My New Life as a Balinese Duck Farmer

List of Jobs Fiona Could Never Do If She Lived in Bali

1. Join the women who work on building sites carrying concrete bricks on their head
2. Work in the rice paddies as a rice thresher
3. Sort onions by size and fill bags of them
4. Take tourists on motorbike tours (especially as I can’t even drive a car)

I could (maybe) join the many Balinese who work creating the intricate offerings made from flowers and detailed woven fronds. Apparently the value of all the offerings bought and sold is close to US $60 million a year.


But Eleri has decided on my future and that is as a Balinese Duck farmer. Ducks (bebek) are much loved in Bali because they are harmonious creatures. Darta referred to them as socialist ducks by which I think he meant they were social animals. They are also delicious and one of the Balinese delicacies is Smoked Duck or bebek betutu, which is duck stuffed with Balinese spice paste, wrapped in coconut bark and banana leaves and cooked all day over smouldering rice and coconut husks. I haven’t eaten this yet, but it’s on my list of Things To Eat in Bali.

But back to my future. Eleri thinks that this will be such a good idea I can write a book and she has helpfully done a chapter layout for me.

Chapter 1. Kev & I move to Bali after our very successful careers
Chapter 2 buy a house and then have lots of fun and dramas with the local builders.
Chapter 3 is we buy the ducks but we buy the wrong ones.
Chapter 4 we buy the right ducks but then they all die.
Chapter 5+ we start again and then we are very very successful and write a book about it.
It will be illustrated with pencil drawings and have lots of recipes through it.

Both Eleri and I think Kev will really embrace this life change or should I say duck change. He could probably take up the drawing classes need to do the illustrations.