Bali: Kite-making

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Agung, our wizard of a guide, next took us to a kite-maker outside of Ubud. I walked in with the mindset of a capitalist -- expecting a businessman plying his wares. But, this was no ordinary kite-making business. This businessman said that once he embraced a Hindu ethic in his work, he wove environmentalism, kindness to others, and sharing joy of creation and kite-flying.

Environmentalism came from his styrofoam used for the kite animal heads he carved. See the picture above for Ken holding up the styrofoam the kite-maker collected from discarded mattresses after a big hotel fire. You can see that the kite-maker showed Griffin how he carved out an owl face for his owl kite.

Kindness to others came from when he started training new kite-makers from villages all around Bali who then sold their kites via the kite-maker, in a sort of kite-making cooperative. He's trained and helped develop 200 kite-makers that way. Everyone at his worksite seemed so happy. There was a very disabled man working there who seemed to have found his place in life.

All the kite-making at his studio happens right next to his Hindu shrine where his guru's photo is placed prominently, even among the kites for sale in his front showroom.

After listening to the kite-maker's story, Ken, the cynic, told me he may become the first Hindu Jew.