Nikko Bali Resort and Spa recently announced two new senior appointments.

Joy Cartwright

Returning to Bali for her latest in a long career of key marketing assignments, Joy Cartwright has joined the Nikko Bali Resort and Spa as Director of Sales and Marketing.

Beginning her hotel sales career in 1979, Joy has worked in Australia, China and Indonesia. Past Bali assignments include employment at the former Radisson Hotel in Sanur (now the Sanur Paradise Hotel) and the Bali Dynasty Resort in South Kuta.

Whilst with the Bali Dynasty Resort, she is credited with having played a key role in the successful “Fun in the Sun” campaign organized on behalf of the Kuta Beach Business Association.

Yashuda Shuhei

Nikko Bali Resort and Spa have appointed Yasuda Shuhei as the resort’s Japanese Operations and Marketing Manager. In his new role in Bali, Yasuda will be responsible in helping the resort meet the needs of Japanese travelers.

Yasuda has worked for JAL Hotels Company Limited for four years, then joined two of the Nikko properties in Japan before working with the Sales and Marketing division of JAL Hotels head office in Tokyo.

One of only five hotels in the world to be awarded the distinction of EarthCheck Platinum, Meliá Bali has passed its latest review with flying colors and maintained its EarthCheck Platinum certification.
/> EarthCheck

EarthCheck is the leading benchmarking, certification and environmental management program used by the travel and tourism industry.

For over a decade, EarthCheck has been collecting data relating to the operational performance of more than 1300 travel and tourism organizations in over 84 countries. This has enabled EarthCheck clients to competitively benchmark the efficiency of their operations against internationally compliant standards of best practice.

EarthCheck recognizes 39 sectors in the travel and tourism industry and helps operators to monitor, measure and manage their environmental, social and economic impacts. This includes the reporting of Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHG) and consumption of natural resources.

EarthCheck Platinum is on the highest distinctions awarded by the company. Meliá Bali achieved 2011 EarthCheck Platinum Certification after earning EarthCheck Gold certification from 2007 to 2010.

“We believe the hospitality industry in Bali is highly dependent on the island’s unspoiled environment and the culture of its people,” said Jim Boyles, General Manager of Meliá Bali. “Visitors come especially to enjoy Bali’s unique cultural heritage. A better living standard and quality of life for the Balinese people will ensure the future of Bali’s hospitality industry. Meliá Bali is committed to continually improving its award-winning performance in environmental and social sustainability and annual benchmarking to enhance the culture of its people and at the same time to preserve the environment.”

“Platinum Certification is not a green tick that can be purchased or applied for,” Jim Boyles explained. “It must be earned over a decade of verifiable commitment to the highest possible standards of operational practices. The resort has recognized a maturing of the science behind climate change and environmental sustainability, and has demonstrated its belief that the planet deserves more than half measures.”'

Shown on balidiscovery.com are Jim Boyles, General Manager of Meliá Bali (left); Alberto Lalinde, Hotel Manager of Meliá Bali (right) and Alexander Kesper, Senior Advisor to the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (center).

[Book a Stay at the Melia Bali] 
 

The Begawan Foundation celebrated its 23rd anniversary by inaugurating a captive breeding center for the endangered Bali Starlings (Rothschild’s Mynah, Bali Mynah) in Banjar Saren, Abiansemal in Bali.

As reported by the State News Agency Antara, the founder of the Begawan Foundation, Bradley T. Gardner told the press that the new breeding center was welcoming 20 Bali Starlings bred at the Koelner Zoo in Germany and 3 Bali Starlings from the Jurong Bird Park in Singapore.

“In fact, these birds have already been in Bali for several months, having completed a period of quarantine at the Bali Bird Park in Gianyar Now we are formally celebrating their arrival in conjunction with the completion of the captive population cages at the Green School,’ explained Gardner.

“These birds that were made the official bird and mascot for the province of Bali in 1970 are now registered as an endangered species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES),” said Gardner who has been involved in efforts to preserve the Bali Starling species since 1999.

Gardner said the breeding center continues to work for the survival of the Bali Starling species. In the future birds raised at the center will be released back into nature, continuing a program that has already released to date 65 Bali Starlings on Nusa Penida island.

While saluting the efforts to save the Bali Starling, the head of the Forestry Service for Bali, I Gede Nyoman Wiranatha, said the high price of nearly Rp. 15 million (US$1,600) paid to poachers by bird collectors has served to threaten any wild populations.

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Bali police have been undertaking practice drills at the Lila Bhuana Sports Stadium in Bali in preparations for the ASEAN Summit conference that opens in Bali on November 17, 2011.

The practice drills, code-named “Puri Agung X”, were led directly by the Bali Chief of Police, Inspector General Totoy Herawan Indra, and involved hundreds of police personnel from various divisions and departments island-wide.

Quoted by the State News Agency Antara, the spokesman for the Bali police Hariadi described the exercise as was an effort to coordinate efforts and create a shared vision among those charged with maintain peace and security during the international conference to be attended by more than 15 heads of state.

In addition to training the police personnel, the Bali police have also put into place a range of equipment, including water canons and other anti-riot tools.

New operational vehicles have been allocated to the Bali police to beef up security measures. Counted among the 80 new vehicles now in place are 56 Mitsubishi Lancers and 24 double-cabin Mitsubishi Strada Tritons.

Equipments and personnel from East Java will also be deployed to Bali on a temporary basis during the ASEAN Summit.

According to Bisnis.com, the number of Indonesian commercial airline accidents in 2011 has increased 28.6% over the previous year. To date, there have been 36 air accidents recorded in Indonesia.

According to officials from the Indonesian Department of Civil Aviation, the majority of the air accidents have been traced to pilot error. The director of Air Worthiness and Aircraft Operations from the Ministry of Transportation, Diding Sunardi, is concerned by the increase in air accidents in Indonesia. “Most of the accidents have happened when the pilot lost control of the aircraft or are due to weather conditions,” explained Sunardi on the sidelines of a Boeing workshop of performance planning for flight crews.

Diding said the current seminar was being conducted to reduce air accident levels in Indonesia. On an international level, 56% of all air accidents are linked to mistakes made by aircrews. All accidents are broken down into three categories: accidents, serious incidents and incidents. To qualify as an “accident” an air mishap results in either death or injury; a “serious incident” causes damage to an aircraft; and an “incident” is a malfunction that causes a delay or cancellation of a scheduled flight.

Data from Flight Safety International attributes 56% of all aircraft mishaps are blamed on pilot and flight crew mistakes, 17% are caused by aircraft malfunction. Meanwhile, data from the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation records for 2011 show 11 accidents causing death or injury, 16 serious incidents resulting in aircraft damage, and 9 incidents causing flight disruptions. The corresponding figures for 2010 recorded 9 accidents, 9 serious incidents and 10 incidents.

The head of the communications department for the Ministry of Transportation, Bambang S. Ervan confirmed that discussions are underway with the National Air Safety Commission (KNKT) to create a judicial court for air transport that if implemented would allow financial sanctions to be imposed on flight crew failings handed down after a professional review by an aviation tribunal.

During the ASEAN and East Asia Summit to be held in Nusa Dua, Bali November 17-19, 2011, passengers arriving or departing Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport may expect frequent delays.

Kompas.com quotes the general manager of PT Angkasa I for the Bali airport, Purwanto, as saying delays of up to 30 minutes can be expected whenever flight schedules overlap with the arrival or departure of a head of state at the island’s air gateway.

Security protocols require the suspension of commercial flights during a “sterilized” period surrounding the movement of an aircraft carrying a head of state in Bali.

Most delays will occur between November 16-20, as 18 heads of state move in and out of Bali.

Angkasa Pura, the managers of Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport, say all effort will be made to keep delays for passengers to a minimum through close cooperation with the affected airlines.

During the current renovation and upgrading of the entrance gate to the airport has been moved, effective November 4, 2011.

The former entrance gate located at the southern edge of the parking area, near the domestic departure terminal, has been moved to the northern edge of the airport, adjacent to the current exit gate.

When the multi-year renovation program of the airport is completed Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport’s annual carrying capacity will increase from its current level of 8 million to 25 million.

The construction works are scheduled by completion in 2013.

Wayne Vitale - a composer, performer, and teacher who has long been inspired by the music of Bali - contributed the following article, remembering the Balinese musician, I Wayan Tembres. Vitale is a founding member and former director of [Gamelan Sekar Jaya],  an ensemble of sixty musicians and dancers known around the world for its cross-cultural work. He is also a director of Vital Records a recording label that releases critically acclaimed CDs of Balinese music.

In Memoriam: I Wayan Tembres

k I Wayan Tembres, from the village of Blangsinga, Bali, one of the island’s most brilliant drummers and beloved gamelan teachers of the late twentieth century, passed away after a brief illness at a hospital in his home province of Gianyar on October 30, 2011.

He was about 84 years old.

Since I had such close connections to this great artist—I lived at his home for more than three years, later joined by my wife Sarah, immersed in his musical world—I feel inspired to write at some length about his extraordinary life and contributions. Pak Tembres, later known as Kak or “grandfather” Tembres, was not only my kendang teacher, but also my musical guide in the world of Balinese music, my host, friend, and guru in the largest sense. We traveled hundreds of times together to various villages, where he taught and performed; usually I brought him on the back of my motorcycle as he told stories and joked along the way. I witnessed him in action first hand, often playing in the groups he taught, and learned as much by slow absorption as by direct training. He was like a father to me, and I hope I can do some honor to his memory.

Perhaps the best way to do so is to cut right to the chase: Pak Tembres was a drummer of stunning power, skill, and taksu. While there are many great drummers in Bali, his playing stood in a special class. This had to do, in part, with two interrelated qualities: One was the absolute solidity of his strokes and rhythmic groove. Each stroke, from low dag to almost inaudible filler tone, was so assured, so perfectly placed in networks of drum patterns, and so clear that other gamelan players (and his drumming partners) were drawn completely into his magnetic field. This was a great satisfaction to all: One could relax and breathe easier when Pak Tembres was playing, since his command was unquestionable, and his rhythmic control never faltered. To be led by such a drummer, or play kendang lanang with him, was a pure joy.

The other quality was the sound of his drumming. No other drummer I have met before or after could create quite the same sound as Pak Tembres. Again, I fall back on metaphors: His pak or plak, slapping strokes on the left drumhead, were, to my ears, “wet”—they seemed oiled and round and penetrating at the same time. His dag, the deep stroke on the kendang wadon (female drum, which he almost always played), had the kind of punch and depth that every rock drummer longs for in his kick drum. You felt it in your gut. His kumpung, an overtone stroke, was like a bell. These and other strokes were so distinctive as to create a rich palette of tones, which he wove together in abundant variations. His sound was instantly recognizable.

These two qualities were animated by his burning inner musical drive, and gave his playing in certain moments the feeling of a freight train—unstoppable, frighteningly powerful, and altogether beautiful. At other moments, such as when he lay back waiting for a topeng dancer’s next angsel (break), a quiet underpinning of rhythms flowed from his drum, no less clear or anchored, but kept at a low whisper. Then, when the moment came, the roaring freight train would reappear and be all the more sensational by contrast. This dynamic range was part of what made him a quintessential kebyar drummer.

Another part of Pak Tembres’s power as a musician came from a different kind of magnetic quality: his warm character and down-to-earth humor. He had a story, wry comment, or off-color joke always at the ready. He talked about “learning this piece in time to wash the cows,” “giving the cutest dancers just the angsel they want,” and compared musical qualities to those of his favorite arak or to a cockfighting match. Gamelan groups, in those days filled almost exclusively with farmers and laborers, loved him. He was one of them, and the camaraderie brought them even more tightly together. Rehearsals became filled with laughter that tempered (and at moments infused) the intensity of their playing.

Drumming Styles

Kebyar was indeed Pak Tembres’s most native musical style, and to hear him play certain core dance works of kebyar—e.g. Taruna Jaya, Kebyar Duduk, Oleg Tamulilingan—was a sensational experience. There his volcanic powers could be fully unleashed, especially in the solo (tunggal) sections. But there were other styles, including those that became cross-fertilized with kebyar, for which he was also well known. Among these was arja, especially in the form arja gong (that is, arja performed with a gong kebyar and not on the original gamelan guntang), which was still popular in the mid 1980s when I first knew him. Here I should note his long relationship with the gamelan group of Lodtunduh, which performed arja and prembon (a hybrid of arja and topeng) hundreds of times in that period with Pak Tembres at the helm. The performances often lasted through the night. This group was especially devoted to him. As is typical of these relationships (now increasingly rare), Pak Tembres was never paid to teach. But when the right opportunity came the group would be ready to reciprocate. In 1984, Pak Tembres was on the verge of hiring laborers to rebuild part of his home; but word of this plan got to Lodtunduh. The group showed up the following day in the back of an open flatbed truck, equipped with tools. Not only did they do all the work but supplied all the cement, wood, and tiles. These were lifelong relationships. Pak Tembres enjoyed them with several other village seka gong.

Topeng was another of his favored dances, since it involved so much improvised solo and pepanggulan drumming, and a close interconnection with dance. He was famous for his drumming in Jauk in its various forms (e.g. Jauk Keras and Jauk Manis), the quirky and effervescent masked dance that is an essential part of the Barong/Rangda story but often played as a stand-alone work. In these dances Pak Tembres could apply the full range of improvised variation and color that distinguished his playing, bringing alive various facets of character and movement—rapid steps, vibrating fingers, surprise jumps, bawdy gestures—with gems of accent and rhythmic texture. (I was most fond of his batu-batu, improvised off-beat strokes, in Jauk Manis, which he placed with potent dramatic effectiveness, building and leading with inevitability to the next angsel.)

Melding of music and dance

Pak Tembres partnered for several years with the famous dancer I Made Jimat of Batuan, winning accolades in Festival Gong performances of Jauk in the late 1970s and early 80s. This was a duo of virtuosos, with an wide dramatic and emotional range made possible by their technical mastery. (They also toured together to New York in 1979.) Their partnership was also an exemplary illustration of a central aesthetic in Balinese performing arts, that music and dance should be completely wedded. This goes beyond technique and practice, becoming a matter of an incomprehensible, seemingly magical connection between performers. One dancer said, “if you just thought about moving, Pak Tembres knew it.” Dancers were always happy to discover Pak Tembres backstage, and know he’d soon be drumming for them. He watched them with every fiber in his body, and devoted his musical powers to responding with the right stuff—underlining movements, highlighting qualities of character, and, most importantly, catching even the subtlest of cues for angsel with instant and unmistakable accents and preparatory patterns, uniting the entire gamelan orchestra.

Like other great drummers, his movements were as beautiful to watch as his playing was to hear; his style was to let his movements arise naturally out of his playing, without exaggerating gestures in a overtly theatrical way. Pak Tembres’s assurance and strength guaranteed the visual impact would be impressive.

Teachers, groups, tours, awards

Pak Tembres’ experience, spanning many years, was vast. Offered here is only a brief and incomplete sketch, assembled both from my own notes and from secondary sources such as the Riwayat Hidup (Proyek Penggalian/Pembinaan Seni Budaya Klasik, 1981/82).

Among his teachers, Pak Tembres mentioned Ida Bagus Kompiang (Bona) and I Nyoman Regog (Peliatan) although local, informal learning is the norm in Bali and he learned much in his early years from his own father, a gifted musician, other elder musicians of Blangsinga, and those of neighboring villages.

Groups he taught in the district of Gianyar included those of Blangsinga (his home village), Pinda, Saba, Blabatuh, Buruan, Bona, Br. Manuaba/Tegalalang, Pering, Br. Padpadan, Peliatan, Lodtunduh, Mas, Batuan, Sukawati, Laplapan, Pejeng, Tampaksiring, and the town of Gianyar. In other districts, he led groups in Blumbang (Bangli), Galiran (Karangasem), Dentiis (Klungkung), Kedis (Buleleng), Bualu and Nyuhgading (Badung). He toured to various other cities and towns in Indonesia, in part via his brief tenure as a government employee of ARRIL in the early 1960s.

His international experience included tours to Tehran in 1970, to New York in 1979, and to California, where he was Guest Music Director of Gamelan Sekar Jaya in 1984. (Ironically, I had no direct experience of that tour since I was living at Pak Tembres’s home in Bali at the time). Although he couldn't speak English, his warmth and musical command endeared him to the group instantly. A year later, during Sekar Jaya's historic first tour to Bali, he and his musical compatriots from Pinda helped train the ensemble for its performances throughout Bali, working with us in intensive rehearsals. In typical Tembres fashion, he turned one of the tour's most intense moments lighter, as he blessed us with holy water before the group's first mabarung performance in Buleleng. As we sipped the sacred tirta, laughter erupted as it became clear that he had mistakenly grabbed a bottle of arak instead. Pak Tembres's “spirit” warmed our show in a way no one expected.

Of all the groups he led, perhaps the most famous was Gong Pinda, only a couple of miles from his home. He and Bapak I Wayan Kumpul, the leader of Gong Pinda in that generation, were a drumming pair made in heaven. They knew the same variations and angsel patterns, and Pak Kumpul would hold down the fort on kendang lanang (he had a near perfect memory) while letting Pak Tembres stretch out with dazzling variations. As another lanang player and partner to a famous drummer once said, “It’s like volleyball: I set it up, and he comes in for the slam.” Together, these two drummers and Gong Pinda faced off, in one of the historic mabarung (gamelan competition) battles of that period, against Gong Gladag in 1969. This famous battle of the bands, held in Bangli, lives on in local folklore, like a Balinese version of the Ali vs. Frazier fight only a few years earlier. It was so eagerly anticipated that thousands of people came to witness it. However Pak Tembres was barely able to pull the Pinda group through the match: Earlier in the day, he was on the back of a motorcycle that crashed, and he broke his jaw. (Upon seeing him later that eve with a brace on his jaw, one of the competition judges quipped, “Are you dancing topeng today, Tembres?”) Brave, but demoralized by their leader’s accident, the Pinda group lost. This remains, however, only a footnote to the main story in this thread of Balinese cultural history: Older musicians who saw Gong Pinda play under Pak Tembres speak of it with a wistful expression, remembering one of the highest peaks of kebyar in this group of astonishing musical power and showmanship.

Pak Tembres formed his own ensemble, Wiran Jaya, in 1980s. This group, which I played in and helped promote, was formed originally as a gong suling since they had only the bare essential instruments (drums and gongs), and since Pak Tembres’s brother, I Wayan Sadra, was a famous suling player and maker. However over the following two years they slowly acquired enough bronze instruments to form an near-complete gamelan gong kebyar. Aside from Pak Tembres and Pak Kumpul, the membership was composed of eight musicians from Gong Pinda, as many again from Blangsinga, and a few from neighboring villages. Their goal was (as Colin McPhee quoted another Balinese musician decades earlier) “a little fun and a little profit,” in this case by playing in the international hotels in Kuta and Nusa Dua. In Wiran Jaya, the scales tipped clearly away from profit (the fees hotels paid to performers were pitifully small) and towards fun: Crowded next to the instruments into the back of open trucks, we faced the wind with stories and raucous laughter in the hour-long ride south, picking up dancers at various villages along the way. Once at the hotel, we played the standards of the tourist performance repertoire—including, in those days, Oleg, Panyembrama, Manuk Rawa, Wiranata, and Topeng—along with famous instrumental works from Pinda such as Goak Macok and Kembang Kuning. Most tourists, focused on the dancers (or their buffet dinners) had little or no idea of the extraordinary musicians on stage.

Pak Tembres remained active well into his 70s, teaching and performing. He was honored on a few occasions in the Seniman Tua (Elder Artists) award ceremonies, which recognized the life accomplishments of Bali’s finest living performers and visual artists. In 1992, he showed up to a Seniman Tua ceremony at the Taman Budaya (Art Center) in Denpasar, dressed in his own pakaian seka (group costume). He waited impatiently for the speeches to end, not because he was looking forward to his own award and performance demonstration—which turned out to be a sensation—but because he was on his way to a gig elsewhere.

Among Pak Tembres’s proudest achievements were two of the government penghargaan (awards) he received during his peak years for outstanding artistic accomplishment. One was the Wijaya Kesuma, received from the district of Gianyar in 1968; another—his highest award—was the Dharma Kesuma Madya from the province of Bali, which he directly from the hands of Bali’s beloved governor, Ida Bagus Mantra, in 1981. The latter was still hanging on his wall upon his death a few days ago.

Pak Tembres, you gave much to Balinese culture, sharing a supreme artistry and love of life with musicians, dancers, audiences, and students. May your unmistakable angsel and humor resound into your next life!

Wayne Vitale
Nov. 7, 2011
 

Regent Hotels & Resorts have named Murray L. Aitken as General Manager of the Regent Bali – a new US$100 million luxury resort and residence complex scheduled to be opened on Sanur beach in June 2012.

Originally from South Africa, during the course of his career Aitken has worked with Raffles and Swissotel in Southeast Asia, Rosewood Hotels and Resorts in Jakarta and the Caribbean. He has also worked in hotels in Dubai and South Africa.

Just prior to his move to Bali, Aitkin’s last assignment was as general manager of the Fancourt Hotel & Spa on South Africa’s Garden Route.

The Regent Bali will have 95-keys located on a prime stretch of Sanur Beach. Included in the design are 25 luxury private residences.
 

The number of people who have died because of rabies in Bali by the end of 2011 is predicted to be 70% less than the 82 who died in 2010.

To date through the end of October 2010 the total deaths stand at 19.

Beritabali.com quoted the chief of the contagious disease and environmental service of the Bali Health Service, Subrata said the decline in rabies deaths in Bali follows increased knowledge and awareness among the public about the disease. As a result,  there is a greater awareness of the need for vaccinating dog populations and precautions that must be taken if bitten by a dog.

Said Subrata: “Previously, if people were bitten by a dog they considered that a routine occurrence. Now, when people are bitten they come immediately to a medical center to receive further treatment including anti-rabies injections.”

Subrata said that not only were rabies cases among humans on the decline, the number of reported cases of dog bits has declined dramatically over the first nine months of 2011. From January – September 2010 there were 67,000 dog bite cases recorded, a number that has declines to 40,000 in the same nine months of 2011.
 

The Sea Command for East Indonesia has deployed five warships in the waters surrounding Bali as part of precautions being taken to safeguard the ASEAN Summit in Bali November 17-19, 2011.

The head of communication for the Maritime Corp, Lt. Colonel Yayan Sugiana, on Wednesday, November 9, 2011, told the Bali Post that the five ships on already on patrol off Bali’s coast are the KRI Band Aceh, KRI Sura, KRI Kerapu, KRI Slamet Riyadi and KRI Karel Satsuitubun.

“All the warships have been dispatched on Tuesday, November 8th lead by the Commander for Eastern Indonesian Naval Battle Group (Guspurlatim), First Admiral Sulaeman Banjar Nahor, who will command the fleet from the KRI Banda Aceh,” explained Sugiana.

In addition to five warships, three teams of amphibious assault troops (Pasukan Katak); a team of underwater specialists (Dislambair), a health team and a Bell HU-417 helicopter are also on station in Bali during the Summit

Sugiana explained that the Indonesian Navy would be on guard in the waters surrounding Bali for 5 days prior to the ASEAN conference and 5 days after the event.

Conservation International (CI) is urging the provincial government of Bali to outlaw the capture and harvesting of sharks, particularly long-tailed sharks for the harvesting of shark’s fin.

According to CI, as many as 100 sharks are captured and killed each day in the waters surrounding Bali, primarily off the shore of Nusa Penida and Ahmed, near Karangasem.

Quoted by Beritabali.com, a researcher from CI Indonesia, Mark Van Erdman, said on November 11, 2011 that the large-scale slaughter of sharks threatens the sustainability of the shark population. This is of particular concern in Bali, which is considered a breeding area for the species.

Van Erdman pointed our how 100 sharks harvested each day can have a massive impact on the potential tens of thousands of shark that come to Bali to breed the next generation of sharks.

The CI researcher contends that sharks have a much higher value as a sustainable object of tourism attraction that far outweighs amy commercial value obtained from killing the fish for their edible fins. Using the example of turtles to make his point, Van Erdman said how a turtle is estimated to have a “tourism” attraction value of US$179,000 during its lifetime, but if caught, slaughtered and sold will only fetch US$274 from the transaction.

Tourists can help preserve the shark population, seen as critical to the ocean’s food chain, by urging restaurants that sell sharks fins to seek other sources of income, and refusing to patronize such business if over time they continue to sell sharks fin.

Visitors to Bali over November 15-20, 2011 will not help but notice the immense security precautions in place to safeguard 16 heads-of-state and official delegation on the island for the ASEAN and East Asia Summit.

From Saturday, November 12, 2011, Indonesian warships were already in patrol around Bali’s southern shores and U.S. Secret Service officer are steadily flowing onto the island to prepare for the visit of President Barack Obama.

Already in place along the Jalan By-pass Ngurah Rai highway heading towards Nusa Dua are groups of police officers placed at intervals of no more than 200 meters  to ensure that the traffic keeps moving without delay. Further down the road, at the entrance to the Nusa Dua Complex where the Summit will be headquartered, every vehicle entering the area is being subjected to a rigorous inspection by combined teams comprised of military and police personnel.

Bali Post reports that when they entered the Hotel Melia at Nusa Dua, the combined protection squads inspected vehicles and individuals entering the hotel, questing visitors for details on their destination; asking them to state their business within the hotel. Similar teams are in place at the main hotels slated for use during the Summit:: Grand Hyatt, Laguna Luxury Collection, Ayodya, Westin, Novotel and Inna Putri.

A new entrance to Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport  that opened on November 4, 2011, is proving a source of confusion to many motorists who are unfamiliar with the new entrance now relocated to the exit course. A lack of clear signage clarifying access to the new entrance is blamed for much of the current difficulties for those trying to decipher how to enter the airport.

In addition to the armada of Indonesian Navy ships on patrol in Bali, two patrol ships from the Indonesian Water Police (Polisi Air) are also on deployment in Bali during the Summit. Meanwhile, an extensive police and military presence has been put in place at Bali seaports of Gilimanuk, Padang Bai and Celukan Bawang

In total, an estimated 15,000 military and police personnel will be on duty in Bali during the ASEAN Summit. Equipment on standby include 16 ANOA armored personnel carriers; 6 helicopters, and a squadron of F-16s.

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Paris Hilton – the hotel heiress whose Twitter autobiography states: “Model, Actress, Singer, Brand, Business Woman, Fashion Designer, Author, Philanthropist and Empire” - arrived in Bali for a busy schedule of parties and promotional visits.

Based on Hilton’s Tweets and local press coverage, the following details of her ongoing visit have been pieced together;

• Paris Hilton appeared to be enjoying Bali, Tweeting: “I've traveled to some of the most beautiful places on Earth, but Bali is one of the most incredible places I've ever been. Love it.”
• She also enjoyed Bali’s famous spa culture, indulging in massages.
• On Friday, November 11, 2011 Hilton was a guest of honor, attending the grand opening of the New Rob Peetoom Hair Spa in Kerobokan and a party/fashion show and the adjacent Metis Restaurant.
• Hilton is traveling in Bali with her friend ,model and actress Cheyenne Tozzi who starred in the X-men film.
• Hilton attended a Saturday night party of a Hu’u Bar.
•  Participated in a fashion fhoot, wearing Farah Khan fashions.
• Started a Twitter campaign in support of humane treatment for Bali street dogs
• Tweeted to her 5.3 million Twitter followers that she ordered a fillet mignon steak for a hapless street dog wandering around a beachfront restaurant where she was having dinner.

According to press reports, Paris Hilton will be in Bali for an entire week and is staying in a villa in the Seminyak area.

Follow her on Twitter @ParisHilton

Bali’s world-renowned, award-winning Jari Menari Massage is standing by round-the-clock to offer sanctuary and comfort to hard-working and tired statesmen, official delegations and the accompanying press attending the coming ASEAN and East Asia Summit at Nusa Dua.

The all-male, professionally trained team -  widely considered as providing Bali’s best massage, are staying open for 24-hours from November 14-21, 2011, to provide relief for official entourages and the press staying at Nusa Dua - just 5 minutes away from the Jari Menari outlet  in Nusa Dua on Jalan Pratama 88x in Tanjung Benoa

For reservations telephone ++62-(0)361-778084 or visit the [Jari Menari Nusa Dua Website] 

On Sunday, November 6, 2011, Bali's first-ever Texas Chili Cook-Off was held at The Melting Pot on Jalan Hanoman in Ubud, Bali.

Competition was fierce with the several hours of cooking time providing ample opportunitiy for the competitors to size up the opposition and determine their chances of taking home the trophy for best chili in their respective category. Meanwhile, plenty of food and games kept the crowd occupied, with chili tastings, ping-pong and eight-ball pool tournaments - all accompanied by copious amounts of ice cold beer and classic southern tunes to keep everybody entertained

There were seven entrants in two categories, CASI - meat chili, no fillers such as beans, macaroni, rice, hominy, etc., and Freestyle – a division in which anything goes.

The teams arrived on site early and worked furiously, attempting to create a winning combination from scratch by the 5:30 p.m. deadline. Cooking completed, four discerning judges awarded the winning trophies to the top tasting chilies created by Stephen Michaels in the CASI category, and Tony Day and Peter Waddell for their entry in the Freestyle division.

Maynard Ewton and Dave Moss triumphed in the People's Choice voting with the top crowd-pleasing chili of the day.

For information on next year's qualifying rounds in the 2nd Annual Texas Cook-Off scheduled for October 2012 telephone ++62 (0) 815 7689113, ++62(0)812 3640490 or [email] .
 

As regular as clock work, it’s time again for this year’s bottling of Beaujolais Nouveau to depart France for all corners of the world, including thirsty devotees waiting in Bali.

This year’s shipment will land in Bali on Friday, November 25, 2011, to be rushed from Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport to The Royal Beach Seminyak (former Sofitel)

The festivities commence at 7:30 p.m. with a lavish French buffet accompanied by two glasses of Beaujolais Nouveau.

/> The Menu

Les Amuse-bouche
Pissaladière
Mediterranean puff with onion , anchovies and olive

Tarte à l'oignon à l’Alsacienne
Alsatian onion cream tart

Quiche Lorraine
Bacon and Emmenthal pie

+ + + +

Les Charcuteries
Pâté de canard aux pruneaux d’Agen
Duck pate with plums and Cognac

Pâté de campagne
Pork liver terrine

Mousse de foie de volaille au poivre vert
Chicken liver pate green pepper corn

Jésus d’Aoste
Cured pork salami

Jambon sec de Montagne
Dry ham

Rillettes de saumon fumé
Smoked salmon pate with dill

Avec condiments et pains assortis
With pickles and assorted home made breads

+ + + +

Les Plats Régionaux

Haricots blancs et saussisses de Toulouse
White beans stew with Toulouse sausage

Gratin Dauphinois
Gratinated potatoes with cream and Comte cheese

Ratatouille Nicoise
Zuchinni, eggplant and paprika stew

Filet de vivaneau Provencale
Grilled snapper filet with garlic and parsley crust

Epaule d’agneau au romarin
Slow cooked lamb shoulder with rosemary jus

+ + + +

Le Plateau de Fromage

Brie de Meaux
Tomme de Savoie
Bleu d’auvergne
Raisins, amandes et miel sauvage de Sumbawa
With fresh grapes, nuts and wild honey


Tickets cost Rp. 390,000 (US$43.50) and are available at the following locations prior to November 25th:

• Alliance Française in Renon
• French Consulate in Sanur
• Global Chiropractic (in Simpang Siur behind Dijon)
• Café Moka in Seminyak, Ubud and Jimbaran,
• The Junction Restaurant
• Khaïma Restaurant
• Café Bali

[Bali Beaujolais Nouveau Website]  
 

The Aston Bali Beach Resort & Spa has completed the renovation of its fitness center at Tanjung Benoa. The new gym facility re-opened on October 17, 2011. The fully renovated and refurbished 90-square meter space features a full complement of new exercise equipment, including treadmill, bicycle, cross trainer, free weight station with bench and dumbbells and fit ball. All the cardio machines are equipped with i-Pod connectivity, permitting guests to listen to their favorite music while training.
/> The resort’s Fitness Center has also been completely renovated with new flat screen TV, part of modifications that include new carpeting and mirrors lining the walls.

Without doubt the most striking change at the gymnasium concerns is lighting and view. The replacement of a concrete wall with a 13-meter large modern glass and steel wall and ceiling extension offers natural illumination as well as a stunning view overlooking the resort’s lagoon pool, tropical gardens and Indian Ocean. The redesigned fitness center aims to give the resort a more modern atmosphere while maintaining the beauty of its tropical surroundings.

“We strive to provide our guests with an enjoyable, uplifting, modern and comfortable environment in which to exercise and train. The new Fitness Center is part of a comprehensive program to improve Aston Bali Beach Resort & Spa facilities. The plan also includes a new Spa menu and daily Yoga classes to offer to our guests the means to improve their lives through physical and holistic experiences within Balinese culture.” says Robert Hunter, general manager of the resort.

The fitness center is located at the Biwana Spa that offers separate men's and women's locker rooms and steam rooms

The new gym is open daily from 7:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.. Access is free for the hotel guests. Visitors can avail themselves of the gym’s many features by paying for a day pass at Rp 150.000++ (US$20) that includes free access to fitness center, steam room, swimming pool, private beach, resort, a selection from the Aloha Bar menu and a special discount on the Spa treatments.

Free WiFi is also available.

[Aston Bali Resort and Spa]
 

Bali’s capital of Denpasar suffered sporadic flash flooding on Tuesday, November 8, 2011, during the course of heavy rains that inundated the island’s south. Rushing waters washed away a bridge on Jalan Pulau Biak in Denpasar, claiming the life of a 29-year-old-man, Alfin, who, together with his motorcycle, were washed away when the bridge collapsed.

Several days later the man’s lifeless body was recovered by rescues workers, ensnarled in a garbage net stretched across the Tukad Badung river.

During the flooding almost all homes situated along the banks of the Tukad Badung fell victim to the flood waters, with houses in some areas submerged up to their roof lines.

Flooding also extended to the Monang Maning area of West Denpasar in the vicinity of Jalan Subur and Jalan Batukaru in front of Banjar Busung Yeh, The Panjer area of South Denpasar was also immobilized for a period due to flood water that rose to knee level.

Meanwhile the Jalan Tukad Batanghari area of Denpasar was briefly closed to vehicular traffic due to flooding. Other areas affected by flood waters included Jalan Gung Agung in West Denpasar, Jalan Kebo Iwa Utara in West Denpasar, Jalan Karang Sari, Jalan Raya Puputan, Jalan Gatot Subroto, Jalan Raya Sesetan Selatan and the Sidiakarya areas of the capital.

The 14-year-old Australian teenager arrested in early October with marijuana as he emerged from a local massage parlor saw prosecutors ask for a 3-month prison sentence on Friday, November 11, 2011.

Charged with the illegal possession of marijuana, prosecutors cited the boy’s young age as motivating their relatively light sentencing demand, but said the boy’s possession of narcotics ruled out a rehabilitative sentence that would have paved the way for an immediate release.

Tempo Interaktif quoted the boy’s lawyer, Mohammad Rifan said he was shocked by the prosecutor’s demands . Said Rifan, “the facts presented in the trial were not considered by the prosecutors. “ Rifan said prosecutors failed to consider that the boy was not dealer of drugs, but was a victim of drug-use, adding, “I ask that the judge be fairer and look at the statements of all the witnesses and the evidence presented in the trial.”

Judges are scheduled to render a final sentence in the case on November 25, 2011, until which time the boy remains in special detention.

The panel of judges has a range of options at the final sentencing. They can find the defendant not guilty, unlikely in the boy’s case given his admission of the crime. The judges can accept the sentence demanded by prosecutors or, at their discretion, impose a sentence that is more lenient or more severe than 3 months in prison asked by prosecutors.

Related Article

[Editorial: The Parent Trap]
 

 

More than US$20,000 in wine, accommodation and luxury accommodation will be auctioned at the island’s first-ever Bali Wine Auction to be held on Sunday, December 11, 2011, at the AYANA Resort and Spa, Bali.

d by [Lotus Distribution]  and [AYANA Resorts and Spa Bali] , proceeds from the event will be donated to the [Bali Hotels Association]  for a special fund to support wine education for young Balinese hospitality professionals.

The event begins with a one-hour “brown bag” wine tasting of six wines at 3:00 p.m. followed by an auction between 4:00 – 6:00 p.m..

Participant will need to purchase admission tickets at Rp. 250,000 (US$27.50) which entitles participation in the wine tasting, a chance to win door prizes, an auction catalog and entrance to the auction floor.

Tickets are available by emailing [Bali Discovery Tours]  or via the Gourmet Garage in Jimbaran.