Now: for me it is just the biggest hypocrisy ever commented on this site. Look, I mean in one comment you picture Bali as the biggest scum magnet (who is that scum?), but show solidarity and align yourself with ‘bouncers, prostitutes, criminals as your equals‘ , while condemning the Netherlands (what was that for?) and also saying that the Muslim Government of Indonesia has to put up with Bali because of all the scum (not because the 4 Mio. people of Bali operate their Gold mine with 70% of all tourist income in a nation of 250 Mio. people).

I mean, what arguments at all are valid in your eyes, if you put victims at their own fault while erecting statues for criminals as people who just try to make a living? You are running around in circles faster than a hurricane…it’s simply pathetic!

And cc, it’s not about the 3 Dollars, it’s about the principle of letting yourself getting cheated or not.

It all depends as well on the situations and in this regard, the Philippines can be a much more violent country than Indonesia, if only because firearms are so readily available here. Of course I have a liking in both Philippines and Indonesia, and having the above situation happening to me, doesn’t mean necessarily that I don’t know how to avoid dangerous situations and that they always happen to me. If you read that out of the above article, please read again.

The thing what worries me, is that you (and others above) think it is okay, normal or necessary to stay friends and mingle with bouncers, prostitutes and local criminals just to enjoy a good night out in a tourist destination. This sounds like a wrong development to me and I won’t stop putting my finger on situations like that, be it in Bali, Manila, Thailand, Ibiza, Sydney or wherever it might happen….

On topic, what you were doing was a good thing I guess (although me and my companions consciously avoid places known to be places where prostitutes hang out). Common courtesy is always expected wherever you go (in or out of Asia), and gladly for us, the places we hang out with was good enough (we always get VIP treatments- he he he).

If I am going into a venue where I am not known.
1st/ I make sure I am sober enough to make sense of the situation.
2nd/ I always talk to the bouncers or greeters at the door; not just say hi but try to converse with them a little; make light conversation.
3rd/ If I am from the area, I introduce myself as my name followed by what connections I have here; then I introduce my companion/s.
4th/ If I am out of my comfort zone, I will not go inside any venue without someone who knows the place and who I know. I expect the same courtesy from friends taking me out as I give when I take them out.
Regardless of the labelling of women based on behaviour in public; which is rife in Asia whether you like it or not. The above principles apply.
Manners are very important in Asia and I’m sorry if mine online are not what they might be in ‘real’.

2 – I think I am not the one that you should really apologise to but to the millions of Asian women out there who smokes and drinks but are NOT necessarily prostitutes. I do not judge you if you hang out with the prostitutes, but I think it is already quite a non-argument that most of the prostitutes drink, smoke or do drugs or a combination of any these so-called “vices” anywhere in the world – however, I hope it did occur to you that a sample of the population of women who drinks/smokes/do drugs but are not whores doesn’t necessarily hold truth for the entire population. I think your earlier comment was uncalled for. I do not have any problem if the people where you live or associate with considers Asian women who indulge in such vices as of the “loose” kind – however, you cannot speak for the entire population and make such sweeping judgement call. I wouldn’t have had any problem if you have phrased your comment – “Asian women who drink and smoke were considered prostitutes by my immediate family, relatives, close friends (and by myself)” – although that statement was still disagreeable, nonetheless that was your opinion, self-limiting and at least provable. However, saying “..women who drink and smoke in Asia are very often prostitutes.” – now that was some undeserving wallop mate. I hate to go into semantics and I think this discussion is too much of an off-topic conversation already.

Hope that should shed some new light why I (and some other people as well as the owner of this thread) raised hackles about that earlier comment otherwise there is no more use of prolonging this conversation altogether.