Recess In The Rain

“Miss miss. wee gaw aut pleee. Football. Raining. pleee mis” came the precious pleas from Mila, an inquisitive Balinese girl as the classroom comes to an abrupt standstill. It's early February in Petak, and the rainy season has bestowed its magic, splattering the countryside in a variety of colour, embellishing the rice fields and leaving a pastel of life, light and ripeness in its wake. Being from Ireland, I never would've expected to feel such a positive stir about the coming rain! It's Bali, and it's alive. No hotels, beaches or massage parlours. No familiar English accents or tourists. All that remains here in Petak among the smiling kids and colour is the constant voice in my head screaming “Why are you here?”
Out of the classroom we go, 15 smiling kids aged 6 to 17 excited about showing their teacher their special place. The rice fields.
It must be harvest time. As we pass the houses, there are tarps laid out covered in freshly picked rice. Mila explains to me that this process is an important one so it can dry, before it's sent away. When we reach the rice field the rain has stopped, but the fields are glazed with fresh rain water and ready for muddy football. The boys strip down and jump straight in attempting to impress the girls. The girls politely sit on the edge of the field blushing, making offerings and practising Pendet dancing. The workers in the other fields, heavy with rice plants on their backs, look on for a moment. With a roll of the eyes and a smile, they get back to slicing the dripping leaves. Kids are the same the world over, that is reassuring.
As I gather my troupe to go back to the classroom, Mila turns with a mischievous grin and says “I hope come rain tomorrow. We show you to take coconuts from tree”, and it is with that all my questions are answered. Volunteering in a place like this has taught me so much more than I could ever teach them. With a smile and a little skip, I head back into class, kicking the puddles and humming as I go.