Okay, so I am getting to the stage where I feel that it's about time someone told the tourists a little bit more about the facts of Bali. In my analytical brain I look at stats (figures) or actually personal experiences, not here-say (so I will use the words I know, meaning I know them personally, not just through the grapevine, grapevines have a habit of twisting). Now, the problem with some of the stats I have they are old stats, so they need a bit of updating (so we probably need to add some numbers, not subtract) but hard to find updated stats on this Island. Probably due the culture of 'no one wants to be the bearer of good news, a white lie will save face and not cause so much pain, well at least I won't be the one causing it', long term results from this are not taken into consideration. Note: I don't socialize out where I live on the Bukit, I don't have much time to be reading forums etc, I work in a traditional are so this only comes from what I know where I work and live.
Also, some of the stats available aren't always correct, so there goes my idea of them being facts, but they certainly do help with looking at some average numbers.
Here are some latest stats I have read with some corrections on my part (due to personal experience), not in any order as I am writing as thinking of them:
78, reported this week as the number foreigners that have died in Bali in the last 6 months, 1 from the UK - untrue, it was 2 from the UK, 2 of my husband's best friends died 3 days apart, but the guys at that morgue didn't seem to have the paperwork in order every time we went down there, so much so hubby wanted to view one of his mates body's just before he went in the furnace just to make sure it was his mate and not someone else, so I can see how the reported figures are not correct, especially when our funeral director said he did an average of 20 foreigners a month and he is only one of 50 or more funeral directors in Bali.
2, the number of foreigners I personally know who's deaths were reported in the media incorrectly (full names were published), ie a heart attack reported as a suicide, a methanol poisoning reported as a suspicious motorcycle accident.
3, the number of people I know (2 locals, 1 Australian) that died of methanol poising in the last 6 months
2, the number of children I know died of Bird Flu in the past year
300,000, the number of the street dogs (and pets if on the street), Governor Made has directed to be culled this month
1, the number of rabies deaths this year (the bite was last year), his own pet, not vaccinated of course
147, the total number of deaths, rabies suspected cause, since it came to our Island in 2008 - from 3 Golden retrievers and a Rottweiler brought in illegally to sell by a guy living in Ungasan village, who was bitten and later died and the 4 dogs were eventually found and put down but that was a little too late
36, the current identified number of cases of rabies in dogs in the past year
0, the current identified number of dogs in the Badung Regency (tourist area) cases of rabies in the past year
0, the number of tourists who have died from rabies in Bali
1, the number of monkeys suspected of having rabies, killed by the villagers and cremated before tests could be done
2, the number of cows suspected of having rabies on the Island
11, the number of villas robbed within 1 km of where we live in the past 4 months.
3, the number of rescue dogs in our house that most likely rescued us from being a target to the robber(1 of the dogs would have just slobbered him to death)
7, the maximum number of Javanese workers from the Kost opposite where we live we have counted sitting in our driveway on our garden beds when we come home, we belive they also contributed to our place not being targets.
30, the number of times an American neighbor tells us we should get those people off our property.
10, the number of times the same American neighbor has had his life threatened
6, the number of ceremonies we have been invited to in our new neighborhood in the past 12 months
6, the number of ceremonies our American neighbor has not been invited to
3, the number of pets stolen (before the cull announced) from our Balinese neighbours in the past 6 months (presumed for the new RW restaurant that has set up in the next village for the new hotel being built there)
70, the number of known RW (dog meat) restaurants in Bali, don't worry you wont be eating it
7, the number of times we have had to buy a truck of water in the past 6 months
20+, the number of tourists a week that I've spoken to who did not realize not everyone in Bali has running water
1,700,000,000, the number of homes that had their water cut off in Bali in the year 2009.
6, the average number of days those people that do have a water connection in our village (we can't get one) get a trickle out of their tap.
100, the number of metres above sea level that it seems if the average height that if you live above in our area you cannot get water.
10, the average number of places we have to drive to in a day at least once a month to find clean drinking water
83, the number of empty homes just in our small neighborhood (abandoned) due to not being able to get water
3, the number of times in the very short raining season we actually completely filled out rain water tanks with rain
2, the number of times our electricity goes out in a week, this is a major improvement
26, the number of ladies that work on the beaches from Kuta to Seminyak that are from the village we work in that wear rags on the beach and diamonds to ceremonies
5,000,000,000, the number of people they believe are living on the Island of Bali at present
2,500,000,000, the estimated number of non Balinese living on the Island of Bali at present
242, the number of additional local flights for this Lebaran Holiday Period
3,699, the current number of people identified (reported) with AIDS in Bali at present
1, the amount of woman out of 10 who die in childbirth in Bandung regency due to the Bidan (local midwife) not recognizing a problem in time to allow for the time it will take stuck in a traffic jam to a hospital (note this is only in tourist areas where there are traffic jams, the success rate in non-tourist areas is better than some Western countries)
1, the number of babies in 25, born with AIDS in Bali
3, the number of mistresses married Balinese men may have
400, the number of commercial sex workers currently identified (testing still going on) in Bali with AIDS
1,000+, the number of sex workers in Bali, the Governor estimates
8000-9000, the number of sex workers in Bali, the KPA (Commission for control of Aids) estimates
230, the number of condoms (unopened in packets) left in the street in the first day after the KPA visited our village where we work to have a week long seminar with the men, condoms are TABU to Balinese in traditional areas
230, the number of men that showed up for the seminar for the free coffee and fried banana
4, the number of guys we meet back in the days when we would spend weekends in Kuta, who believed they had met a beautiful Balinese girl at a bar the night before (wouldn't believe us she was not) and had rang us for help when the heavies tried to extort money out them for having sex with their prostitute.
800,000, the average daily income of a beggar
2,000,000,000, the latest fine for giving to a beggar
21, the legal drinking age in Bali
100's, the amount of times we have been pulled over by police and NEVER, not once paid a fine, bribe etc as we have all the correct licenses, even when doing an illegal U-Turn, we were just asked to get out of the car and look at the sign more closely as it was hidden behind a tree branch, just so we'd know for next time.
20, the average amount of times per week I shake my head at what tourists wear in Bali.
20, the average amount of times per week I shake my head at tourists wobbling on motorbikes
10, the average number of times I shake my head at tourists not wearing helmets and speeding through busy traffic
1, this stat has dropped due to me starting to just give up and leave them to the locals to chase them out of their villages, the amount of times I go up to a tourist to advise them to cover their legs while in our traditional village (Traditional Balinese do not show waist to knee, it is against Adat Law. Balinese are modest people.
5, the amount of times per week I hear about a mugging or attack on a woman in Bali in the Kuta-Seminyak area
1, the amount of times per week I hear the mugging/attack/rape resulted in death
4, the amount of times (once a year), I visit a girlfriend who has a spa near the Jayakarta and I listen to what those boys sitting across the road playing games (like pegs on their face etc) say about the 12-16 year old Australian girls walking out of the Jayakarta hotel with their families. Dad is yelling across the street 'Hi Boys', while the boys are waving back and muttering in Balinese how they want to do that guys daughter, seriously people, do you not get it!!!! This is Bali, not Australia, cover you children up, show some respect, as those boys are not respecting your girls, Balinese girls dressed like that are outcasts in the villages, no one would marry them and they become mistresses.
100???, Can't keep up with this figure, the number of building projects going on in tourist areas, with the number of workers that come from a part of this country that enforces the pornographic law of 2008 'This includes, but is not limited to, public acts such as spouses kissing, women showing their navels or shoulders, and people sunbathing in bikinis or swimwear' and see you as tourists as immoral and disrespectful and law breakers and some unfortunately will take it upon themselves to enforce this law as they see the Balinese government as weak. So cover up around building sites for your own safety, please, I can't believe people don't get this.
10, the average number of tourists a week I see showing public displays of affection in public (frowned at in Bali and illegal in all of Indonesia - ever wondered why the locals say 'Oh Honeymoon couple', that's because you have embarrassed them and their way of dealing with it is to believe you must be on your honeymoon and just can't control yourself for just this week
5, the number of times my girlfriends in the past 6 months have forgotten to cover up their legs and arms completely while just popping down the shop quickly and have been followed, or touched by men on motorbikes (hands sliding down the leg), hair touched, followed and propositioned, surrounded by a group of men)
6, the number of Balinese millionaires (by assets and a little or a lot of cash in US dollars) I know. The last time I heard read the stats in 2010, there was an estimate 111 Balinese Millionaires (US dollars).
70,000, the official number of Balinese below the poverty line (you will not meet these people as they are in remote villages where they cannot access clean water, electricity, rice, schooling etc., so stop believing your driver is poor, it's getting old.
3,000, the estimated number of illegal tour drivers in Bali, if your driver does not have small rectangular plate attached to his number plates with a blue world picture on it then he is not legal. He is not paying taxes, commercial road taxes, he may not even have a drivers license, he cannot get insurance for his passengers and when pulled over by the police will pay a fine, or worst will have his car confiscated and you will be left stranded. A legal driver will never pay anything if pulled over.
5, the amount of tourist per week I read about or talk to that want the police here to be like the police in their home country when something goes wrong. Well, they are not, this is not your home country. Your lost cameras, stolen belongings etc need police reports and they'll be done for you and you can pay for the administration fee. 90% of Indonesians don't have insurance so they don't need police reports. Only 5% of Indonesians pay taxes, they would rather pay as they go, just because it's different in your country doesn't make it right or wrong, but don't scream at the police or get angry or frustrated, just learn more about this country before you come. Be respectful, dress appropriately when you enter the police station, nod your head, ask for help in a respectful way (they are trying to help you). Don't show up in your board shorts and a bikini screaming you've been robbed.
I'm exhausted now, I hope this helps people to understand Bali a little better, please respect Bali and its people.