His critic condemns Kadek as "mean-spirited and smug", then goes on to suggest he should get together with none other than Jean Couteau to learn to be more "open-minded and sympathetic". But, my dear lady, they are one and the same person! Mr Couteau has a point worth considering - tourists (even if they happen to be dead) wanting to participate in Balinese ceremonies are not merely na•ve but are also showing a "serious disregard for the Hindu religion", seeing in it only a disconnected series of beautiful rituals. Is Mr Jagger's quibbling over his dodgy Hindu wedding to Jerry a case in point?

I was especially pleased to see 'Peeping: An Educational Pastime' and 'The Balinese Gigolo' published here - two old favourites from when I first read them. Wayan Sadha's cartoon accompanying the latter does no favours to either the local boy or his conquest. Mr Couteau's rapid run through of the Kuta cowboy and Ubud guru sub-species manages to depict these evergreen stereotypes without being unsympathetic or patronising. 'Balinese Dogs' also gives us a fresh take on a familiar theme - Bali dog enters heaven as the god of virtue? Read it and resist the urge to belittle and besmirch Balinensis caninensus as so many have before.

The majority of pieces are by Mr Couteau, often in collaboration with local writers; an expert expatriate, his extensive knowledge, idiosyncratic wit and forthright opinions pepper these pages. Other contributors include Benito Lopulalan, a perceptive journalist with a ready eye for the sad and seedy social realities. Look out for 'A Tale of Two Cities', contrasting Banyuwangi, the ferry terminal of East Java with Denpasar, giving us a brief but moving glimpse into the lives of several migrants: the soup seller, the construction worker, the garment seamstress. In addition, Charles Couteau, Douglas Meyer, Abu Bakar, A.G Roberts, Yuliastra Sastrawan, Usadi Wiratnaya supplement the menu with dishes covering religious co-existence, culture clashes and love agony collisions.

I found myself first mildly disappointed and then piqued by 'Balinguish' by A. G. Roberts. I was hoping for some faintly humourous examples of this ever-changing 'quasi-pidgin'. Instead I got Mr Roberts irritatingly puerile wit. He regales us with his

successes teaching unwitting Balinese to think 'F... off' is the equivalent of a High Balinese greeting and 'blow job' is a synonym for 'gotong royong' (community work). Exploiting 'the natives' naivety for cheap laughs went out with the early colonialists didn't it? Astuti doesn't care to align herself with the politically correct, but how's this for a description of a group of western women: "rabidly feminist, serious and ambitious, the kind you'd be afraid to wink at for fear of getting a handbag wrapped around your head". Wink in my direction, Mr R, so I can bash you with my besek (large Balinese offering basket - a fair weight when full).

However, I like the eclectic randomness of this book. I relished all these snack-sized stories for their sheer variety. After all, there's always something on your plate that might not suit your taste buds. As Arnold Bennett put it, "good taste is better than bad taste, but bad taste is better than no taste". There's something for everyone here, something bitter, something sweet. The writers assemble choice ingredients: imagination, observation and good research and combine them with fresh voices, originality and readable prose. As garnish, Wayan Sadha's funky and funny cartoons aptly decorate the main course. He has a wicked eye for the grotesque, although sometimes the humour sadly gets lost in translation. You'll come away feeling replete but not suffering indigestion and perhaps with your appetite whetted for volumes 2 and 3.

I'd like to call this a pocket-sized gem, but you'd have to have very large pockets. Not a book to be judged by its cover, it may look more like a mere tourist guide, unappetising and predictable, too slim to claim as a 'real' paperback. Never mind the tablecloth, pick up a spoon and fork and sample some of this fare. I Astuti, the ruler of the universe, possible future President for life of a democratic Indonesia, the fifth and final rider of the Apocalypse, jolly good sport and cohort to cats worshippers, dodgy men, complete alcoholics and language consultants worldwide, guarantee you'll find something to get your teeth into.

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