Bogan Chic and Indonesia's Finest

      You've been to Paris and you've been Boston
      You've been to Fiji and you've been to London
      But you can't impress me
      'Cause I've been to Bali too

      Redgum - "I've been To Bali too"

Right, I've had enough.

So you've been to Bali.  That's fine.... nice place, nice people.  And you come back home with some souvenirs to show off: a sarong or two, a fake Rolex, and, of course, the ubiquitous Bintang singlet.

I don't know if it's a fashion peculiar to Sydney's Northern Beaches, but it does seem to your correspondent that this particular garment is on the way up.  And, in the main, worn by children.

OK. We've long had the VB tee and the Toohey's New towelling hat, so a bit of Asian couture is more than welcome in the bichrome of contemporary beer-wear.

And Bintang itself says a lot about Bali, as an appropriate beer for the climate and the food.  It washes down rendang & gado gado quite nicely.  I wouldn't necessarily serve it up at a beer tasting, but I would be happy to put a six-pack away while sitting on the beach eating satays.

But I would not give it to my children.  Nor would I encourage them to advertise the stuff, regardless of how popular this bogan chic is at school or in the mall.

Which message is louder:  "My Dad took me to Bali" or "My Dad gives me Bintang" ?

So, please, if you MUST show off your Bali trip, buy half a dozen fake Rolexes and give some to your kids.  Just not the Bintang singlet OK ?