Jason Lunn.com/ Portfolio of a life…..

Still in Kuta Lombok, I am basically waiting for the certificates on my land to be completed it appears I have been lied too a fair bit from some characters that managed to involve themselves in the sales transaction and process and instead of 1 title I am dealing with three, once things are resolved and hopefully they will be, then I can pay the final fifty percent balance. After this I plan on returning to the UK to go try and earn some extra cash. The exchange rate at the moment is going to hit me for about 6g GBP if I pay the balance at this rate AGHHHH!. England’s economy looks dreadfully unproductive at the moment and the pounds strength against every currency is bottoming out.

The Best place to see the sunset, on the road to Novotel

Ok a few feelings I would like to try and articulate just for my own sanity really, I absolutely love Indonesia, it is an amazing place, looks like paradise and can sometimes feel like paradise if you have your earplugs in. Eg the original Local cultures and traditions are so simple and extremely refreshing to be around. Holistic living and everything from the chickens, buffaloes and children are all free range just roaming around the place. The water is warm, the skies are blue in the day and every shade of amber and pink in the night, the women are beautiful and the waves unrivaled.

However I want to explain to you one word, and the word is Goblok, The local workers on the land project I am investing in call each other Goblok during the day so I asked what it means and they explained in no uncertain terms that it is Indonesian for “complete idiot” and there is no shortage of it around! I will explain as I do not want to appear prejudiced. Basically along the coastlines of the remote Island edges where all the best waves are the Indonesian rural way of life has not changed in thousands of years until  maybe the last 5 or 10. Now for approximately 20 years western surf travelers have been transporting their culture and influence  to these places and the effect on the males between 15 and 35 is so apparent. Most Indonesian males here in South Lombok are not educated and have no idea how to integrate this information and their perceptions of what they believe the western world to be into their lives in way that appears sane or intelligent.. by western standards.

Here are some examples, nowhere in the world have I seen and heard mobile phones being so irritating used in public. Having one here is a status symbol, having your conversation on loudspeaker in a public place is standard especially if it was a quiet place before they start their display of phonemanship, include the most annoying ringtones you have ever heard. Eg. Men here sit in restaurants, internet cafes, bars and warungs etc, . one can witness them put their mobile phone on the table playing their music on loudspeaker for every one in the restaurant to have to listen to, This usually happens when the restaurant already has music or a wonderful tranquil ambience. This is unbelievable to witness at first and somewhat intriguing in an anthropological study kind of way, however after the fiftieth time you start losing respect for people displaying this  behaviour…

Another more noisy example of Goblok here, Nearly every one takes the baffles out of their mopeds to make them twice as loud and half as fast. Maybe 4 out of every 7 bikes..The 125cc 4 stroke bikes have such a thumping sound it screeches down your spine. They ride around revving their bikes and because the restaurants and homestays are all open plan by design there is no protection from this deafening sound. The boys ride up and down past the restaurants and hotels all day long backwards and forwards for all to see and hear. Each one completely proud of the amount of noise they are making as though it is some great achievement.

This place looks like paradise and sounds like a Grand Prix race track final.

The road to Novotel is the best place to watch the sunset but it is also the local drag racing roadstretch, so what looks like paradise setting over the palm trees sounds like Brands Hatch.

BUT WHY?

I must admit when I was sixteen years old I did the same to my small 50cc motorbike and now life is serving my own behaviour back to my in double and triple helpings. This is called Karma I am lead to believe.

The Novotel Racetrack at night!

  People love noise here, and fill every quiet moment with every possible noise frequencies which are competing with the volume always on full with maximum distortion. (think 4am every morning!!!)

 No real original ideas or thinking here and this is evident when they all reproduce each other in every way in every behavior, every restaurant for example has the same menu cooked the same way. Every bad piece of plumbing and bad building practice is the industry standard..

I have to count my blessings and have a good surf when I can, I am here for the waves and the warm air. There is a reason Indonesia has 200million people combined with some of the most abundant natural resources on earth and is still poverty stricken. There is a corruption committee to eradicate the corruption at the the echelons within the government and legal system, however it has most definitely filtered down from the top to all levels and areas of life here.

This experience has really made me so thankful for my education in the uk, and all the media and information we are subject to really does develop and sharpen our minds. It is evident in the way we process information which one does not find  here.

The language has no past tense or future tense, everything is present tense. People behave in many ways however think the same, appear to have no interest in the past, no photos, no memories, and do not plan for the future apart from planting their rice fields. Their main concerns are am I hungry? tired, do I need  a cigarette, have to answer my phone, or put petrol in my motorbike. This is the extent of most of the local peoples lives and concerns, a really simple charming existence.

However they have been watching  cable TV now at work in the restaurants, many want to race a motorbike  GP like Valentino Rossi, they have been setting up facebook accounts , they know who ripcurl, billabong and quicksilver are but it was only 5 years ago and maybe this morning they were climbing coconut trees and riding around in horses and carts,

Unfortunately many but not all young people here interpret the negative aspects of western culture by impersonating the elements to the extreme so they will appear more westernised, this is where you see goblok in full effect.

And finally they are also thinking that every white person is a personal bank atm machine on two legs

Nothing happens fast here, so it is necessary to learn to relax, eat and surf in the sun which Indonesia is so wonderfully suited for. Much of the attempt at modern  culture by some of the younger local men on the other hand are another part of the experience, this often an aspect to be endured some days whilst in search of perfect waves to surf. The elements of goblok culture here are something one has to learn to tolerate…(did I say earplugs)