Look what I got?

My sweet friend in Bali, Eka, sent me a wonderfully beautiful gift that made me smile. She sent them, apparently, for no particular reason at all. I visited her blog and love the bamboo basket on her blog because the designs looks so cool. I told her jokingly that I would love to get a set of that beautiful boxes. She then responded asking me what color did I want? Despite my rejection, she insisted that it was her pleasure to send a little something from Bali knowing how much I love handicrafts. I have known Eka for a few months when I stumbled upon her online shop and bought several things there. Eka runs her own business which she started on Feb last year despite having a permanent job but slowly she has turned it into a thriving business and soon will operate them fully from home. A mother of a two years old boy, she has always wanted to be an entrepreneur. It's not money that motivates her, although yes, that is a big part of it. I think it's because she can make more working for herself than for someone else.

Now back to the gift, these beautifully hand-woven bamboo boxes are called keben in Balinese language, they are used to carry offerings to the temple in Bali, but can be used in a variety of ways for storage or decoration. There's sides slope in each box, so that a lid can be put on top. Bamboo in Bali is an indispensable part of their culture for festivities event or ritual ceremony. Another example is the use of penjor (the bamboo poles) usually erected at the right entrance of every house decorated by paddy, fruits such as banana and coconuts, flowers and a piece of yellow and white cloths believed as symbol of prosperity. If you'd like to learn more about bamboo in Balinese culture click here to read the article. Thanks Eka!




* The Balinese women carrying colorful keben's pic is courtesy of jiwabening