In Reply to: Begging children posted by Stuff on Monday, 20. June 2005 at 15:43 Bali Time:
I have been told by quite a few Balinese that a lot of the beggars are from java. im sure there are also those who are not. the balinese don't seem to like them, as they say that beggars make more money than they do and are better off than them.
on jln padma utara there was once a mother and 4 young children who followed me asking for money. the children would be playing and laughing, and as soon as a tourist walked near the mother would shout out and the kids would crowd around the tourists with big sad puppy dog eyes pointing to their mouths.
i declined to give, but obviously they had done well for themselves that day because on my way back past, they were sitting at a balinese warung with a fruit juice each and an absolute feast laid out in front of them. makes you wonder...