WONDERFUL night—The digital crescent moon shines lazily on Arya’s gadget screen. He sighs dramatically in front of the expanse of sparkling silver on his work desk. Beside him, Ni Luh, a silver craft workshop instructor with a smile as serene as Lake Batur, stares at him patiently.
“Why, Arya? This silver is not aesthetic enough for your content?” Ni Luh asked, her tone of voice holding a hint of amusement.
Arya snorted softly. “It’s not like that, Miss Luh. This is too… manual. On Earth, we can just 3D print any complicated jewelry design. This… hammering, sawing… what century is this?”
Ni Luh laughed crisply. “That’s what’s unique, Arya. The touch of human hands gives soul to every piece of jewelry. Not just digital replication without a soul.”
“Soul is soul, Miss,” replied Arya while trying to bend a piece of silver wire which immediately bent erratically. “But my fingers feel like they’re going to fall off. This is heavier than a space simulator’s joystick!”
“Be patient, son. This is also called learning. I used to be like that too,” said Mr. Made, a senior craftsman sitting at the end of the table, carving fine details on a dragon bracelet. “What’s important is intention and perseverance. Just like when you fly a spaceship, right?”
Arya grimaced. “Different levels, Mr. Made. There, the autopilot does more work.”
After struggling with various basic tools and techniques, Arya finally managed to make a star-shaped pendant – a bit crooked and asymmetrical, but still an achievement for him.
“Well, not bad for a ‘before-after’ post,” Arya muttered as he carefully lifted the pendant. “Now, photo session!”
Ni Luh laughed. “You are indeed a true content generation. Come on, I know some instagrammable photo spots around here.”
They walked down the small alley of Celuk village filled with galleries and silver workshops. Arya was busy looking for the best angle for his “masterpiece” pendant. He posed in front of a carved wall, under a lush frangipani flower, and even tried to put a pendant on a pile of sparkling silver bars.
“Not a dramatic angle enough,” he commented to himself while twirling his gadget. “Try the bokeh effect with the background of craftsmen working hard.”
Ni Luh and Pak Made could only shake their heads while smiling at the behavior of the tourist from the future.
After they were satisfied with taking pictures, they stopped by an art shop that displayed various kinds of silver crafts that were much more professional and beautiful than Arya’s work. Arya’s eyes immediately sparkled.
“Now, this is the high-definition level!” he exclaimed while taking a picture of an intricate barong-shaped necklace. “The caption: ‘Admiring the skills of local craftsmen after failing miserably to make a star pendant’.”
Ni Luh offered, “Want to buy a souvenir, Arya? Here’s a silver ring with a crescent moon carving, who knows it might match your star theme.”
Arya was interested and tried on the ring. “Not bad. But can this ring be smart? For example, can it give notifications if there is a solar storm?”
Mr. Made chuckled. “Let your satellite take care of the solar storm, son. This ring is quite pretty to wear.”
After shopping for some silver trinkets, Arya returned to his homestay with renewed enthusiasm. That night, on the veranda accompanied by a cup of Balinese coffee, he began editing photos and videos from his workshop and shopping.
“Okay, a catchy opening caption… ‘Trapped in the beautiful (and tiring) past learning to be a silver craftsman in Bali’,” he muttered while typing quickly on his device’s virtual screen.
He added a time-lapse video of him struggling to hammer the silver, aesthetic photos of his pendant in various spots, and a boomerang of him trying (and failing) to carve a flower motif. Not to forget, photos of the barong necklace and crescent moon ring from his shopping.
“The hashtags… #BaliPerak #NyelenehWorkshop #TechnologyTouristsGaptek #ManualCreativity #TiredButFun #NextLevelSouvenirs,” he continued to mutter while his fingers nimbly danced on the screen.
After all the content was uploaded, Arya leaned back in his chair with a satisfied smile. Notifications of likes and comments began to appear on his device.
“Not bad,” he said to Ni Luh who was tidying up the workshop equipment. “It turns out, a little ‘ancient’ touch can be interesting content in the future.”
Ni Luh smiled wisely. “The important thing is that you enjoy the process, Arya. And who knows, next year you’ll come back with a more unique content idea?”
Arya winked. “Who knows, Miss. Maybe next year I’ll try to make a Garuda statue out of silver… with the help of a drone as an assistant.”
Ni Luh and Pak Made laughed together. Technology always has a unique way of interacting with tradition, even on this magical island of the gods. And Arya, the tourist from the future, has found an entertaining way to bridge the two. (*)
