With the latest changes to the laws governing foreign business activities on the island and around the country one thing I have noticed is that there has been an increase in so-called experts on Youtube and podcasts all proclaiming the end is neigh. It possibly is in many ways, and I will get to that soon, but I dare say the most interesting thing is the amount of fear mongering going on, and online especially.
It would seem all these experts have just arrived to the island in the last shower, so to speak, and must think everything in Indonesia has suddenly become Western style overnight. Maybe all the foreigners are being unceremoniously kicked out, as some are saying, but I strongly doubt it. Foreigners have brought a lot of good to this island over the past 50 or 60 years and I don’t believe that is lost on the grand majority of people here in Bali and Indonesia. Friendships have been born, built on trust and mutual respect and lasting decades. Because the system has now gone online doesn’t mean it’s all over. I imagine adjustments need to be made to keep the old boat heading in the right direction. There will be some issues that need to be discussed and hopefully worked out, but the most important thing is, don’t panic. Actually, one of the good things about the timing of this whole OSS online shift and the complications it is bringing is that it may just slow down the influx of foreigners coming to set up their lives on this island. Let’s hope so, as I have said here in this editorial before, there are already too many new settlers here, and not just foreign, but also from all parts of the archipelago. The island can’t take any more. Anyway, I am sure it will all work out sooner or later, as it normally does.
So, last week was a little more chilled for me than the week before. Of course, I didn’t have any energy left in the tank after that previous week’s mayhem. This past weekend was mostly spent down on Double Six beach watching the footy in my fave footy watching bar, The Deck and also managed to fit in a couple of games of tennis – gotta love that, two great pastimes on any weekend and always grateful. Sunday we were over at Blue Oyster with Befores spinning some tasty tunes and drinking cold beers. Let the good times roll!
Meanwhile, there is talk of bringing The Beat magazine back again. Maybe it was the social media post last week from my old buddy, one of my fave Balinese people, and the voice of the youth on this island, Jerink. That post brought back a lot of love and a lot of memories of the good old mag days. The good ol’ Bali days, indeed. It could be the time to do it again. What do you think?
Have a good weekend friends. Check the details here for what’s on over the next week.