Tsunami-torn areas was Re: [Sca-cooks] black pepper wars

[Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius]

Also sprach ysabeau:
>These are not people who expect a whole lot out of life. They
>considered our lifestyle to be extravagant...kind of the way the
>average person in the U.S. would consider Donald Trump's
>lifestyle. When it comes down to it...how many TVs do you really
>need? How many cars do you need? Do you really need 100+ channels
>on your TV? What if you had to get up and walk to the corner store
>and carry your groceries home instead of hopping in your car and
>putting a week's worth in the trunk? So when what little they do
>have is washed away, it really hurts. They can't just go to the
>store to get another pot to cook rice in, because the store is
>gone as well.
>
>The Indonesians I met were very happy people and it didn't take
>much to make their day. They were willing to work hard and didn't
>expect a whole lot (by our standards) in return. Our gardener
>would routinely bring us fresh vegetables and fruits from his
>village when he would return from his weekend off. He would refuse
>any money my mom would try to pay him for it because he felt like
>he was making enough money (about $20 a month in 1980) as a
>gardener. My father taught him English and basic skills so he
>could get a better job at the plant. Even after he left us, he
>would still bring us fresh veggies on a regular basis.
>
>I could go on and on...but I won't bore the list. If anyone would
>like me to expand on this in private I will be more than happy to
>discuss it. I loved Indonesia and the Aceh people. I had always
>hoped to go back some day and I still do. Unfortunately, many of
>the places I would have liked to re-visit have most likely been
>washed away.
>
>Anyways, this is my hot button.
>Ysabeau

Part of the reasoning for my suggestion that this be taken off-list 
is that it is a hot button for some people, on both sides of this 
discussion. I do know that your implied description of the average 
Indonesian's lifestyle, in re TV, cars, etc., is more like mine than 
my lifestyle is like Donald Trump's, so perhaps it's a little unfair 
to assume that frustration at pressure to help people in need when we 
are not without real problems here at home, is driven by some sort of 
bourgois insensitivity.

I'm thankful for everything that I have, but most of what I value 
most is pretty intangible and without much monetary value, which 
often means that if and when I have something to give to a good cause 
such as this one, I'll do so. They're only material things.

On the other hand, I believe for some of us, there's an underlying 
layer of frustration that the land whose fat we're allegedly living 
off of is often more tough, dry and stringy than we want, or 
sometimes can handle. And if that leads to an occasional frustrated 
outburst, I can understand that too.

Adamantius, one TV won in a raffle, seven channels plus intermittent 
UHF, no car, lots of books, loving family
-- 




"S'ils n'ont pas de pain, vous fait-on dire, qu'ils  mangent de la 
brioche!" / "If there's no bread to be had, one has to say, let them 
eat cake!"
	-- attributed to an unnamed noblewoman by Jean-Jacques 
Rousseau, "Confessions", 1782

"Why don't they get new jobs if they're unhappy -- or go on Prozac?"
	-- Susan Sheybani, assistant to Bush campaign spokesman Terry 
Holt, 07/29/04