problem solving balinese style

For the past week I wake up in the middle of the night at a single quiet ring of a bell that is coming from somewhere in my room. It is so funny that such a little short peaceful sound can wake me up in a second. In the beginning I just ignored it and figured it was a mistake and would go away since it wasn't even at the same time each night. And sometimes it was several times during the night. But as it continued, I decided I should take responsibility and learn how to figure out what it is on my smartphone that I must have pressed by mistake that is causing this alarm to go off all the time. So last night I actually got out of bed, turned on the light and sat there trying to decipher which of the different ringtones it could be. The
what's up? The Viber? The SMS? The Email?  Without any luck I thought that maybe it was my friends cell phone that he gave me in order to call him….maybe it is his that keeps ringing this lone tone at night.

So this morning when I saw him and he asked how I slept, I told him about the ring from the bell that I cannot figure out where it is coming from. He laughed and pointed to my alarm clock that is next to my head in bed. He was home the other night and I had already left for the market at 4 am. and he too heard the bell ring and wondered if it was a patient calling him, or what, and went to figure out where the sound came from, and discovered my little travel clock was the source. I laughed, since I have had it for years and never used it as an alarm clock and don't even know how to turn the alarm on or off!  I figured that if I put my mind to it I should be able to figure it out and stop the bell that awakens me every night. So, as I sat on the porch today, I brought the clock out there too and figured at some point I would get to it. Suddenly it rang again one quiet "ding" in the middle of the afternoon! Aha! Now it is happening in the middle of the day too. I waited until ketut had a moment and explained the problem to him and asked him to help me. I showed him the little switches and was sure with his infinite patience and male mind he would surely move a button that would put an end to the ring.

He watched the clock as I explained it all to him. And when I finished he was silent. He was not doing what western men do! He was not trying to figure out the problem and solve it for me! Instead he said "you must give it time. In a few days he will be your friend. Each time you hear it ring now you say "oh, that bell." And you want it to go away. But with time, when you hear it ring you will say "oh that is my friend again, ringing." That is all, and then he will be your friend and it will not bother you anymore." Who would have thought that is also an option for dealing with the ring from the bell?