In Reply to: VIRGINS posted by DonRon on Sunday, 10. April 2005 at 11:17 Bali Time:
What a wonderful posting, it sure reads like you thoroughly enjoyed yourself. Having a great time is of course the most important aspect of any holiday and if you pay a little extra here and there, so be it. I have met many wonderful Balinese, who are more interested in repeat business and word-of-mouth recommendations; these I count as friends.
You will read that many people on this forum tip or do not collect change from many Balinese, be they taxi drivers, market traders etc, because they enjoyed the positive experience. But if you occasionally get ripped-off, you will find the negative experience hurts your pride, more often than your pocket. I often wonder why some people want to rip off another person's money, is it because they are desperate for a couple of extra dollars to pay their bills, if so, look at it as a helping hand, a donation to a needy person who unfortunately for them live in a negative world. If the person concerned is a con-artist then their lives are negative and you can rest assured - what goes round comes round. Everything is relative, for example, getting ripped-off a couple of thousand Rupiah during a holiday, pales into insignificance to the person who fell into a drain, broke a leg and got an infection. Perspective will more often put a smile on your face than a scowl. As the old adage puts it - laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and your cry alone.
Life is too short,
Bro Ken