An International Walk to the Village

Being good tourists, yesterday Chuck and I signed up for the "village walk" from our hotel to the nearest local town here in Bali. We loved walking through the lime green rice fields, learning about cultivation of Bali's biggest crop. With 200 million children in Indonesia, more rice must be imported to feed this growing population. We also enjoyed visiting a local painter's home, seeing his traditional paintings of Balinese dancers. We discovered the motive behind the walk - to sell handicrafts to tourists. Oh well....
But our favorite thing about the walk was meeting our fellow hotel guests. We liked the family from Perth, Australia - 2 professional parents and adopted teenage daughter. But what a special pleasure to meet the Muslim family from Djakarta, 2 parents and their law student son, Dande. Both parents are physicians at the university and Mom always wears a head scarf and clothing from head to toe. Speaking impeccable English, they were able to discuss many things with us such as funny parenting stories. So, it was a surprise to learn that this good family and their friends are unable to visit the U.S. It costs them $150 nonrefundable aplication fee and the application for a visa can be (and is) denied for no reason. All their friends have been denied. These doctors wish to attend a medical seminar in LA to improve and share their medical skills, but "no luck Charlie!" So they have given up.
Once again, traveling has given us a new perspective on our own country. We think of America as a "land of immigrants" and yet we keep out highly skilled, peaceful professionals on the basis of their race or religion (or from fear). Then, one must remember the Islamic terrorist from Ft. Hood to understand a reason for this policy. But is it fair and are we losing something? It goes to show that we live in a connected, but very complicated world.