In Reply to: Yes, and your point is? posted by btw on Tuesday, 8. March 2005 at 15:51 Bali Time:
[and other parts of Indonesia] is as upset by brief clothing as some people like to think. If you came through as a reasonable sort of person, I would be happy to provide you with my email address and discuss, in a civilised manner, some of the things I have personally experienced which illustrate the general tolerance of many Balinese people in this respect.
You started this thread by giving your personal opinion on an aspect of tourism in Bali. Fine, that's one of the things this forum is for. Now we all like it when others agree with us 100%, you, me and everyone else. But life's not like that, is it? I agree with you on excess noise and, whilst I've learned to be more tolerant about some types of swearing than I used to be, I still don't like what I would call filthy language, particularly when it's used in a loud, aggressive manner.
In my responses, I've tried to explain my attitudes, whilst repeatedly accepting that others may feel differently. As far as I can recall, you have not tried to do that. Instead, you have criticed some of those who have not agreed with you by insinuating that they are not capable of understanding, or that their upbringing was of an inadequate standard.
The first point is an attack on their intelligence, the second an attack on their parents/family. You don't win friends that way, not even amongst those, like myself, who would tend to agree with at least some of your points.
I'll just make one more point, which I believe is relevant. In an earlier thread on the Barong, you said it was "full of yobbos". This was in response to a poster who said that she had enjoyed her stay there. Like you, there's no way I would choose this hotel, but I would not describe it in that way. That would be an insinuation that virtually everyone who stays there must be a "yobbo". I would readily accept that it is likely to be popular with exuberant young people who want to party until they drop, but that, to my mind, does not deserve the description of "yobbo". One of the problems with sweeping statements is that exceptions are generally easy to find and then, to analytically minded people, your argument starts to fall apart.
Anyway, if we were arguing in a pub, I'd sooner agree to differ and put my hand out, rather than drag it out indefinately. How about it?