Malcolm Scott went to Bali ten years ago to escape the fallout of a broken marriage. His three brothers were running a real estate construction-real Bali and offered him a refuge against the emotional turmoil, but in doing so gave him an entry in another. By his account, and through the many stories he tells with great enthusiasm, but little sophistication, his brothers are tough men as are most of the Indonesian middle - police, gangsters, "working girls." - They mix with
"Bali is a rough place you do not see in the brochures, and the Indonesian press is very careful about what it prints, but the truth is that there always something down. tourists robbed, raped and murdered and Westerners in fighting among themselves and with the Indonesians on a regular basis. "
This is the opening to second chapter of anecdotal account of Malcolm Scott of his ten years of life in Bali. The first chapter is devoted to a serious fight, which took place before he had accepted the job offer.
The setting is Kuta and Legian, the southern strip of beaches near the international airport, an area lined with bars, nightclubs, selling mass-produced crafts and clothes 'boutiques' good market. In other words, it welcomes tourists on a budget who are looking for sun, sea and sex as an escape from all that constitutes everyday life.
This is the impression of this hotel based on just a few visits. My first visit to Bali in 1988 with my English son, then aged 11. We stayed in Kuta for our first couple of nights before exploring much of the rest of the island. The first day we went for a dip early in the morning; the beach was empty, so we hid, or so we thought, the few effects that we had taken with us under a bush.
When we returned after our body surfing, we discovered that my spare glasses, his watch Swatch, our towels and flip flops were all taken. As Tony Wheeler wrote in one of his Lonely Planet "Most people who lose things in Kuta are idiots who leave things on the beach."
We made our flight and never lost anything since.
My other visits in Kuta have been rare and have only been to accompany inside Er who loves shopping. Well, I'm not always arranged to meet her at a restaurant where I would have a cold Bintang and read all that novel, I had found in one of the many shops of used books in Ubud where we went in general. And I'll make sure that every time I choose for my quiet solitary hours was not on the 'pub crawl' well advertised route frequented by a single man who, to quote again Tony Wheeler, are "drunken rowdy who plastered every after -midday ".
What Scott's book adds the Lonely Planet guide to Bali and where this presentation rings true accounts is higher prices' bule and land scams. A number of expatriates also familiar characters, such as those with bi-polar disorder, drunks and poor pensioners avoiding immigration authorities.
Then there are the "whores" and "working girls". Yes, there is a lot of sex in the country of Scott. He has a respect for most bar girls, many of whom he counts as friends and, without judgment, it explains why they do what they do. Some are sold into prostitution by their families, some saving to pay for a university education while others, a fairly high percentage, are single parents themselves and their children to support.
A web search produces a number of basic Bali Malcolm Scotts, none fit my image perceived shabby accustomed to the belly of the island. One can be fairly certain that these vertical publicly expatriates are equally aware, even if not, the goings on in seedy Kuta. They could probably also provide anecdotes embellished with "fothermuckers" on violent incidents leading to "broken nose" and hospital visits, which are described at too great a length. And that's where this hotel, Bali Raw gets boring.
In its favor, but somewhat reduced, is the opinion of Scott that casual sexual encounters require condoms because of the high risk of being infected with HIV / AIDS. I would also like reading some more pointers survival for short-term visitors book is intended. The prevalence of purchasing a get out of trouble is covered, but there is also the idea that it is better to know someone who knows someone who ...
I was left with the impression that Kuta's like Jakarta, except it has its own beach and a lot more alcohol.
As for the brothers to drink rough and tough hard if you want to know more about the Irish guy I knew once here in Jakarta, you must wait for Jakarta Raw - my exposed belly of the Big Durian .
Malcolm Scott recently opened a blog called, but what else, Bali Raw (http://baliraw.blogspot.com/). In addition to including short excerpts of the book, it is good to see that commented the jailing of Schapelle Corby in Kerobokan prison, again without judgment.
Bali Raw: A presentation of the Underbelly Bali, Indonesia
Malcolm Scott
Monsoon Books, Singapore. 2012
ISBN (e-book): 978-981-4358-72-9
ISBN (paperback) 978-981-4358-71-2