Marching With—Then Teaching—Balinese Children I Didn’t Know (Random Travel Moment #7)

One minute, I’m walking down the street. The next, I’m marching…with Balinese kids I don’t know. An hour later, I’m in their classroom—teaching them.

How the heck did that happen?

Read on and discover how Random Travel Moment #7 landed me in a classroom!

Where: Amed, Bali

I’d been staying in an area known as Amed, where several fishing villages sit along a black sand beach in the northeastern section of Bali. I was walking on the main drag, heading away from town and in the direction of Mt. Agung.

What: Plan to Go Hiking

I was on my way to a more rural area to go hiking. I had just passed some rice paddies and enjoyed a view of the mountain in the distance. It was a gorgeous morning.

Who/How: An Encounter with Marching Children

I spotted and heard the kids marching. I had no idea what was going on. Were they in a military school?

Heck no.

They were in phys ed class.

I marched with them for a few minutes—for fun—and they laughed. Soon, their teacher was talking to me. Well, trying to. He knew only a handful of words of English.

Good thing I had an unlocked iPhone with Internet. I went right to Google Translator and used it so that we could communicate. It helped. Sort of.

How: By Invitation

I was able to explain that I’m a teacher and when he understood, his face lit up. He looked overjoyed—and immediately invited me to his school. Although I was looking forward to hiking before it got too hot, I loved the idea of seeing what a Balinese school was like. Also, it felt wrong to decline such a sweet invitation.

What Else? Mystery Food

So we marched walked over the school. He took me on a quick tour. Then we sat with the kids outside for a while. I wasn’t quite sure what was happening.

They offered me food and I accepted. It tasted sort of like a potato or maybe a batata. Not sure. I did like it, however.

Another teacher, who spoke more English than the first one, explained that some of the students had just participated in a Balinese ceremony (which explained the rice on some of their faces).

I explained to the other teachers that I was an ESL professor in the U.S. and that I’d spent a few weeks teaching in Sumatra.

They smiled…then invited me into the classroom.

How Marching Led to Teaching

Next thing you know, the original teacher and his colleagues left me alone…with the students. As he walked out, he gestured that I should sit at the desk.

I saw a few markers and a props and thought—Is he asking me to teach them English? Holy crap—I’m not prepared!

Then I thought—OK, sure, why not?

Little did I know that I’d be there for a couple of hours.

Yep, they left me there for a while. And I taught a really long class. I stuck to the basics (based on the kids’ level)—the simple words, phrases, etc. At one point, we played an language-oriented version of Bingo.

And know what? It was a blast. I had a great time. The kids were sweet and well-behaved and I think they got a kick out of me, the foreigner whom they met while marching down the street.

We spent much of our time together laughing. And that’s always a good thing.

After Class…

I went on my hike. It was already getting hot, but I was happy. I enjoy spending time with the locals, especially kids. For me, it’s one of the best parts of travel.

How About You?

Have you ever ended up in a ‘random travel moment’ where a simple walk led you to have an unexpected experience? If so, where and what?

If not, what do you think of this one? Would you have gone to the school or declined the offer and gone hiking instead?

Like This Post? Then Check Out My Book!

If you enjoy reading about random encounters with the locals, then check out my recently published book, ‘Magic Carpet Seduction.’ There are many stories about going off the beaten path, being in the moment and going with the flow—and the cool stuff that happens when you do.

Meanwhile, feel free to sign up for my newsletter (click here) to be kept up-to-date re: future books and to learn, in advance, about upcoming discounts on my book.

And, if you’d like, check out some more ‘random travel moments‘ from ChickyBus.