The chairman of the Bali Hindu High Council (PHDI), Dr. I Gusti Ngurah Sudiana, is urging tourism entrepreneurs with businesses located in close proximity to temples populated by monkeys to assume the responsibility of providing food for the primates.

Quoted by the National News Agency Antara, Sudiana said: “Lately, the monkeys at several temples in Bali have become aggressive towards visitors. The monkeys have caused damage to places of prayers because we suspect they have insufficient food.”

Among the most well know temples occupied by monkeys are Pura
Pura Uluwatu, Sangeh, Lempuyang, Alas Kedaton and Pulaki in Buleleng. In some instances, the monkeys have become so aggressive that religious rituals have been disrupted and tourists visiting these sites no longer feel safe.

By becoming a patron of groups of temple monkeys, explained Sudiana, the rsident caretaker of the temple (pangemong) can coordinate with hotels and restaurants close to the temple who can be given assigned schedules to provide food.

Sudiana added: “By being willing to become a patron or adoptive parent of the monkeys, an opportunity for Hindus to perform a religious sacrifice and demonstrate the love for other living beings is presented.”

“If the tourists who come to the temples are frightened because their personal items are taken by the monkeys, eventually tourism businesses and the people of Bali will suffer the consequences,” cautioned the PHDI chairman.

Bridges Restaurant in Ubud, Bali is hosting an exhibit by well-known Balinese artist Karyana followed by dinner and art auction to benefit Yayasan Bali Peduli’s free HIV/AIDS testing and treatment clinic in Ubud, partially funded by Rotary Club Bali Ubud Sunset.

Bridge’s Evolutional Evening will be held on Friday, November 23, 2012 and will feature a gastronomic 3-course menu by Chef Nicolas, live musical entertainment and an auction.

The festivities begin at 5:30 pm with cocktails and the auction followed by dinner.

The cost of attending the cocktail reception is Rp. 150,000 (US$15.65) and the 3-course dinner Rp. 495,000 (US$51.50)

Proceeds from cocktail, dinner, auction, and sales of all art on display until March 2013 will help support Bali Peduli’s efforts to assist women and children at risk of HIV/AIDS.

“Bridges is proud of its ongoing program, Building Bridges In Our Community“ says Bridge’s founder Claude Chouinard, “and we are especially pleased to support a much-needed HIV/AIDS clinic in our under-served area, where over 1% of pregnant women are HIV+. Participation by Rotary Club Bali Ubud Sunset also helps us increase our impact and builds yet another Bridge in our community.”

The Artist – I Ketut Karyana

I Ketut Karyana's unique artistic technique combines watercolors with oil and ink, used to explore his latest series of painting themed: Evolution.

Born on Lombok and nurtured in a government-sponsored art community in Mataram, Karyana also drew early inspiration from Bali’s rich art scene to develop his own organic style. Karyana is fascinated by the idea of evolution, saying, “the diversity of forms in the universe remains a mystery, and inspires me to create new forms of living beings.”

Karyana’s art will be available for viewing and purchase from November 16 through March 23.

Evolutions Dinner Menu

Friday, November 23, 2012
The Bridges Bali Restaurant


ENTRÉE CHOICES
CHÈVRE–BEETROOT BRÛLÉE
Roasted beetroot filled with creamy chèvre (goat’s milk cheese) and finished with burnt caramel Served beside golden pecan–chive polenta, roasted beetroot purée and crisp prosciutto
(V) Option—without prosciutto
+++
RARE THAI BEEF SALAD
Rare, seared tenderloin marinated with red curry spices and pressed with shredded pickled vegetables Placed on a bed of grilled pumpkin Topped with a crisp red potato–snow pea sprout salad and ginger–mango granita
+++
SCALLOPS AND BARRAMUNDI
Sautéed barramundi and sea scallops seasoned with mustard and white wine Placed in an open scallop shell with a thyme–lime crumble finish Served with spicy red capsicum aioli and fresh lime
+++
MAINS CHOICES

(V) ROQUEFORT–RUCOLA GNOCCHI
House-made, basil-infused potato gnocchi served in a rich Roquefort cream sauce Topped with a pecan and rucola salad
or
TWICE-COOKED DUCK BREAST
Bridges’ twice-cooked duck breast lightly dressed with five-spiced soy sauce Served with seared bean sprout dumplings, sautéed bok choy and your choice of cardamom-infused steamed rice or potato purée
or
PUMPKIN-CRUSTED SALMON
Atlantic salmon seared with a crust of grilled pumpkin
Placed on honey-glazed baked fennel and baby carrot Served with cauliflower cannoli and truffle-infused compound butter
+++
DESSERT CHOICES

RED WINE–POACHED PEAR
Red wine–poached pear infused with spices of orange, vanilla and star anise Surrounded by a light mint and rosewater syrup Topped with cinnamon swirl gelato and finished with macadamia-nut caramel
or
CHOCOLATE FONDANT
Rich chocolate fondant topped with candied orange Served beside a light Cointreau cream mousse and vanilla gelato
or
SORBET DUO
A duo of daily sorbets (please ask our wait staff for today’s selection) Served with a fine caramel nest, fresh-cut strawberries and mint

Cost

THREE COURSES: Entrée + Main + Dessert + 1 glass of wine Rp.495,000 net per person (US$51.50)

Bridges Bali Restaurant
Jalan Raya Campuhan
Ubud, Bali

For more information telephone ++62-(0)361-970095 or [Email Bridges Restaurant] 

Related Links

[Event Website] 

[Bali Peduli Website] 

[Rotary Bali Ubud Website] 

After being closed by Bali animal welfare officers for having no operating license, 72 crocodiles at the Reptil Jaya Park in Mengwi have been moved to a safer home at the Taman Safari Indonesia Park in Gianyar in a three-day operation November 5 -7, 2012.

Seputarbali.com reports that the Bali Natural Resource Conservation Agency (BKSDA) were assisted by the police in the careful transfer of the 72 reptiles and four fertile crocodile eggs to the modern facilities provided by Taman Safari Indonesia.

In addition to not holding permits for the care of rare and endangered species, conservation officials were shocked by the poor and dangerous condition of the enclosures and care provided at Reptil Jaya Park.

Sumarsono, a section head at BKSDA Bali told kompas.com: “We moved all of the reptiles to a new location that is both adequate and safe. Suitable and safe for both the animals and for those viewing them.”

Meanwhile, the owner of the now-closed park, Suharta Arifin, has been named a suspect in a criminal case suspected of violating Indonesia’s conservation laws. Arifin is charged with crimes that could send him to prison for five years and incur a fine of Rp. 100 million (US$10,400).

As reported earlier by Balidiscovery.com, police and conservation officials raided the Reptil Jaya Park in Mengwi on Wednesday, October 10, 2012 when they officially seized the 72 crocodiles living at the facility.

Prior to that raid, the BKSDA sent two warning letters calling for the facility to obtain the needed permits.

Among the crocodiles seized at the Park were a number of rare saltwater crocodiles - considered among the largest crocodile species, and New Guinea crocodiles. Officials also confiscated endangered false gharials (Gavialis gangeticus) - freshwater crocodiles on the endangered reptile list.

Related Links

[After Awhile, Crocodile]

[Leopard Package -Bali Safari & Marine Park]

[Rhino Package Bali Safari & Marine Park]

Based on surveys and monitoring carried out by the Tri Hita Karana Foundation and the Bali Tourism Academy (STP), more than 1,000 commercial villas in the regencies of Badung and Gianyar have been built illegally using residential building permits (IMB).

The building and zoning codes applied to the construction of commercial villas are more stringent than those in effect for villas built purely for private use.

According to Beritabali.com, the survey revealed that many of the 1,000 commercial villas built with permits applicable for private residences offer supporting facilities in keeping with five-star hotels with rents of Rp. 5 million (US$520) or more per night.

The chairman of the Tri Hita Karana Bali, IGN Wisnu Wardana, told the press on November 14, 2012, that the survey that was conducted in stages and showed how disjointed and the confused state of government procedures in the granting of building permits, bearing in mind that permits granted for tourist accommodation are linked to the number of rooms planned for the subject property.

As explained by Wisnu Wardana: “The initial process when someone wants to build, they must first seek a building permit (IMB). This is (typically) only for one complete home. If, for instance, someone wants to build an inn (pondok wisata) a minimum of ten bedrooms is required. Accommodation with less than 10 bedrooms are granted residential IMBs.”

Wardana also revealed that from the 1,000 villas surveyed, less than 10% were actually owed by a Balinese. Foreigners using nominee Indonesian owners owned the rest.

Bisnis.com reports that the Bali International Park (BIP) project, with an estimated value of Rp. 2.7 trillion (US$2.8 billion), will not go ahead due to protests and inability to obtain the necessary permits, at least not in time for the APEC Conference in 2013.

The huge hotel and villa complex on Bali’s Ungasan peninsula was originally promoted by Jakarta officials as essential to the success of the APEC Summit planned for Bali in late 2013. Locally, the project was vehemently opposed by environmentalist and others who claimed Bali neither needed not could environmentally sustain the proposed mega-project.

BIP Project to be Relaunched?

Ida Bagus Subhisku, the chief of the Bali Provincial Tourism Service, however, continues to described the BIP project as an active initiative of the Ministry of Tourism and the Creative Economy intended to accelerate the Balinese tourism economy.

Subhisku told the press that the BIP project that forms part of the policies of the Committee for the Acceleration and Expansion of the Development of the Indonesian Economy (KP3EI) and as such would continue to move forward, even if the BIP project is not part of the overall plan for APEC 2013. “The BIP will be prepared for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) after the APEC Meeting,” said Subhisku on November 13, 2012.

He said the project is still under review as a preparatory step to obtaining the required permits and licenses. Subhisku said the sole right to grant a license to the BIP project rests with the Badung Regency administration.

The chairman of the legislation section of Badung’s House of Representative (DPRD), Wayan Puspa Negara said he supports the BIP project as necessary to develop the MICE market in Bali.

Plans for the BIP calls for facilities able to handle 20,000 people in its plenary hall, exhibition space and dining areas that, if they materialize, will become the largest MICE venue in Bali.

Puspa Negara said he left the final decision on the project to the Badung administration to work together with PT Jimbaran Hijau to process and obtain the needed permits for the BIP.

The Bali police have established a special task force to investigate a brutal physical attack suffered by Gendo Suardana, a leading environmental activist in Bali that occurred on Monday, November 5, 2012.

Gendo Suardana is the chairman of the Bali Friends of the Earth (WALHI) who has been at the forefront of protests and demonstrations against the destruction of the mangrove forest by the Benoa to Nusa Dua highway and protests opposing Bali’s governor for granting a 55-year-long license to a private company to manage a huge public mangrove forest in South Bali.

Quoted by the State News Agency Antara, the head of the Bali Police, General Budi Gunawan, said: "I have formed a special team to solve this case, let’s see how it develops.”

Gendo was beaten by a group of tattooed thugs while visiting his lawyer’s office in Bali’s capital of Denpasar.

General Gunawan said that several leads were being developed and he hoped to be able to make an arrest soon.

Angered by the attack on their leader, tens of demonstrators protested at the police headquarters on Monday, November 12, 2012, demanding police solve the case and arrest those responsible for the assault.

The protestors identifying themselves as the Forum of Balinese Against Violence wanted to meet with Bali’s Chief of Police General Budi Gunawan. When General Gunawan was unable to receive the group, they managed to meet with the deputy-chief of police for Bali, Brigadier General Ketut Untung Yoga.

As reported by Kompas.com, in a meeting that lasted an hour the activists asked if police had responded seriously to Gendo’s report of the criminal assault and demanded that steps be taken to capture those responsible to ensure future attacks do not occur.

Yoga promised to follow up on the report of the assault, insisting the police shared the group’s distaste for violence.

Separately, the internal deputy of WALHI-Bali, Suryadi Darmoko, called on the police to quickly solve the case and reveal who was behind the attack.

Darmoko said: “The police must be firm and open - absolutely transparent in the case of the attack experience by Gendo. In every assault on pro-democracy movements there is always someone involved behind the scene. We challenge the police to expose who was the intellectual actor behind the attack on Gendo.”
 

The Bali chief of police General Budi Gunawan has told Kompas.com that terrorist continue to travel in and out of Bali. To prevent a repetition of the 2002 and 2005 bombings, the entire police force of Bali is continually upgrading it vigilance and reducing the freedom of movement of potential perpetrators terrorism.

Because terror elements are still known to be moving through the island, the Bali chief of police is calling on the residents of Bali to remain calm and trust that his team of officers are working to the maximum to prevent any future attacks.

“Yah, the coming and going of terrorists in Bali still takes place, but within the bounds of our ability to monitor the situation. Trust and believe in us, we promise the situation remains safe,” said General Gunawan after officiating at ceremonies to mark the 67th anniversary of the Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) in Bali on Wednesday, November 14, 2012.

The Brimob celebration included a colossal theatrical dance performance entitled “Satria Ranang Gana” depicting the triumph of good over evil. The performance told the story of Bali’s victorious battle against terrorist and included a cast comprised on 210 dancers, two elephants and tactical assault vehicles from the Bali Brimob.

Australian Schapelle Corby has seen her hopes of an early release from Bali’s Kerobokan prison dashed by a ruling that parole applications for foreign prisoners cannot be processed due to contravening rules from the immigration department.

The Jakarta Globe said that parole application for all foreign prisoners are now being held in abeyance until an authoritative legal clarification is in hand.

Apparently, in order for a foreign prisoner to be released into the community on work release or house arrest that foreigner must have a valid work or stay visa for Indonesia. Most foreigners in Indonesian prisons are “guests of the state” without benefit of visa.

A new regulation from the immigration department forbids the issuance of visas to foreigners on parole from prison.

As a result, a prisons official, Rachmat Priyo Sutardjo, said: “We have suspended parole requests by foreign prisoners as the new immigration law contradicts a current regulation.”

While the principle of parole is to socialize prisoners back into normal society, he continued,
 
“But if they have no visa, they will either be placed in a detention center or they will be deported, so they won’t be able to follow the (parole) regulation.” he added.

The Justice Ministry is now exploring how the regulations can be amended to allow foreign prisoner to be paroled.

Schapelle Corby, 35, has been in prison since 2005 following her highly publicized conviction for smuggling 4.1 kilograms of marijuana from Australia to Bali.

Originally sentenced to 20-years imprisonment, various remissions and sentence reductions means she could now be released in 2017.

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As reported by Radar Bali, Bali Friends of the Earth (WALHI) have launched a new front in their efforts to prevent PT Rahmat Tirta Bahari from assuming management of the South Bali Mangrove Forest (Taman Hutan Rakyat – Tahura) under the terms of a 55-year leasehold granted by Bali’s governor.

Following a mysterious physical attack on the chairman of WALHI, Wayan Gendo Surdana, that organization has joined forces with the Bali Committee for the Advocacy if the Environment (Kekal), Frontier Bali, Bali Outbound Community and the Persma Kertha Aksara of the Law Faculty of Bali’s Udayana University in launching new protests in front of Governor Made Pastika’s office.

On Line Petition

Efforts to stop what protestors see as a critical threat to the protected mangrove forests surrounding Bali’s airport and southeast coast, Kekal has launched an on-line petition that has now secured more than 1,300 signatories during the first few days of its existence.

Among the environmentalist’s main arguments:

• Although studies suggest that a 30% forest-jungle cover is needed to keep the island environmentally sustainable, the amount of jungle cover is now down to a worrying 20%
• Critical levels of water pollution caused by industry and tourism source have been recorded on 13 main beach areas. Included among these areas of severe pollution are Sanur Beach, Mertasari Beach, Kuta Beach, Lovina Beach, Candidasa Beach, Tanah Lot Beach and Soka Beach.
• Salt-water intrusion into the water table has been recorded at distances more than 1 kilometer from the shore in the community of Sanur.
• 140 points of severe beach erosion have been recorded along Bali’s coasts. Estimates say 3.7 kilometers of the island’s beaches suffer encroachments each year of between 50-100 meters.

The environmental groups contend that the Tahura Ngurah Rai mangrove area represents a final defense for island against beach abrasion and erosion. Moreover, these areas serve to remove pollutants from the water, are an important growth area for many plant and tree species and serve as a nursery area for sea life populating the surrounding seas.

The group also points to the proven role the mangrove forests of Bali have played in mitigating the damaging effects of tsunami. They cite at least seven instances between 1818 and 1994 in which tsunami’s have touched the island’s shores.

Kekal is seeking a revocation of a permit issued by Bali’s governor to PT Tirta Rahmat Bahari on June 27, 2012 granting management rights on the 102.22-hectare forest for 55 years, with a further extension of 20 years provided for in the agreement.

The company has filed a plan for the area that includes the construction of 75 accommodation units, 8 restaurants, 2 spas, a coffee shop and other tourist facilities.

[Kekal On-Line Petition for the Revocation of the License of PT Tirta Rahmat Bahari on Tahura Mangrove Forest Area of Bali]

[Walhi Bali Website]

The U.K. Daily Mail has run a photographic essay by Indonesian photographer Robertus Pudyanto who beautifully captured Mekepung Buffalo Race held biannually in Jembrana, West Bali.

Robertus hails from Surabaya and was on hand in Jembrana to witness 249 pairs of buffaloes compete for honors in a local ceremony that is at once a thanksgiving for the current harvest and a offering to God for a prosperous planting season ahead.

[U.K. Daily Mail Coverage of Jembrana Buffalo Races]

The Bali Daily (Jakarta Post) reports that The Japan Sakura Exchange Association has given 300 Japanese “Sakura” cherry blossom trees to the regency of Karangasem in Bali.

The gift from the Japanese city of Osaka will be planted in Rendang village.

The Japanese donors assure that the cherry blossom trees will thrive in the soil and climatic condition of Rendang due to modifications in the trees introduced by Japanese horticulturalists.

The Japanese cherry blossom is of the genus Prunus serrulata, more commonly known in Japan as sakura. The trees are cultivated for their rich floral displays that resemble pink clouds and last little more than a week.

While the blooming of the cherry blossom normally heralds the dawn of spring, it remains to be seen when the trees introduced to Bali will come into their annual bloom.

Mori Kazusika, chairman of The Japan Sakura Exchange Associaiton, presented the 300 trees to the regent of Karangasem I Wayan Geredeg. Geredg express thanks on behalf of the people of Karangasem, saying he hope the gift would mark the beginning of increasingly strong feelings of affection between the people of his regency and the citizens of Osaka.
 

Radar Bali reports that Wayan “Gobang” Edi Sucipto, the chief of the Bangli Regency Tourism Office (Kadisparda) has been placed under arrest by public prosecutors.

Sucipto's arrest took place on Wednesday, November 14, 2012, after undergoing a six-hour interrogation by the special criminal division of the prosecutor’s office in connection with suspected malfeasance in the issuance of land certificates during his previous tenure as a district chief (Camat) in Kintamani.

The issuance of land certificates were part of a Prona program introduced by the National Land Office (BPN) to codify land ownership in remote areas of Indonesia. In the same case, Sucipto’s subordinate as Camat in Kintamani, Priat Eko Purwo, has already been found guilty for mishandling the land certificates under a program ultimately overseen by Sucipto.

Prosecutors explained to the press that Gobang Sucipto’s actions as Camat in handling the property certificates did not cause the State a  direct financial loss, but still qualifies as corruption due to the illegal fees collected from land owners seeking certificates for their land.

Prosecutors estimate that more than Rp. 340 million in illegal levies (US$35,400) was collected from the public in connection with land certificates distributed by Gobang Sucipto and his assistant Priat Eko Purwo.

Priat Eko Purwo was sentence to one years prison on July 7, 2012 by the Special Corruption Court (Tipikor). Prosecutors had sought of punishment of 4.5 years for Purwo.

Bali with Kids and SPICE school are organizing two fun-filled Christmas Charity events to benefit the children of Bali Hearts and Samaritania on Saturday, December 1, 2012 and Sunday, December 9, 2012.

Christmas Bazaar – Saturday, December 1, 2012

A Christmas Bazaar will be held at Made’s Warung in Seminyak from 10:00 am until 5:00 on Saturday, December 1, 2012.

Participants are urged to undertake their Christmas shopping while enjoying refreshment at Made’s Warung.

Christmas Flea Market at 3V Canggu – Sunday December 9, 2012

A Christmas flea market runs a 3V Canggu from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm with bargains galore a delicious array food and entertainments.

Entrance to both events is free of charge.

Bali Hearts

Bali Hearts is a charity based in Kalisada, north Bali. The charity currently sponsors 30 children and is currently aiming to purchase bicycles to facilitate transport to and from school for children living in remote villages and to purchase books for a reading program.

Samaritania

Samaritania is a local school in Sanur set up for the children of the men and women who collect garbage. Money raised will buy swing sets and other play equipment for their school playground.

Stalls still available for both event. For more information [Email] 

The Legian Bali and Laurent d'Harcourt, Managing Director of Pol Roger are creating an opportunity for visitors and residents in Bali to enjoy an exclusive Pol Roger Champagne Dinner on Saturday, November 24, 2012.



ing starts with a cocktail reception on The Sun Deck by The Ocean Bar at 7:00 pm. An elegant four-course dinner follows at The Restaurant served by executive chef Dorin Schuster, each course carefully paired with:

• Pol Roger Brut Réserve 2000
• Pol Roger Brut Blanc de Blancs 2002
• Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1999
• Pol Roger Brut Rosé 2000

The Menu

EXCLUSIVELY WITH POL ROGER AT THE LEGIAN BALI
Saturday, 24th November 2012

Cocktails at 7:00 pm
Gougères Cheese & Truffle Salsa Cones Tomato & Sesame Cones Oyster Shooters Zucchini Flower Tempura

Pol Roger Brut Réserve NV – An equal blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. The flagship label of Pol Roger, it has a light straw color, a creamy looking wine with an elegant fruity nose with notes of citrus, yeast and water cracker crust. Sharp mouth-feel with dark yeast, oak, vegetative crispness and fruity balance.

++++

Ahi Tuna Tuna Sashimi, Semi–Dried Tomato, Iberian Pancetta, Mild Goat Cheese, Rucola

Pol Roger Brut Réserve 2000 - The 2000 harvest continued where the 1999 left off: hot, rainy and with little sunshine. The outlook in general was guarded, but good weather returned before harvest, which was ripe and abundant. The wines contained satisfactory levels of alcohol and acidity.

++++

Scampi & Scallop Steamed Scampi and Grilled Scallop, Palm Heart, Champagne Nage, Avruga Caviar

Pol Roger Blanc de Blancs 2000 - Formerly known as Pol Roger Chardonnay, the Blanc de Blancs shows the full extent of the Pol repertoire and their deftness with the single varietal cuvée.

Sourced from Grand Cru vineyards in the Côte des Blancs, namely Cramant, Le Mesnil, Oger, Avize and Oirey, and afforded generous ageing on lees, this is a benchmark Chardonnay, combining feminine elegance, chalky charm and distinctive ripeness.

++++

Quail & Foie Gras Stuffed Quail and Périgord Foie Gras, Iberian Blood Sausage, Mushroom, Anna Potato

Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1999 - Sir Winston Churchill was Pol Roger's most illustrious devotee and customer. This champagne is made in his honor. The composition of the blend is a closely guarded family secret but from tasting it is likely that the champagne features a large percentage of Pinot Noir with the remainder made up from Chardonnay. The grapes are all from Grand Cru vineyards that were under vine during Churchill’s lifetime and it is only ever made in the very best vintages. It is made in a style which Churchill himself favored: robust, mature and long-lived.

++++

Raspberry & Tamarillo Raspberry Mille–feuille, Tamarillo Sorbet

Pol Roger Rosé 2002 - A delicate, soft pink with Pol Roger's hallmark fine mousse. The nose is fresh, lively and fruity. First impressions are of red fruits, strawberry and raspberry, with a fresh but lingering bouquet. This is followed by warmer notes of wheat and dried cereals. Powerful and vinous in the mouth, the wine develops a fleshy texture underpinned by a firm backbone promising a long life.

Price and More Information

The cocktail reception and four-course dinner with paired Champagnes costs Rp, 1,200,000 plus tax and service (US$151).

Reservations are essential. For bookings or more information telephone +62-(0)361-730622 or [Email] 

An emotional outburst at a public meeting on Sunday, November 11, 2012, by Bali governor Made Mangku Pastika gave hint to the growing rift between the governor and his deputy Anak Agung Puspayoga.

Despite recent assertions to the public by both men that their relationship was harmonious and would remain so until the end of their current term, were misleading.

Speaking at a meeting of community leaders, Pastika said: “I must admit that I had covered [this fissure] up for quite a long time. Even in late October I still insisted that everything was fine between me and the deputy.”

Quoted in The Jakarta Post, Pastika continued: “But I must now speak openly and reveal everything because the recent development has really disturbed me.”

Bali Post Trying to Oust Pastika?

As reported in The Jakarta Post: “The general public received a hint of the fractured relationship when Bali Post, the island’s biggest daily newspaper that is committed to an ongoing campaign to rout Pastika, began to publish stories that cast Puspayoga in a positive light. 

Pastika, who didn’t mention Puspayoga by name referring to him only as Pak Wagub (deputy governor) throughout the seminar, stated that he made a public acknowledgement about the crack because he believed Puspayoga had made an improper political maneuver.

”

Money for Mass Cremations

Pastika said: “I am deeply disappointed by what has taken place, particularly on the allocated funds for mass cremations.”



Puspayoga reportedly violated existing rules by trying to secure Rp. 1.5 billion (US$156,000) for mass cremations in Jembrana, Badung, Gianyar and Karangasem. Such payment are specifically disallowed with Puspayoga reprimanded in 2011 by the Supreme Audit Board (BPK) when he tried to finance other mass cremations.

Accusing the vice-governor of demagoguery, Pastika said: “

“The regulations strictly forbid the regional administration from disbursing funds for such religious rituals. If I sign the disbursement letter, I literally breach the law. If I don’t sign it, the people would be told that their governor denies them a free-of-charge mass cremation.”

In order to appease local communities, the governor is offering Rp. 50 million of his own funds to help fund mass cremations, but emphasized the Rp. 1 billion promised by Puspayoga would not be disbursed and that villager must expect to pay for the cremation of their own family members. Adding, “The government could provide assistance, but the cremation ceremony is the responsibility of the deceased’s family.”'

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The National News Agency Antara reports that Governor Made Mangku is due to receive an award from the Indonesian Minster of Agriculture, Suswono, for promoting the use of organic fertilizers in Bali.

"The award will be granted by the Minister on November 28 at the Ministry of Agriculture building in Jakarta," said Ida Bagus Wisnuardana, Head of Department of Food Crops, on Monday, November 12, 2012.

Both Central Java and West Sumatra will be similarly recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Bali has provided 13,333 tons of subsidized organic fertilizer to farmers working an estimated 26,000 hectares of land.

"Subsidised organic fertilizers are sold to the farmers for Rp. 200 per kilogram, whereas the actual price of unsubsidized organic fertilizers range between Rp 1,000 and Rp 1,200 per kilogram," Wisnuardana explained.

Suarapembaruan.com reports that effective immediately the municipal government of Bali’s capital city of Denpasar will no longer allow its residents to participate in transmigration programs organized by the central government.

Instead, Denpasar has decided to create empowerment programs for its poorer citizens. The chief of the Manpower, Transmigration and Social Department for Denpasar, I Made Erwin Suryadarma Sena, told the press on Wednesday, November 14, 2012: “Stopping the transmigration program for Denpasar residents is not solely because of various incidents involving transmigrants, such as South Lampung.

Erwin said that halting the transmigration program for Denpasar was more closley linked to a desire to improve the welfare of the capital’s citizens by providing training in a number of areas that will increase family incomes than events unfolding in South Sumatra.

“We are doing this in accordance with the wishes of the Mayor of Denpsar who has ordered that various departments of the administration – such as the Body for Empowering the Public; Manpower, Transmigration and Social Department; the Department of Health; Directorate of Sports, the Regional Planning Agency; the Department of Industry and Trade; Cooperatives; and Small Business Enterprises –  all implement training that will empower the public,” said Erwin.

In the Department of Manpower, Transmigration and Social, explained Erwin, simultaneous steps are underway to help job seekers obtain positions abroad or on cruise ships. People from the lower economic classes are being provided with training to find jobs on cruise ships and, in so doing, provide higher family incomes and reduce the need or desire to transmigrate.

Erwin said job training is also being given to civil servant pensioners.
The last group of citizens from Denpasar to transmigrate was comprised of 10 family heads who left for Bone, Sulawesi in 2011.
 
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Mozaic Restaurant Grastronomique in Ubud, Ubud will celebrate the delicate and delectable white truffles of Alba, Italy in combination with the Piedmont wines of the Batasiolo Winery on Friday, November 30, 2012.

Batasiolo Wines

Nestled close to the borders of France and Switzerland, in the northwest corner of Italy, the Piedmont region of Italy, like its name implies, lies “at the foot of the mountains.” A place of alpine beauty, the capital city of Turin hosted the 2006 Winter Olympic Games.

The relatively cold climate of this region produces wines unique to this area resulting in Piedmont varietals, such as barbera, moscato bianco, nebbiolo and dolcetto. Outstanding white red and sparkling wines of the Piedmont come from the grapes grown on soils of marl and clay, producing bottles of Barolo, Barbaresco and Moscato d’ Asti.

Barolo wines were the first Italian wines to qualify for coveted Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin (DOCG) status – an official assurance of quality for outstanding Italian wines and cheese.

Joining the dinner in Ubud with be Fuirenzo Dogliano, owner of the Batasiolo Winery who will share the history and wine-making stories with diners.

White Truffles

The dawning of the last quarter of the year marks the start of the white-truffle season, rare fungi that can cost US$4,000 a kilogram and are carefully slivered on top of dishes worthy of such a costly crown.

Found only in the Piedmont area of Italy, truffles are foraged from hiding places beneath the by pigs trained to sniff out these treasures. Sharing a fate with many other precious and naturally occurring crops, each year fewer truffles are found and harvested.

Pungent in odor, truffles bring”wildness” to the dishes they accompany with an aroma that has been compared to “newly plowed soil, a fall rain, burrowing earthworms and the pungent memory of lost youth and old love affairs.”

A smell reminiscent of wet socks shield a taste so complex and delicate that the world’s leading chefs compete for their share of each year’s crop in order that they might work with such a rare and expensive ingredient.

Never enough to meet demand, Chef Chris Salans of Mozaic Restaurant Gastronomique has secured a private limited cache of rare white truffles to share with guests attending his Batasiolo Wine and White Truffle Dinner on Friday, November 30, 2012.

MENU
BATASIOLO WHITE TRUFFLE DINNER

AMUSE BOUCHE
Fine de Claire’ Oyster, Caviar and White Truffles
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INDIAN OCEAN ‘ROCK’ LOBSTER TAIL
Wakame Linguini and Fresh White Truffle in a Dashi-Lemon Basil Broth

Cascine 7 Prosecco - Aromatic Sparkling wine of quality with100% Prosecco grapes.

Bright, straw-yellow with a light hint of green. Pleasant and harmonic palate. . Extra Dry.
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CONFIED PACIFIC OCEAN KING FISH
Red Radish Purée, Grilled Watermelon, Fresh White Truffle and a Hint of Balinese Torch Ginger

Gavi D.O.C.G. Comune Di Gavi Graneé, 2010 – Made with 100% Cortese wine. Soft pressing and static decanting. Delicate straw yellow with deep green reflections. Characteristic soft aromas with scents of fresh fruit and white flowers. Well bodied, fresh and dry, it has an inviting, harmonious taste featuring bitter almonds.
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CRISPY SEARED DUCK FOIE GRAS
Fresh White Truffle and Truffle Pasta with Pata Negra Ham

Moscato d’Asti D.O.C.G. ‘Bosc Dla Rei’ , 2010 – Made with Moscato bianco grapes. Soft pressing of the grapes. The juice is then cooled to 0 Centigrade and stored in refrigerated vats. Fermentation begins a month before the first bottling, a very slow process reaching 5.5% alcohol by volume. Pale yellow. Ample and very intense, with a note of overripe fruit that is the unique aroma of Moscato. Pleasant and very persistent taste, reflecting the richness of the bouquet.
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MILK FED DUTCH VEAL IN THREE WAYS
Fresh White Truffle, Spice Baby Apple and Opal Basil

Barolo D.O.C.G. Corda Della Briccolina, 2004 – Made with 100% Nebbiolo . Red wine making with maceration on the skins for 15 days. After a significant decanting process, the wine is stored in French barriques for up to 2 years. This ageing period is decided on by careful sampling from the barrique. A third year of ageing in the bottle is necessary before its release. Color is intense garnet red that turns brick red with age. The bouquet is complex with floral notes and ripe fruits, enhanced by traces of oak. Taset is dry, full-bodied, well balanced. The tannins give a soft, velvety finish. Good persistence with an intense, pleasant aftertaste
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WARM A.O.C. ‘COMTE’ CHEESE
Shaved Fresh White Truffles

Barbera d’Alba D.O.C. ‘Sovrana”, 2009 – Made from 100% Barbera. Pressing of the grapes is followed by the alcoholic fermentation with maceration on the skins in stainless steel tanks for 10 to 12 days. In the spring, the wine is transferred into oak barrels where it matures for 12 to 15 months. After careful sampling, the wine is assembled into the final product and bottled. Refinement in the bottle lasts another 8 to 10 months before release. Intense ruby red with garnet reflections. Nose is delicate with scents of toasty ripe fruit. Warm, full and harmonious, delivering the typical freshness of Barbera
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POACHED BANDUNG PINEAPPLE
Fresh White Truffle, ‘Sablé Breton’ and Crystallized Coriander
See wine notes above
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PETITS FOURS
Liquid Nitrogen and Fresh White Truffle Lollipops

Price

Dinner menu Rp. 1,450,000 plus tax and service (US$183). Addition paired Batasiolo Wine Rp. 450,000 plus tax and service (US$57).

Seating begins at 6:00 pm and reservations are essential.

For reservations and more information telephone ++62-(0)361-975768 or [Email] 
Moazaic Restaurant Gastronomique
Jalan Raya Sangingan
Ubud, Bali 

Two young men from Java working on a construction project in Bali, decision to spend the Thursday, November 15, 2012, holiday on Bali’s popular Kuta beach ended in tragedy as they drowned in the strong waves and current of that coast.

Babas (23) and Suryanto (25), were swept out to sea on Thursday.

An intense search effort by local authorities managed to recover the men’s bodies that washed ashore in two separate locations on late Friday afternoon. One body was recovered near Double Six Beach and the other near Batu Belig Beach.

Bali International Women’s Association (BIWA) will hold its annual Christmas Bazaar on Sunday, December 2, 2012 at the Plaza Amata at Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park (GWK).

n is free to the Bazaar that will operate from 8:00 am until 6:00 pm with over 200 stalls expected to offer a wide range of merchandise.

Food and beverage will also be on offer, entertainment, raffles, silent auction and games of chance for children.

Children are encouraged to bring their bikes, skateboards, in-line skates, and kites to help create a day of play and family recreation.

A few booths remain available for rent for only Rp. 250,000 (US$26).

Proceeds from the day will be used by BIWA to support social welfare projects involved in women and children’s health and education in Bali.

Founded in 1974 in response to a famine in Bali, Bali International Women's Association (BIWA) is a non-religious, non-political and non-profit organization devoted to the welfare of women and children in Bali. Members include Indonesians as well as expatriates from 28 countries.

For more information call ++62-(0)361-286564 or [Email BIWA] i

[BIWA Website] 

Shocked at the ethnic violence suffered by Balinese migrants in South Sumatra, the municipal government of Bali’s capital city Denpasar has declared that transmigration programs have been ended in favor of job training and poverty eradication programs.

Among the programs identified as having great potential to break the chain of poverty in Bali is the education of young Balinese for positions in the worldwide cruise industry. As explained by Made Erwin Suradarma, Denpasar's chief of the Manpower, Transmigration and Social Work Department, by training young, poor Balinese for jobs in the cruise industry these workers gain valuable life experience and accumulate sums of capital that will help their families escape poverty.

Such a strategy for reducing poverty in Bali is a good fit. Balinese workers are eagerly sought by international cruise ship operations where they are known for their ability to live in a multi-cultural environment, their strong work ethic, an eagerness to learn and relatively high foreign language capabilities. As a result, numerous recruitment and training centers sponsored by major cruise operators can now be found in Bali.

Earlier this year, recognizing the potential of the cruise industry to help improve the economic lot of the Balinese, Bali’s governor Made Mangku Pastika spotlighted the cruise industry as an effective way to improve the education of young Balinese and create high-paid employment opportunities. The Governor even proposed the government should pay the cost of training and travel for new cruise workers to help stimulate employment in this sector.

Governor Pastika underlined the untapped potential for employment for young Balinese in the international cruise industry, saying Bali was only supplying a fraction of the total number of Balinese cruise workers sought by cruise operators.

While it is refreshing to see Bali’s leaders identifying strategic employemnt and poverty eradication opportunities, any plan to optimize employment opportunities in the cruise industry will sadly be defeated, at least in part, by the chronic plague of corruption and the deplorable tendency in these parts to opportunistically prey on the poor.

Despite laws outlawing the practice and international cruise operators denial of any participation, the simple fact of remains that young Balinese seeking jobs on cruise ships are obliged to pay substantial “informal” training fees to Bali-based cruise ship recruitment agencies over and above the fees already paid by the cruise operators to the local recruitment firms. These fees, stricty illegal under Indonesian law, can be equal betwen 2 to 5 months salary, equalling as much as one-third of salary the cruise worker will earn in the course of a single work contract.

Sekali Merdeka, Tetap Merdeka!

While the Indonesian national motto since Indepence was won in1945 is "Sekali Merdeka, Tetap Merdeka" (Once Free, Foreover Free), exceptions to that high ideal are allowed in order to facilitate enforced servitude when it comes to working on a foreign cruise ship.

Condemning this practice, the president of the Indonesian Seamen’s Association (KPI), Hanafi Rustadi said the fees paid to job brokers and seagoing recruitment agencies for Indonesian cruise workers can range form US$4,200 - US$5,265. Hanafi claimed that Indonesia enjoys an unenviable reputation worldwide as a heaven for job brokers preying on job seekers. Said Hanafi: “the fees charged by recruitment agencies are never handled in a transparent manner. Candidate seaman who are charged “training fees” seldom receive receipts and the training provided is cursory.”

Bali Officals Urged to Act 

We urge the Governor, regencies and metropolitan administrations in Bali to become a combined force for good and join forces to eliminate these illegal fees. It remains an open secret that such fees, charged to candidate cruise ship workers, remain, with few notable exceptions, the unfortunate “norm” in Bali.  

Such steps to erradicate this practice, if undertaken with courage and determination, would be seen as “leadership” on the part of the island's leaders and heartily welcomed by the general public.

Cruise Operators Must Share the Responsibility

We also call on all cruise operators hiring Balinese crew to undertake comprehensive audits of their employment policies and procedures in Bali, including in camera interviews with their Balinese crew to ensure the hiring process is free of illegal levies and fees. Such steps would go a long way to end such practices and eliminate lingering fears that the cruise ship operators themselves are colluding to get a share of these reprehensible fees paid with the sweat and toil of the Island’s youth.

At the very least, if the cruise operators earnestly took steps to root out these fees they would obtain  employees selected solely on the basis of professional merit. Both you crew members and the passengers they serve on board your ships deserve no less.

Related Links

[There’s No Place Like Home]

[Solving Bali’s Unemployment Problem: Oceans Aweigh]

[Hey, Sailor]

In an effort to curve Bali’s raising rate of HIV infection, a team from the Denpasar Health Department and the Karung Taruna Group have launched an educational campaign aimed at local “Kafes” that often serve as fronts for prostitution.

Conducted behind closed doors for employees at Kafes and nightspots, participants were shown photos of the physical toll of HIV/AIDS infection and advised on safe sex practices.

Quoted by NusaBali, many of the workers admitted that while they had heard of HIV/AIDS, but had little practical information on the disease and the means of prevention.

Records maintained by the province of Bali from 1987 until 2011 estimate 4,464 cases of HIV/AIDS exist on the island from which 392 deaths have been recorded.

The Health Service for Bali’s capital of Denpasar estimates 1,980 cases of HIV/AIDS in the metropolitan area.

Separately, Bali Peduli estimates for Bali:

• HIV rates among drug users are 65-90%
• HIV rates are growing fastest among gay men – from 2% to 18% over the last 8 years
• Estimates for Bali alone are at 15% for men who have sex with men between the ages of 17-25 are HIV+
• HIV rates among female sex workers are estimated17-35%
• HIV rates among transgender on Bali are greater than 45%

[Bali Peduli Website]