BALI, INDONESIA – Last week Melanie and I went to a local photo studio to get ‘mugshots’ for our new visa application. The required package included four photos in three different sizes – 12 photos in all – for each of us.
I can only guess why they need so many photos. One of the smaller ones will go on our new ID cards. Another one could be incorporated into the new visa sticker that goes inside our passports.
As for the other 10 pictures, I suppose they will be attached to terribly important paperwork and filed away in various official government archives. How could we survive without bureaucracy?
As I paid for our photos (under $6 for each set) I remembered buying passport photos several years ago at a print shop in the U.S. Back then I think we paid close to $30 for four photos apiece. Such a deal…
Did you need anything else today?
While we waited for our photos to be processed in the small studio, we looked around the storefront at the other things they had for sale.
There were, of course, a variety of picture frames and camera memory cards, as well as various phone and computer cables, and USB memory sticks.
One shelf in the main display case held a few small tape recorders and accompanying miniature tape cassettes. Below that were stacks of blank CDs and DVDs. Another case displayed an assortment of batteries.
But wait, there’s more!
And then there were some other items, things you wouldn’t normally expect to find in a photo shop:
Bottles of cologne, an entire shelf full, in assorted scents. Perhaps intended for gifting to your paramour along with that new framed photograph of yourself.
A shelf on the wall at the back of the showroom was lined with boxes containing stainless steel cookware – all brand new and priced to sell. I’m not so sure this gift would elicit the same response as the sweet scent of cologne, but hey… maybe the Balinese have a different idea about what’s sexy.
An unexpected discovery
On the bottom shelf of another showcase, below the SD cards and memory sticks, we spied a pile of mosquito rackets in assorted colors. Now there was something we could use!
In case you’re unfamiliar with this particular tool, it’s shaped just like a tennis racket and strung with a grid of metal ‘strings’ across the business end. Typically, there’s also a (detachable) flashlight set in the bottom of the handle.
Powered by a battery inside the handle (usually built in and rechargeable), the tool is used to swat mosquitos and other flying insects. When you actually hit one of the little pests, the device makes a satisfying zapping sound as the critter is instantly incinerated by the electrified racket grid.
In an environment where tiny flying insects are common (like here in Bali), I suppose you could consider the mosquito racket’s regular use an important part of your daily exercise routine. One, two, three, ZAP! One, two, three…
Gotta love the entrepreneurial spirit of the Balinese. You never know what an impulse buyer (like us) might add to their purchase. We skipped the cologne this time and instead chose a new mosquito racket in blue.
Now, about that cookware…
Our website includes affiliate links from the Amazon Associates Program. If you click through a link and make a purchase we may earn a small commission – at no additional cost to you. Your purchases help us continue our travels.