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
Future Farmers Indonesia : Saving The Country’s Agrarian Industry
As a predominantly agrarian society, we would think that Indonesia has excelled in self-sufficient food production. Not only owing to the bountiful nature and supportive climate the nation is blessed with but also the available labour force. The reality, however, is Indonesia’s rural agricultural labour continues to decline with 70% of current working farmers aged
Those Wild Men of Karangasem
There I was, far from home, surrounded by hundreds of wild eyed men, each brandishing a wicked looking Kris – the killer dagger used in many countries of the Asian world. While the scene sounds slightly surreal, strangely enough, it was far from dangerous! These beautiful folk were all in deep trance, as part of
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
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
Pink Ribbon : Bali Without Breast Cancer
Breast cancer has become the leading killer in the world population of women since the last decade. Age is the strongest risk factor for this disease. It can strike at any age, but it usually affects women ages 35 to 54. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), more than a million
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
Say Bye Bye to Plastic Bags : A Bali-Born Initiative
It doesn’t take much to see that this island is drowning in plastic, and that there is no escaping from this reality. Who is going to do something about it? Sometimes we forget that it only takes one person to create change. Instead of pointing fingers, asking people to change the world, why not look
The Children of Bali
The children of Bali are like a special breed. Smart, cheeky and often devout, they enliven every day with their cheeky attitudes. When Robert Koke, author of “Our house in Bali” in the ‘40’s, revisited Bali after an absence of almost 40 years, he was asked if he found Bali had much changed. His reply was
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
Education and the Efforts to Grow Bali’s Next Generation
Contrary to popular belief, Bali’s tourism industry which is growing at an unprecedented rate doesn’t always impact people living in rural areas. The myth of the ‘trickle down effect’ strikes again, it seems. Many families in rural areas are caught in the poverty trap with little or even no income to survive – this helps to explain the huge number
Protecting Paradise: Bali’s Environmental Heroes
This island we are living on is full of beautiful discoveries, yet it seems we don’t appreciate it. However, the natural beauty that we love so much is also vulnerable due the island’s poor waste management practices. It is easy to find water ducts clogged with plastic waste throughout the island. Because of poor waste management strategies,
Power to the People: Empowering Local Balinese Communities
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics of Bali, there is up to 5% of the population on this island classified as poor. It is such a sad fact that despite the tourism industry is growing, we can easily find children asking for money at stop lights or sleeping in the street. Many of these
