Unwinding after a hard day’s work, Jeffrey ate his lunch carefully at a small food stall. The 30-year-old man had not prepared anything for Christmas.
“Tomorrow I will just pray at church and go to fishing in Serangan. If I catch a fish, I will make it my Christmas dish,” he said.
Jeffrey, who has been living in Bali for 10 years, has no relatives to celebrate Christmas with. He survives with the help of many people, including Ni Nengah Ariani, the owner of the food stall.
“I have no money, I’ve spent my entire weekly wage,” said the man, who works as a porter in a grocery store.
He owed his lunch to Ariani.
“I’ll pay this later, ma’am,” he told Ariani. The woman nodded and wished Jeffrey a merry Christmas.
“I never collect his debts. I’m sure he will pay once he has some money,” Ariani said.
Ariani said she pitied Jeffrey, who works eight hours a day delivering goods to the grocery store’s customers. He earns Rp 210,000 (US$22) per week and only gets a day off at Christmas.
“It’s nice to live in Bali. They’re all kind to me because they know I’m a hard worker,” said Jeffrey, whose parents are natives of Makassar-Kupang.
Antonio Correia, a civil servant at the Bali Forestry Agency, might be luckier than Jeffrey. The native of Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, had special plans.
One day before Christmas, he and his wife were busy preparing food they planned to share with their neighbors.
“People in Bali have different beliefs, but we share food during every religious celebration,” Antonio said proudly. Ngejot (sending a gift of food) is a long-held tradition in his diverse neighborhood.
Ngejot originated from a Balinese Hindu tradition that is usually carried out during major religious rituals. Through ngejot, a Balinese shows his respect for his neighbors, fellow villagers and friends.
This Christmas, Antonio performed ngejot, with special attention to those who have different beliefs to him. This year’s menu was opor ayam (chicken in coconut milk).
For Antonio, ngejot is more important than decorating the Christmas tree. He has never had a Christmas tree in his house. The father of three simply made a cave from used material to resemble the cave where Jesus was born.
Antonio and Jeffrey have one thing in common. They believe that real compassion means sharing and respecting each other.
