Even in Indonesia, there are other places, like Nusa Tenggara, where they have (to date) managed to make a low impact on the environment and local culture, while STILL helping to generate significant income, employment and educational opportunities for the local people.

This is one thing that Bali does not, and I seriously doubt ever will, quite understand — the concept that “you can shear a sheep many times, but you can skin it only once.”

In my personal view, the Balinese have a shortsighted view towards tourism that they have ruined their island, and in so doing, effectively removed Bali as a destination vacation spot. Indeed, most everyone I know that had been to Bali — both inside and outside the tourism industry — has said they will never return, because of how poorly they were treated there.

With such a reputation, how much longer do you suppose there will BE “dirty tourist money” for the Balinese to get “food for their family, clothes to wear and medicine for when they are sick”?

One thing for sure is, most Balinese do not really want to go back to the old “lovely island, a tropical paradise”. Those dirty tourist money give them education for their children, food for their family, clothes to wear and medicine for when they are sick.

Not that i’m saying that over tourism is good, but naively expecting the island people to be poor and innocent while we’re enjoying our own version of “paradise”, which is not their version of “paradise”, is not really good too. (the Balinese used to think that the beaches are places full of evil spirits, not exactly an eden)

sometimes, please take off your expensive sunglasses (expensive for balinese) and really see how the Balinese people live, not in what you expect them to live. Do they look like they hates all these things entirely? or do they look at these as more opportunities for them to enhance their life?

Saying Bali is just not Bali anymore because of your expectation is a little bit selfish..although i might agree with you in the case of Dreamland beach.

That explains everything about the forthcoming times, there are such too young and naive countries in the tropical belt whom cannot withstand any more growth rates unless at a costly expansion wich will eventually slow down and deteriorate as when it comes to the peak term of growth, will begin to the ageing. That’s why i hate all this crap tourism. Bali isn’t just Bali anymore, maybe now it’s a wrecked village for tourists. A true paradise ought to be almost inhabited, wtf 3million of ppl it’s worst than Rome, wich is really full and far from peaceful.

As for your question, that’s really difficult to answer.

First off, I personally don’t think of myself as a lost soul. In fact, I’m not sure there’s such a thing (in the right state of mind, you can never be lost, just looking in an unplanned area) — just as I know there’s no such thing as ‘normalcy’.

I know saying that sounds like some new age bullshit, but one of the first things I realized when I left the States is the sheer number of people who ARE out there for years and years leading what most would consider to be ‘non-traditional’ lifestyles — happily living on the fringes of society, in different countries from their own, doing whatever seems to make them happy at that moment. As such, my opinion is that normalcy is an illusion, a concept furthered by those too afraid to face their own discontent.

As for the question of living the life laid out vs. what you want. Again, I can’t really answer that, but it goes back to the idea of normalcy — NOTHING is laid out for us, nothing set in stone. It may appear to be from your current perspective, but it’s not. There are only choices to be made. Go straight or take the next exit? No right or wrong answer, just a choice. It’s your life, do watcha want.

Thanks for reading my shitty little blog, and good luck to you. If you wanna chat more, feel free to shoot me an email.

I apologize if this is inappropriate or I am intruding, but I couldn’t resist.

Respectfully Yours,
A Ms. Jayne Berkley