Word: balies
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...Balinese are very aware that the world views their culture with delight. This awareness informs their interactions with foreigners, which makes for a very happy tourism business. It also helps the Balinese to hold onto their culture and religion even as they accept modern life. Bali?s focus on tourism business has also shielded it from much of the economic hardship over the past five years. And because the Balinese economy has remained relatively strong, compared to other areas of Indonesia, the political and social situation has remained calm and orderly. Bali?s pervasive peace has brought a wave...
...Even in Hindu Bali, the newspaper seems more interested in romanticizing bin Laden than in dissecting the issues of war and blame carefully. I get my news from the Internet, so every day I see ten or twenty new stories, examining the issues from every angle, including the plight of innocent people caught in the crosshairs - both in New York and in Afghanistan. Then I look at the top headlines of the Indonesian-language newspapers, which read, "America Attacks Afghanistan - bin Laden Still Safe...
...local level, however, which is where security is really handled in Indonesia, the situation varies considerably. In Bali security is handled more by village governing groups, called banjars, than by the police or army. A banjar is usually made up of around 200 families. The group handles all social functions throughout life from birth through marriage, children, to death and cremation. We live in a fairly large village or town, probably with a population of 7,000 to 10,000. Within our village there are 9 banjars. Balinese banjars are famous for delivering village justice on the spot, including shotgun...
...follows that in these troubled times, wise expats know exactly where to go to ask about safety: The banjar. And we know that the banjar will say what it always says: That all foreigners in Bali are considered "tamu," - guests - and when a Balinese says foreigner he means other non-Balinese Indonesians as well, including the thousands of Muslims and Chinese-Indonesians living and working in Bali. All guests are entitled to the same rights, and certainly no individual or group of guests are allowed to do anything to damage the tourism business in Bali, or tarnish Bali?s image...
...Despite these intermittent stories of goodwill, the outlook in this country is grim: If the U.S.-led war on terrorism continues to escalate, the economic impact will be harsh in Indonesia; in Bali it is already evident. Hotel occupancy is dwindling to 20 percent. So they have cut back on ordering supplies; small businesses and individuals are already feeling the cutbacks and are very scared...