Indonesia-- try it! (part 1)

Indonesia--- not just Bali, although you can’t ignore that beautiful place. The vast archipelago stretches thousands of kilometres from East to West with more than 20,000 islands. It is a land of many cultures and many religions. It may be described as the world’s largest Islamic nation, but it actually has more Christians than Australia and New Zealand, combined. Indonesia is an awakening giant, economically. Over the next few years this diverse country is going to make its presence felt. We in New Zealand need to discover this reality, just like Australia has, but for very different reason.

Indonesia is Australia’s nearest large nation, a fact that they are struggling to come to terms with. There are serious stumbling blocks, like ‘people smuggling’ that need to be addressed as well as a huge market. This is where NZ needs to make plans for a possible bonanza in our bilateral trade relationship. Hopefully this is a two way process.

For many years we have been travelling to Bali, apart from when the focus was on the terrible bombings that killed and maimed so many, most of them local people. Recently the Indonesian Government appears to have gained the upper hand in the struggle against internal and foreign inspired terrorist attacks. Jakarta, the crazy, colourful and increasingly tourist focused capital is home to many expats, living and working in the sprawling city. In the space of a decade, there has been massive change and improvement in infrastructure. Big business is alive and well.

Look beyond Jakarta and Bali and the choice is mindboggling. Thousands of beautiful islands are crying out for tourists. Yes, the services, away from the main resorts may be basic, but read---- cheap. Your dollar will go a long way. Even in the main tourist resorts, you won’t break the bank. Plan your trip well, make sure you have good medical insurance and maybe employ the services of a guide (very reasonably priced) and driver and you will be fine.

Indonesians want tourists. As this huge country grows, expect to see the choices available blossom, along with the economy. The smiles will be genuine and if you want to communicate, it is not hard to find an English speaking local, keen to try out their language skills.                          

PC--- yeah right on--go for it Pack and Save!

There have been many instances of PC gone mad in NZ and elsewhere of late, but the example I am going to send up now takes the prize.

Did any of you see the advert for 'Meat Lovers Week,’ put out for Pack and Save supermarkets?  If you live outside NZ, just Google it or stick it in Utube. I am sure you can play around with the words and it’s sure to come up.

I believe in fair play and I am a pretty tolerant sort of guy. Hell, I need to be in my job. However, every so often I get my dander up when various groups respond to an add on TV that is having fun. Yes, it is about selling things, but why not have a laugh while you are doing it?

Picture this: It is in cartoon format. A line of meat is flowing before the camera; all the cuts and different products, because the adverts are about meat. Yes I’m a meat eater and anything else that takes my fancy---- even tofu! A sausage- like apparition joins the line-up. The ‘voice over’ asks vegetarians to look away.  You can imagine the rest.

Wouldn’t you know it? There was an outcry from a small, tiny, minuscule set of tragic vegetarians. Now I don’t say that lightly, because many of my colleagues are veggies and even they thought the advert was funny. Come-on folks---- chill out! So your feelings were hurt------ Give me a break. Why don’t you start to worry about other issues that really matter?

For example--- take those creeps who hurt animals. All the research says that they are likely to hurt their children or their partners. There’s even evidence that suggest there is a link between men who seek a substitute for punishing/abusing their partners by torturing animals. Maybe the efforts of groups fighting family violence is beginning to work--- unfortunately for the pets, they become the innocent victims. Now you lot--- get your teeth into that or some other issue that counts.

The powers that be responded to the call to take the adverts off (they did for a while) and meaty hell broke loose in the talkbacks and general media. Common sense returned and the advert returned with another little twist in its tail. Go find out.

Laugh, love and be happy.

The Courier came at 6--I wish!

There is a business opportunity out there that is begging for someone to pick it up. Here’s why.

Now we all know and hate it when just as we are sitting down to dinner, the phone rings and you have to endure some twat impinging on your good nature. It will either be a survey (often just an excuse to soften you up for a more aggressive sales pitch) or a salesperson trying to sell you something. Yes most are probably legitimate, but many of us have experienced the ‘scam’ calls from many parts of the world. The computer scam example springs to mind,

These visits and calls can come in multiples and by the time we get pisses off enough to really show our feelings, our solitude has been totally compromised. Now, to my main reason for this blog.

Have you ever purchased something on line and arranged and paid for the courier to deliver it? Silly you, silly me! I am well over this way of conducting my online purchases for the following reason. Almost inevitably, the courier comes the next day and guess what? ---- You are not there. You actually have a job and don’t employ a maid to keep your house pristine and your meals prepared. What happens next?

You go online to arrange delivery at your work, but that is not always well received by many of your employers--- right? Perhaps you just accept that the best way is to go and pick up the item at the ‘depot, which is often across town and you then have to battle peak hour traffic. The alternative is to wait until Saturday morning and then you must prove who you are with photo ID and pick it up yourself. If you have paid to do all of this, then you must be left with the question----‘Why the bloody hell am I putting myself through this--? ---- and I am paying for the privilege!’

Maybe I am missing something here and one of you will get off your chuff and tell me so. Good--- I may finally get some feedback and it will be very welcome. I believe that there is a business opportunity here--- waiting for some keen entrepreneur (not me) to fill a gap.

Why doesn’t an existing firm or a clever new one operate their deliveries at a more sensible time, so that ‘buyers’ who are anxiously waiting for their purchases can actually get it in , ‘what I call’ (Sorry Miranda) a reasonable time. Take the fact that we are mostly at home, or someone is, at six in the evening, and can thereby take delivery of the said item. I am sure that the courier driver who delivers such purchases will receive a much better welcome than the other callers. Indeed they should feel free to push the others aside and be the recipient of our utmost gratitude.

One could also opt for such a service so that –yes--- the company can continue to operate during the day, but with much less wastage of fuel and therefore save our planet at the same time.

Make sense? --- I hope so.  Bring it on!

COME ON FOLKS!---- HELP ME MAKE THIS ONE GO GLOBAL. i REALLLLLLLLY DO GET PISSSED OFF WITH THE SITUATION AS I DESCRIBED IT.

I had an afterthought (an increasing trend lately). The reason I attempt online shopping is because I make an assumption that it is more convenient and less time consuming. I also assume that when they say that an item will be supplied overnight, then that is great too. Silly me. It is now Thuesday morning and the 'item' may be delivered to a Post Shop' near me by Friday afternoon. Damn--- I could have walked down to Dick Smith in Onuhunga and saved the planet and had my new Kindle the same day.

I felt like cr--- today---- heheheheh (maniacal laugh!) I picked somemushrooms yesterday and had them in an omlette---- oops--- shouldn't have done that--I'm sure one was different. you can gues the rest!
I snet Rio down to Post Shop---- and yet the damn Kindle was finaly there. Hey I only orfered it on Monday and here it is friday and me at home from work--- with mushroom aided consequentional results---- no I'm not high--- just feeling abit shi-----y.