Wayan makes kites – Sanur, Bali, Indonesia

Wayan makes kites. A lot of kites. He’s been making kites since he was a kid. He says his father knew how to make him but it’s unclear whether he learned from him. His English isn’t that good for which he, like many Balinese, apologizes repeatedly. Judging from the amount of kites you can see flying around in Bali, you’d think business would be booming. But behind Wayan’s warm, friendly smile seems to be a sadness we didn’t discuss.

 

He lives off a busy road towards Sanur with his wive and kids. Making a small kite costs him about a day and he sells it for around 3,5 euros. I ask him about the bigger kites I see flying around and he explains they can have 20 meter long tails and come in huge sizes, five meters or even larger, and go up as high as two kilometers. He makes those as well. I buy one of the smaller kites and fly it out on Sanur beach with my friend Aleksandra. The fabric seems to come alive in the sunlight.

 

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