Roy
Every day, or I should say every Monday to Friday, my wife drives two of our three boys to school in Denpasar. She departs Ubud about 7 AM and I see her, Bima and Rama again around 12:30 PM. Every day, I worry about this commute, and all the hazards that are the roads of Bali.
Well, today all my fears seem to have come to gel. Rounding a corner, not far south of Siang, a hug pig literally jumped in front of our newish Kijang, in almost suicidal mode. No way to avoid the inevitable, Eri dutifully kept the Kijang on the road. Also dutifully, she, Bima, and Rama were all wearing their seat belts. The poor Babi got a direct hit and his massive weight crushed the front end of our vehicle.
With great luck and the protection of Ganesha, whose golden image is prominently hung from our rear view mirror, no one was hurt in our car, and the pig, simply ran off. Eri stopped, as all this happened by a warung full of breakfast eaters. In time, the owner of the pig arrived. It seems this was his prize male pig, wherein he gets RP 10,000 for every sperm donation to female pigs.
Seeing some real Balinese shit coming her way, and she would know, she immediately suggested to the owner to get a new “sire” pig, less he loose all the offspring of this clearly dumb pig to a similar fate.
Now, how many husbands in New York, married to a typical western woman could count on their wives being that quick?
Thorsten
Dear Roy,
thank God (or maybe Ganesha)nothing happened, but this can repeat again.
Many people are losing their lives in similar situations, when they try to save the life of an animal, so they first rule is: [b]Never try to swerve an animal on the road ![/b]
It’s a natural reflex, so as more it’s important to brand this rule in the mind, a damaged car, a dead pig is nothing compared with a turnover or crashing a tree, a wall, another car.
I don’t know if your Kijang will have a anti-blocking-system, if not it’s essential to keep the steering straight ahead in a situation like this, focus the road and never the animal.
I hope you are using children seats and especially a baby seat inside your car, if not available on Bali, get one from Australia.
A crash with 40 km/h is able to kill your son inside the car, even when nothing is damaged on the cell of the car, the head is too big in relation to the body, there are no muscles on the neck to compensate the impact, a baby is becoming something like a bullet fired out of a gun.
If your car has airbags, never transport your baby in the front, if there is no possibility to switch off the airbag, the airbag can kill a baby.
The belts in a car are made for adults, so it’s very important to use children sets for fixation inside the car, the belt can struggle you child, it can cut into the neck or the children are simply slipping through the belt in case of an accident.
Sometimes it’s not possible to avoid an accident, not matter how carefully you’ll drive, as more it’s important to provide the best protection available for the children.
Eri has obviously shown a very good reaction and she’s been lucky, but don’t count on luck or on Ganesha.
Best regards, especially to Eri
Thorsten
Roy
Hey Thorsten…long time, no hear! Thanks for all your good advise. Yes, we take every precaution possible here in Bali, especially when driving with the kids.
By the way, have you seen these pictures I posted of the ceremony given Helen and Ron in Singaraja? This was on Sunday, February 13. It was quite amazing, and I think you’ll enjoy the pictures. Also, you might consider posting this on the BTF, as I know several regulars there would love to see some pictures from that day. The URL for the pics is:
http://www.sundream.com/~majapahit/imag ... lights.jpg
Jim Thorpe
Hey Roy.... close thing with the pig! Do they have insurance in Bali similar to the states? I am glad everyone was ok. Just thought I would pop in and say howdy.
Roy
Hi Jim! We had auto insurance for the first two years after we bought the new Kijang, but it's expensive, and the fact is, body and mechanical work here is very, very cheap. An accident that may run say $2,000.00 in the states can be handled here for less than a tenth of that.
The fact is, the whole automobile scene here in Bali is completely different than in the states. New vehicles hold their value for many years, and frequently are sold used for as much as when they were new.
I think that whole depreciation scheme in the states is one mighty big scam perpetrated by auto manufactures to keep making and selling new cars.
Thorsten, I wasn't aware that Peter was getting into this kind of charity work, i.e. child sponsorship.
Thorsten
Hi Roy,
glad to hear this (precaution), yes indeed I don’t have so much time to spend on forums also I think there is no necessity to add my 2 cents to many of the postings, however I’m monitoring this forum almost every day.
I have the intention to write another posting for Helen on the BTF, but I still could not find the time to do so, yes I have seen the pics already and they are indeed an impressing evidence of the marvellous work she does for the sake of this kids.
I also thought about to state some questions to Peter Rieger due the announcement of Balivillas regarding this program of sponsoring school kids, I was a kind of amazed that the price for it is the double of the HFF or Rotary.
Helen told me in an email, she’s still looking for 80 sponsors, so come on people out there, drag out your wallets and help to provide some Balinese kids an education, it really doesn’t take a lot.
http://www.helenflavelfoundation.org/
best regards
Thorsten
Tracey
Roy,
Tremendous Thanks for those pic's...
We will head there when we are back in Bali & see whta we can do!!! All is awesome so far here & hopefully I can share some Big news on Monday morning with you...
Glad the family are all OK & no damage done...
Love to them all.
Roy
Tracey...you go girl! We are all looking forward to your good news!
Thorsten
Roy,
the article regarding the sposorship of Balivillas is here:
http://www.balitravelforum.com/archive200502/86671.html
I think it’s a good development, when the tourism industry is also taking response for the belongings of the local people, but I don’t know what to think about the costs exposed on this web site, you will see they are charging the double amount compared with the HFF or Rotary.
Of course this organisation will have to cover their administration, but does this justify the double price?
Would be interested, what others are thinking about this.
Regards
Thorsten
Roy
Interesting. Is this the reason, i.e. the support of Bali Villas for YKIP, that you are reluctant to post there, on the BTF, about Helen’s foundation any longer? You know I can’t post there, so what’s up?
Who can say which organization is better? What I can say, and do know about the Helen Flavel Foundation, is that every rupiah of every sponsorship goes directly to the sponsored child’s benefit, and through a network of on site Balinese that work with the HFF to insure the money is not used by dad for cock fighting, etc.
When Eri, my boys and I were attending the big oton ceremony for the HFF in Lovina, I personally met the headmasters of numerous schools that have kids that the HFF sponsors. There is no question where the money goes…none at all.
All administrative costs for the HFF are carried by Helen and Ron personally…period. I did not read this, in fact, just the opposite regarding YKIP. What I read on their web site was:
“For an additional US$50 to cover administrative costs, YKIP will also send you twice a year the child's report cards as well as photographs of his/her family and living situation. If you come to Bali YKIP will be happy to arrange a visit.”
This additional “administrative” cost is on top of the US $ 150 a year for primary school, or US $ 220 a year for Junior school. As you point out Thorsten, considerably higher than the annual donation required by the HFF which covers ALL expenses.
I also noted a lack of names, and e-mail address for the “staff” of the YKIP child sponsorship program. That is just an observation, and nothing should be construed by it.
I’m not about to “knock” any NGO or charitable organization in Bali. Moreover, Helen would mount my “you know what’s” as a wall trophy if I did. However, I can tell you that I introduced Helen, her husband Ron and their two senior staff Balinese persons to Ubud Rotary at their meeting on February 15 and Helen was greatly received, in fact, with several Rotary members immediately signing up to sponsor a child.
So, as Bert would say, “that’s it.”
Helen
Thank you Roy and Thorsten for your kind words about the Helen Flavel Foundation. The party for all the children to celebrate our 1st year was quite an experience. I wasn't prepared for the sight of 154 children all in the one place. To see this amount in my data base is so totally different to seeing 154 smiling children face to face. I'm so very lucky to be able to do something I love doing and to know that it's making a difference.
As you said Roy our yearly fees for educating a child is only AUS$120. By paying all the over heads ourselves we can keep the fees low and still manage to put a little away, in case one of the children becomes ill and needs help.
I'll be back in Bali in 9 weeks, this time to present 30 schools with a pack of Dictionaries and Indonesian pleasure reading books. We had a fund raiser organised by Colleen late last year which raised Aus$1000. Hopefully these children will have more opportunities in life than their parents.
Helen
Jean Pascal Comte
[quote=Roy]
Now, how many husbands in New York, married to a typical western woman could count on their wives being that quick?[/quote]
Next time we go to New York I will not forget to warn my wife Patsy about these encounters with kamikaze pigs :) Roy, I like the way you told that story and I think that your wife was very smart. :wink: About the trafic hazard, I am a bit reluctant to rent a car next time I come to Bali. The first time I came, I rent a motorbike, it was a really a nice way to travel in the island, but it was already very risky and I met many tourists with broken arms and legs ! When I came back in Sept 2003, I was really horrified by the trafic. Driving in France is not always easy neither and I think I could manage with the driving in Bali. But Patsy seems a bit scared by reports she read about people going to jail or being assaulted because they had accidents in Bali. Is it really that bad ?
Roy
Most all expats I know in Bali drive themselves, with a few exceptions, including myself. I have never driven in Bali, nor will I. However, not everyone has the luxury of a large Balinese family, or a full time driver to take them where they want to go.
Just recently, an American who used to come to Bali regularly, killed himself and a 19 year old girl in a motorbike accident outside of Ubud.
Yes, some stories about foreign and even local drivers that get involved in an accident where somebody is killed, particularly a child, and have problems with the locals is true. Just last year in our village, a Javanese truck driver that had fallen asleep ran over and killed on our most popular priest. The driver had to run for his life, literally and if the police had not arrived quickly, certainly he would have been killed by the very angry mob that had assembled.
If you drive in Bali, be very very cautious.
