Alistair G. Speirs
Freedom in Bali: Too Much Can Be a Bad Idea
Scottish Philosopher John Stuart Mill (1806 – 1873) first proposed the idea of “personal space” in his treatise “On Liberty”. His idea was at the time very far ahead of current thinking whereby he said that everyone has the freedom to do whatever they wish as long as it doesn’t interfere or disturb anyone else,
What does “I Love Bali” Really Mean?
“I really fell in love with Bali the first time I came here”, said one American lady I know, and she has been here a long time now. What’s surprising perhaps is that she doesn’t speak Balinese, nor Indonesian, and isn’t really up to speed on Balinese customs, rituals, beliefs, ceremonies and well, really everything
Happy Birthday to Us: 10 Years of NOW! Bali
As you will see throughout our January 2019 Issue we are celebrating ten years of publishing NOW! Bali and while I have no wish to be immodest, I have to say we’ve done a good job! But of course I had some experience before launching NOW! Bali having started the first real visitor magazine on the
Is Bali still the “Morning of The World”?
This was the question I was asked to address at the 2018 Ubud Writers and Readers Festival which took place in October. The UWRF is an amazing event which brought together 180 writers, some very famous, others just “emerging”, and thousands of readers from all over the world. In the esteemed company of Balinese intellectual
The Sound and The Fury
Last month we did a round-up of nightlife options across the island and wow what options there were! There were pubs and cafes, clubs and dance venues, rooftops and beach bars all competing for those determined to make the best of every evening. And I have to say the great majority of them are well
How the IMF-World Bank Conference Was Good for Bali
The Annual Meeting of the IMF-WB was really good for Bali and Indonesia. Despite the inevitable disruptions to the island’s traffic and airport access, the meetings meant that Rp3 trillion was invested in improving the infrastructure in Bali, especially the new airport-Nusa Dua underpass. It is claimed they also increased job opportunities by 1.26% across
Bali’s Nightlife Thrills
“When the night falls, my lonely heart calls” I bet only a few of you are old enough to remember the great old disco hit “I wanna dance with somebody” but I’m sure you understand the context all too well. You’ve been busy all day, you say goodbye to your friends and as the evening approaches you
Do You Know What an Authentic Experience Is?
Hello and welcome to Bali. I’m sorry about the technical question above but it will become relevant to you as you explore this marvellous island. There is a fascination – no, an obsession – of governments around the world to drive increasing numbers of tourists to their best destinations to increase their economic benefit and
Food, Glorious Food in Bali
“Hot sausage and mustard, cold jelly and custard, pease pudding and saveloys”, these were the dishes fantasised over by the workhouse boys in the Musical Oliver! Wow, that Victorian English fare doesn’t hold much magic for us nowadays. (And by the way, don’t know what a “Saveloy” is? Actually it’s a highly seasoned red sausage
Kids, and Making New Discoveries in Bali
“Little children should be seen and not heard” was an arrogant and misguided belief held in the Victorian era in UK and probably across the Western world. I don’t think it was much better in China or India where discipline for children was considered essential and freedom of expression strictly controlled. “Speak only when spoken
The Arts of Malang
The east Java town of Malang is soaked in history and surrounded by nature. With that being said, for this issue’s Archipelago Diaries, NOW! Bali’s Alistair Speirs indulged himself in a Malang establishment, where arts take centerstage. Imagine a hotel whose purpose is to preserve and glorify art. Imagine a hotel where every room is
Challenging The Kids Whilst They Are in Bali
The Asian Games were recently held in Jakarta, the Capital of Indonesia, and Palembang a city in South Sumatra. This is the second largest sporting event in the world after the Olympic Games and is something that Indonesia should be very proud to host. This reminds me of the ideals behind the Olympic games, and
Living in Harmony
Welcome to Bali where Mother Nature continues to breathe her blessings from the caldera of the active Mount Agung. The threat of disruption from volcanic ash (and of course there is a possibility of actual danger to aircraft if they are not 100% careful) caused great havoc with the tourism industry early in the year
