Resy

Had the pleasure of chatting with Resy this morning--an employee at my local Starbucks who usually works at night (and I usually come in the morning). Resy is a tall, big-hearted, talkative guy, always full of laughter and smiles. He works at night, when the crowd is heaviest, because he is considered the most able, most efficient employee here. Nonetheless, Resy hopes to quit Starbucks soon. The hours are long, especially at night, when there is extra work to be done after closing, and the pay is nothing to shout about--3 million a month (less than 300 dollars). As a comparison, I lead a fairly simple life, with few outside entertainments or expenditures other than the necessities, and struggle to get by on 6 million a month (and usually fail in that struggle, spending more like 7 million a month). I do buy some unnecessary things--Starbucks coffee, for instance, cigarettes, books--but these things hardly make for an extravagant lifestyle. And I do not need to pay monthly rent, for this is paid per year from already existing funds. 

How do they get by on 3 million a month? I don't know. It may be that some come from wealthy families. In fact, I know that some do. So they may receive assistance from their parents. Most live with friends, thus defraying the cost of rent. When they go out for entertainment, this generally means gathering with friends at someone's house or apartment. The tourist nightspots and restaurants are not part of their experience. They are not likely to even recognize the name of a popular spot in Sanur, for the only Indonesians who go to those places are the ones who work there or the girls who have met white boyfriends. 

Ah, but Resy is young and energetic and eager and bound to succeed. And while he does so, he brings sunshine into the lives of others.