I logged onto Facebook this morning and was greeted with a slew of friend statuses that reflected today's election: some were neutral and merely encouraging us to go and vote, but many more made their stances clear. The plethora of donated statuses for Obama and No on Prop 8, as well as the proliferation of friends with "Hussein" as their middle name was quite a phenomenon to behold (OK, enough of the "p"s). Me? I cast my vote last week, mailing it in on Thursday. No long lines to deal with today :-D I have voted :-)
Now, everyone knows that to keep things civilized at a gathering, one of the key topics about which to avoid discussion is politics. But as election day drew nearer, it was inevitable no matter where you went. It was interesting to hear everyone's take on why they were voting the way they were. There were a few nutcases out there, but by and large most people stuck to the rational way of doing things: comparing each candidate's policies on various issues and determining whether they agreed with it or not.
Obviously, foremost on everyone's minds right now is the economy. I'm not going to launch a discussion of one candidate's ideas for reform over the other's, but thinking about our economic woes made me think of how other countries are faring. Particularly countries like Indonesia.
One of the most eye-opening experiences during my trip was driving through the streets of Surabaya, one of the largest cities. Like many big cities, it was crowded and polluted. Traffic was insane-- but I could write a whole separate blog entry on that... suffice it to say that there's no point in having traffic laws, as anyone who remotely adheres to them will not survive any length of commute. It was not unusual to see small piles of trash burning on the side of remoter roads. I was surprised to see men sitting along the riverbanks fishing, as I wondered how anything could live in that murky water. Though I've seen my share of dirty and polluted cities in the US, this was different somehow. And I think the difference stemmed largely from the juxtaposition of rich+new with old+poor.
Everywhere I went, I marveled at how shiny new shopping malls could rise into the air and then, literally (and you know that is not a term I use loosely) next to the building would be a dilapidated shack with a weary shopkeeper peddling his goods. Clean and modern buildings surrounded by slum. Every house that was remotely decent was fenced in by iron gates. There was no division of "poor neighborhood" vs. "rich neighborhood", unlike here, where the ghetto tends to be isolated away from 5th Avenue (and vice versa), not interspersed with it. The street dividers and the riverbanks (despite the dirty water) were lined with well-kept trees and plants, yet they were dotted every so often with makeshift homes made out of rusty corrugated metal and clotheslines strung between trees. Some folks weren't even that lucky, and simply slept on the ground.
More heartbreaking still was the sight of beggars by the side of the road. A haggard woman holding her baby in one arm and stretching her other arm out for a few coins (which aren't even worth pennies to us)-- in the middle of the road, not the side, where she's exposed to maximum traffic. A man with crutches and a lame leg, unable to find work anywhere. Saddest of all was a small child not much bigger than Todd, going around from car to car as we were stopped at a red light, hands clasped together in the universal "please" beg, eyes searching hopefully for a heart not yet hardened by years of sights like this. I wanted to cry.
The smallest bill denomination in Indonesia is 1000 Rupiah. Anything smaller than that is in coin form. We shocked our friends/family when we'd roll down the window and give someone a 1000-Rupiah bill. I'm sure the beggars were shocked as well. They are used to getting coins. But the thing is... 1000 Rupiah is worth only 10 cents to us. Can you imagine tossing a beggar in the United States a mere quarter? You'd probably get cussed at. The poor in Indonesia, on the other hand, are so downtrodden, they are exceedingly grateful for anything you might be able to toss their way.
It is no secret that there's a sizable gap between the rich and the poor. But in Indonesia that gap seems infinitely wider. Let's not even talk about rich, the gap between the *middle class* and the poor is nearly incomprehensible at times.
In contrast, our own panhandlers look fat and rich by comparison. Yes, they have it hard, and I don't mean to downplay the plight of the American poor and homeless, but they have so many more resources at their disposal. There are soup kitchens and homeless shelters and government welfare. There are far more well-meaning upper-and-middle-class people with good hearts trying to do something about it-- donating to charity, volunteering their time, doing something other than just driving by and ignoring it. True, these measures are far from perfect, but it's *something*, and it's far more than the homeless in Indonesia could ever imagine.
As I wind this down I get the feeling that none of this will truly come as a surprise to any of you. I am certain you've read similar accounts elsewhere about other countries. I have, too, in years past. But there's nothing quite like seeing it up front to really drive home the disparity between rich and poor in a country where the government doesn't have its people's best interests at heart. There's nothing quite like seeing it vividly in front of you to break your heart and make you truly appreciate all you have. For all the moaning we do about things going downhill in our (modern, developed, Western civilized) countries, we have a lot to be grateful for. And I hope that my heart will never cease to break at sad plights like the ones I've seen (and I know I haven't seen the worst of it!), and I hope yours never will, either.
I will admit that I haven't ever seen extreme poverty and homelessness like you describe (apart from on The Amazing Race -- which make for some of the more memorable locales, I'd say). It is hard for me to fathom its existence, not to mention the experiences of those living it. My city receives a lot of street-involved people who come from Toronto because they have been pushed out due to the lack of services, Toronto's attempt to "clean up the city." So, we have quite a lot of services here, especially compared to some places, and we also have quite a lot of homeless people. I hear complaints fairly often, which really riles me up. I would hate to be a member of that city that forces people already at the margins of society to relocate because they're starving or freezing or dying. May not be comparable to what you saw, but I guess I'm saying that it breaks my heart at home so I can only imagine what else is going on out there in this world.
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ReplyDeleteSame here-- it's one thing to read about it, another thing to actually witness it. I was so saddened by what I saw that I actually sought out a silver lining-- that in Indonesia, at least they won't freeze to death outdoors.
And I agree, seeing the struggles of the destitute in our rich countries is hard enough, let alone worse situations. Seeing Indonesian beggars was heartbreaking, but the people I did see looked to be in relatively good health, I can only imagine my reaction to those that are really sick-- especially children and the elderly.
Another thing that struck me was how I sometimes hesitate to give an American panhandler money because I wonder if he will use it for booze or drugs instead of food. You can never tell. I never had to hesitate in Indonesia, these people weren't going to waste their money on anything but true survival. That makes it sadder... for whom, though, I don't know.
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ReplyDeleteHmm. Interesting thought about giving them money. I admit that I do not like to take out my wallet to give money, but if I'm already fishing around in my bag or have change in my pocket, I am comfortable giving without considering where that money will go. I would argue that for some people, perpetuating their addiction IS their version of "true survival" if it is the only way they know how to cope.
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ReplyDeleteI, too, thought about that definition of "survival" as I wrote that comment. And while I agree that it may seem a matter of life and death to the addict, it doesn't allay my fears that I may be helping to perpetuate the addiction rather than feeding him. It's very sad that these kinds of things even *cross* my (and others') mind.
I also find that my hesitance is reduced when the panhandler is performing some sort of "service", like singing or strumming a guitar. In situations like that, I feel bad about partaking of a "service" for "free", and feel better about giving that person my money. I don't know why that should make a difference over a guy simply sitting on the corner, maybe it's because I think drug addicts don't tend to strum guitars?
My last comment about panhandlers performing "services" reminded me of another phenomenon I witnessed in Indonesia.
ReplyDeleteI had touched upon how insane traffic is there-- you can imagine how impossible it is to pull out of a parking lot into a crowded street-- nobody will stop to let you in. So in many small places, there are men sitting around who will jump up and help direct traffic so you can get out... in exchange for payment, usually a couple thousand Rupiah.
Very few of these men wore uniforms clearly identifying them as employees of the establishment we were trying to exit, and it was clear from their appearance that the "tips" they received from their assistance was their only means of earning a living.
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ReplyDeleteInteresting again, I feel almost the exact opposite way. I worry less about the performers and more about the "invisible" ones. But I feel guilty about that because a hierarchy of who is neediest bugs me. In any case, whoever the money belongs to should feel comfortable giving (or not giving) based on whatever criteria they prefer.
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ReplyDeleteI guess I should clarify that it's not so much that I feel the performer "deserves" the money more, but that I feel more guilty about snubbing him than I would about snubbing someone just sitting there. I believe this is mostly due to the doubt that the money would go for food and not drugs or alcohol.
It's a tough call, no matter what. And it seems that regardless of what I do (whether I give freely or shut my wallet and avoid eye contact), I still end up feeling more depressed about the overall picture of poverty plaguing us.