In Reply to: and who is this 'they' of whom you speak posted by chickchili on Friday, 6. July 2007 at 08:03 Bali Time:
posts every time the subject comes up and it comes up every year. I don't think I'm being overly PC. I can understand why people don't want to go at that time due to traffic. It wouldn't stop me but it's fine for others to choose not to.
What bothers me is the predictable stuff about "they" and "them". Yes their etiquette is different from ours. A lot of things we do Indonesians find extremely rude and we have no idea.
I imagine an equivalent report from an Indonesian may read something like "The hotel is just full of Australians (substitute and Western nationality you like here) at that time so I would avoid it if I were you. They use really coarse language and talk very loud. They seem to point with their finger a lot and one of them, while stretched out on a pool bed having a manicure, pointed with her foot to the waiter to put her drink on the floor! Worse of all they blow their noses in pieces of cloth and put it in their pockets. UGGG I was nearly sick. I hear that they don't use water to cleanse themselves when they go to the toilet and I think it may be true because the cubicles are often quite dry after lots of use but it's really hard to believe isn't it? Maybe they dry the floor off before they leave but what with. Surely not the piece of cloth in the pocket.
They don't understand our attitude to queues of any kind and in fact I think that they think we should behave the way that they do. Also they are very intolerant of our children. I mean I saw last Christmas how their kids behave on lots of chocolate and coke and it was pretty much how ours' do at Idul Fitri for the same reason."
Well that's my pennyworth and I am in no way picking on this poster who is just saying why she/he won't go at that time again. It's just that every time this topic comes up the same things are trotted out.
My point is that it is THEIR COUNTRY and that they should not be required to conform to our ideas of what's acceptable and what isn't. Before any of us are overly judgemental of Indonesians "behaving badly" we might like to look at some of foreigners in Kuta/Legian etc. who with a few beers under their belts behave pretty appallingly and in a way that is extremely bad mannered in Indonesia (and yes for those who don't get it. News flash Balinese are Indonesians too) every day not just at Christmas and are by and large tolerated as just being different.
I find that having a chat with the Indonesian guests is most rewarding and they have pretty much always welcomed my stumbling attempts to speak their language.
Just give and take is my attitude but those who feel that they can't should by all means avoid Bali at Idul Fitri because it would be a shame if all the disapproval emanating from such people spoiled the biggest celebration of their year.
Whoa!!!! Thankyou I feel much better now.