Our (long!) holiday enters week 3, and we have moved from serene Ubud to the frenetic streets of Seminyak (still in Bali)!

Bali is majority Hindu and the locals struck us as quite traditional and ritual-oriented.

One of their cute rituals is to make simple offerings to their home temples and even places of work. The most common offering is called 'Canang Sari', a small, beautifully crafted palm-leaf tray filled with flowers, rice, and sometimes treats. You'll find these cute trays placed outside homes, temples, workplaces and even on streets. People are expected to make these offerings three times a day. (Incidentally, we were told that the word 'Bali' comes from the Sanskrit word 'bali', which could mean sacrifice or offering).

And now, observe this image of the below canang sari offering - anything that strikes you as odd about it? (Hint: it's rolled up!)

Image of a 'different' Canang Sari offering on the streets of Ubud

In a walking tour that we went on, our guide explained that this type of offering was usually made for potential bad spirits which could trouble you. Now since these are "bad spirits" the offerings even include cigarettes (and sometimes even some sprinkled alcohol!)

(When I shared this on a family group, my cousin Prahlad quipped, "So the bad spirits leave in good spirits?")

What struck me as unique about Bali is their openness to other cultures - allowing the foreign (mainly Australian) tourists to be as they are, while sticking to their own traditions and cultures.

The most striking example of this for me was in a place called Waterbom, a massive water park in Bali. Filled with around 15 thrilling rides, and several kid-friendly waterplay zones, it's a place of unending delight, especially for children.

Waterbom Bali Diskon 50% Harga Tiket Masuk — Source: Ticket

Even in this crazy dopamine-driven waterworld filled with happy screams, pool-bars and lazy rivers, there was one quiet spot tucked away in a corner, that housed a... temple!

And not a small shrine - this was a reasonably large place of worship (for locals only) with a simple message - "We ask for your respect please - do not enter to take photos".

A lovely Balinese Hindu temple - inside a waterpark!

Basically, Bali's spiritual message is - you do your stuff, we'll do ours, and let's coexist in peace.

More on Bali in the long-form piece below.

And now, on to the newsletter.

Welcome to the one hundred and twelfth edition of '3-2-1 by Story Rules'.

A newsletter recommending good examples of storytelling across:

3 tweets
2 articles, and
1 long-form content piece

Let's dive in.

𝕏 3 Tweets of the week

Powerful idea.

I love the detail in the story about the planning of the Pluto trip. That is what makes this contrast so engaging to read.

Uff, that's a profound one.

Hahaha, they do carry a lot of energy.

📄 2 Articles of the week

a. 'Be you ever so high, the markets are always above you' by Ajay Shah

It's kind of impossible to miss consuming content emanating from the 'The Trump-man Show'.

In this insightful article, I learnt something new - the power of bond markets.

Shah posits that there are two layers of checks and balance against the blatant abuse of power by a dictatorial leader:

There are two rings of containment of power, that help address a regime which diverges from this approach.

The first ring of containment of power is the checks and balances of the political system. Liberal democracies work by dispersing power, by using ambition to counteract ambition. This curtails mistakes.

But sometimes the first ring also melts under the heat of a dominant central force. This is where the second, more decentralised power kicks in:

The second ring of containment is the financial markets.

1. When Liz Truss was Prime Minister in the UK, the markets pushed back. The 30-year yield went from 3.6% to 5.1%. The GBP dropped 7.6%. The FTSE fell 7%. Ultimately, this led to her being ousted in 44 days.

...

3. Vijay Kelkar has long argued that the stock market crash of 17 May 2004 helped encourage Sonia Gandhi to choose the team of Manmohan Singh, P. Chidambaram and Montek Ahluwalia as the UPA economic policy leadership, which delivered the economic successes of 2004-2011.

I love the concrete examples Shah uses to make his point.

And this was my favourite part of the article:

He (James Carville, who worked with Bill Clinton) once said: "I used to think that if there was reincarnation, I wanted to come back as the President or the Pope or as a 400 baseball hitter. But now I would like to come back as the bond market. You can intimidate everybody."

That is what has happened in the US economy, which led to some rollbacks of the tough tariff measures:

Market discipline will then impinge upon Trump and the MAGA world, and we hope, atleast partly kick them into shape. Be you ever so high, the markets are always above you.

b. 'Bringing up Innovators, Inventors and Scientists' by Abhishek Asthana

I've recently come across the work of Abhishek Asthana (known as @GabbarSingh on X) and have been impressed with his storytelling!

This provocative piece starts with a strongly contrarian thought:

If you have spent your life building a great professional career, working hard to build a corpus, the worst way to help humanity would be to spend it on charity. Don’t get me wrong, helping the underprivileged is great. But you need to build privilege for your offspring first. Let me explain.

Asthana's point - true innovation needs freedom from the constraint of providing for monthly expenses. We need to ensure that our children have that financial cushion (while instilling in them a strong work ethic) - to give them the launchpad to do truly new and innovative things.

📖 1 long-form read of the week

a. AI as the Ultimate Travel Guide - and what we can learn from Bali (my conversation with Grok)

Whenever we travel to a new place, we try to find more about the history and culture of the city/country.

The usual sources are:

- A walking tour: One of the best sources since it combines physical activity, popular sights and most importantly gives you access to a local who you can ask questions to. We loved this in Athens (2023) and parts of the US (2024). This activity can be a bit of a hit and miss though, depending on the quality of the guide.

- A book: If you find a good one, it can be comprehensive and authoritative. But not all places have one good book that answers all your questions. And even if you find it, you would take time to read it fully. Plus the onus is on you to find the specific information you are looking for.

- Museums: Generally very good in the Western world. Generally dull, but filled with hidden gems in developing countries. The US especially nails the storytelling in most of its museums and experiences.

- Audio guides: Rarely found and rarely good. But if no other option available, it can be useful (I remember using one in Yosemite National Park in the US). Our startup, Captivatour tried to fix this problem, but alas, found too few takers...

Here’s where I discovered a new and powerful guide to the history and culture of a new place: AI.

AI can be like your friendly and all-knowing guide. On this trip in Bali, I started asking questions to Grok (from X AI) and was impressed with the responses.

Here are some of the questions I asked (disclaimer - I have not vetted any of the answers - they may contain mistakes, falsehoods and hallucinations):

Give me a 500 word explainer on what makes Bali's geography unique

The main answer - the island is essentially a volcanic one and the frequent eruptions over millennia have made the soil very rich for rice cultivation, fed by rivers that flow down from these mountains. Plus, they have a centuries-old irrigation system that actually has UNESCO recognition (not just the WhatsApp one):

The island’s rivers, like the Ayung and Petanu, originate in these highlands, carving deep gorges and valleys as they flow toward the sea. These waterways shape Bali’s dramatic scenery, especially in areas like Ubud, where steep ravines are cloaked in dense vegetation. The rivers also sustain the subak system, enabling Bali’s iconic rice terraces, such as those in Jatiluwih, which sculpt the landscape into emerald staircases. This interplay of water and land reflects Bali’s harmonious balance between nature and human ingenuity.

My next question was:

What makes the subak irrigation system so unique?

Turns out, it is a model in decentralised co-operation - resulting in smart management of water resources.

First, subak is a marvel of decentralized water management. Originating in the 9th century, it channels water from rivers, springs, and lakes—often starting in Bali’s volcanic highlands, like the slopes of Mount Batur or Mount Agung—through an intricate network of canals, weirs, tunnels, and bamboo pipes to irrigate rice fields across varied terrains. Unlike centralized irrigation systems, subak operates at a community level, with each subak unit (a group of farmers sharing a water source) managing its own water distribution. This localized approach ensures equitable access, as water is allocated based on field size and crop needs, not wealth or status. The system’s efficiency lies in its adaptability to Bali’s rugged geography, where steep slopes and deep valleys require precise engineering to deliver water consistently.

Fascinating, right?

I asked a few more questions, and then had this thought - Bali is a 4.5M Hindu-majority island in a 280M Muslim-majority nation. Surely, there might have been some challenges around religion? Here's how I worded my question to Grok:

How does Indonesia manage the fact that the majority religion in the country is Islam while Bali is majority Hindu? Have their been religious tensions over this fact? How has the country coped?

Grok's answer... was pretty good! Surely there would be innumerable nuances that a simple AI-answer would miss - especially on such a weighty question. But, overall, it's a great starting point - and something that perhaps no local guide would have been able to answer:

Indonesia, with a population of about 280 million, is the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, with roughly 87% of its citizens identifying as Muslim. Bali, however, stands out as a Hindu-majority island, where approximately 87% of its 4.3 million residents practice Balinese Hinduism. This religious diversity, set against Indonesia’s national motto of “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika” (Unity in Diversity), shapes a complex but generally harmonious coexistence, though not without challenges.

This section on the coping strategies is worth reading in full:

Indonesia and Bali employ several strategies to manage religious diversity and mitigate tensions:

- Interfaith Dialogue: The government promotes inter-religion cooperation through forums like the International Conference of Islamic Scholars (2004) and local initiatives in Bali. After incidents like the Nyepi dispute, governors and religious leaders hold meetings to ensure mutual respect. Bali’s moderate Muslim communities, practicing “Islam Nusantara” (archipelagic Islam), emphasize inclusivity, aligning with Hindu values of tolerance.

- Security Measures: Post-2002 (Bali terrorist bombings), Indonesia established Detachment 88, an elite counterterrorism unit trained by Australia and the U.S., which has effectively curbed extremist attacks. Bali maintains heightened security during major Hindu festivals and tourist seasons to prevent disruptions.

- Cultural Reinforcement: Bali’s strong Hindu identity, expressed through over 20,000 temples, daily offerings, and festivals, fosters community cohesion. The subak irrigation system, tied to Hindu rituals, reinforces cultural pride while engaging Muslim farmers, promoting shared economic interests. Tourism, contributing 60–80% to Bali’s economy, incentivizes harmony, as religious strife could deter visitors.

- Education and Moderation: Bali’s schools teach religious tolerance, emphasizing Pancasila’s pluralist principles. Moderate Islamic organizations like Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, active nationwide, advocate for coexistence, influencing Bali’s Muslim minority to adopt balanced views.

- Conflict Resolution: Bali’s village-level governance (desa adat) integrates Hindu and Muslim residents into decision-making, resolving disputes locally. For example, after the 2002 bombings, Balinese leaders discouraged anti-Muslim rhetoric, emphasizing unity. This grassroots approach prevents escalation.

I think the entire world can learn something from Bali.

(And from AI!)

That's all from this week's edition.

Ravi

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Ravishankar Iyer

What Bali can Teach the World (3-2-1 by Story Rules #112)

𝕏 3 Tweets of the week

📄 2 Articles of the week

📖 1 long-form read of the week

Why the Indus Valley Report is so Popular (3-2-1 by Story Rules #113)

Extracts from an Acclaimed Novel (3-2-1 by Story Rules #111)

How Different Countries Communicate (3-2-1 by Story Rules #110)