My Bali Booboo

As I went on my daily shopping trip in Tenganan Village, I smelled fruit as fresh as a new morning, and heard the day to day chatter in the marketplace. I picked up a few things, and not knowing the shopkeepers name, I pointed at him and then at my merchandise, curious of the price. He looked at me with disgust and clear signs of horror. I decided to move on, not knowing that I had just made my first horrible mistake of the morning. Walking along the busy market street, I looked at all the different fruits and vegetables on display in small carts. As I continued browsing, I saw a small child to my left fall down. Concerned for his saftey, I went over to help him up. Once I saw that he was alright, I patted him on the head, gently feeling his head for a bump. As a young woman rushed forward, i heard a loud gasp, and as abruptly as a train crash, the whole street was staring. I could feel their eyes on me, and hear their rude whispers. After I was able to make out what they were saying, I realized that it was a great insult to pat anyone, especially a child on the head. I felt so ashamed that I quickly left my items and went back to my hotel. Still feeling their eyes on my back.