The Selamat Smile

Big toothy grins greet everyone, all the time, in Bali.

Yesterday, the school security guard, looking ganteng in his orange sarong and udeng, flashed the best smile I’ve seen in Bali. And that’s saying something. Smiling is a way of life here, followed closely but uprorious laughter. In America, stretched, full-face smiles are saved for truly adorable and finite things, like preschool dance performances and brand new babies; belly laughs are not intra-day affairs. But in Bali, smiling and laughing one’s butt off happen throughout the day, in all weather, in any kind of company, but particularly with strangers or amidst setbacks.

Yesterday’s performance struck me because it was so inconvient. The security guard lit up his space with a full-face, teeth exposed smile, while holding a whistle in place. He briefly relaxed his face to give a gentle blow — tweet — to indicate it was safe to make a right turn onto school property. But then, his face went right back into that ecstatic shape.

The whistle was the priority. Safety was a legitimate concern. A “big rain” threatedned to arrive any minute, motorbikes, Westerners with cars full of children, and pedestrians swarmed around him. But still, the man and the whistle made way for the inevitable, improbable signature smile of Bali.