We get asked this all the time. Guests come to Cuca on their
honeymoon, celebrating their friend’s wedding or for their annual holidays and
they look at us without even trying to hide their envy. Or we are leaving a
hotel somewhere in Europe and during checkout the concierge asks “Where is home
for you?” and our answer leaves him day dreaming.
Believe me or not, to live in Bali is a little bit of torture:
we get the feeling every day that we are the only ones working on the entire
island. Imagine your everyday life being the only one who has to work while
everyone else is off...
Guests come in a great mood, drink cocktail after cocktail,
tell you about the amazing massage they just had, are in no hurry for anything…
It is only natural that they believe this is a paradise! And it is in many ways.
It is true that the beaches are stunning, every single sunset is breathtaking,
the weather is always warm and the people never run out of the most beautiful
smiles ever seen.
But… this is a tropical island where by nature and
tradition, you are not supposed to be in a hurry. This island is not compatible
with deadlines and punctuality. “Tomorrow” means merely “not today”, if it is
raining you may not get that delivery of tomatoes and a full moon takes
priority over anything pending. Kevin and I spend our long days running and
looking for immediate solutions to the non-stop crisis that arise while the
rest of the island looks in awe (and actually in pity) at us, not understanding
why we have chosen to be stressed in paradise.
And they are right! It seems somehow contra natura to go against the magical flow of the island and we
must admit that we struggle between the temptation to succumb to Bali’s natural
rhythm and our commitment to deliver a top quality experience to our guests
because, although most of you are on holidays, you still expect us to deliver
that truly great meal you came for.
Others working in Bali for longer than us do it much better
as this island eventually teaches you, no matter how stubborn you are, to slow
down, smile more and believe in the natural course of things. Live like there
is no tomorrow and work like there will always be.