The Yak #28

The lighter and darker sides of Bali, Asia’s fashionable playground

Volume 28 Sept/Oct/Nov 2010

IDR68,000 : S$11 : HK$50 : A$10 : €5

Volume Twenty Eight

Sept/Oct/November 2010 L u x u r y I n P r in t

The Yak Magazine Agustina Ardie, Sophie Digby Publisher's PA Marini Gustiana Production Manager Evi Sri Rezeki Graphic Designers Irawan Zuhri, Novan Satria Distribution Made Marjana, Kadek Arthana, Putu Widi Susanto, Made Sutajaya, Didakus Nuba

Cover Credits Photographer: D.HUMP. Styling: Vally.

Hair & Make Up: Jack.

Special thanks to: M Models Management.

Dress: SELPHIE BONG. Ring: YAZ.

Publisher PT Saka Wahana Cipta Licence 1.265/09-04/PB/V/99 Advertising enquiries Tel: (+62 361) 844 6341, 743 1804, 743 1805 www.theyakmag.com Email: info@theyakmag.com sales@theyakmag.com Canggu Club Tennis Centre, Jl. Pantai Berawa, Canggu, Bali 80361, Indonesia Š PT Saka Wahana Cipta No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced electronically or otherwise without prior permission from the Publisher. Opinions expressed within this publication are those of the authors not the Publisher. The Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that does not comply with the magazine's design criteria.

The Yak will not be held responsible for copyright infringements on images supplied directly by advertisers and/or contributors. So there.

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The Yak’s monthly e-newsletter is distributed to 20,000 mailboxes every month. To subscribe go to www.theyakmag.com

Who, what, when, where and now...Y. The Yak's new yPod App is on its way to you with the best place, people and event guide on the planet.

Yakety yak

30

Lost in Cyberspace

32

Word on the Street

42

Natacha Tao Dao

52 56

New in the Hood

Being green Tasha Davis interview Marvellous Marco yak Fashion Run Lola Run

68

Michel Adam

30

74

Culture vulture

60

Amankila.

72

interview

shopping

this life

82 84

Amankila

100 104

Marco.

106

Gifted

Kindle Love

90

84

interview Gulu Lalvani

over the edge

YAK fashion Gear Up sounds around 1 Simon Dunmore sounds around 2 N'Dea Davenport

yak awards And The Winner Is... constant wining

112

Hangover Cures

118

Biyan

120

members of the cloth

fashion freestyle Advertiser Showcase venting in a villa

136

Villa Babar

140

Green Zone

142

Tea Time

56

Tao Dao.

big six

144 146

Kim Clijsters

148

Melbourne Madness

152

Michaelangelo

154

Chicane + Defected

156

oral pleasures

160

42

events I'm An Angel just doin' it

events

incoming

raver's review

astro yak Your Stars advertiser directory Who's Who

Davenport.

104

Trying to find my way around cyberspace in search of an acronym site I landed on the ‘premier portal to pointlessness’ – after having been pushed onto a portal for internet slang. I then ended up spending two minutes spotting the difference between two images of what might have been London. So I returned to pointlessness to see where I had gone wrong and promptly landed on www.giantmicrobes.com, a cuddly toy site that (having macro’d the original crobe to a million times or more) stuffed it. Claims are that their toys are humorous, educational as well as fun, ranging between the exotics such as Penicillin, Health hosts the Common Cold and the E-coli, then good old Acidopholus, hailing from the Alimentaries with Sleeping Sickness being from the Tropicals.

So where was I? All I was trying to do was find out what 'Apps' means – since we at The Yak are getting to put our very own App onto the global iWaves...yPodBali – so I thought that a quick lesson in internet acronyms would be a useful thing to take. IIANM – If I Am Not Mistaken – these acronyms will one day ruin the art of wordcrafting but FTTB – For The Time Being thankfully – we at The Yak will stick to what we know and spell it out in full, so that none of you will either end up in the portal of pointlessness or get sidetracked into buying giant stuffed microbe toys.

So with this issue of The Yak we will take you, guide you, even hold your hand, as we trip around this sunny isle of ours, making sure that the only sidetracks you take are the ones that you yourself choose. We start by introducing you to Natacha’s art aquatic photography, before getting down and dirty with Bali’s mud queen, Tasha.

Martial art’s diva, Marco – yes a gal with a guy’s name – shows us how men should be trained. We then guide you into our world of fashion with Run Lola Run before introducing you to one of the world's most popular men – Michel Adam – proprietor of FTV. Taking you by the hand we meet Gulu – the man with a marina – before we head off shopping in Gifted’ and open your eyes with A Short History of Reading in Bali.

Being insiders, we know where to take you, so it’s off to Amankila in East Bali, before biking it back into the fashion world with Gear Up. Then it's time to learn more about the Melbourne Cup and this year’s event at the Canggu Club. Showing you the most direct route to luxury, Villa Babar is next on the cards before turning green in Green Zone. Since we are feeling just a little bit angelic it is probably time to get religion, and share with the Vicar a Cuppa as we pop around our favourite tea houses.

Then it's Awards, awards, awards – Yak, Yak, Yak – 2010’s award party of the year!

Here we slip up a bit, get trolley-ed and wake up with a total shocker – The Morning After pages reveal the most direct route to the best hangover cures. Feeling almost better, some retail therapy is our next venture, so we meet Indonesia’s popular fashion designer Biyan, and stay in the fashion world with Fashion Freestyle and Bali’s branded threads. Rounding up our tour, we show you how to be an angel with a short synopsis of I Am An Angel Charity Foundation’s gala dinner, whisk you on court for a one-on-one with none other than WTA star, Kim Clijsters. So having whisked you round The Yak and back in a few lines – why not rise to the challenge, sit back relax and have an in-depth Yak immersion with this latest rendition. MTYBWY – May The Yak Be With You – of course!

Dear Yak, Subscription.

I am trying to contact your magazine to find out if you can purchase a yearly subscription? I have emailed through the web site but have not received a response. I reside in Australia... do you post your magazine to readers here? Or can I purchase anywhere in Australia? Please reply at your convenience, Thank you, Andrea Hempton, Sydney.

There are a few copies lying around we understand. We’ll mail you a subscription form too Andrea, thanks for reading.

Dear Yak, The Yak Awards.

Fab party guys. Shocking how much you seem to have grown since the first Yak Awards at Paul’s Place in 2004, was it? So much water under the bridge…

Bridget, Seminyak.

Not so much water…more like…

Champagne! Yes it was six years ago, you are correct. And my, how we’ve all grown up.

Dear Yak, The Yak Awards.

Congratulations to your team for a brilliant party at The Yak Awards. Aside from choosing Agung (from Chandi) as Man of the Year (an excellent choice!) I thought it quite telling that you had an ambulance on standby near the entrance to Cocoon. Have you had any bad experiences in the past?

Jonah, Bali.

Aside from Johnny 'Watch Me I can Fly' doing a back flip bungy into what he thought was the pool last year (it wasn’t), we’ve so far been lucky at The Yak Awards, save for a few fairly horrendous hangovers. However, our motto is like the boy scouts. Be prepared!

Theta / noun a beach side spa, offering sensuous spa treatments without disrupting the natural order of things.

Theta spa by the sea

T. +62 361 755 726

Ramada Bintang Bali Resort

www.thetaspa.com

Jl. Kartika Plaza, Tuban.

Opening hours: 10.00 - 23.00

We connect fresh herbs, seasonal produce and organic pure essential oils with a smart design and a whole lot of heart.

Theta at KU DE TA Monday to Saturday Opening hours: 10.30 - 16.30

spa by the sea

Moda Marinera Fashionista and international designer Ika Butoni’s new collection left the Hong Kong Fashion Show-istas wide-mouthed, wide eyed, with wide smiles. Entitled ‘Time of the Tides’, Ika’s new collection further enhances her relationship with embroidery and the female figure. Her concern for the marine environment translates well into a new line with themes of Tidal Zone, Shades of Underwater World, the Tie Dye of Time, the Colours of the Sea and the Flow of Water. Selling around the globe, Bali is also home to an Ika Butoni store on Jl. Raya Seminyak, near Bintang Supermarket.

Tel. 731658 www.ikabutoni.com Yak Map ref. U13

Moda Marinera Hu’u’s New Makeovers are all the rage and Hu’u bar is up there leading the pack this summer with a fabulous new sound system, DJ booth with space for fans (and groupies) behind and a fabulous bar frontage. Moving gracefully into elegance yet keeping it hip with some of the regions best DJ’s, Hu’u regularly gets the island onto the dance floor and into a hipswinging state of mind. The well-heeled crowd mixes effortlessly with the Just doin’ it crew, whether they’ve just drifted in from Nutmegs – Hu’u’s excellent restaurant – or from any number of eateries in Zone Yak. Tel. 736 443 www.huubali.com Yak Map ref. N6 The Junction Our newly renovated, favourite luncheon/dining/drinking/Wifi spot is now two fabulous storeys high and is bringing in the punters with a new view, an impressive menu and a façade that certainly grabs our attention. Whitewashed wood on the outside and inside, it is the jars and jars of Indonesian herbs, spices, sweets and crackers that brighten up the walls with design originality. This totally new look comes with a totally new menu and is a hit with all. Time to grab a table, sit down and take it all in – you’ll enjoy the décor as much as you will the food.

Tel. 735610 Yak Map ref. Q7 Basic by Lily Jean What every woman needs in her wardrobe are basic items – after all life is not all about cocktail frocks is it? Fashion brand Lily Jean has therefore covered this needful gap by designing Basic by Lily Jean. Taking the basic cotton T-shirt into the realms of couture, there is a style to fort every figure. Cute denim shorts and skirts and floral frocks bring a dress-me-down day look into the Lily Jean stable of elegance.

Tel. 737441 www.lily-jean.com Yak Map ref. S8

His : Her Biasa’s new collection brings “loom-state” cotton, linen and khadi handmade materials (Khadi is an Indian fabric made by spinning thread on an instrument known as a Charkha), which have that slightly rustic, ‘feel of Nature’ touch, into contact with crisp, clean and fresh fabrics. Where individual freedom radiates optimism bouncing off restraints this collection focuses on the need to personalize and creates a new harmony by fusing opposites. Classic and soft shapes in earthy vibrant naturals and neutrals blend effortlessly with vegetable hues and hints of blues. Transformable concepts allow a dress to become a skirt – multi functional – wearable throughout all the hours of the day. Visit Biasa’s fabulous boutiques in Seminyak, Ubud and Jakarta.

Tel. 730308 www.biasabali.com Yak Map ref. V12 Luxury Lace Uluwatu is the brand synonymous with handmade Balinese lace. So popular has this brand become creating resort and casual wear, evening and night wear and fabulous bed and table linen – a must-have to take back home – that they are opening their 12th boutique, this time in the InterContinental Bali Resort, Jimbaran.

Other boutiques are located in Kuta, Nusa Dua, Ubud and Sanur as well as in our beloved Seminyak on Jl. Laksmana – they also have three franchises in Malaysia, should you be heading that way. Uluwatu’s elegant retail outlets are doing wonders for treasuring Indonesia’s artistic heritage.

Tel. 287638 www.uluwatu.co.id Yak Map ref. S8 Amo Uber-stylish AMO Beauty Spa introduces Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) skin treatments at its Jalan Petitenget location. The breakthrough in age-defying skin care uses the photorejuvenation process to treat skin damage non-invasively without disruption to the epidermal. Reduce fine lines, red blemishes, age spots, freckles, coarse skin and Rosacea.

IPL together with the Debussy method, which stimulates collagen production, smoothes wrinkles, and eliminates impurities, will give you a youthful, smooth and revitalized facial appearance. Don’t wait another day to give your face beauty from within.

Tel. 753337 www.amospa.com Yak Map ref. O5

in the hood

New

The Private Spa and Wellness Centre.

Miow If you’re into bags and shoes then pop into Miow – it’s bound to bring out the cat in all your friends when you sport a pair.

Crafted for comfort, style and elegance, sandals at this new store on Jl. Raya Kerobokan, (opposite Warisan) are fashion forward and fit like a glove – enough to make anyone who doesn’t have a pair feel a little catty.

Yak Map ref. V5 The Taste of Om Om – it’s the new organic beachside restaurant and it’s eco-friendly, right on the edge of Canggu beach with ocean views and spectacular sunsets. The menu is organic and locally sourced with plenty of vegetarian options. Om’s bamboo structure, with circular bar, creates a breezy, shady environment with an open feel and a beach outlook. Calm, spacious and atmospheric, this family friendly venue also hosts a children’s playground.

Ideal for quick or lazy lunches and memorable meals, the best thing about Om is that it’s all good for you. Located in Jl. Batu Bolong near Hotel Tugu.

Tel. 9604121 www.om.com Harmony in Diversity The 2010 Citibank-Ubud Writers and Readers Festival has gently funneled in over 100 writers from over 20 countries - with about a third of them hailing from this great nation - to congregate in Ubud from October 6th – 10th. This five-day festival is a sharing and a passing forward of the art of writing (and reading) with a myriad of workshops, literary lunches, book launches, and poetry slams, dinners and Special Events. It is no wonder that Harper's Bazaar UK named it ‘one of the six best literary festivals in the world’. Imagine Booker Prize winners Anne Enright (Ireland) and Thomas Keneally (Australia) alongside award winning travel writer William Dalrymple (UK) and the legendary Louis de Bernières (UK). This festival celebrates that the world of literature has no borders, as writers from India, Pakistan, Lebanon and Israel convene in Ubud at the festival themed ‘Harmony in Diversity’ – Bhinneka Tunggal Ika. For more details on festival passes, workshops, events and a full list of writers visit their website.

Tel. 7808932 www.ubudwritersfestival.com

Eastern rituals for western living The Private Spa Wellness Centre opens on Jl. Dhyana Pura in Seminyak with more experience than most others on Bali. On the one side they have the ‘Spa’ with vitality pool, steam room and sauna, as well as signature crafted spa treatments and facials using the luscious Pevonia Botanica skin line and Banyu Spa natural products. The other side – the ‘Wellness’ section – comes complete with Bio thermal hydrotherapy, Chakra balancing, LED light Chromotherapy and energy level diagnosis. The trio behind the groundbreaking spa concept are experts in their fields, be it energy physics and crystal hydro technology, Spa management or imparting traditional therapies with a wealth of knowledge in aromatherapy manufacturing and training. The Centre also features the ultra modern hydrothermal biotherapy treatment – one of the few spas in the world offering this health restoration and energy boosting treatment.

Tel. 737814 www.theprivatespa.com Yak Map Ref. T11 Bloomz on the Vine We’re looking forward to the beginning of a new venture in Ubud (slated to open on October 4th). A fabulous trio – comprising ‘all things yogic’ Meghan Pappenheim, Made Gunarta (with his love of wood) and Janice Ripley (Bali’s very own flower artist who heads up our favourite shop Bloomz) – will bring us Bloomz on the Vine, a ‘courtyard garden wine bar bottle shop’ surrounded by flowers…add to that fabulous food and this will be Ubud’s new corner of serenity. Located on Jl. Hanoman 44A. Tel. 7802401 www.bloomzflowers.com

Jemme.

Dining at Jemme As a nominee for The Yak Awards 2010 Best Wine category, Jemme Dining is upgrading its menu to offer fabulous risottos, salads and entrées. Mains include Oven-roasted cornfed chicken and Lamb medallions and fish choices such as Roasted Grouper. Add to that delectable cocktails and a well-priced wine list worthy of the nomination and there is good reason that this could become Petitenget’s latest chic-eatery. Open daily 10am – late.

Tel. 732 392 www.jemmebali.com Yak Map ref. R3

in the hood

New

Marina magic.

Waka Marina If you want to take a trip to Lembongan Island then how better than with a Waka Excursion? The Waka Sailing Catamaran and their private ‘yacht to charter’, the Waka Amara now have their very own purposebuilt marina, designed in true, traditional Waka style, and by that we mean stylish.

The comfortable departure/arrivals pavilion serves cold drinks and snacks to the tinkle of traditional Balinese music as one waits to join one of Waka’s luxurious marine-going excursions.

Tel. 723629 www.wakaexperience.com

Artisan Crafted Western Australian grapes are monitored from bud burst to harvest, hand selected and shipped to Bali. Here they are expertly fermented creating Bali’s new blend of coiffable wine – Artisan. Artisan offers two excellent whites. The first being the un-wooded Chardonnay with hints of lemon sorbet, grapefruit peach and melon with a delightfully refreshing crisp finish. The second is the Classic – a blend of Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Verdelho and Sauvignon Blanc – this is a classic, easy drinking style of wine not too high on the alcohol scale allowing for that fabulous buzz without the memory loss! Expect to pay under Rp.200’000 at most retail outlets, a bit more at restaurants. Buy direct for about Rp. 160’000 for the 2009 label at their distribution outlet on Jl. Gunung Tangkuban Perahu.

Tel. 7449925 www.artisanestate.com

Press Ban - Italian Tea Parlour Imagine an Italian tea house that cares for pre-loved and vintage clothes. Yes, it’s all in the attitude at Press Ban. The long of it would be vintage meets funk – patchwork cotton threads meet carpet bags; wedge shoes meet framed poster art, quirky collectibles, harmonicas even old radios. The short of it would of course be eclectic! Marry this to quality teas and coffees, home-made cakes, healthy juices, lip-smacking snacks and special sandwiches. Browse or graze? Difficult choice, so why not do both? Coffee by Illy, beer by Storm and trend-setting threads designed by the Pepito label.

Tel. 730486 Yak Map ref. P.7

Eat, play, shop, drink, dance.

Seminyak’s avant garde venue Word of Mouth (WOM) has become the new sunset meeting spot for Bali’s fun-loving crew. Located on Jl. Kunti in the piazetta of Les Boutiques (a.k.a Kunti Arcade), sunsets are spent not on the beach but lounging on giant gold and silver beanbags sipping on wines, beers and cocktails listening to sounds of international tune spinners from afar. What we like best are the special vodka cocktails and the complimentary tapas…yum.

Tel. 7432565 www.wordofmouthbali.com Yak Map ref. W10

Tiger in your Tank There is definitely nothing better than ‘beer o clock’. For some it’s at midday, for others it’s at about four-ish, for some it’s even breakfast – in a hairof-the-dog kind of way. Asia’s most famous brand Tiger has finally found its way on to the shores of Bali and into our fridges. Canned or bottled, or even on an ad for soccer, you can now “quirst your thentch” at all discerning beer stops within Bali. Tiger Beer since 1932 is now imported by Indowines and distributed by Barindo Persada.

Tel. 8477232

Luxe is…Brutally frank and sometimes frankly brutal” Luxury is not luxury unless you hold a Luxe Guide Bali in your sticky little mitt or should I say ensconced in your Coach clutch. As ever, this recently updated guide will steer us in style around the island’s must have’s, must do’s and must be seen’s. Take it with you everywhere and lose it at your peril, you wouldn’t want to be seen without one now would you? Available at all discerning stores and bookstores around the G-lobe. www.luxecityguides.com

in the hood

New

Camera, lights, action This year Bali’s film festival is bursting with expectation. The much-anticipated (some say over-anticipated) blockbuster ‘Eat Pray Love’ (EPL) starring Academy Award winners Julia Roberts and Javier Bandem (Mr Penelope Cruz to you) will finally hit the island’s screens at the 4th annual Balinale which takes place between the 12th and 17th of October. For die-hard fans you can actually join the crowds prior to that date and attend the Jakarta premier, also hosted by Balinale, on October 7th. Both screenings are courtesy of Cinema 21. EPL’s Bali screening takes place on October 12th and tickets are practically sold out so girls, maybe best leave the boys at home? For more information about screenings, workshops and tickets give the Balinale team a buzz or visit their website.

Tel. 270908 www.balinale.com Spectaular in every sense Starting at the end of August the stage spectacular of Bali Agung The Legend of The Goddesses comes in to wow the public at Bali Theatre in The Park – Bali Safari and Marine Park in Gianyar. Four weekly performances (2.30pm – 3.30pm) bring the legends of old to an all-age group audience. Creative Director Peter Wilson and Musical Director Chong Lim teamed up with Artistic Director I Made Sidia to create an extravaganza as yet unseen on Bali. This massive production brings a wealth of dance, music, colour onto the stage with a cast of 150 of Bali’s most talented dancers and performers which even includes elephants! The love story of a Balinese King and a Chinese princess set nine hundred years ago depicts life as it was then, with a robust trade between China and Bali. The music, a fabulous mix of orchestral score with gamelan, lighting - designed by Philip Lethlean with choreography by Ian Knowles makes this musical a memorable jaw-dropping afternoon.

Tel: 950000 www.balitheatre.com www.balisafarimarinepark.com Catwalk Milo.

Milo’s Think silks, chiffon and orchids. Renown for elegant resort wear for those who live in endless summer, Milo’s is set to open his flagship store in fashionable Seminyak. Bang in the centre of Jl Laksmana, a few hundred metres away from Ku De Ta, Milo’s new venue complements his other store: Milo’s Bazaar at the top of Boutique Street (a.k.a Jl. Laksmana). With contemporary designs for both men and women, having a Milo in one’s armoire has become more than an essential.

Tel. 730410 Yak Map ref. O8 Vinoti Bali’s favourite interior design and gift shop has further expanded its sphere of influence by opening a store in Seminyak Square. Whether you are looking for beds, dining room tables, chairs, sofas or that unique house warming or Christmas gift – framed antiques, jewellery boxes, candle holders, clocks or silk flowers – the choice is fabulous. With two stores in Bali (the other being in Mal Bali Galeria) and over 11 years’ of island experience, Vinoti designs are treasured accents in many of the island’s villas and rooms.

Tel: 732202 www.vinoti-living.com Yak Map ref. P7

Vinoti.

Rock-ets.

Rock On Ayana Resort’s everemergent Rock Bar has become so popular it’s had to expand. Perched on an outcrop of rocks overlooking the Indian Ocean in Jimbaran, sunsets here are spectaular – as is the moonrise, for that matter. Excellent cocktails and music to match, either by Resident DJ Martin East or remarkable guitar sessions courtesy of talented flamenquista, Tariq Amawi. Between them they create an inimitable experience that makes the Rock Bar an obligatory stopover if you think you’re worth your salt.

Tel. 702222 www.ayanaresort.com/ rockbarbali

vulture

Culture

Photographer Natacha Tao Doa goes for a swim with the sublime.

Culture vulture

Natacha, what are we looking at in these images?

Movement, vibration, energy points, weightlessness, levitation...or just bodies in the water at night?

They resemble paintings more than photographs. Have they been digitally altered?

Yes, because I’m a painter. My look became a painter’s look. I use brushes but also my camera, which involves my recollection of paintings and everything around me. It’s a medium of all my pictorial, sensory and sensitive memory to each present moment. The camera allows me to be very spontaneous. The prints themselves are not altered. I adjust colours and brightness as we used to before with negative silver. I now use the computer instead of my dark laboratory in the bathroom.

What do these images say to you?

I think of the first photographs when photographers were seeking moments of pause. Then they were interested in the decomposition of movement. At that point photography was offering a new land of investigation for painters, sculptors, scientists, doctors…

How many shots did you take to get the frames you wanted?

Many. I started the first series in the new year of 2007 in Sanur and I'm still continuing it to this day.

Where are you from, and how long have you been taking photographs?

I was born in Paris and I studied technical photography there. Then I went to art school to expand my practice of painting. So I've been taking photographs for about 20 years. >>>

Culture vulture

vulture

Culture

Someone told us you drive a taxi in Paris?

Kind of...I used to do the common job of Balinese people. I was a tour guide, showing Paris to tourists from all over the world. I enjoyed driving early morning and late at night in Paris when there was no traffic. Nobody around, empty van, windows open, listening to jazz music, singing sometimes, smoking cigarettes, crossing bridges and enjoying the sights and lights of Paris. I'm currently working in an art gallery.

Is Bali an inspiration for the work? What else inspires you?

Totally. Bali inspires me for colours, light and humanity.

What's the difference between art and photography, do you think?

I believe that art has no limit and can be produced with all kinds of media. I think contemporary art is an exploration of those limits. Art becomes art when the senses and reflection are involved.

What camera do you use? And what software?

I always have my Lumix LX3 in my bag and I use a Canon 30D for more specific work, but I'm not very fond of it – it’s too heavy! Photoshop for the retouch.

Are these images for sale?

Yes, and I would love to have an exhibition somewhere in Bali, so that I could print them on a large scale.

Well, maybe someone will take you up on that. Where can we see more of your work? http://artcircle.wordpress.com Good luck Natacha, and many thanks for your time.

Thanks to you too, I am very glad to show these photographs in The Yak Magazine. Thanks for your support.

Culture vulture

green

Being

Barefoot builder Tasha Davis does environmental self-construct like no one else we know.

TASHA, a bit of background, if you will.

My name is Tasha Davis, age 39, single with a 10-yearold daughter, born in San Francisco in 1971, took off to New York City a few weeks later, so I’m pretty much a New Yorker. Lived there for eight years until my mother decided to sell everything and move to Bali. That was back in ’98. I’ve been back and forth ever since, 32 years in the running.

What kind of education did you have in that period?

I did correspondence courses here in Bali and eventually I was shipped off to English-speaking boarding schools. First in Hawaii, then later in England, ostensibly for acting. I wanted to be an actress, but after pounding the pavement for a few years in New York I realised it was essentially a closed dynasty. I decided to travel and be a designer like my mother.

A citizen of the world.

Right.

Travelling and designing, how did that work?

I always worked in the nightclub industry, travelling back and forth from Bali to America doing a lot of clothing for nightclub dancers in Vegas, New York City and Hawaii. I became a dancer in all three places as well: after the Bali bomb I really didn’t know what to do with myself, so I left the island and got up on stage. I knew the business after so many years and the money was great. I worked my way back here.

Was there a dramatic change that brought you to where you are now?

That’s a good question. And the answer is...Continental Airlines! They went belly up. I was at the airport in Bali with my daughter, ready to go back to work in New York. I mean this was my ticket home; this was how I earned my money to live. So there I was, stuck in Bali with very little cash. I paid for my daughter’s schooling for the year, but didn’t have enough income to pay for a house. I borrowed money from friends and rented bare land, then pitched a tent on it.

What happened next?

I had no place to go, so I called my friend Tania Lonker who lived in Candi Dasa and she had a foundation set up to build an Earth Oven project. She told me to check it out on the internet and asked me to get muddy and do it.

I like that, T&T, double dynamite, Tasha and Tania.

Yeah, T&T Earth Builders. So it took four days to build an Earth Oven and I was so taken back by the process that I became obsessed. I thought: I want to make a house out of this.

How long ago was this?

About a year and a half now.

What kind of house did you have in mind?

A cob house. If you look through the history books and do research on houses, it’s all mud and sand and straw. Everyone uses the same ingredients, designed in

different ways. But, like a potato prepared in different ways, it’s still a potato.

One potato, two potato, three potato, four…

Exactly, same ingredients but different recipes, depending on climate and mud. Cob is also very durable and requires little maintenance, plus it won’t burn, bugs don’t eat it and it’s dirt cheap, [laughter], pun intended! No waste, non-toxic, how about them apples?

We’ll take a dozen. What is your goal?

I want to become a cob homestay, all made from recycled garbage, glass, plastic, you name it...earth combinations. The goal is to build a bunch of small bamboo huts that will be covered in cob. In the meantime my friends stay in the bamboo huts that we used to stay in at Blue Ocean when I came here.

Authentic Bali style!

Did you have any help in the building, or setbacks?

No, it was just Tania and I. Setbacks...yes. I was living in Canngu and I was robbed of all my money that I’d just received from a friend in order to pay for the land that we’re on now. Devastating. I had to do a lot of hustling and borrowing to get the money back.

What stage in this development are you at right now?

Day by day, step by step. I don’t have any backing.

How does your day start?

It depends on the day. Usually we prepare the earth

Tasha Davis.

55

green

Being "I rented bare land, then pitched a tent on it."

combinations at night, do what needs to be done, section by section. I have friends that help from around the world.

Bathroom facilities, cooking facilities?

I have a composting toilet, we do human manure, we have poo-power compost! We use all the sawdust from the mills and collect it from the road before the workers have a chance to burn it. Sometimes I don’t make it on time.

Have you asked them not to burn it?

They don’t want to listen. I’ve offered them money, explained what it’s about but they just don’t listen, or care. They just don’t want to bothered. They like putting things on fire. All boys like to put things on fire and it doesn’t change when they get older. I’ve even given them fish to barbeque. I’ve done everything and I still have to run out there!

What upsets you the most?

I get blue in the face trying to explain in a loving, nice way how toxic and poisonous burning plastic is. Due to lack of education here, many people really don’t quite get it. So there's all these imported products with a way to get rid of them without making the environment toxic.

Are there others around the island doing the same as you?

I’ve heard of some people in Ubud...

What do you think about the Green School?

Excellent, more, more.

Do you think you could work well with the Green School?

Oh yeah, I’m working on that, big time.

You’re eyes are sparkling, would you elaborate on ‘big time’?

I’m doing this earth project. I’m recycling, doing barefoot building and I’m very passionate about it. So the word got out, and I was with one of my Brazilian friends in a villa on the Bukit and he showed me something and asked me what I thought about it. It's called Plasma Gasification and it blew my mind.

You'd better explain that to us...

Believe it or not, it’s been around since the 1850s but it's swallowed up and swept under the rug, for various reasons. Basically it’s a big processing plant that eats up the garbage and turns it into bio gas, electricity, everything up to drinking water...amazing technology.

Two big companies are collaborating, NASA being one of them. They have made this contained unit that changes and modifies atoms and gets rid of all the bad toxins; elements that are changed into something else that is renewable and reusable. So we can take all the garbage in Bali and turn it into our own electricity, which we are in dire need of. Also it creates another source of gas for cooking, which is a big problem with all these bottles blowing up on people. So it’s a winwin situation, as I see it. Friends have been trying to get to the officials in government to get it approved, so Tania and I spread the word. We did a lot of talking

and it paid off. Yesterday I spent the whole day with the head of the environment board here and he reports to the Governor. I’m expecting a meeting with the Governor soon. I feel this is my job in life. I love Bali, and it’s essential that things change for the better before it's too late.

Any last words?

Get into the mud. The more people that get into it the more it becomes a party. Everyone starts to bond and talk about things they wouldn’t ordinarily talk about... to people they don’t know. There’s something about jumping in the mud, then building with it...it goes back so many thousands of years. There’s a lot to be said for that. S.B. Zahara urban farm www.helpexchange.net www.seveninterchange.com

Interview

call me Marco Fantyn Alfonzo teaches martial arts to the Indonesian Special Forces. She’s also an actress, model, ballerina, jazz dancer and classical pianist. Oh my!

MY name is Marco Fantyn Alfonso, age 29 and single. I was born in Hong Kong but I am Indonesian. My father’s heritage is from East Timor, South Sulawesi and Portuguese. My mother comes from Chinese, Javanese and other descents, so I’m mixed!

At what point did you come to Indonesia?

When I was three years old we moved to Jakarta. I went to the Palestinian International School for one year, and then switched to Catholic school where I finished grade school.

Before that, at the age of three, I was in Australia where I started to learn ballet and piano.

At the age of three?

My parents were very disciplined people, my mother was a pianist and my father an athlete. My mother saw I had potential, so I was trained intensely right from the start.

I’m still doing that, 25 years on. I do two, three hours every day. By the time I was four I had already done four concerts.

During my schooling in Jakarta, studying dance and music, I acquired two scholarships to the Alvin Ailey and Martha

Gram Dance Schools in New York City. So I went to New York and studied there, then at 16 I completely stopped, the passion was gone and I came back to Jakarta.

What was your next move?

At 17 I became a model for Kerry Models from Singapore, based in Jakarta. Catwalk mostly, but also catalogue shoots.

Then I hit the movies. I was working out in this gym and there was a scout looking for bad-ass looking women, I went to the casting and was in. In the movie I was taught to fight, then there was a television series called Jaclyn. It was a lot of fun and dangerous as well. I love discipline and being challenged. I was hooked and from that my father sent me to college in Germany for sports science.

Back to being a classical pianist, do you do that professionally?

Yes, I played in lounges in Europe…private parties or functions and recitals. I’ve done it all, and still do.

You’re also a sports enthusiast?

Oh yes, I’m a freak when it comes to sports. I swim intensely

Marco Fantyn Alfonzo.

Interview

"You know men, they don’t like to taking orders from women, so sometimes I have to kick their ass. "

three to five miles every morning; then there’s the running, rope skipping, tribal dancing…that’s to keep your whole body moving and using different muscles…and quite a few martial arts.

I’m worn out just listening to you. What degrees do have in the martial arts field and how did you become a trainer for the military?

I have a second-degree black belt in Shotokan Karate and a fourth-degree in Taekwondo.

What about Kung Fu? Kung Fu actually comes from the Chinese culture, martial arts comes from traditional kicking and so forth. I still practice dancing, but my passion is for the other. The introduction to the army was from the Bin House owner, the poster mother for Batik. I was in this club in Germany where a lot of martial arts people hang out, she came up to me while I was training and introduced me to someone in the military. I had all the correct techniques, and so it started. I have been training them for the past two years.

Who do you teach in the military and for what?

I’m teaching the Special Forces and the Rangers, it’s the real deal. This is about the tournaments and you have to win. I train them for the tournaments and, happy to say, everybody’s winning and smiling.

Have you personally participated in tournaments?

Yes. Fifty in all, 42 of which I won.

Are you the only woman teacher?

I haven’t seen any others around.

How do you think the men feel about you teaching them?

Intimidated at first. Some feel that I’m insulting them. It comes down to communication. You know men, they don’t

like to taking orders from women, so I have to kick their ass.

Some are happy and some are not. I’m hurting their egos, but point of fact is they have to learn to fight.

You have to earn their respect?

I do, but I don’t give a damn, sorry.

Being a world traveller, what was your last stop before coming to Bali?

I came from London last year. I’m here on holiday escaping from all this metropolitan craziness. I go fishing with the fishermen, swimming in the sea, hiking like a hillbilly [laughter], exploring and enjoying life.

What about relationships? I mean you have so much on your plate...

It’s hard finding someone to understand who you are. So to date I’m single, but by no means is a relationship ruled out.

What is your daily lifestyle like?

My daily schedule is a mixture. One day I jump rope, the next day swim and so forth, just as long as I get through my energy and the bad stuff one encounters. One and a half hours, maximum. Eat simple, live simple.

Last words?

Explore. Bad experience, good experience, just keep going.

Nurture your soul, that’s what matters, keep the spirit up. Do your very best and don’t be nasty to people. Unless you have to.

Fashion

White knights make this the colour of essential simplicity. Photography by D.HUMP. Styling by Vally. Hair & make-up: Jack. Special thanks to: M Models Management.

Dress: THIS IS GENEVIEVE at THIS IS GENEVIEVE AND MISS MILNE. Bracelets: YAZ and LOVELY GIOIELLI at SO CLOTHE boutique.

Boots and neckless: Stylist's own.

Fashion Top, shorts and belt: SO CLOTHE. Neckless and earings: Sandrine at MAGALI PASCAL boutique.

T-shirt: DOUBLE ISSUE. Bikini: THIS IS GENEVIEVE.

Fashion T-shirt dress: PURA VIDA. Bracelets: YAZ. Boots: Stylist's own.

Top: LULU YASMINE. Short: LILY JEAN. Neckless and earing: Sandrine at MAGALI PASCAL boutique.

Fashion Dress: LILY JEAN. Neckless: SANDRINE at MAGALI PASCAL. Bracelet: LOVELI GIOELLI at SO CLOTHE. Boots: Stylist's own.

Shirt: BIASA. Shorts: Lily Jean. Bag: K&I. Bracelets: YAZ and LOVELI GIOELLI at SO CLOTHE. Shoes: YAZ.

Interview Michel Adam made a fortune in T-shirts in Thailand in the Seventies, then started Fashion TV. So, basically…he rules. Salvador Bali said hello.

Michel, let’s kick it off with what you’re doing here right now in Bali...

We’re here theoretically on holiday, which is the typical Fashion TV life. But we’ve also been meeting with different people, looking at business opportunities, thinking about how we can incorporate them and doing some production.

And enjoying the parties, of course.

I see Eddie here with his professional movie camera, so I presume he’s always around on the spot filming and recording?

Sometimes he makes it happen.

To look at you one would think you are not the typical fashion mogul...

I don’t know what the typical fashion mogul looks like.

Well you’re a down-home, typical-looking guy, a big guy at that, sort of a big teddy bear, [laughter], so let’s get the background on how this all came about?

There are many faces to fashion, but be that as it may, I was born in Poland, Warsaw, Jewish parents, my father was a believer in Communism in the ’50s, got a government position in the International Atomic Energy Agency, which you hear about now, that’s the part of the United Nations that controls nuclear reactions for war purposes. His job was inspecting these facilities all over the world. That brought us to Vienna where my father died a political death. I grew up in Vienna in the ’60s, went to Princeton University

in America. I was a gifted student at the age of 16, studied mathematical theory of behaviour, which is the theory of games, with the professor who actually developed it.

So you were one of those...way ahead of the class. We call that genius where I come from.

Those were the hippie days. I finished my schooling, went back to Vienna and started running a hippie commune called Light Speed Collective.

Aha, so you took a lot of LSD, which got you into the fashion business!

Timothy Leary was our hero!

Timothy Leary’s dead, la, de, da [laughter].

Yeah, that’s when Timothy Leary was on the run and he stayed six months in our commune. So we got into the international society of drugs and culture, quite early I would say.

What goes around, comes around...

Everything was good until the money ran out, so then the commune people had to work to get money.

Reality, what a concept.

The community fell apart and I went to Bangkok in the ’70s. I’m in my late 20s at this point and I had to start some kind of business to support my dreams. The opportunity was perfect, the Vietnam War was finished, Thailand was stable and looking at garment manufacturing. Then in Hong Kong I saw one of those machines that took pictures and put them on T-Shirts.

Interview So you didn’t have a passion for fashion, you simply saw an opportunity?

Yes, I liked the idea of people wanting to show themselves, something I learned about much later in fashion.

There’s no business like show business…

I set up shops with a few machines, imported stones and put them on, Marilyn Monroe’s eyes, snake eyes, you name it, and this became a real big hit and the factory grew from four employees to 5,000 people.

We are not talking a week here...how long did it take to get to that point?

Nine years. Factories in China, Bangladesh, all T-Shirts. We obtained licensing from majors such as Walt Disney, Warner Brothers, high quantities.

What was the name of the company?

American Wear. Good times, met a lot of people, made a lot of money. Our marketing source was Walt Disney and they were happy with us and unhappy with us at the same time. Happy that we were doing such a tremendous business with them, unhappy that they weren’t doing the business themselves. So eventually they locked the doors and did the sales on their own. Our agreement ran out and we decided not to continue, plus they wanted to have full control of the brand.

You’re in your 30s now, not burnt out but raring to go?

Yeah, I learned the value of a brand and how it all went down. Most of it was television, merchandising.

So there’s the clue-in for FTV? We didn’t like film merchandising. Too quick, but television would run for years. Therefore the product would not run out after a few weeks. So our business was to choose the right character for the television series. MTV started with private cable and there it was. I was living in Paris at that time and we put music clips to images of models on the catwalk, avant-garde, nothing main stream, for MTV. Okay, but how did the fashion program come in to play?

Well, I opened a nightclub.

You are just full of surprises.

In Paris, you come with girls, money, you still don’t have a table. I noticed the venues were moving more to the highend nightclub business, found a club where the owners were fighting, a new concept something like the Buddha Bar, more advanced. The club’s name was Café Vogue, like the magazine.

But of course...

So with our T-Shirts and catwalk we had a lot of models.

I bought these big projectors, state of the art, did some photo shoots with the catwalk models and showed that.

Paris at that time only showed MTV…so no contest. There were always a lot of fashion shows at the time which were mimed. The models would come to Café Vogue to see themselves, so we had after-parties. I had all the right licensing and top-of-the-line equipment to invent the format shows which lasted 45 minutes to an hour. The girls came to us. So no more working for other people’s rents, there was the format, checked the trademarks all over the world, saw Fashion Television was not taken, stopped the other business and got into the new brand.

What countries did you kick off from?

Paris. From Paris we got a technical centre, we brought them the tapes, they started playing them, rented the satellite, distributed all over Europe, in a few weeks the cable operators came to us, yes we want this and this, Japan, South America…and that was it. Started in December 1997 and we're still developing the product.

Other people had the same idea, so we had to be better, quicker, and we stayed on top.

How many clubs are there now?

Forty, that’s around the world. We made it clear what a fashion party looks like, pretty girls, fashion show, rich guys who want to get close and spend a lot of money. We put them on television, very simple formula.

How do you feel being interviewed when you have you’re own Fashion T.V. magazine?

I don’t do so many interviews. Mostly we interview. But it's fine, no big deal.

Do you have any sort of defined plans for Bali?

We have a close relationship with Ku Dé Ta and there’s an offer to do a fashion resort here.

Here’s my excuse to get to this. Beside me is this big bottle of vodka with ‘Fashion’ written on it. Not only do I want to sample it, but I do believe it’s another new product?

Yes, it’s made in Poland.

May I pour the drinks? Wow, this is a big bottle. Like you, big man, impressive. Here’s to fashion on the rocks…and how long in existence?

Started in April 2010.

The response?

Very good. We launched a product that you can touch, drink and feel. Before the feeling, watch Fashion T.V. Then you can dream.

Do you ever relax?

I relax doing the Karma Sutra.

For you, if you relax you die?

In the series of games, there’s different definitions of people. One is called the homologue, the human who likes to play.

Like a kid with wrinkles?

Playing for playing’s sake. By the way, we have our Fashion T.V. interviews to do. What would you recommend when coming here?

Attitude. High heels in the rice fields.

How far are they going to walk in those?

On that note, for the fans, what’s the last word?

We love Bali. Everybody should visit at least once. I’m just a traveller and trying to bring the best to all of you.

Thanks for the chat, I like you.

Interview MY name is Gulu Lalvani, raised in Bombay, sent to study in England to further my education at university. I loved England so much that I decided to stay there. I never went back to India where my father had a big pharmaceutical business, I lived most of my life in London.

What kind of business led you to a marina?

I ran a helicopter business in Europe and in Hong Kong, which was my base. I had interests in consumer electronics and telecoms. Binatone was formed in 1961, and it then went on to become a household name in Europe, then cordless phones. We’re the second largest manufacturer of cordless phones in the world; Siemens in Germany is number one. Two years ago I handed over the business to my son Dino and decided to retire and spend more time in Phuket.

Why Phuket?

My love affair with Phuket is quite interesting. My first trip there was in 1991, before that, for 20 years my hobby used to be to travel to three new destinations in the world for holidays. In the process Phuket clicked for me, it was Christmas and I charted a yacht for four days, took the family out, and when we came back, I told my wife I was going to buy one of the villas in the Aman Puri. When I got there I found out the villas were not owned by the hotel at all, but there was one villa for sale, but what about my hobby? I’ve seen most of the world, this was paradise and I wanted to spend more time here. As it happened, with three kids at the time, they all loved it, never mind the other places, South of France, Switzerland and so on, this became the favourite. When I was 60 I decided to spend more time in Phuket, it had a beautiful golf course, the best boating in the world because it’s surrounded by 30 beautiful islands within an hour and half. But after I retired I got bored in no time, playing golf and being on the boat and I was thinking, was it Phuket or me? One weekend I sat alone and analyzed an important decision. The answer came: I’m an workaholic.

I’m that way as well; I had my thumb up my ass for too long.

Yes, exactly, so I decided to do something in Phuket. I noticed with all this boating beauty there were no boats around. I met the governor of Phuket whereupon I told him I could make this a paradise for the more affluent people through yachts and so if you prohibit import duties,

He started mobile phone giant Binatone in the UK, fell in love with Phuket then built a $150 million marina there to indulge his passions of boating and golf. But what about Bali? The Yak spoke to the uber successful Gulu Lalvani about his thoughts on our island…

I’ll build a world-class marina. He said this was music to his ears, but that it was way beyond him, it was the Prime Minister who needed to decide, and he promised to set up an appointment. He came back with a 15-minute slot, I really had to sell him the idea, he was a busy man with Thailand coming out of recession.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but the timing couldn’t have been more perfect at that point?

Absolutely. I told him I was willing to invest 150 million dollars in any bank in Thailand. You bring down the import tax and I’ll build the marina. The 15 minutes turned to two hours.

I knew that was gonna happen…

[Laughter] Yes, yes, he told his secretary to cancel his appointments. You wouldn’t think you were talking to a Prime Minister but a businessman, which he was, and a very good one at that.

This is not just a normal marina is it, but a little city?

It’s an integrated lifestyle resort and the marina is the centerpiece. The first phase is full to capacity and the second phase is complete. We’re now embarking on the third phase, which will start in February. We’ll be putting up a five-star hotel and many others, we have only three villas left, we’ve sold 94 apartments and villas. The marina is the centerpiece and in 2002 I bought more of the most beautiful property sites, so I had an edge. My vision was way ahead of anybody else and I picked the best properties in town, five minutes from the marina. There’s one of the best British international schools here as well. It was created by the best architects…tennis courts, boateries, four, five restaurants, Paul Ropp store (which by the way does more business monthly within three months than all of his shops combined in Bali). Location, location, location and the people who come there have money, yachts and girlfriends who love to go shopping.

The price tag?

Currently, fully furnished, half a million dollars and up to four million dollars.

What's your opinion about Bali?

Bali has a lot of creative people, I like both, but Thailand has good infrastructure.

What about a marina here?

One thing that frightened the life out of people when I came here 10 years ago on the Sea Goddess cruise

ship from Singapore to Thailand was that the captain announced that these waters were known for piracy, and he asked us not to walk around the outside at night. I love Indonesia and the people, but until the perception is changed, well… My opinion is, on a scale of one to 10, Phuket would get nine out of 10, Bali, seven out of 10. For me, Bali lacks the infrastructure, and the sailing that I love.

There’s also more golf courses in Phuket…six within a 15-minute drive from the marina. I also love walking, but here in Bali it’s scary. And the duties! In Phuket you can buy a boat for the amount of duties alone it would cost here in Bali.

I believe you’re aware of the talk of building a marina here in Bali?

I’ve been hearing talk for 20 years. If they cleaned up their act, and it comes to pass, I would be an investor for sure.

So it’s not Bali, but the pirates that are the problem?

Yes, exactly. If the perception were to be changed, which involves the government, it would be something to think about. I mean Indonesia's got everything, incredible for sailors…thousands of islands. I had a friend who sailed from here to Australia and the insurance company boosted the rates to such a degree that it cost more for the insurance than any ransom you’d pay out to the pirates for kidnapping you. This is a high-risk area.

Did Bali ever come into the picture for you?

Before I decided to make Phuket my home I considered living in Bali. My first trip was in 1999 and many times after, but for me Phuket scored higher than Bali because I’m a boat person and Phuket is one of the few places you can go boating anytime all year round. You know Paul Ropp very well and he comes to stay with me and he loves boating as well.

How did you meet Paul?

I met him last year on a trip organised by my sister whom Paul has known for 40 years. I used to hear about Paul; ‘you have to meet this guy; you two have a lot in common’.

So some 20 odd friends from different parts of the world gathered for a week together and we became very good friends. When he saw the marina he said he loved the place, and he said he wanted to open a shop here.

A good move. Gulu, many thanks for your time.

Gulu Lalvani.

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This Life

Bali isn’t a bookish place, never has been. When I came here to live in the late ’90s, the choice was either the stalls in Kuta recycling mildewed, well-thumbed bestsellers with shiny covers or the photocopy shops on Jalan Legian, where you could sit and have a Tehbotol while the machine pumped out a copy of any book you wanted – copyright infringement while-you-wait. Occasionally I would drive up the hill to Ubud and check out Ganesha, where you could find an antiquarian treasure or at least a good read that wasn’t by Clancy, Rice, or King. (Not that I have anything against Anne Rice or Stephen King, but Tom Clancy can make the world safe for democracy without me.)

The situation was no better in Jakarta. In the last days of the New Order, back in the mid-’90s, pretty much the only option was Times Books in the lower level of Plaza Indonesia, where you could snap up a Penguin paperback for $30 and up. Suharto wanted to keep the people dumb, and outrageous duties on imported books were a key part of the policy. Books were like vitamins and fancy shampoo, exotic stuff you had to stock up on while on a visa run to Singapore or a trip home.

But once you got them, Bali was always a great place for reading books, especially big books, and preferably in series. My first year here I read through Anthony Trollope’s Palliser novels, thousands of pages of back-stabbing political intrigue and heartbreak in Victorian England. There was something very comforting about knowing that when you got to the end of one big fat book, the next one in the series was on tap – a vast horizon of time-kill.

I was thrilled when Janet De Neefe started the Ubud Writers and Readers festival in 2004, and signed up as a worker bee on Day One. The festival has always been heavier than I would like on cookery and “My Fabulous Tropical Lifestyle” memoirs, which have become something of a mini-industry in Australian publishing, but it has also brought in some of the world’s greatest writers, and some of its more fascinating eccentrics. The festival has generated controversy – every time somebody does something new here, it generates controversy – but for one week in October, Bali becomes the most literary island in the tropics. That just leaves 51.

Around the same time the festival started, Periplus began opening shops all over the island. They’re all exactly the same; you might wish for a couple of medium-sized, well-stocked book stores rather than dozens of interchangeable little shops that all carry the same titles. I used to complain about the selection at Periplus, but since they began stocking my books, my opinion has raised considerably: Periplus rules! Now that they’re getting competition from the new Times bookstore in Kuta Square, things can only get better.

Yet as everybody knows – because they saw it on the internet or cable TV – books, at least the traditional paper-and-ink kind, are on the way out. Initially I was skeptical of the notion of the e-book: Reading on a machine? Books are supposed to be an escape from a world that has too many machines already.

I’m not exactly a Luddite, but I’m wary of bandwagons. I choose new machines

to fulfill existing needs; I don’t want the latest technology to tell me what I need. I can’t live without iTunes, now that the music CD is pretty much dead, but so far I’ve managed to live an app-free life without suffering too much.

My sister and her friends in L.A. are app-addicts, but they have special needs there. She has her phone loaded with Have2Pee, which gives you the GSM coordinates of the nearest public toilet – usually not a big problem in Bali.

Yet I do have this junkie-ish craving for books, and when I used a Kindle for the first time on a trip home, I realized that I was holding the device that would satisfy all my needs. This slim little gadget provides the user with instant access (according to Amazon, which manufactures it) to half a million books – enough for even the busiest junkie. And it’s cheap. My inner Scotsman was thrilled to find that many classic titles are available – for free! You can get the complete works of William Shakespeare or Lewis Carroll for $0.00, delivered in minutes to your device. Even if you don’t want to read Shakespeare or Alice, how can you go wrong?

When I search “Bali” in the Kindle bookstore, I come up with guide books, boring-sounding scholarly studies of religion and public health, thrilling truelife adventure tales, and plenty of those “My Fabulous Tropical Lifestyle” titles, everything from Inspector Singh Investigates: A Bali Conspiracy Most Foul to a history of Death Metal rock on the island in the 1990s (not to mention this classy little item, The Adventurous Man’s Guide to Sex Tourism). Oh, they also have that book Eat, Pray … Something – how does it go exactly? I heard they made a movie out of it.

If you’re hooked on the gleaming Technicolor perfection of the Apple display in its many formats, the Kindle and its ilk will probably disappoint: It’s black and white, and it doesn’t glow. Yet for me its very unsexiness is what makes it sexy – like the skinny librarian with thick glasses who has an inner tiger waiting to be unleashed. There’s no other machine I want to get into bed with.

They’ve tried to make it as much as possible like a book, with an eye-soothing, opaque display and sharp black type. I found it surprisingly easy to adapt to.

When I read, I want the words to glow, not the book itself.

My friends accuse me of becoming a fanatic proselytizer who can’t shut up about his favorite new toy: I plead guilty. Shopping for information technology is like buying a new car – once you take the plunge and buy something, you have to believe it was a good choice. Yet the Kindle has plenty of competition – the Sony E-Book, Barnes & Noble’s Nook, and of course the iBook app for iPad – though nobody has more titles (and more great free stuff ) than the Kindle.

I saved the bad part for last: the Kindle isn’t for sale in Indonesia yet.

However, it functions exactly the same here as it does in America, Europe, and Australia, where it is for sale. In most parts of Bali, I have full 3G access to the internet for shopping and downloading books via the AT&T international cellphone network. I can download the complete novels of Charles Dickens in a few minutes, standing in the middle of a rice field (if I can find one to stand in the middle of these days). Did I mention that it’s free?

Over The Edge A view to live for.

Classics never die. Tony Stanton revisits a Bali legend.

I’ve stayed at Amankila three times now, unbelievably over a period of 16 years. I’ve grown old with the place – I can look back at stages of my life over that time and see the difference in me. I might add I was one of the resort’s very first guests, attending a wedding there when the property was not even officially open. The second occasion – four years later – was to attend another wedding (it didn’t last) and the third, well, let’s just say there are certain perks that come with the journalist’s lot. Anyway my point is this: despite my own growth (a two-steps forward kind of tango with one-step back when warranted), very little has changed at Amankila over a decade and a half – the place has remained admirably true to its vows of personal service, an extraordinary location and a philosophy that’s to be venerated in the world of superstar, understated luxury. They created a massively private and endearing model of how retreats should be …and then they maintained it.

Much of this is down to the staff, I think, many of whom have been with the property from the very first stages. I recognized a few of them from day one. Chatting to a barman there on my most recent visit reinforced the secret to Amankila’s much-

envied level of service. “I’m one of the new boys,” he told me. “I’ve only been here 10 years.”

So why is it such a jewel? It started with the concept, and the architecture. As with all Aman properties, it was conceived initially as a place where discerning families could holiday in the knowledge that they would feel as comfortable here as they might in any one of their other homes. Aman is a family in itself, pioneered by people who expect standards of laid-back luxury that they might create first and foremost for their own lives. This is not a high-handed dream – if you are well off enough to be in a position of luxury, there are principles to follow: pick and motivate staff who are going to stay with you through thick and thin; build in a way that sustains beauty outside of fashion, and maintain your property as if it’s a much-loved child. This and more they do at Amankila.

Staying here is a privilege for which gratitude is part and parcel of the experience.

The Aman story has been well documented, but it’s worth a retread: Founded by Adrian Zecha in 1988, Amanresorts came into being when Zecha was looking for a holiday home in Phuket. He discovered the ideal location – a coconut plantation with

Over The Edge

Somewhere between the heavens and the sea.

The main pool.

Over The Edge

no other developments in sight – when wandering along Pansea Beach on the island’s west coast. Plans to build a home there soon developed into an idea to build a small boutique resort in partnership with Anil Thadani and two other friends. They invested their own money in the venture...no banks would lend the cash for the project because of the small number of planned rooms. At this time resorts usually featured 500 rooms or more, and the boutique hotel concept was still in its infancy.

Amanpuri (which means 'Place of Peace') opened in January 1988 with 40 rooms and 30 private villas. From the positive response to this project, now Amanresorts’ flagship property, Zecha was encouraged to develop more resorts employing the same concept.

While initially concentrated in Asia (including properties in Bhutan, Cambodia, China, French Polynesia, India, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand), over the last two decades the group has opened resorts in France, Morocco, Montenegro, the Turks & Caicos Islands and the United States.

To get to Amankila, you drive out east: that’s the first part of your journey. It’s a blessed relief to be away from the central-south motorbike mayhem part of the island (this is all I can find to complain about here). Off you go out past the temple where giant bats rule the roost, round the coast a bit and over a few impressive bridges that straddle the sand pits and salt plains. It gets drier, the hills start resembling dragons, fruit stalls start to appear with refreshing regularity and then there’s a discreet sign – everything ‘Aman’ is discreet – and you turn up a steep hill to be greeted at the top by a fantastic, uninterrupted view over rice fields and a friendly welcome from security guards. At the lobby it starts – the first thing someone said to me was: “Welcome back, Mr Stanton,” and I reflected on the years that had past since my last visit.

It’s all about private villas, as I imagine you might expect at this altitude, but there’s a difference. The pavilions are set one at a time in the treetops, linked by steps to create a kind of spiritualist’s jungle camp. The proportions blend admirably – it’s an attractive ratio of low, brooding roofs and stretched, squat spaces. There’s references to Asian temple sites throughout – carved reliefs, narrow doorways leading to high-ceilinged spaces – and then there’s a mix of wood, terrazzo and marble that makes life livable, luxurious and practical. It all feels right, with a level of private value that is enduring.

Amankila is on a big piece of land: big enough to afford the feeling of life on an independent estate, which is essentially what it is. Stroll down from the lobby, past the library (where the only TV in the entire resort exists, and how refreshing is that?), head on past the tiered pools and follow the path down, down, down, to the beach and a private beach club. What a joy, your own beach club: private cabana, friendly and understated service, great lifeguards…an Aman boat. They had me (for the third time) at ‘private beach’.

Kick back here, order a salad; the food is straightforward, fresh and edible, and grand if you want that too.

What else? Well, this bit’s for the frequent travellers – the Amanjunkies. This group of Aman lovers will tell you this: you’ll go back to Amankila, because it’s worth it. Aside from the luxe, and the corresponding understatement of all that should be, it’s the little things.

The beds are Asian hard; it’s been beautifully maintained; it still feels fresh and aromatic, not musty and tired. The smiles are genuine; it’s not snooty, although it has every right to be. It’s been built from the heart, with the head in the right place. The architecture is stunning, unique, iconic, fearless … and somehow, and this might sound weird, but here goes: Amankila is not arrogant. It’s at the top of a highly moral tree with a knowledge that it, also, must fit in. And so it does, somewhere between the heavens and the sea. www.amanresorts.com

Luxurious solitude...Aman style.

Fashion

On yer bike.

Photographer: D.HUMP Styling: Vally Hair & Make Up: www.yeanne.com Models: So Wanted Management.

Special Thanks to: RAW Store.

Outfit details inside.

Fashion T-shirt: ROTTEN FRESH at ONE (Jl. Drupadi I, No.3).

Pants: THOUSAND REASONS at ONE. Scarf and cap: DEUS EX MACHINA. Shoes: CONVERSE. Watch CASIO at THIS IS A LOVE SONG.

Tank top: THIS IS A LOVE SONG. Pants: 16 D-SCALE at THIS IS A LOVE SONG. Caps: DEUS EX MACHINA. Shoes: RELIGION.

Fashion T-shirt and shorts: NICO PEREZ. Bag: DEUS EX MACHINA. Cap: Biasa.

Shoes: VANS.

Stripe dress and cap: DEUS EX MACHINA. Shoes: VANS.

Fashion T-shirt and pants : FROM. Shirt: THIS IS A LOVE SONG. Scarf and Cap: BIASA. Shoes: RELIGION.

Dress: MISS MILNE at THIS IS GENEVIEVE AND MISS MILNE. Cap: DEUS EX MACHINA. Shoes: CONVERSE.

Sounds Around

Lou Nietunz meets Defected Records label boss, Simon Dunmore.

So Simon, how did you first get introduced to Bali as a musical traveller’s destination?

I first came to Bali because I hooked up with some guys from Jakarta. One guy named Christian Rijanto and another guy called Anton Wirjono, and they booked me into a club called Dragonfly. I had a really good time, and then eventually they booked me to play The Junction Festival in Bali.

How did you first get in to the music business?

I just sort of bummed around really…I mean, I always had a big passion for music, you know. I collected records, I used to make tapes for my friends, for girls. I used to deejay their parties and that started to evolve. I used to write for Blues&Soul magazine, and do reviews for them, and then I used to work in a record shop, and do events for them, and then all of a sudden it seemed like everything I was doing was based around music. Eventually I got offered a job at a record label called FullTempo which is owned by EMI, in a very junior position in promotions, and I worked my way up. So it has kind of been an evolution, there was never any master-plan to own a label or to deejay around the world – it just kind of evolved step by step, and I think that’s why I’ve had longevity, you know, I’ve been involved in the music industry now for 25 years, and I still enjoy it.

Who and how came up with the name Defected?

Well…it was kind of one of those freak moments. A name, whenever you’re starting a new label or venture in life, is really important. And it’s really important you get the name right. I pontificated about it for several months, and couldn’t find anything that I was happy with – you know, that didn’t sound cheesy or pretentious, and one morning I woke up at about four in the morning, and it was right at the front of my brain, and I was thumbing through this dictionary, and my wife went, “God, what is wrong with you? Go to sleep! You’re defective, you are!” And I thought, defective…that’s quite good…but it can’t be defective, ‘cause that means broken, so then I thought defected, as that actually means you’re leaving somewhere to go somewhere else. And I was leaving a major label to go to start my own label somewhere else – so I had defected

from Universal, and it all kind of made sense.

Having been around the world, what would you say defines the Bali experience?

A lot of places I get to visit, mainly in Asia, actually – the people seem very open, very hospitable, and you can speak to them and within five minutes end up having a great conversation like you’ve known them almost all your life. So because of that, they’re so receptive normally in life, and so receptive to music as well, that the moment you play you just get an instant connection and great reaction.

I love coming to Asia, and obviously Bali is an amazing destination in itself, so if you put the two together – it’s something that I can’t get enough of.

Your label just released the Junction in the House: Bali ‘10 double-album by DJ Gregory and Anton Wirjono – do you feel these destination-based releases give further exposure or notoriety to those destinations?

Yeah, I believe that the House music scene or dance music scene is a really global scene. I believe it’s much more global and stronger than for maybe any other genre of music. People talk to each other from Australia to Europe to South America, and it’s all about connecting the dots. And you can’t just keep doing compilations based around Ibiza or Miami, or the really obvious destinations. We’ve been conscious to support the House music community around the world.

What’s the funniest situation you’ve had to navigate with a Defected gig or event?

You know, sometimes you turn up, and something happens, the stars don't align and the gig is a disaster. I did a gig in Prague this summer, the venue must have held 20,000 people, and there were 25 people there. And so, you know, what do you do? The promoter’s put his money on the table, he’s flying you over, I‘m sure he’s done the best possible job he could do…so I played, and actually think I played really well…and the 25 people that were there had a great time, and half-way through the set, I jumped down and shook hands with pretty much every single one of them. So even though it wasn’t the most amazing gig, I can honestly say I personally connected with every single

person there!

How has parenthood affected or changed your approach to how you work/operate?

Being a father really changes your perception on everything because you feel like you have a legacy.

Everything I do now, I kind of realised that possibly, before I had children, I was very selfish in my outlook in life.

Now, a lot of the things that I do, I have to have absolute consideration about my children, so it affects a lot of my decisions, on travelling, on business, on the future, and you know, sometimes when you think I haven’t got the time or the energy to do that, then you think, well, I need to do it for my children’s future or stability – so you just do it.

Becoming a parent changes everything.

Tourism (musical or otherwise) can bring untold wealth and development to many new destinations, but are there trade-offs or negatives that you see can occur if uncontrolled? Should quotas or limits of some sort be in place to guard against over-exposure?

Absolutely. But, I don’t think you can protect from overexposure, because the internet now is all about free speech, so if people are going to talk, they’re going to talk.

I don’t think that people should spoil the natural beauty of the Earth as it is. In Ibiza, they have strict regulations about the size and height of the house you can build.

You have to have X amount of land before you can do any kind of building on it at all. I think they’ve really got a sense of maintaining the true spirit of the island, by doing it that way. You know, you go to places like Goa. I was there 16 years ago, and I went there last year, and it had undoubtedly changed. Places are going to change, and I think it’s about balance, really.

What’s your favorite footwear?

Gosh…sneakers. They’re comfortable and they’re versatile.

I wear them to the office, I wear them casually. If I want to go the gym, which doesn’t happen very often, I’d probably wear them there as well. They’re a pretty universal footwear, so yeah, sneakers.

Simon Dunmore.

S o u n dIsn tAerrov ui enwd

N e w S e l e c t o r Lou Nietunz sits down at Ryoshi with N’Dea Davenport, lead singer of the Brand New Heavies, dynamic solo artist and one half of acid-jazz and gypsy acoustic-soul-electronica duo Celectrixx.

Thanks so much for your time, N’Dea. What are your first impressions of Bali?

Oh well, television, movies…and a few artist friends of mine that came out here, but I didn’t really understand why – I just thought it was a tropical holiday destination, not all this. So this is my first time, I mean we just got here yesterday, so today is the first full day that we’ve been able to see anything. We both noticed at the airport how people are very interested in getting your business. You know, there’s four or five people each time, trying to get your business – whether it’s money changers or whatever, they like to have your business.

What music did you grow-up listening to?

Oh gosh, there were different points in time where I was influenced by different things…I think my first influence would definitely have been Michael Jackson, he had a huge impact on my life, and then I kind of graduated to other things, I guess, you know got into more underground British stuff – bands like Japan.

There were the American Soul-singers too, more traditional ones – Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, the Mini Rippertons, people like that. But I was interested to go a little deeper, and not just hear the automatic things you hear. The Beatles were great, but I was interested in different tastes. And then I got into Punk stuff, the SexPistols, Malcolm McLaren, all that.

Then hip-hop was big influence for a time. When hip-hop was really great, it was welcome to anybody, it wasn’t all about finances. I mean, even though you might have battles or beef between MC’s, it was still really good, fun music, open to everybody.

So your formative years were in Atlanta?

I didn’t really become an adult in Atlanta, I was kind of a gypsy child, because I came into my own in Los Angeles.

So I was kind of part of the underground hip-hop, dance and art scene there. I was about 20 years old, and went out there with $200, kind of finding my way, and I was actually a dancer before I became a singer. Daytime was singing sessions, and night-time was hitting the clubs, and that was the best thing that ever could’ve happened to me, because it built for me a certain level of culture and friendships. So

many people I knew from that time, my peers, have gone on to do great things, like The Red Hot Chili Peppers or Ice T, the list kind of goes on and on, a lot of people came out of that scene, painters and artists, fashion designers, all kinds of people, deejays, beach boys, everybody.

Was your family household a musical one?

Yes. My father was a trumpet-player. He used to play with Count Basie, he’s an older gentleman, you know, I have older parents. He used to play with Bobby Bland, and they said he was a really great trumpet player, but he gave it all up for my mother to get a real job, and he turned to his other profession which was education. He was a school principal, and he also used to represent independent real estate here and there. He was representative for the state of Georgia, like to delegate to voteon what you’re supposed to do for our state.

Musically my father was always on the jazz standards and he was big Sarah Vaughn fan.My mother was a big John Lee Hooker fan, and as far as mom’s side went with the musicality, they were big in church, they sang in church, I guess at that point there wasn’t a lot of outlet, or people didn’t really realise they could get in to music professionally. I have a lot of school-teachers in my family, but I think I’ve gone the furthest in the family in another direction, as far as really taking risks and going for it.

Having spent time on solo projects and albums and now being back together with the band – how do you compare the two?

Gosh, I have so much more to offer, and I’m glad that I took a break. I really took abreak from the music business, because I needed to get a grip on myself personally. I had spent all this time focusing on moves, travelling and doing music, you know, all my peers were like buying houses, getting married, having kids and things like that, and I missed out on all of that because I was really focused on work and my career, so I needed to just take some time.

I was living in London a great deal of the time, when I was out on the first tour with Brand New Heavies. When I left the band I wanted to go back to my own country and I decided to move to New Orleans, and New Orleans sort of raised me up again and gave me my spirit back,

because I was starting to get a little burned out. People just think there’s so many great things about fame or being extremely popular, but also there’s just no balance, you know, you start losing a part of yourself.

Is it inevitable that recording artists get jaded by the industry or lifestyle? How do you stay inspired or motivated?

It’s personal choice for people, want you want to do with own life and your own career. Some people enter the business with just wanting to be famous, other people come in and want to have an artistic statement. Do you want the long term or do you want something really quickly? And my whole thing is like, I wanted to leave some kind of legacy, for myself, and for other people, you know.

What’s your own personal favorite track you’ve written or produced - and why?

Mmm, there’s a song on my solo record, it’s called Placement for the Baby, and it’s a song like for me when I’m about to perform, it’s sort of auto-biographical, about when stepping into unfamiliar territory. So far that’s probably the strongest song to date, for me.

What’s the funniest situation you’ve had to navigate with a gig or event?

Hmm, that’s a hard one. There’s a lot of them, especially while being on tour. I don’t know. You mean like people throwing stuff on to the stage while you’re singing? And you’re ducking and trying to keep the song going? That’s pretty funny.

Where’s the best gig you’ve played so far and why?

Wembley Stadium, I think. That will always stay with me, looking out over 40,000 people, you see how much power those politicians or world leaders can have. The people are already there, they’re with you, you can tell them almost anything, and if it’s positive, they’ll mostly do it.

And finally, what’s your favouritefoot-wear?

I love sneakers of all kinds, but if we’re going to name brands and stuff like that. Puma, maybe? I would love to make a shoe with them someday. Something nice and stylish, but you know, with the sneaker sole beneath it. silvie@massivevibrations.com

The Yak Awards

A flood of fun, frolics and familiar faces heralded the onset of this year’s Yak Awards‌and in the words of the immortal Fankie Valli, oh what a night! Photos by Orly Even.

Cozi Till.

Nyoman Sura.

The Yak Awards

The Sixth Annual Yak Awards 2010 kicked off this year with record attendance, an expanded entertainment line-up and a new venue…it all looked pretty good from the main stage. Kevin K and Tina Ardie did the honours on the mike, and what a pair they are together. News and views came thick and fast – sponsors broke all records; there were new offerings from the Say Cheese instant photo girls; Bali’s hotel TV channel Mango Vision filled an entrance wall with motion graphics; there were gymnasts, dragon dancers, cocktails and Cozi Till launching her latest album; the booze and canapés flowed…and of course there were the awards themselves, much anticipated this year as one of Bali’s premier events picked out the best of the best brands, venues, events and people.

But we would say that wouldn’t we? Nevertheless The Yak Awards – this year themed Shanghai Chic – has become a major player on the high season calendar, launching the year’s best parties. One thousand people came through the doors of Cocoon at the end of Jl. Double Six; the party opened the venue and brought industry players, party goers and friends of The Yak to the brand new space: it’s become de rigeur to see and be seen at the awards, most importantly as a date at which to catch up with the best and the brightest in Bali. So yes, forgive us if we blow our own trumpet.

The festivities started with 12 chefs’ creations from Bali’s most revered kichens: The Laguna, The Bale, The Ayana, Bali Good Food Catering Company, Jimbaran Puri Bali, Intercontinental, Wah Wah Burgers, Conrad, Chandi, Karma Kandara, Anantara, Fivelements, Cocoon Beach Club and Bloody Mary oyster shots from Marinelli Shellfish Company.

The official beverage sponsors of the event featured exclusive label Billecart Salmon Champagne, sponsored by Boga Fine Wine of Jakarta, which was served with Degira Cigars in the upstairs VIP section, reserved for sponsors, advertisers and nominees. The red and white wines were generously sponsored by Indowines and Unduragga; and The Yak Award’s official beer was Heineken. Hair and makeup was courtesy of Spoiled Hairdressers with gowns by Oka Di Putra – didn't we look fabulous.

Guests were photographed in the foyer with a 1930s gangster hot rod mobile, and welcomed in the lobby by fortune cookies, Chinese acrobats and signature Shanghai Yak cocktails by Behind Bars Bali. All-star entertainment kicked off at sunset with a jazz performance by Jim Larkin and Neil Larkin from San Francisco, accompanied by Ito on

standing bass, and Eric on upright piano.

The main attraction featured Supercozi performing three songs from her latest chill out compilations "Dari Bali 2 ~ Chillpresso ~" and "EAST Vibe2”. Supercozi was accompanied by guest saxophonist Chika Amalo, Jeko on guitar and Sagon Togasa on percussion.

An Asian silhouette dance by The Company, framed

by Chinese-inspired visuals created by Openeye Media, electrified the awards stage, which was also the platform for contemporary dance maestro Nyoman Sura’s creation.

Sura, Bali’s ambassador of dance, performed an original composition, and was later accompanied by a playful Barong Sai. The official Yak Shanghai Chic CD was mixed by DJ Tony Montana, and was presented to guests with cooling Chinese print fans. Soulful grooves were spun by longtime Yak supporting DJ Wayne Wonder. Overall production and management was provided by event-legends Vision 1 Bali and Promotion Events, with themed cherry red lacquered awards table and chairs by Cempaka Furniture, and paintings of Shanghai dressed ladies commissioned by Louis Wah of Wah Wah. The highlight of the event, gave recognition for achievement in industry categories, and were awarded

by The Yak to the following outstanding individuals and companies – votes were tabulated on-line by Bule Fusion.

WINNERS BY CATEGORY • Best Newcomer: The Red Carpet, Seminyak.

• Best Retail Space: Word Of Mouth, Seminyak.

• Bar of The Year: Hu’u Bar, Petitenget.

• Best Villa: The Istana, Uluwatu.

• Best Resort: Four Seasons, Ubud.

• Best Wine List: St. Regis Bali, Nusa Dua. • Best Sunset Venue: Kuve @ Ku Dé Ta, Seminyak.

• Best DJ: Anastasia.

• Yak Man of the Year: Agung Dwi Nugroho, Chandi.

• Yak Woman of the Year: Lucienne Anhar, Tugu Hotels.

• Fashion Designer of the Year: Niluh Putu, Niluh Shoes.

• Chef of the Year: I Wayan Wicaya, Bvlgari, and Enrico Wahl, The Oberoi.

• Ad Campaign of the Year: St. Regis Hotel, Nusa Dua. • Best Community Services Award: Mary Northmore – SMILE (Yayasan Senyum).

• Best Event: Kuta Karnival.

• Green Yak Award: Green School, John Hardy.

• New Media Award: The Bud Magazine.

The Yak Awards

Constant Wining

Nothing like a blinding hangover to get Katrina Valkenburg in the mood for some wholesome pick-me-ups.

It’s the ards and I’m feeling less morning after The Yak Aw ore point weather check bef than fabulous. I do an allched ; all the digits are still atta easing myself out of bed be in place. OMG, it’s the and vital organs appear to h e smashed my noggin wit head, someone must hav by me y home and gagged a baseball bat on the wa mouth. stuffing cotton wool in my and take a brief peek I make it to the bathroom to re was obviously no time in the mirror. Oh dear, the sty tru my udged mascara and remove the makeup; sm e littl tick are still evident, if a 12-hour-long lasting lips wl to quickly remove it and cra pallid. Such a bad look! I

the kitchen e. to find THE HANGOVER cur ee first up or a Bloody Will it be a strong black coff or ka shot? Eggs and bacon Mary? A fruit juice or a vod or l ado Pan Coke or papaya? a chocolate paddle pop? , endless and, unfortunately Gatorade? The choices are n, making a decision as due to the brain dehydratio ossible. I’m befuddled and to what’s best is near imp her bantu has a wry smile on twitchy and my trusty pem my no secrets in Bali and all-knowing dial. There are ady informed her of what security guard will have alre

time and whether or not I’d fallen state I arrived home in and … nt of the idiot box…I did asleep on the couch in fro glass t cringe-making balloon and beside the couch, tha ouch! half-filled with Cognac… will tion before deciding what op ee I go for the coff and er reflect on the mann be next and take time to extent of my intoxication. , a shot of Grey Goose It started with a wee roadie leaving home (essential vodka on the rocks before ld 45-minute drive that cou before embarking on any

Oops.

Constant Wining

turn into an hour and a half on any Friday night in Bali, let alone in high season). On offer on my arrival at Cocoon for the Awards was a glass of Leyda Gewurtztraminer, okay, make that two, before I moved on to the Salitage Treehouse Cabernet Merlot…two of those. A double vodka on the rocks followed when the wine stopped flowing freely and then on to dinner. An excellently concocted extra dry vodka martini at Sip Wine Bar was followed by a bottle of Spanish red wine and then it was home and that ubiquitous Cognac.

Have I forgotten something? Oh yes, I managed to squeeze in one glass of water with dinner. So in total, 14 standard drinks plus an unknown quantity of brandy in a little less than eight hours, which is roughly eight times the recommended maximum in a 24-hour period in a quarter of the time. So now I know why I’m feeling so poorly.

Of course, this is not the first time I’ve felt like this.

We all know the reasons why, but let’s take a refresher course in the hangover, just to remind ourselves.

• They don't call it intoxication for nothing. Happy juice is poisonous and if you put enough of it into your body you can die.

The severity of a hangover varies according to: • The amount you've guzzled in a given period of time; • Your own innate enzymatic capacity to deal with the toxins; • Your weight – the less you weigh, the more you feel it; • Your age – the older you get, the more you’ll feel it and, last but not least...

• The quality of the booze.

There are poisons besides alcohol itself that contribute to a brutal hangover. Nasty chemicals called congeners occur naturally in all fermented drinks. The general rule is that darker drinks, such as red wine, bourbon, scotch and brandy have more congeners than lighter drinks like white wine, vodka, and gin.

But you should also keep in mind that whatever your drink’s colour, the cheaper it is, the more poison will be in it.

So avoid the cheap sauce.

Red wine contains an extra hangover-inducing poison all of its own called tyramine. So be especially careful with cheap red wine.

One particularly nasty chemical by the name of acetaldehyde has more of the bad kind of ka-pow than all the others put together and the latest research suggests that it may well be responsible for the worst of your

hangover.

After you ingest alcohol, your body breaks it down into (among other things) acetaldehyde, before converting it into less harmful substances. The acetaldehyde messes with your brain at the same time as a host of depleted minerals are short-circuiting your nervous system, and that's in addition to low blood sugar and the classic headacheand-dry-mouth symptoms caused by dehydration. The result: nausea, twitchy nerves, unpleasantness, pessimism, terrible brain pain, and a temporary suspension of the laws of gravity.

The solution for minimising the effects to the dastardly, deadly and downright delicious substance known as alcohol is as simple as 1,2,3.

• Prepare for the night out by filling the belly with foods that will soak up the alcohol and try to consume a glass of water between alcoholic drinks; • Drink only one alcoholic drink per hour; • When you get home, have a pee; drink a very large glass of water and then down another and take a couple of vitamin B tablets or have an electrolyte replacing drink such as Gatorade or Pocari Sweat.

Duh…we all know that, but how many of us actually take heed?

Much more importantly, and this is where we get to the guts of the story, what to do the morning after. Any of the following should help enormously: • The best solution by far is to take a cold shower, drink a few glasses of water and go back to bed with a packet of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel and placed on the forehead.

• Another solution is to mix the following ingredients in a blender and drink it all up: • 1 banana • 1 small can V-8 • 6 large strawberries • 2 tablespoons honey • 1 cup orange juice • 1-2 cups milk (or soy milk), to desired consistency • ¼ tsp. salt • dash of nutmeg And then there’s the solution for consummate hair-ofthe-dog drinkers…the Bloody Mary.

This recipe comes from page 31 of a very handy book Everyday Drinking by The Distilled Kingsley Amis (publishedby Bloomsbury in 2008).

• ½ bottle vodka • 1 litre tomato juice • 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup • 4 tablespoons lemon juice • 4 tablespoons orange juice • 1 tablespoon (at least) Worcester sauce • 1 level teaspoon celery salt • Ice cubes.

Amis suggests making up a lot of this before the party starts, or before the last breakfasters have finished.

“My recipe,” he writes, ”perfected after years of experiment, goes like this (the proportions are not critical): “Put into some smallish container the vodka, ketchup, sauce and celery salt. Stir furiously until the ketchup is fully emulsified and the lumps in the celery salt broken up. (The ketchup is the secret of the whole thing: I am not at all clear on what it does, but it does something considerable.) Mix the tomato juice and (strained) fruit juices into your usual jug, stir in the vodka-ketchup-sauce-salt mixture, add ice, stir again and serve in wine glasses or the equivalent; as with the Dry Martini, the bottom half of a too-large drink is warm when you get to it.”

“Other recipes include Tabasco, cayenne pepper and similar heat-producing agents. Best avoided – it’s all too easy to over spice this drink”. (page 107) Having experimented with this recipe, I found that it was completely delicious but desperately in need of the Tabasco and more Worcester Sauce.

On a final note, Kingsley Amis makes reference to three notable hangover breakfasts (page 89): Sir Winston Churchill • 1 brace cold snipe • 1 pint port • Horatio Bottomley’s • 1 pair kippers • 1 tumbler brandy and water Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Sundays only) • 6 fried eggs • 1 glass laudanum* and seltzer *Alcoholic tincture of opium – unfortunately now unavailable!

Katrina Valkenburg is a wine consultant and educator. All correspondence to katrinav@mac.com

The Cloth M e mb e r s

of

Biyan Wanaatmadja is a darling of Jakarta’s fashion world… and Bali awaits.

Begin the begin…

My name is Biyan, age 55, born in Surabaya, went to Christian and Catholic schools.

At what age did you leave Surabaya?

I was 21.

Were you fashion-minded at that time?

No, I didn’t know, in fact I didn’t know what I wanted to do.

What was your first stop abroad?

Germany, then I went to studies college, which is a transition from high school to college. I studied architecture for two years in Hanover, but then I quit.

Not your forte?

Yeah, I was moving into fashion.

Where did the interest in fashion come from?

I knew when I was young. I was always interested in something that is visually connected, whether looking at a magazine, whatever.

What was your parental background?

My father was a teacher, then he manufactured plastic. Mother helped.

So no influences on that point. So where did the influence come from?

I think it was in Germany. I’d never been away from home, so at 22 I started to absorb my surroundings.

At that time was the fashion explosion coming to Germany?

Yes, but somehow it was lonely during my college time, being a student and all. I realised what I wanted to do, and that was something that involved creativity.

I believe you graduated with a fashion degree?

It was more of a private college, Muller and Sohn, in Düsseldorf. It was known as a fashion academy, but private.

So your parents spared no expense on

your education?

Yes. I graduated at 26 and from that I worked for a few months as a freelancer, doing sketches for garment factories, that kind of thing.

I presume these were jobs supplied by the school for internship...

Yes, after that I visited home, and I was telling my mom that I wanted to go further and specialise in design. In Germany I realised I had been trained well technically, and then one season I went to London to find out more. I went to the London School of Fashion and through the interview, having had the training, I did only one year.

How long did you stay in London?

I stayed in London for three years, and that was in the early ’80s. I was in my late 20s, right at the time of the fashion boom. I was fortunate to be there at the right time.

Timing is our most important product.

Then what?

I ended up in Italy working for The House of Enrico Coveri. That was less than a year.

Mom started calling, asking me to come back home.

At what point did you start doing your own thing?

Out of nowhere I started doing my own designs and selling clothes in Surabaya.

Some people spotted me and asked me to do a photo shoot. From there I met Melli from BIWA organisation here in Bali; she was then the PR person there. She was the one who spotted me and it was Valentine time and she asked me to put together a collection.

So this was your first fashion show?

Yes, and from there it just kept on rolling.

Somebody up there likes you.

I’ve been very lucky. After the second or

third year I started to move to Jakarta, more activities and so on...

Did you have a brand name at that point?

Not to long after that. One of the Indonesian department stores that catered to design approached me to make a ready-to-wear collection, so being trained in London I was able to create signature lines. First line signatures, Biyan label, second, Studio133 by Biyan, third Extra Small, Biyan Bridge.

On that word challenge, do you like challenges?

It was accepted slowly by the market. It wasn’t very fast…one counter to the next, then one department store to another, it took years.

Actually that's the best way to build a following.

Yes, I think about 1995 I opened up a boutique for my first line that was an exclusive.

So it’s been 15 years now, give or take a couple of weeks, how many stores do you have to date?

Maybe 48 to 50 for the three lines. The first line is more up-market, the second line is more ready-to-wear and the third is extra, extra SML, basic and younger with a street approach, more daring and easy.

I believe all your stores are in Jakarta.

Any reason you haven’t branched out, Singapore or the rest of the Asian market?

I tried to branch out in Singapore and Hong Kong but there were so many complications, plus the fact that I was up to my ears with my own work in Jakarta.

Well you're here now in Bali and that’s what you're here for, opening shops, right? Why Bali?

Bali has always fascinated me. The minute you step down from the plane it gives you a certain energy, a new challenge.

I’ve been asked many times by people to open up a store here, but I realised to have a business here is a completely different thing than in Jakarta. I need to consider it carefully. I believe that’s the way I want to move forward, not just like grab everything, instead of doing that, I’m thinking there’s far more Asians coming here, so I’m thinking…

What do you expect?

In general, I love what I’m doing and always try to give the best of myself, plus the chance to do it better and on a bigger scale.

You’re not afraid of competition?

Competition helps in two ways: firstly it makes you do better, and secondly it makes you keep going. That’s the wonderful thing about it.

Who would you say are your biggest influences?

I always liked the Japanese styles of Minamoto and Kenzo. Pioneers…

So I would say 'citizen of the world design'?

Yes, exactly.

Your fashion shows are spectacular events, what do you have planned?

Once a year fashion is directed by seasons, like in Europe our shows are more private; Asia and Middle East, Paris, it’s bigger with TV coverage, dining, ballroom atmosphere, private clients, etcetera. I also collaborate with Nokia as a sponsor which has been received very well. The scope is getting bigger and bigger. For the last two years there have been college foundations for young artists, dancers, the theatre world… it’s a give back.S.B.

Catwalk Biyan, modelled with glamour.

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So Clothe Tel. 737653 135

Venting In A Villa The spirit of architecture.

Villa Babar Michael Andrews has something of an epiphany at Villa Babar. In fact he won't come home.

I do not wish to leave this place. I’ve grown accustomed to gazing out past the infinity pool onto the Indian Ocean and its expansive horizon, shades of blue as far as the eye can see and then, with a turn of my head, encountering sweeping vistas saturated in the lush tropical green hills of rice terraces and palm trees. Off in the distance, volcanic mountains loom large. The only sounds I hear are those of waves crashing and birds singing - all this while breakfasting at the beautiful teak table in the dining room.

Secluded on a cape at Bali’s west coast near Tabanan, situated on a remote beach, is Villa Babar. This six bedroom’s modern and minimalist design, which allows for countless uninterrupted vantage points, has fostered within me an almost immediate and deep connection to nature. In a profound way I feel quite different here. It’s almost as if it is no longer me who is here sipping on an espresso, but rather the me that I have always hoped I could be.

In addition to having access to all the creature comforts that humans crave, does this new presence of being spring up from being wrapped in the expansive arms of mother nature, or is it more proof for the theory that architecture can have immense affects on one’s spirit? I suspect the interplay between them that’s shepherded this sensation of a new me - a me that is both humble yet capable of extraordinary things.

“It was planned this way to allow you at all times to be immersed in the presence of the nature,” says Frederick Wolff, the owner and originator of this six bedroom luxury villa. “The layout came from the singular idea that one must be able to look out over both the ocean and the surrounding rice fields from all the main rooms.” Engaging and

Venting In A Villa Dining in Babar style.

warmly charming, Wolff runs a business most of the year in his home country of Belgium, escaping to Babar for as long as he can.

Designed by influential veteran Bali architect Ross Franklin, responsible for many of the stunning villas in Bali over the last 20 years, the main construction is completely of smooth pristine white Yogya limestone, creating a timeless and solid ambience. The interior is decorated sparsely and tastefully. Modern artworks and collected Indonesian artifacts, such as a recently acquired 500-year-old Javanese stone sculpture, hold fascination yet are subtle enough to not intrude on the space.

The invocation here is one of precisely ordered comfort as a home should be, but at the same time you may, for the first time, discover a truer meaning of the term vacation – the root word being vacate, meaning to be unoccupied – possibly the most elusive luxury left to experience these days – a complete leave from the regular day to day. It’s a stark contrast to other travel options where we can seem to merely trade in a frantic work life for a frantic holiday filled with sightseeing and endless activity.

Other touches to the décor offer playfulness, matching the light-hearted side of Wolff himself, which includes the addition of a few well-placed likenesses of Babar, the animated elephant from French children stories. The use of name Babar arose from the nickname that Wolff’s grandchildren attributed to him, feeling that the label of grandfather didn’t quite fit his relative youth and free spirit.

A superb and finely tuned staff supports the pervasively easygoing, simple atmosphere. Well-heeled visitors to Bali who find themselves fatigued by the overattentive misguided eagerness of the personnel at even the Island’s finest establishments, need not worry at Babar. Wolff was able to achieve what I observed as absolute perfection in Balinese service with the selection and the training of his employees. All of them, recruited from nearby villages, posses a refreshingly relaxed presence, friendliness and service with understatement – allowing the space to feel completely on your own, at ease and private.

Dining here is absolute pleasure. The meals are well-prepared, flavorful selections presented in the French tradition of style. It’s rather hard to believe that you haven’t been somehow transported to a highly ranked restaurant, and are not, in fact – smack dab in the middle of nowhere. Set menus are available, however guests are welcome to make personal requests for their favorite dishes.

Getting to Villa Babar offers a chance to experience a true driving pleasure rarely found nowadays in Bali. Traveling about an hour or so from Seminyak, the traffic is sparse, allowing one to leisurely cruise through traditional villages, rice fields and over small rivers, achieving a new take on the elusive term, heart of Bali. I believe I may have mentioned it, but I do not want to leave this place.

Cape seclusion.

pleasures

Oral

GREENZONE Serena Douglas goes in search of vegetarian bliss.

Life Café, Canggu.

We love a new place and especially if it's run by people who are committed, passionate, smart, have a great concept and good food. If funky architecture is part of the mix as well, all the better. Embun (meaning dew) Life Café has been created by a husband-and-wife team. Ichi and Kuni were formerly highly paid professionals who decided to change their own lives and maybe have a small impact on the lives of others. The café went up on the winding back road to Canggu like an enormous bamboo elephant, prompting the question: is it a bird, a plane, a villa? No, it’s a beautiful café, carved from bamboo on the edge of the rice fields surrounded by edible gardens. The menu caters for both vegetarians and meatier sorts, has a sort of modern Asian café feel and the most wonderful coffee (locally roasted of course). Ichi and Kuni wanted to create a café where they could work with others including IDEP (the Indonesian organics organization) and The Bamboo Foundation to provide a fabulous landscape, great organic food and a damn good time. Ah, this is life!

Jl. Pantai Berawa, Canggu.

Tel: 8475614

you arrive. A man comes out to greet you and puts a colourful ribbon around your helmet (and remembers what colour it was later), the staff gently bang the gong to say you have arrived, everywhere flowers and smiling people appear to cheer you up. Don’t feel confined to the restaurant though – if a delicious, comforting meal is what you are after the staff will set it up for you almost anywhere you like, although the converted joglo that is now a restaurant is very cute and inviting. Desa Seni’s menu has some fish and chicken as well as lots of interesting vegetarian options. Some are very comforting as well. Plenty of people go healthy but if you’ve got an appetite, splash out on the farmer’s breakfast with its vegetable hash brown with or without eggs on top or the French toast with banana and walnuts and red sugarcane syrup. If you have been doing a yoga class in the breezy bale then help yourself to some lemongrass and ginger tea with palm sugar syrup and a selection from the largest fruit basket ever. Desa Seni is all about enjoying life. If you already felt good coming in, it can only get better.

Jl. Subak Sari, 13.

Tel: 8446392

The Little Green Café, Kerobokan.

No one saw the Little Green Café coming, it just suddenly appeared. Tucked away on the little Mertanadi street it was almost as though someone sounded the siren because the people came, from everywhere. With a small menu created by a nutritionist, it's very vegan, right down to the gluten-free, dairy-free cakes. There's a small menu for breakfast and lunch including things like homemade banana porridge, lots of fresh juices, muesli, muffins etc, and then there are the salads. It is really all about the salads here. Each morning at least three huge bowls are filled with the freshest, organic produce, fed with health giving compliments, dressed for success and served.

Simple is best and this works because it's quick, delicious, fresh and really healthy. Special orders and home catering are all on the menu as well, so just stop by and ask, try the food, grab a good-for-you drink and make room for a cake, it won’t hurt, really! Only open for breakfast and lunch.

Jl. Mertanadi, No. 11.

Tel: 2752125

Sari Organic at Little Tree, Sunset Road.

Sari organic is well known in Ubud for its locally sourced organic produce and healthy vegetarian meals. They have their own farm, the restaurant has edible gardens and they also have a line of their own products. Now they have a little café close to Seminyak so that devoted vegetarians can sample the local flavours closer to home.

Located on the Sunset Rd as part of the Little Tree Green Building centre, Sari Organic is pleasantly located at the back. With bamboo and recycled furniture and a soothing water feature as the backdrop, the open kitchen makes everything to order. Those on wheat and dairy-free diets will find plenty of choice, as will those who simply want a tasty vegetarian meal. Being local, many of the dishes will feature spices, which gives the menu a lot of flavour but there are also dishes based on Middle Eastern and Italian favourites. They do two variations on pizza, one for those who will eat dairy the other for those who don’t. There are lots of lively salads with a great choice of homemade dressings and hot meals like their signature tofulafels.

Jl. Sunset Rd 112X. Tel: 752133

Desa Seni, Canggu.

If you’re ever feeling lonely or down and you can’t call your mother, go to Desa Seni where everybody is so nice, they make you feel like part of the family from the minute

Zula Café, Seminyak.

Zula has become part of the furniture for those of us who

need some nourishing, with its Middle-Eastern inspired vegetarian cuisine, macrobiotic selections and delicious desserts; it’s like a home away from home. This menu has been created by a nutritionist and a passionate follower of healthy principles and is sister to the Down To Earth vegetarian food producer and their café in Oberoi Rd. Health products line the shelves, local practitioners leave notices about their services and the latest workshops and everybody enjoys the flavoursome meals that are prepared to impeccable standards. A hot favourite here is the planet platter. Inspired by the local nasi campur, based on macrobiotic principles, a range of dishes is built around a central organic brown rice base. They include many of the café’s specialties including seitan for protein, chickpea falafel, seaweed, pickled salad, greens, tofu and tempe with a tangy sauce.

Jl Dhyanna Pura, No. 5.

Tel: 732723 Chandi, Seminyak.

Even vegetarians want to go out and enjoy a celebration meal every now and then and sometimes there will be a mixed crowd. Among the island’s favourites for everyone, meat eater or otherwise, is Chandi. With its unique take on Indonesia flavours created using classical cooking techniques, fresh, organic produce and wonderful flair; Chandi goes all out to entertain vegetarian palates. From their signature crunchy tofu squares with flavourful peanut dressing to a lively watermelon soup, incredible vegetarian sate and daily specials, vegetarians will not feel short changed here. A section of the menu is lovingly devoted to diners who prefer not to eat of the beasts (which they also handle very well). Six main courses include their vibrant black and red vegetarian nasi goreng, with or without the delicious egg “a cheval”, a purple eggplant curry and root vegetable gratin in lemongrass gazpacho. In addition the tasters also come in vegetarian flavours and provided you still eat wheat you too can indulge in one of the most delicious side dishes ever, the home-made Chandi flat bread, served hot with a lively pecel sauce.

Jl. Oberoi. Tel: 731060 Yak Map ref: Q8

Oral Pleasures Afternoon tea at the St. Regis Bali.

Sublime.

MORE TEa,VICAR? Afternoons are simply not the same without it.

Everything old is new again it seems, and afternoon tea waltzes in as the latest craze to be redefined. The treasured tradition of afternoon tea was born of a time past but is still cherished by many as a wonderful indulgence. Bali may not seem the obvious place to enjoy a classic afternoon tea but that doesn’t mean we won’t, don’t, can’t. Best of all this pastime is not confined to teetotallers; afternoon tea has been known to be an ideal accompaniment to a glass of bubbles, a sweet sherry or two, or even a spiked glass of strawberries as served at our own St Regis Resort. All terribly civilised, really!

St. Regis, Bali, Nusa Dua. Having achieved a degree of fabulousness that puts many others in the shade, St. Regis recently launched their classic afternoon tea and, as we have come to expect, it is a sublime experience that goes beyond expectations. As the legendary St. Regis played a role in establishing the ritual in New York, it is only fitting that they can play a little with the formula. Created by their French Patissier, Vincent, with a little influence from their Danish Executive Chef, Oscar, there are a few twists to this tea that only serve to make it more luxurious. The scones are in evidence, bite-sized and perfectly formed, traditional and vibrant fruit teas are on the menu and tiny, jewel-like cakes are given a little French flourish. The dainty finger sandwich is translated into miniature Danish-style open sandwiches with lush toppings like fresh prawns, while foie gras mousse choux pastries and marbled terrines sit beside luscious little lobster pies. St. Regis Bali events have famously included the Valrhona chocolate fountain and their afternoon tea is no exception. Sweet strawberries and homemade marshmallows on tiny sticks are ripe for the dipping and very hard to resist. The King Cole bar is the perfect setting for this elaborate tea and the resident pianist plays some old tunes designed to help set the mood, so elegant and refined really. A large punch bowl takes pride of place in the King Cole Bar featuring their signature strawberry punch, a light concoction of white wine and white spirit sublimely sweet and tangy, is served in a balloon glass with a spoon to pick out the drunken strawberries; it is

literally the icing on the cake. The afternoon tea ritual costs Rp350,000 net per person (Rp100,000 for children 9-12) and is available daily from 3-5.30pm. For reservations phone: 300 6782. www.stregis.com/bali Biku, Seminyak.

Royal traditions of the Balinese variety may have led Asri Kerthyasa down a different path but this stylish chameleon has managed to merge her two worlds in this classic teahouse on Jl. Petitenget. Indonesian art and antiques line the walls of the antique joglo converted into an earthy café but velvets and carved furnishings add a touch of royalty while the tea collection is clearly a nod to family traditions. The cakes are straight out of Margaret Fulton’s classic favourites – delicious and familiar for anyone of Anglo descent. Biku has gone the traditional route with their classic afternoon high tea; served on Royal Albert crockery staged in this not-too-rarefied atmosphere, it falls somewhere between high tea at London’s Savoy and an afternoon repast at a houseproud outback homestead.

Light as feather scones play a starring role in this parlour play, served with frothy whipped cream, homemade strawberry jam, and fresh strawberries with cream an aside.

Tea is served in a large pot with a knitted cosy, so cute and surely knitted by local ladies for charitable reasons. Biku is after all a teahouse, so there is a huge list of teas from which to choose. The traditional three-tiered plates offered for the afternoon tea are filled with delicacies; slender smoked salmon and cream cheese finger sandwiches on soft white bread, traditional ham and mustard on brown and triangles of shaved cucumber sit beside tiny warm spinach quiches. Scones are on the next level and on top a selection of tiny cakes and shortbreads. Just perfect in fact. Departing from tradition but still in the flavour of the Biku Tea House is the latest addition, an Asian High Tea. Featuring Asian delights and a choice of green teas, oolongs or Marsala chai, the delicious home-style treats continue to appear. From tiny samosas and Vietnamese spring rolls to date scones with mango jam and a hot favourite here; the Moroccan orange cake with rose tea

syrup, together with pineapple and mint agar agar and some spicy sweets. Whether choosing the trad or the Asian prepare to be indulged and never bored, there are more things to look at here than in my Aunty Ellen’s house – from books and crockery, bronzes and statues and tablecloths and glass paintings and…it is endlessly fascinating. Buy it and take it home if you want, Asri won’t mind. Friday, Saturday and Sunday music is featured with a lilting Krongcong orchestra straight out of the Dutch days in Java.

Sunday afternoon tealeaf readings are available. Eating at Biku is a little like scoring an invite to a great cook’s house, its very warm and homely and personal. Classic afternoon tea is Rp75,000 per person, an extra Rp45,000 if you would like a glass of bubbly with that. The Asian High Tea for two is Rp150,000. Jl Raya Petitenget, 888. Tel: 8570888. www.bikubali.com Press Ban Cafe, Seminyak.

As far from the traditional high tea as it is possible to get, this little boutique-cum-vintage shop has attracted a following for the corner it has set aside to serve homemade cakes, a sturdy cup of tea or coffee and daily specials like spinach quiche and toasted sandwiches.

There is something very endearing about this little gem tucked neatly into the Seminyak Square end of Oberoi Road with its mismatched wallpaper, a mixture of vintage clothing and original designs for both men and women, mixed up with a collection of knick knacks and gift items.

The little kitchen that sits at the rear of the shop is a hive of activity as the cook and her assistant prepare the orders in between mixing and baking the cakes that are prepared daily. A small blackboard at the front lists the daily cakes that include old-fashioned favourites like banana, carrot, chocolate cake and caramel tarts.

If you are after nothing more than a sit down, a cup of tea , or coffee, and a nice piece of wholesome cake, then Press Ban is conveniently located on the endless shopping street that is Oberoi Road. Tel: 730486.S.D.

Events

angelhearts They came, they saw...and they gave. This year's I'm An Angel event raised record funds for charity.

Eight year’s ago Bali’s charitable Boadicea – Asana Viebeke Lengkong – joined forces with powerhouse Ku De Ta. The aim? To establish the I’m An Angel Charity Foundation (IAA). The reason? To raise funds to empower less fortunate communities in Bali. The method? Gala dinners at Ku De Ta. Eight years later these soirées have become a mustattend event, with all the Yakeratti present, as well as a large number of global nomads who pop in for the dogood evening.

To date, over US$600,000 has been raised.

Infrastructure, education, environment, healthcare and hygiene are some of the avenues that have been tackled

by IAA. Empowerment is the name of the game.

Hats off of course go to the driving forces behind IAA – Viebeke, Arthur Chondros from Ku De Ta and his fabulous team plus a neat and tight Charity Committee. More importantly hats, and more, off to all those who donate so generously, no, not the ones that wave paddles high on the night (although of course without them the fun would be none!) but to all those companies, villa, hotels, airlines,

boutiques, restaurants, spas around the globe that offer that ubiquitous three nights of luxury on a private island, a trip on a private jet, a yacht cruise for 10 round the isles… the list goes on and the generosity is grand. From large to less large donations, they pour in every year in support of IAA. This year of note was Vodka O, the super smooth organic Aussie vodka, which sponsored a Deus Ex Machina pimped motorbike (225cc Yamaha with exclusive paint work) for the live auction. Here, yours truly having spotted the engine a month prior, waved her paddle madly until the deal was done and the bike is now chez moi! So hats off again or, better said, helmets on for Deus and the Vodka O boys for that highly generous donation. Next up was dental wonder, Invisalign and US$10,000 worth of smile. Fashion mogul Farah Kahn’s handcrafted dress kicked up a feminine frenzy as did the diamond jewellery.

With an 11-day luxury dive cruise, a two-hour European flight for eight on a private jet and of course the two nights at Bali’s top uber-luxe five-bedroom villa The Istana,

located cliff-side on the southern peninsula, the live auction was a resounding success. Pats on the back for energetic auctioneers Arthur Chondros and Elite Haven’s Ian Macaulay.

Entertainment winged its way to us in the guise of The Bali Peace Dancers, The Company and DJ Jeoronski with a performance by (little known to us) international talent, Ash Chandler. The excellent dinner was created by celebrity chef, Manu Feidel, of Australia’s L’etoille, and Ku’s very own master of all things food, Miele award winner, Philip Davenport, with generous support from Lotus Food Services.

The fund raising evening culminated with a silent auction, a raffle and the knowledge that the IAA continues to improve and empower with each fabulous annual Gala Dinner. www.iamanangel.org

Just Doin' It Kim Clijsters left international tennis to have a child...and then came back stronger. She's on her way to Bali.

KIM, what gets you up in the morning?

I have to go to the toilet! Ha ha. No, obviously it's my daughter, the dog, cooking breakfast…the usual things. I may also need to go practice or go swimming early in the morning. A lot of variety, but that’s what I like.

Did becoming a mother change your playing style?

No it didn’t change my style, but I had to work hard physically to be able to play that same tennis again, with the same intensity, so that’s what I tried to focus on, playing with the same intensity that I had in the past.

Do you still get nervous before a big match?

Yes. How do you stay mentally focused?

I need a lot of variety and also to have time off in between matches…the year is long, I just need to be home and have the family life a little bit to recharge. I don’t play a full schedule anymore so I try to peak at the time I’m playing the big tournaments.

When did you first pick up a tennis racket?

When I was four years old.

Was it a gift?

No, my dad, who was a soccer player, travelled a lot, and when he won the Golden Shoe, the player of the year award, he said he would build a tennis court in the garden, so ever since then we started hitting at home a bit. I had a coach and it grew from there.

You come from a very sporting family... what was it like for you growing up?

It’s been a life call. I don’t know any different. If I don’t workout I feel guilty.

My mom was a gymnast, my dad played soccer, my sister plays tennis, my husband plays basketball, my father-in-law is a soccer player, so we had a lot of athletes in the family and so it’s a lifestyle for me.

It keeps you off the streets after school, having sport in your life is a good thing.

Are you good at any other sports?

As work outs I like to mix it up. I go swimming, I do mountain biking, I play squash, I do racket ball, sometimes I play basketball, but obviously I’m not as good at other sports as I am at tennis, but I do like to improve and I like to challenge myself to get better.

What makes the difference between a

winner and a loser at the very top of the tennis tree?

I always think if you put a bit more work in and live for it a little bit more than others then somehow it will bring some more positivity and I think if you put the hours and the extra work in and if you’re constantly trying to improve then obviously it will make you better and make you win more matches.

What are your hopes for your career in the coming year and beyond?

Obviously to try to stay healthy, that is my main goal. After pregnancy your body changes but that’s something that I have under control now, it’s my main priority. The family life is still most important; to make sure my husband and daughter are happy.

Soon Jade is going to start going to school and things are going to become a little more tricky but we will make it work.

Can we ask: when were you last sad?

Since the pregnancy I get emotional with everything. We were watching TV the other day and it was the Animal Channel or something and the show was about the RSPCA. I get so upset, and that was a couple of days ago.

When were you last happy?

I feel pretty happy every day. There are moments with Jade that we laugh about hysterically, the things she does now, but I feel very lucky, I’m basically happy every day.

Do you ever get depressed? If so, how do you deal with it?

Depressed is a very extreme word to say but there are some days when you’re down and you try to find ways to work it through.

Communication is very important. I talk to my coach, I try to see the positive in everything and as long as you have that you can always find a solution.

And finally, on a more positive note – you're Belgian. Beer or chocolate?

Chocolate! Without a doubt.

Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions, November 4-7, Westin Resort Nusa Dua.

Kim Clijsters.

Events

N e c k & N e c k Katrina Valkenburg is under starter’s orders for the region’s biggest horse racing event – live with all the trimmings this year at the Canggu Club.

And they’re racing. First out of the stalls comes Buck Naked and Heza Loser quickly followed behind by Youth In Asia and Kiss My Hancock. There’s a pounding of hooves and a thick cloud of dust or, more usually, a hailstorm of dark mud.

Held on the first Tuesday in November each year, this is the event that stops the Australian nation – literally. It’s the Melbourne Cup, arguably the greatest 3,200-metre handicap horse race in the world and, by nature of the conditions, the most challenging to win. It’s a race built on dreams, on hard luck, triumph and tears and it’s coming to a big screen near you.

For the third consecutive year the Canggu Club will host the garden party of the year on Tuesday 2nd November. Hats and Harnesses, Frocks and Fillies, High Heels and Holsters, Marquees and Madness. The horse racing fraternity of expat high society will turn themselves inside and out to be seen, to strut, to mingle, to tipple and perhaps to win a few shekels all over a horse race that takes little more than three minutes to run. The present record holder is the 1990 winner Kingston Rule with a time of 3:16:3 minutes. Peculiar.

Held around 3pm in Melbourne, it means that by 12 noon in Bali a whole lot of screaming, dreaming, kneesup Balinistas will be in high gear and, no doubt, by 5pm, flat on their proverbials.

The odds are that you’ll end up doing your dough and desperately dehydrated. After all, you’ll need to have a few bevies before giddying up into a frenzy over a horse, a jockey, a trainer, a number, the odds, a colour or a cap.

The history of the Cup dates back to 1861, the result of a brainstorm of Captain Frederick Standish, onetime Victorian Racing Club Chairman and former Chief Commissioner of Police in Victoria. The race was unique due to its handicap conditions and a distance of two miles, later adjusted when Australia went metric to 3,200 metres.

Melbourne was relatively young when the race was incepted, Victoria having only been colonised in 1833.

The discovery of gold in nearby Bendigo and Ballarat had gold diggers from around the globe flocking to the region in the hope of fortune and fame. Melbourne grew exponentially and whilst the first race in 1861 drew an estimated crowd of only 4,000, by 1880 the numbers had exploded to 100,000 budding punters, roughly one third of the entire population. The first Tuesday in November, Melbourne Cup Day, was officially gazetted a full public holiday in the State of Victoria in 1877.

In 1861 the club committed to offering modest prize money and a hand beaten gold watch. The conditions for the race would state “a sweepstakes of 20 sovereigns forfeit or five sovereigns if declared, with 200 sovereigns added money”.

Total prize money for the 2010 race will be A$6 million, plus trophies valued at $125,000. The first 10 past the post receive prize money, with the winner being paid $3.3 million, down to 10th place which receives $115,000. Prize money is distributed to the connections of each horse in the ratio of 85 percent to the owner, 10 percent to the trainer and five percent to the jockey.

Here are a few statistics that may (or may not) make

choosing your winning steed easier: • Out of 149 races, 80 horses with a single word name have won the Cup; • Delta Blue was the last of 60 winners with a doubleword name; • The first initial of the winner should be “T”, which has been successful 16 times; • Another clue to consider is that 31 Cup winners have had a name with seven characters; • Another 20 Cup Winners have had a name with eight characters and 19 with nine; • Four and five-year-old horses have the best record in the Melbourne Cup with 42 wins each; • No horse older than eight has ever won the Cup; • Your odds are more in your favour if your selection is a male (131 wins) and not a female (18 wins), although it is worth noting that eleven mares have won since 1988; • 63 stallions have won the cup compared to 48 geldings and 19 colts; • Bay coloured horses clearly have the best Cup record with 61 wins; • Brown horses have won 36 Cups, Chestnuts 35 Cups whilst only five greys have won; • The number four has the best record with 11 wins and finally…

• …if you choose your horse by the jockey colours, blue as the major colour is for you with 16 wins and white as a secondary colour with 44 wins.

So be there or be square. For more information on tickets to the Canggu Club Melbourne Cup, please contact the Club secretary on 844 6553.

i nc o m i n g

Michaelangelo L'Acqua is global music director of W Resorts Worldwide. And he doesn’t like Lady Gaga.

Who Is Michaelangelo L'Acqua and how did you get such a Renaissance name?

My mother and father read the book The Agony and the Ecstasy, a biographical novel about Michelangelo, and decided to name me after him. I guess they had a feeling I would enter the arts one day.

What do you remember about being seven, 14, and 21 years old?

Seven – the year I discovered music for the first time and picked up the violin. Fourteen – the year I gave up music and entered High School…I was embarrassed that I played violin and not sports. Twenty-one – the year I discovered Charlie Parker and became a musician again.

Your musical background. Enlighten us.

I've always lived in a world of colors and sounds. My career is the story of my obsession to complete the thoughts in my mind. Sometimes they are worth listening to and other times I don't even want to listen to them. Fashion, records, TV, film are all mediums that I searched to find a voice and complete these thoughts. I'm looking forward to the next 50 years.

The music production house Onda, tell us more…

It was a boutique music production company I started with my old business partner in my fashion days [L'Acqua has served as European music director for Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent and founded the production company Onda, which has produced fashion shows for Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and others.] We became a very respected TV production company scoring many commercials and producing many records for major labels. Sometimes it was amazing to own a company that offered so much creative content. But after a while with non-stop competition, day after day, up against some of the most amazing production companies in the world I felt like a gladiator in a ring. Whoever could endure the battle long enough would win. Those days made me who I am today. Once I get my mind set on something, I won't stop.

What is the difference between Onda and your own production house – L'Acqua?

Onda for me was about juggling egos but the creative work was the same as I do now. The only difference is that I don't do anything anymore that my heart and soul isn't behind since I make all the decisions and I don't have to share the accolades once the creation is completed.

Did working for the fashion greats, creating the vibe on the catwalk at Paris and New York Fashion Weeks, change your dress style?

Yes, I used to be a T-shirt and jeans guy. Since then I've been taught by a few friends and clients to step up my style. But I never gave up my favorite tees and jeans.

Your most embarrassing moment?

God, so many I could write a book.

When was the last time you played a request?

If it's a good one, I'm always up to please the crowd. If it's Lady Gaga, I'm mean, really! Is that all you can think of?!

You dedicated a track to football – who did you support in the World Cup? Brazil, even though I am Italian. I'm writing this interview from Ipanema Beach in Rio. I was a Carioca in a past life, I believe.

Favourite style of music? Jazz, African, World or Medieval and why?

Emotional expression through rhythm and melody are everything to me. So I love Jazz, Soul, Rock, Classical or any style that offers this.

Best tune or music to drink a cocktail to?

That's like asking me to pick my favorite grain of sand from the desert.

Remixing iconic songs. Is it the only way to keep them current or do the remix team just need to change history?

Remix's allow young people to discover the original masters who created the song. They are not designed to be better but offer a current perspective on a classic.

What is the difference between L'Acqua the man and L'Acqua the music producer?

The man is much more forgiving of himself than the producer. Perfection is the only option when you produce and so often just out of reach for the man.

Waiting for your Love by the Onda label, it's a fabulous summer track...will your being a W Hotels Global Music Director make L'Acqua's style of music more global?

When I find time to produce music again it will be an offering of my personnel expression and not the title I hold with W. What are the challenges and perks of being W resort’s GMD?

First and foremost the people in the W organization are amazing, so my relationships I cherish. Secondly the travel and different cultures are a gift from the Gods!

How do you and W Hotels expect to change the attitude towards hotel music? I mean are you really trying to make elevator music sexy?

One of W's passion points from its inception is music.

They have never offered a generic sonic experience that is secondary to their surroundings but rather a complete thought that accompanies all their esthetic values. My job is to push this envelope and offer our clients a place to discover their favorite new artists, long before they become popular or even one day played in an elevator.

Goals in life? Musically, personally, bankability?

I am working on a TV show, two movie scene plays, developing a music festival for The US Market, creating a record label and hoping that one day all of this will help me create something that will offer mankind a better way of life on this earth.

How many countries have you been to in the last 12 months and why so many?

Ten, I think. W is a global company and is expanding more and more every day. My job is to expand our sonic identity as we continue to grow from 35 hotels to over 50 by 2012.

We look to embrace the musical cultures that we enter into but always offer our New York centric attitude when doing so.

How do you stay healthy in a health-challenged lifestyle?

It's important for me to always be grounded wherever I find myself. I do yoga every morning, meditate as much as I can, go to the gym, watch the food I eat and most importantly be aware of how much Champagne is being poured.

Any unfulfilled dreams?

So many, I feel life has just begun and the hardest work is yet to be offered.

Favourite album of all time?

Songs in The Key Of Life, Stevie Wonder.

If we were to hold next year's Yak Awards at W Retreat & Spa - Bali, would you come and spin personally?

Twist my arm! Well OK then I'll come.

Thanks for your time. and looking forward to hearing the W + L'Acqua vibe.

Michaelangelo L'Acqua.

Raver's Review

Album Reviews by Lou Nietunz Artist: Chicane Album: Giants Label: Modena/Armada Returning to the dirty digital landscape that we now call the online music age, are Chicane, the vanguard of visionary music that so nicely knocked our blocks off more than 10 years ago. While some may have forgotten the name, many still fly the flag.

So much so in fact that the re-release of their seminal albums Behind the Sun and Away from the Maddening Crowds five years back (and last year’s Best Of... album), re- sold-out; proving their certain brand of musical magic is truly timeless.

While some pundits may say there’s not much new on this album, maybe they’re expecting too much, or have grown bored of cruising so smoothly in high-performance mode. While yes, there are a couple of hat-tips to tracks of past

glory, and some sly nods to Paul Young and Fleetwood Mac, they seem more just a cheeky wink to see if anyone is really still listening. The point is, composer and producer Nick Bracegirdle is in a category of his own, and as the album title conveys, his music is simply giant. Defying categorization, as most great artists do, this album has already reached number two on the UK dance-albums charts, and is likely to do the same elsewhere.

It is Chicane’s uncanny method of combining light and dark, sunshine and shadow that treats us to such a divine ride with a master-navigator of sound-travel.

While they re-enter an arena that has now so often become a wasteland of heartless blips and gleeks, there is such clarity and

poise with each track here, that you savour each turn, and brace for the necessary G-forces. Maybe that’s why the name is 'Chicane', as with any top racer or skier, you must survive each hair-raising turn tightly to reach the finish.

If you ever get the chance to see this outfit live, please do! We did, and were jawdropped by their live-set in Jakarta. Though not as seamless as their studio albums, the live percussion, vocals and guitars add an even heavier dash of rock to the mix.

As with all great concerts, it wasn’t long enough. I guess that’s what the albums are for. www.chicanemusic.com

Artist: Various – Mixed by DJ Gregory & Anton Wirjono Album: Defected in the House: Bali ‘10 Label: Defected Records It’s official; Defected Records are BIG fans of Bali. And just to show us how much, their latest release puts our beloved island on the international dance-destination map. With a stellar double-mix album by a tag-team of Bali-philes, DJ Gregory (Faya Combo Music) and Jakarta’s wizard, Anton Wirjono, the future of Bali’s club-life might never be the same. As a very cool bi-product of the now annual Junction Festival, this album gives a globe-trotting peek of all that is good within the world of quality House-music today.

Divinely directed by label-boss, Simon Dunmore, this musical variety-pack combines two star-selectors from France

and Indonesia in a triumphant cruise above all borders. A true first for Bali and for Defected, this seems a match made in heaven, joining the forces of Gregory’s frenetic afro-glitch manifestos and Wirjono’s more deep and soulful-SanFran style. The pure range of talent represented here is dizzying in scope and geography.

Although Gregory’s mix may be the more up-tempo and the harder tale of the two, it combines edgy-edits with folk danceelements from around the planet. Anton’s grooves are just undeniably infectious, and both journeys stand-alone as their own visions of the same project. Gregory draws rhythms and voices from the favelas of Sao

Paulo and Angola, while Anton channels from the tribal-soul of Osunlade, Dub Tribe Soundsystem and Danism.

One can only guess what tomorrow will hold for Defected’s dive into a new direction, but be sure you’ll see them around town again in the not-too-distant future. A perfectly percussive summerelec-trek to new House-territories, and an instant collector’s item.

Available at all major music stores and coming to a hip boutique near you. Stay tuned. www.defected.com

yak

Astro

moodofthemoment

By Dr Deepak | astro-deepak@usa.net | www.astronlp.com | Skype: drdeepakvidmar

MOOD OF THE MOMENT. I’ve been talking gloom and doom about Pluto in Capricorn for years and now Saturn and Uranus have also squared. It has all been happening, the most obvious the Gulf Oil Spill, and everything is right on schedule. On the hard side, Pluto also has to do with, war, crisis, death, terrorism, atomic bombs, oil and anything underground. On the high side, Pluto has to do with personal transformation, self empowerment, archaeology, power, geothermal energy, and discovery of what was hidden or lost. These energies are all connected and the best possible archaeological sites are graveyards and where mass destruction has happened before. Discovery of an 18th Century sailing ship beneath the debris of the World Trade Center is incredibly archetypal. Profound new discovery of something very old will be made and maybe finally, finally we will have evidence of the world civilization that came before us. We may find something beneath our feet here in Bali. This is a magical place. The Hobbits had to come through here a million years ago to get to Flores and they just now found the skeleton of a woman in Mexico 12,000 years old that looks like she came from Indonesia.

Harmony on the outside with others or harmony on the inside within yourself. It’s a choice. Do your thing or do your duty. Run free with the wind blowing in your hair or get a haircut and look respectable. This is a time of dilemma between the ‘I’ and the ‘We’. You may feel stuck in your relationship now or take it for granted. There is a duality of feelings between heaviness and restless anticipation to expand. You may withdraw into your aloneness or unconsciously have an argument to break the tie.

taurus

You are genetically engineered to be comfortable and stable.

But Now is not the time. Now is a Mars transit two different ways. It is about energy and adrenaline, action and adventure, power and passion. It is the primeval kundalini energy that makes life happen and the body to move. In relationships, it is about the pursuit with passion or flight or fight. In your work, you have the energy to get things done. In your spiritual life, it is good to do catharsis or moving meditation. Good to not move any part of your body any faster than you can stay aware.

gemini

Unexpected, unpredictable, unknown and unexplained in-themoment zen kind of time for you now.

Nothing bad or painful particularly. Not even confusing. Nothing you have to be prepared for. Changes just speed up, that’s all. It is like someone pressed the button on the washing machine of your life that says “Spin and Tumble”. Nothing you have to solve. Just respond to what appeals to you and ignore or dodge the rest. Whatever you put your hands on now tends to slip

through everything. Amazing.

and disappear through your fingers.

libra

Security and attachment are correct for you, but how to do that in a changing world? Saturn and Uranus square Cancer now and Pluto opposition for many years to come. You are in for the long haul.

It is going to take some time because the changes happening inside you now are to be permanent and profound. It is the final and most significant step in your evolution.

It has to do with being in your center in the center of the cyclone and always, always feeling the presence of yourself. That is what attachment really is.

Sociability, charm and compromise are your hallmark and none of that is going to happen at this time.

Saturn transit in Libra and a feeling to withdraw into yourself and be alone for awhile. Uranus opposes and relationships with others becomes unpredictable and everybody does their own thing. Pluto square all of this and it throws the spice of intensity and urgency into the whole puzzle. The paradox is that you will have lots of invitations to come out and play, but maybe there is a piece of work you want to do instead.

leo The thing about you and money is that you are one of the few people who know how to spend it and what to use it for. Money is codified experience. Money is the ticket to get through the door of where you want to go. And with Uranus/Jupiter on the cusp of your solar 9th House, maybe you want to go somewhere far, exotic, fulfilling, different than you have been before. It is a good time for a long trip to expand your mind and consciousness. Go somewhere you have never been. Something different is the key.

scorpio Back in the saddle again. From a feeling of inertia and being stuck in invisible mud to a feeling of the river flows again and the fruit of life is within your grasp to be picked.

Mars transiting in Scorpio one month a year gives you the energy to go and get whatever it is that you want. Venus transiting in Scorpio means you won’t step on someone else’s toes to get it.

Passion and romance are at a peak at this time and you may find yourself a little bit magnetically irresistible.

aquarius

virgo

sagittarius

pisces There comes a time next year when you just don’t care about money anymore. It is just not on your mind. You have to write notes to yourself to remember to think about it as just one of those necessities that has to be done. The subject becomes the gap, the scotoma, the blind spot in your thoughts. That is why this is a good time to build yourself a nest egg and to be busy at your work to make as much of it as you can. The stars are right and the force is with you. It happens in unusual and unexpected ways.

cancer

Happy Birthday Beloved and many, many more. Now is the time to learn as much as you can so you can forget it all later when Neptune's transit begins next year. People think knowledge and learning is a cumulative process that goes on and on until clarity is achieved. Not really. Clarity is not achieved until you drop the mind and you have to have something to drop.

It is the dropping that gives you clarity, not knowing more and more. But you have to know more and more so that the dropping makes a bigger bang.

It is rather unusual, but nothing happens for you during this time. Nothing happens to you, for you, at you, with you, under you or above. It is rather remarkable really. It has never happened before.

No threat, no promise. No pain, no pleasure. No demanding, no delivery.

No sorrow, no ecstasy. No awareness, no understanding, no ignorance. No arguments, no agreements, no promises.

Nothing happens. Nothing. Like a ghost that doesn’t know it is a ghost, you pass

capricorn

Well, my friend, to be honest and true and to give the most practical advice that I can, it is a good time to bend over and kiss your sweet ass goodbye. Existence has played a good joke on you. You are genetically programmed to organize things into efficient structures that will last the eons of time. Yet, Existence itself is transitory, changing, and nothing survives for very long. Most life on Earth is wiped out every 27 million years anyway.

The best thing you can do is take care of yourself.

It is your nature to be cool, calm, and detached, but this Neptune transit you have been going through since 1998 might have changed all of that. There has been a kind of swimming in the ocean of feelings of the collective unconscious and your intuitions are stronger than ever. So far it has been a generalized vague energy hard to define. Now, as the outside world becomes more clear, the paradox is the energy still turns to the inside world, but in a more intense and focused way with purpose and determination.

directory

Advertiser's

CLINIC BIMC Tel: 761263 www.bimcbali.com Page 158

Yak Map F.12

EVENT ORGANISER Balinale www.balinale.com Page 141 Pro Motion Events Tel: 287250 www.pro-motion-events.com Page 157 HEALTH, SPAS & SALONS AMO Beauty & Spa Tel: 2753337/38 www.amospa.com Page 40 Yak Map O.5 Fabulously Feet Tel: 8475764 www.fabulouslyfeet.com Page 159 Yak Map Z.11 Sunset Pilates Tel: 7914127 www.pilatesbali.com Yak Directory Theta Spa Tel: 738866 www.theamala.com Page 31 Yak Map Y.11 HOTELS & VILLAS Anantara Seminyak Tel: 737773 www.bali.anantara.com Page 103 Yak Map P.11 Alila Villas Soori Tel: 8946388 www.alilahotels.com Page 99 Karma Kandara Tel: 8482200 www.karmaresorts.com Page 117 Nikko Bali Tel: 773377 www.nikkobali.com Page 10 Sea Sentosa Tel: 8881234/8887733 www.seasentosa.com Page 11 Yak Map R.7 Silq Tel: 8475461 www.silqkerobokanbali.com Page 135 Yak Map R.3 The Amala Tel: 738866 www.theamala.com Page 16 Yak Map Y.11

162

The Balé Tel: 775111 www.theabale.com Page 16 The Oberoi Bali Tel: 730361 www.oberoihotels.com Page 134 Yak Map N.9 The Royal Santrian Tel: 288009 www.santrian.com Page 24 The Samaya Tel: 973606 www.thesamayabali.com Page 35 Yak Map M.7 Uma Sapna Tel: 736628 www.coconuthomes.com Page 37 Yak Map I.9 Villa Babar www.balivillababar.com Page 19 MEDIA Bule Fusion www.bulefusion.com Page 2 Yak Map P.5 Island Communications Tel: 282010 www.icommbali.com Page 159 Mango Vision www.mangovision.tv Page 155 MISCELLANEOUS Anto Landscaping Tel: 733320 www.antolandscapingbali.com Yak Directory Astrology Tel: 425754 www.astronlp.com Page 158 Bali Cleaning Service Tel: 7803587 www.balicleaningclinic.com Yak Directory The Company Tel: 087762623680 thecompanybali@gmail.com Page 159 Travel Works Commonwealth Tel: 270189 www.travelworks-bali.com Page 145

MUSEUMS/GALLERIES Kendra Tel: 736628 www.kendragallery.com Page 39 Yak Map T.9

PROPERTY Elite Havens Tel: 731074 /738747 www.elitehavens.com Page 1 Yak Map P.8 Exotiq Seminyak Tel: 737358,703208,287642 www.exotiqrealestate.com Page 12 Yak Map T.8 PT. Maca Tel: 7455443 www.macabalivillas.com Page 25 Yak Map O.9 Ubud Property Tel: 970888 www.ubudproperty.com Yak Directory RECREATION Canggu Club Tel: 8446385 www.cangguclub.com Page 150 Yak Map N.1 Waka Land Tel: 426971/72 www.wakaland.com Page 98 RESTAURANTS&BARS Bali Good Food Tel: 285777 www.baligoodfood.com Page 15 Biku Bali Tel: 8570888 www.bikubali.com Page 157 Yak Map O.5 Blossom Tel: 730333 www.balisentosa.com Yak Map M.7 Page 41 Cafe Bali Tel: 7801515 thecafebali@yahoo.com Page 99 Yak Map Q.7 Chandi Tel: 731060 www.chandibali.com Page 115 Yak Map Q.8 Cocoon Beach www.cocoon-beach.com Page 18 Yak Map Q.14 Hu’u Bar/NutMegs Tel: 736443 www.huubali.com Page 6-7 Yak Map M.5 Khaima Tel: 7423925 www.khaimabali.com Page 116 Yak Map R.8 Ku De Ta Tel: 736969 www.kudeta.net

Page 2-3 Yak Map N.9 Sea Circus Tel: 08786071754 www.seacircus-bali.com Page 159 Yak Map N.7 Siam Sally Tel: 980777 www.baligoodfood.com Page 27 The Junction Tel: 735610 Page 37 Yak Map Q.7 The Shore Tel: 773377 www.nikkobali.com Page 10 Warung Bonita Tel: 731918 www.bonitabali.com Page 155 SHOPS Bali Deco Glass Tel: 7819588 Page 158 Bamboo Blonde Tel: 7425290 Page 14 Biasa Tel: 730308 www.biasabali.com Page 4-5 Yak Map V.12 Bloomz Tel: 7802401 www.bloomzflowers.com Page 155 Yak Map R.4 Body & Soul Tel: 732326 www.bodyandsoulclothing.com Page 29 Yak Map V.14 Bong's Tel: 8084168 www.selphiebong.com Page 13 C Boutique Tel: 8853888 www.cboutique.net Page 134 Yak Map P.8 Carlo Tel: 285211 www.carloshowroom.com Page 21 Creative Design Tel: 8090088 www.cdfurniture-collections.com Page 149 Yak Map Y.8 Deus Ex machina www.deus.com.au Page 102 Yak Map T.8 Double Issue Tel: 7306030 www.doubleissues.com Page 20 Yak Map O.8

Eight Degrees South Tel: 736036 www.8-degrees-south.com Page 149 Yak Map W.5 Gourmet Garage Tel: 701650 www.gourmetgarage.com Page BIC Hatten Wines Tel: 767422 www.hattenwines.com Page 135 Yak Map F.12 Heineken Page 71 Ika Tel: 731658 www.ikabutoni.com Page 117 Yak Map U.12 K&I Tel: 737025/736477 Page 17 Yak Map V. 9 Lily Jean Tel: 737441 www.lily-jean.com Page 33 Yak Map V.11 Mien Tel: 735964 www.mien-design.com Page 98 Yak Map N.5 Nico Perez Tel: 738308 Page IFC Yak Map S.8 Paul Ropp Tel: 734208, 731002, 974655 www.paulropp.com Back cover Yak Map T.8 Periplus www.periplus.co.id Page 157 Yak Map F.13/P.7 Piment Rouge Tel: 730432 www.pimentrougelighting.com Page 39 Yak Map V.11 Platform 18/27 Tel: 738746 www.Platform1827.com Page 116 Pura Vida Tel: 736563 www.puravidafashion.com Page 23 Yak Map V.12 So Clothe Tel: 737653 Page 151 Yak Map P.8 Undurraga Tel: 736563 www.undurraga.com Page 26