I awoke to a flat front tyre on the scooter and a belting hangover compliments of the new year. I hire the scooter from a mom and pop shop about one hundred metres from the villa I rent whom themselves rent the scooter from a friend of theirs who has a small scooter hire business on the other side of town.

Approaching mom pushing the scooter, she sees the problem and calls her friend to explain. (I would have been happy just to find a local guy to replace the tube, pay and be done with it) Her friend doesn't answer so mom calls someone else to find out where she is. That person calls to a house and locates her and tells her to call mom. She calls. Ten minutes later two young guys pull up and one drives off slowly on my the scooter to make the repair. I sit down at mom and pop's shop for a bit to start re-hydrating, then walk a few metres for a couple of chicken and rice dishes at their family members warung. (small local food stall/cafe) By the time I'd finished my food, maybe forty minutes later in total, the guy comes back with my scooter adorned with brand new tyres and tubes front and back.

Of course my natural reaction to the new tyres and tubes was, "Fuck, what are they gonna try get out of me for this", then mom says. "No pay. Before already broken".

It could have been one of those long drawn out, "But I didn't ask you to put tyres and tubes all round" kind of start to the day, but these people went out of their way and coordinated things pretty quickly so I could get about my day - without charge!! Suffice to say, I will only use mom and pop's shop for my bits and pieces like toilet paper, smokes, snacks etc from now on and will be sure to have a meal every couple of days at their family's warung.

That's a great feel-good story for the start of the new year, nice one

Hi KFH,
From another thread - gestures like this matter more than the "little things" that were bugging you when you arrived, don't you think so ?
Happy New Year in SEA

yournot right int he head, are you?

as if this wouldn't happen back home much more often...

I have never had trouble/accidents with bicycle, bike or car, where not the first one stopped and helped. in Europe. within minutes, max.

back home, the ppl are much more helpful than here...

go to facebook and read, how quite a few foreigners were helped to get rid of their belongings yesterday...

potty wrote:yournot right int he head, are you?

as if this wouldn't happen back home much more often...

I have never had trouble/accidents with bicycle, bike or car, where not the first one stopped and helped. in Europe. within minutes, max.

back home, the ppl are much more helpful than here...

It's my experience at times like these locals are prone to take advantage of your situation as apposed to acting in good will, so much so, I thought I'd make a post about it.

I don't give a fuck what you think people would do at home - I'm not at home.

aaah... you meant it as in..."a nice surprise amidst an antisocial mob"...

Potty - what do you see? Is your glass half-full or half-empty ?
You always sound like it's three-quarters empty.

(Mine is almost empty, but the fridge is full )

for example the neighbour, howling with their dogs around every midnight...

potty wrote:for example the neighbour, howling with their dogs around every midnight...

Here the dogs do a karaoke more or less every night/morning between 2 & 5am - one starts and it's all go. You can't do much about it (although I get up and throw stones when it's too close) - just don't take it personally.

We also have a (barang) neighbour with a too-loud motobike who leaves at 6am - just when the dogs and the cocks and the geese shut up...
Chill Potty chill. life is too short.