluctant to talk while he eats. Therefore he eats fast, unlike the Frenchman, who seems to talk only when he eats, and the meal lasts for hours.

All these betray a very different conception of the Balinese and the Westerner and a very different pattern of social intercourse. The Westerner sees himself as 'unique', separate from both nature and others. To him other people are basically 'intruders' in a physical sense, and have to be kept away as 'different and dirty'. He consents to communicate (it is a need after all) only by affirming and emphasizing his 'difference' and 'uniqueness'. Therefore, the function of speech to him is to negate the gap by finding a few equals, hence, the dual myth of absolute friendship and love.

The Balinese sees himself the other way. Instead of being separate, he is part of nature and part of a collective body of 'others'. To him, others are basically 'the same' as he is himself. He has no need to emphasize his individual identity; he would rather blend within a group. Being together by touching and hugging is where genuine communication is. It is where friendship and love actually originate. Speech, and in particular, opinionated speech, is secondary to body language.

These differences lead indeed to cultural misunderstanding. Most Westerners, who do not 'sense' the intense physical communication of local groupings, tire quickly of Balinese socialising. Similarly, the Balinese wonder what these people are doing, talking all the time, as if arguing. But that is benign, and part of the rich cultural tapestry of the island that is both paradoxical yet compelling.

Source: www.hellobalimagazine.com