Bali Hope (part 1 of 2)

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From about 2:30 to 4:30 pm on my brother's birthday, I hung around the pool reading my book and swimming. I then headed off to the beach to do some sunset surfing with the goal in mind of not spending a lot of money for a board.

I succeeded on my third guy who was willing to charge me less than half of the other two's original prices. So I borrowed his rash guard (wet suit) and paddled out into the Balinese sunset on Kuta Beach.

Totally worth it. I felt so at peace out on the waves. There were only a few people around me, none that much better than me, and all respectful of the place. I picked a good spot and rode some good sized waves. Probably none of the best waves I've ever surfed, but likely still one of the surfing experiences I'm sure I'll remember the most in the future. Why am I likely to remember this experience in the future if the waves weren't story-worthy? Because of the conversation I had when I got out of the water.

Jon is originally from Sumatra as are most of the surfboard rental guys with whom I've spoken. He probably has a more Indonesian sounding name, but he told me Jon, so that's all I have to work with. He has short long hair pulled back into a small pony-tail. His skin is darkened and his hair a little bleached from the time he spends in the Sun. He has wondering eyes and you can tell by looking into them that he has a desire to do more and passion for learning. His smile is genuine and it is one reason I chose to stay a little longer to chat with him.

I learn that he is a farmer on Sumatra and grows something that sounds like "shilly," (not chili peppers). After something happened to his crop (maybe they didn't grow high enough to sell on the market), he came down to Bali to rent boards on the beach to tourists. He is with his brother who I assume came with him. Both have spent time in Bali before. Jon says he was here for two years previously. Their job now, everyday, is to sit on one of the most sought after beaches by travelers and surfers, rent out boards, soak in the sun, and watch the sunset on Bali. Everyday. That's their job. They have boards. Probably, they can trade off surfing whenever they want. They meet people from all over the world (at least me from America, and the 4 others around us from Japan). They get to watch beautiful women in bikinis all day. The scenery changes with new tourists arriving all the time and yet, the two of them would rather be somewhere else.

This became the seed of our conversation. Here I am, after 3 years of trying to find a way to reach Bali: I've worked in 2 different countries saving every penny I can for one chance ("just one chance!") to surf at Bali. And here these two guys are, who get the chance to do it everyday, who'd rather be working in America. Now I get it; I'm not dumb. But you still have to think about that for a minute. Are there not thousands, if not millions, of Americans who are sitting in their cubicles, or slaving away at their jobs, who wouldn't kill at the chance to live and work on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world? Is that not why Americans work their tails off? Aren't they all dreaming to one day have enough to live in Bali, maybe rent umbrellas or surfboards out to tourists as they lounge in the Bali Sun?

Yet, for some reason, the guys doing just that, the 22 year old living that American dream would rather be slaving away somewhere in America.

Boiled down you have the American worker wishing he was renting out surfboards on a beach somewhere, and the guy renting out surfboards on the beach somewhere wishing he was an American worker.

Marinate on that for a second... (to be continued...)

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Photos

Jon and his Brother
Jon on the right and Paul, his brother on the left, rent out surfboards on Kuta Beach, in Bali.