Edward Speirs
KEMBALI 2020: A Rebuild Bali Festival
From July onwards, Bali is normally filled to the brim with events. From dazzling summer music festivals, to community fairs and insightful literary gatherings, the island heaves with an action-packed calendar that has something for everyone. Of course, 2020 has been different and all of the major festivals were forced to pull the plug. Two
One Day of Ayurveda: A Revitalising Program by Sukhavati Ayurvedic Retreat
With Bali’s glowing reputation as a centre of wellness, the health and well-being services offered at Sukhavati Ayurvedic Retreat & Spa add to the island’s already rich variety of healing opportunities. The retreat now offers a full-day experience, complete with Ayurvedic treatments, lunch and full enjoyment of their facilities. Nestled in a secluded area of
How the Old Balinese ‘Experience’ Time | Episode 13
The way in which the older Balinese perceive time, and remember previous events, is not done in a measured and quantitative way – like we do in today’s world. In this story by Jean Couteau, ‘A Question of Time’, he illustrates the interesting way in which time is experienced by Bali’s older generations. Does it
Bali’s Next Generation of Artists
It seems as if every Balinese has artistic blood running through their veins, expressed through painting, sculpting or performance. Whether its its origins are nature or nurture – likely the latter – it has resulted in a society that thrives within the creative realm. Yet, art is forever evolving. Even on an island where tradition
Sungai Watch: The Ayung River Gets a Plastic Clean Up
Bali has its fair share of environmental issues, including increasing water scarcity and waste management, but by far reducing plastic pollution has been at the centre of its environmental goals in the last few years. As the island has remained quiet in recent months, one group has sought to take advantage of the lack of
Being a Balinese Christian : A Question of Faith and Culture
When one thinks of Bali – its culture, its identity and its very image – there is little doubt that many will picture stone temples, canang offerings and colourful ceremonies. BUT, this isn’t everyone’s Bali, there are other communities who very much identify with their island, but instead worship at pews and not at shrines,
Tedung : Bali’s Ceremonial Umbrella
Shining in white, yellow, or even at times embellished with the golden prada print, the Balinese umbrella, known as a tedung, is an essential feature in Balinese Hindu worship. As decorative as they are – often used to culturally adorn entrance ways of restaurants and hotels – tedung are most at home when standing tall
4 Rules for Life, Bali-Style
“Rules for Life” have become popular book titles in the last few years, with psychologists, sociologist and even celebrities sharing their two-cents on what it takes to live a good life. With that, this latest podcast episode shares what the Balinese Hindu ‘rules for life’ are, focusing on the Purusa Arta, the four principle ‘objects
Soto Betawi: A Classic Dish from The Capital
In celebration of Jakarta’s – Indonesia’s capital city – 493rd Birthday, our sister magazine NOW! Jakarta has put together a list of the all time best ‘Betawi’ cuisine. In this week’s Cook & Mix we share with you one of the all-time classics from the capital, Soto Betawi. Betawi is the term given to the
Eggs in Different Baskets: Reducing Bali’s Dependency on Tourism
What the last few years has shown us here in Bali is that too much of the island is dependent on one industry: tourism. Are there other industries that are worth exploring and expanding for Bali’s economic future? According to a study by the Indonesia Institue (Monash University), 80 percent of Bali’s GDP is dependent
Embracing and Celebrating Differences in Bali (& Indonesia)
This episode’s topic is born out of the social unrest surrounding Black Lives Matter (or BLM), and has inspired us to discuss and explore the ideas of embracing and celebrating differences. Whilst BLM is centred around systemic racism in the US, many countries have their own form of ethnic, cultural or religious oppression. In Indonesia,
Creating a Sustainable Tourist Economy in Bali
Bali’s tourism industry is passed its carrying capacity. Environmental-economist Sean Nino shares his solutions and vision on how to effectively manage the island’s resources for a greener, more environmentally-friendly future. For the longest time, Bali has measured the success of its tourism industry based on one metric: tourist arrivals. This means that ‘improvement’ is predicated
Kain Poleng : Bali’s Chequered Cloth of Balance
Wrapped around trees, skirting shrines and bedecking temples, or worn by the Balinese themselves as a sarong (or saput), the kain poleng, or poleng cloth, is symbolic of one of Bali’s most important philosophies. In its most common form, the kain poleng is a black and white chequered cloth, but other versions exist which incorporate
