Bali - a soft target

[spicyayam]

I thought this article in the Huffington Post, written by a American who came to Bali for a short holiday, was a little weird.

The more time we spent in Bali, particularly outside Nusa Dua, the more we realized how Balisians continue to be traumatized by their 9/11. And they wanted to talk about it.

Every discussion seemed to somehow reference the bombings... and the tone of the otherwise pleasant chit chat changed on a rupiah. Business of course has been negatively affected, particularly tourism. But it's also a sense of shame that accompanies the painful memories of these gentle people.

I haven't really heard anyone talk about the bombings specifically since I came here, unless someone mentioned the downturn in tourism after the bombs.

In 2010 we're painfully aware of how out of place we were as Americans in Bali. The recession's not helping, but it's the perceived threat that continues to terrorize the tourist industry here. We met one other couple from Colorado who ignored the warnings and chose to vacation on this beautiful island. We fell in love with the people of Bali. It's a magical place. A place where Muslims blissfully coexist with Hindis and Christians. A place where everyone is made to feel welcomed.

 

[MadCat]

The only talk I hear these days about the bombings is that people seem to be happy that tourism levels are back up to what they were before, other than that I've never met any Balinese who "needs to talk about it"...