The Real Bali

When I was young, we used to watch Monty Hall on Let's Make a Deal and later Bob Barker on The Price is Right giving away exotic trips to Paris, France, Rome, Italy and maybe even Bali, Indonesia. I always thought what wonderful places they would be to visit and dreamed of those trips as something only the rich people did.

On October 12, 2002 and March 19, 2005 Islamic militant terrorists attacked nightclubs, with suicide bombs and backpack bombs in Bali killing several hundred people - some Americans. It happened just a short few miles from where we stayed in Bali. If you would have told me 4 years ago that I would be standing on the same island that terrorists had recently attacked, I would have told you that you were crazy. If you would have told me when I was young and watching those shows that I would ever go to one of these places, I never would have believed you. I never dreamed in my wildest dreams that I would someday BE in Bali enjoying its flavor.

I remember seeing the devastation of the explosions on the TV news, thinking how horrible it was that a car bomb would drive into a club and kill so many innocent people. I remember hearing how many people were jammed in the nightclubs and thinking how outrageous it was. It did affect me in the sense that one is affected in hearing of horrible crimes, and I said prayers for those that were touched by the terrorists, however, as with anything distant my thoughts dimmed with time.

I knew I would never be near where those kind of incidents happen - never mind being within a few miles of the exact spots. I didn't realize that in a few years I would indeed be standing on the same land the bombs exploded or the effect it would have on me; the deep pain I would feel for the country and those left behind to try to pick up the pieces and make a life again.

Being in Bali, where the people are loving and welcoming, I became a witness to the after effects of the attacks. Bali depended on tourism as their main source of income. Of course, after the terrorist attacks, it is no surprise that tourism went to an all time low. Riding around the streets of Bali, there are miles and miles of shops selling handmade crafts - amazing crafts in fact. The entire island is one shop after another - beauty everywhere you look. Sadly it is truly just sitting - waiting on buyers.

Driving or walking past and looking in, around and outside the shops, we saw many people still making the crafts. We stared in awe that these crafts are not machine made; they are painstakingly made by hand in hopes that a huge contract will be bought up and the items shipped to far away countries. I will never again go to Michael's, Wal-Mart or any other place and look at these pieces of art as quickly thrown together. They are not. The people take great pride in what they make - and then try to sell it on the streets.

We buy it for peanuts here in Singapore, and in the states we buy it for a few more peanuts - and complain about it because it is too high. After seeing this country, I will never again whine about the price it takes to purchase crafts, key chains or trinkets - the price is much higher than we can wrap our minds around. Sometimes the price is life; for if these people do not sell the wares, they can starve to death.
 

I have heard on TV about company's not buying from countries that use child labor. These people grow up working. Babies, children and adults alike all work side by side each doing his own part in the family business. I didn't understand until witnessing this that it IS what they do; and seeing it I have a whole new perspective of it. I am sure there are factories where children should not work, but in Bali, families were sitting around carving together, sewing together, beading together, and chatting while they did it. While it is a hardship for them, it is also very heart warming to see them all sharing and learning their skills from each other. Our guide said it devastates them to lose large contracts because of the child labor laws; millions of pieces of merchandise sit and 'spoil' or deteriorate, the families go hungry and the poverty worsens.






Life in Bali was very disturbing for me and it has taken a bit to for me to digest. You see it on TV, you read it in the papers; but nothing can prepare you for the poverty that still exists in this world. The Balinese people work very hard – harder than I have ever worked in life. They struggle from day to day to get their goods from one place to another:
 

The children play with random things like paper and sticks to make kites, not a bad thing, but sad for me to realize my grandchildren have wonderful toys, too many in fact, and these children would have never seen the likes of my grand babies toys.
 

The families often eat off of the same piece of paper, foil, or whatever is near, with their fingers:
 

Many cannot afford vehicles, so motorbikes are their only form of transportation for the entire family. This is one of many pictures I took of people commuting - a family of 5 on their bike:

 Yes, that is a baby in the mom's arms.

They do things to ‘old fashioned’ way; I am sure they cannot even imagine the western way of mass production and manufacturing.

Sifting volcanic sand to make mortar:

Hand carving some of those wonderful pieces of wood we might see in Michael's:

Roasting coffee beans to sell:

Children in the villages are seen at a common meeting point by medical teams, not in a professional clinic. They are given checkups, shots, medicines and the parents are taught nutritional information to help guide them in raising healthier children.

The meeting point we saw looked like this:

Bali is quite a contrast from our charmed way of life.

L was telling us that the daily maid is paid $50 a month and the gardener is paid $11 a month; yet they are not taking advantage of them - they are supporting them and feeding their families. These people are not used to making more money. Steve and I give tips to our guides and drivers when we are out. You honestly would think we had given them a new car when we give them a bill or two - and they are always very polite in thanking us profusely.
 

The people in Bali are some of the nicest in the world. When they smile at you, which is often, their entire face lights up. They thanked us over and over for being there - and seemingly were amazed that American's would come back. I overheard them thanking some other westerners (Australians?) for their visit as well.

Being in Bali gave me lots to reflect on...

...and plenty to be thankful for.