天美麻豆

James, if only more expats thought along the same lines as you then Indonesia would be just that much more close to utter perfection!

For myself, nothing gets me more heated up than someone coming across as what I call 聯a neo-colonialist聰 and I have nothing but abject distain for those expats who only mingle with locals in so far as it聮s needed to have their meals cooked, their villas guarded, their kids looked after, their pool cleaned, their houses cleaned, their laundry done聟etc. etc.

A funny story聟

Back about 14 years ago I, along with a couple of other expats was invited to a dinner being hosted by a somewhat 聯prominent聰 expat living in Jimbaran.  He was a villa developer and he had also founded the 聯Bali Travel Forum聰 some years earlier.

When we arrived I was taken aback that his domestic help at his own house were all wearing uniforms and photo ID badges.  At dinner I brought this up as I was very curious, and my curiosity had only been heightened watching the manner in which he treated his staff.  So I asked 聯the why聰 about the need for uniforms and photo ID聮s for the folks working at his house.  To my inquiry he responded along the lines that it helped his staff to develop pride and a spirit of comradeship among his workers as well as to somehow offer himself greater security.

Exasperated and totally forgetting that our dinner host was German, I point blank asked him, 聯then why not just tattoo their wrists with an ID number and be done with it?聰

Needless to say, I have no idea what was served as dessert that night.

Awesome Roy.聽 And no doubt you have been invited back many times since.聽
Do you find some expats often are far too serious for their own good out here,聽 so much so it's a wonder how they cope?

聯Awesome Roy.  And no doubt you have been invited back many times since. 
Do you find some expats often are far too serious for their own good out here, so much so it's a wonder how they cope?聰

I never spoke a word again to that man, and he died about 5 years ago聟but yes, I caught your humor very well Luke! 

What I find isn聮t that expats are 聯far too serious聰 and I聮d even suggest that being serious is most often a good thing overall.  Let聮s face it, expatriate life in Indonesia is 聯no joke聰 and there are many potential pitfalls to seriously consider.

What I do find all too often is a genuine lack of respect and knowledge by foreigners about Indonesia.  I still hear some referring to this country as 聯a third world country聰 which it isn聮t, and all too often there is this prevailing attitude that 聯they need us.聰  The bottom line is clear聟if you聮re not going to respect and engage your hosts, then don聮t move here. 

So many expats on Bali live in what I call 聯Ghettos Bule聰 or small communities designed and lived in only by other foreign expats聟most often being western.  You聮ll find these all over southern Bali and what聮s currently going on in Canggu is just a continuation of this deplorable phenomenon. 

With them there is no incentive, or a bit of interest in learning about the local culture.  Embarrassingly, one can easily and often find more genuine interest amongst tourists.

I think should I end up in bali then I can almost guarantee I won't be living in a place like that. In Jakarta I am in the thick of it and there are no expats anywhere near where I live and shop. Had I wanted to live and spend my time with expats and continue with that lifestyle I would have stayed in England.

聯Had I wanted to live and spend my time with expats and continue with that lifestyle I would have stayed in England.聰

A most succinct way to sum up this discussion Luke!

This site is full of people moving to somewhere or other and looking to find the area with the most expats from their home country.