Archive for November 27th, 2006
Touring the Ubud area, one will often find unique restaurants and galleries, in the most unexpected places. Stopping for a quiet drink / snack, helps to break up a trip and one great palce to stop is Gaya Fusion Of Senses.
Gaya Fusion Of Senses is located along Jl. Raya Sayan, the main road that runs south from Kedewatan. Amid lovely surroundings, the gallery features displays of modern art from domestic and foreign artists that last 2 weeks.
The gallery is set in the ground floor of a 2- storey building and is very spacious. When I visited the artist on display was Made Wianta, who seems to specialize in large abstract works. This one made of nails. Here’s the description.
By the entrance to the gallery is a display of goods, made on the premises including tableware and decorations. This stuff isn’t cheap, a vase I looked at cost $135. One of the staff told me they can handle large orders, and many of their customers are from Europe.
The top floor of the gallery is actually a bar and restaurant, which offered rice field views. I had a gado gado (steamed veggies and rice with peanut sauce) for 20,000rp. Trendy music created a relaxing atmosphere, not hard in a tropical climate.
Directly behind the gallery are 3 villas. The asking price for these is $120 per night but the staff hastened to tell me I could bargain.
This place is a great stop, off on a road trip and makes for a very pleasant detour on a day trip to Ubud. Maybe I can pursued and them, to display my first effort at painting some time later!
Gaya Fusion Of Senses
Jl. Raya Sayan, Ubud, Bali
(0361) 979253
gaya@gayafusion.com
Gaya Fusion Of Senses
•What is it?
Art museum, bar, restaurant.
•Where is it?
Jl. Raya Sayan, close to Ubud.
•Admission:
Free
•Who is Gaya Fusion Of Senses good for?
People who like abstract and modern art / interior arts. People exploring the Ubud area, and wants a relaxing place for lunch. People on a road trip, looking for a great pitstop.
•Who is Gaya Fusion Of Senses not good for?
People who don’t like modern art galleries, trendy places. People who are seeking traditional Balinese art.
source : www.baliblog.com
November 27th, 2006
A study group has concluded that introducing Sharia law in Indonesia, will harm foreign investment. God, these guys are smart! Whoever would of guessed, that forbidding women to go out at night, banning alcohol, nightclubs, and generally making the place hard to live in, would affect business?
Here’s more from the Jakarta Post.
Sharia laws could hurt investment, EU MPs sayAvian E. Tumengkol, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The implementation of sharia-style laws in several regions in the country could negatively affect foreign investment and hurt Indonesia’s international relations, a European parliamentary delegation visiting the country says.
The head of the eight-member group, Hartmut Nassauer, said in Jakarta on Friday the delegation was concerned religious laws could discriminate against non-Muslims.
While Europe had strong Christian traditions, it was not a Christian continent but a secular collection of states, Nassauer said. There were 30 million Muslims living in Europe, he said.
Despite claims to the contrary, Nassauer said if a religious law became a state law, followers of other faiths and non-believers could be obliged to live under that law.
“You cannot force a citizen to hold a certain religion, which is against his or her will,” he said. Implementing religious laws could also isolate Indonesia from other nations and create frictions.
If sharia-style laws forbade a woman to leave her house after dark, they would not only be a major concern to followers of other faiths, Nassauer said.
Aceh is the only province that has so far applied sharia-influenced precepts in its local bylaws, while several regions in other provinces have issued regulations on public conduct, which have been criticized for being discriminatory to women.
“The final decision to institute sharia law is in the hands of the Indonesian people and government, and will involve other international organizations who intend to assist the country in its elections. And I am here to share my recommendations to Indonesia,” Nassauer said.
The eight-member delegation, which visited Indonesia to attend the third European-Indonesia Inter-parliamentary Meeting, ended its visit to the country Friday.
During their five-day stay, the members of the European Parliament met House of Representatives Speaker Agung Laksono and other legislators.
They also met with members of the Committee for Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation, trade ministry officials, representatives from the country’s two-largest Muslim organizations Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama, human rights activists and Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda.
In Yogyakarta, they observed the progress of EU assistance programs for the victims of May’s earthquake.
Robert Goebbels, of the parliament’s economic and monetary affairs division, said the European Union and other ASEAN nations were working closely with Indonesia. “Indonesia is an important trade and investment partner for the EU,” he said.
Goebbels, Luxembourg’s former minister for the economy and finance, cited ASEAN statistics, which said that one-third of foreign direct investment to ASEAN nations came from the EU.
He recommended Indonesian companies involved in foreign trade consider using the euro more often because it would reduce their vulnerability to the instability of the U.S. dollar.
Asked about the high-profile case of murdered activist Munir, and whether the EU would press Indonesia for a prompt solution, Ambassador Jean Breteche, head of the European Commission delegation to Indonesia, said Munir’s widow, Suciwati, had paid him a visit.
“The Munir case is a concern. We will study the case and see how the EU can contribute,” Breteche said.
Where would the sexy dancers go if Sharia Law came to Bali?
source : www.baliblog.com
November 27th, 2006
Anantara Seminyak is the name of a project at the end of Jl. Dhyana Pura in Seminyak. For those people who have been to Seminyak before, the site is directly across from Gado Gado, in the area that was used for parking. How much they paid for that land, I hate to think, but looking at the billboards outside, Anantara Seminyak is going to be a smart place when its ready.
There is a law on the books here in Indonesia, that says something like ‘you can’t build within 50 meters of the high tide line. Of course everybody does, this place included. The units will be going for US$300,000. I don’t know the details of when the project is going to be complete or the length of the lease. For that much cash you’d want 99 years I reckon. A couple of friends were recently chatting to me, about buying land and building houses in Bali. The first thing I told them is I don’t know much about real estate, and they should talk to someone who does. One of them asked me what parts of Bali had great scenery like Jatiluwih. I told him you can still find beautiful valleys, with rivers and streams, where the land is very cheap and there are no neighbors (westerners). The question that everything comes back to is, how close to town do you want to be? If you don’t need to work, don’t like surfing, don’t like partying and enjoy the village life, you’re set. If not, you’ve got to factor in how l;ong its gonig to take you to get to town. I know scenically lovely spots in Bali, but it would take me 2-3 hours to get to a main town, never mind Seminyak.
Acoording to an ad for Anantara Seminyak, there will be 59 rooms, 5 star interior design, restaurant terrace on top, Spa with private bar, terrace with jacuzzi, internet broadband, TV LCD 37 inch.
Pretty sweet if you’ve got the cash. Advantages of buying into this place would be:
•Ready made luxury accommodation
•Holiday rental income.
•Beach access.
•Nightlife / restaurant / shopping access.
•Located in expensive real estate area, likely to climb.
•Many other foreigners around, if you enjoy contact with foriengners.
Disadvantages of buying into this project include:
•You are paying top dollar.
•You will be in close proximity with 59 other people.
•In the hot, dusty, tropical climate of Bali, this place won’t look brand new for very long.
•The beach isn’t the greatest beach in Bali.
•There are maintenance fees on top of the cost of buying a unit.
•Seminyak may not always have the sparkle it currently does.
For sure you can rent land for 25 years, and bang up an okay house for $50,000 in places such as the Bukit and other areas located slightly out of the expat areas. Here in Seminyak land goes for 300m rp per ‘are’ (100 meters sq). In places like Tabanan, you can get it for 20m rp or less. In Buleleng you might find land for 5m rp, but you’ll be in the middle of nowhere. Currently there is a strong building trend in Canggu, with the Canggu Club and all. Land prices in Canggu have risen a lot, but if you get over the road, that joins Tanah Lot, to Tabanan, price drop by 50%. Whenh I was at the wedding in Kediri, locals told me no bules live out there. They will someday, just not right now.
Today a mechanical digger was at work, carving out the sides of a 5 meter depression. I watched 2 workmen stroll along the top edge, only for it to collapse and sending them tumbling to the bottom. They all laughed and were okay. Simultaneously a yellow dump truck (as synonymous as temples these days ) showed up and dumped a full load of limestone, to spread across the flatened Earth. I look forward to seeing the finished product.
source : www.baliblog.com
November 27th, 2006
‘Sunshine on my shoulder makes me happy’ - John Denver -
I think John Denver would be happy in Bali right now.
A quick look at the 10 day weather forecast for Bali reveals nothings but sunshine. Beach goer’s, its smooth sailing, with uninterrupted paradise, guaranteed for the immediate future.
Nothing else to add when we have a perfect score.
source : www.baliblog.com
November 27th, 2006
On the outskirts of Ubud in the village of Lod Tunduh, there is a sign on the road, indicating a jewelry museum, named Museum RUNA, just 500 meters away. I know there are a ton of places calling themselves ‘museum’ / ‘galleries’ and are just shops, with flashy display cases. Back in 2004 I checked out Museum RUNA, to see what it had to offer.
The driveway to Museum RUNA is quiet, and gives the impression the Museum doesn’t see much traffic. The quiet elegant buildings are a pleasant surprise, and on arrival, you don’t see any staff on duty. Heading past the reception desk after paying the entrance fee, ( it costs 10,000rp to visit the museum), you can walk upstairs to view the gift shop, featuring assorted silver jewelry, fine batiks and sarongs. I picked up one sarong to find it cost $250, the batiks were $25. Nice stuff but I’ll wait till my pay rise, to shop here.
The RUNA House of Design and Museum is a celebration of the 25 years of jewelry making by Palar Runi from Bandung Java. The museum was opened in December 29th 2001 and named RUNA to include her husband Adrian’s first name.
Downstairs are the 2 museum rooms which featured glass cases containing elaborate silver jewelry by Runi. Staff will allow you to take photos. Regarding the question of whether Museum RUNA is a museaum or a shop, the staff say the items are not for sale, but if you are interested, you could enquire.
It seemed to me that most of the jewelry was elaborate and large, with a selection of pendants, broaches and necklaces. According to the free brochure Palar does brisk business overseas, not that she�s the one banging these things out.
Adjacent to the museum is a 2 storey set of rooms which are available for rent. This area really is tranquil and without traffic, unlike downtown Ubud. I was given the tour and the comfortable rooms with porch or balcony will run you $100 per night ( though I was told you can bargain). Across from the museum and the available rooms is the family house which I also got a tour of. This isn’t for rent but the whole place seemed to gel together in some weird way. I think the house was the original structure followed by the museum and the family still live here. I sat out in one of the bale�s sipping a hot tea with a staff member who told me about the place and about her family.
If a visitor came here, they might be the only guests, as prices promise to be high for this exclusive jewelry. This isn’t the back street Celuk deal, where a local will knock out 500 pieces of surfer jewelry for you.
It is though another little part of Bali that seems unique. I said goodbye to the staff and set off back to Kuta. You can make it from Kuta to the RUNA is an hour my car or motorbike.
Museum RUNA
•What is it?
Museum RUNA is a celebration of the 25 years of jewelry making by Palar Runi.
•Where is it?
Lodtunduh, south of Ubud.
•How far is it from Kuta?
60 minutes.
•What’s there?
Fine jewelry collection, batiks, sarongs.
•Who is Museum RUNA good for?
People looking for special jewelry, people who enjoy exploring small unique places.
•Who is Museum RUNA not good for?
People looking for cheap jewelry, people who want action / adventure.
•When it is open?
Museum RUNA is open daily from 9am - 5pm
•Admission:
10,000rp
source : www.baliblog.com
November 27th, 2006
Article correction: Tourist elephant accident
My article on November 6th, mentioned an accident involving a tourist at an elephant park. The account of the accident was provided by ABC.net. I went on to say that elephant rides are usually safe and one of the places that offers elephant rides is Bali Adventures Tours.
The accident did not happen at their park, they just happen to be the most well established place.
source : www.baliblog.com
November 27th, 2006
Everythime I read the news, its all about people kiling other people, and general bad things. According to one group of people, war is just up-tight men, trying to show how big they are. There are better ways to release all that pentup energy
A friend of mine in Oregon sent me site, that calls people to action. GlobalOrgasm asks participants to channel their energy, into something more positive than war. Here in Bali, people paddle for peace, swim for peace, march for peace, put on carnivals for peace, why not have an orgasm for peace? Makes as much sense as everything else.Global Orgasm for World Peace
•What is it?
A chance to let off some steam while thinking of peace.
•Where is it?
Your house, car, any place that tickles your fancy.
•When is it?
December 22nd, winter Solstice.
•Why should you participate?
Stress is a killer, this might make you live longer. You can channel your peaceful energy into whatever cause you want. I’ll be thinking of peace in Bali.
One, two , three….Oooooooohhhh!
www.baliblog.com
November 27th, 2006