Cock-a-fight 'll doo

The Balinese people seem to live for their ceremonies. They absolutely love them. During these ceremonies the women dance and the men bet money on cock fights. But it's not some bizarre tribal thing or anything. They don't hop around naked, stamping on the floor and hoot-hooting at the tops of their voices. The ceremonies are for the gods. The women dress up in beautiful dresses and the men wear sarongs and udongs round their heads. It's a village event and everyone is invited... well, everyone apart from the tourists. Some of the ceremonies are OK but the important ones are usually packed and it's hard to get into the temples. I was lucky enough to assist one of them as I've sort of befriended the family that run the hostel I'm staying with. Although the men don't seem all too pleased about my eventual presence, they're quick to fold when I tell them that Mama Ketut has invited me. The ladies put an amazingly gentle and suave dance on and the rough-and-ready men go round the back of the temples and launch roosters into to-the-death fights. I went down to one of these to check it out and it's a little ghastly. They strap razor sharp knives onto one of each of the cocks' feet, make their bets and then ready them off. Each fight takes about five minutes and by the end of it, they put the winner to one side and let him rest for a few months. The loser is put down and eaten... if he's not already dead. It's a strange feeling to witness something like this. It can get quite bloody and the guys really get into it. I try to keep as open a mind as possible though. After all, we all do it in some form or fashion. In England there are underground dog fights, fox hunting and we shoot birds. It doesn't necessarily mean I agree with any of them. I just feel that I shouldn't think any less of the people here for doing something we don't. The Portuguese and Spanish have bull fights and I know that many people disagree with that too. Heck, the Americans bomb and kill people, but we still seem to let it go on. So I don't really see this as that harmful when you put it all into perspective. I know many of the tourist here despise what they do, but I don't really. When you witness one of these ceremonies, you can see that there is an awful amount of good that comes out of them. The community gathers together and everyone has fun. They praise their gods, offer them gifts, dance and chant through massive and extreemly loud megaphones so that the entire village can hear it! At the end of it all, everyone is happy... and surely that's what life is all about.