A long time ago here in the United States I lived in duplex shared with my landlord, an old queen who liked to swim naked in our shared pool. Our rental agreement stipulated that we must be OK with public nudity, so it goes. He was a fascinating old coot, though. Every day he would light a small fire and sit and talk out by the pool. I asked him about his habits and he told me, "this is my television."
When I lived in Indonesia, I found that was my "television," too. There was nothing good on, Internet access was crap, there weren't very many good modern distractions. But there were people and stories and visitors and relatives who came whenever they wanted to. Sometimes it was annoying, but ultimately it was satisfying and fundamental and human. My time in Aceh helped me to become a better human not because life was somehow more civilized (often demonstrably not), but because I had fewer distractions and I had more human connections.
I don't want to romanticize kampung life. It's not really easy, locals can be judgmental and nosey, medical care and education are virtually nonexistent. But I think they got a certain human fundamental right, and I attribute that to the greater appearance (veneer?) of harmony I found. I don't know if people in Indonesia are happier than their American peers (I think so, personally), but they seem to be more content and live more satisfying lives.
As we grow older, when we don't have to worry about children's education, when I don't have to take care of my parents, we'll come back to retire. I can prioritize the human connection over a slow decline with modern medicine and living as a shell of myself.
