Why am I living in Lombok? // The Lombok Life S1 E1 

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W Hi bro where do u live righ now because I am from lombok I Want to see u sometime

Hallo im from lombok

@@istrimu684 hello! Thanks for being here and taking the time to watch :)

Respect bro see ya soon.

Cheers Matthew! You could not be more right with that comment. It's true :) I have put a lot of work in on both those fronts over the past year and it all culminates with being where I am currently. Really looking forward to the future and hopefully, if people watch my stuff, they can take some of those positive vibes with them 👍 thanks for taking the time to watch mate

Thank you bro 😁 I really am feeling that at the moment - completely in my element and just ready to go. And yeah exactly...I think if I put _too_ much thought into things like the analytics and all that jazz, I'll lose sight of why I'm doing it. Got two more that I've already shot, just need to edit them! Thanks for taking the time to watch

Awesome Frank, loving the feedback! It helps me so much. As always, appreciate you taking the time to watch and leave such nice comments :) glad to hear you liked the pie charts hahaha...I didn't know whether they looked a bit crap 😂 lots more to come!

Ah man, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Always been here watching my stuff and taking the time to give support and feedback. Can't appreciate you enough, even though we've not yet met in person 😂 I really hope you'll be able to get out here and visit sometime soon!! Enjoy a Bintang on the beach. Yeah fingers crossed it'll go well. I'm super excited about the year ahead and just ready to see where it all takes me really. Thanks for the thumbnail advice 👍🏻 it's pretty much unanimous from everyone that I should stick with keeping my face in there. Great to hear!

Hey bro 😁 thank you so much! I'm glad you think so. Even though these are 'vlogs', I'm still trying to make them look as beautiful and cinematic as possible. Lombok is such a special place :) got some cool videos lined up in the next few weeks that I think you'll enjoy. Thanks for taking the time to watch

Haha thank you! I appreciate the kind words :) I think the episodes in the rest of the series are more interesting, but yeah this was the introduction and start of me living in Lombok...what a ride it's been

Thanks so much bro :) I really appreciate you taking the time to watch! Lots more on the way 👊

Thank you so much for taking the time to watch them! I'm glad you enjoyed it :) got a few more on the way!

I couldn't agree more. There are so many islands and so many beautiful places to explore here. I'm really looking forward to seeing more :)

Thanks so much man. I really appreciate that :) you're right! It's something I've been thinking a lot about...let's see how I do through 2021 😂 thanks for taking the time to watch

Ah man I'm really happy to read this, thank you for sharing! That's exactly what I was going for - I want it to be a bit of escapism 😁 it's such a difficult time for everyone at the moment - especially back home in the UK. So yeah, I'm just trying to balance that and remain conscious of it. Thanks for taking the time to watch. While we're on the topic - I do think we are on the right path now in the UK. I think by summer, you will all be in a much better place. Keep your head up :)

Thanks so much! I really appreciate you taking the time to watch and it's so cool to hear that the 'original Lombok video' inspired you to go there. That's why I made that video! Yeah hopefully you'll be back here sometime soon 😁

Hey! Thank you very much, I really appreciate the kind words 🙏😁 there is soo much to do here - I can't wait to explore more. Lots more coming soon!

Cheers Liam! Really appreciate it mate :) it's very humbling for me when I think about it all. Thanks for taking the time to watch this

Hey Adam :) thanks so much for the kind words, I really appreciate it mate. That's so nice to hear! A big part of what I do is about motivating and inspiring others to get out there and see the world for themselves. Lots more videos on the way this year 👍 cheers

Cheers Dan! Thanks so much for the kind words here - really appreciate it. I know what you mean 😂 I guess it is a pretty ballsy thing and there's definitely been moments where I doubted it all (probably induced by a worldwide pandemic lol). But yeah I'm out here now and loving every single second. Even if all this fails, it's still a win-win situation for me because of the experiences I'll have banked. I just kind of know that it all leads in the right direction. Hopefully, through this channel I can inspire other people to get out there and give things a go. That's the plan :) great to have you here along for the ride 🤙

@@JoshEdwardsFilms thanks for your reply, I have watched all of your videos and I think you inspire many people. I’m currently travelling and I’m trying to get back into Indonesia myself, I miss this part of the world, especially Lombok. Hopefully immigration will start up again soon

No worries mate :) that's so nice to hear, thank you. It's so frustrating isn't it? I managed to get in through a window of opportunity but it changes every day at the moment. I'm hopeful that perhaps by the end of the year we are going to see some movement. I would really love to have friends and family coming out to visit. Also, a lot of the locals have their livelihoods and business tied up in tourism so, it's difficult to see how many are struggling after a year of no international visitors

Haha thank you very much! I don't think there is any 'wrong' or 'right' way to live life. Everyone has different paths. However, I do think that if you can live your life in accordance to what makes *YOU* happy - then that is the key. As long as you're happy, life is good :) cheers!

Really glad to hear it Sanjeev, thank you so much! 🙏

Hi Lisa! Awesome :) glad that they're helpful for you haha. You'll have a wonderful time here next summer, I have no doubt about it. And yes, very true! I just enjoy poking fun at myself quite a bit - keep myself real and grounded

Thank you very much for the kind words and taking the time to watch 🙏😁 lots more on the way!

Thank you!! Really appreciate it :)

Ah mate thank you so much 🙏🏻 I really appreciate it. And yeah I was stoked on the underwater shots tbh! It's something I want to get a lot better at and improve on. Like, even just buying a red filter and changing some settings on my GoPro produced this, which is definitely my best underwater stuff to date...i guess eventually I'll be looking at some underwater housing for my GH5 😂 I appreciate you taking the time to watch and glad to have you along for the journey 👊🏻

@@JoshEdwardsFilms yeah, underwater housing for the gh5 will take it to the next level! Definitely worth it if you’re going to be shooting lots of underwater stuff. I’m just going through some old underwater GoPro footage at the moment and grading it is such a pain in the ass!

Yeah I think I'm doing my PADI diving certification soon so, I will definitely be out there a lot more. The Underwater housing is sooo expensive man 😂 like, twice as much as the camera itself! But I guess you need that peace of mind when you're 12 meters under haha. And it really is difficult. I had no idea about the loss of colour and dominating blues etc until I did some research recently. Grading GoPro footage can be tough at the best of times already

Thank you bro 🤙 I really appreciate the support :) I am working on the next one at the moment - it is about Gili Air!

Terima kasih banyak! So happy to be back here 😁

Cheers matey! Always appreciate it 😁🙏🏻 hahaha please, don't risk the midnight swim up there. I can't imagine how cold that would be 😂 glad my videos are doing the trick. Working on episodes 2 & 3 at the moment so hopefully, they'll be here soon!

Haha that sounds like a very similar experience to mine! Came to Lombok and never looked back. Such a special place :) thank you for taking the time to watch!

Haha thank you bro, really appreciate you taking the time to watch :) I'm not going to lie, I'm weirdly nervous about this! No idea why 😂 it should be good fun, whatever happens. I'm really looking forward to sharing and documenting more about Indonesia

​@@JoshEdwardsFilmshhah, your honest style compensates for the nervousness. Just call it out and it will be good. I am really curious about the culture and way of life in Lombok. I am staying in Metro City (Sumatra) would be great to compare it to my experience. Every Morning at 5 get woken up by the call to pray. Is it the same in Lombok? What is unusual about life in Lombok? Can't wait to see more.

Thanks for the feedback mate - that's given me some good ideas! I will address some of your questions in future episodes :) but yes it's exactly the same! The 5am call to prayer - I kind of like it haha. And now it no longer wakes me up because I'm used to it. I have two more episodes already filmed that I need to edit and upload - one of them is about the Bau Nyale festival which I'm really excited about...I think it's one of the most unique things in Lombok!

Thank you very much Ahmad, I really appreciate it 😁 lots more on the way!

Hey John! Nice one mate, I really appreciate it :)

Awesome! That's great, hope you have a wonderful time here :) I appreciate you taking the time to watch, thank you

Hey Yanis! Awesome 😁 terima kasih banyak for watching mate, I appreciate it. I hope to explore a lot more of Lombok Timor soon - it is a place I have not really been yet. New videos coming soon!

Thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to watch and glad to hear you enjoyed it 😁 lots more on the way

And thank you for taking the time to watch 😁🙏 I really appreciate it!

Thank you very much, that's really kind! I appreciate you taking the time to watch :)

Terima Kasih! It really is a beautiful place :) feeling very lucky to be here

Thanks for watching bro! Very, very happy to be here :)

My pleasure! I love it here :) terima kasih for taking the time to watch my video 🤙🏻

Haha yes! It really is. I'm loving every second :) thank you so much for the kind words, I appreciate it!

Thank you very much :) I'm really glad to be here. Appreciate you taking the time to watch!

Yes you are! It's a great place to live :) terimakasih! I appreciate you taking the time to watch

Ah mate...why didn't I think of saying that?! 😂 Cheers Emmy - as always, really appreciate you taking the time to watch and leave some great feedback :) it means a lot. I have, absolutely. I've actually shot two more episodes of this and very early on it kinda occurred to me that the most interesting stuff people want to watch is about the culture, the language, the food and the unique stories happening here on the island. Nobody cares too much about what I had for breakfast and beautiful drone footage only works when there's a real story behind it. So yeah - watch this space 😎 I think it's going to be a lot more of a documentary/journalism/storytelling series rather than a classic 'vlog' haha

​@@JoshEdwardsFilms I know you won't disappoint. Can't wait for the next video mate!

Thank you Naoufel, really appreciate it 🤙🏻

Ooh Norway! Very nice. A place I would love to visit some day. How do you find the winter weather compared to Lombok 😂? Thanks for the kind words, I appreciate you taking the time to watch and glad you enjoyed it! The coastal road is amazing. I feel lucky I get to drive it every day now. There are some incredible roads in Norway as well, actually!

@@JoshEdwardsFilms the winter weather is brutal! It doesn’t get too cold where I am actually, but it rains 230 days out of the year so definitely missing that Lombok sun. You’re right though the scenery here is amazing, you should definitely visit Western Norway sometime, I’m sure you’d take some amazing shots of it

@@adlinisjah1061 it's on my list for sure! It sounds just like the UK haha...lots and lots of rain. To be fair, here in Lombok we are just finishing the wet season now as well. Sooo much rain

Norway...omg... I'm from lombok too and norway is like my dream country, but there's no way i could go there or even live there since I'm poor as hell .. 😂😂 btw what are you doing there in norway?, Do you work there or what?

Hey! Thanks so much for taking the time to watch my stuff - I really appreciate the support. I know how you feel...it is super frustrating. But don't worry, Lombok is still here :) it's not going anywhere. When the time is right, you can visit and it will feel amazing! I hope by the end of this year perhaps people can visit? It's hard to know

Thank you very much, glad you enjoyed it! Appreciate you taking the time to watch. I have a new one going live this Friday 😁

Hopefully you can come back soon!!

Thanks Michael, I really appreciate you taking the time to watch :) glad you enjoyed!

Hey Kevin, awesome! Thanks so much for taking the time to watch :) great choice to move here haha...fingers crossed the borders are properly open again sometime soon. Let me know when you're here!

Thank you very much James, really appreciate you taking the time to watch and the kind words! I have a new one from Lombok going live this Friday :)

Hello! Thanks for taking the time to watch :) I really appreciate it. Hope to visit Surabaya at some point!

Terima Kasih Nanda :) happy to be here!

Thank you very much El, really appreciate you taking the time to watch and glad to hear you've enjoyed 😁

Fingers crossed it'll be some time soon Harry! I missed it a lot too - feels great to finally be here again. Nice choice of location with your land 😎 thank you for taking the time to watch!

Terima kasih! I appreciate you taking the time to watch :) got lots more on the way soon

Thanks so much Ben, really appreciate that mate :) I'm doing my best! And hopefully you guys can enjoy a holiday here next year. Yeah December can be a little wet, but I found that even during the wet season, the weather was pleasant enough in the mornings until the afternoon when the rain would break. So I don't think it's a deal breaker

Hey Adhi! Thank you so much for taking the time to watch :) I'm glad to hear that you enjoy watching! North Lombok is a beautiful part of the island - Pandanan beach is one of my favourites for sure. I have a few more videos coming soon that hopefully you will like 😁

Hahaha yeah I keep telling my mates and family that - cus we're in the wet season it feels a lot like the UK 😂 I tell them they're not missing too much. Thanks so much mate, I really do appreciate it! I find that once I'm in the groove with filming myself, I can go full flow and it just 'works'. But sometimes i feel so rusty and it's difficult to find the groove initially. You should seem the amount of outtakes I have on some projects haha. Got a few more episodes I've already filmed so guess I need to start editing them 😬

@@JoshEdwardsFilms god I know that feeling too well mate. Much like social media posts being a highlights reel like you said. It’s also easy to think that other people’s work looks so effortless - when really the good stuff rarely is effortless to make. I’m sure you’ll find your flow now that you have time on your side 😊

Yes 100% haha - of course everyone's finished edit looks polished! I can't believe how much work I put in to this one upload actually...may need to taper that back if I want to try upload more frequently 😂 cheers mate. Hope you're well

The best place! SO happy to be back here :) thank you for taking the time to watch

Ya, baik! Dan kamu?? Thank you for taking the time to watch :) I really appreciate it

Terima kasih!

Thanks for taking the time to watch :) I really appreciate it!

Thank you very much! Always trying to improve with the drone stuff. It's one of my favourite parts of filmmaking :)

Haha some things never change eh 😂 I think every wet season seems to be causing problems there. They're currently fixing it but no doubt when the rain starts again.... Thanks for watching Keith 👍🏻 appreciate it

Thanks so much mate, I appreciate you taking the time to watch and also leaving such nice feedback in the comment. The road is unreal - I think I'll make a full video about it at some point this year :) and thank you for the road recommendations! They sound really cool so I've made a note of them. It's funny - I was literally just reading an article about Lake Toba today. It looks like a really awesome place. While I'm here in Indonesia I'm hoping to visit a lot of the different islands and explore...there's so much out there!! And yes, I know all about the Kristen Gray case lol. It actually made me a bit paranoid and I felt weird talking about all of that stuff, but I wanted to address why I'm here and what I'm up to. I'm learning a lot about Indonesia every day and I would like to dive into some of the issues that were brought to light by that case - particularly the whole 'westerner living in an SE Asian country because it's cheaper' thread. Not enough people from the west take the time to ask or think about why it's so much cheaper and what the impacts of all of this are. It's a very important thing to be aware of. Anyway, I could talk a lot about all of this haha. Thank you for the support, it means a lot 😁🙏🏻 hopefully you'll find the next few uploads really interesting! I want to share the real stories of what's happening on the island and just show people around the world how awesome Lombok and Indonesia is 🤙🏻

​@@JoshEdwardsFilms ​ I read they already built, and still building more and more of this hq asphalt roads - asbuton, as we called it. Not quite 99% asphalt like the 10km pilot project in North Sulawesi but a lot better than the usual leftover oil or plastic asphalt. I'm also not a petrolhead(?) but find the joy in driving such underrated in the world of 'travelling'. My wife is a foreigner, and altho we are occasionally on a limbo due to the lack of clarity of rules and information about visa, tax, working law, etc, we would always make sure that we are not contributing to this bribing, corruption or bending rules practices. The very least we can do. She's now here both on family vitas (or kitas) and business visa (not to confuse it with working visa). Once or twice, the bureaucracy got her so frustrated she almost opted for easier solution like corrupt visa agent. But, its kinda my job to remind her of the long term consequences and ethics involve. What I'm trying to say is that, me and many friends of mine, we have no problem of foreigners (westerner or whatever) using the power of their currency to live a good life here. Yeah, there is always questions about gentrification, neo-colonialism, priveleges, etc but those are practically too big for us to tackle individually. The least we can do as individual is to always follow the law and not contributing to the already existing market of corrupt officials. To break the circling chains of corruption, so to speak. Hopefully by that, this country can attract the 'right' kind of foreigners. Haha..such tough subject to engage in youtube comment. On a lighter note, for you and your subs here are gstreetviews of the aforementioned roads: goo.gl/maps/2CVUUYuvii94q3dk8 (Tele to Toba) goo.gl/maps/GBFrzz2Hz4PUrykC8 (Kelok sembilan) goo.gl/maps/SUmew2HocxefWDbF6 (Gunung Kidul/southeast Jogja) goo.gl/maps/sVVnwJuUmhD3U6zR8 (Trans Sulawesi)

Hahaha yes - it's such a big topic that we could probably talk about for hours over a food and drinks. I really appreciate you taking the time to reply though :) I think what you have said is exactly right! Even now I hear about people managing to enter the country on a 'working visa' because they found an agent who was able to set it up for them. We used a great visa agent here in Lombok who was able to help us with all the paperwork involved in the kitas - I'm so grateful for his help. Really good guy who knew how to navigate and handle the system. It's our responsibility to do the right thing and set an example. I think the Indonesian government could do a lot to help tidy up the laws and make things easier and clearer for everyone on all sides...but I am not the Indonesian government so it does no good to theorise here 😅 Thanks so much for sharing the Google Map locations of these roads, that's awesome! I think there's real joy in driving on roads that not many other people in the world know about yet. When you find a route in stunning scenery and have it all to yourself. It's a great feeling. Even on a small 150cc scooter haha

Awesome mate - thanks for taking the time to watch my videos and leave a comment, always appreciate it and am glad that these videos can give you a little reminder of this beautiful place. I know the place you're on about yeah, nice spot. Hope you'll be back here sooner rather than later! At the moment, Senggigi is really quiet because of the pandemic, it's really strange.

Thanks Justin! Really happy to be here :) appreciate you taking the time to watch

Terima kasih! I'm so happy to be here and can't wait to explore more. Thanks for taking the time to watch :)

Hey Adrian - thank you very much for taking the time to watch and leaving such a nice comment :) appreciate it!

Thank you! I'm so lucky to be here :) it's really nice to be back. A great place to call home

I wanted to meet friends but now I am in Malaysia and can't go back to Lombok

Awesome :) I love Lombok! Thanks for taking the time to watch, I really appreciate it

😁🙏

And I am very, very grateful to hear it! Cheers Martin, thanks for taking the time to watch :) hopefully gunna keep these rolling out through the year

Thanks bro! Got a few more on the way :) and that's great!! I hope you have a good time man. It's such a beautiful island

Ah amazing!! Thanks so much for taking the time to watch - that's awesome :) hope you enjoyed. I have a lot more planned and on the way

Thanks very much for watching, I appreciate it and glad you enjoyed 😁 got lots more on the way this year! They take a while to produce and edit. And haha yeah don't worry, me and Leyla are always joking around

Thanks Zul! I appreciate you taking the time to watch and support 🙏😁

@@JoshEdwardsFilms so many destinasion you must visit, cek my ig zul_karna for referensi 😁🙏

Haha thank you!! I appreciate you taking the time to watch 🙏😁

The best 😁

And thank you for taking the time to watch :) I really appreciate it and glad you enjoyed watching! The beach is called Nipah beach

Thanks very much James! Appreciate you taking the time to watch :) glad you enjoy 'em. Right now I'm producing a second series of The Lombok Life (hopefully be uploaded here later this year) and then after that yep, will look into doing something other videos like this one that people often request 👍 it's definitely boring, but I appreciate that it can be quite useful for people.

@@JoshEdwardsFilms great stuff, I'm trying to convince my wife that Lombok could be a good place for us to take some extended time out and visit, keep the videos coming.

@@JamesWhite1 I'm biased, having been here almost two years, but can't recommend it enough! It sounds like a good plan 😎

Yes, a lot of people say that! It feels like it. Thank you 😁🙏🏻 appreciate you taking the time to watch

Thank you very much, appreciate the kind words :)

Hahaha, this is a great comment. Thank you! I will take that very nice compliment :) appreciate you taking the time to watch my video

For sure bro - I am planning to explore lots more of the east :) I've never been that way before so it should be really interesting!

@@JoshEdwardsFilms can't wait for that episode 😁

Me too! So happy to be here :) thank you for watching

And thank you for taking the time to watch 😁🙏 I really appreciate it! I feel very lucky to be living here in such a wonderful place

@@JoshEdwardsFilms I recommend you to take a real local tour to get the best experience living in Lombok, the people here is the most friendly people in the world.

Terima kasih!! Appreciate you taking the time to watch :)

Impossible! There is so much here :)

Thank you!

It really is! Happy to be here :)

I hope so too Johan! Fingers crossed borders will open sooner rather than later. Nusa Penida is an amazing island btw - I will be making a film about that at some point this year. Thanks for watching mate 👊

@@JoshEdwardsFilms of course, love your vids.. by next June it should be open..I hope at least :) Yeah mate, will defo hook you up for tips about Lombok if we coming there next summer :)

Thanks man! It means a lot to hear that 🙏 and yes I think June 2022 - I HOPE that it is okay by then. I'm optimistic that it will be

Good song hey bro? It is called 'Back To You' by Utah

Thanks Max, I really appreciate that :) glad you enjoyed, and hope you'll have a great stay on the island this month! I think both have equally good options for pristine & quiet beaches. Kuta is more lively at the moment with more options for food and Senggigi quieter/laid back. The beach I visited here is on the coast north of Senggigi, before Bangsal. There's a few like this that you'll find as you drive along. Hope that helps!

Thanks bro!! Enjoying every second 😁🙏 thanks for taking the time to watch

Thank you Ridha! I appreciate the support 👊

Hey man, thank you very much! I Really appreciate you taking the time to watch :) I hope you can get back here soon. It has been a strange few years but I think 2022 will be a better year for travel. They have PLENTY of mosques here in Lombok yes - everywhere you look haha. I think there is a nickname like 'the island of 1000 mosques'. You will always hear the call to prayer. It's quite beautiful in my opinion

@@JoshEdwardsFilms my wife and I visited Lombok back in the late 90s... Beautiful! It was sooo quiet apart from the hawkers on the beach hahaha. I became muslim in Sunda Kelapa mosque Jakarta in 1999 just before marrying my wife. When we go to Indonesia we stay south of Jakarta and I love to stand outside at maghrib time and hear the sounds of the athan from every direction. I didn't realise Lombok was a majority muslim island being so close to Bali... I'm looking through your videos and will be eagerly waiting for the latest vlogs. If you want any advice on learning bahasa I'm happy to share some tips. In fact I'm planning to make a video on it... I'm by no means perfect but I can hold my own :-D

Ahh lovely! I would've loved to see what it was like back in the late 90s. I suppose living here through the pandemic has given me a good glimpse at how quiet and laidback it can be without lots of visitors. And yes that is one of the beauties of Indonesia - so much diversity with different religions, races and cultures all living together in relative harmony. It's very interesting. And thanks so much for taking the time to watch my stuff, I really appreciate it :) I am doing my best to learn bahasa at the moment so any tips are appreciated! I have a long way to go haha

Nice! May is usually a good time with the weather. That's a beach on the coast between Senggigi and Bangsal - if you drive along there you'll find plenty to choose from :) all of them are pretty sweet!

Thanks mate, really appreciate it! And yes I think we have spoken on Instagram - I remember. It's a tough one isn't it. I feel very disillusioned with everything going on in the UK at the moment and I have little faith it's heading in the right direction. Indonesia seems like the one for now. Of course, things can change throughout our lifetimes! Thanks for taking the time to watch my stuff :)

@@JoshEdwardsFilms you are welcome. We enjoy watching them, we really enjoy perspective on things. How have you been adapting to life in Indonesia as a bule? (I think I spelt that right haha). We are lucky to have the options of countries to live in, we just need to make sure that me and my wife do not leave it too late if we decide to go.

Haha yes, bule is correct! I'm absolutely loving it to be honest :) I think it definitely helped me having visited here a few times already and knowing what to expect. There was still a learning curve and adjustment to be made but I feel very much at home right now! And yeah you're right - we're super fortunate to have options. I think if you want to do it, the just started processing visa applications again!