David's AW News: I'm Sorry Mom / Visiting the loom ladies / SO ANGRY

Greetings from Bali, Indonesia.

Where it is still raining everyday, but still beautiful.

Yesterday I spent time at the beach office, our digital marketing team workplace. I was a little bit surprised to see a warship floating just off the coast. I sent a picture to ChatGPT and it told me it was a Russian warship equipped with hypersonic missiles. It's a strange world we live in. Wheels turning not reported in western media, but Erdogan the Turkish president was in Indonesia. Last week when Bondhan and I flew back from Java, as we came into land our captain announced there had been VIP movements and that we and 15 other planes had been put into a holding pattern and for more than an hour we circled on high, coming into land so late I missed my appointment at the immigration office in Denpasar. (that's another story).

Presidents and warships in Bali.. big wheels turning.

Last week I was telling you about our trip to the mystical forests of the Genitri trees - where the natural beads known as the tears of Shiva originate - and doing business that we was warned could upset the Chinese and Indian mafia. If you missed it you can catch up here.

After that adventure, we drove back along the coast to Jogjakarta stopping off to see our giant statue supplier. Discussed adding more products, what do you think about life size dinosaurs?

Can you sell these? You can find them in our website. It's possible to earn €200 plus per sale. Check them out here.

Next stop Pekalongan

Then we crossed the island on the almost new motorway, eventually arriving at the small city of Pekalongan. This area is famous for textile production, with hundreds of small home industry type operations often specialising in a particular craft. We booked into the towns Aston hotel, always safe and good standard hotel, like a Premier Inn in UK. Except we were in for an interesting surprise.

This hotel was a unique concept hotel, a Syariah concept hotel for strict pious religious types.. in practice this was 24/7 prayers piped to the lobby from the hotels mosque, in the lift, in the corridors and I discovered even in the room. There was like a dimmer switch by the bed where you could turn the sound down.. but not completely off. All night long that sound rattling around in my head, very strange. But the staff were delightful, couldn't do enough for us. The rooms were really high standard, even an AI assistant you could talk to in English and order room service, the hotel had a swimming pool and gym.. but of course strictly segregated. Other guests were wondering around in full religious dress with multiple wives in tow.  Interesting. Even Bondhan (who is culturally Muslim) said it was the strangest experience.

Bondhan had lost his room key card and they charged us €5 for a new one.. but when we checked out this lady apologised and gave us back the money.. she said she was so happy to have a foreign guest in the hotel, and did I have any feedback. So smiley and nice, picture? yes no problem.

We spent two days with our supplier there, he already supplies us with Mandala Sarongs, and when we placed our order for summer season 2025, he prompted him to open a new factory space. And invited us along to see the very first production item, considering it good luck to have a guest at the birth of production.

Me with the boss and two of his artisans, and the very first production pieces. Good luck guys!

We ordered a number of new items.. including some woven scarves, which he finished with dramatic colours in his home production. His son and an ex-con work in a upper room, skilfully producing artisan designs.

His tattoo says "I'm Sorry Mum" - the boss told us he is a reformed bad boy and gave him a job. He was a nice guy taking great pride in his work, showing us the whole process. In a day they can make about 120 pieces.

The boss was delighted, his face lit up when we told him we wanted to order, because he said the village collective where he sources the woven material had no orders right now and desperately needed the business. Would we like to see? Yes of course.. lets go.

The Loom Village

We drove out of town to a village area, he explained that the village had five little loom shops, where all the ladies of the village worked. The head of the village received orders and distributed the business evenly around. He led us down a little alley way and an empty loom shop to show us what it was like.. Like nothing had changed in a hundred years, except now instead of cotton they weave with pine tree pulp rayon. Making a super soft and light material.

After showing us the loom workshop, he took us to a little store and showroom, after a while lots of ladies started appearing. Then started to get excited and very jolly. Our guy had told them we had come to order and give them work. They all gathered around wanting to take pictures with me. One lady explained that in 50 years I was the first foreign person to come into the village and want to see the looms.  They were so grateful and happy to be given a chance.. a few days later they was already joyfully in production and the village head sent us videos of the production in full swing. 

I hope when the products finally arrive I guess by June or July you will support these ladies by stocking there scarves.

It's Outrageous!

Meanwhile I learned something truly terrible.. did you know that TEMU sends to the UK alone around 1500 cargo planes a month?. The carbon footprint experts say is 100 times that of goods sent by shipping container. And the goods are sent using a tax and standards loophole known as the "de minimis loophole". They pay no import duty! And no taxes! Yes TEMU's parent company, PDD Holdings, is headquartered in Ireland for international operations, which means that UK revenues are processed through Ireland rather than being taxed directly in the UK.

Do the maths and I figure they are stealing around 15-20% of your sales. Thus reducing your profits and the taxes you would have paid on the.. a double whammy for the exchequer. It's not just taxes, Trading Standards give us ridicules hoops to jump through almost every week something new.. whilst TEMU and the like can literally fly 777's around those standards.

100x Carbon Footprint

Billions of your lost sales & our taxes 

Dodgy substandard totally uncontrolled goods in the hands of our children. I'm mean WTF!!

I got myself so angry I started a petition.. maybe if enough people sign.. we can get some publicity and get something done. Here in Indonesia, they banned the app almost as soon as it launched here. Other countries also stopped it or tariff taxed it. Slow and dopy Britain.. need to wake up and act fast. PLEASE SIGN MY PETITION  Tax TEMU protect UK traders.

OK calm down.. I need to do some breathing exercises and a touch of Yoga..

Gift of the Year!

Delighted that one of our products has made the final of Gift of the Year..

Although I can't believe our Hop Hare products didn't make it also.. in my humble opinion much better than other finalists..

So while you are in a signing things frame of mind.. PLEASE ADD YOUR VOTE.. Thank you so much!

Wishing you a lovely stress free relaxing week.

More news next week.

David