Peter Slattery

Bali continues to be intriguing and eventful. A much travelled place, especially for Australians, it remains oustandingly itself. And again here I am struck by a difference: the absence of legislated rules, and the presence and power of unwritten ones. It is kind of liberating to be able to sit in a taxi with our one-year-old on my knee and not have to worry about seat belts or being booked for not having one. Yes I can hear the outcries already. Am I crazy! I said it was ‘liberating’. It is also terrifying. I would like to look at the stats here…and I shall try to find them. Because a crash is likely to be disastrous. Even if infrequent. Balinese for the most part travel fairly slowly and with much indication of where they are intending to go; and with a great deal of consideration for the movements of others. Non-balinese (ie lots of australians among others) less familiar with the unwritten rules, expectations and obligations, tend it seems, to travel a lot faster, and wit less regard. Certainly with less knowledge, less familiarity and yet I suspect, greater risk. Sounds like a bad combo to me. I am reminded of David Enwicht, futurist and deviser of traffic movement systems, who at an Injury and Prevention Network conference in Aoteroa New Zealand 2007, had this to say:

‘…in an EU-funded ‘Shared Space Project’, more than 30 villages in the Netherlands, and several other places in Europe, are actually removing traffic control devices to deliberately create driver uncertainty. As a result, speeds have reduced dramatically and there has been an increase in safety. Drivers are forced to look each other in the eye and negotiate their way through the space.’

There is something in this idea of encouraging looking after yourself AND others and relying less on rules to do this. I find it appealing. David, at the same conference, had this to say:

‘It seems counter-intuitive, but perceptions of danger can make people act more responsibly. Making things appear safer encourages them to take more risk.’

Here we are again in Bali, and apart from a quite distressing eye infection which all four of us in the family seem to have, this continues to be a lovely, welcoming and aesthetic place. No doubt that tourism in all its forms is rampant here and..er…I guess that means us…yet Balinese culture seems to continue to be robust. Relgious/cultural ituals are performed daily and/or often, and although offerings to the deities and entities now include packaged sweets and crackers (deities are modern and flexible) the rituals are in place (still!) and the offerings made in small woven trays or on banana leaves and are everywhere. We as tourists go to see the local dance and music and I suspect we are really patrons of the arts, helping the balinese pursue the things they love.

Of course I may just have this romantic western view of things. Though at the moment with our eye infections, it is a red, vision-reduced painful blur. And Bali is still just great.

I am in the land of the Anishinaabek, people of the land of this part of Canada. And I am told by my friend Kelly Brownbill who is a canadian first nations Mi’kmaq woman of mixed lineage that the indigenous teachings here include the gifts of the 7 grandfathers:

Love
Humility
Courage
Respect
Truth
Honesty
Wisdom

Good words. Noble sentiments. And how does one live by therm? A friend long ago said to me that ‘a principle is not a principle until it costs you money.’ I know what he means. Words can inspire, or they can get in the way, somehow replacing the action that needs to take place.

So I muse cautiously here as a whitefella Australian. Cautious because I am standing outside the teachings around me trying to understand them and accept them for what they are. And it is seemingly not hard to do because the words make sense and are inspirational. But I am an urban person of the modern world, a pakeha, white fella, anglo-saxon (well in my case celtic, but let’s not be too fussy)…and when I hear the words I try to make sense of what they might mean to my friend Kelly Brownbill, Canadian first nations woman of mixed lineage. What do these words mean to her? And of course their meanings must be different for each of us.

And so we talk, and the snow continues to fall. And everything might just work out alright.

And here is a question. Kelly tells me that she notices lately that two of the gifts are being talked about more than the others. I made a guess as to which ones they were…what would you guess? Tick tick tick…

I guessed courage and respect.

Kelly tells me that they are humility and love. Perhaps sides of the coins of courage and respect.

I really thought that GFC meant ‘Go find carrots’. Yet while I was seeking vegetables I discovered my error, and that in fact GFC makes reference to our globe, to finance and to, apparently, a crisis. So I got in touch with a financial advisor I know and asked if I should be worried or doing something, because I was just about to have a coffee. He sent me this reply:

‘Pete
Have a double shot!!!
Nothing you can do except to sit tight and watch your super go back up
and interest rates drop!!!!
Regards’

And I was relieved because I really was about to buy a diamond mine in South Africa.

On the front page of this morning’s paper I read a description of the GFC (see how fast I learn!) that said:

‘This is the calm before the storm.’ And: ‘The point is that the bad stuff hasn’t really started happening yet.’

I am really interested in these views because:
1. I am intrigued that we still have people who are regarded as financial experts when it seems to be the very same people who were experts before the GFC and unable to do anything to avoid it. Handy having experts who can do nothing.
2. While noticing that we do indeed seem to have a problem, some (reasonably realistic) views and expressions of hope, optimism and positivism (is that a word?) seem much more useful and certainly much more welcome.

So I think I will attend to the advice that says: ‘Sit tight and watch your super go back up
and interest rates drop!!!!’

And while I am sitting around..and possibly having a coffee, here is a video that I found heart-breakingly beautiful and uplifting. I know I am a big sook but I think it might just be lovely anyway. I hope yous enjoy it too.

Lots of young people are hurting themselves and others through their use of alcohol. Yes we know this. And so our government has decided to have a series of ‘hard-hitting’ ads aimed at young people and drinking. The minister said something along the lines that young people think they are bullet-proof and they need to know they are not. The ads, from what I can see so far, seem to show the violence and agro and all the unpleasant stuff that goes with nasty drinking. And this is supposed to turn young people off getting drunk is it? I really don’t get it. Okay so let’s add up what we know:
1. Young people don’t actually think they are bullet-proof. But they do have strong young bodies which can take a hell of a pasting and bounce back. And they are full of hormones, and their and hearts and minds are full of desires, impulses and a yearning to explore, experiment and push hard.
2. The research around brain development is now pretty clear. The part of the brain that says: ‘Whoa slow down…maybe this is dangerous’ isn’t fully developed until around 25 years old.
3. We used to have clear ways for young people to grow up which helped them go through the transition gradually. In traditional societies this growing up process was marked by rituals of initiation, and changed expectations, and possibly some guidance. And these addressed the brain development issue, even though we didn’t know about it at the time. In more modern times these rituals have been things like the first full-time job, a 21st party, or getting married. I am not advocating we all run out and get married to those we have lived with for years, but I am saying that there has been an erosion of the markers of growing up and young people are both unsure as to how to grow up and when they are grown up.
4. Added to this, at least in Australia, we have this peculiar combination of getting to leave school, go legally into a pub, and get a driver’s license all at about the same time. A strange piece of social organisation.
5. And then we have a society which is awash with alcohol, and alcohol being actively associated with all that is enjoyable in our society including our cherished sports.
6. Now I quite like living in Australia in 2008 but I suspect we have a got a couple of things wrong. You recall the old marching call that goes: ‘What do we want?’ And the old response is: ‘Instant gratification!’ The cry continues: ‘When do we want it?’ And…you know the rest. We have created a society where credit is better than saving up for something, where a job for a couple of years is a long term event. Fast and furious is the way of the day…

Enter alcohol. Made for the moment really.

I suppose we could rethink the way our society works, which might be contributing to the nasty drinking behaviour which might just be an outer response to inner needs and confusions. But sorting out our society and root causes is kind of a big task isn’t it?

Maybe we could look specifically at how alcohol is promoted and advertised; we could look at where it is consumed, how it is consumed, and when it is consumed. And of course, who is consuming. But this is kind of a tough option too.

So what we have come up with is to leave all this alone and try and change the way young people behave. And the way that is chosen, a series of commercials, is one which research suggests is counterproductive. That is, showing the ‘worst’ outcomes of drinking…which is supposed to deter our young people from dangerous drinking. And yet young people video punch-ups and put them up on YouTube. And getting drunk is what many young people try to do on weekends, as cheaply and quickly as possible. Whether I approve or not is kind of irrelevant. And yes there are those who don’t get drunk. And yes many of those who do, are still decent kids. But there seems little sense to these ads. Who are they aimed at? Those unlikely to get drunk anyway? So if we are aiming at those young people who see getting drunk as a good thing to do, and if we are aiming at those who see getting drunk and fighting as good things to do (rites of passage?), why on earth do we expect that ads showing the very behaviours which are actively sought and admired, is going to encourage them to act any better?

No, I just don’t get it.

I have been quick to put something up here as Amy (below) tells me that although I claim her as a favourite person there is no pic of her on my website…there is now Amy!

And so we went bush again with the Beyond Empathy mob…hip hop, circus, indigenous dance, film-making, percussion…and oh dear…paint ball…

and it was amazing as on other occasions.

Not always easy…but easy is easy. The tougher moments are the test and the negotiations and discussions were truly remarkable. I would vote for you for Prime Minister Danny…an 18 (19?) year old young man who raised with everyone something that he thought was important and with no expecatation that his preferred option would be taken up, was fair, assertive and articulate. Fantastic stuff…I will post more about this week as it was terrific. Just thought I better get Amy up here fast!

This is where it gets tricky. I love excellence. It’s wonderful to see human beings excelling, at whatever they do. Striving, achieving, moving, developing…and I mean both the personal…like…‘wow…that guy is loving and kind…how fabulous!’ As well as the …‘I can run really fast!’…type of achieving. Doing stuff is good. And doing it well is wonderful. I have been running since I was a teenager. I have run marathons, been in triathlons, walked in the Himalayas. I think I have some understanding of the joy of doing physical things, and of pushing yourself.

And yet,..and here of course is the ‘rub’…when it comes to the Olympics for every winner there are many, many losers, and for every gold medal there is a long list of ‘never heard of them.’

And then, and THEN there is how we spend our dollars. The Olympics is costing how much? And China has just had a major disaster and the best thing to do, naturally!…is to have a GREAT BIG opening ceremony. (The pic below is from the Sydney Morning Herald 9-10th August 2008)

Of course, this is not particularly about China. Most countries would do the same. And the next Olympics I am sure, will be ‘the best ever.’ And right now there are the most horrific and moving photos coming out of Georgia. And the one I have included here from the Sydney Morning Herald (August 11th 2008) is not by any means the most disturbing.

I actually scanned in a number of pictures that I might use in this post but some are just too distressing to reproduce here. The one above is tough enough in telling us what is happening in that part of the world.

So with all this, I feel I have to ask: what matters? What do we care about? How do we spend our dollars? Where do we put our energy?

I found the following video on the website of Chicago Public Radio presents:This American Life, and it’s charming…and makes an interesting comment on…well, not sure really…perception? Communication? Memory? Relationships? Gender? Imagination? Whatever…I think it’s deligtful. See what you think.

We just came back from Bali. And I gotta say that I think one of the great things to do in life is visit other places and cultures. It tells me not only about others but about ourselves. So even though it is anything but unusual for Australians to visit Bali and not at all unusual for a traveler to make observations from a traveler’s perspective, I have not been there for some years and so was delighted and relieved to find, that despite the huge tourism aspect (perhaps partly because of it?)…Bali is still a wonderful place. Hare are some observations.

- People on a daily basis find ways to spend time with each other and engage in quite lengthy activities which seem to create an opportunity for connection. Early each morning I would see a group of men making sticks for sate, or chopping coconut or roasting something in the open field area of Ubud. Sitting, talking…


- Balinese love kids. I know babies are made to be adorable and our 2 ½ year old has curly red hair and flies around like a comet and draws attention anywhere he goes…and yet Balinese do really live up to their reputation as being the most child friendly place on the planet. When our boy and other children played ball (vigorously and noisily) at the airport on our departure, staff from various restaurants and shops laughingly joined in rather than being disapproving of the disruption the kids were making

- I saw young men on a number of occasions playing different sports, particularly volley ball and soccer. When someone made a mistake, team-mates, rather than becoming angry, would laugh it off.
- The arts of Bali seem alive and flourishing. Possibly tourist money keep them alive… though they seem to be created more for, or at least equally for the Balinese themselves

- Bali just seems cultured and delightful. Everywhere you look there is beauty

I am aware that a view from the outside is very different from a view within, and what might seem like social closeness to an observer can seem stifling to someone experiencing it…simple activities can appear romantic and meaningful to the observer yet be experienced as humdrum by the person involved. And yet I am still inclined to think there are better ways than others of being in the world. And Bali doesn’t do too badly. Janet de Neefe, an Australian resident in Ubud Bali for decades now and a person with a considerable reputation for cooking, business and the preservation of culture, wrote an article in a paper while we were there. In it she referred to the WARNINGS that the Australian Government posts about travel to Indonesia. She suggests that Bali society is noticeable for making sure that older people remain in their families as they age and live out their lives, not in nursing homes, but surrounded by the things they care about and by people who love them. She suggests that perhaps the warning is the wrong way. ‘Give me Ubud’ any day she says.