In Reply to: Krisna Rajasa Orphanage, Gilimanuk posted by bali2005 on Saturday, 8. January 2005 at 10:35 Bali Time:
‘Oleh-oleh' are small gifts given when you return from a journey, something you might take for a friend when you return to Bali.
A gift given to your host for their hospitality, or for a friend for kindness or simply as something you would like to do is ‘Kado' or ‘Pemberian'.
Large handouts of sweets may not be in the best interests of children's health.
I really can't recommend the unbelievable suggestion I recently read that tourists drive along the streets and throw out sweets to children from the moving car. Apart from the dangers it seems to be a waste of a golden opportunity to talk to them.
Children love soap bubbles, readily available in little bottles with blowing rings attached under the lids, from party supply stores. Also now available at Matahari's and other supermarkets in Bali. Keep one in your pocket and casually blow bubbles in the street when you come across some kids. You won't believe how big a hit you are - but have a good supply if you're going to start giving them away.
Families welcome bottled water dispenser (20-litre size) with tap.
Women like bright fabrics of western pattern. 1.5m. for kebayas (upper garment). Rp15,000 for tailor to sew.
Even though western style goods are available in Bali they are not often bought by the Balinese for themselves, - the younger generation excepted perhaps, so don't shy away from purchasing locally.
Basic foodstuffs like rice, sugar, tea or local coffee, cooking oils, beef/chicken/pork, milk powder, eggs, corn, paraffin (kerosene) for cooking stoves, iodised salt, pepper, instant noodles, fruits and vegetables might be long remembered.
A family of 2 adults and two young children will consume 30 kg of rice (with other things such as meat, vegetables, fruit etc) in 1 month.
Foodstuffs are a good option if you believe that hunger might be an issue and that cash would be used for some other non-nutritious purpose.
If you feel confident to judge a family's health needs then gifts of vitamins, natural supplements and pre-natal calcium and vitamin products could be considered.
Bundles of incense sticks, even though they can buy these themselves, seem to be a welcomed mark of respect to their religion .
A small bag of lollies (sweets) to share around at unexpected times (or a big bag on the beach - or a bag full of small bags) is a great treat.
For children small dolls or miniature cars and motorbikes are welcomed, as toys are not high on the Balinese shopping priorities. Little kangaroos and koalas with clothing clips. Badges and stickers, address books and autograph books, drink holders, magnets. Super bouncing balls in 6-packs in the party section of your local supermarket.
Lipsticks, nail polishes, skin creams - even the unused remnants of your own supply when you leave at the end of your holiday.
Cheap bangles in bright colours. Small toy cars. Sun visors in preference to caps. Water pistols. Hand-held maze games with little ball bearings in them that you have to roll into holes.
Colouring books and pencils, particularly with animal shape erasers on the end. Hair bands and clips. Lollies and chips from the local supermarkets. McDonald's toys. Tennis balls. Plastic whistles. Balloons, particularly if they blow up to animal shapes rather than just round.
Stickers and transfers. Coloured lip salves that youngsters use to paint stripes and flowers on their cheeks. Face paints and brushes.
Warm clothes (old jeans and jumpers) for people living in the cold central highlands particularly.
Best of all - photos of themselves, with or without you, enlarged at the nearby Kodak shop (very cheap in Bali) and put in a frame for them. Perhaps an extra one of them with you, for their parents/children/friends.
Picture books. School writing books, lined or graph and blank. Text books and old novels in English are fine, particularly if there are pictures that relate to the text. Try your local Op Shop where you might get a dozen for $2 or even a number for free if they know you're giving them to a school or village library in Bali.
Balinese women particularly love to get your old bras as they are beyond the means of most family budgets to buy new. Take up a collection of them at the office and donate to a worthy cause.
Paper hats, masks, Indian headdress (with feathers). Sheets of stickers for school books and other prize possessions.
Sheets and towels.
Odd kitchen utensils - big spoons, egg flips etc. Plastic containers with good seals for storing rice, meats etc. Pots and saucepans, frypans, baking dishes, colanders, strainers, fine mesh skimmers, ladles and big serving spoons, tongs, meat tenderisers, wooden spoons, mops and brooms, dustpans, food processors, mixers/beaters/whisks/ rice cookers (buy locally), cutlery, crockery, glasses, mugs and cups, teapots, kettles (open fire and electric, cleaning equipment,
Tubs of icecream and a stack of plastic spoons.
A big bag of fruit. Most people grow some (and veg) but can't grow every thing, or every variety, so fruit is always welcome particularly so if you know what they don't grow themselves. Similarly tea, coffee, sugar, and/or rice are always welcome.
A cheap or disposable camera. Bought Duty Free it's not such a great expense.
Electric fans are fairly cheap to by in Bali. Check the needs first. An old radio/cassette tape player. The men particularly are often chess fanatics so a chess set and board will elevate his standing amongst his friends.
Frisbees for the beach. Beach tennis bats and tennis balls, soccer balls (particularly miniature balls for the younger children) and even Aussie rules footballs (again smaller sizes for children). Balls that have super bounces, particularly if they are clear with animal/bird images in the middle of the ball.
All sorts of school supplies in any quantity. School fees are between Rp30,000 and 45,000 per month per child. Uniforms and materials are on top of this as are fees for ceremonies. It is common to see children going into schools on Saturdays armed with whiskbrooms instead of books. They are expected to clean the buildings. There are no government concessions of any sort for education (even for the children in orphanages) in Indonesia. Wax crayons, Textas (felt-tip pens) and coloured chalks. One traveller regularly collects pens, pencils rulers etc from polling booths after elections for donating to orphanages and schools. Get approval from the electoral office beforehand, in writing if possible. Many regular travellers sponsor a child's education as an on-going gift to a Balinese family or to an orphanage child. Fees are about Aus$100/year for primary education, doubling for secondary school and even more if a student proceeds to senior secondary.
Indo-English dictionary.
Sales brochures for cars (particularly for small 4-WD's like their own ‘Kijangs') and motorbikes with lots of pictures - and your home prices so they can ‘Oooh' and ‘Ahhhh'!.
Packs of Disney cards. Kids sun glasses, TeleTubbie dolls ***. Key rings with a flavour of you own country.
Beads and string for bracelets. Skipping ropes. A4 or Legal size paper, envelopes of all sizes, sticky tape, pens and highlighters, calculators, computer software, glue sticks, ‘Post it' sticky notes, stamps and stamp pad, clip boards, manila folders, staplers and staples, photo albums, plastic envelopes, rubber bands,
You can take English language schoolbooks and educational magazines for the free English teaching program run in the smallest Bali villages. Gaye will pick them up from your hotel. Ph 758 737 or you can drop them off at her shop called ‘Eclipse' on the right side in the Kuta markets as you walk through to the beach.
If you're good at tying little animals and stuff with those long thin balloons you will be an instant hit in Bali - but make sure that you can tie them fast and take an enormous supply.
FOR SCHOOLS - The usual school supplies of pens, pencils, erasers pads, books and so on are always welcome because they are always being used. Buy them cheaply in Bali to save on your freight weight and to give the students the size and style of materials that they are familiar with. Coloured pencils are sometimes seen as an extravagance as there is not the money to replace them when they are worn out. Don't forget the teachers who work under similar handicaps to the pupils. Red and green pens as well as black and blue. Stamps, stamp pads and replenishment inks. Chalk, good quality with strong colours not the wishy washy sort. Dustless chalk. Blackboard erasers. Blackboard paint and a good brush. Books about your home flora and fauna. Illustrated books with simple English text. Pencil sharpeners, particularly the good type rotary ones that are screwed to the wall or door frame. Coloured crayons. Rulers, setsquares and French curves, lettering templates in a variety of sizes. If you really want to make a lasting impression offer to fund playground facilities such as paving bricks to eliminate the rainy season mud and the dry season dust. Sporting goods are always welcome. Soccer is a passion in Bali, as is chess and badminton is a national game with world champions being local heros.
FOR BABIES - Money is always welcome and considered not only lucky but is also essential for the 3-month and 6-month ceremonies. It would be seen as good luck if the first thing you did was to put a note in the baby's hand. (Much like the custom of tapping all the goods in a market stall with the money from the first sale of the day.) It will also be especially valued if crisp and new notes, are put into a new, sealed envelope containing a nice ‘congratulations' or ‘baby' card and which is especially decorated to honour the occasion.
Traditionally within Bali a package is put together for a new Baby. In a woven basket there will be a new set of clothes, soap, powder etc, and for the parents some rice, sugar and coffee. This helps to feed the visitors who will come to see the baby and who must be offered food and drink.
Hand drawn flowers or toys done with coloured pens and glue sprinkled with glitter will appeal to the Balinese love of handcrafted things.
Grow suits, such as Bonds, are not used by the Balinese.
A toy (stuffed) or mobile will be appreciated, as the usually scarce monetary resources would not be spent on such ‘luxuries'. If it's been used that's OK - wash it in your machine with a dose of antiseptic before you take it.
Mittens and bootees, in cotton, will be used. A shawl or jacket in crochet, particularly if you can make it yourself, will become a family heirloom. Formula milk powder (buy in Bali) baby powder, heat rash cream, nappy rash cream.
Used toys scrounged from friends and neighbours at home will be welcome. Soccer balls (they're soccer mad in Bali) volleyballs and nets, table tennis gear, exercise mats, running shoes for boys and girls, tennis racquets and balls.
First Aid stuff such as antiseptic cream, sticking plasters, cotton balls, Detol, bandages, tweezers, Panadol/aspirin, eye wash cups, aloe vera gel, cotton sheets,
Hair brushes and combs (clean with antiseptic solutions before taking them if they have been used), towels, face washers, sheets, pillow cases, hairclips, electric iron, fans, talc powder, shampoo and soaps, hair clips and ribbons,
Jigsaw puzzles and other table-top board games, creative toys such as Lego, sewing kits, educational posters such as world maps or maps of Asia, posters of places people of different cultures, the human body, musical instrument posters, portable tape players., pop star posters,
Take your old and no-longer-favourite music cassettes. If you find a nice driver he will probably have a player in his vehicle and will welcome your old tapes as a relief (?) from the ever-present gamelan orchestra.
PAPER for gift wrapping, and stationery, from Garuda Wisnu, Jl Teuku Umar almost into Denpasar on the left coming from Kuta about 1 km past Hero's and Libby supermarkets. Set back a bit off the road. Old building reflects the long existence of the business.
Also Inti Grafika, also Teuku Umar, Ph 231 552 and at the Bintang Supermarket in Seminyak.