Life's a Journey

They are called ex-patriots; people who come from all over the (Western) world to live in this magical place that was once a true paradise. For many different reason they come here and establish their own business. Whether they open up their own restaurant, start a real-estate or contracting business, work as yoga or surfing instructors, or open various stores, there is a wide variety of professions amongst the ex-pat community.

It seems as if these people have it made. Far removed from the concrete jungles of European and American cities they get to wake up every morning in the most incredible and beautiful villas surrounded by the richest and greenest palm trees. The interior design of their houses is absolutely stunning. Expensive wood, fancy ornamented pieces of furniture, large open rooms, outdoor showers and tubs, incredible art and decor, and pools with clear blue water create an atmosphere that makes you feel like you are living in a palace.

There is really nothing much you can do but simply be astonished by the beauty of Bali. And it doesn't only stop at the front door of one of these unbelievable villas. Just the drive down to the beach leaves you in awe. Besides the beautiful rice fields and the amazing plant life the temples and statues along side the road are incomparable. You can tell they have been built with devotion, care and love for details. Most statutes are wrapped in gold and white garment (representing the unity of East and West) accompanied by cute little umbrellas. Once you finally get to the beach a breathtaking view awaits. The water is light blue and clear and the waves are - on most days anyways - a dream for every surfer.

This is Bali for you. Simply put, a paradise. Yet, this is by far not the whole picture. Sadly enough, there is also another side to this gorgeous island, distorted by the fact that the hype about a life in paradise has contributed to its very disintegration.

If you wanted to take a break from a "Western" way of life you have come to the wrong place. Even in the low season the towns are full of tourists and if they were gone you would still have plenty of clothing stores, restaurants, ATM's, hotels and spas left that were all built for seemingly one sole purpose: to accommodate the needs of Western tourists. It feels as if there is not much authenticity of the Balinese people left and it is difficult to really get to know them. By simply being white I am automatically treated like just another tourist - which, even if I don't want to - I am in a way. However, it is understandable considering what has happened to Bali and the Natives ever since we discovered this paradise.

Yet, it is not all "Western" here, which actually creates an odd mix between the Western and the Asian culture. In terms of traffic this just cries for a disaster. A poor infrastructure not built for this huge amount of people, locals and tourists alike, leads to daily traffic jams and make the already small towns noisy and hectic. There are taxis driving around, constantly honking at the pedestrians hoping they want to be picked up and driven around. The local Balinese swoop around on their mopeds and scooters, often transporting whole families and the ones better of drive huge cars.
Of course there are areas that are less invaded by tourists as well. Here you can get a feel of how the locals really live and what truly matters to them and what their values are. Owning a brand new bikini and Ray Ban's might not be one of them. The Balinese seem to like rituals and ceremonies, which is noticeable just by the offerings (pretty flowers, and other items put in a little box made out of banana leaves) that are put out on the streets, by the statues, in the temples, and in front of restaurant and stores at almost any hour of the day. These offerings are given to the Hindu gods and goddesses that protect and provide for this little island and its inhabitants.

There also seems to be a great sense of community among the people; if one person in the village dies everyone comes together to moan the death and help the soul leave this planet. Celebrations also happen when a baby is born, and then again when it turns 3 and 6 months old. Everyone is part of the community and even though there are the usual fights, disputes and arguments the locals support each other. I wonder what they really think about the people that decided to sell their paradise. Straight-forwardness does not seem to be a quality that is important here. No matter what you say or ask for, you are smiled at, nodded at and you will never hear a 'no'.

Maybe that is one of the reason tourism can flourish here so much. Talk about great customer service! However, Bali feels commercialized, but one of the ex-pat's tells me that there is so much more that Bali has to offer, which one needs to see. So off I go with a driver who takes me around the island; off the beaten path.

Once again I am taken straight back into the atmosphere I noticed upon arriving on the island. Once we leave the busy streets of the tourist towns behind I am surrounded by nature and I can again open my eyes to that Bali is a beautiful and magical place. I am taken through rice fields and little villages where I discover a whole new facet of the culture. People live in little communities of stone houses protected by stone walls in the middle of palm trees and other plants. Every village has a local school and school kids in uniforms are playing happily yards. Untouched from the tourist I get a little glimpse into the reality of the Balinese.

I am curious about their way of life and my driver doesn't seem to get tired to answer all of my questions. Contrary, he is proud to be able to share his knowledge about his culture and his country with me. And then it finally dawns on me. People move away fro rural areas into the city to get jobs in the tourism, banking or government sector to earn money. Unlike me they don't mind tourists, because that is what allows the, to make a living. The driver explains that "we sell Balinese culture to the people". His statement, simply put in a matter-of-fact manner, seems to be the last piece of a puzzle that I have been trying to solve since I got here.

The locals are proud that their country is a famous and well-known tourist attraction and do everything to accommodate their visitors. So if you want to lavish in luxurious hotels, and spas with a gorgeous view on the ocean, shop in expensive boutiques and eat in fancy restaurants and party you are absolutely sure to find it here and you will be well taken care of.

However, if you want to get away from exactly all that and want to get to know Indonesia and its people, their world and their way of life you will have to do some searching and digging. It seems as if their life depends upon pleasing people who are used to a certain living standard and way of life. I have to realize that it is impossible to put a judgement on this fact and I have to ask myself how my belief system and my outlook on life would have been shaped if I had grown up as a Balinese and not a European. Further, I am shown once more how privileged I am and that the privileges I have been given require me to stay humble and open-minded and not take the world, its people and my way of life for granted.

There is no better way to spend a Sunday morning than enjoying a fresh cup of coffee, and some French toast on a sunlight porch, reading the paper, and watching the neighbor children play in the street. Another day in paradise awaits, where the locals ride their beach cruisers along the cliffs, surfers put on their wetsuits and wax their boards, kids play in the water, and couples enjoy their time together chilling on little benches overlooking the ocean. This description may sound like a cliché opening to a movie, but this really is life in Santa Cruz and it is hard to believe that one would ever want to leave this place.

In fact, many locals, the ones "born and raised in SC", often go to live in other places and travel around but most of them eventually do come back, knowing that there is hardly any other place in the world that compares to Santa Cruz. It seems as if this little beach community just knows how to preserve a really mellow and easy-going way of life. People appreciate their jobs, friends, and family, and, despite the ups and downs of life, know how to be grateful for what they have. It does not seem difficult to be grateful if the beach is your front yard and bonfires and surfing are as much a part of your life as eating and sleeping. One might think that it is easy to get used to a life like this and to take it for granted at some point. Yet, this is exactly one of the beautiful aspects of reality here: people do not seem to forget that it is truly special to live in a place like this and it almost seems as if this sense of gratitude is carried over into every other part of life here.

Locals pride themselves with the uniqueness of Santa Cruz and do everything to "keep it weird". This little town that lies along the 1, a highway that runs across the West Coast, seems to be a gathering point for many many people from various backgrounds, and all different stages of life. It doesn't matter why and how people end up in Santa Cruz and what they are looking for, but they can be sure to find it here. It almost seems as if everyone in this town had his or her own unique purpose and reason for being here, which gives this place an absolute magical flair. Wether one is trying to find a path in life, or has already found it and is now raising a family in this wonderful free-spirited environment, this community does not fail to provide spiritual nourishment.

Aside from being a temporary or even permanent destination for one's personal journey through life, Santa Cruz still has plenty to offer. With the University of California Santa Cruz and one of the best community colleges in California this is truly a college town. This means that during finals week it is almost impossible to get a table at the local coffee shops, and that it is not unusual to have cops show up on your street to crack down yet another party on "Tipsy Tuesday" or "Wasted Wednesday". While almost every college freshman seems to go through the typical phase of really letting lose for the first time, many students here are interested in more than just partying. When the weather is nice on a Wednesday afternoon it feels as if everyone came down from campus to meet at the local Farmer's Market downtown to stock up on organic and local produce, to get the best samosas in town and to watch some random local band play music.

Just a little down the street is the infamous hipster hang-out, Pergolesis. This is THE place for people with an odd sense of fashion to drink black coffee or beer, smoke cigarettes, talk about making, or actually make art, contemplate life, study, or just chill with friends. People either love or hate Perga, but it sure never gets old.

If you want to get the full experience of just how weird Santa Cruz can get, just sit out front off the "Roaster" (The Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Company) in the heart of downtown. Sipping an organic, fair-trade, freshly brewed cup of coffee you can just lean back and enjoy the craziness as you watch people passing by. If you stay for more than 30 minutes you are bound to see some real characters that seem to be part of the Santa Cruz landscape just as much as the Boardwalk and the palm trees. Downtown Santa Cruz is both charming and sketchy; it all depends on what time of the day you are on which side of Pacific Avenue.

On the one hand cute, little boutiques, coffee shops, restaurants, a grocery store, a movie theater, surf shops, two bookstores, and even a cookie place give downtown, formerly known as the Pacific Garden Mall, a relaxing and enchanting vibe. However, on the other hand also bums, the usual drunks, and shady bars belong into the picture. Perhaps it is exactly this vast contrast and, for the most part, peaceful co-existence of these two different worlds that add to the weirdness and uniqueness of Santa Cruz.

And maybe it is exactly this paradox that creates the impression that Santa Cruz is such a liberal and open minded community. Instead of ignoring people that clearly live a different lifestyle than the norm - either by choice or by circumstance - or turning a blind eye on them, they are just accepted and considered a part of, without even making too much noise about it. While one might think that such an attitude could easily lead to sweeping social issues under the rug, almost the opposite is true. One gets the feeling that everyone enjoys the freedom to be exactly who they want to be or think they are.

Now, just throw a heightened level of political, social, and economic awareness in this mix of numerous different personalities and you got a very active civil society that likes to get involved in any way they can. If you want to explore the magnitude of your political capacity Santa Cruz is a great place to learn of what works and what doesn't work in politics. The great political activism of the local gives this town the reputation of being such a progressive community, which is true to a certain extent. However, there is also a lot of idealism and people are in fact very protected from the "real world". Santa Cruz is often referred to as bubble, which is certainly true, for no matter how politically or socially aware people are, they get to live in an environment that allows them to be authentic and create their very own identity, without having to fear major consequences.

Folks who care neither about political nor social issues too much, will find that coming to Santa Cruz to discover the captivating nature is reason enough to fall in love with this place. From the Red Wood Trees to Four Mile Beach, Mother Earth shows her most beautiful sides in Santa Cruz. A walk though the forest or the beach are equally relaxing, and if you stop by either one of the two lighthouses and take a moment to look across the seemingly endless ocean, you can't help but feel am overwhelming sense of wholeness. Sunsets, especially during the winter, are a spectacle that cannot be missed. The sun sets and the sky is painted in all shades of purple, blue, pink red, and yellow. Santa cries environment lets you simply be and if you take the time to take a draw a couple breaths of fresh ocean air you cannot help but feel one with everything around you.

And this is where the circle closes: No matter what you do in Santa Cruz you are bound to have a spiritual experience of some sort; or at least enjoy your time and once you leave you will always want to come back. An old Native American myth says that a spell casted on Santa Cruz makes it impossible to leave. With everything this beautiful place has to offer, and considering it's very special geographic location it seem absolutely true.

At least I know for myself that no matter where I will go, my heart and soul will always be in Santa Cruz.

Monday morning at the MacCarran airport in Las Vegas: girls wearing dark sunglasses and sweatpants, a group of 20 something's still carrying their bongs with the sweet rests of alcoholic beverages, and a group of dudes trying their luck one last times at the slot machines in the boarding area. This scenarios depicts the end of a successful weekend in Sin City; where you know you did everything you were supposed to when you cannot remember the details of your first night and when you wake up next to a stranger wondering how you got there on your last morning.

This is Las Vegas and it is common knowledge that people only come here for the sole purpose of partying, drinking, gambling, having a good time and doing whatever else that is included in your definition of 'having a good time'.

For a few days you can leave behind the monotony of every day life and escape into a fantasy world where everything and anything seems possible. In Las Vegas you can purchase happiness. The amount of happiness you get depends on the number of drinks you consume, chips you put down on the roulette table, and dollar bills you slip into the stripper's bra. That this form of happiness is as fake as the Eiffel tower or the gondolas of Venice is not important.

Despite all the stereotypes and the knowledge that there is not much authenticity behind this shimmering facade, experiencing Vegas for the first time is pretty incredible. The famous hotels like the Bellagio, the Stratosphere, the Cesear's palace, the Mirage, and so on are fascinating to look at and each of them is special but totally alike at the same time. Each of these buildings are hosting hotel rooms, casinos, clubs, restaurants, expensive retail stores and are almost little cities. You don't actually need to leave your hotel at all the entire weekend and would still get the full on Las Vegas experience.

It is obvious though that there has to be more to this city than hotel after hotel. I cannot believe that the main strip is all that Las Vegas has to offer. And indeed, the strip, as a local puts it is only 'the zoo where they put all the tourists'. The reality of living in Las Vegas looks very different than the stereotypical view of endless party nights.

Beyond the strip the streets of Vegas are not so shiny and glamourous anymore. Homeless people, hookers, and trash create an air of hopelessness and despair. Some of these people, as I am being told, have tried to make it here aka win big, but lost it all. This then is what it looks like if a weekend of partying turns a into life style that brings about serious consequences.

The infrastructure of the city itself enhances the depressing mood of life outside the strip. Instead of houses or apartments Vegas seems to consist only of little motel complexes. There is also no downtown area where individual shops and restaurant could flourish; instead business complexes mark their presence on the city map. Away from the tourist zoo Las Vegas is just like any other city in the US, riddled by problems of homelessness, crime, alcohol and drug addiction, unemployment, and poverty.

Yet, the wealthy business guy and the girl that just turned 21 hardly care about the social problems of Las Vegas. Why would they? Don't we all have enough problems already and don't we deserve to forget for just a few days and escape into a different reality? Yet, the one's flight from reality becomes the other person's unbearable reality.
Las Vegas might be fun, exciting, glamorous, and breath taking but it is also a reflection of a fundamental problem that runs deep in this society: Some people's luxurious lifestyles are only sustained by the inability of others to maintain a halfway decent lifestyle.

Stockholm: spacious but walk able, quiet but lively, calm but not boring. These are some of the characteristics of this gorgeous city that come to mind upon the first stroll around. The city, which is divided into little island and seemingly built into the ocean has a distinct charm and an almost enchanting charisma.

Despite the cold (currently – 3 degrees Celsius) walking around is a real pleasure and there is plenty to look at and take in. While Stockholm gives out a hip and trendy vice, there is none of that stressful, crazy, hectic, city jungle feeling that is common in other European and American metropolises. Stockholm is definitely urban but at the same time relaxing and peaceful. As a tourist just observing my surroundings I get the impression that people really do like living here and are also proud of their city.

In fact, Stockholm’s inhabitants do have many reasons to be proud: As I am told the standard of living is quite high and one does not have to be super wealthy in order to have a family here and raise kids in a sage and nurturing environment. The social health care system is one of the best ranking ones in Europe and education is completely free.

My questions as to how this is done is answered with a simple “We pay taxes for it”. This as-a-matter-of-fact statement makes clear that people
here understand that a social system costs money and that they are willing to pay a fair price for a good living standard. However, some also people also question how much longer it will be possible to sustain a system like this.

What I find quite interesting is the fact that while Sweden’s social security system is completely different than the one in the U.S. people here consider their culture the most Americanized one in Europe. This seems to be true, even for a tourist like me. Almost everyone speaks perfect English, people enjoy their Lattes and Espressos on the go, as well as, in cozy, very American feeling, coffee shops that can be found on almost every corner. To me it is surprising how well people speak English, but for them it is only another matter of fact: “We are so many people, we just have to”. Probably helpful in that regard is that American movies aren’t dubbed, but just subtitled with Swedish, that most show on TV are American, and that the music mostly comes from the States.

Yet, it seems to me that while the Swedish might have successfully adopted American materialism, Stockholm transforms this mentality into something quite Un-american through its historic flair. One can see that unlike in the U.S. the infrastructure is not dominated by one shopping mall after another. As someone points out to me: “Stockholm does not seem planned; it’s organically grown”. Walking around in the beautiful Old Town and crossing cute, little bridges to get one from island to the next this explanation seems very plausible. Instead of big, huge glass towers, charming, middle-sized brick houses hold shops, and living, and work spaces. Friendly and inviting, these buildings work in complete harmony with the spacious and open layout of the city.

Owning a car when you live in a city can be quite expensive and considering the comprehensive subway and public transportation system it also seems a bit unnecessary. Even despite the weather people walk to most places and as I am being told, negative three degrees Celcius for this time of the year is quite unusual. -10 to -20 is more coming. I am shocked but it probably really is just a mattering of being used to it. This thought brings me to another observation, which is that people do not seem to complain a lot.

Well, I admit that I do not speak the language so I am probably missing out on normal conversations between people on the street. However, I can pick up on a friendly undertone in the way people talk. It does not sound harsh and people also do not show signs of bitterness in their faces. They seem to treat each other quite nicely and respectfully, whether they are standing in shops, at the check out line, at the coffee pick up counter, in line for the restrooms, at restaurants, or in traffic. Like I mentioned, there is no sense that people are stressed out, hurrying to get from one appointment to the next, or just following a daily, monotonous routine.

My excitement about Stockholm is heightened by the fact that I feel absolutely safe here. There are very little to almost none beggars on the streets and no sign of homelessness or crimes and other forms of violence. Whatever it is the Swedish are doing, they must be doing it darn right.
To me Stockholm is an absolute marvelous city, where American materialism meets European socialism, where urban style peacefully co-exists with historic fronts, where children grow up safely and adults are content with the life they lead.