When I travel I always make a point to support many local businesses and vendors. In Bali I met a man on the beach selling kites, and I was immediately enchanted with him, his story and his kites:
He told me his father made kites and sold them since he was younger, and now he has taken in his fathers footsteps in the kite business. Every kite is uniquely designed and handmade with carefully carved bamboo and scraps of dyed fabric. The craftsmanship is stunning - and the engineering as this kite takes to the sky like a fish takes to water. It is 3 dimensional and “floats” in the air - and immediately made me think of Peter Pan movies and Neverland. It is a dream. I had no use for a kite in Bali on a vacation, but this mans story and pride in his work had an impact on me. I asked how many he needs to sell in a day and he said at least 1. So I bought 3, and he seemed so pleased and happy that he was done for the day. Friends took the other two kites, but I will always keep mine - the only one he was flying that day - because it brings magic wherever it flies or floats
