I started giving out origami cranes in Bali

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Image from Hiroko Nishimura on Unsplash

After the Qatar World Cup 2022, I started to make 1 origami crane every morning. 

It takes only a few minutes.

Sometimes, I make another when having a break, or whenever I feel like it.

I started to write calligraphy in Japanese too, and it clears my mind.

I decided to give the crane away

During the Qatar World Cup, I learned that the origami cranes that the Japanese squad left actually meant more to the organizers than we would intend.

 

So, I started to give it away. I will have a few on my backpack, and whenever somebody did something for me I would give a crane.

Yesterday, it took a moment for the old auntie at a satay chicken skewer place to figure out what it was, then she stopped what she was doing to go to the kitchen to share the moment with her colleagues.

That means, the origami cranes do have their original meaning, to give fortunes to people. Because fortunes come to happy people.

I will continue to give it away

I've been feeling that the tipping culture that the Americans bring to the world might not be the best way to show a thank you to the locals.

There's no doubt that money helps them. But people become spoiled over it, too.

And I've had incidents where the locals don't want it. The same goes for Japan.

The reason why Japan has so much nature left, and that we still have a lot of wealth, is that we are not less bought by money from abroad.

What if the locals can sell the crane

I remember the volunteer tour guide I know from Japan used to give origami to her guests and it made the guests happy.

So what if there is origami in resorts in Bali? Can the hotels buy from the Balinese that make origami cranes?

It doesn't need to be the paper origami

Origami means "folded paper." But the shapes that can be folded don't need to be paper. It can be the traditional Balinese batik. 

Japanese would tie 100 origami cranes x 10 sets to make it into a "senbazuru" 千羽鶴 meaning 1000 cranes. These are used to bring good luck to you. It looks nice to have it as decoration.

So I think different cranes could be used to decorate hotels in Bali, and if the locals want to try raising their income, could learn to make them, which I can share.

Next, nutrition

In Japan, we are provided staff meals either for free or at a discount. The pay is not as good as in countries like the U.S. or Australia, but coverage of food costs saves money and time for the workers.

This is a perfect chance to have miso soup, a healthy Japanese dish that has the possibility of balancing the diet for the better. 

I realized that in Bali, taocho is basically a Balinese miso. Although you can buy Japanese miso in Bali, it would be not cost-friendly. So the locals can also learn to make Balinized miso soup to eat if they work to make the cranes. The ingredients can be provided, and they can cook it so they learn it, then they can set up their own business to sell the miso soup, along with the cranes.

I'll look for a hotel that will be interested

So this is my idea. I'm quite sure if the Japanese guest traveling to Bali is welcomed with decorations of origami or Batik cranes, and Japanese or Balinese miso soup, that will boost customer satisfaction and they would talk about it to their friends.

Then there is a healthy loop that is sustainable for the locals that want more opportunities, the hotels, and the Japanese guests.

I will start to look for possible tie-ups with hotels that might be interested! :)


 

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