Being an island of Indonesia, Bali is also included whenever someone comments that the nation is a “developing country”.
Interestingly, Indonesians from Jakarta whom I know refer to Bali as a kampung (Malay/Indonesian word for country or village). Before making the journey from Jakarta to Bali for holiday or work, most will head to their doctor for a host of vaccinations.
This is quite understandable because at the moment, Bali has a rabies infection among the canine population and as a result, there is a ban on bringing dogs in for fear that they may contract the disease. There are also random cases of typhoid, which we first experienced last July when some staff fell ill for a week after eating at a local warung.
Regardless, the tourists and travellers are still arriving here. The number of printed magazines targetted at such arrivals and focusing on having a good time in Bali are about three to four times more than when I arrived in mid 2006. Many advertisements are in Russian, indicating that there is an influx of Russian visitors. Several long-established businesses are offering new services that are marketed as ‘premium’, ‘exclusive’, and ‘luxury’, indicating that visitors are willing to part with their money for quality goods and services.
Despite the rise of visitors – many friends have commented they have not seen Bali this busy since the 2002 bombings – coupled with massive construction work for new villas/resorts in Seminyak, Nusa Dua and the outskirts of Ubud, the mention of Bali somehow conjures up images of impoverished locals, busting their butts off for little money, and who see no way out of their situation.
Perhaps this could be due to the presence of street beggars at some major road junctions of the island, most notably at the one coming out of the airport turning on to Jalan Ngurah Rai Bypass, and at the Simpang Siur roundabout.
You notice them – thin Indonesian ladies with drawn and dirty faces carrying on their hip an infant seemingly in deep sleep, or an assortment of skinny and barefoot kids ranging from five to 10 years of age – dressed in clothes that seem weighed down with dust and grime, waiting under the traffic lamps. The moment the vehicles come to a stop, they fan out and approach the driver windows with palm facing upwards and fingers curled in.
Pay attention though: these ladies and kids are often part of a syndicate. For more detailed reading, here is an article at Inside Indonesia. Maybe these beggars are genuinely hungry, maybe they are part of the syndicate. Whatever is the real reason, giving them money is not a long term solution and does nothing in encouraging them to find more sustainable means of supporting themselves in the long run.
I have to draw attention to the East Bali Poverty Project though, which is a non-profit effort to improve the lives of villagers in an isolated mountain village in the island’s east through educating of the children and promotion of culturally sustainable developments.
Personally, I think the Balinese are better off than the Acehnese, who had their homes and family destroyed by the tsunami of December 2004. Reconstruction of Nanggröe Aceh Darussalam is still ongoing today, and many aid organisations are still pouring resources in there to ensure basic things like electricity and clean water are made available to the residents.
As like other Indonesians and expatriates living here, I believe that while the locals may not be well-off in comparison to us, they are definitely not impoverished, as this article states at the start of its final paragraph. Many live in houses that are owned by their families; dress in modern attires of jeans and t-shirts; attend school; can afford to send their kids for basic education; and are not going hungry.
This means that while majority of the population earn sufficient to cover daily needs, they may not have much left for saving towards a holiday outside of the island (let us not forget that if citizens want to leave the country, they have to pay Rp1,000,000 [approx. Eur 67.50] each on top of the airport tax; this amount is often almost an entire month’s salary), purchasing luxury goods or dining often at fast food chains like KFC, A&W or McDonald’s.
However, the Balinese continue to chase these dreams of owning luxury items and trying to emulate the dress sense or culture leanings of foreign visitors to the island. Some times, they have been known to foolishly sell away their property – land or house – for cash to purchase motor vehicles, handphones or other such gadgets.
I quote Petra Odebrecht – first candidate of foreign origin running for the island’s PDP (Partai Demokrasi Permbaruan) at this year’s legislative poll on a national level – from an article published in the January 2009 issue of The Communities of Indonesia, in explaining the seeming identity crisis that Balinese have, resulting in undertaking actions that may cost them money that could otherwise have been saved: “The identity crisis is not born from the fact that many Westerners are living on the island. I believe (it) is a nationwide problem. Indonesians are not appreciating their Asian uniqueness, their products, arts, etc… They very often orient themselves towards a Western lifestyle without really understanding what they are trying to dupl;icate. The issue holds its roots in this country’s long periods of Dutch colonization. Thankfully, this will ebb with time.”
Rounding off, a website titled Nasty Bali: Paradise or island of human suffering. Much food for thought here, but I leave you to draw your own conclusions about Indonesia’s only tourism-fed island.
