Is monetary crisis a crisis of identity?

JAKARTA (JP): During the Independence Day holiday weekend I thought I would be safer anywhere except in Jakarta, where according to the rumors another bloodshed, worse than the May atrocities, was expected.

Lured by the prospect of paying only 70 percent of the airfare to Bali (for senior citizens) and special rates for hotels, I thus set out for my travel agent to do some research. Juli, my favorite agent showed me the special database on their computer.

A five-star hotel? She had them all. The only difficulty was choosing between Nusa Dua, Ubud or Sanur. But, after some mathematics, the amount I was asked to pay for the few days was still too much for my budget, which has been trimmed considerably in the last few months. The four stars too, were not really a choice for me because, in spite of the special rates for the rooms, they had extraordinarily high prices for meals, even for breakfast, so they would not have been much of a saving at all. I finally settled for a three-star hotel in Kuta where I could enjoy the sunset, in case the weather was good.

The hotel was OK and on the day of my arrival I enjoyed a splendid, almost pollution-free, sunset in the front yard of the hotel. But the next morning at breakfast came the disappointment. I was only allowed an Indonesian breakfast and had a choice of chicken porridge, toast or fried rice. The other guests, mostly tourists from Europe and Japan flocked to the buffet table and could enjoy a sumptuous meal, including bacon with two eggs, omelette, cereal, fruit and so much more. One of the tourists asked me join her at the buffet, but I smilingly told her, that the porridge was better for my cholesterol level.

I did not worry about the krismon which had caused this social imbalance between these foreign tourists and myself during my relaxed and pleasant stay in Bali. Instead I felt lucky to have enjoyed such a good deal. But at the airport I met an old friend from the U.S. who was furious about the cheaters who had spoiled his holiday. He and his wife stayed in an international five-star hotel, because it had been advertised at a low price. On arrival they were met by a man who took them to the hotel in the hotel coach. They were happy for a while with this courteous service.

However, during their stay they met some domestic tourists who told them that they paid only $30 for their room, whereas they had to pay four times as much for the same type of room. And not only that, on checking out they also found out that they had to pay Rp 250,000 for the transfer from the airport to the hotel. So they decided to take a taxi on their return to the airport and paid only Rp 40,000!

"What a rip-off," they complained and thought that the tourist board should do something about it. As long as there are differences in prices, people are bound to feel cheated.

"Oh my goodness," I thought, there goes the special fare for the krismon victims." I wanted to tell him that these privileges were not forever, but only in these times, to give us the opportunity to spend our holidays in our own country, which most of us would otherwise never do. Instead, he gave me a lecture on how to save the economy by attracting more tourists to flock to our resorts and buy up all our craft products and enjoy the natural beauty of our country.

He went on and on and I was happy when it was time to board the plane. He was traveling first class and I was in the back of the plane with the crowd so I did not have to put up with his lecturing any longer.

Back home another friend told me that he had to go to Singapore. I thought I would do him a favor by telling that a five-star hotel had advertised special rates in their hotels for Indonesian passport holders.

"You will also get a cuddly bear to accompany you at nighttime," I added. Instead, my advice only made him angry.

"Who do you think I am," he said. "Am I from a nation of special rates? Do I have to travel at discount prices with cuddly bears? No, I have my pride, I will go only to places where I pay the same amount as everybody else!"

Judging from his reaction it seems that krismon is not just a monetary crisis. It is also a crisis of identity.

-- Myra Sidharta