Lol, reading your post I think you are in for a surprise fish :)
I am baffled and i have so many questions..
U actually build a house with your bare hands? I've never seen anything like that, that like going back to stone age lol, that is illegal from where i'm from. And begging and asking money from ppl (unless u r a registered ngo) is also illegal here, they will send u to the welfare and if they find out that u r in a syndicate they will arrest u.
And can the locals speak English there and how did u met those ppl?
No I did not help build it with my bare hands, we just helped financially.
He built his house in his village with the local tradespeople.
The Balinese are one of the most talented people I have ever seen. They build and create things with their hands and simple tools that put western tradesman to shame
I have never heard of anyone getting arrested for building or making things?
As for begging, yes there are many poor there, there is no welfare of any kind that I know of. If you are unemployed or injured. If you have no one to look after you, you beg or die. If you are unwell and cant pay for doctors, you die. Our friend got throat cancer, his Medical bills were about $3000 aussie. That is about a million years wages for him :)
He was lucky in that he was working and could take a loan, however he lost his job due to poor health. The loan repayments became insurmountable. It was only then he told us what had happened. We helped out, now he is out of debt and his health is better.
As for speakin english, if you go to the tourist areas then yes many people speak English, they have to to be able to work. But if you spend your time away from the tourist areas like we do then you better get used to basic words and a lot of pointing and gestures :)
Since i am bringing my family i will hire a tourist guide to do the guiding and everything except hotel, they have a schedule of the time and place they will take u and the activities u will do. Everything is listed.
The hotel i will try to take a luxury one because my family like class and comfortable stuff. Myself i don't mind, as long it's clean with no rats, cockroaches and fleas.
Ok, that's a shame. You will only see the commercial side of Bali. Yes there are some horrible places to stay if you dont do your research. But that's why i suggested staying at the best hotel in a poor area :)
You guide in your case will probably take you to all the tourist places where you can spend your money. Nice but not the real Bali.
One of the times I was there I was talking to a local working in a resteraunt. He was a real nice fellow, happy, friendly helpful.
In conversation I asked hi if he gets to keep any tips he is given, his face saddened a little and said no he has to give it to the owners (Bloody wealthy Chinese again) he is only given a small amount of the tip. That made me angry as they are paid a pittance as it is. I asked him as we were leaving where he would take people top see things. He smiled and started quoting things like the water bom park and the volcano etc. I smiled but said no, what are the nice places you go to that the locals like to visit if they get time. He understood, Grabbing a pen he drew a map of places on a napkin and told me to give this to my driver. He told me not to worry, you wont find them in the brochure but the driver will know.
I did and we saw some of the most amazing scenery, visited beautiful little villages, met amazing craftsmen, kite makers, wood carvers, furniture makers. We went to the places that make the nice versions of the stuff you will find in the tourist places. It was fantastic and set the pattern for every visit.
Anyway I reached into my pocket and all I had was about 50,000 rupea, about 6 or 7 dollars aussie at the time.
I rolled it up into a ball and as I shook his hand to leave I winked and passed it to him in a handshake.
I thought nothing of it.
A coupl eof days later he came running up to me in the street. He said he looked for me the day before but could not fing me. He told me he bought a pair of runners for his daughter (about 5 years old) with little lights in the soles that flashed when she ran. He said his wife wanted to thank me and that she cried she was so happy to see her daughter laugh.
$6 Aussie Fish!!!!
I never barter for things any more now if the price is fair. Every $ you win is a dollar less food for them.
Anyway, I digress, my point is, the tourist places are nice enough, but it is the Disneyland version of Bali. Nice, pretty, but not real. If you want to see the real Bali, you have to get away from all that.
Oh...
If you get stopped by the local Police, "DO NOT ARGUE NO MATTER WHAT" if they say you have to pay them a fine for something on the spot, "PAY IT!!!" Do not argue, or you will lose and you will be sorry after :)