Two of my favorite things collided in the best possible way this week: traditional Balinese culture and the Dinner Club.
We attended a Kecak fire dance at a clifftop temple overlooking the Indian Ocean at sunset. About 50 men in traditional dress chant and sway in hypnotic unison while dancers tell the story of the Ramayana — the Hindu epic. With the sun going down behind them and fire lit at their feet, it was one of the most stunning things I've ever witnessed.
The very next evening we hosted Dinner Club Number One in Bali. I'd been organizing it for two weeks through the Dojo community and word of mouth. We had 22 people show up to a gorgeous rooftop restaurant in Canggu. An Israeli chef prepared a mezze feast and people from 11 different countries sat together, met each other, and did what Dinner Club has always done — turned strangers into friends.
I've been doing this in DTLA for years and I wasn't sure it would translate to a place where everyone is already so open and social. It did. Better, in some ways. When you're all living this unusual expat life, there's an instant bond that doesn't require breaking down the same walls you'd encounter at home.