One of the things that Singaporeans take for granted is the public transport – mainly the bus and Mass Rapid Transit trains – system; in fact, we have a top-notch user-friendly, reliable and affordable transport system.

I used to say that when I was still living in Singapore, and now that I am away from the country, I believe it even more firmly.

Some of you may argue that the transport system in some other countries is cheaper. True, but is it as reliable, or as comfortable, or as punctual? Some of you may argue that the transport system in some other countries are more intricate and lead to even the most remote part of the land. Sure, but is it affordable or easy to navigate?

I have taken the public transport in Asian cities like Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Bangkok, as well as in the truly cosmopolitan city of Sydney. In some places the transport was cheap, but lacked comfort. In others, the ride was comfortable but the ticket price is steeper. There were those that brought you to your destination quickly, but you always noticed that the objects outside the window were speeding by a tad too quickly for your comfort. Then there are those that had various intertwining transport lines, and you had to watch the monitors at the platforms to confirm that you were taking the right line to your desired destination.

Public transport in Singapore was, in my opinion, a balance of everything: comfort, punctuality, safety, simplicity, affordability. It meant that one could get around the island, even without personal transport like a car or motorbike. Even someone new to the country could get around easily by bus or by MRT.

But if you are expecting the same level of convenience from the public transport in Bali, let me just say that there is not much of a system here! For one, there is no train system at all, whether by steam or by electricity.

As for buses, there are mini buses called bemo. Each bus can take a maximum of five people, and there is no air conditioning on board. According to the S.O., there is no distinguishing identifiable mark about the bemo; rather, “Usually, they identify you.”

So, after they have picked you out, you enquire about where they are headed. If they are going your way, you hop on and join the rest already on board (if any), enjoy the ride, and pay a sum – usually between Rp1,000 (S$0.17) to Rp10,000 (S$1.73) when you alight. You can even rent the entire bemo for a day, but the price varies and you have to agree on it with the driver before you get onboard.

And that sums up the public transport ’system’ in Bali. So how do you get around if you do not want to take the bemo?

There are taxis, but you have to agree on the price before you get in. You can hire a jeep or motorbike to get around on your own. There is also the option of hiring a driver with a car to chauffer you around.

You can also hop on the motorbike-taxis called ojek, usually parked together in a group, and the drivers are easily identifiable on the road by their green or orange helmets issued by the company that operates them. If you are not travelling far, you can rent a bicycle to enjoy the sights at a leisurely pace.

Or if you feel like a walk, like a Polish couple who were visiting did, you could always take 45 minute to two hour walks from one place to another. Just be sure to have a pair of sturdy trekking or hiking boots on!

Of course, if you happen to meet a helpful local with his own transport and some free time, he can be your personal tour guide for your entire stay, with a pre-determined price and some extra tip for the hospitality.

Now comes the question that most of you must be wondering: how does Patricea, the girl who does not know how to drive a car or ride a bike, and thus relied heavily on the Singapore public transport system, get around Bali?

Simple: I hop on the bike, behind the S.O. and he brings me around. It is my personal ‘public’ transport, and that is how I get around!

While it seems that the Pinkerton Syndrome is highly prevalent among the Asian population (and not just Singaporeans), there is some solace to be found with possessing an Asian face, especially one as unidentifiable as mine.

Whenever I go to Malaysia, the Chinese Malaysians speak to me in Cantonese (the prevalent Chinese dialect there, due to the majority of Cantonese-Chinese) while the Malay Malaysians speak to me in Bahasa Malayu. During my last trip to Thailand, the air stewardesses on Thai Airways addressed me in Thai, and so did the shopkeepers in Siam Square and MBK centre. On my first trip to Bali, the air stewardesses on Garuda Indonesia spoke to me in Bahasa Indonesia, and so do many of the locals I meet here, even those that work at establishments targetted at tourists.

I wonder whether having such an ‘ambiguous’ face is a bane or a boon, especially in a tourist island like Bali. After all, the tourist dollar is viewed as being more ‘plentiful’ than money coming from the locals.

But one of the times where being an Asian is advantageous is when we visit the markets, as witnessed last Saturday.

Our first stop was at the fish market, where the S.O. initially did not want to step in to, due to the strong smell of sea food. So I ventured in with our maid and his business partner.

While the two of them look Indonesian (she is Balinese and he is Javanese), I could have easily been mistaken for being a Japanese (which has happened before). Interestingly, the stallholders – who the business partner tells me are not Balinese – did not give me a second look or a longer stare, which meant that they thought I was as Indonesian as them! The only few times that people did a double take was when they heard me speaking English, without any Indonesian accent. So we had a relatively trouble-free time buying fish, as they did not try to quote cut-throat prices.

After we purchased the fish, we stopped at a stall selling squid. By this time, the S.O. had joined us and was busy taking pictures of the entire process. Thankfully, he appeared just after the price for the squid had been established, for the stallholder kept taking second and even third looks at him.

We walked out of the fish market and headed to the other market to get our vegetables, poultry, and flowers for offerings. When we arrived there, the S.O. was not sure whether he should follow us, uttering something about how the stallholders would quote a higher price when they see a white man.

But there was no need for any price haggling when we purchased our chicken and vegetables. Perhaps the sight of the maid and I, together with his business partner, was enough for the stallholders to think: “The white man is with three Indonesians; better not try to cheat him as they may know the actual price.”

Thus, this is one of the few times I am thankful that I have an Asian face that is ‘unidentifiable’. As long as it makes living in an Asian country easier, I welcome it more.

Updated Monday September 11 2006 (notice anything special about the date?)

Here are some things from Singapore that I wish I had with me (in no particular order):
- The denim MNG jacket that Camella gave to me;
- The black Red Book jacket that Liana gave to me;
- My books: Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series, Gavin Mende’s 1421: he Year China Discovered America, P.L. Traver’s Mary Poppins, all the Roald Dahl titles, all the Teach Yourself (insert language) titles;
- Tampons, specifically o.b. brand;
- Seeds for planting a garden: white & pink roses; maroon gerberas; herbs; chili etc.

More will be added as the ‘cravings’ appear.

If anyone from Singapore is coming to Bali anytime soon, could you please be an absolute doll and get in touch with me on whether it is possible to bring at least one of the above items for me? The terms for the favour to be returned can be discussed. Drop me a note here and I will get in touch! Muchos gracias!

Living in Bali puts a whole new spin on the phrase: “There are noises coming from the ceiling.”

When I was living on the second floor of a block of apartments in Singapore, that phrase would mean that the neighbours on the floor above were probably dragging a table across the floor, or pushing a baby-walker on wheels across the room.

In Bali, that same statement would mean something totally different, because most of the houses here are single storey.

So, what could have caused the noise coming from the ceiling above the room, which was below the actual roof of the house?

It could have been a fruit falling from one of the tall fruit trees we have in the garden. But that was not possible as the fruit trees stand outside the study, while I heard the noise in our bedroom, in the middle of the night.

Perhaps it is a tree branch hitting across the roof when a strong wind blows. Except that the strongest winds here just rustles the leaves on trees.

In the end, there were two possibilities: it was either a cat or a musang (looks like a racoon but is not a racoon) running across the empty space.

Now how is that for wildlife close to home?!

Our house has been a hive of activity for the past three days, ever since the two handyman arrived on Thursday morning to realise our house renovations.

Besides working every day, we have to provide them with meals and they also stay on the property in the maid’s room, while our maid continues to sleep on the couch in the hall until her room is ready. There is no danger to anyone of us as the handyman-in-charge is her mother’s brother. So they are family.

So far, besides building a tub in the maid’s toilet and tiling the wall in there too, they have begun to build a wall to block off a small open space outside the kitchen. This wall will allow our maid to cook outside, instead of in the stuffy kitchen, without being ‘attacked’ by the elements. We have plans to place fertile soil at the base of this wall, to plant spices for cooking.

Well, I can describe it with words but nothing beats seeing it. So hang on until it is all done and I shall post some pictures for your eyes.

Then this afternoon, our landlord arrived unannounced with his wife, five kids and his wife’s brother. They brought food for us: there was crispy skin and meat from a suckling pig; deep fried pig’s skin and other parts; spicy chicken satay; some mixed vegetables; steamed bananas, and a dessert of casava to be eaten with fresh coconut shavings.

The children immediately went about plucking ripre fruit off the fruit trees in the garden, and biting in to the juicy fruit the moment they placed them hands on the fruit.

In the midst of it, the S.O.’s business partner turned up too. So you can imagine how busy it was, with a total of 14 people on the property.

After lunch, the S.O. together with the landlord and handymen went over the details of the renovations that we hoped to make to the house. We required the landlord’s approval as he is discounting half of the entire cost from our yearly rent. As it stands, we have raked up an amount that easily discounts about two years’ rent.

The best surprise happened when the S.O. told the landlord we wanted to put up bamboo around the perimeter of the house for privacy. The landlord immediately said that was his responsibility and that he would take care of that. We appreciated the offer and feel happy that we have a landlord who is understanding and helpful.

We are also thankful for our handymen, who were recommended by our landlord. The duo have been working steadily, and while they may not move as fast as Singapore standards go for getting things done, they have done a good job so far and we are all satisfied with the results.

At the moment, the garden and back of the house is a mess, littered with tiles; sand; packets of cement; bricks and other tools that the handymen use. It will probably take another two to three more weeks before the majority of the renovation can be completed.

We are excited though, and we cannot wait to see the results of these works. However, there will always be changes being made to the house. This is just the beginning of an ongoing action.