About 3 times a day the 'schoolies' had McDelivery at one of their doors. Yes, that's right, McDonald's delivers 24/7 in Bali. The driver arrives on a motorcycle with a McBox attached to the back of his seat. It's sad & pathetic, but funny nonetheless.
Overall, they weren't that bad. Not too loud, except for the one night that they returned from the bars around 3 AM and had a pool party. Prior to the pool party, which did not end until about 5 AM, the hotel left the pool bar shelves stocked with liquor. When we awoke the morning after the pool party, all of the liquor bottles were gone, but we could never get a clear answer from the staff (language barrier) as to what had happened to them.
The information on the 'schoolies' was learned from a Perth couple, Janie & Les, we met in the pool. They explained that their daughter was also a 'schoolie' and had gone down south in Australia. The evening Janie dropped her off, a boy was streaking through the campground. She left her there anyway. Janie & Les were on a quick vacation to get away from work and the kids. We talked about the poor American economy and they advised that Australia had not been hit by the world economic crisis. In fact, their son, a new Uni graduate with a Masters in Geology had accepted a job for 120K (Aussie dollars) with a mining company. Apparently they are desperate for Geologists.
We then discussed vacation time. Aussies are guaranteed 4 weeks off per year and they strongly believe in the need for a work/family balance. They were shocked to learn that Americans do not value a balance and that we are not guaranteed any vacation time.
They thought it was crazy for employers to discourage vacations “because it's well known that happy, rested, balanced employees are more productive and healthier”.
You're preaching to the choir guys, but we're the exception, not the rule.
“Why do Americans just live for work?”
Beats the hell out of us.
And on the topic of health insurance, they were shocked to learn that all Americans did not have guaranteed health insurance.
“That's crazy”
Well, we think so too, but apparently most Americans do not think it's crazy that we're the only industrialized country in the world that does not have guaranteed health insurance.
We went to dinner, with Rob, at a nearby Warung. The usual hawkers aggravated the hell out of us to purchase the same crap...........flaming wallets, pirated CDs, pirated DVDs, green & red laser lights, sunglasses, and “prescription” & reading glasses (we assumed that the eye exam was optional as the hawker did not appear to be an optometrist). Halfway through dinner I spotted a mouse (well, not as small as a mouse, but not as large as a rat) out of the corner of my eye. I tried to be nonchalant so as to not send Phyl into a complete hysterical fit, but she had seen the startled look on my face.
P- I don't give a shit how small he is, if he runs up my leg or across my foot I'm going to have a coronary. Where is he now?
G- He's in the planter. Finish your dinner.
Rob- Are you ladies afraid of mice?
P- YES!!
G- Not really, it just startled me. He won't bother us. (just then he ran behind Phyl's chair and across the floor)
P- Oh my gawd! I gotta get out of here.
G- Finish eating. He's way over there. He won't be coming back. Look, he went down the other side wall.
P- I just got use to geckos. I am NOT dealing with rats!!!!
Rob – hahahahahahaha You ladies make me laugh. You ladies fancy some ice cream?
G- Rob, you're ruining our Asia diet.
Rob – Fair enough.
