BALI UPDATE #312 - 09 September 2002

Hope Fades for Brent Hesselyn

Charismatic Bali Businessman, Now Missing for More Than 7 Days, Feared Dead.

Brent Hesselyn the popular and very well-known co-founder of the Jenggala Ceramic Industry in Bali's Jimbaran district, has now been missing for more than 7 days following his disappearance on a diving trip to nearby Nusa Lembongan island on Sunday, September 1, 2002. An entire week of search efforts by local fishermen, yachtsmen, tourism operators, and aircraft have failed to find a trace of Mr. Hesselyn, presumed to have been swept away by the strong currents present in the area in which he was last seen by his diving companion. That the experienced sportsman was wearing a wet suit and an inflation device had buoyed initial hopes that he might be found alive, adrift at sea or castaway on a nearby beach.

However, a full week later and after the expenditure of thousand of dollars by friends and family to support the search effort, hopes that any trace of the missing businessman will be found, alive or dead, are becoming increasingly remote.

Brent Hesselyn, aged 50, first came to Bali in 1976 where, in cooperation with Bali hotelier Wija Waworuntu and his daughter, Ade established a simple pottery and ceramic's factory in beachside huts in the BatuJimbar area of Sanur Beach. In the intervening years, the Jenggala line of ceramics acquired an international fame, with island visitors and hotels around the world placing orders for the distinctive and stylish table settings and accessories. The success of the operation combined with long waiting lists for new orders prompted the Jenggala operation to move to a large, state-of-the-art factory and showroom in the Jimbaran area where hundreds of skilled Indonesian workers now report to work each day.

Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, Brent Hesselyn studied fine arts at Canterbury University, further developing an early interest in ceramics evidenced by the opening of his first pottery workshop near Greymouth, at the age of 16. Prior to moving to Bali in 1976, he worked for two years at the Sydney Opera House.

Mr. Hesselyn's keen interest in Indonesian painting, sculpture, and the lively arts are reflected in the unique table settings and ceramic pieces produced by the Jenggala factory.

In addition to a keen interest in the conservation and promotion of the Balinese arts, Mr. Hesselyn is also an active participant in several local food and culinary societies.

In lieu of a formal announcement by the family acknowledging his demise, no announcement has been made regarding a memorial service for the much-loved and, now, sorely-missed Brent Hesselyn.

B.A.T.'s Mason Asked to Leave Bali

Nigel Mason, a Major Foreign Investor in Tourism Sector, Told to Vacate the Island.

The latest chapter in a protracted and acrimonious struggle for corporate control of P.T. Taman Burung Citra Bali, the owning company for the Bali Bird Park, took another turn following a meeting of provincial government officials on Friday, September 6, 2002, which decided to revoke the stay permit of high-profile tourism investor, Nigel Mason.

As reported in the Saturday, September 7^th edition of the English language Jakarta Post, Bali's Deputy Governor has revoked the stay permit of Mr. Mason, claiming that by working simultaneously as a Director of both P.T. Bali Adventure Tours (B.A.T.) and the Bali Bird Park he had violated the terms of his working permit. In defense, Mason's lawyers have contended that Bali Adventure Tours is a registered holding company, justifying their client's involvement in directorship of both companies.

Mason, an Australian, together with his Balinese wife, founded a successful river-rafting company in 1989 that has expanded to include helicopter air tours, cycling trips, a surf school, and the Bali Elephant Safari Park. The decision to expel Mr. Mason from Bali has occurred against the backdrop of Mason's struggle for control of the bird park with Mr. Zaenal Thayeb, a well-connected Indonesian businessman who insists that B.A.T. holds no legal right to a share of the popular local tourist attraction.

Both parties to the dispute have undertaken press campaigns in the Bali media to champion their claim on the facility. Last week, a march by local Union Workers on the Immigration offices at Bali's Airport threatened that if Mason was not deported they would undertake an island-wide strike of tourism workers.

Under the terms of the reported agreement for his departure from Indonesia, Mr. Mason has not been formally deported, thereby opening the possibility of his reapplying for a new working permit and his return to Bali in the near future.

The operational managers of B.A.T. advise that despite the absence of their founder and main investor from Bali, the operation of their various tour programs and visitor facilities will continue uninterrupted.

The final determination of the ownership of the Bali Bird Park is expected to be a matter finally determined by the Country's civil courts.

Mapping Bali's Future

Bali Tourism Board Holds Industry-Wide Meeting.

The Bali Tourism Board (BTB) held its first working meeting September 2-3, 2002 at the Sanur Beach Hotel, inviting a wide cross-section of government officials and tourism industry business people for a wide ranging and free exchange of ideas on how best to mold the island's future tourism development.

Zoning

Professor Ida Bagus Wyasa Putra from Bali's Udayana University led the call, generally accepted by all participants, that Bali desperately needs a well-defined zoning plan to stop the destructive, free-range development now enveloping the island. Mr. Nyoman Gelebet, another of the featured speakers at the meeting, echoed the need for zoning rules and enforcement. He stressed that the problems limiting an expansion of the Ngurah Rai Airport and the cultural resistance to cross island tunnels or elevated expressways meant there are definite limits to just how far Bali's tourism numbers will be able to grow.

Funding for Promotion

Widespread support was voiced at the meeting for substantial increases in the amount of spending on tourism promotion, both on the national and regional levels. BTB's directors pledged to undertake an intensive lobby effort both in Jakarta and Bali to persuade legislators to allocate more funds for the promotion of tourism.

Bali Tourism Board

The BTB is comprised of 9 tourism-related organizations on Bali, united to combine their efforts in the promotion of Bali tourism and in working together with the local government on tourism-related policies and issues.

Money to Promote

Efforts on Several Fronts to Increase Tourism Promotion Spending.

Lobbying efforts are underway on both the national and regional level obtain more money from the Government for tourism promotion.

Mr. Setyanto P. Santosa, Chairman of the Indonesian Culture and Tourism Board (ICTB) appeared in late August before Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives pleading for US$30 million for overseas tourism promotion. He told the legislators that the increased funds, still substantially less than that spent by competing destinations in the region, would be used to purchase advertising on TV stations, focusing on both international and national broadcasts in key markets. A portion of the money would also be used to upgrade several musuems and historical sites around the nation.

Indonesia has set a tourism target of 5.4 million visitors spending an estimated US$5.4 billion for 2002. Total tourism arrivals for the first six months of 2002 stand at 2.1 million. Tourism officials are estimating that tourism arrivals by 2005 could exceed 8 million.

Tourism promotion was only allocated $3 million last year, a paltry sum in comparison to the $100 million spent by Thailand, $150 million by Malaysia, and $60 million by the island state of Singapore.

On the local front in Bali, the Bali Tourism Board (BTB) has announced its intention to lobby the government to allocate more funds for national and Bali-based tourism promotion. In addition to supporting the ICTB's call for more funding, BTB will also be seeking an increase in the local tourism promotion budget from Rp. 3.5 billion (approximately $368,000). Reflecting the belief of local lawmakers that tourism happens without promotion, Bali's annual allocation for promotion is among the lowest in Indonesia with East Java spending Rp. 17 billion; Jakarta Rp. 25 billion; and Central Java Rp. 11 billion.

A Day for Goddess Saraswati

A Celebration of Learning and Knowledge on the Island of Bali.

Saturday, September 7, 2002, was Umanis Watugunung on the complex Balinese calendar, the final day in the 210 day lunar cycle set aside to honor the anniversary of the Lord Brahma's Consort, the Goddess Saraswati.

An important and most sacred day in the Balinese religious calendar, Hari Saraswati is a day set aside to honor those virtues the Goddess was thought to embody – learning, wisdom and the arts. It is a day on which teachers, books, libraries, and ancient manuscripts are honored. Ironically, it is also a day on which reading is prohibited.

An official holiday for followers of the Hindu faith, Saturday was a day that saw the Balinese in their costumed finery traveling by truck and motorbike to pray en masse at major temples and religious sites.

On Sunday, the Balinese celebrated Banyupinaruh - a day of ritual bathing on the island's rivers and seaside's. Then, on Monday, the Balinese mark Somaribek by filling the family larders with life's basic commodities.

In one sense, this period on the local calendar can be seen as days of spiritual renewal when the Balinese honor the continuing cycle of tradition and the collective heritage which forms a centerpiece to their lifes. First they honor their roots and traditions as recorded in Bali's cultural literature, then renew and refresh their spirits through ritual bathing, and on the last day replenish basic need of the body for nourishment in order to continue on life's journey.

Part II - Nyoman and Kadek are Getting Married

Balinese Courtship in the Modern Era.

Nyoman and Kadek's courtship was equally influenced by the modern economy of Bali and the ages-old Hindu cosmology that directs their wedding ceremony. Take their meeting, for instance. If it weren't for the jobs that the Kuta area has created in the recent past, they might not have met at all. Kadek is from the rice-growing region of Tabanan, a country-girl - the classic, beautiful, farmer's daughter. She came to Seminyak less than four years ago looking for work. There she discovered Nyoman, the love of her life, as a customer in the warung - the roadside food stall, where she works.

Kadek's native charms were irresistible to Nyoman. He developed hunger pains whenever she was working. His friends teased him about his rapid weight gain and his lovesick moodiness. The way to this man's heart was via his stomach: Flirtations were a side dish at every meal that finally lead to romance and then a proposal.

Eventually they traveled by motorbike to her home for that critical first meeting with her parents, followed by many more visits to demonstrate the sincerity of his intentions. When Nyoman finally asked permission to wed their daughter, there was little surprise. He had already earned the family's approval. Although tradition would demand that their daughter would leave them to become a part of the boy's family, they happily granted the young man's wish.

The priest was consulted to choose an auspicious date on the Balinese calendar for the wedding ceremony. Invitations, made with the traditional Om Swasti Astu blessings printed in gold on the heavy maroon paper, were ordered. Family members prepared the offerings prescribed by the event. Expert ceremonial elders were contacted to check the offerings for exact replication of the necessary flowers and colored rice. Matters of dress are strictly pre-ordained. The blessings and incantations of the priest in ancient Sanskrit will be sung, unchanged over the centuries.

The rite of passage to married life will leave the couple more deeply entrenched in Balinese-Hindu customs; less attached to their distinct attachment to one another, and more ready to accept the responsibilities they will gain by becoming mature adults; full participants in their village society and peers with their parents.

In time, they will bring their own children into their household, in the unending cycle that sees the modern and new blend with traditional Balinese life.

Next week, another installment of "Nyoman and Kadek are Getting Married" - offerings and prayers on the wedding day.

Limits to Growth

Bali's Airport Second Runway Put on Indefinite Hold.

Local opposition to the acquisition of an additional 400 hectares of land to accommodate an expansion of Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport have put on indefinite hold any plans to add a second aircraft runway.

Mr. I.G.M. Dhordy, the Bali chief of P.T. Angkasa Pura, the operators of the Bali airport, has announced that any plans to double the current handling capacity of the airport are permanently on the shelf. Local residents have been steadfast in rejecting the reclamation of the 400 hectares of mangrove forest necessary for the expansion of the passenger handling terminals and administrative offices at the airport.

Because of the lack of land, P.T. Angkasa Pura airport enhancement plans have been scaled back to include only an enlargement of the current domestic terminal and the relocation of airport offices. The total cost of the project is between Rp. 5 and 6 billion (approximately US$ 526,000 – 630,000) and is expected to commence in 2004.

Bored in Paradise?

The Trivial Entertainments of Bali's Leisure Class.

What do Superman's hair, the source of the Yangtze River, and the word for "thank you" in Hungarian have in common?

And why does any of this matter in Bali?

Trivia quiz nights. An increasing number of local restaurants and bar hosts the fun challenge of a trivia quiz. Full of good humor and offering a light distraction for Western visitors who, perhaps, have exceeded their personal quota for the many indigenous cultural outings available on the island. Trivia Nights pit the wits of competing teams, vying for the coveted title of Trivia Master.

Some of the places visitors can put their trivial knowledge to use in Bali include: The Cat and the Fiddle Pub in Sanur on Jalan Batur Sari, which hosts quiz nights on Fridays beginning at 8:30 p.m.. The Kura-Kura Restaurant on Jalan Raya Seminyak also hosts a quiz every Wednesday night starting at 8:30 p.m..

Almost every tourist area in Bali has a trivia night. Keep your eyes posted for the tell-tale banner indicating time and place for the next match of trivial pursuits and yout chance to claim the bragging rights to a head full of trivia.

Oh, we almost forgot: Superman parts his hair on the right, the source of the Yangtze River is in Tibet, and the Hungarian word for "thank you" is "köszönöm."

Now you know.

Minding our P's & Q's

Bali's English School's Launches a Literacy Week.

To further recognize the importance of literacy, The English School on Jalan Kerobokan is donating a portion of the proceeds from a book sale now underway at their campus to a local Balinese primary school.

The English School is a private, non-denominational school serving the needs of local and expatriate students originating from a variety of countries. The British National curriculum followed at the school presents a challenging standard in the core areas of study including reading, writing, mathematics, science, social studies, and creative arts. Because literacy is the primary access to all areas of study and provides a foundation for successful communications, it is given special value.

Literacy Week September 9 - 13

The English School will sponsor a Literacy Week from September 9 – 13, 2002. Special events are scheduled throughout the week for students of the school. Costume parades for the students dressed like their favorite literary characters; writing and drawing competitions; visits with a local author; a library visit; and participation in a read-a-thon to raise funds for school book purchases.

Funds will also be raised for a local Balinese school via a book sale. Periplus Publishers will be holding a book sales at the school each day from 8:30 am – 2:30 pm in the school gymnasium. Anyone purchasing books during the sales will be assisting a local Balinese school expand their library.