Thanksgiving
A quick note to all with a slightly premature Thanksgiving wish and a few thoughts.
It is easy to get caught up in the “stuff” we all deal with in our day to day lives. Having been there all to often, I wanted to share just a bit of “real” life in Bali. It is beautiful, yes. And the people are wonderful. Life in Indonesia, however is not as wonderful as most tourists see it.
-the minimum wage in Indonesia was just increased this year to $81…per month
– this wage increase is really fictional as no-one is really “required” to pay that amount
-the recent increase in fuel costs (over 100% increase in some areas) has driven the cost of living up well past the wage increase
-in speaking with some of the local citizens, we are beginning to understand that education is NOT free. At any level. Although the equivalent of K-8 is said to be free, it is not widespread.
-Indonesia is thought to be one of the most corrupt governments in the world with reports of pocket lining so widespread that it is almost not considered corruption. it is simply the way it is.
-the second bombing has clearly had a big impact on the economy of Bali. Occupancy rates at hotels are being reported low and it is a common knowledge that the report rates are lower than the actual rates.
As I said before, the Balinese people are wonderful. They are deeply religious and have a wonderful culture of dance, music, painting etc. Despite all of the things that we would find quite troubling, they smile and are thankful for what they have.
We too are thankful for the wonderful family and friends that we have at home.
Tags: Bali
Weiser Wander
The people are what we were most impressed by on our trip to Bali. You are right, they seem to be so at peace. They were so nice to be around.