Thread: An Expat's Christmas;

Simon's Christmas with two prostitutes and a blind man:

The realization of running out of funds filtered into me as a delayed numbness. It was if I was finally paralyzed into surrendering my inner powers to the fears of money, my complete sense of security and my well being as well. Without visible assistance, there was nobody to turn to except myself, and some serious prayer - a kind of handing over the reigns to the higher self.

The boat was going to Nusa Lembongan Island for the first time in several weeks. The plywood shed that has been my shelter in Legian, is like an oven during the day, as there is little shade, and it sits on a yet to be developed site, in a bare earthed walled compound. I had already sent my dog Yuli ahead of me, to be at the mercy of the kitchen scraps,as I could no longer have her with me.

The island reminds of when I first went there ten years ago. Before its major development. The hotel looks in need of some serious nurturing already, absent of staff and tourists, as so many Lembongan hotels are.

I decided to visit my project site on Ceningan Island which adjoins Lembongan, over a languid tourquoise estuary, fringed with gold. However was unable to reach my destination as I was way-laid at the brothel.

It has angered many to realize that a jigijig house appeared on the island, and some months ago I had been called upon to assist in the quiet rescue of two young girls who were very unhappy to be there. There is a network of these houses throughout Bali, operated by a person who travels to Java to procure the girls.

Previously I had been unable to arrange assistance to two more girls, who suddenly confronted, me pleading to be taken away, directly now. They are aged around 13 - 15 yrs old. One of them was seriously unwell with a chest complaint, they had been under lock, had been seriously neglected and were also very hungry, without food for nearly three days.

They, as were the other girls, were lured into coming to Bali, the person telling their parents that they would have jobs in a warung.

In a way I was relieved to understand that they had not yet been forced to work, even after two months or more. So their misery, fear and ill health saved their skins. Yet an attraction to being sexually desirable had we say ' taught them the variances of blatant seduction,in an unwitting manner, which reserved no particular time or space for it's pubic flirtation."

So the dilemma was twofold. How was I to assist them when I seemed just as needy as them? I was not even able to swap jobs with them, so I took them away with me, with assistance, and back on the boat to Bali that afternoon.

Once back in my shed in Bali, we found by the generosity of the Kuta slum dwellers, enough food to see us through a few careful days, eating twice a day in a modest but totally satisfying way. Finally we were able to contact their families in Jember, Java, and became determined to get them home in time for their Christmas, on the 6th December. A few others who needed to go home to Java, permanently, and had lived in Bali all their teen years joined us, and nine of us set out in my 4wd which had sprung to life thanks to the generosity of some petrol.

' Unbelievable abundance on staggering levels,is on it's way to me now' I muttered to myself repetitively trying to believe it, then slowly surrendered to the abundance as it surrounded me in the oddest of places.

I have visited South West Java a number of times, firstly 26 years ago. In the sprawling cities of Banyuwangi, Jember, Situbondo and Lumagan, I have found myself to be a tiny localised celebrity.much to my surprise. However many of these people are from the slums of Kuta. The 15,000 or so Javanese who live in the Kuta slums, mostly from Madura or Java, come from respectable families in their own home towns. Middle class, charming, and peace loving enough to pour it out of their hearts should they be given a chance.

The gift of being able to stand in the life of another culture and be embraced by it, is an expats dream, or nightmare. It has connected me to many people, and nowadays hundreds of local people appear over the days to communicate. I would be in the company of crowds of people for twenty hours a day for for the next five days.

Earlier this year on a visit to Jember we held a concert of brotherhood and peace, with real celebrity artists, through the night, out in the rice padi terraces. Over 2500 people attended and it was after addressing the crowd and doing the job of MC, that I felt thousands of hands touch me and reach out to hug me. Talk about hugged out! The doors in these cities seem all open to me, and much to my horror was embarrassed to see my photo appearing on the walls of a few homes. I never photographed well, or maybe I just refused to see who I was - and he looked fairly ancient. The age of the inside is beginning to erupt on the outside.

So upon arriving in the town of Arjasa, it seemed that everybody came out for a brotherly hug and a clasp of the hands in the brotherhood shake, and I felt a calm ooze over me. Who cares if there is no money! These people really wish me to be here for their Christmas.

Over the past few days of the Muslem Christmas, I have been stuffed with food as never before. Having lost 15cm from my waist during the bomb ordeal, my belt defiantly sprang out a notch for every day I was there. This was the end of the Ramadan fasting. The rule seemed to be that you must visit as many houses as possible, at all of which you must lead the way in snack-taking, and partake of a full Christmas feast. We truly were showered in an abundance of fine food and hospitality. In fact many of us emerged from being scrawny weeds to become bloated lords.We had to invent secret tricks to make it look as if we had eaten more than we really had, which was not too difficult as we were left every time alone to eat. On these distended bellies we frolicked up mountains in the mist, and slid down muddy terraces to splash under the foot of a waterfall, and were invited spontaneously to share early breakfast feasts in woven homes nestled in padi terraces bathed in glowing morning dew.

The Muslims all expressed absolute mortification at what has happenned in Bali, and are all so ashamed of Bin Laden and Islam Terrorists who rampage this world. So many Javanese Muslims cried for what has happenned, in my arms, and begged for forgiveness from us from the western world. forwhat these terrorists are doing in the name of Islam. The pain and emotion was simply overwhelming at times to everybody in the room,and because I was there when other westerners have mostly gone, there seemed to be a healing process in their hearts and mine. It was surprising and truly moving.

We were reminded of the words of Muhammad, who changed the direction of world by promoting brotherhood and peace to all men, so many years ago.

We are all one and the same, and the welfare of our future relies upon that basic understanding and respect.

The Yayasan created to provide education of 83 students in Arjasa, various Kepalas Desa, various chiefs of this and that turned out to happy meetings, with much dancing singing and laughter, at night my head asleep before it touched the tiled floor of the mosque.

As usual it was nessesary to bathe in the river with everybody else, and I was a curiosity as one might imagine. I was particularly embarrassed at the infection of red spots that swirled across my lilly white bum, especially as everybody else's bum was dark bronzed, and an old dark brown bum looks definitely better than a white one. Modesty flies out the window, even if there wasn't one, when one must poo in front of the entire population of the village.

The young girls were safely home with tremendously grateful parents, and
accompanying me back on the thirteen hour drive to Bali was a young man in need of an eye operation to remove a blinded eye as he has been in pain for several years. His brother pierced his eye with a bamboo arrow, fired from a sling shot. Crisis Care had arranged an operation.

I awoke this morning to the niggle of being without funds,and was reminded to do my meditation which brought me back to my senses.
Afterwards sitting on the steps in the early morning sunsise, the light fellon a huge papaya which had conveniently ripened in my absence.

Such abundance.

There is confort in my heart knowing that I can always return to do what I enjoy doing most, and to be able to survive this time in Bali that is upon us. There is much to be done here.

My thoughts turn to my family and friends who all seem so far away from what has touched my life, and now beckons me to follow the calling in my life wherever that may take me. Already the diminishing communication is teetering as the phone and other services are cut off, the office almost closed, the staff and many friends already departed, and that door appears to be closing for ever.

I wish you all a very fulfilling Christmas, and can just smell those memories of Christmas at the old family home, somewhere back out there in the real world. Yes thoughts of gravy and xmas pudding can salivate my tormented taste buds in a jealous slurp...

However I have beaten you to a Christmas gift this year that shall hold a place in my memory, for it is the gift of a thousand embraces and the abundance of heartfelt compassion and peace. Just what Christmas should return to being. Gifts only from the heart. Highly recommended and much cheaper than buying each other's thanks and feigned appreciation through expensive gifts, or even budget ones from the Warehouse.

My Christmas present arrives here now for you from the Storehouse of my heart.

The greatest gift in life is now - that is why it is called the present.
So right now, much love and caring to you all with ribbons and tinsel on top, in a basket of happiness paradise and peace, delivered in a a golden sleigh of hope and inner fulfillment, fueled by the power of brotherhood and peace.

In that is all the abundance we need.

Simon.








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Merry Christmas Simon, Merry Christmas readers,

Thanks for sharing your well written Christmas Story with us.

You draw us a very vivid picture of a harsh reality. I can imagine under such circumstances it must be hard to keep seeing things in perspective - to remember that everything is relative.

Take Care, hopefully soon we'll meet again

WOW! In amidst the heartache caused by October 12 - the true meaning of christmas really is alive and well in Indo. Your story certainly opened my naive *tourist* eyes to the situation as it really is. Of course I was aware of prostitution in Bali, and the very real need of the sick and maimed. But I guess when on holiday in *paradise*, you tend to gloss over these things that only serve to remind the tourist for the few seconds they actually walk past a beggar or listen to the story of someone being offered a 'jigijig', that this actually exists.

So thank you, and remember that along with the gravy and christmas puds invariably come the obligatory family argument - for in our society of not so simple pleasures one cannot please everyone. So whilst the creature comforts of home and family and family and the feeling of hunger satisfied, (tho do we really know the true meaning of hunger - I think not!), I believe the love and hugs you received far outway the taste of that which you dream.

Oh and by the way, having to bathe in front of others bearing your white bum amidst a sea of brown ones, saying goodbye to modesty - sounds a bit like a woman giving birth. A case of leaving your modesty at the door and picking it back up on the way out. :wink:

Sharon

you don't need to be jealous of me then. The idea of xmas is a good one, and yet, I find xmas so overwhelming, (even as a kid) i tend to avoid it. Bah humbug! :wink:
Just give me a good book, and i'll disappear for the day.
Your hugs and smiles sound great.

and may peace be upon you.
I have a question though - is it yourself who is living in the shed? If yes, your good writing may be able to give you better surroundings.

The shed is on a piece of land in Legian that I contracted for 20 yrs. The house is yet to come. I have another small house in Legian, but it was contracted out a year ago for 2 years. My real home is on Nusa Lembongan.

That was a great story and really made my day reading it. Shows the true meaning of Christmas!

I wish everyone a wonderful christmas! :D