long time no write!!

[hopeful]

i think i have returned to bali 3 times since i wrote on here seeking advice which was very gratefully received and most implemented. My dream, as some of you may remember was to settle in bali but i have since decided to go for a 4-6 month stay first.

My recent trips have confirmed my ambition to spend as much time in bali as possible and to hopefully work with charity organisations as i now sponsor a family in Singaraja through the Helen Flavel Organisation.

My last trip 3 weeks ago was a special one as i got to meet my sponsored family and the child i sponsor to go to school there. It was an amazing exprerience to see the learning centre where Putu attends and the dedication of the staff there.

I was a little sad at seeing the conditions the family live in and have just this week, through Helen, organised 2 new beds to be sent to them so they can have some comfort, these people just grabbed my heart and it makes me feel good to have been able to help them in some way.

I have made many new friends on my recent trips and my love of the Balinese people grows with each visit, even the street hawkers know me so well they just wave and say hello in the way they do...not wanting me to buy from them, but showing their beautiful Balinese friendliness...where else does this happen i wonder?

I have to say that i have nothing but good wishes and good luck to those who just "up and went" to settle there, they have my greatest admiration..being a bit of a recluse myself it kinda scares me to do it, but my thinking is going more towards the same way!The western world is helping me very nicely in making my decision!

In closing, i wonder if i am being a bore and a negative person by saying i am a little bit unhappy with all the australian pubs there?...to me, going to Bali is about exploring their culture and ways of living and not sitting in an australian pub all day.

But PLEASE....I am not saying it is bad..we all have our different views on why we go to Bali...mine is simply i love the Balinese and their culture and their genuine friendliness, I am not condemming people who wish to go to australian pubs there, maybe I went to the wrong one this particular day, it was pretty horrible,everyone drunk as a lord!..but i guess they were having a good time and after all, isn't that we go to Bali, to relax and get away from the western world and greed?

I close now with apologies if i upset anyone, I never ever do it purposely. Let's just help these wonderful people as much as we can is all i want.

 

[FreoGirl]

Glad to hear you are progressing toward your dream of living in Bali, and good on you for sponsering a family.

I have to say I've lost count of the number of times I've been to Bali, and I've NEVER been into an Australian pub there - it is just not my scene. It is really a matter of choice as to where you chose to live and socialise, it is really quite easy to get away from those type of tourist areas if you want to.

Cheers

Freo

 

[Sparky]

Yeh though folks where theres a market or should i say the laws of supply and demand come in here of which the formula is ;

Beer swilling ossies demand a familiar environment and beers to drink in even if they were on planet Mars never mind the beuatiful island of Bali therefore the supply equation is simply the following ;

Beer swilling Ozz style pubs with plastic crocs and Fosters beer but only if it is ice cold with Shielas being optional or a distraction in some cases, which all in all means money.!

What could be simpler....i know it might not be what the Jesus sandal bible basher like to see but unfortunately if theres a demand then it will be supplied. As the song says Money makes the world go round world go round , money makes the .... ,,,, and so and so.

Sparks out

 

[Ilu]

Whe I came to Bali the first time as a student we always joke about that Bali would be a paradice without all the drunken Australians. After years of traveling to Bali I learn like FreoGirl says that you can chose where you want to live and socialise.
That is the good thing about Bali, in this small island you can live the "tourist life" or spend your time with the locals.
there is pary life, village life, Bali has everything within 3 hour drive.

 

[FreoGirl]

Re: RE: long time no write!!

Beer swilling ossies demand a familiar environment and beers to drink in even if they were on planet Mars never mind the beuatiful island of Bali therefore the supply equation is simply the following ;

Beer swilling Ozz style pubs with plastic crocs and Fosters beer but only if it is ice cold with Shielas being optional or a distraction in some cases, which all in all means money.!

Sparks out

Only problem with that plan Sparky is that NO-ONE in Oz drinks Fosters, can't even think where it is sold. It's one of those weird things that is marketed as Australian beer, but generally only sold overseas. But not a problem, beer swilling ossies will drink ANY beer, as long as it's cold. :twisted:

And we love the plastic crocs

 

[Norm]

Re: RE: long time no write!!

Beer swilling ossies demand a familiar environment and beers to drink in even if they were on planet Mars never mind the beuatiful island of Bali therefore the supply equation is simply the following ;

Beer swilling Ozz style pubs with plastic crocs and Fosters beer but only if it is ice cold with Shielas being optional or a distraction in some cases, which all in all means money.!

What could be simpler....i know it might not be what the Jesus sandal bible basher like to see but unfortunately if theres a demand then it will be supplied. As the song says Money makes the world go round world go round , money makes the .... ,,,, and so and so.

Sparks out

I am purposefully taking our English mate's quote out of context because I can speak with some authority on beer-swilling :twisted:

I was a beer-swilling Pom for years - usually followed by greasy chips and mushy peas :roll: - then I became a beer-swilling Aussie - where's mi keba? But that was years ago and now I am reformed :wink:

IMHO there ain't much to choose between 'em - except Tasmanian beers far excell anything the Poms can produce And I would have thought there were parts of Spain riddled with beer-swilling Brits in artificial English pubs. And the Brits have one thing the Aussies do not have - the "Football Hooligan"; flabby-bellied, flag waving thugs beating up the locals. Even in Japan there is a franchise chain of "English" Pubs but funnily enough all the staff I saw were either American :shock: or German :shock: :shock:

Anyway back to the thread - I have never been in an Aussie pub in Bali - cannot understand why anyone would want to. Fosters is not a very good beer and it costs a helluva lot more than a Bintang. :? :!:

Your shout Sparky! I'll have a half!