Hey Winmar

[phlogiston]

I've been meaning to ask this for a while, but recent events have bought it to the fore.

What's it like being an Australian in Indonesia? Do you have any problems or stuff? Do you picked on about Timor and shit? Any general nastyness? Or is it all peace, love and understanding?

 

[Winmar]

It's pretty much all peace, love and understanding. I've never had any problems here. I've been coming for a few years, and have never experienced anything bad in that respect.

A guy at my work is in Singapore getting his visa organised, but called to say that he might not come back, because of what's happened. I think that's overreacting a bit, because I can't see anything happening here (touch wood), because if it's an islamic group they are unlikely to target an islamic city. Everyone here is as shocked as the rest of us about what happened. People keep telling me they're sorry about what happened to my countrymen.

So, I reckon I'm much more likely to run into trouble in parts of Melbourne than I am anywhere in Bandung, which is about the same size. People aren't aggressive here like many are at home.

 

[KoichCPA]

Originally posted by Winmar
I've been coming for a few years,

thats what i call stamina.

 

[Winmar]

It's the local traditional medicine, mate. Works a treat.

 

[KoichCPA]

where can i get some??

 

[Winmar]

Well you could pop by at a stand in any Indonesian city, or go to a Chinese medicine shop. Unless they're out of stock.

 

[Kem]

Me best mate was over in Bali staying 4 blocks down from where it happened. She's in -quite- a state.

Thinking about it all is really really scary.

 

[Winmar]

Shit she's lucky! I'm not surprised she's in a state. The area targeted was full of young people.......you'd think they might have wanted to kill rich westerners (like in Sanur or Nusa Dua), not the average person in Kuta. But then I suppose they didn't give a rat's arse what kind of person they killed, as long as most of them were western, and made a statement.

 

[Spiff]

And to be blunt and honest, if it wasn't a couple of hundred white people who were killed, would it be getting the news coverage it's getting now? Terrorism isn't done just to kill people, it's to make a statement which is why groups normally claim responsibility shortly afterwards (like the IRA, etc).

I look forward to the flames from people who think I'm missing the point

 

[Winmar]

Nah man, you're right. There are bombings like that in places like India, but we hear fuck all about them. After all, who cares about a bunch of darkies?

 

[phlogiston]

There were bombings last night in the Phillipines. And it's suspected that the same group behind the Bali bombings are responsible. I look forward to my 8 page commemorative pullout section in the papers tomorrow.

 

[Los4words]

So many people I have spoken to in the last few days are SICK of the Media hype - Yes it's terrible Aussie's or anyone died due to some stupid assholes who blew the hell out of a popular tourist haven.

I think it is disrespectful to the victims families to put their photo's and names all over the paper etc.

Seperate note - I holidayed in Bali years ago and it is a great place full of decent people (on the whole) and now their economy will be stuffed i.e. no Tourism for ages all due to some assholes - kin pisses me off.

Last point - Someone mentioned to me that in Australia over a weekend around the same number of people will die on our roads and do those innocents (excluding drunks etc ok) get media coverage.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Goreripper]

You're all right. If this hadn't have happened to Australians, Americans or Poms, we'd have stopped hearing about it by now. But this is very close to home... Last week we were told that Australia is likely to become a terrorist target, and then this happens which underlines the point. Isn't that scary?

 

[spawn]

Its only natural that its a big deal when it happens to people from your own country...

 

[Goreripper]

Yes of course. And so it should be. This is the worst thing to have happened to Australians abroad ever. It should be in our faces all the time.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I think its weird that everyone is saying that Australian's were the target, but if they were, don't you think it would have happened in Australia?

 

[Spiff]

That's what I've been thinking. I guess though that if it was done by Indonesian terrorists then it would have been easier to do it in Bali.

Just walking around town or your local shopping centre and it soon becomes apparent just how easy it would be for anyone to do anything related to blowing stuff up. A car in an underground car park, a bag left on a bench in the middle of a shopping centre... quite disturbing.

 

[Gavin]

ITs much easyer to target aussies over there than it would be to do it here, but i bet someone will try it
Maybe Johnny will be more carefull about being so vocal about backing Bush, i think he thinks that if he sucks up to america enough then we will be safe.
I hope people start going to bali again when it all blows over. i feel so sorry for them, so poor and now no income at all.

I tell you what, if somthing in australia does blow up im signing up for the fu<king army .

 

[KoichCPA]

Originally posted by Gavin

I hope people start going to bali again when it all blows over. i feel so sorry for them, so poor and now no income at all.

Me and a few mates were talking bout going over there now it's gunna be even cheaper.

I know that sounds bad.but you gotta make the best out of bad situations.

 

[Spiff]

I personally wouldn't be afraid of going somewhere just because of terrorist attacks. I'm not afraid of dying.