Yesterday I offered an opinion on the way that Balinese people work. Stress and anger, seem to be out of the question, enjoying the day and the company of one’s fellow employees seems to be high on the agenda. That does not match my experiences working in the west. Today I was reading about an American NFL football coach who had travelled in Bali and here’s what he had to say about that.
Q: You are a renowned world traveler, and have visited places like Australia, Europe and Asia. What has been your favorite destination and why?
Ravens linebackers coach Jeff FitzGerald
A: “Bali (Indonesia) was probably my favorite place. Each place you travel offers a different and individual experience. But, that trip gave me the most perspective about people. I’ll give you an example: This was a semi-Third World country, not completely, but in some ways. On the side of the road when I was traveling, I would see old women with these metal tanks - maybe five gallons - carrying water on top of their heads. They were laboring, just when it started to get dark by the waterways in the fields. You would see moms out there bathing their kids in this water, with cows all around. You’d see things like this, yet the people were very genuine and very nice. I remember one day I saw this old lady getting some water and working. I wondered to myself, ?How many times has she ever complained about working too hard?’
“When you come over to our country, no matter what we’re doing, we are cakewalking through a lot. Things can be dire straits ? and they often are in our own country ? which is a shame. But, it’s not as bad as it is in a lot of other places. That type of perspective on life is what (the Bali trip) offered me. Those people were happy with their surroundings and doing what they needed to do to survive. Seeing something like that is very special. It really made me appreciate what I have and where I live. A lot of travels will do that for you, but this one hit me pretty hard.”
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