Michael Setiawan (piano)
Kevin Yosua (bass)
Joshua Setiawan (drum)
Reynold Banea (guitar)
Bali, famed for its multi-tiered paddy fields and strong agricultural society, will have fewer farmers and a small new generation of farmers leaving the island's agricultural sector in dire straits, a census revealed.
The agriculture census has been recently completed by Bali Statistics Agency.
The census revealed that in the 10-year period between 2003 and 2013, farming households in Bali decreased by around 83,494 households, or 8,400 households every year, an annual decrease of 1.84 percent.
In 2003, Bali had 491,725 farming households, while 10 years later, in 2013, that had fallen to only 408,229 households.
Luh Kartini, professor of agriculture at Udayana University, said that Bali's tourism used art, culture and tradition as famous lures.
"But the real essence of Balinese culture is based on the island's agricultural society," the professor said, adding that spiritual and cultural tourism would be soon lose ground.
"Such tourism will not exist in the future," stated Kartini.
"Balinese Hindus perform entire rituals to pay their respects to the earth and its abundant harvests," she said.
The present reality was dismaying as farmers and the agricultural sector received inadequate attention and protection from downstream to upstream, the scholar argued.
The government, she said, should assist the farmers, ranging from the procurement and distribution of seeds and fertilizers, to pre- and post-harvest handling, including marketing harvests.
"Rocketing prices for food, cost of living and education have forced farmers to leave their profession to find other jobs," noted Kartini.
To make things worse, farmers were selling their land to outside investors, who would later convert it into business and housing complexes.
"When the rice fields are sold, farmers will stop performing rituals related to their properties—meaning that the tradition will be extinct forever," the professor said.
Pan Marwan is one of the poor farmers possessing only less than one hectare of paddy field (2,500 square meters) in Badung regency.
"I have had to gradually sell part of my rice field because of the burden of daily necessities," Marwan said. The farmer said he could not afford to send his children to school if he worked as a farmer.
"Now with a smaller plot of land, I cannot grow paddy. I have had to change to fast-growing crops, like seasonal fruit and vegetables. This also means that we do not have to perform elaborate rituals related to subak tradition,"
Marwan said.
In Balinese agricultural society, farmers are required to conduct rituals at every step of their cultivation process. The day they sow the seeds must start with certain rituals. During harvest season, the rituals are much more elaborate.
In other prominent areas, like Tabanan and Gianyar, the island's rice baskets, the number of people willing to work in the agricultural sector is also decreasing sharply.
The rapid growth of the tourism and business sectors has led to many farmers giving up their ancestral lands.
In Denpasar, only 6,000 households are still working their land.
The agriculture census has been conducted six times across Indonesia.
T
delMango Villa Estate in Bali. Source: Supplied
A CONTEMPORARY, eco-friendly villa estate opens in Bali's Seminyak.
Bali's just opened delMango Villa Estate might incorporate traditional materials such as recycled teak, bamboo and volcanic stone but the aesthetic is resolutely contemporary, defined by curvy white walls, avant-garde furniture, in-room iPads and hand-woven Japanese fabrics.
Acclaimed Balinese architect Yoka Sara has combined with interior designer Nobuyuki Narabayashi (a former creative director at the pioneering Japanese design group Super Potato), to create an eco-oasis — and one of the Design Hotels group's newest members — in the heart of buzzy Seminyak.
Twelve self-contained villas are linked by recycled timber decks and each features a well-equipped kitchen, private swimming pool and garden, and luxe bathroom complete with a tub built for two and indoor/outdoor monsoon showers.
Proprietors Ronny Tome and Mario Hintermayer have deployed local materials wherever possible and eco-savvy design elements, including the extensive use of cross-ventilation and natural light, throughout.
Villas are available in one, two and three-bedroom configurations and some can be linked by a sliding wall panel on the pool deck to provide a very large, more sociable space for families or groups of friends.
Bedrooms are air-conditioned and include a king-sized bed, 42-inch smart TV, complimentary WiFi and the services of a 24/7 concierge.
An all-day dining restaurant is located on the upper floor of the main reception building, a sexy, curved structure made almost entirely from bamboo.
WHERE TO EAT
Executive chef Ida Bagus Alit Sugiarta, who began his career with Aman Resorts in Bali more than two decades ago, oversees the Estate's all-day dining MANGOlia Restaurant, specialising in Indonesian and vegetarian fare. Signature dishes include sop bontut (oxtail soup) and black garlic risotto. And don't miss the pastries.
Out and about, check out SIP, a charming French brasserie on Jalan Raya Seminyak or DeJaVu on Jalan Arjuna. Just around the corner from the Estate you'll find a small Sumatran warung (casual food stall) that's very popular with expats.
DON'T MISS
Unwinding in the spa where a specialist magnetic resonance therapy, full body fish spa and aquatic stretching treatment are just some of the innovative menu options. Take home some mango-infused lotions. (The spa building opens October but in the meantime in-villa treatments are available.)
STAND-OUT FEATURE
The private pools are non-chlorinated and lined with Java stone. Timber decks are recycled and each villa garden is shaded, as the retreat's name suggests, by a mango tree.
CONCIERGE'S TIP
Bad hair day? Pop by Manik, the only Australian-owned and operated hair salon in Bali.
BEST RATE
Villas from $US350 plus tax.
More: + 62 361 73 11 78; www.designhotels. com.
via bali - www.theaustralian. com. au/travel/delmango-villa-estate-bali/story-fnd548ar-1226706659809
Then opposition leader Tony Abbott meets President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta last year. Picture: Stuart McEvoy Source: TheAustralian
TONY Abbott got off to a good start in building trust and a good working relationship with Indonesia. His telephone conversation last week with Indonesia's President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has set the scene for both countries to co-operate in the implementation of the Coalition's "turn back the boats" policy.
Indonesia knows good relations between our two countries are critical at this time throughout the region, and particularly as both the US and China are now positioning themselves as the regional superpower.
The danger for Australia's new government, however, is that Indonesia has a democratic electoral system as robust as that in Australia. As Indonesia now heads into its own national pre-election period, a "turn back the boats" policy could easily become a strong point of nationalism in Indonesia used by opposition parties, for domestic political purposes, to portray Australia as the big and arrogant southern neighbour.
And the suggestion by Abbott that Australia would buy old fishing boats and pay village wardens to "dob in" people-smugglers is seen by most Indonesians - including senior government officials - as silly and quite offensive.
Abbott will therefore need to handle this matter with great skill and diplomacy because at some stage, if the Coalition desires to build a deeper relationship with this emerging giant of 240 million people on our doorstep, the focus will need to move beyond not only the "boats", but also beyond the other two dominant issues that suck oxygen out of the larger and more significant issues facing our two countries: beef and Bali.
The term "Beef, Boats and Bali" was coined on the recent ABC Q&A program was filmed live in Jakarta. It was a phrase that did in a way summarise how many Australians see our relationship with Indonesia; a relationship built upon misperceptions, fear and a narrow community mindset trapped in a 20-year-old time warp.
The Prime Minister and his Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, may therefore, as a first step, take a look at a snapshot of how Australians view today's Indonesia. The recent survey conducted within Australia by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade revealed a community perception of Indonesia that is insightful but disturbing in its misunderstanding of our near neighbour:
* 50 per cent see Indonesia as a military threat to Australia.
* 53 per cent see Indonesia as having an undemocratic political system.
* 50 per cent see Indonesia as having laws based on the Islamic code.
* 20 per cent of Australians see Bali as an independent nation, and the two words most associated with Indonesia were "holidays" and "Muslims".
Ironically, very few Australians see Indonesia as it really is: the absolute opposite of the above. These misperceptions are often fuelled by politicians who seem to focus only on the "three Bs", and also some sections of our electronic media, who appear interested only in the latest Bali holiday disaster.
The second thing Bishop should consider doing is to attend the inaugural Conference of Australia & Indonesia Youth in Canberra next month.
Thirty youth leaders from both countries will attend this event, which has the appropriate title, "Our turn to decide". They are right, as these young people can provide our Foreign Minister with an honest and achievable vision for the future, and some good starting points.
These could include making it easier for youth to move more freely between our respective shores; to be able to work, holiday and learn without bureaucratic red tape that makes it simply too hard at present for many young people.
We need to see how more young people from Indonesia can undertake temporary work here in the hospitality and tourism sectors, and how young Australians can live and study in Indonesia.
In this regard the Coalition's reverse Colombo Plan is an excellent initiative. As part of the review of our foreign aid budget for Indonesia, we need to ensure the focus is on how to lift the living standards and education of young people. Indonesia is already No 3 in the world for Facebook usage and No 2 for Twitter, yet online banking using smartphone technology is almost non-existent.
Their youth are hi-tech savvy, but the country's internet infrastructure is run down and outdated.
Here is an opportunity for Australia to make a difference.
So while the immediate challenge for Abbott and Bishop will be about turning around the boats, there must be a broader agenda to completely review the relationship to move beyond the cliche of needing to build closer ties because without a coherent plan they become just words.
The Indonesia Strategy as developed by DFAT provides the framework for a substantial upgrading of the bilateral relationship. Australia and Indonesia are very different in many respects, but we are also natural partners.
Therefore the sooner we start to look beyond Beef, Boats and Bali, the sooner we will genuinely strengthen the relationship, starting by re-focusing on our young people, language skills, technology and exchange programs. Then business, cultural and educational opportunities will flow to benefit both countries and the region.
It's a matter of whether Abbott and Bishop are willing to seriously invest in a new and more vibrant relationship with our close - and very youthful - neighbour.
All the indications are that they will.
Ross Taylor is chairman of the Indonesia Institute (Inc) and Australia's 2013 "Presidential Friend of Indonesia".
via bali - Google News www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/taking-relations-beyond-beef-boats-and-bali/story-e6frg6zo-1226723686853
On Monday, September 23, Indonesia’s President Yudhoyono will officially declare open Bali’s first, panoramic 12.7 km toll road between the island’s Ngurah Rai Airport and Nusa Dua and Benoa harbor, of which 10 km sweeps across the beautiful Benoa Bay passing over mangrove forests, confirmed Minister of State Enterprises, Dahlan Iskan. Also officially opened will be Bali’s expanded airport, where its new International Arrival Hall already started operations smoothly on Thursday, September 19, without glitches.
Also ready are the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center and the Bali International Convention Center in Nusa Dua, as are 22 hotels at Nusa Dua, Tanjung Benoa, Sawangan, Legian, Kuta and Sanur, and other locations to accommodate heads of state and officials, CEOs and international media.
Some 5,000 to 7,000 delegates are expected to attend APEC, among whom, 1,000 CEO’s of the world’s corporations, while the Media Center is ready to serve 3,500 to 5,000 of world journalists.
In the meantime, even today Bali is already in full swing of operations for APEC, since APEC Finance Ministers have started convening here for their deliberations, as has the APEC High Level Meeting on Health and Economy. On October 1-2, is scheduled the High Level Dialogue on Travel Facilitation. Pinnacle of the Conference will be on October 1-8, when APEC Economic Leaders will have one whole week of discussions and related meetings. Meanwhile, from October 2-5, the 4th APEC Business Advisory Council will hold its own separate meeting.
BALI’S BEAUTIFUL NEW TOLL ROAD
“Everything is according to schedule” confirmed Minister Dahlan Iskan.
“Moreover, the completion of the road was even faster than anticipated. The paving and installation of road markers, toll booths and lighting is now completed.”
Safety testing and roadworthiness evaluations were undertaken since mid-July 2013.
Earlier, Minister Dahlan Iskan said that the Airport-Nusa Dua-Bali toll road has achieved 3 top records. These are: (1) The toll road, 12 km of which is built over the sea is the longest of its kind in Indonesia, longer than the existing bridge between Surabaya and the island of Madura in East Java, and was completed in only 14 months, including preparation time. (2) It is the most beautiful and most panoramic of them all. And (3) The toll road has a special, dedicated lane for motorbikes. “From the airport to Nusa Dua over the toll road will now take only 9 minutes” gushed the Minister. Since it is largely built over the sea, the new toll road is equipped with wind speed monitors and CCTV cameras.
Construction of the road was undertaken by a project consortium comprised of a number State-owned companies: PT Jasa Marga Bali, PT Pelindo III, PT Angkasa Pura I, PT Pengembangan Pariwisata Bali, PT Wijaya Karya, PT Adhi Karya and PT Hutama Karya.
The Bali toll road together with the completion of the Simpang Siur underpass, are expected to reduce heavy traffic congestion that has so far best this part of Bali.
www.indonesia.travel
As you drive out of the airport towards your hotel or resort, you cannot miss the strong Indian connection - from the statues and idols of Hindu gods to the roads and commercial areas that you drive through. That Bali`s 4.22 million population is 80 percent Hindu makes that connection stronger. People on the island freely discuss gods - from Vishnu and goddess Saraswati to others - and even Bollywood stars, be it Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan or Kareena Kapoor.
Bali has a lot to offer compared to other tourist destinations in Southeast Asia.
Be it the beautiful Nusa Dua, Kuta, Jimbaran or Seminyak beaches with a lot of water-sport activities, the active nightlife of the Kuta area, the serene temples or the active volcanoes - there is not a moment of boredom on the island.
The top-end hotels are mostly in the Nusa Dua, Kuta and Seminyak areas.
The warmth of the Balinese is quite evident from people on the roads to hotel front desks to room service.
"Visitors are welcome in Bali. We try to make their stay and experience here as comfortable as we can," Viduri, a front desk executive at a leading hotel said.
The moment you change the currency from dollars or any other, the feeling of becoming a millionaire comes instantly. For instance, $100 will get you 1.1 million Indonesian Rupiah.
"At times, while making payments, one gets a little confused on what is the exact dollar value of the object or service. But you can have benchmarks like Rp 100,000 works out to less than $10," Mariah, a tourist from Spain, pointed out.
The drive to and from the volcano will take you through Ubud, a town famous for its paintings, woodcraft, silver jewellery and other traditional Balinese crafts. There is a lot to buy and bargain for it. Be it galleries or the homes of the artists and craftsmen, every place has a lot to offer.
"Many tourists pick up paintings, woodcraft (especially masks) and silver jewellery from Ubud," Vinata, a Hindu who drives a Toyota Innova for a travel agency said.
Hiring a multi-utility seven-seater vehicle like a Toyota Innova can cost Rp 500,000 (Rs.3,000/$47) for 10 hours in Bali - and this is perhaps the best way to travel.
The cliff temple in Ulluwatu is a must-visit place, especially to see the sun setting in the Indian Ocean. Here, one can watch the Hindu epic Ramayana being enacted by Balinese actors.
The Kuta beach area is full of life with scores of bars, night clubs, eating joints, shopping areas and much more. Hundreds of tourists, especially from Australia and the European countries come here. The Bali bombing of 2002, which left over 220 people dead, has failed to kill the spirit of the revellers here.
Bali, definitely, has a lot to offer for a price which is also manageable.
How to reach:
* From India, travel through Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia Airlines, Air Asia), Singapore (Singapore Airlines and others) or Bangkok (Thai Airlines). Thence, fly by carriers like Air Asia, Lion and others to Denpasar.
Flight time from New Delhi to Kuala Lumpur/Singapore: 5 hours 30 minutes.
Flight time from Kuala Lumpur/Singapore to Denpasar - less than 3 hours.
* Accomodation: Ranges from Rs.3,000 to Rs.50,000 ($47-$792) per night.
For the really high end traveller, there is the Bulgari hotel, one of only two in the world, where a room costs Rs.150,000 ($2,380) a night.
* A meal for four in a mid-range restaurant will cost Rs.2,000 ($31) without alcohol.
IANS
via bali - Google News zeenews.india. com/entertainment/travel/feature/bali-plethora-of-beaches-nightlife-temples-volcanoes_177.htm
The World Bridge Championships start on Monday in Bali, Indonesia, and end on Sept. 29. The 12-hour time difference between Bali and New York will make watching the play live on Bridge Base Online (bridgebase. com) suitable for night owls.
The United States has two teams in each of the three main events: Venice Cup, Bermuda Bowl and Senior Bowl. Each will be among the favorites to win.
Neil Chambers and John Schermer are trying for their third consecutive medal in a world senior teams, having finished second in 2011 and 2012. They are playing with Richie Schwartz, Allan Graves, Bob Hamman and Sam Lev. Schwartz and Lev were also second last year. Can they go one better this time?
In the final of the senior trial, the Schwartz team played against Carolyn Lynch, Mike Passell, Roger Bates, Marc Jacobus, Garey Hayden and Eddie Wold, who became USA-2 by winning the final match between the last two once-defeated teams.
After 60 of the scheduled 90 boards, Schwartz led by 36.5 international match points. But when Schwartz won the next set by 61 imps to 5, Lynch conceded.
The biggest swing occurred in the diagramed deal, Board 70. The given auction to six spades was by Schwartz (South) and Graves (North). North's four-diamond rebid was a splinter indicating spade support and at most a singleton diamond. Some pairs would require a fourth spade for this action, but it worked well here.
West led the heart nine. After winning with dummy's queen, South played a spade to his ten. West won with his jack and led another heart, ducked to declarer's ace. South cashed his diamond ace, ruffed the diamond six in the dummy, finessed his spade queen, cashed the spade ace and claimed.
At the other table, South described his hand as game-forcing and balanced, after which the 5-3 spade fit went unlocated. South ended in six clubs, against which Chambers (West) led the diamond jack.
Taken in isolation, the percentage play in clubs is low to the jack on the first round. Aside from the fact that this would not have worked here, South did not have the necessary communications. So he cashed his club ace and led the club jack. When West played low smoothly, declarer put up dummy's king, and now had to lose two trump tricks. (If West had covered the club jack with his queen, South could have made his contract, but it would have required excellent card-reading.)
Plus 1,430 and plus 100 gave the Schwartz team 17 imps on the board.
Bali information and daily bulletins are at worldbridge. org.
A version of this article appears in print on September 16, 2013, on page C4 of the New York edition with the headline: U.S. Has Strong Teams at World Bridge Championships in Bali.
For the record, I watched that film in 2012 only because I was on a Los Angeles to Dubai flight and had 16 hours to kill. The movie lacked a lot of things, but its major downfall was that it didn’t show the side of Bali that I fell in love with last May.
Ryan and I wanted to see another side of the island, a side far away from the wild nightclubs in Kuta where drunken tourists stumble around the beaches by night and surfers crowd the water by day. We had just spent a week on a beach in Thailand, and we’re not surfers or club hoppers, so we headed for the hills in central Bali rather than the coastlines.
Upon landing at the Denpasar airport, I was quickly overwhelmed with how crowded it seemed. There were blonde-haired tourists everywhere, which initially confirmed the cliche I pictured in my mind. Luckily, as soon as we got out of there and headed north, most of that disappeared.
Traffic on the island is bad. The roads are not in great shape and there are a lot of cars and motorbikes fighting for room. It’s no different than most Southeast Asian destinations we’ve been to, but it seemed more crowded on Bali — at least in the vicinity of the airport. The roads also got narrower and narrower as we headed toward Ubud, the culture-rich town set in the hills surrounded by brilliant green rice terraces.
My love affair with Bali began right away in Ubud. We checked in to a gorgeous hotel with lush gardens, set right beside a rice paddy field. The architecture — with Indian, Chinese and Arab influences — and the gardens were exactly what I imagined.
We got our first laugh at an ATM machine when we took out millions of Indonesian Rupiah — $180 dollars equals about 2 million Rupiah. It’s a hoot to carry around such large denominations.
‘You go eat’
By the time we hit the town, things were quiet and shutting down already. We found a restaurant that was still serving food — about the only one still open in town — so we got a table even though it looked touristy. We typically eat street food and pick small, local restaurants when we travel. My general rule of thumb is that any restaurant in Asia with pizza on the menu is immediately eliminated as a contender.
We ordered a beef dish with rendang sauce, which exploded with flavors of lemongrass, ginger, chili and coconut milk. The beef was unctuous and tender enough to cut it with the side of a fork. Sometimes you find the best food by accident. After seeking out hotspots throughout Asia visited by Anthony Bourdain and written about by the New York Times, which have surprisingly tended to live up to the hype, sometimes I put my notes away and we just pick a place based on pure intuition. This place was found with more luck than intuition. We ate there three more times.
Because we had booked the Bali trip very last minute — we decided to head there just a few days prior while discussing our options from our hotel room in Thailand — I hadn’t done the proper amount of food research. I’m usually not so casual about where to eat. I’m the type of traveling foodie that must try the staple local dishes, but in the case of Bali, I hadn’t even studied what those would be and felt kind of lost when we got there.
Thanks to a Facebook response to one of my posts from Bali, I discovered our next delicious meal from a friend who had been to Ubud: “Ibu Oka,” he wrote, “you go eat!”
Ibu Oka is definitely one of those hyped up food places on every “must eat” travel list about Ubud. The funny thing was that I hadn’t heard of it, because we spent our time researching what to see and do rather than what to eat.
We got there at some magical time when there was no wait for a table. We took our shoes off, sat down on the floor and ordered the special.
A few minutes later, out came a steaming bowl of rick topped with roast suckling pig. Sprinkled around the bowl were also pig intestines — which I only learned about later, and my boyfriend Ryan will only learn of that small detail as he reads this article — spicy vegetables and a secret, spicy sauce. Perhaps the best part of the dish is the crackling or crispy pork skin served on top. Perfection.
While food is always a highlight on any trip to Asia, the Balinese countryside was the uncontested highlight this time. It’s a landscape so green and beautiful that it’s hard to describe the feeling you have when you see it for the first time.
The sights
We fell in love with mountainside rice terraces in Sapa, in northern Vietnam, in 2010. We fell in love with hillside tea plantations in Sri Lanka in 2012. Now, it was the Balinese rice terraces that had stolen our hearts in 2013.
We hired a driver to take to the terraces north of Ubud and to see as many other sights as possible. We were in Bali for just three nights, the culmination of three weeks in Asia that included Taiwan; Phuket, Thailand; Penang, Malaysia; Sabah, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo; and now Bali. Needless to say we wanted to see as much as we could in such a short amount of time.
We visited the verdant, terraced rice paddies in Jatiluwih near Mount Batukaru, hiked to the Tegenungan Waterfall along the banks of the River Tukad Petanu, visited the Pura Ulun Danu temple complex at Lake Bratan in the Bedugul highland, and countless other temples, including the Taman Ayun Temple in Mengwi.
In Bali, one of the most stunning and impressive pieces of the culture is that every family has their own temple at their home. Some families share a common temple, but every turn you make — no matter where you are on the island — there are elaborate Balinese Hindu temple entrances and gates to private residences. They’re all built by hand and often take years to complete — it’s truly spectacular.
For our final night of the trip, we headed to Seminyak Beach, a seemingly more sophisticated beach town than what we had learned about Kuta. We checked into a nice beach-side hotel, dropped off our stuff and immediately walked out to stick our toes in the sand. Ryan took a nighttime dip in the ocean, as I stood back and watched the glimmering city lights of Kuta off in the distance. We then dried off and did the obligatory visit to a nightclub, expecting to hate it and to last for an hour at the most.
About three hours and many beers later, we had made friends with some Kiwis and were swimming in the club’s pool. We partied into the early morning before going back to the hotel and taking another dip in the pool. In just a few short hours, our cab would arrive to take us to the airport and end our latest journey through Asia. The last day of such an amazing adventure is always so bittersweet.
Lauren Glendenning is the editorial projects manager for Colorado Mountain News Media. She can be reached at lglendenning@cmnm.org and 970-777-3125.
Nyoman Nuarta's Sleeping Giant to Tower Over Bali
Nyoman Nuarta's latest, most challenging project (JG Photo/Richard Horstman)
Award-winning Balinese sculptor Nyoman Nuarta is often cited as Indonesia's most prominent contemporary artist. He has been responsible for numerous monumental public artworks in key positions throughout the country.
But one visionary project — the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park in Jimbaran, South Bali — has turned out to be the most challenging of his illustrious career.
"The idea of building GWK first came to mind in the late 1980s. At that time I was already a well-established sculptor, living in Bandung with my family," said the 61-year-old from Tabanan, Bali.
The GWK Cultural Park, set in limestone hills on a 60-hectare site, first began construction in 1996. The concept was devised by the GWK Foundation, headed by two ministers of the Suharto government, Nyoman and a few individuals and businessmen close to the former president.
Under the auspice of President Suharto, Nyoman was commissioned to create an enormous sculpture of the Hindu god Wisnu for GWK, as a cultural icon for Bali.
"The GWK concept was not only to build a giant sculpture, but we also hoped that we could introduce different cultures of the world through our main mission, the GWK World Cultural Forum.
The forum's goal is to educate people to become more understanding towards other cultures. So in the end, the main objective is world peace," said Nyoman, a former student of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in West Java.
"I use the image of Garuda and Lord Wisnu, a symbol of courage and loyalty. It is also Indonesia's coat of arms. Also, the Balinese consider Wisnu the preserver of life and responsible for cosmic balance and harmony. The statue, therefore, symbolizes a universal calling for all people in this world to play their part in nurturing and protecting the Earth."
In late August, hundreds of local residents and cultural enthusiasts attended the ground-breaking ceremony of the GWK statue marking a new chapter in the construction after a 16-year hiatus due to the fall of the Suharto government, the Indonesian economic crisis, internal conflicts and nervous investors.
Designed to be Indonesia's tallest monument and Bali's new cultural icon, the recommencement of the project has been made possible by property developer Alam Sutera Realty, which committed Rp 450 billion ($40 million) to finance the project. In addition, there are plans to develop the cultural park and integrated tourism facilities.
Made of copper and brass sheeting and a stainless-steel framework, the 22,000 square meters of the outer parts of the statue are being constructed in Nyoman's workshop in Bandung. They will be cut into 700 modules before being transported to Bali on 400 individual truck journeys before the sculpture will be assembled.
"This new Bali needs a different kind of cultural symbol and creative language," said Balinese culture expert, Jean Couteau. "The statue appropriately represents the cultural identity and character of the Balinese and Indonesians, as well as the nation's longing to contribute something meaningful to the global community."
Like Nyoman, Couteau believes that Bali cannot be forever bound to the past.
"Bali has undergone rapid transformation from being a traditional, agriculture-based island to a modern, urbanized society. Now there must be responsible consideration to the future development of Bali including the whole community. The process of modernization has focused on profit and exploitation and the resulting social and environmental complexities are on the whole being neglected," Couteau said.
At the beginning of the project Nyoman was well aware that the Balinese tourism industry relied too heavily on cultural heritage alone and this was unsettling for him.
"There were only minimal efforts from the government, private and public sectors to sustain the tourism industry. I understood that we needed to build a place where our heritage can be both protected and also be developed," he said. "I envision the complex to be a place where Balinese thinkers and artists can showcase their works and have a creative dialogue with their counterparts from across the globe."
When completed in 2015, GWK should be an inspiration for many people, he added, not just for the Balinese. Nyoman said 20 years had passed since the conception of the idea, and GWK has been the longest-lasting project in his life. "I have lost count on how much money and effort I have spent on this project, yet I must see it through, while keeping my promise to the Balinese people," Nyoman said.
"Despite the years of delays this project has taught me to be patient and to never give up on my dreams. Along with big dreams, will come big challenges. The best thing that you can do is remain focused and trust in your ability to succeed."
via bali - www.thejakartaglobe. com/features/nyoman-nuartas-sleeping-giant-to-tower-over-bali/
Balinese dish Karee Nangka, young jackfruit curry
A Balinese live cooking station joins the buffet restaurant's roster of cooking stations, each featuring a different type of cuisine. "The idea behind the Balinese Food Festival is to bring a new style of food to Market Cafe," says Executive Chef Josef Miklav.
A mix of influences
Gado Gado is a dish of assorted vegetables with peanut sauce.
There were Indonesian staples such as Gado Gado or mixed vegetables with peanut sauce; Rendang Sapi or braised beef in coconut sauce, and Nasi Goreng or Indonesian fried rice; as well as Balinese specialties like Lawar Kacang or long bean salad, Bebek Menyatnyat or braised duck with Balinese spices, and Babi Kecap or braised pork in soya sauce.
The beef rendang was tender and faintly spicy, perfect with the nasi goreng. The gado gado, a personal favorite, is, to put it very simply, similar to our nilagang gulay except served with peanut sauce instead of bagoong.
A variety of sates from fish to meat
"We have eight different sates on the menu from fish to meat, (all served) with peanut sauce. And they make this rice cake longing, (where) you put rice in a banana leaf and you boil it and the rice expands in there and keeps together. It's very compact, very nice, and goes with the peanut sauce and sate," Chef Josef says.
Of all the sates, I liked the fish and beef the most. The peanut sauce that accompanied them was made fresh, and had complex notes of sweet and spice.
Another dish to look out for is the Karee Nangka or young jackfruit curry with eggplant, a rich vegetarian dish.
"I think it's a very unique dish," says Chef Josef. I was very excited to try this dish but I couldn't find it when I was there, giving me an excuse to return to the Food Fest for a round two. —KG, GMA News
via bali - www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/324927/lifestyle/food/a-feast-fit-for-bali-at-hyatt-s-food-fest-in-manila
Five of Bali's Most Scenic Cafés and Restaurants
Honeymooners travel to Bali each year to feel the romanticism of the island. (Burufly Photo).
From American model Jerry Hall to actress Mila Kunis, honeymooners travel to Bali each year to feel the romanticism of the island. Not just for the breathtaking panorama and spellbinding culture, they also come to the Island of Gods to enjoy the many design-conscious establishments which offer fantastic food and drinks that focus on great ambiance. We take you to five of them.
Finn's Beach Club, Semara Uluwatu
Tucked away in a cliff with its own private beach, Finn's Beach Club is the best place in Bali to have fun in the sand without nagging souvenir vendors. The thatched-roof restaurant and bar add to the laid-back effect in one of Bali's most well-known beach spots.
Ayung Terrace, Four Seasons Bali at Sayan
Stand-out architecture is what the main building of Four Seasons Bali at Sayan is famous for and the Ayung Terrace restaurant is the best place to enjoy the singular design. For privacy, choose a seat in the outdoor terrace and savor a carefully crafted list of menu items from Indonesia and beyond. Some say the restaurant serves the best eggs benedict in Bali.
Soleil, The Mulia Bali Nusa Dua
Opened at the end of 2012, Soleil is one of the most romantic restaurants in the island. Indulge in seaside Mediterranean and pan-Asian menu while enjoying sweeping views toward Nusa Dua Bay. Enjoy the Sunday brunch (11 a.m. – 3 p.m.) with free flow wine-
Sunset Cabana, Alila Uluwatu
The contemporary lines that have become the signature of this astonishing property provide maximum exposure to the panoramic views of the sea. One of the best places to enjoy it is the Sunset Cabana.
El Kabron, Pecatu
Spanish delicacies made by a former three-star Michelin restaurant chef from Barcelona add to the attraction while the view makes a visit to El Kabron a must.
Burufly
via bali - www.thejakartaglobe. com/features/travel/five-of-balis-most-scenic-cafes-and-restaurants/