270 Days of Two Balinese Girls

By Ershisan

Night draws its curtain over Dazhi Road in Wuhan.

Lights are lit. In restaurants,steam rises from hot pots and the windows fog. Pedestrians walk fast, echoed by the track sounds of the light rail above their heads.

At 7 pm, Ayu and Minie get ready for their busiest time of the day. It is when customers start to come.

4339 km away, their hometown of Bali, known as the “island of heaven,” is in its rainy season,with an average temperature of 27 degrees C.

They have been in Wuhan now for 9 months. In these 9 months,their 110 sqm Spa located in an apartment building summarizes the life of these two girls’ abroad.

The whole company consists of Ayu and Minie, the two masseuses, a receptionist, and a dog named Diandian. Maybe because the Spa is located inside a building, the boss doesn’t bother to promote the business, and it is running just OK.

Ayu and Minie are typical of the Indonesian ethnicity. Their eyes sink deep and are close to each other, and their skin is yellowish brown. At first glance, Chinese people would immediately know they are from Southeast Asia.

The dark blue uniforms are quite washed but still neat and decent. They wear simple makeup and have warm smiles.

Ayu in Indonesian means beauty. Looking bourgeoisie but bohemian inside, Ayu is 37 years old and single. Minie is 38 years old and has a happy family. Her daughter is in high school. Minie has an air of peaceful joy, as if troubles are always thousands of miles away from her.

Apart from the receptionist they see every day, they don’t really have any other friends and they don’t speak a single Chinese word. Their life far away from home repeats itself nearly every day in Wuhan.

Burning incense and praying are of the utmost importance every morning for them. Bali is inhabited predominantly by Hindus. As pious believers,praying is as important as eating and sleeping. Religion is deeply rooted in their blood.

Ayu (left) and Minie (right)

故鄉在4339公里之外，武漢大智路上，兩個巴厘島姑娘和她們的270個日夜 。

夜幕降臨武漢大智路。

鱗次櫛比的燈火如約而至，路邊火鍋店里氤氳繚繞，玻璃上都是白茫茫的霧氣。行人伴著頭頂呼嘯而過的輕軌哐當聲，步履匆匆。

晚上7點，Ayu和Minie迎來一天中最繁忙的時刻，客人們紛至沓來。

而距離她們4339公里，有著“天堂之島”美稱的故鄉巴厘島，此時正是潮濕悶熱的雨季，平均氣溫27度。

這是Ayu和Minie離開故鄉來到武漢的第九個月。

過去的九個月，這家隱于公寓樓內，不足110平米的Spa（水療）館幾乎囊括她們在異國全部的生活。

Ayu、Minie兩位技師，加上一位前臺小姑娘和一只名叫點點的小狗，便構成全部的人員。也許因為是樓中店，老板無意宣傳的緣故，Spa館的生意一直不溫不火。

Ayu和Minie有著典型的印尼人面孔。深深的眼窩配上沉重的雙眼皮，眼距較近，黃黑皮膚。乍一看便會暗自猜測她們是南洋人。

深藍的工作服領口已經洗得有些舊，但仍是齊齊整整，看上去干凈體面。淡妝的臉上也總是一抹和煦的笑意。

Ayu在印尼語里被賦予“美麗”的期許。外表布爾喬亞、內心波西米亞的Ayu今年37歲，還沒有結婚。Minie38歲，有一個美滿的家庭，女兒正讀高中，身上總散發著一種平和的氣質，煩惱似乎離她幾萬公里。

除了朝夕相處的前臺小姑娘，她們沒有結識新朋友，更不會說中文。她倆遠離故土在武漢的生活，也近乎雷同的一成不變。

焚香、祈禱是她們每天清晨的頭等大事。巴厘島原住民大都信奉印度教。作為虔誠的教徒，祈禱儀式幾乎和吃飯睡覺一般深刻流淌在她們血液之中。

祈禱完畢，便是早飯時間，前臺小姑娘給她們帶來熱干面。天下主食是一家。習慣于各種米飯當早餐的巴厘島住民，適應起熱干面來也順風順水。

每日例行的清掃完房間后，時針指向11點。

巧手的Minie會準備兩人份的午餐，一般是一份清淡的蔬菜，兩個水煮蛋和白米飯，兩個人剛剛好。

工作日的下午常常沒有客人。Ayu和Minie會用淘寶購物來打發時間。下午四點準時送到的兩杯奶茶是難得的美好茶歇一刻。

工作中有時也難免遇到些小麻煩，比如偶爾遇到形容猥瑣的中年男人，眼神油膩，舉止輕浮。

最讓Ayu和Minie費解的，莫過于中國客人的“手機依賴癥”。哪怕在享受按摩的時候，雙手仍然緊攥著手機一刻不閑。在她們的觀念里，按摩的時候應該放松，去感受施加在身體上的力道，沉浸在舒緩的音樂和香氛里， 而不是分出一部分自己去淪為手機的奴仆。

工作之外，她們還有出乎意料的奇特放松方式，看電影《熊出沒》。閑暇的時候她們也會跟店里的小狗“點點”玩一會兒。

晚上十點后是Ayu和Minie最期待的時刻，是雷打不動的和家人的通話時間。哪怕只是短信，或是微信視頻聊天，都可以讓她們心花燦爛，在異鄉的漫長一天才不那么難熬。意猶未盡的通話結束后，收拾妥當，兩人就在店里打地鋪睡下。

一日加上一日，此時加上彼時，就是一世了。以后的事情她們是不太想的，從前也是。明天又是和今天別無二致的一天。

遇到難得的休息日里，步行逛街是她們一周中固定的節目。

遺憾的是由于語言不通，過去的270個日日夜夜，偌大的武漢，她們僅僅步行去過江漢路，打的去過一次菱角湖萬達。哪怕離她們僅有2.1公里的江灘，也從未涉足。

Minie告訴我，旅游業盛行的巴厘島上幾乎沒有公共交通。只有小摩托車和出租車。90%巴厘島人會最終選擇出外打工，散落在故鄉外的其他地方。

After praying, it’s breakfast time. The receptionist will bring them noodles. Balinese usually have rice for breakfast and it didn’t take them too long to get used to eating noodles for a change.

As a routine, they have the room tidy and prepared by 11 am.

Minie will prepare lunch for the two of them, which usually contains a vegetable, two boiled eggs, and rice—just enough for them.

On weekday afternoons, the Spa is often not busy. Ayu and Minie shop online to kill time. At 4 pm, they have their afternoon break. Milk tea is delivered on time and they cherish their moments of rest.

Troubles, of course, happen at work. Occasionally, despicable men will check them out with filthy looks and frivolities.

But what Ayu and Minie can’t understand most is Chinese customers’ addiction to their mobile phones. Even during a massage, they have their phones in their hands and never stop using them. In their view,massage is for relaxation and to feel the pressure on the body while surrounded by soothing music and aromas.

When they are not working,they have an extraordinary way to relax. They watchBoonie Bears,they’re favorite show. Other times, they play with the dog Diandian.

The time Ayu and Minie most look forward to is after 10 pm—family time. They call, text, or video call their families every day. It is the happiest time for them and it is comforting after spending a long day in a foreign country. It’s not easy to hang up,as they have too much to talk about. But when they are finished,they shower, make their beds on the floor, and go to sleep.

Days go by. Life passes through their fingers. They don’t think too far ahead—to them, tomorrow is another day just like today.

On their days off during the week, their favorite activity is going shopping in the city center.They regret that due to the language barrier, in the 270 days they have spent in the large city of Wuhan, they had only walked to Jianghan Road or took a taxi to the Lingjiaohu Wanda Shopping Mall. They haven’t even gone to the river bank, which is only 2.1 km away from them.

Minie told me that on the busy,touristy island of Bali, there is almost no public transportation.Only scooters and taxies are available. 90% of Balinese choose to leave their hometown and find jobs elsewhere.

To get out is the only way to improve their future.

This is also why they paid about RMB 6,000 to study in the most prestigious spa school in Indonesia—Royal Heritage Spa.They learned anatomy and spa skills, earned their certifications,and found jobs overseas.

China wasn’t their first destination. In almost 16 years,they have worked in Turkey,Russia, and many other European and Middle Eastern countries.

Spending a long time in other countries taught them to be moderate. They maintain moderate friendliness and curiosity towards other people.Although far away from home, at least they make a decent living.This offers them more dignity and freedom than ever.

Ayu and Minie ran into this opportunity working in China by chance. Their now-employer was travelling in Indonesia in search of masseuses and happened to meet them. With a curiosity about China, they left their jobs in Eastern Europe, where they’d spent 4 years, and came to Wuhan through an agent.

It was as if switching a channel on the TV to them. Wuhan has a completely different view compared to Bali. It is much busier and more crowded. In the crowds, Ayu and Minie feel like they are invisible. This makes them feel comfortable and safe.

The most unforgettable experience for them was their first hot pot dinner their boss treated them to. The strong and familiar spicy taste brought them straight back to their home 4000 km away.

Ayu said that was the best dinner she has had in Wuhan.

As time goes on towards December, the Spa’s operation is coming to an end. They have a long way to go, but it doesn’t matter for them, as moving around is a part of their lives.

(Translation: Zhang Lei. Photos:Santa and the interviewees)

出路，出路。走出去才有路。

這也是為什么她們在全印尼最權威的Royal Heritage Spa學校，繳納大約6000元人民幣學習人體解剖學和Spa技巧，考取專業認證后，出國工作的原因。

中國并非她們的第一站。近十六年的工作經歷里，她們的腳步遍布土耳其，俄羅斯還有歐洲和中東數個國家。

長時間異國他鄉的漂泊，已經讓她們褪變得清脆，飽滿，對人群保持著適度的熱情與好奇。雖然離開了家，但至少有一筆不菲的收入，這使她們比以往任何時候都能獲得自尊，也更自由。

Ayu和Minie的中國打工之旅，源于島上的一次偶然碰面。前去旅游的武漢雇主需要spa技師 ，又正好遇到她們。懷抱著對中國的好奇，沒再返回工作4年的東歐，Ayu和Minie通過中介，來到武漢。

好像視網膜切換了頻道，這里的顏色和畫風和巴厘島區別很大，更紛繁，更熱鬧。在這樣的人群里，Ayu和Minie感覺到自己完全隱匿其中了，不僅體積小，外觀也基本沒太多特色。這種隱匿感讓他們感到舒服，安全。

最令她們難忘的是初到武漢，老板請吃的一頓火鍋。那個生猛而熟悉的辣味，直接把她們拉回到4000多公里外的故鄉。

Ayu說那是她在武漢吃的最愜意的一頓飯。

隨著12月過半，Spa館的營業時間已經進入了倒計時。她倆還有更長的路要走。不過沒關系，在她們看來，道路就是生活。

（圖/santa及受訪者）