This book appears to be the views of a broken man from Oz who went looking to live the dream and realised it was not what it seemed. I am a very regular traveller to Bali and certainly understand much of the content discussed, however HELLO this all happens in Australia..Bali is a beautiful holiday destination that gets ruined by drunken westerners who like to flaunt around their $$$ and then when the going gets tough, they cry victim
@Kellie "Bali is a beautiful holiday destination that gets ruined by drunken westerners..."
It's not only foreign drunks who are ruining the island. There are many corrupt Balinese officials doing their bit, as well as corrupt developers from Java, etc.
To a large extent, Bali has only itself to blame for its current scenario. The general apathy towards taking realistic measures to curb the environmental issues Bali's facing is staggering. Pollution, overcrowding, traffic jams, water crises, lack of sanitation and waste management are just some of the things that Bali has to deal with.
And in case you haven't noticed during your trips here, there are many local Balinese who get drunk on a regular basis (like, nightly).
I've been living here for nearly two decades. The way things are going, it's difficult to see how the Balinese can save their own island. Maybe it's too late. I hope I'm wrong.
Thanks for your opinion. You are right, a lot of what happens in Bali Raw does happen in Australia. But Bali Raw is not about Australia, it is about Bali.
One of my reasons for writing Bali Raw was to highlight a few of the problems Bali faces so that they can be looked at and hopefully rectified.
Drunken tourists who like to flaunt their $$$ and have no respect for Bali would be one of these problems, but there are more.
read your book in a day, great read and had many many laughs! For a guy who doesn't like trouble....man trouble finds you a lot lol. Only thing missing was photos for me, (I like photos in true stories) but I understand your reasoning for leaving them out! Just curious was it hard for you to find a publisher? So your in Thailand now hey? where abouts? I just came back from a month long stint in Phuket & Bangkok! Your also writing another book! Any hints as to what it will be about? "Thailand Raw"??? I will look out for it and awesome job on "Bali Raw". Cheers Paul (Melbourne)
Thanks for your comments regarding Bali Raw. I’m really glad you enjoyed the book and that you had a few laughs. Bali Raw was my first book so it’s great to receive this kind of response. I’m sure your positive feedback will make anything I write in the future just that little bit easier.
I also like the true stories I read to have pictures and I was tempted to use some in Bali Raw. Sadly I came to the conclusion that pictures might be just a little too incriminating.
Yes it was hard for me to find a publisher. I submitted to a number of publishing houses and book agents and I received a lot of rejections. I feel I was incredibly lucky when I submitted to Monsoon Books and they accepted my manuscript. Monsoon Books have also been wonderful at walking me through the whole process of being published.
I am living in Thailand but I’m still moving around and I haven’t found a place to settle yet. Phuket is definitely on my agenda.
At the moment I am in process of writing a follow up book on Bali and I do intend write a book about Thailand. My best friend was murdered here last month and I have promised him that I will write about the event next year. I guess you were right when you said trouble seems to find me. Don’t worry it won’t be too morbid. My friend was a very colourful character and I’m really looking forward to writing his story. And about some of the mischief we got up to together.
Thanks for getting back to me and I hope you enjoy my future books as much as you enjoyed Bali Raw.
Sadly I don’t live in Bali anymore but if I did I would have loved to catch up and chat. I do however visit Bali on occasion and when I do I like to spend most of my afternoons relaxing on Kuta Beach. Maybe, if we are lucky, we will run into each other there one afternoon.
Mal, that would be great I am heading over next month once again, I probably have just as many stories I could share with you. I too have had many interesting trips to Bali and was in a relationship with someone you mentioned in you book whom was sent to prison. I have stories there also, so if your ever sitting at Sunset Bar one afternoon it could very well be we will run into each other.
Just finished writing the second installment of Bali Raw and the next step is to send the manuscript to the publisher. So hopefully it will be published mid next year.
I live in bali have done since september last year... I struggle to relate to any of this book Still a good written book i just find it hard to believe its a true story
Thank you for your kind comments regarding the writing in the book.
For the rest of your comment. You are of course entitled to your opinion but you have also lived in Bali for a relatively short amount of time when you take into account that I lived there for eight years. And that I visited on a regular basis for a few years before moving full time. May I suggest that you keep your eyes open and that you be aware of what is going on around you? Already this year a young woman’s villa was broken into and she was robbed and rapped.
Maybe the following will help, please keep in mind that these are just Australian tourists.
Information released by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs reveals that 39 Australians died in Bali in 2011-12. Another 93 sought consular help after being taken to hospital, while 36 were arrested, 18 jailed and eight needed support after being attacked inside of or outside of nightclubs.
Picked up your book at the airport while I waited for yet another delayed Jetstar flight from Bali to Aus. I lived in Bali only for a year just recently, my other half is Indonesian and I already know that much of the information you have in this book is based on the harsh reality that is Bali. I love Bali, I love Indonesia, but you are right about so many things like those coming to Bali from other Indonesian islands such as Jawa and West Timor being treated differently, unfairly and often blamed for everything bad that happens in Bali by many Balinese.I remember a taxi driver once telling me to not use Blue Bird taxi's as they were owned and run by Javanese and so for ages I didn't. Then I later thought to myself what the heck do I have against Javanese??? The same thing was said to me about the little kids who try to sell bracelets, that they were Javanese and not to give to them. I still don't give to them, but it is for a completely different reason and that is that I think they should be in school and not out and about at 1am. Also because they are often being watched by men who are not their real family and these kids are not begging to help themselves. I laughed so hard at the part of your book relating to the comments you hear so often about a tourist operator being "my family." I know many of the tourist guys in Sanur and many of them know that if you can get someone to say you are part of their family, that you will benefit so much more. Also the fact they call you mom or dad is not an indication they think of you as either of those. If tourists cared to learn, they would see that it is often part of their culture to call anyone older than them mom or dad or big sister or big brother. My pet hate is anyone who disagrees with any negative statements made about Bali just because "they go to Bali 2 times a year" or have been "7 times…" Woohoo, this does not make you an expat! You stay in hotels, you are paying people to be nice to you. Even in Australia I can get treated nicely in my local David Jones, but it doesn't mean that chick isn't a bitch to meet in a club! I seriously love Bali, and I hate the bad press it gets in shows like A Current Affair. These shows are obviously trying to give Bali a bad name. Mal on the other hand is just telling a story of what happened to him while he was there. I have heard many bad stories, none of which make me hate a place. Just makes it more interesting. Mal I can't say that I am so much more intelligent for reading your book, but it was interesting enough to get to the end and made my flight go really really fast! I can say that I picked up a few tips that I will be passing onto other expats such as the credit card in the wallet. Oh and I won't be putting my villa in my guys name, mostly because I don't have one there, but also on your advice.
This book appears to be the views of a broken man from Oz who went looking to live the dream and realised it was not what it seemed. I am a very regular traveller to Bali and certainly understand much of the content discussed, however HELLO this all happens in Australia..Bali is a beautiful holiday destination that gets ruined by drunken westerners who like to flaunt around their $$$ and then when the going gets tough, they cry victim
ReplyDelete@Kellie
Delete"Bali is a beautiful holiday destination that gets ruined by drunken westerners..."
It's not only foreign drunks who are ruining the island. There are many corrupt Balinese officials doing their bit, as well as corrupt developers from Java, etc.
To a large extent, Bali has only itself to blame for its current scenario. The general apathy towards taking realistic measures to curb the environmental issues Bali's facing is staggering. Pollution, overcrowding, traffic jams, water crises, lack of sanitation and waste management are just some of the things that Bali has to deal with.
And in case you haven't noticed during your trips here, there are many local Balinese who get drunk on a regular basis (like, nightly).
I've been living here for nearly two decades. The way things are going, it's difficult to see how the Balinese can save their own island. Maybe it's too late. I hope I'm wrong.
Hi Kellie
ReplyDeleteThanks for your opinion. You are right, a lot of what happens in Bali Raw does happen in Australia. But Bali Raw is not about Australia, it is about Bali.
One of my reasons for writing Bali Raw was to highlight a few of the problems Bali faces so that they can be looked at and hopefully rectified.
Drunken tourists who like to flaunt their $$$ and have no respect for Bali would be one of these problems, but there are more.
Hi Malcolm,
ReplyDeleteread your book in a day, great read and had many many laughs! For a guy who doesn't like trouble....man trouble finds you a lot lol. Only thing missing was photos for me, (I like photos in true stories) but I understand your reasoning for leaving them out!
Just curious was it hard for you to find a publisher?
So your in Thailand now hey? where abouts? I just came back from a month long stint in Phuket & Bangkok!
Your also writing another book! Any hints as to what it will be about? "Thailand Raw"??? I will look out for it and awesome job on "Bali Raw".
Cheers
Paul
(Melbourne)
Malcom, I will be coming back in October would love to meet you if you have 5.
ReplyDeleteregards
Shelley
Hi Paul from Melbourne, great city by the way.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments regarding Bali Raw. I’m really glad you enjoyed the book and that you had a few laughs. Bali Raw was my first book so it’s great to receive this kind of response. I’m sure your positive feedback will make anything I write in the future just that little bit easier.
I also like the true stories I read to have pictures and I was tempted to use some in Bali Raw. Sadly I came to the conclusion that pictures might be just a little too incriminating.
Yes it was hard for me to find a publisher. I submitted to a number of publishing houses and book agents and I received a lot of rejections. I feel I was incredibly lucky when I submitted to Monsoon Books and they accepted my manuscript. Monsoon Books have also been wonderful at walking me through the whole process of being published.
I am living in Thailand but I’m still moving around and I haven’t found a place to settle yet. Phuket is definitely on my agenda.
At the moment I am in process of writing a follow up book on Bali and I do intend write a book about Thailand. My best friend was murdered here last month and I have promised him that I will write about the event next year. I guess you were right when you said trouble seems to find me. Don’t worry it won’t be too morbid. My friend was a very colourful character and I’m really looking forward to writing his story. And about some of the mischief we got up to together.
Thanks for getting back to me and I hope you enjoy my future books as much as you enjoyed Bali Raw.
Cheers
Mal Scott
ReplyDeleteHi Shelly
Sadly I don’t live in Bali anymore but if I did I would have loved to catch up and chat. I do however visit Bali on occasion and when I do I like to spend most of my afternoons relaxing on Kuta Beach. Maybe, if we are lucky, we will run into each other there one afternoon.
Regards
Mal Scott
Mal, that would be great I am heading over next month once again, I probably have just as many stories I could share with you. I too have had many interesting trips to Bali and was in a relationship with someone you mentioned in you book whom was sent to prison. I have stories there also, so if your ever sitting at Sunset Bar one afternoon it could very well be we will run into each other.
ReplyDeleteMal,
ReplyDeleteWhen the second book released?????
Shell
Hi Anon
ReplyDeleteJust finished writing the second installment of Bali Raw and the next step is to send the manuscript to the publisher. So hopefully it will be published mid next year.
Please wish me luck and thanks for asking.
Cheers
Mal Scott
I live in bali have done since september last year... I struggle to relate to any of this book
ReplyDeleteStill a good written book i just find it hard to believe its a true story
Thank you for your kind comments regarding the writing in the book.
ReplyDeleteFor the rest of your comment. You are of course entitled to your opinion but you have also lived in Bali for a relatively short amount of time when you take into account that I lived there for eight years. And that I visited on a regular basis for a few years before moving full time. May I suggest that you keep your eyes open and that you be aware of what is going on around you? Already this year a young woman’s villa was broken into and she was robbed and rapped.
Maybe the following will help, please keep in mind that these are just Australian tourists.
Information released by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs reveals that 39 Australians died in Bali in 2011-12. Another 93 sought consular help after being taken to hospital, while 36 were arrested, 18 jailed and eight needed support after being attacked inside of or outside of nightclubs.
Picked up your book at the airport while I waited for yet another delayed Jetstar flight from Bali to Aus.
ReplyDeleteI lived in Bali only for a year just recently, my other half is Indonesian and I already know that much of the information you have in this book is based on the harsh reality that is Bali. I love Bali, I love Indonesia, but you are right about so many things like those coming to Bali from other Indonesian islands such as Jawa and West Timor being treated differently, unfairly and often blamed for everything bad that happens in Bali by many Balinese.I remember a taxi driver once telling me to not use Blue Bird taxi's as they were owned and run by Javanese and so for ages I didn't. Then I later thought to myself what the heck do I have against Javanese??? The same thing was said to me about the little kids who try to sell bracelets, that they were Javanese and not to give to them. I still don't give to them, but it is for a completely different reason and that is that I think they should be in school and not out and about at 1am. Also because they are often being watched by men who are not their real family and these kids are not begging to help themselves. I laughed so hard at the part of your book relating to the comments you hear so often about a tourist operator being "my family." I know many of the tourist guys in Sanur and many of them know that if you can get someone to say you are part of their family, that you will benefit so much more. Also the fact they call you mom or dad is not an indication they think of you as either of those. If tourists cared to learn, they would see that it is often part of their culture to call anyone older than them mom or dad or big sister or big brother.
My pet hate is anyone who disagrees with any negative statements made about Bali just because "they go to Bali 2 times a year" or have been "7 times…" Woohoo, this does not make you an expat! You stay in hotels, you are paying people to be nice to you. Even in Australia I can get treated nicely in my local David Jones, but it doesn't mean that chick isn't a bitch to meet in a club!
I seriously love Bali, and I hate the bad press it gets in shows like A Current Affair. These shows are obviously trying to give Bali a bad name. Mal on the other hand is just telling a story of what happened to him while he was there. I have heard many bad stories, none of which make me hate a place. Just makes it more interesting.
Mal I can't say that I am so much more intelligent for reading your book, but it was interesting enough to get to the end and made my flight go really really fast! I can say that I picked up a few tips that I will be passing onto other expats such as the credit card in the wallet. Oh and I won't be putting my villa in my guys name, mostly because I don't have one there, but also on your advice.
Are most of the Japanese women that look for Bali gigolo consists of young Japanese women,middle aged Japanese women or older Japanese women?
ReplyDeleteThe first and the last, the difference would be in the service rendered, and the method of payment.
DeleteDo you plan to make new book?
ReplyDeleteA new book about Bali is set to be published by Monsoon Books some time this year. Check into this Blog for further details in the near future.
Delete