In Reply to: I was only talking about the busy posted by Charliebalibear on Monday, 18. June 2012 at 14:05 Bali Time:
Agree with this & the above "rant". Onya!!
Always good to read sensible comments from you as someone who does actually live in Bali & has done for yonks NOT as an expat bule with a McVilla but as someone who lives in a Balinese community & works in & with that community & beyond.
There are so many poverty stricken places in Bali. As you say, mostly tourists only meet the lucky Indonesians (not just Balinese) who work in tourism on the coastal tourist strip & Ubud etc (which many people never get beyond, sadly). Like anywhere, I guess, the more some people have the more they want. I actually read here a while ago that someone's local friend expected a washing machine to be bought for him/her!!
A few years ago I fell into a ditch watching the Ogah Ogah parade on Nyepi eve in Candi Dasa. Hurt my arm. Couple of days later I realised it was quite infected. Went to the local Doc after dinner, a lovely person who had been working all day at a hospital in Denpasar & ran a clinic in CD after hours because it was needed. Not BIMC standard but definitely hygenic - bit too much stingy stuff for me. OUCH.
She spent an hour or more carefully attending to me and at the end, when we paid the miniscule bill, which was way more than locals would pay but only about $50 all up for what would have cost many hundreds here in Oz, she thanked me because a small child had fallen into a fire in a tiny, poor village 2 hours away only accessible by motorcycle that AFTERNOON! And my payment meant she could afford to go there at 10 at night & treat him & provide the medicines that his family & village could not afford. That was an eye-opener & hit hard.
The Doc was treating me when there was a small child suffering from agonising burns in utterly desperate need. The Doc said if I hadn't hurt my arm the clinic could not have afforded to help that child.
I have scant sympathy for the sob stories I hear, & have been hearing for the past 2 weeks from Tuban to Seminyak (got back from Bali this morning) - when there ARE so very many Balinese who live in very dire straits.
I have many Balinese friends - have spent many hours with them over the past 2 weeks & not once has there been any request for anything, other than my company. I have come away from our get togethers with far more than I took.
My rant. Keep on keeping on saying how it really is there, CBB.