Bali News & Views

Five classic mistakes made by home sellers

2012-01-28T08:04:00.000+08:00

| January 28th, 2012

by real estate consumer guru Andrew Winter
THE time it takes to sell a home in the current market is longer than ever.

As the host of Selling Houses Australia, Andrew Winter, specialises in taking homes that have failed to sell and giving them new life on the market.

He shares common mistakes vendors make and how to avoid them:
1. Our house should sell really easily: Expecting your home to sell quickly and easily, for a figure you are happy with, is a very common error.

When the market conditions are right this can be the case but it requires the correct alignment of circumstances, being that there are only a few homes like yours for sale combined with high buyer demand.

In my experience, however, this perfect market balance tends to only occur about two to three years in every decade, sometimes more in prime areas and occasionally less in more fragile regional markets.
2. We have spent a fortune on this place over the years so we should get top dollar: You may have spent tens of thousands on your home in upgrades, extensions and those little luxuries you love, but the fact you have invested say $50,000 in the last three years does not mean it is now worth $50,000 more than a similar home in your area.

It all depends on what you spent the money on.

Adding rooms in the wrong place can actually detract from value so be aware and get advice. An amazing new kitchen should add value, but this will not be the case if the style is not a popular -- you might as well not have bothered.

So that giant Bali hut with outdoor spa bath, leatherette faced bar and mood lighting that covers the entire backyard in a home designed for families with kids will in reality do nothing for pushing a sale price upwards.
3. Buyers should be able to see the potential here - we did! If you have not modernised any areas over the years of your ownership, the home may still have the original negatives. Or alternatively, it could still have its original "potential" as you claim, plus more issues with dated fittings.

Buyers love potential but potential usually equates to expenditure. The potential equation is this -- the purchase price plus cost of realising that potential plus a few dollars for effort must not exceed the fully improved value.

Modern buyers do tend to overestimate the costs for improvements when considering buying a home with potential, so they will negotiate hard.
4. Agents are useless - they don't know this house like we do: It is true that your agent does not know the house like you. They don't understand that it is located next to that beautiful home that contains the teenagers from hell who only come to life when there parents go out. Or the fact that your home has a leak in the roof you just can't find that only occurs in driving rain, the mysterious power sockets that are there but never worked, the lovely wide street that becomes a giant carpark and kids' playground after 5pm and the fact the upper-level room gets so hot in the summer that you move downstairs and sleep on the sofa.

So the fact that your agent doesn't know your home like you is actually a positive, not a negative.

But a good agent lives and breathes this and has daily direct personal experience.

One of the most important attributes a good agent will have is their ability to work with buyers, knowing how and what features to sell to them, being the perceived third party to discuss your home and how it could be improved to meet their specific needs.
5. I'm not going to sell now unless we can get our price: This is a fully understandable reaction, but usually it is a statement made by sellers who focus on what they need, rather than what the true market value of their home is or how the current market is behaving.

The bad news is buyers really don't care what you need; they will only pay what they think it is worth to them and also compare that price with other homes for sale and sold.http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2012/01/28/385431_gold-coast-real-estate.html

Siri-ously Expensive: iPhone 4S Launches in Indonesia Imelda Rahmawati | January 27, 2012

2012-01-28T07:59:00.002+08:00

The iPhone 4S was officially launched in Indonesia on Friday, roughly four months after it was released in the United States.

The much sought-after gadget, equipped with the voice-activated personal assistant Siri, was introduced at an event at Gandaria City mall in Jakarta.

The launch event was presided over by Telkomsel director Edward Ying. Telkomsel is the nation’s largest mobile phone service provider.

The newest iPhone comes with a hefty price tag for Indonesian consumers. The cheapest version, with a 16 GB capacity, has a retail price of Rp 7.7 million ($850).

The 64 GB version carries a price of Rp 9.9 million.

On Wednesday, Apple reported pulling in $13 billion in profits for the December quarter, largely on stronger than expected sales of the iPhone 4S.

Telkomsel and XL Axiata are both offering post-paid data, SMS and calling bundles for the iPhone 4S as well that start from Rp 699,000 per month.

Investor Dailyhttp://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/siri-ously-expensive-iphone-4s-launches-in-indonesia/494089

Cyclone Iggy Wreaks More Havoc in Indonesia

2012-01-28T07:53:00.000+08:00

Tropical
Dofa Fasila & Made Arya Kencana | January 27, 2012

A tourist braving the waves on Kuta Beach in Bali on Thursday. The beach was closed because of extreme weather. (JG Photo/J.P. Christo)

Rain and wind continued to pound coastal areas of Java, Bali and Lombok on Thursday as officials updated the death toll from the previous day to seven, with dozens more injured and about a thousand homes damaged.

Meteorologists on Thursday upgraded Iggy, the system responsible for the destruction, to a category one tropical cyclone.

Tropical Cyclone Iggy is moving slowly across the Indian Ocean between Indonesia and Australia, resulting in driving rains and winds of more than 60 kilometers per hour.

“Those killed were crushed by falling trees,” National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho was quoted by Agence France-Presse as saying on Thursday.

Bad weather persisted in Bali, with five-meter waves forcing authorities to halt ferry connections to Lombok and close Kuta Beach, one of Bali’s most popular tourist areas.

“For the time being we have prohibited tourists from any beachside activities including swimming and surfing,” Kuta Beach official I Gusti Ngurah Tresna said. “The ban will be in place until further notice.”

He said that officials had been forced to close the usually busy beach because the waves had become so large they were almost reaching the main road that runs along the shore.

Warnings were sounded over loudspeakers and lifeguards placed red flags with skulls on them along the beach as an additional warning.

Most people were happy to obey the warning, preferring to stay indoors.

“When I arrived at the beach, the lifeguards announced there were large waves. The sea was very turbid and the wind was strong like a storm,” said Sarah Puspita, who is from Bali.

A ferry from which 202 passengers and crew members had to be rescued on Wednesday after its cargo shifted in rough seas nearly enough to tip the boat was kept in port on Thursday.

“We have taken this step after considering the bad weather. Waves have reached five meters high,” said Eko Yulianto, a spokesman for the Padangbai port authority in Bali.

A line of traffic stretching about five kilometers from the closed port was reported.

Meanwhile, news of severe destruction from Wednesday’s storm has been emerging from the Thousand Islands in the waters north of Jakarta. Three schools and 240 homes were reported destroyed on Kelapa and Harapan islands in the North Thousand Islands subdistrict.

The Jakarta administration was continuing to send assistance to the two islands on Thursday in the form of food, cooking supplies and basic medicine.

“This morning we have sent out two packages of medicine, enough to treat 100 people. One of our ships already went out there this morning,” said Dien Emmawati, head of Jakarta’s health office.

“It stopped first at Untung Jawa Island to look after the injured there. When it’s done, it will head to Kelapa Island and Harapan Island,” Dien said.

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/tropical-cyclone-iggy-wreaks-more-havoc-in-indonesia/493946

Electrified coral sparks new life for reef

2012-01-28T07:48:00.004+08:00

By Eoghan Macguire, for CNN

January 27, 2012 -- Updated 0429 GMT (1229 HKT)

Electrically powered steel structures have helped re-grow the coral reefs of Permuteran Bay in Bali, Indonesia.

HIDE CAPTION

New chance for coral

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Coral reefs in Indonesia are being regrown on electrically powered steel frames
The technology, known as Biorock, has helped maintain delicate marine ecosystems
Biorock could soon be powered by renewable energy sources such as wave and solar power

(CNN) -- A little over ten years ago the coral reefs of Pemuteran Bay in Bali, Indonesia, were in a state of terminal decay.
Fishing with dynamite and cyanide, untreated sewage and rising water temperatures had all pushed the reefs, and life they supported, close to the limit.
"Tourist numbers fell due to destruction of dive and snorkeling sites (while) fishermen had to go further and fish longer for less catch. Hunger was a real threat," says Narayana Randall Dodge, project manager of the Pemuteran Coral Regeneration project.
The fact that the reef also acted as a natural flood barrier increased the town's exposure to coastal erosion from rising sea levels, he adds.

Living corals are carefully transplanted onto the structures by attaching wires wedged between electric steel bars
Narayana Randall Dodge

Today however, Pemuteran Bay's coral reefs are once again teeming with life thanks to Biorock -- an electrically-powered coral reef growing scheme.
Coral is placed on underwater electrified steel frames that are connected to a power source on land. The electrification speeds up a process called "mineral accretion" that helps damaged corals grow and repair themselves.
"Living corals are carefully collected and transplanted onto the structures by attaching with wires or wedged between (electric) steel bars," says Narayana
The project has been so successful that not only has it preserved the reef and surrounding marine ecosystem but it has also become a tourist attraction in its own right, says Narayana.
Despite the success of the Pemuteran Bay project, Biorock technology -- first discovered by German-born architect, Wolf Hilbertz, in the 1970s -- is it still only used on a small scale.

There is a vast amount of energy in the ocean that will allow us to generate our power on site
Thomas Goreau, Global Coral Reef Alliance

Although now present in over 20 countries, the largest Biorock scheme is in Pemuteran Bay and only covers around 500 meters. This constitutes a drop in the ocean when compared to the 109,800 square miles of coral reef that the United Nations Environment Program estimates to exist, 75% of which is believed to be under threat according to the World Resources Institute.
Read more about the threat to coral reef diversity
But according to Thomas Goreau, head of the U.S. based non-profit, the Global Coral Reef Alliance, Biorock is more efficient than any other form of reef regeneration and will become a particularly effective defense against rising sea levels in years to come.
"We have to run cables out into the sea and you can only go so far before you lose a lot of power," says Goreau who works to encourage the implementation of Biorock technology in vulnerable ecosystems.
The cables dictates how far out at sea the steel frames can be placed (only a few hundred meters) and therefore limits the area of coral reef that can be grown or repaired
As the technology develops though, Goreau sees no reason why Biorock structures couldn't stretch across hundreds of miles of shoreline or far out into the oceans, protecting vast coastal areas that are exposed to rising sea levels.
The key to this prospect becoming a reality, he says, is the harnessing of renewable sources such as tidal and wave energy.
"There is a vast amount of energy in the ocean. It's untapped and what it will allow us to do is generate our power on site," says Goreau.
"This renewably powered technology is still in the pioneering stage but it will be far cheaper and far more effective when it becomes available."

A signature cocktail is shown at popular Bali restaurant and beach club Ku De Ta in this undated photograph. Reuters/Handout

2012-01-28T07:42:00.002+08:00

Pastry chef Will Goldfarb is living every stressed-out urbanite's dream: After several successful years in New York running a dessert-centric restaurant with a cult following, he picked up and moved to the tropical paradise of Bali.
He is now executive pastry chef at Ku De Ta, a restaurant and beach club with a cult following.
"Local drinking culture is very sophisticated these days," Goldfarb says, adding that there's lots of fresh young talent working hard behind the bar to impress the international clientele.
The iconic tipple here is a spirit called arak. "The ultimate local beverage would probably be... an Arak Madu with honey and lime," notes Goldfarb.
(Not to be confused with arrack, an anise-flavoured spirit popular in some Middle Eastern countries, Bali's arak is distilled either from coconut palm sap or a mix of black glutinous rice and coconut milk.)
Although inexpensive, arak can be found at bars catering to locals and budget-minded tourists, Bali's more upscale restaurants and cocktail lounges tend to promote pricier rum and vodka drinks, mixed with tropical fruit such as mango and passionfruit, and Asian-inspired flavourings like ginger and lemongrass. Fiery arak is usually available for the asking, though.
Batavia Arrack, distilled from molasses on the Indonesian island of Java, also may be found at some resort hotels; some historical-minded mixologists consider this an indispensable ingredient for punches.
In addition to Ku De Ta - a hedonistic spot described by one writer as "Miami meets Ibiza" - Goldfarb recommends a number of other spots for thirsty business travellers. Not surprisingly for a tourist-centric location, a number are within hotels.
Though it's a long way from the New York original, where the Bloody Mary was created, Bali has its own King Cole Bar at the St. Regis Hotel, where dealmakers have access to a full Bloody Mary menu and bar food from chef Oscar Perez. Elsewhere, the Four Seasons Sayan, which boasts "Bali's most dramatic entrance," is a choice spot to impress clients.
Meanwhile, "For daytime meetings, nothing beats a draft beer poolside at the Canggu Club", a private club "where you can squeeze in a set of tennis eighties style while demonstrating your knowledge of the local real estate market."
But for an after-work drink, Goldfarb heads away from the hotel scene, whether that means the upmarket Mama San in Seminyak, a hit for Aussie chef Will Meyrick, or "the ultimate killer martini" at one of the grittier Naughty Nuri's locations in Ubud and Batu Belig.
"If that fails," counsels the pragmatic pastry chef, enjoy a beer "with your toes in the sand." Or an arak-laced cocktail, if you dare.
RECIPE: Arak Madu
Some liken this to a "poor man's Margarita," thanks to its mix of tart, sweet, and spirit. If Indonesian arak is unavailable, white rum or cachaca should make a passable substitute.
1 1/2 ounces Indonesian arak (white rum may be substituted)
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
3/4 ounce honey syrup (made by mixing 2 parts honey and 1 part hot water)
In a rocks glass, stir together all ingredients with ice.

Tennis at its Best - It doesn't get much better than this.

2012-01-28T07:01:00.003+08:00

Last night I had the honor of attending what I firmly believe is one the best tennis matches ever played this century at the Australian Open in Melbourne Australia

Andy Murray a Scottish underdog ranked number four took on the Serbian master Djokovic ranked number one.

Few of the fans around me felt that Murray had a chance of winning.

I commented earlier in the match that Murray had improved dramatically recently perhaps because of the influence of his new coach and trainer Ivan Lendl or perhaps it's simply he has overcome his childish emotions that held him back in the past. Anyway watching him earlier in the week on television I saw a new Andy Murray.

I also made comments to few of the tens of thousands of fans watching that Djokovic had shown that he tired early in the match previously this week and that if Murray could take him to four sets it would be to Murray's advantage.

The growing chants for Murray increased throughout the Rod Laver Arena as he took the first set. Djokovic won the second set and Murray the third and he was looking extremely powerful again.

Not long 11 PM I resigned to the fact that I didn't get some food I may not eat and tore myself away from the game. Prior to me leaving oddly during several parts of the second and third set for some strange reason Murray looked straight at me in the stands and the those around me noticed and commented. Perhaps after a few Smirnoff canned drinks I was a little louder than the rest and showed my enthusiasm which he noticed. When I returned with my snacks the Dutch couple next me, who were rooting for Djokovic commented, “you I should stay away longer” because when I was gone Murray lost four straight games. After I returned he came back to win the fourth set so maybe they were right.

With many games experiencing over 20 shots and one clocked at 41 shots before it was over neither opponent was giving up and it came down to 5-5 in the final set and the crowds were going wild. Unfortunately Murray lost the last two games to give Djokovic a win.

Earlier in the day after flying all night from Bali and having to buy tickets at almost 100% markup over original retail I questioned myself on whether I was being reasonable. If it was a short match in duration I would have paid almost 2 dollars a minute to watch the match. As it turned out it was less than one dollar per minute and I would've paid 10 times as much.

It was without question one of the most tense, remarkable sporting events I've ever seen in 61 years and worth every penny.

I predict this year for the first time in many decades that Murray will take a grand slam event for the Commonwealth hopefully just before the London Olympics.

Dazzling in defeat, Murray hits new heights as he loses classic duel with Djokovic

By Mike Dickson

Last updated at 10:33 PM on 27th January 2012

Even in the hour of a shattering defeat, his body broken by nearly five hours of relentless combat, Andy Murray could console himself with one thought: he is finally looking and acting like a Grand Slam champion in waiting.

He has been closer to glory than a semi-final three times, but never before at this rarefied level has he really had the appearance of someone ready to take out one of his key rivals when it matters most.

Scroll down for video

So close, yet so far: Andy Murray missed out on a place in the final after losing to Novak Djokovic

He did not seriously challenge in his three Grand Slam finals and in his trio of semis against Rafael Nadal last year - the Spaniard was not fit when Murray beat him at the 2008 US Open - there only looked to be one winner.

But against Novak Djokovic in an extraordinary encounter at the Australian Open Murray could, and probably should, have emerged the victor.

It was there in the way he was prepared to clout his forehand from tight to the baseline, the way he strove to keep his composure under the most extreme pressure and the way he fought back from seemingly hopeless positions not once but twice.

Respect: Rivals Murray (right) and Djokovic embrace after their thriller

That he could not quite get past the world's best player in a 6-3, 3-6, 6-7, 6-1, 7-5 loss was only due to the remarkable survival instinct of Djokovic, who wrought such meek surrender from Murray 12 months ago.

This encounter he described as one of the best matches he has ever played.

All hail: Djokovic was simply brilliant at times, and his big-game experience shone through

'I'm a different player with a different attitude now,' said a surprisingly sanguine Murray afterwards.

'I'm proud of the way I fought. Sometimes you come off and you're disappointed that you've let yourself down, I don't feel that here.

Respect: Their epic tussle left Djokovic flat out

'There's a fine line between No 1 in the world and No 4 and I felt I closed that gap. Everybody matures at different ages and different rates and mentally I feel that I am ready.'

It looks like there is already an 'Ivan Lendl effect' at work but when they get down to the post-mortem, old stoneface and his new coaching charge will know that there are still improvements to be made for the final leap to be taken.

The second serve is something that is sure to be worked on during a more prolonged spell of training together.

It shows how good the rest of Murray's game was on Friday that he came so close with only three out of every 10 points won when he missed his first delivery.

Clearly there is also fine-tuning to be done on the newly proactive forehand, which yielded 40 unforced mistakes as the Scot cut his margins for error and tried to blast past arguably the greatest mover the sport of tennis has ever seen.

And he lost, of course.

Nothing Lendl or Murray can do will magic away the two players who are currently superior to Murray - and who will meet on Sunday for the third straight time in the final of a Grand Slam.

Djokovic's Indian Rubber Man body certainly faces a race to recover in time.

Telling: But Murray had his moments, and Djokovic was out on his feet by the end

Murray's training block with Lendl will take place after a short break and one thing sacrificed is likely to be his participation in Great Britain's Davis Cup tie against Slovakia in Glasgow the weekend after next.

No final decision has been made, but captain Leon Smith will be waiting anxiously.

Murray flies home on Saturday after a match defined by its vicious mood swings and, for two top players, the constant struggle to hold serve.

An astonishing 50 break points were distributed almost evenly between the pair.

With Murray 2-0 down in the second set, it was looking dangerously close to a repeat of the 2011 final.

Net gains: Murray fought every step with the Serbian world No 1, matching shot-for-shot

But then the British No 1 started to unload gloriously off either flank and stretch his man around the court.

Rather like in their miniepic at the Italian Open last May, Djokovic went from looking like a wounded beast one minute to a gazelle the next.

At times he was blowing so hard you thought his cheeks would explode.

When Murray spurned numerous opportunities to seal the third set, his forehand at once deadly and delinquent, it looked as if the tiebreak would be decisive.

The 24-year-old Scot held his nerve and took it 7-4.

But Djokovic suddenly went on the attack and when his opponent missed a drive volley in the first game of the next set to be broken, he took the momentum on. Now it was Murray whose legs appeared to be filled with lead.

All eyes on us: Despite going on long into the night, spectators stayed packed in to the Rod Laver Arena

The fourth set was effectively given up and when they went into the decider, Murray failed to stop the force of nature that is the Serb.

Clambering all over the Scot's second serve, Djokovic surged to 5-2.

But Murray was not finished and in what was surely an unprecedented instance of an Australian crowd roaring on a Brit, he came tearing back to level the match as the clock ticked towards midnight.

Now he got his chance with three break points, but here was the difference: Djokovic put his first serve in and was able to dictate.

Rallying cry: Murray was cheered on by his usual entourage, including girlfriend Kim Sears

In the final analysis, however, Murray got into a rally on each break point and should have clinched one of them to serve for the match.

It was no surprise that Djokovic seized on one last momentum change.

'You practise all your life to win these matches over five sets,' he said.

For Murray, there is much more graft to come.

Pacific Royale Airways Set to Take Off in March With 10 Planes

2012-01-26T19:33:00.001+08:00

Tri Listyarini | January 25, 2012

Pacific Royale Airways plans to start commercial operations on March 1 with full-service flights, the president director of the airline said on Wednesday.

Samudra Sukardi said the Jakarta-based airline had invested up to $60 million as it prepares to make its debut.

As much as $40 million has gone to procure 10 aircraft, he said, with another $20 million being spent to buy jet fuel and finance operational activities.

“We will start flying in early March,” Samudra said.

By offering full-service flights, Pacific Royale hopes to be able to challenge the national flag carrier, Garuda Indonesia.

Samudra said he expected the airline would secure a full air operator’s certificate next month, which is required to operate commercial flights.

The carrier is 51 percent owned by Indonesian businesswoman Gunarni Gunawan, with the remaining 49 percent in the hands of an Indian investor, Tarun Trikha.

Regulations require Indonesia-based commercial airlines to be at least 51 percent owned by local investors and to operate at least 10 aircraft, .

Pacific Royale plans to operate five Fokker F-50 turboprops and five Airbus A320-200s. It expects two of the Fokkers and two of the Airbus planes it ordered to arrive between February and April.

The airline has permits to serve 81 routes, 30 percent of them international.

“We have three hubs, Jakarta, Surabaya and Batam,” said Samudra, who in 2002 was in the running to become president director of Garuda Indonesia. “But for international flights we will not fly through Jakarta because it is already too crowded. We will do it from Surabaya and Batam.”

Among the domestic routes it will serve are Jakarta-Surabaya, Surabaya-Banyuwangi and Batam-Natuna.

It has said that it hopes to eventually open routes to India and China.

Rising incomes have helped spur the growth of air travel in Indonesia. The number of domestic air travelers rose to 38.3 million in the first nine months of 2011, while the number of Indonesians flying overseas jumped 15 percent to 8.1 million, according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) .

Garuda has said its plans for 2012 include an expansion of its fleet from 88 to 105 aircraft.

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/business/pacific-royale-airways-set-to-take-off-in-march-with-10-planes/493654?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=jgnewsletter

Faster process for Schengen visa applications: EU delegate

2012-01-26T18:16:00.002+08:00

Faster process for Schengen visa applications: EU delegate

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 01/25/2012 12:53 PM

The Delegation of the European Union to Indonesia announced on Wednesday that its embassies from the Schengen visa area would offer much faster service to Indonesians applying for Schengen visas to travel across most European countries.
“In the vast majority of cases, successful applicants will now receive their visas within just a few working days after submitting their passports and supporting documents,” the delegation said in a statement sent to The Jakarta Post.
However, the statement did not detail how many working days it would take to acquire a Schengen visa.
Schengen visas allow travel to 22 out of 27 EU countries, as well as some non-EU countries, including Norway and Switzerland.
“People-to-people links are a vital part in the relationship between Europe and Indonesia. We are delighted to see more Indonesians visiting our countries in recent years,” the statement said.
The service may vary at peak times, and applicants should ask for further information when they apply for a visa. (dmr) http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/01/25/faster-process-schengen-visa-applications-eu-delegate.html

1,000 threads from the Song dynasty

2012-01-26T16:14:00.003+08:00

Trisha Sertori, Contributor, Bangli | Thu, 01/26/2012 10:31 AM

A | A | A |

Devotion: Balinese Hindus pray to the goddess Quan Im, who is believed to be the immortal Princess Kang.Millenia ago a Singaraja- based Chinese merchant’s daughter caught the eye of Bali’s King Sri Jayapangus. Despite a ban on intermarriage in Bali during the 11th century, the king was smitten and would love no other.

Their romance took this young girl on a life’s journey from merchant’s daughter to princess, and then on her death into the divine. Kang Ching Wi was destined to become the goddess Quan Im, or in Balinese Ratu Ayu Mas Subandar.

While her life is shrouded in mystery like the mists that hang over her mountain home in Pinggan village, Bangli, and despite the twists and turns of a thousand years — the earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and the banning under Soeharto of Chinese celebrations and culture — hundreds of worshippers have continued across that millenia to make the pilgrimage to Quan Im’s temple, Baling Kang, high in the mountains of Kintamani to pray for health and prosperity on Chinese New Year.

Among these annual pilgrims are those believed to be Princess Kang’s descendents, who were making the journey Monday to honor their ancestors and to pray.

At nearly 100 years of age, one Kang descendent, The U Chai, journeys the 200 steps to the temple as, like her ancestors before her, she has done since she was born. Today she is surrounded by her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren as this extraordinary pilgrimage is passed down into the future.

“I come here every year to pray,” says this tiny woman still brimming with energy and joy. I am 93 years old now and I have been coming here all my life. Princess Kang came from China a very long time ago and we honor her. We did not stop coming to pay our respects during the Soeharto years, we kept coming to pray on Chinese New Year,” says The U Chai.

Her son, 72-year-old Tang Siang Hok, or Budi Suartama under his once enforced Indonesian name, says his family gives thanks to former Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid or Gus Dur for lifting the ban on Chinese culture because, “we can celebrate New Year’s. I feel happy every year now because we don’t have to hide our culture and our kids can go to school and learn Chinese,” says Tang.

While the family is not absolutely sure they are the direct descendents of Princess Kang, they believe it
is likely.

The U Chai’s 43-year-old grandson Kang Shue Kwang explains the family has stories passed down from generation to generation of the elusive princess. “We know she came as a trader’s daughter and King Sri Jayapangus fell in love with her beauty and wanted to marry her. We know she was from Fujian province and I think this is why our family has come here every year to pay our respects as her descendents,” says Kang Shue Kwang.

He adds that the princess is believed to have introduced many
of Bali’s religious and cultural
ceremonies such as the Barong and tooth filing.

“We have been told that the princess said yes to marrying the king on one condition. … The face of the king had fangs and they had to be cut. So potong gigi [tooth filing] began and since that period Balinese must file their teeth before marriage, that’s what I know,” says Kang Shue Kwang, adding that he believes “Balinese culture cannot be cut from Chinese culture — look at the
kapeng coins used in every Balinese religious ceremony — this came from Princess Kang we believe,” says this possible descendent whose family has for a thousand years climbed the difficult mountain to pray for their ancestor who became a goddess.

It is believed Princess Kang, who lived during the Song Dynasty from 960 to 1279 CE, was a Confucian and it was to her temple that Lie May Siang’s immigrant parents turned for comfort in a new land some decades ago. Lie May joined other worshippers Monday to pray for a prosperous year in this, the year of the Water Dragon.

“My Mum and Dad were from China, but I was born here in Bali. We are no relation to Princess Kang. My parents were Confucians, but me I am Balinese and all Hindu. I don’t really know the story of Princess Kang if is it a fairytale or a legend, but here it is a big day for us as Chinese descendents to come and pray on Chinese New Year at this Chinese temple,” says Lie May.

Princess Kang’s temple has red lanterns swaying in the breeze above a Hindu altar. At the entrance a great bowl of incense burns, suggesting a Buddhist or Confucian influence in the temple’s rituals. Red-scarfed lions guard the temple entry, iconic Chinese kapeng coins are carved into many surfaces and a pair of ancient fir trees, rather than banyan, are worshipped at the head of the 200 steps to the temple.

These firs combine with the misty ragged mountain landscape to form an image more in tune with Chinese watercolor scrolls than tropical Bali, almost as if Princess Kang chose
this spot to ward off her sense of
distance and strangeness; the firs living symbols of her life remote from China.

Nearby village names also echo down the centuries after the princess’s footsteps here; a few kilometers away is the village of
Songan, closer still is Pinggan. Like the names of their villages, the
people here too have a richer Chinese cast to their features than
other Balinese.

The stories of Princess Kang are almost as diverse as the thousands of Balinese Chinese still bearing her name, she is a mystery, a secret not quite lost, a merchant’s daughter that attained moksa or enlightenment, according to Tjoa Minfa from Singaraja, another traveler on this New Year’s Day pilgrimage.

Sacred: The misty mountains of Pinggan, home to the Baling Kang temple that honors Princess Kang.Before speaking of the goddess, Tjoa Minfa says a quick prayer asking for forgiveness from Princess Kang as Goddess Quan Im.

“She attained moksa. We believe the goddess came here because it was only in Bali that she could achieve moksa, the state of the immortals. At that time, I understand, it was forbidden for Chinese women to marry Balinese, but she married the king of Bali. I heard she never had children,” says Tjoa Minfa as she heads off to the Pura Ulundanu Batur temple to continue her prayers on Chinese New Year.

At the temple a group of mainland Chinese holidaymakers are snapping shots of Balinese Chinese New Year’s worshippers.

Clearly not fussed with tradition, the 40-odd tourists from Zhe Jiang say they see Chinese New Year as a chance to get away on vacation.

“We are here in Bali for a holiday. We decided to give ourselves a New Year’s gift with some travel and a holiday,” said the group’s English speaker, who is more interested in sightseeing than ceremony.

— Photos By J.B. Djwan

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/01/26/1000-threads-song-dynasty.html

S Korea to Invest in Bali Waste Disposal Site

2012-01-26T16:10:00.000+08:00

"We now can say that PT NOEI has failed”

Kamis, 26 Januari 2012, 11:59 WIB

Bayu Galih , Bobby Andalan - Bali

(VIVAnews/Nurcholis Anhari Lubis)

VIVAnews – A South Korean investor plans to invest in Bali’s waste sector in the Final Disposal Facilities (TPA) in Suwung, Denpasar.

According to Ketut Teneng, spokesperson of the Bali administration, the South Korean investor has declared its interest. However, Bali has yet to respond over the proposal as TPA Suwung is still under the management of PT NOEI.

“The South Korean investor wants to invest in TPA Suwung. However, TPA Suwung is still under the management of PT Navigat Organik Energi Indonesia (NOEI) for 20 years since 2004. The Ministry of Public Works had granted Rp63 billion worth of fund to TPA Suwung in efforts to handle water spill from the waste,” said Teneng.

PT NOEI has not been able to fulfill its contract agreement with Badung Regency, Tabanan Regency, Gianyar Regency and Denpasar. Therefore, the provincial government will review PT NOEI’s contract and will find new investor.

“In the beginning, (PT NOEI) ensured us that it can provide 10 megawatt of electricity and compost. However, until now, they can only provide 0.7 megawatt,” he said.

Teneng said that the Bali administration is studying the legal aspect of its contract termination with PT NOEI. "We now can say that PT NOEI has failed,” Teneng said.

Bali considers replacing PT NOEI in case the contract is terminated. A replacement candidate is the South Korean investor.

“They’re even ready to make concrete blocks, gas-powered electricity, briquettes, and others. Well, the Legal Bureau (Bali’s provincial government) is mulling over the offer,” he said.

http://en.vivanews.com/news/read/283040-s-korea-to-invest-in-bali-waste-disposal-site

The Mama San - a Rare Bali Restaurant Gem

2012-01-25T15:51:00.000+08:00

Editors Note:

Lately I've been on a quest to discover Bali's best restaurants.

One that was recommended several times by discerening frineds was The Mama San restaurant in Seminyak.

On a whim last night Idecided to try it .

At first I was as a little concerned when I first entered and didn't have reservations.

The hostess looked eagerly through the resrvation book to see if there was an opening.

Fortunately she decided that she could take us. As a restaurant owner and former chef ( in my college days) I was first impressed with the ambience of the place with serious professional air-conditioning units instead of the typical split systems that would break down and lose efficiency in a few years.

Next I was impressed with the quality of the service provided by bright, young waitresses and waiters attending to our every need.

Originally I was told it was a Thai restaurant but frankly I think the only word to describe it is a fusion of pretty well everything from Thai to Indian to Western etc.

So I tried several dishes include a Thai Fish Cakes, Tandoori Chicken and Duck complimented with a vegetarian dish and a mixed vegetable dish.

All were served to perfection. I commented to my friend that finally somebody knows how to cook vegetables properly without soaking them in some silly sauce.

A good assortment of vegetables and adapted for the duck was exquisite and
certainly unique.

A little pricey for locals but very reasonable for anybody coming from West with a bill for a delightful dinner including four beers under $80

A pleasant surprise we found our good friends Patrick and Joy Murray sitting upstairs enjoying enjoying one of their fine choices of wine.

All in all I think that Mama San will become one of my favorite hangouts

Reservations are highly recommended .

My compliments to the general manager Dan Kim who also manages the Sarong restaurant or running a first class establishment . One that cna comaet with many of the finest resturanst in the world.

Below is there description from their web site http://mamasanbali.com/
o
DOWNSTAIRS
“The dream has always been to open a place that is more than just a restaurant” says Will Meyrick, who is the brainchild behind Bali’s success story Sarong restaurant. “An environment where people can feel comfortable to eat, try their hand at cooking or just lounge in a bar. Basically, not needing to leave the space until home time, whatever that time is. Mama San is for anyone who appreciates to lounge in style and eat quality food without it being too expensive.

”Known to be a madam of authority in an Asian gentlemen’s club, the name Mama San was selected because of the old and new world inﬂuence the interior and Asian cuisine would be. The team wanted to create a unique space to complement the sister restaurant Sarong rather than be in competition with it. A large “gudang” or warehouse as it is known in English has been converted into a two level retro-vintage restaurant, cooking school and bar.

Most Bali establishments are open-air making it difﬁcult to escape the heat, especially during the rainy season, which is why Mama San is fully air-conditioned on both levels. The location of Mama San is where all roads meet to enter eat street and Oberoi road. Driving guests are offered valet parking, which is a bonus because anyone who regularly drives around the area understands how tricky it is to ﬁnd a park.

Step into colonial Britain in Shanghai during the 1920s, with marble top mah-jong tables and oversized tan leather chesterﬁelds, in a purpose designed industrial high ceiling warehouse. Gaze up to Mama San in all her glory staring down at patrons while dining and ponder over a travelogue of old style photographs. Colorful displays of retro inspired ﬂowers tower up to vintage clocks and aChinese patterned mirror. A feature of the ground ﬂoor interior are two staircases either side of a service bar that climb a brick wall to the upper level.

The Mama San ground ﬂoor dining room is fully air-conditioned, seats up to 70 at any one time and is open for lunch at 11am -2pm and for dinner from 6pm – 11pm. Reservations are recommended for lunch and essential for the dinner service.
Please kindly note there is a no smoking policy in the ground ﬂoor dining room at during dinner service although guests are welcome to light up after 11pm. Mama San operates a “smart casual” dress code policy, therefore no branded singlet’s, board shorts or thongs are allowed

Paying homage to the Mama San name, the feeling of the upper space reﬂects a bourgeois gentlemen’s club with the cooking school next to the bar bridging new worlds. Leather club chairs, ottomans and a plump banquette with scatter cushions allow guests to completely relax, while Raja palace lights, chandeliers and candles twinkle softly, creating the perfect ambience after bright sunny days.

The upper level at Mama San’s can ﬁt a maximum of 80 patronsat any time. Guests can enjoy cocktails or drinks from 6pm – 2am and a grazing menu serves a select range of dumplings from 6pm – 11pm. Smokers are welcome to light up in the upstairs bar area at any time.
The Mama San cooking schoolis to open in 2012 with a calendar of events to run the course of the year.
His and her toilets stand either side of acommunal washbasinto the back of the bar area. Wines can be purchased from the wine room and taken home

Travel Diary: An island of two tales

2012-01-25T15:22:00.000+08:00

by Rosie Hamer on 24 Jan 2012 in Social

Bali, an island of spiritual mystique and lush beauty? Or a place of cultural confusion maimed by a history of civil conflict and plagued with tourism?
I didn’t know much about the famous island before my flatmate and I took a trip there last summer, other than the infamous 2002 bombings and religious strife that mark a long and tiresome story in Indonesian history. We landed in the early hours on Java, the neighbouring larger island to the west of Bali, in the industrial hub of Surabaya. It was Ramadan and the place was bizarrely alive. After a day travelling through the south east of the island on local buses, ‘luxe’ tourist carriages, man powered rickshaws and a large passenger ferry, Bali was finally in sight. I could practically taste the Indonesian curry as we approached the island across the water, after a journey of 72 hours with no shower, bed or edible food.
Kuta- the first stop on the trip, also known as the Australians’ Magaluf. On first arrival it seemed to live up to its name: beer bellies, tattoos and Bintang vests galore. We headed to the streets ,‘Poppies Gangway 1 & 2, for somewhere cheap to sleep. This was the first surprise of the trip; the cost of accommodation, food, drink and activities in the tourist capital were not that cheap. At least, day to day spending was more than in Thailand where we’d just come from. The market caters for 2-week package deals that are comparatively cheap for the Aussies. For a scrounger such as myself on a shoestring budget, things were a little steep.
No matter, for the average western holiday maker and particularly the Brit girl within me, Kuta possessed all: a fun nightlife and relaxing days on the beach, watching swarms of rad boarders head out to catch the waves.
Skygarden- the town’s hotspot- is swarming with foreigners every night as they maximise the ‘freeflow’ bar (yes you heard me, a free bar) between 10-11pm. The drinks may contain enough of your sugar allowance to last a week and be the colour of toxic waste, but it’s free alcohol nonetheless. After a hard day sweating on the surf or the sand they definitely quench your taste.
After Skygarden, Bounty has a lot to offer, I seem to remember… the details are hazy though.
After a few days of nursing hangovers, I braved a surf lesson. My teacher, Wayan, a doped up Sumatran who seemed less bothered about surfing and more about sitting under a tree and strumming his guitar poorly to the sounds of ‘Wonderwall,’ took on the challenge of getting me upright on a board.
The surf was huge and, for a beginner, just a bit too challenging. To my horror, after a couple of okay runs, Wayan left for the shore as I was thrown about in the water. It felt at times like I was close to drowning, losing a sentimental ring and gaining half the seabed in my hair and ears in the process. In the name of Indonesian waves, which are some of the best in the world, I gave in.
The next morning we had a scheduled bus for Ubud, a few hours north of Kuta in the centre of the island. The trip out of the fondly named ‘chav central’ seemed increasingly necessary and well timed as we left the bars, restaurants, hotels, shops and shouts of ‘g’day’, arriving in the more peaceful, green and frankly stunning landscape of Ubud.
The place was small, compact and full of art galleries, cultural shops, and multi ethnic food places. A wonderful market lay in the centre, with a palace to the north of the town and the jalan monkey forest at the other end. You can walk the whole area in an afternoon, but the views of the rice fields and terraces are endless, and don’t get boring. We indulged in ‘Gado Gado’- the Indonesian array of vegetables, meats, rice, tofu etc, and generally enjoyed the slower pace of life in the so-called ‘heart’ of Bali. After a few days of Kuta madness, this was the perfect haven for rest and relaxation. The novel ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ by Elizabeth Gilbert, which follows the life of a middle aged American women on the journey to ‘“find herself’” is partly set in Ubud. It seems many fans of the story have now found themselves in Ubud too.
The architecture of the Ubud buildings and the beautiful Indonesian Hindu designs that line the streets are almost too intricate to be practical. Religious offerings with burning incense can be seen in people’s doorways every morning and are often accompanied by Balinese music. A morning trip to watch a traditional Balinese Dance show was a highlight- bizarre yet quite spellbinding. Don’t be mistaken; Ubud is still very accommodating for tourists and you wouldn’t want to be indoctrinated by the false displays of culture for the large western travel groups. Still, a venture out of the town on a moped will allow you can see the real character of the old and very real Bali such as the rice paddies of Tegallalang and the volcano ‘Batur’.
The contrast of Kuta’s craziness and Ubud’s unruffled style made for 14 memorable days in Bali. I’d like to know what the rest of the island offers. Shame, I might have to go back one day.
http://thebeaveronline.co.uk/2012/01/24/travel-diary-an-island-of-two-tales/

Charity a beacon of hope in Bali

2012-01-25T15:15:00.004+08:00

25/Jan/2012

By Yvonne Thompson, Mandurah Coastal Times

Comments:

Charity beneficiaries Rusana and sister Sani visited Lia in Mandurah recently.

MANDURAH mother and daughter Lia Comben and Carol Evans are seeking help for their Carolia Charity that educates Bali youngsters whose parents have no regular income.
The Bali bombings of 2002 and 2005 put many Balinese people out of work because of a decline in the tourism industry and parents who were previously able to pay for their children’s education could no longer afford to do so.
Lia and Carol’s association goes back a long way, and their love for Bali and the Balinese people prompted them to do something about the education void left for the children whose parents lost their jobs.
Their fundraising efforts have focused on the education, health and well-being of those living outside the main tourist areas of Bali.
With the help of sponsors they have been involved in several projects, including an education sponsorship program that helps poor children in Karangasem in East Bali.
The children secure sponsors and the charity provides them with clothing, toiletries and stationery. They also enjoy a full day party twice a year with fun activities, and meet their sponsors regularly.
More than 420 children have benefited from this program.
As well, Lia and Carol are involved in the Shining Hearts care facility for orphans and under-privileged children in Denpasar that provides free instruction in life skills, hygiene, English and computer skills.
They supply the centre with educational material, first aid and other items needed.
Another program is the Kuta Beach Day, where 100 children and their carers from various orphanages across Bali have a day on the beach with all food and games for the outing supplied by the charity.
“Our Bali Kids/Anak Anak Clinic also runs a mobile clinic that monitors the orphanage children’s health, and provides free medical and dental attention if needed,” Carol said.
Their next venture is already underway; in August last year, two local sponsors and a Melbourne man donated the entire funds to buy a Balinese house and the money to renovate it so it can house students who have previously travelled up to 30km to school every day.

The house will serve as their office in Bali, a clinic for medical and dental check-ups, as well as a sewing centre and a meeting point for sponsors.
“Every child who has been through our education program has been employed when they left school,” Lia said.
The pair raise their money through a market stall at the Mandurah Markets at Centro Mandurah shopping centre, and Lia has garage sales twice a month on the last two weekends of the month at 45 Peelwood Parade, Halls Head.
Lia said the biggest need was for towels, with one towel shared by at least 10 people.
Carol looks after the administration of the charity and compiles the photographic books that record their six-monthly visits.
They would appreciate holiday travellers to Bali to transport a case of items they have collected during their efforts.
“People generally go along with an empty case to fill when they get there,” Lia said.
If you can help, call Lia on 9581 3021, Carol on 9535 4460 or John on 0404 832 625, or email jemecese1@bigpond.com.
http://www.inmycommunity.com.au/news-and-views/local-heroes/Charity-a-beacon-of--hope-in-Bali/7612349/

Teen Pimp Arrested Over Bali Sex Ring

2012-01-25T15:12:00.001+08:00

Made Arya Kencana | January 25, 2012

Denpasar. Police in Denpasar arrested on Tuesday a teenage girl they suspect of luring younger girls into the sex trade, a detective said.

The 17-year-old girl, identified only as F. because of her age, was arrested on suspicion of pimping three younger girls, according to the South Denpasar Police’s chief of detectives, Adj. Comr. Made Dayendra.

“She had three victims, all junior high school students,” Dayendra said.

He said the case came to the attention of the police after the parents of one of the girls, 16-year-old I.S., reported that their daughter had been missing since last Thursday.

Police found her in a boarding house on Jalan Raya Sesetan in Denpasar on Monday.

The boarding house reportedly belonged to the family of F. and the suspect also lived there, officers said.

Police said I.S. told them that for the past three days F. had forced her to provide sex to men in a number of hotels.

She told officers that from the Rp 400,000 to Rp 500,000 ($44 to $55) each man paid, F. gave her Rp 200,000 to Rp 300,000 and kept the rest.

Police discovered that F. had also sold two other girls, L.H. and A.I., also both 16, to men for sex in a number of hotels in Denpasar and Kuta.

F. told the police she worked alone and that the other girls had been willing participants.

“I just met them on the street and got them to accept jobs because they wanted the money,” she said.

Dayendra said the police were trying to determine if F. was part of a syndicate. She could face up to 15 years in jail for violating the 2002 Child Protection Law, he said.

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/teen-pimp-arrested-over-bali-sex-ring/493418

Banished Words of 2012

2012-01-25T10:57:00.003+08:00

January 9th, 2012 by Lindsay

Is your real estate marketing amazing? Well, if it is, perhaps you’re going in the wrong direction.
Lake Superior State University released a list of words that were used so habitually last year that they’ve been banned from use in 2012. Here’s a handful of the banned words you, as a real estate agent, should probably do your best to avoid according to LSSU.
Amazing. Honestly, I’m amazed (zing!) that this word hasn’t been listed before. It seems that recently, amazing is our default term of affirmation. I think we can do better this year. How about, instead of describing a listing as having an amazing view, you say it’s incredible or breathtaking?
Occupy. The Occupy Wall Street movement has exhausted the word occupy. So, if you’ve come up with any clever marketing plans using (Occupy Main Street?) move on.
Man Cave. Do any of the homes you’re selling come equipped with a Man Cave? It’s probably in your best interest to leave that part out of your listing information. Woman Cave, in case you’re concerned, is totally still fair game.
The New Normal. Despite the sad reality that a downturn economy and a struggling housing market is, in fact, The New Normal, let’s just not phrase it this way.
Ginormous. I know that it might seem that this is the only word to describe the huge mansion you’re selling, but separating ginormous into its roots – giant and enormous – will work just fine.
To get a list of all of the banished words for 2012, click here.http://www.advancedaccess.com/blog/index.php/2012/01/09/banished-words-of-2012/

Spirited Traveller: Arak gives tipplers a Bali high

2012-01-25T08:57:00.000+08:00

Jan 24 (Reuters) - (Kara Newman is the author of "Spice & Ice: 60 tongue-tingling cocktails", available <here >. The opinions expressed are her own.)

NEW YORK - Pastry chef Will Goldfarb is living every stressed-out urbanite's dream.

After several successful years in New York running a dessert-centric restaurant with a cult following, he picked up and moved to the tropical paradise of Bali and is now executive pastry chef at Ku De Ta (kudeta.net/), a restaurant and beach club with a cult following.

"[Bali's] local drinking culture is very sophisticated these days," Goldfarb says, adding that there's lots of fresh young talent working hard behind the bar to impress the international clientele.

The iconic tipple here is a spirit called arak. "The ultimate local beverage would probably be... an Arak Madu with honey and lime," notes Goldfarb.

(Not to be confused with arrack, an anise-flavoured spirit popular in some Middle Eastern countries, Bali's arak is distilled either from coconut palm sap or a mix of black glutinous rice and coconut milk.)

Although inexpensive, arak can be found at bars catering to locals and budget-minded tourists, Bali's more upscale restaurants and cocktail lounges tend to promote pricier rum and vodka drinks, mixed with tropical fruit such as mango and passionfruit, and Asian-inspired flavourings like ginger and lemongrass.

Fiery arak is usually available for the asking, though.

Batavia Arrack, distilled from molasses on the Indonesian island of Java, also may be found at some resort hotels; some historical-minded mixologists consider this an indispensable ingredient for punches.

In addition to Ku De Ta - a hedonistic spot described by one writer as "Miami meets Ibiza" - Goldfarb recommends a number of other spots for thirsty business travellers. Not surprisingly for a tourist-centric location, a number are within hotels.

Though it's a long way from the New York original, where the Bloody Mary was created, Bali has its own King Cole Bar at the St. Regis Hotel (bit.ly/xKdpww), where dealmakers have access to a full Bloody Mary menu and bar food from chef Oscar Perez.

Elsewhere, the Four Seasons Sayan (www.fourseasons.com/sayan/), which boasts "Bali's most dramatic entrance," is a choice spot to impress clients.

Meanwhile, "For daytime meetings, nothing beats a draft beer poolside at the Canggu Club" (www.cangguclub.com/), a private club "where you can squeeze in a set of tennis eighties style while demonstrating your knowledge of the local real estate market."

But for an after-work drink, Goldfarb heads away from the hotel scene, whether that means the upmarket Mama San (mamasanbali.com/) in Seminyak, a hit for Aussie chef Will Meyrick, or "the ultimate killer martini" at one of the grittier Naughty Nuri's locations in Ubud and Batu Belig.

"If that fails," counsels the pragmatic pastry chef, enjoy a beer "with your toes in the sand." Or an arak-laced cocktail, if you dare.

RECIPE: Arak Madu

Some liken this to a "poor man's Margarita," thanks to its mix of tart, sweet, and spirit. If Indonesian arak is unavailable, white rum or cachaca should make a passable substitute. 1 1/2 ounces Indonesian arak (white rum may be substituted) 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice 3/4 ounce honey syrup (made by mixing 2 parts honey and 1 part hot water) In a rocks glass, stir together all ingredients with ice. (Editing by by Peter Myers and Paul Casciato)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/24/spirited-traveller-bali-idUSL4E8CO71T20120124

Romney reports tax bill of $6.2 million for 2010-11

2012-01-24T14:21:00.000+08:00

Editors Note:

I hope Romney becomes next president.

At least he knows how to make money instead of the past presidents that only know how to spend it.

It's time for a professional business man to manage America because America's business is business and they were the best at it in the world before Nixon.

Steve Holland and Kim Dixon Reuters

11:27 p.m. CST, January 23, 2012

TAMPA, Fla./WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney released tax records on Tuesday indicating he will pay $6.2 million in taxes on a total of $42.5 million in income over the years 2010 and 2011.

Bowing to increasing political pressure to provide more detail about his vast wealth, the former private equity executive released tax returns indicating he and his wife, Ann, paid an effective tax rate of 13.9 percent in 2010. They expect to pay a 15.4 percent rate when they file their returns for 2011.

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Romney's tax rate is below that of most wage-earning Americans because most of his income, as outlined in more than 500 pages of tax documents, flows from capital gains on investments.

Under the U.S. tax code, capital gains are taxed at 15 percent, compared with a top tax rate of 35 percent for wage earners.

Romney released the tax returns after a week in which his chief rival for the Republican presidential nomination, former House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich, questioned whether Romney was hiding information about his finances and cast him as being out of touch with most Americans.

Gingrich's attacks on Romney helped him upset the former Massachusetts governor in the South Carolina primary on Saturday.

Since then, Romney has vowed to be more aggressive in returning fire.

He has launched a series of attacks questioning Gingrich's character, judgment and lucrative work as a Washington consultant, and released his tax returns to try to nullify Gingrich's criticisms on that front.

The tax rates Romney reported paying could add fuel to a national debate over the fairness of the tax code, and coincides with broader concerns about income inequality symbolized by the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Romney's campaign officials stressed that his tax rate is based mostly on income from investments that are held in a blind trust. Romney's holdings include an undisclosed amount in funds based in the Grand Cayman Islands and other overseas entities.

Romney advisers stressed that the holdings in the Caymans - along with those in a Swiss bank account that was closed in 2010 after an investment adviser decided it could be politically embarrassing to Romney - were reported on tax returns and were not vehicles to avoid taxes.

They also stressed that Romney, whose holdings are in three blind trusts, makes no decisions as to how his money is invested.

Regardless, the emerging picture was of a man of great means who contributes mightily to charity. The documents showed he and his wife contributed $7 million in charity over the two years, much of it going to his Mormon church. That represents more than 15 percent of the Romneys' income for those years.

Romney, whose estimated net worth is $190 million to $250 million, is among the wealthiest Americans ever to seek the presidency.

Top campaign officials and the director of Romney's blind trust, Brad Malt, briefed Reuters on the details ahead of a more general release of the information Tuesday morning.

Campaign counsel Ben Ginsberg, asked why Romney was not releasing tax records for the years in the 1980s and 1990s in which Romney made his fortune at private equity firm Bain Capital, said the two years covered by the tax returns should give a broad picture of Romney's financial situation.

"We're not going to get into the game of once you give them something, they demand more," Ginsberg said. "This is a fulsome release and we're proud of it."

The tax issue may have been a factor in Romney's loss to Gingrich in South Carolina. It became a distraction to Romney's campaign, and Romney's fuzzy answers on when and if he would release his records aggravated the problem.

First he said he might release them, or might not. When the questions kept coming, he said he would put them out in April, after his 2011 forms were completed. Only after he was defeated in South Carolina did his aides say he would release them this week. Gingrich has released his returns for 2010, but has not released an estimate for last year, as Romney did.

Long considered the front-runner for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, Romney was staggered by Gingrich's lopsided win in South Carolina, and is looking to regain enough momentum to defeat Gingrich in Florida, which votes on January 31.

(Editing by David Lindsey and Paul Simao)

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/sns-rt-us-usa-campaign-romney-taxestre80n06u-20120123,0,3317889.story

Bali Seaweed-Berkeley scientists bring seaweed biofuels one step closer to the marketplace

2012-01-24T14:12:00.003+08:00

nat haru/Flickr

Seaweed farms off the coast of Bali. According to one estimate, using just three percent of the Earth's coastal waters to grow seaweed could produce 60 billion gallons of ethanol.

The newest biofuel making a splash is seaweed.
Researchers at Berkeley-based Bio Architecture Lab (BAL) have discovered a way to genetically manufacture a microbe that can break down the sugars in seaweed, so that it can be used as a fuel source. Biofuels from sources other than corn have generated a lot of hype but so far not the large-scale production necessary for them to be considered an integral part of the U.S. energy future (see Lauren Sommer’s recent biofuels “reality check,” for KQED’s QUEST).
There are many kinds of algae. The ones that have received most attention are microalgaes that grow in freshwater ponds. The US Department of Energy has invested heavily in research on microalgaes. Defense officials are looking to oil extracted from the freshwater scum to fuel military machinery. Last week a California Report story highlighted the efforts of researchers in San Diego to scale up production of oil from algae, in order to bring down the cost and make it viable on the energy market.
The Berkeley lab’s discovery has huge implications for converting seaweed to ethanol, a component of gasoline. The engineered microbe can break down the primary sugar in seaweed, alginate, which other microbes could not. Once the sugar is broken down it can be used to make ethanol.
In an article on the breakthrough, The Guardian’s Damian Carrington reports on the potential of seaweed as a fast-reproducing fuel source.

The fact that a seaweed industry already exists is a major advantage, said Daniel Trunfio, chief executive at Bio Architecture Lab (BAL) in Berkeley, California, where the research was conducted. “People have been farming seaweed for 1,000 years. In China and Japan, you will see farms that are the equivalent of the midwest cornfields in the US,” he said. “This can be a substantial addition to the fuel portfolio.” He argues that using 3% of the world’s coastal waters to grow seaweed would produce 60 billion gallons of ethanol – more than 40% of the fuel burned by US cars and trucks. His company is backed by the US Department of Energy, Norwegian oil company Statoil and the government of Chile, where BAL owns seaweed farms and is building a pilot plant.

One of the biggest barriers for seaweed-based fuel is the same as for other algae-based fuels: cost. Until researchers can figure out a way to farm, harvest and convert seaweed into ethanol more cheaply, ethanol made from corn or sugarcane will continue to prevail in the marketplace.
http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2012/01/23/the-latest-breakthrough-in-biofuels-seaweed/

Josie Gibson: I'll return from Bali toned, tanned and ready for some touching

2012-01-24T14:08:00.003+08:00

Josie will keep to her fitness routine while she's on holiday

Josie has recently been the target of abuse by ex-boyfriend John James' fans

Big Brother 2010 winner Josie Gibson is enjoying a break in Bali without boyfriend Luke Sanwo because he's too busy with work to get the time off.
'I can't sit around at home just because he isn't free,' Josie explains.
'I worked flat out last year and after spending Christmas at boot camp, I really need a break.
'Luke's fine with me going and we trust each other.
'It won't be all pleasure, mind you.'
Personal training costs just £7 a day in Bali, so Josie, 26, has decided to work out while she's there.
'I want to come back toned, tanned and ready for some touching,' she says.
'And to cheer Lukey up, I've promised we'll go away together as soon as he gets some time off - so long as he leaves his plunger at home.'
Read Josie Gibson's full Love & Dating Confession in the latest issue of Now magazine dated 23 January 2012 - out now.http://www.nowmagazine.co.uk/celebrity-news/533540/josie-gibson-i-ll-return-from-bali-toned-tanned-and-ready-for-some-touching/1

Former Playboy Editor Explores Darkness Amid Bali’s Beauty

2012-01-24T14:02:00.000+08:00

Ade Mardiyati | January 23, 2012

Erwin Arnada, former editor of Playboy Indonesia, has written ‘Rumah di Seribu Ombak’ and directed a film based on the story. (JG Photo/Yudhi Sukma Wijaya)

Do you know why God created the sky and the ocean?

So we know that there is a line that makes both things beautiful to the eye.

Away from the tourist madness of Bali lies a village in Singaraja, in the northern part of the island. It is in this idyllic setting that you can find the Bali of children’s books.

Veteran journalist and media entrepreneur Erwin Arnada visited the village in 2008 and writes about it in his first novel, “Rumah di Seribu Ombak” (“A Home on a Thousand Waves”).

Set nearly a decade ago, “Rumah di Seribu Ombak” tells the story of an unconditional friendship between two boys, Samihi and Yanik, despite their different backgrounds and religions.

Born to Sumatran parents, Samihi grew up in a strongly Islamic environment in Singaraja, which has the largest Muslim population in Bali. Yanik, like most Balinese, is Hindu.

Despite these differences, both children, and the rest of the people in their village, live in harmony. Muslims go to the mosque and recite the Koran, as their Hindu neighbors place offerings of flowers at the small temples in their yards.

The natural beauty of Singaraja has helped attract tourists, helping the locals make a living. One of the area’s gems, Lovina Beach, is known for its fascinating waters and dolphins, as well as its snorkeling and boat tours. Among the holidaymakers, however, criminals lurk.

Yanik has been the victim of a pedophile, which happens more than people realize in Bali. Traumatized, the scars stay with him, but the 12-year-old eventually decides to confide in Samihi.

Together with Samihi, Yanik finds the courage to sneak into the pedophile’s house and steal the evidence of the crime, including recordings. Yanik discovers he is not the only victim, and the villager’s ultimately learn his secret.

In “Rumah di Seribu Ombak,” Erwin beautifully captures the picturesque scenery of the village, which hides the dark side of life in Bali. The child-molestation case presented in the novel is based on the writer’s visits and research in Singaraja.

As well as tapping into the expertise of nongovernmental organizations and journalists who have reported on pedophilia, Erwin dug deeper for his book. He also incorporates the 2002 Bali bombings in Kuta, which rocked the religious harmony of the island.

“Rumah di Seribu Ombak” is both an eye-opener and a page-turner. The descriptions of the traditions — such as mekidung, or praising the gods through singing, and ngulah semal, or squirrel hunting — place the reader in Singaraja.

Part way through writing his book, Erwin was imprisoned for what many people believe were politically motivated reasons. Erwin, who was the editor in chief of the Indonesian version of Playboy magazine, was sentenced to two years in prison for “offending public decency,” but released after nine months.

While serving his sentence last year, he completed the novel along with two other books and a screenplay.

“Rumah di Seribu Ombak” has since been made into a film and will soon be released in theaters. “It is currently going through the editing process,” Erwin told the Jakarta Globe.

Directed by Erwin himself, the film will hopefully portray Bali, and all its beauty and ugliness, as vividly as the book.

Rumah di Seribu Ombak (A Home on a Thousand Waves)
By Erwin Arnada
Published by GagasMedia
387 pages, in Indonesian
Available in major bookstores

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/lifeandtimes/former-playboy-editor-explores-darkness-amid-balis-beauty/493052

Aussie cities ranked among most expensive

2012-01-24T10:35:00.001+08:00

Posted January 23, 2012 13:43:00

Listen to an extended interview with Wendell Cox

Michael Janda

Source: The World Today | Duration: 4min 24sec

Topics: housing-industry, business-economics-and-finance, industry, government-and-politics, housing, australia

ELEANOR HALL: Australia is again leading the world when it comes to expensive real estate.

An international study of housing affordability puts Australia well behind the United States, Ireland, Canada, Britain and New Zealand.

The only housing market that was more expensive than here, relative to income, is Hong Kong.

Business reporter Michael Janda finds out why.

MICHAEL JANDA: You don't need to tell first home buyers that Australian housing's expensive.

But Demographia's eighth annual housing affordability survey confirms it.

WENDELL COX: The Australian figures tend to be a little bit worse than California which is the worst part of the United States. A little bit worse than the UK and so on.

MICHAEL JANDA: That's the study's co-author, Demographia's Wendell Cox. The median-priced house in Australia's major cities is an average of 6.7 times the median household income.

Only Hong Kong's housing is more expensive at 12.5 times median income while New Zealand is just behind Australia at 6.4.

Within Australia Sydney easily retains first place as the most unaffordable city, with the median house price 9.2 times the median household income. That made Sydney the third least affordable city in the study after Hong Kong and Vancouver but other Australian cities weren't much better.

Wendell Cox again.

WENDELL COX: Followed closely by Melbourne at eight, Adelaide is around I think what six, seven or seven something like that. Brisbane is 6.0 and Perth is down at 5.7 - actually having improved rather significantly in recent years.

MICHAEL JANDA: Real estate analyst Tim Lawless from RPData.com says Demographia's figures may exaggerate the affordability problem slightly but there's no doubt Australian cities are expensive places to buy homes.

TIM LAWLESS: It surely does reflect the fact that we are in a market place that still has some affordability challenges and even though we have seen those price declines, we haven't seen a dramatic improvement in affordability levels.

MICHAEL JANDA: And he says that has resulted in a shift in consumer behaviour.

TIM LAWLESS: There isn't any argument that in areas like Sydney for example, affordability is a real issue and we are seeing more and more people look towards the unit market as opposed to the detached housing in an effort to combat affordability.

MICHAEL JANDA: Wendell Cox lays the blame for soaring home prices squarely on a lack of land release and too much regulation restricting development.

WENDELL COX: It has to do with land use regulation. You have the philosophy of urban consolidation which has drawn strict borders around cities like virtually all of your large capital cities so that it is impossible really to build much on the fringe of the cities. I mean basic economics tells us that any time you create a shortage of anything whether it is land or cars or whatever it happens to be, you are going to drive the prices up.

MICHAEL JANDA: He says the regulations on what land can be developed also fuel property speculation.

WENDELL COX: Investors are not drawn to markets that don't have constraints. I mean there aren't any speculators in Dallas-Fort Worth, or Atlanta, why? Because you can develop land and you know, you'll speculate on land in Dallas-Fort Worth probably after you speculate on sand at the beach.

MICHAEL JANDA: Tim Lawless agrees that land restraints are driving prices up but he says there are other factors that cause Australian prices to be higher than those in the US.

TIM LAWLESS: Geographically we are quite a unique nation. We have virtually 50 per cent of Australia's population is across the three major capital cities for example. We have very tight urban densities in those cities and we have very little opportunities for employment outside the capital cities.

MICHAEL JANDA: There's also the issue of where people want to live. The list of most affordable cities is largely dominated by the US rust-belt, where jobs are hard to come by. The list of least affordable cities is dominated by business, financial and cultural capitals - where work and entertainment are easily accessible.

That could be one reason why Wendell Cox isn't sure the Australian housing bubble will burst.

WENDELL COX: Certainly it has a housing bubble. There is no question that Australian housing is incredibly over-valued by any sort of international standard. Whether it bursts or not, that is beyond my ability to really predict.

ELEANOR HALL: That's Wendell Cox ending that report by Michael Janda. And you can listen to extended versions of Michael's interviews with Wendell Cox and Tim Lawless on The World Today website later this afternoon.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-23/aussie-cities-ranked-among-most-expensive/3788284?section=business

Australia Open - Top 10 players' WAGs

2012-01-24T08:26:00.000+08:00

Top 10 players' WAGs

Home > News & Photos > Articles > Top 10 players' WAGs

Monday, 23 January, 2012
By Suzi Petkovski

Cameras devour them, fans want to know more about them, the superstars rely on their support. Here’s a top 10 of tennis wives and girlfriends.
1. Mirka Federer. The former Miroslava Vavrinec is the superstar tennis wife: a former player, Roger’s one-time PR manager, mother of their twin two-year-old daughters and a fixture in the player box at every Grand Slam match her husband plays. Mirka and Roger became a couple at the Sydney Olympics and wed in Switzerland in April 2009.
2. Bec Hewitt. The Hewitts have been inseparable since the 2005 Australian Open, when Lleyton famously proposed to actress Bec Cartwright the night he lost the final to Marat Safin. Love-all off the court. They married in July 2005, divide their time between homes in Sydney and the Bahamas, and have three children: daughters Mia and Ava and son Cruz.
3. Brooklyn Decker. How many wives beat their sport-star husbands to the cover of Sports Illustrated? Andy Roddick won the 2003 US Open and reached No.1; his knockout wife sent the Maldives into meltdown to win the iconic swimsuit issue cover in 2010. They married in April 2009.
4. Jelena Ristic. The honey-complexioned Jelena has dated Novak Djokovic on-and-off for several years. Last season she made the move to full-time travelling companion. Did Novak’s tennis no harm.
5. Maria Francisca `Xisca’ Perello. Rafa Nadal’s long-time love is a dark-haired fellow-Majorcan and business graduate. Reserved and private, Xisca shuns the spotlight and is not a regular on the tennis tour, but usually makes the trip to Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
6. Kim Sears. If it’s worse watching than playing, spare a thought for Kim in the player box as her man Andy Murray labours to win his first major. The down-to-earth blonde won‘t mind at all the media focusing on Andy‘s new coach Ivan Lendl. A tennis insider, Kim is the daughter of leading coach Nigel Sears, who now works with Ana Ivanovic.
7. Donay Meijer. Bernard Tomic’s 21-year-old girlfriend made a smash debut on the WAG scene at AO2012, scoring the front page of at least one local newspaper. Cameras love the former model and pharmacy student, who met Bernard several months ago at home on the Gold Coast.
8. Biljana Sesevic. Janko Tipsarevic cracked the top 10 at the end of 2011. He already won a top-10 wife in Biljana, a former TV presenter in Belgrade. Guests at their wedding in July 2010 included the Serbian Davis Cup team.
9. Sara Foster. Tommy Haas’s better half is an actress/model whose credits include 90210 and Entourage. Sara has been a regular presence in the player box at RLA. The glamour couple has a one-year-old daughter, Valentina.
10. Nicole Vaidisova. Radek Stepanek (aka Steps) really stepped up in the love game, marrying glamorous Czech mate Nicole Vaidisova in Prague 18 months ago. The decade-younger Vaidisova is a former top-10 player (like her husband) and Australian Open semifinalist in 2007.

US dollar index continueto fall. It has fallen almost 3% in just the last 11 days.

2012-01-24T08:02:00.000+08:00

I predicted at the beginning of the year "the US dollar index would continue to fall. It has fallen almost 3% in just the last 11 days. Further worries are that China has stopped or slowed down considerably their buying of US securities and treasury bills therefore reducing the demand for US dollars. Also more investors put risk on.
in strong stock markets since beginning the year is.

Can I believe what I read on TripAdvisor? for Bali Hotels & Villas

2012-01-24T06:33:00.002+08:00

Michael Gebicki

January 22, 2012

I'm booking a resort for an Easter holiday in Bali and I'm comparing properties on TripAdvisor. I've read that TripAdvisor reviews should be treated with caution, since hotels will sometimes employ public relations agencies to submit inflated reviews to plump up their appeal. Can I believe what I'm reading?
- P. Hood, Terrigal
More than 45 million would-be travellers click onto the TripAdvisor (tripadvisor.com) website every month, which makes it a powerful decision-making tool for consumers. On the whole, I believe TripAdvisor does a great job and I am a regular user.
While it is true that it is possible to slip in a favourable review of a hotel that does not deserve it, what a hotel manager cannot do is stop the negative reviews. If you see a property that has wildly divergent reviews, from "excellent" to "flea pit", be suspicious.
Look for a hotel with numerous reviews over a long time; disregard the most gushing and most venomous and you can be confident that you are getting an accurate picture.
Reviewers who have submitted to the TripAdvisor site multiple times are more likely to be a trustworthy source than those with just one or two reviews to their credit. Do not be discouraged by a few negative comments - you cannot please all the people all of the time.
I always take it as a promising sign when a hotel manager answers reviewers with genuine complaints and explains the situation from the hotel's point of view. Chances are these managers are diligent professionals who maintain a high standard.

http://www.watoday.com.au/travel/traveller-tips/can-i-believe-what-i-read-on-tripadvisor-20120119-1q811.html

Vancouver Real Estate Bubble About to Bust

2012-01-23T10:56:00.002+08:00

Editor's Note: Vancouver Real Estate to Drop

I have accurately predicted most major real estate markets throughout the world the last 30 years. And I can prove it.

I predicted the worldwide crash in 2007, the Australia downturn 12 months ago and the Singapore and Hong Kong downturn six months ago

Now I predict that Vancouver, my old hometown will see a major correction in real estate prices the next 12 to 24 months.

Why, Simple, Vancouver is vastly overpriced and with a more cautious Asian buyer and inflated Canadian dollar making it more difficult for Americans to buy the writing is on the wall.

Hint for Canadian owners. Sell now and move your money to Vancouver Island on the outskirts of Victoria where prices are still very reasonable.

For those of you that want to enjoy a place in the sun I can tell you as a Canadian living in Bali, Indonesia for 15 years, Bali has the best prices, lowest cost of living and one of the best lifestyles in world and I can prove that to.

Here you can still by beautiful two bedroom three bathroom luxury Villa for hundred and $189,000.

Could not even buy a garage in Vancouver for that for that price.

Vancouver Is Second-Costliest Housing Market

Vancouver’s median home price of C$678,000 ($686,400) in the third quarter was 10.6 times its median pretax household income of C$63,800, making the city “severely unaffordable,”according to Demographia. Photographer: Brent Lewin/Bloomberg

Vancouver displaced Sydney as theleast-affordable housing market after Hong Kong among largeEnglish-speaking cities, as home prices rose faster thanincomes, a study of 325 metropolitan areas worldwide showed.
Vancouver’s median home price of C$678,000 ($686,400) inthe third quarter was 10.6 times its median pretax householdincome of C$63,800, making the city “severely unaffordable,”Demographia said in a report today. A ratio of 3 or less isconsidered “affordable,” according to the public-policy firm’ssurvey of markets in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the U.K.,the U.S., Canada and Hong Kong.
Sydney’s ratio of median home price to income was 9.2,while Hong Kong’s was 12.6, a record for the eight-year-oldsurvey, surpassing the previous high of 11.5 for Los Angeles in2007. Home prices in Hong Kong, Vancouver and Sydney haven’tplunged as they have elsewhere, such as in Ireland, now thesecond most-affordable country, after the U.S., the study said.
“Housing affordability generally improved in the surveyednations, though the most unaffordable markets, Hong Kong andVancouver, became even more unaffordable,” wrote Wendell Cox,principal of Belleville, Illinois-based Demographia, and HughPavletich, managing director of Pavletich Properties Ltd., acommercial developer and investment company in Christchurch, NewZealand.
Policies limiting lots available for construction drove upland prices, putting homes out of reach for middle-class buyersand younger workers in cities such as Vancouver and Sydney, theresearchers said. The median price of a detached house inmetropolitan Vancouver reached a record C$900,000 in April 2011,according to the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver.

‘Massively Deteriorating’

“The causes of massively deteriorating housingaffordability are not a mystery,” Cox and Pavletich said.“They inevitably result from more restrictive land-useregulations adopted by governments with insufficient attentionto economic fundamentals.”
The study focuses on the home-affordability ratio, notabsolute prices. It doesn’t take into account such influences asfalling interest rates, an influx of foreign buyers or theattractions of climate and coastal location.
“There’s no question if you want to live in Manhattan orin a nice, close-in suburb, it’s going to cost you more,” Coxsaid in a telephone interview. “Demand doesn’t drive up prices.Demand drives up prices if there are constraints in supply, andthe cause here is regulation.”

Bubble Bursting

Home prices in the eight capitals of Australia’s states andterritories fell 3.7 percent in 2011 through November and wereon pace for the biggest annual decline in at least 12 years onconcerns that Europe’s debt crisis may damp the nation’seconomic growth, according to figures released Dec. 30 by RPData, a real estate researcher.
“The bubble is bursting in Australia,” said Pavletich,who operates PerformanceUrbanPlanning.org, a website on urbanpublic-policy issues.
In New Zealand, Christchurch is “severely unaffordable,”with a ratio of 6.3, according to the study. The city isrebuilding after a series of earthquakes that started in 2010.
“There’s huge pressure on the government to open up landsupply and get affordable new lots,” said Pavletich, who is anadvocate for the effort.
From the end of World War II through the late 1980s, homesin the countries surveyed generally cost two to three timesmedian income, according to Demographia. Today, only the U.S. isaffordable by the study’s measure, with Ireland and Canada“moderately unaffordable,” at 3.3 and 3.5 times median income,respectively.
U.S. Cities
San Jose, California, and San Francisco were the leastaffordable among U.S. housing markets with populations of atleast 1 million, according to the survey. Detroit was the mostaffordable market in that group, with a median multiple of 1.4times income, according to the study. Atlanta followed with 1.9,and Phoenix with 2.2.
Honolulu, with a smaller population, was the leastaffordable U.S. city, with a median multiple of 8.7.
Outside the U.S., Dublin, with a median multiple of 3.4,and Edmonton, Alberta, at 3.5, were the most affordable cities.
To contact the reporter on this story:Hui-yong Yu in Seattle at hyu@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story:Daniel Taub at dtaub@bloomberg.net

http://m.smh.com.au/business/property/prices-drop-but-houses-still-up-on-global-list-20120122-1qc99.html

Australia Home Prices drop but houses still up on global list

2012-01-23T10:35:00.002+08:00

Editor's Note; My prediction that Australian real estate prices would fall that I made a little over a year ago appears to be coming true as prices in Australia continued to seek more reasonable levels.

Chris Zappone January 23, 2012
Homes

HOUSING affordability improved in Australia last year, according to an annual international ranking, but local real estate still remains some of the least affordable in the world.

Australia's national unaffordability ratio sank from 6.1 times in 2010 to the still ''severely unaffordable'' ratio of 5.6 times, helped by sinking home prices, according to analysis by a US research group.

''Australia exhibited the worst housing affordability of any national market outside Hong Kong,'' the eighth annual Demographia International Housing Affordability survey of 325 markets concluded. The unaffordability ratio is derived from dividing the median house price by the median household income.

Demographia considers a median multiple rating of three times or under to be ''affordable''.

Housing markets with a median multiple of 3.1 to 4 times are dubbed ''moderately unaffordable''. The ratio of 4.1 to 5 times is ''seriously unaffordable'' while ''severely unaffordable'' markets have ratios of 5.1 times or above.

''There were no affordable markets in Australia in 2011 and the overwhelming majority of markets were severely unaffordable,'' the report said.

Hong Kong's national median multiple of 12.6 times topped the list for unaffordability, followed by Australia, New Zealand (5.2), Britain, (5.1), Canada (3.5), Ireland (3.3) and the US (3).

Britain, Ireland and the US have suffered crippling house price collapses, while Australian prices, after falling in 2008, rose through the September quarter of 2010, helped by rate cuts and cash stimulus. Capital city home prices have slipped 3.7 per cent in the 11 months to November, according to RP-Rismark data.

The Housing Industry Association-Commonwealth Bank housing affordability index, released last month, showed a 1.2 per cent rise in September quarter affordability. The median home price in November was $450,000, RP data showed.

Australia's property has been characterised as the most overvalued in the world by The Economist magazine and the bubble-watching investor Jeremy Grantham, from the US investment fund GMO.

In the Demographia survey, Sydney was the 323rd most affordable with a house price-to-income ratio of 9.2. Melbourne was 320 with a ratio of 8.4. Coffs Harbour was 319, the Gold Coast 318, and the Sunshine Coast 317.

http://m.smh.com.au/business/property/prices-drop-but-houses-still-up-on-global-list-20120122-1qc99.html

Tax Office Shelters Richest Men in Bali

2012-01-21T13:40:00.004+08:00

Friday, 20 January, 2012 | 10:26 WIB
TEMPO Interactive, DENPASAR:The Bali Tax Directorate General refuses to announce the 10 biggest payers in Bali who are also the richest people on the island. “It will impede their tax checks,” tax office chief Zulfikar Thahar said in Denpasar yesterday.

He said that such a policy has been conducted previously, but the following year the tax payers asked why they needed to be checked again as they had paid their taxes.

Thahar said tax revenue in 2011 reached Rp4.089 trillion.

The amount exceeded the targeted Rp4.070 trillion. Therefore, 100.48 percent of the target was achieved with a 0.48 percent surplus.

ROFIQI HASAN http://www.tempointeractive.com/hg/nasional/2012/01/20/brk,20120120-378558,uk.html

Boshe Dance Festival 2012 coming to Bali in February

2012-01-21T13:35:00.000+08:00

AsiaRooms.com -

Published on: January 19th, 2012 10:13pm by: hotel_guru

(1) Print This Release | Tell a Friend | Discuss This Press Release

(OPENPRESS) January 20, 2012 -- Dancers will be competing against each other for fame and fortune at the Boshe Dance Festival 2012, which commences in Bali in February.

Kicking off on February 8th at the Boshe VVIP Club, the festival will be free to enter and will allow performers to compete either on their own, or as part of groups of between three and eight people.

Showcasing dance styles such as salsa, modern and street, it will present competitors with the opportunity to put themselves in the spotlight, as well as giving them a chance to claim up to 32 million rupiah (£2,300) in prizes.

Elimination rounds will be held on February 8th, 15th and 22nd, with the semi-final to be held on the 27th and the grand final occurring on March 7th.

Prizes will be awarded to the overall winner and two runners-up, while further honours are available for the crowd favourites and those with the best make-up, choreography and costumes.

The festival takes place at one of Bali's hottest club venues, which is located in the Kuta district and offers live music, dancing and karaoke.

A wide selection of Bali hotels is available to dance enthusiasts at AsiaRooms.com, including the Jayakarta Bali.

---http://www.theopenpress.com/index.php?a=press&id=128987

Confusion over subsidized fuel restriction continues

2012-01-20T09:46:00.000+08:00

Bagus BT Saragih and Linda Yulisman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 01/19/2012 9:33 AM

Conserving energy: Official cars of Cabinet ministers parked behind the State Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday. The government will soon install converters inside the cars of top officials to switch their fuel supply from gasoline to liquefied gas as part of its campaign to reduce fuel subsidies. Antara/Widodo S. JusufThe confusion over planned subsidized fuel restrictions continued on Wednesday with the government signaling that it might replace the plan with fuel price increases.

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik said on Wednesday in Jakarta that the subsidized fuel restriction plan would lead to complicated technicalities that could make it difficult to implement.

The government has planned to ban private car owners from using subsidized fuels starting in April in Java and Bali, and on other islands in the coming years, limiting the use of subsidized fuels to public transportation vehicles, motorcycles and fishermen’s boats.

The government will only allow private car owners to use non-subsidized fuels, liquefied gas for vehicles (LGV) or compressed natural gas (CNG) and encourage them to install converter kits to allow the cars to run on gas.

“Gas supply ... OK, we have it from the Kangean Block which will start operating in June. However, what about the converter kits? We want to have them locally made, but our local producers will not able to produce all of the needed kits. Besides, the number of gas stations is also very limited,” Jero told reporters at the Presidential Office on Wednesday.

Earlier, the government said the plan to restrict subsidized fuel would cut its subsidy spending by almost 12 percent to Rp 208.9 trillion this year from Rp 237.2 trillion in 2011.

However, the plan has drawn criticism from various stakeholders who say it would place a heavier burden on private car owners as they would have to buy non-subsidized fuel at double the current price of Premium fuel, which is Rp 4,500 per liter (50 US cents).

Besides, many fuel stations in Java and Bali are not yet equipped with non-subsidized Pertamax fuel tanks, which would make it more difficult for car owners to find non-subsidized fuel.

To make it worse, there are only 10 liquefied gas for vehicle (LGV) stations and six compressed natural gas (CNG) stations in Greater Jakarta, and one CNG station in Surabaya.

Jero said that the government and the House of Representatives had mulled another option: To raise the price of subsidized fuel, which was also the demand of the critics of the subsidized fuel restriction plan.

“The option to push up the price is feasible. It is likely, even though the 2012 State Budget Law prohibits the government from increasing fuel prices for the people. But if the House agrees with the option, they must change the law,” Jero said, adding that the President had asked for fuel price increases to be avoided.

In spite of Jero’s statement, Industry Minister M.S. Hidayat said on the same day that the government would issue a regulation requiring all cars produced from 2014 to have converter kits. However, he acknowledged that as of today, there had been no formal talks on that matter with car producers.

Separately, Indonesian Automotive Industry Association (Gaikindo) deputy chairman Jongkie D. Sugiarto said that local manufacturers were still waiting for further technical guidance from the government about making converter kits for new cars, as this would affect the after-sales guarantee.

“We need to pay attention to the technical application of the converters as this relates to the after-sales guarantee. We must be careful because so many producers in the world produce them,” he said.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/01/19/confusion-over-subsidized-fuel-restriction-continues.html

Rod Stewart and His ‘Hot Legs’ Coming To Rock Indonesia

2012-01-20T08:48:00.002+08:00

Katrin Figge | January 19, 2012

British singer Rod Stewart performing in Nuremberg, Germany, in 2010. (EPA Photos)
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One of the best-selling artists of all time, Rod Stewart is bringing his distinctive, raspy voice to Indonesia for the first time.

The British singer and songwriter is scheduled to perform on Jan. 31 at the Jakarta Convention Center as part of his “Greatest Hits Tour.” It will be his only concert in Asia.

Stewart got his start in the music industry in the early 1960s and bounced around different bands before teaming up with The Jeff Beck Group in 1966, which proved to be his big break. While Stewart found his voice with the band and enjoyed a number of successes, he left in July 1969 to pursue a solo career.

His first solo album, “An Old Raincoat Won’t Ever Let You Down,” was released the same year and featured his first hit single, “Maggie May.”

Stewart was later brought in as the lead singer for Faces, the British rock band, joining guitarist and good friend Ron Wood in the lineup. He was soon juggling two music careers. As a solo artist, Stewart delivered songs that combined elements of folk, rock and country blues, while the music of Faces was often reminiscent of the Rolling Stones.

In 1975, Stewart and Faces parted ways, and he poured all his energy into his solo career. He quickly became an international star with a string of hits including “Never a Dull Moment” and “Sing It Again Rod.”

By the late 1970s, some critics were writing Stewart off as a fading star. He proved everyone wrong with a career revival in the early 1980s and his renewed stardom lasted for the next decade and included three platinum albums: “Foolish Behavior,” “Tonight I’m Yours” and “Out of Order.”

In 1998, Stewart’s life took a dramatic turn when he was diagnosed with throat cancer. After undergoing surgery, the veteran rocker found himself taking singling lessons as he tried to find his voice again.

Stewart has continued to sing and release albums, and he has changed his image from that of a playboy rocker of the 1970s to a crooner of ballads, the father of eight children and husband of former model Penny Lancaster.

In 2002, he released the first album in a series called “Great American Songbook,” for which he recorded pop standards and classic songs. More albums followed, with the latest, Volume 5, being released in 2010.

“As a musician, you’ve got to follow your own nose — which is quite easy for me, having quite a big nose — and so even though there was a bit of opposition to going this way, this is what I believed, and what I had to do,” Stewart said in an interview posted on his official Web site.

“American Songbook” fared well on the charts, and Stewart, now 67, was recognized for his contributions to the music scene. In 2006, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame that same year.

About his latest album, “Fly Me to the Moon … The Great American Songbook Volume V,” Stewart said: “It’s really a happy album when you look at it. For me, the hallmark is that I keep playing it a lot, and I very rarely go back and listen when I’ve finished an album. I’m my own worst critic, but I’m just knocked out by this one. I’m over the moon with it.”

His busy schedule has never allowed him to make a stop in Jakarta before, but now, 50 years after he launched his career, Indonesian fans will finally have the chance to see Stewart live on stage for a planned two-hour concert.

The Rod Stewart experience, however, doesn’t come cheap. Ticket prices range from Rp 1.5 million to Rp 15 million ($165 to $1,650). But according to Michael Rusli, president director of music promoter Big Daddy, which is organizing the concert, it will be worth it.

“Regarding the cost, this is the most expensive Big Daddy show to date,” he added. “That’s why we can’t lower the ticket prizes. The show will have a very high quality.”

“[The fans] will have a different experience,” he said during a press conference in December. “And for them, we would like to maximize the experience.”

Rod Stewart: The Greatest Hits
Tuesday, Jan. 31, from 8 p.m.
Plenary Hall Jakarta Convention Center
South Jakarta
Tel. 021 5366 4700

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/lifeandtimes/rod-stewart-and-his-hot-legs-coming-to-rock-indonesia/492380?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=jgnewsletter

Happy 2012 -Year of the Dragon

2012-01-19T06:24:00.001+08:00

2012 is Year of the Dragon and it will arrive on February 4, 2012. (Note: Chinese New Year Day is on January 23, 2012. The first day of 2012 Chinese Astrology Year is on February 4, 2012.) Many people must be eager to know if they will have better luck in the coming year than previous years. Here, we want to use Chinese Astrology Five Elements (Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth) theory to explain people's fortune in 2012 and foresee what will be happening to them in the year of the Dragon.
According to Chinese Five Element Astrology Calendar, 2012 is the Year of Water Dragon . The color of Water in Five Elements system is related to Black. Therefore we can say 2012 is a Black Dragon, Water Dragon or Black Water Dragon year.
Chinese Astrology is a Balance Theory of Five Elements. Each animal can be converted into Five Elements. Dragon contains Earth, Water and Wood. It's a source of Water and It is also called the Water Dam in Chinese astrology. Since Water of 2012 comes with Dragon. it implied Water from the sky makes a dam overflow. Therefore 2012 is a strong Water year.
Dragon is a legendary animal and it is symbol of emperor in China. Since the Dragon is coated with mysterious color, Chinese consider that the dragon is unpredictable, untouchable and people cannot see its head and tail at the same time. Therefore, we can might see something unexpected happening in 2012. Also a person with too many dragons in the Chinese astrology birth chart will become smarter, sly and unpredictable in the coming year.
2010 was the Year of White Tiger and is the beginning year of the Wood cycle.2011 was the Year of White Rabbit and is the middle year of the Wood cycle. The Dragon of 2012 is the last year of the Wood cycle. Dragon is the transition year to the Fire Cycle. The energy of Wood is in the East side. The energy of Fire is in the South side. We never know what will happen when turning from East to South. That's another sign of unpredictable Dragon year. You can have either good luck or bad luck in 2012, and will have a chance to turn it into better or worse luck.
Before predicting your luck in 2012, you have to know what Type of Element you are and what your Lucky Element is from your astrology birth chart. The Lucky Element is the major factor to determine people's fortune.2012 is the Year of Black Water Dragon, which contains Earth, Water and Wood. If your Lucky Element is Earth, Water or Wood, then 2012 will bring you some degree of luck. Since 2012 is Water Dragon, people whose lucky element is Water will benefit more in 2012. Fire is the opposite element of Water. People whose lucky element is Fire will have more impact in 2012.
For more details and an accurate prediction, the first step to knowing your fortune is know what animals are in your birth chart. You can find that information from the Chinese Astrology L
http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/2012ChineseHoroscope.htm

Hotels gearing up for Chinese New Year

2012-01-19T06:01:00.000+08:00

Desy Nurhayati, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar | Wed, 01/18/2012 8:35 AM

New year celebration: A man cleans statues in preparation for the upcoming Chinese New Year celebration at a temple in Denpasar on Tuesday. The Chinese New Year will be celebrated next Monday, the first day in the Year of the Water Dragon. JP/Agung ParameswaraThe tourist industry in Bali is preparing an array of events to lure visitors for Chinese New Year, which falls next Monday.

To welcome the Year of the Water Dragon, hotels have offered special packages for guests, ranging from dinners with Chinese menus featuring a Lion Dance through to unique fortune-telling sessions.

The Intercontinental Bali Resort in Jimbaran has offered guests the chance to savor specialty dishes and Chinese delicacies at its Yee Sang prosperity dinner, featuring a vibrant performance of the Lion Dance, which symbolizes prosperity.

“We believe that traditional Chinese New Year should be best enjoyed with truly authentic experiences. Therefore, we present a great selection of family oriented activities to ensure it would be a memorable event,” said Dewi Anggraini, the resort’s public relations director.

There will be Chinese-inspired pastimes for children and fortune telling sessions, as well as indulging spa rituals and Tai Chi gymnastics on the beach.

At the Yee Sang dinner, guests can enjoy dishes believed to bring health, wealth and happiness for the coming year.

“Guests can also join a private session with our guest fortune teller, which includes an insightful tarot card reading and numerology,” Dewi said.

Umalas Hotel and Residence in Kerobokan was also offering a special dinner with Chinese food, general manager Fajar Asmara said.

“During the dinner, we also invite guests to take angpao [red envelopes] and win various gifts, like discounts and vouchers to stay at the hotel. This is like presenting gifts on Christmas Day,” he said.

Bali Dynasty Resort in Kuta has planned a special Yee Sang dinner at its Golden Lotus restaurants, not only for in-house guests but also for any visitor wanting to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

The resort is expecting more guests to come to the restaurant to enjoy a Chinese traditional menu believed to bring luck and prosperity.

“On this occasion, we expect more guests coming from various countries like China, Singapore and Japan,” said the resort’s public relations spokeswoman Irma Wardani.

Guests usually came in groups facilitated by travel agents.

“They do not stay in the resort, since all rooms have been fully booked by other guests. But they come to the resort only to enjoy dining at the restaurant,” Irma said.

It has also been a tradition for the resort to feature the Lion Dance.

Grand Istana Rama Hotel in Kuta is expecting a surge in occupancy rates since due to more tourists coming from China and Taiwan.

“There will be a large group of tourists from China and Taiwan coming here to celebrate the Chinese New Year and to enjoy their holiday. They have booked 30 rooms,” said Bianca Rosetta, the hotel’s marketing communication executive.

Travel agents facilitating tourists from China said that there was usually an increase in Chinese tourist arrivals a week before and after the New Year celebration.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/01/18/hotels-gearing-chinese-new-year0.html

Toyota to increase investment in RI by further Rp 1.3t

2012-01-18T15:17:00.000+08:00

Editor's note;

I've been saying for many years now that Indonesia is not a rising tiger it's going to be a Lion in Asia.

Why, Because as China and Japan labor prices rise dramatically 200 to 300% more than in Indonesian labor it becomes very attractive for neighboring Asian countries to locate their manufacturing in Indonesia and ship from here.

Not to forget that Indonesia has abundant natural resources including coal for fuel diesel generators, and abundant minerals.

I wouldn't be surprised within a few years to see the Indonesian rupiah rises 10% to 20% against the U.S. dollar.

I'm very bullish on Indonesia especially on Bali as much of the profits that are generated at the manufacturing centers will be funneled by the rich towards their luxury villas and homes in Bali driving prices further and faster.

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 01/17/2012 6:58 PM

A | A | A |

Japanese carmaker Toyota Motor Corp (TMC) will add a further Rp 1.3 trillion (US$141 million) to its investment in Indonesia this year, in order to increase its production capacity to 230,000 vehicles by 2013.
“TMC has already agreed to add 50,000 vehicles more to the annual production capacity in Indonesia,” PT Toyota Astra Motor (TAM) president director Johnny Darmawan said on Tuesday as quoted by Antara news agency.
TMC president director Akio Toyoda had previously said in 2011 that the company would increase the production capacity of its manufacturing arm PT Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indonesia (TMMIN) from 110,000 vehicles to 180,000 vehicles per year, with an investment of around Rp 2.8 trillion.
Johnny, who is also TMMIN vice president director, said that the investment was an additional investment because TMC saw the Indonesian market continuing to grow. With the additional investment, the total TMMIN production capacity in 2013 vehicles could reach 230,000, while in 2012 it was expected to reach 180,000 vehicles.
He added that TMMIN would also build a new factory in Karawang, West Java, to meet the entire car demand in Indonesia.
“We are still facing supply shortages, despite being assisted by Daihatsu,” he said, adding that there would be new models produced in Indonesia in the next few years.
PT Astra Daihatsu Motor produces the Avanza multi-purpose vehicle and the Rush sports-utility vehicle for Toyota.
Johnny added that Toyota was also increasing its investment in Thailand making both countries huge production centers in the Asia Pacific region.
Meanwhile, TMMIN spokesman Irwan Priyantoko said there was still plenty of space in Toyota’s 100-hectare plot in Karawang.
“So far we have only used 40 hectares, including for the new factory to increase production to 180,000 cars per year,” he said.
“We have not decided yet whether we need new buildings for the additional 50,000 cars.”
In addition to manufacturing plant, Toyota’s facilities in Karawang also include stockyards and a testing ground. (drs)

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/01/17/toyota-increase-investment-ri-further-rp-13t.html

Balinese Workers among Injured in Italian Cruise Ship Disaster:

2012-01-18T14:39:00.003+08:00

The Indonesian Embassyin Rome has confirmed that there were 170 Indonesians working as crew on theill-fated cruise ship Costa Concordia when it struck a reef and collided in anincident off the Italian coastline. One of the injured men, I Kadek Agus Wijayais currently at the San Giovanni Hospital in Dio in Orbetello, Grosseto;... Read More!

More cost-effective for locals to holiday in Bali than Ballina.

2012-01-18T14:35:00.003+08:00

A fine mix of leisure and pain

January 18, 2012

At this time of year, countless Australians are sunning themselves on a beach somewhere, mentally doing the sums on buying a holiday home and renting it out for part of the year to help defray the costs. It is the property investor's equivalent of having your cake and eating it. But do the figures add up?
The local holiday rental market has been hit on a number of fronts in recent years. Property prices have fallen, natural disasters have hit traditional summer hot spots in Queensland and the high Australian dollar is keeping overseas visitors away while making it more cost-effective for locals to holiday in Bali than Ballina.
But it's not all bad news.
A partner at holiday rental agency South Coast Holidays, Paul Baldwin, says there is increased interest in self-contained holiday houses. He calls this the MasterChef effect. ''We get emails asking, 'Do you have a blender and a six-inch stainless-steel mixing bowl in the kitchen?''' Baldwin says. ''They all want to stay with friends and do the cooking - you can't do that in a hotel.''
The business development manager of the biggest online holiday accommodation site, Stayz (owned by Fairfax Media, publisher of The Sydney Morning Herald), Justin Butterworth, agrees. ''Families often want to cook, lounge by the pool and watch a DVD in peace and privacy,'' he says. ''They are attracted by the unique character of a home (as opposed to a hotel) and the greater affordability per head.''
Families are also taking more frequent, shorter breaks, so travel distance from big cities has a strong bearing on potential financial returns.

More below

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But the real game-changer for anyone wanting to put their holiday home to work is the internet, which has become the main distribution vehicle for holiday rentals. ''Holiday homes are as easy to book as hotels,'' Butterworth says.
An accountant with property specialists Chan & Naylor, Clive Nelson, says buying a holiday home as a rental proposition is not as common these days as it was before the global financial crisis. Making matters worse is the fact that coastal property values have fallen further than city prices on average.
''But if you take a contrarian view, that's an opportunity,'' Nelson says.
TAX DEDUCTIBILITY
When you buy a holiday home for investment purposes, potentially all or part of that expense can be claimed as a tax deduction.
You can only claim on a pro rata basis for the time your property is available for rent. Say you stay in the house for 30 nights in a single financial year. You can only claim for the other 335 nights it was available for rent, or 91.8 per cent of your costs.

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The founder of HLB Newhouse, Andrew Newhouse, says you can claim for running costs including utilities, cleaning, letting agent's commission, insurance and maintenance costs. But the two big deductions are for loan interest and depreciation (see below).
As with any investment, you need to look at the total return from income and capital growth after tax. While rental income is fairly steady - and with a holiday rental, partly under your control - capital growth is not.
''Don't buy [a holiday rental] based on yield - yields are half what interest costs are,'' Newhouse says. ''As an investment, it only makes sense if you have capital appreciation. But if you are buying [a holiday home] for lifestyle, then putting it up for holiday rental makes sense.''
Baldwin says you are doing well to get a rental yield of 3 per cent to 4 per cent after expenses on a holiday rental, although this is better than yields on similar permanent lets.
To maximise returns, you normally need to make the property available during the Christmas and New Year's period, school holidays, public holidays and long weekends. In other words, just when you would most like to stay there. However, Baldwin says you can work around these restrictions by taking a week later in January or weekends in February and March while the weather is still warm.
If you add up every weekend and all school holidays, it totals 150 nights, or 40 per cent of the year. ''If you are getting 30-40 per cent occupancy, you are doing quite well,'' Baldwin says.
DEPRECIATION
If you buy a property built after September 15, 1987, you can claim depreciation of 2.5 per cent. You may also be able to claim for plant and equipment such as airconditioning, carpet, stoves and hot-water systems. Between July 18, 1985, and September 1987, the rate was 4 per cent. Properties built before July 1985 cannot be depreciated. However, Nelson says there is nothing to stop you buying an old fibro shack on a large block and knocking it down to build a new house, which would be eligible for depreciation.

1 2 3 Next http://m.smh.com.au/money/investing/a-fine-mix-of-leisure-and-pain-20120117-1q3ko.html

Garuda Indonesia launches Tokyo-Bali service

2012-01-18T14:30:00.003+08:00

Jan 17, 2012 TOKYO, Japan - Garuda Indonesia, has announced a new flight service from Tokyo – Haneda Airport to Bali – Denpasar Airport effective 28 Aril 2012, details are as follows :
Flight Schedules:
Route Flight DEP ARR Air Craft DAY STOP
HND-DPS GA887 01:00 07:00 AB330-300 Daily 0
DPS-HND GA886 15:30 23:30 AB319-300 Daily 0
About Garuda Indonesia: Garuda Indonesia, Indonesia’s largest carrier is based in Jakarta Indonesia. The airline currently serves 50 domestic and international destinations.
Garuda Indonesia Equipment: The Garuda Indonesia fleet is composed of three B-747-400s, six A-330-300s and 39 B-737s (300, 400, 500 and 800 series).
Garuda Indonesia Route Overview: Garuda Indonesia is based in Jakarta at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
Garuda Indonesia Flies to 19 International Destinations
Asia : Bangkok, Hongkong, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore
Japan, Korea and China : Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Seoul, Guangzhou (Canton), Beijing, Shanghai
South West Pacific : Melbourne, Perth, Sydney
Middle East : Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Dubai
Europe : Amsterdam
Garuda Indonesia Domestic Destinations : 31 Destinations
Banda Aceh, Medan, Pekan Baru, Batam, Padang, Palembang, Pangkalpinang, Bandar Lampung, Jambi, Jakarta, Jogyakarta, Solo, Semarang, Surabaya, Malang, Denpasar, Ampenan, Makassar, Manado, Palangkaraya, Pontianak, Banjarmasin, Balikpapan, Kupang, Kendari, Biak, Jayapura, Timika, Ambon, Ternate, Palu

http://www.eturbonews.com/27437/garuda-indonesia-launches-tokyo-bali-service

First Big Cruise Ship Berths At Bali's Benoa Harbour

2012-01-18T14:26:00.003+08:00

DENPASAR, Bali, Jan 17 (Bernama) -- A cruise ship named MV Legend of the Seas, the biggest yacht, to berth in Benoa Harbour here, Antara news agency quoted Deputy Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sapta Nirwandar said.

"Previously, cruise ships of the same size as the Legend could not berth at any Indonesia port. They could only throw anchor some distance from the coast and transport passengers to the shore by small boats," he said.

Sapta Nirwandar also said the 264.3-meter-long Legend of the Seas was the biggest cruise ship to berth at an Indonesian port, in this case Benoa, Bali.

Meanwhile, the harbour and dredging director of Bali`s Transportation Office, Kemal Heryandri, said Benoa harbour was ready to receive big ships from overseas.

Kemal Heryandri said coral reefs in the harbour waters had been removed in 2011 to ensure the navigation safety of big ships, even of ships bigger than the MV Legend.

Besides, Kemal added, the local government had also dredged the coastal waters up to a depth of 11 meters.

"In 2012, the dredging will reach 12 meters to enable big cruise ships to berth easily and safely," Kemal said.

President Director of PT Indonesia Harbour (Pelindo) III, Djarwo Surjanto, had previously said Benoa would be the first port in Indonesia able to receive the Legend of the Seas.

The cruise ship had 2,300 passengers and a 1,000-strong crew on board when it arrived in Benoa.

"The Legend`s visit will attract world attention because it is the first time for a big cruise ship to berth at an Indonesian port," Djarwo said.

-- BERNAMA http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v6/newsworld.php?id=640599

Just like the movie! Tyra Banks finds a new beau on Eat Pray Love inspired trip to Bali

2012-01-18T14:22:00.000+08:00

By Mike Larkin

Last updated at 11:04 PM on 17th January 2012

New romance: Tyra Banks has found a new mystery love after her recent trip to Bali

She was recently left broken hearted after splitting from her boyfriend of the last three years.
But after enjoying a 'spiritual trip' to Bali, supermodel Tyra Banks has found love again.
According to People she is now enjoying a long distance relationship after her Eat Pray Love inspired trip to the Far East.
She met the mystery man while she was travelling.
And after flying back to New York, the lovesick star hopped onto the next plane back to Bali to spend a steamy holiday with him.
A source said: 'It's a total long-distance romance, but it's a big deal.'
Striking gold in the fields of Bali is good news for the America's Next Top Model host, as she was devastated after her break-up with banker John Utendahl after three years.
Friends had predicted that Tyra, 38, would settle down with the hunk.
It emerged just last week the sexy star had decided to go on a spiritual retreat to clear her mind - and she certainly seems to have got more than she bargained for .
A source at the time said: 'Tyra has gone away with a female friend and has been island-hopping, visiting Bali and taking a spiritual retreat.'
Wealthy John, who runs an investment bank, is reported to have got over the split and was seen at a bar with a leggy Russian model.
Banks first met Utendahl in 2007, but only went public with their romance a year later.
Earlier this year the former Victoria's Secret model and 50 year old Utendahl were spotted during a romantic vacation to Mexico.
Banks, who won an Emmy for her chat show The Tyra Banks Show has never talked publicly about her love life.
But when she appeared on Larry King's Dinner with the King last week she said her tough girl appearance as a judge on Top Model was all an act.

Over: The model and TV star split from her boyfriend John Utendahl, pictured here together in September

She said: 'In real life I'm passive aggressive..I'm even in coaching to learn how to be confrontational.'
The Mail contacted Tyra's representatives, but has yet to receive a response.
In the film Eat, Pray Love Julia Roberts travels to the Far East to get over the end of a relationship.
The film is based on the best-selling book by Elizabeth Gilbert.

Life imitating art: Julia Roberts found love with Spanish hunk Javier Bardem in Eat Pray Love

Garuda seeks to dodge EU carbon tax scheme

2012-01-18T09:15:00.001+08:00

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 01/17/2012 11:24 PM

National airline Garuda Indonesia said that they were not willing to pay the European Union’s emission trading scheme (ETS), which charges airlines for greenhouse gases produced by their jets flying to and from the EU, a senior official said.

“We actually do not want to pay the ETS because the consequences would be that we would raise
our ticket prices,” Garuda Indonesia finance director Elisa Lumbantoruan told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

It would be financially viable for Garuda, however, to pay such a tax next year, Elisa said.

In addition, the airline’s vice president for corporate communication Pujobroto said that Garuda had reported their emission budget for this year’s Jakarta–Amsterdam route, which connects in Dubai, to the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment.

Pujobroto said the airline would receive the final evaluation from the Dutch ministry in December.

“If we emit more carbon than the level allowed, we would pay the tax,” he told the Post.

However, Elisa said that they were optimistic that Garuda would not exceed the carbon cap because their aircraft were environmentally friendly.

Besides, he continued, the EU would only count the carbon emitted on the Dubai to Amsterdam leg of the route, he added.

The EU’s new aircraft emissions scheme came into force on Jan. 1 and the EU said that it would not back down from the new tax despite mounting international pressure to do so.

Several nations, such as China, India and the United States have criticized the new tax.

The ETS is an extension of a 2003 EU carbon trading scheme that covers factories, power plants and other installations. The scheme, which sets a limit on the level of emissions allowed, is a key part of EU’s climate change policy aimed at reducing global warming emissions.

Under the scheme, the facilities that emit more carbon than their prescribed limit will have to buy permits to cover their emissions.

But, if their emissions are less than the allowed limit, they would be allowed to sell spare permits from their emission allowances.

In a separate interview, Transportation Ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan said the Indonesian government was against the carbon emission scheme.

Bambang said that Indonesia was not alone as Transportation Ministries in the Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN) were on the same page about the new tax system.

“Our decision in the last ASEAN working group last year is that we are against the ETS,” he added.

According to Garuda Indonesia’s official website, the flight to Amsterdam takes off from Jakarta everyday at 8:40 p.m., arriving in Dubai at 2 a.m. The aircraft then departs again at 3:15 a.m., arriving at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport at 8 a.m.

Elisa said that the ETS did not discourage the airline’s intention to add to its fast growing network over the next four years with new routes to Frankfurt, London, Paris and Rome.

“If the routes are profitable, we will open them,” Elisa said. (nfo)

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/01/17/garuda-seeks-dodge-eu-carbon-tax-scheme.html

Hong Kong Real Estate Report Q1 2012: Demand and Prices to Decline Steadily over the Coming Months

2012-01-17T10:44:00.002+08:00

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Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/8c6d7e/hong_kong_real_est) has announced the addition of the "Hong Kong Real Estate Report Q1 2012" report to their offering.
Prices and demand in Hong Kong's real estate sector have peaked, particularly in the residential and office sub-sectors. Analysts are expecting demand and prices to decline steadily over the coming months, thanks in part to the government's residential price cooling measures. Nevertheless, the country is likely to remain the world's most expensive for property over the medium term.
Business Monitor International's Hong Kong Real Estate Report provides industry professionals and strategists, corporate analysts, real estate associations, government departments and regulatory bodies with independent forecasts and competitive intelligence on Hong Kong's Real Estate industry.

A consistent increase in the number of tourists arriving from mainland China have helped contribute to Hong Kong's retail sub-sector seeing the most success during the H211. This is likely to continue at least over the short term, as the country is perceived as one of the most reliable for retail products, providing high quality produce at low prices.
Industrial demand may experience a temporary fall, as external trade has decreased to the US and eurozone amid debt fears in those regions. However, logistics companies are increasingly looking towards emerging markets for their property, and although BMI is yet to see an increase in demand this may counter any forthcoming decline caused by reduced exports.
Key Opportunities In The Real Estate Market:

If the market is about to soften in Hong Kong, it is likely that prices will decrease and the major financial areas will become more affordable.
Investment activity in Asia Pacific has generally picked up in the wake of the current uncertainty in the US and eurozone. As one of the world's top financial centres, Hong Kong stands to benefit from international interest.
Retail sales are likely to remain buoyant even if property prices do not decline, thanks to the continued influx of tourists from the mainland.

Companies Mentioned:

Cheung Kong (Holdings)
Chinese Estates Group
Henderson Land Development (HLD)
Sino Group
Sun Hung Kai Properties

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/8c6d7e/hong_kong_real_est
http://www.bradenton.com/2012/01/16/3794509/research-and-markets-hong-kong.html

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2012/01/16/3794509/research-and-markets-hong-kong.html#storylink=cpy

Golden Globes 2012: Morgan Freeman honored with Cecil B. DeMille Award; actor’s ‘Electric Company’ past illuminated

2012-01-17T09:27:00.000+08:00

Clip shows the man who would play Mandela as a vampire singing in the bathtub

Handout/Getty Images

Morgan Freeman accepts the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award at Sunday night's Golden Globes. He was joined onstage by the award's presenters, Sidney Poitier and Helen Mirren.

Of all of Morgan Freeman's many distinguished roles that were displayed in a moving montage before the actor was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes Sunday night, one stood out in particular for viewers.
It wasn't for "Driving Miss Daisy." Or “The Shawshank Redemption." Or embodying Nelson Mandela in "Invictus" or reformer principal Joe Clark in "Lean on Me." Or playing the U.S. President in "Deep Impact" or God in "Bruce Almighty." Or his Oscar-winning turn in "Million Dollar Baby."
A 37-year-old clip of the 74-year-old in a little remembered stint as a singing vampire on the PBS children's show "The Electric Company" took the Twitterverse by storm Sunday night.
"Some vampires like it in a bathtub, others have tried a sink," he sings while sudsing himself up in a coffin in the clip. "But when I'm flushing, I'm wishing to be washing in something that's soft and lined with pink."
Freeman exchanged some good-natured ribbing from co-presenter Helen Mirren — his co-star in "Red" — and platitudes with former DeMille recipient Sidney Poitier.
“Being up here receiving this award, this tribute that you yourself received, makes it clear to me that though they call this the Cecil B. DeMille Award, in my house, it will also be called the Sidney Poitier Award," Freeman said.
The actor has been collecting lifetime achievement honors of late, including one last year from the American Film Institute and more recently from the People's Choice Awards.
"If you do what you love, you’ll never have to work a day in your life," he said Sunday night.

Boss Allegedly Attacks Maid Over SMS in Bali

2012-01-16T19:27:00.000+08:00

January 15, 2012An enraged employer, Fatahul Hazizah, 35, is accused of attacking her domestic worker, Hidayah Amani, 19, after discovering a suspicious SMS message on her husband’s cellphone that he had allegedly sent the woman.

Hidayah said Fatahul approached her and accused her of having an affair with her boss in their Denpasar home. At the time, Fatahul was sitting with a friend, who was ironing.

Fatahul allegedly slapped and kicked Hidayah, then grabbed the hot iron and pressed it against the side of the woman’s face.

Hidayah said that as she cried in pain with her head bowed, Fatahul returned with hot water and poured it over her head and chest.

Nengah Budawati of the Bali-based Legal Aid Foundation of the Indonesian Women’s Association for Justice (LBH Apik) said on Friday that her organization planned to help the victim take her complaint to the police on Monday. http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/boss-allegedly-attacks-maid-over-sms-in-bali/491414

Bali rides a new wave of flavour

2012-01-16T19:18:00.000+08:00

Jacquie Byron

January 17, 2012

Phil Davenport, executive chef at Ku De Ta and formerly at Hugo's in Bondi.

Australian chefs are turning the island into a global food-lovers' favourite.
IN THE 2½ years since former Sydneysider Kath Townsend took on the executive chef role at luxury Ubud resort Maya, she has witnessed a momentum that shows no signs of slowing.
''This season has been insane … and my first one was a record for Bali, despite the global financial crisis in Australia,'' Townsend says. ''The high season used to start at the end of June; now it starts at the beginning, even in Ubud, and we're supposed to be the village, boutique area.''
Townsend has worked in Vietnam, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and spent several years as Bill Granger's right-hand woman at Bills in Darlinghurst.

Ubud duck, three ways, at Maya.

She says there has been an influx of Australian chefs in Bali. It can feel as if there are more award-winning foreign chefs and restaurateurs there now than there are surfers, at least in the busiest areas of Seminyak, Legian and Ubud.
Townsend reels off a few names: Stephen Moore, a former Rockpool guy at Cocoon Beach Club in Kuta; and in Ubud, Nicolas Lazzaroni, a chef who made a name for himself in Byron Bay and ''takes his food very seriously at Bridges''.
''The general managers here really like Aussie chefs,'' Townsend says. ''They think we have a 'give it a go' attitude. I've been employable in Asia because they tell me I'm not like some European chefs; I don't have the 'this is my kitchen, stay out' attitude. We get on with it.''

A dish at Davenport's Ku De Ta. Photo: Christopher Leggett

There are many theories about the flourishing dining scene. One highlights the ''new'' money coming in from Jakarta, China, Russia and India. There is also the fact that Italians and the French have always loved Bali and, as economic woes dog Europe, the island's value for money, great weather and exoticism make it a perfect alternative.
Australian interest is also part of the picture: the number of Australian tourists choosing Bali for their holidays rose about 27 per cent (on the previous year) and was nudging 350,000 in the first half of last year.
New Zealander Phil Davenport is executive chef at Ku De Ta in Seminyak. Like many of his island-bound colleagues, Davenport was known in Australia - as head chef at Bondi's Hugo's - before taking his career on the road, including a stint at a private club in London's Mayfair and at a boutique resort on the Caribbean island of Antigua.

The lounge and restaurant at Metis.

Davenport says he sees ''different people in different seasons''. July for Australians, for example, August for the French and Italians, January for the Russian Christmas revellers and Chinese New Year for guests from Singapore and Hong Kong. Then there is the local community, which includes a considerable French expat population of about 25,000.
Prahran-based architect Charlie Salter designed the stunning Metis restaurant in Kerobokan, next to Seminyak, with Denpasar-based, Australian-educated Shinta Siregar from Nexus Studio. He has another theory: ''Bali is like the Gold Coast for people with money in Perth. It's just a three-hour flight, so plenty of Aussies own properties there. Consequently, you'll see the restaurants full of an older crowd, who are after an elegant, complete dining experience. They're the kind of people you'll see at Sarong.''
Also in Kerobokan, Sarong is the opulent restaurant-cum-lounge from Will Meyrick, former chef at Sydney's Jimmy Liks and Longrain. It's a bit like Donovan's sexier, hot-blooded sister, with plush furniture, juxtapositions of style and plenty of room for lounging.

Maya Sari restaurant in Ubud.

Metis is fine dining as envisioned by Nicolas ''Doudou'' Tourneville and Said Alem, two men known for another popular place, Warisan. The downstairs section of the restaurant is arranged in a U shape. Tuck into sashimi-style scallops, or stuffed zucchini flowers, as you look out over lily-filled ponds, which are spotlit at night. Metis mixes food, shopping and design with boutiques and galleries through the complex, a concept Warisan pioneered.
But it is catering that Salter says the Metis guys have really tapped into. There is big business to be had in Bali, with customers coming from Jakarta, China, India and elsewhere. From wedding receptions and cocktail parties to anniversaries or corporate events, people are looking for places outside of big hotels to host large functions. This could mean somewhere such as Metis but also at the large walled villas popping up all over the island.
Regular visitors to Bali have their favourites, depending on where they stay, and new ones are constantly appearing. La Lucciola, the thatched-roof grand dame on Seminyak beach, remains a romantic and sentimental favourite, the kind of place at which one might pop the question.
Gado Gado, also by the water, is a beautiful spot to tuck into a nest of angel-hair pasta with chilli crab or a smoked-salmon sandwich with hand-cut coleslaw for lunch. The venue's huge deck looks out on swimmers and men selling kites and it appeals to couples and families alike. A large tree grows up through the deck, its long, low arm reaching down over the waiters' station, meaning the serving staff have to limbo to get to their equipment; there's also a bar that beckons for a sunset cocktail.
Sarong is a gorgeous night out, welcoming and serving Asian street food that's had a million-dollar makeover. Try the twice-cooked pork belly with mandarin slices on the side, the salt-and-pepper squid or the naan stuffed with lamb and yoghurt.
Ku De Ta has a reputation as the place where Bali goes to party. An elegantly sprawling design means serious diners remain undisturbed by the drinkers on the rooftop beer garden.
What drives chefs such as Davenport to go to so much trouble to create dishes of a standard that appeals to the Miele Guide?
''We're professionals,'' he says. ''We're going to give the best we've got. I'm employed to do a good job. It's my career, my legacy and reputation. We want to be known as a food destination. Chefs don't want to just work at beach bars.''

Bebek betutu or babi galing? Best of Balinese is worth the hunt

MANY of Bali's hippest restaurants concentrate on Mediterranean cuisine or fusion styles - indigenous Balinese cooking is rarely the focus. Shinta Siregar, who helped design Metis in Kerobokan, says this might be because the Asian clientele snaps up local chefs for their private villas. ''This food is often superb and you wouldn't be able to find it in any restaurant,'' she says. Siregar's own live-in Javanese cook is so popular she caters for the architect's friends and colleagues. At lunchtime she heads off on her motorbike to deliver food.
Siregar loves Padang food of West Sumatra and cites as favourites La Pau at Sanur, where ''mum does the cooking, great beef rendang'', and Warung Batavia in Seminyak.
Phil Davenport enjoys eating at Bambuku in Kuta where ''they make stuff for lunch and, once it's gone, it's gone''. He says Jimbaran Bay, home of seafood grilled with Balinese sauces, is worth a sundown visit - Menega Cafe is a favourite.
Maya's Kath Townsend likes Ubud's healthy eating options - Bali Buddha and Naughty Nuri's. She says these are popular with ''the EPLs'' coming to Ubud (EPL refers to visitors inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert's book Eat, Pray, Love). She likes to eat nasi champur, Indonesian mixed rice, and the distinctive Balinese Bumbu spice mix - ''highly medicinal''.
A member of the Slow Food movement and its founder in Ubud, Townsend loves slow-roasted Balinese duck, bebek betutu. ''It's marinated in a special spice mix, using the lean ducks from the rice paddies, wrapped in banana leaves, then wrapped in coconut husks and baked in the ground. You need to order a day in advance.''
Babi guling is Bali's famous roast pig. Townsend's diners enjoy a version ordered in from a local roaster. Ubud is also home to Ibu Oka, the place where Anthony Bourdain had what he called ''the best pig ever''.

Expensive drop

WINE prices remain a sticking point everywhere you go in Bali - in the range of $75 for a bottle of Peter Lehmann shiraz at Metis.
While Bali is Hindu, Indonesia is a Muslim country, so the sale of alcohol, and the taxing of it, remains tricky. Those in the know suggest trying Chilean drops or something from California as alternatives. The island is overpopulated with ''mixologists'', so cocktails are plentiful and inexpensive.
If beer is more your thing, it's available at many convenience stores. The original local tipples, Bali Hai and Bintang, are (thankfully) now up against newcomer Storm Brewing, a pale ale full of hoppy goodness, similar to Fat Yak. Many places also sell Carlsberg, San Miguel and Heineken.

Source: Epicure

Indonesia new honey pot for expatriates

2012-01-16T19:09:00.000+08:00

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 01/16/2012 9:43 AM

P.C. Young, 42, decided to relocate to Indonesia from South Korea early last year to help run the family business of making shoes for the export market.

With the business becoming more promising, his family’s plant in Cikarang, West Java, received more orders, which eventually earned Young more than he did in South Korea.

“What more can you hope for? I earn more here, plus the living costs are far cheaper than in Korea,” Young said.

Young is among 55,010 foreigners who have working visas in Indonesia, a figure which, according to the directorate general of immigration, rose by 10 percent last year compared with 2010.

Despite the negative news coverage of Indonesia worldwide concerning Islamic extremism, terrorist threats, natural disasters, rampant corruption and deteriorating hygiene, the country is attracting more foreign nationals than ever.

A thriving economy, low cultural barriers, a friendly atmosphere and political stability have apparently quashed such concerns, luring more foreigners to head for Indonesia, rather than scaring them away.

The number of foreign residents in Indonesia, excluding tourists and foreign emissaries, rose by 6 percent to 111,752 last year, according to immigration office statistics — a copy of which was obtained recently by The Jakarta Post.

Aside from the expatriates, the figure also includes the principal expatriates’ family members, students, business owners and NGO workers.

“Economic factors have played a role in attracting foreigners. It’s a good sign, as we are now considered a safe and promising country,” said the director general of immigration, Bambang Irawan, recently.

Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, has seen economic growth average at more than 6 percent annually over the past five years, with foreign direct investment (FDI) soaring into double digits.

Realized investment in the first nine months of last year at US$14.7 billion had already surpassed the total 2010 figure of $13.4 billion, according to Bank Indonesia.

Industry and manufacturing, trade, mining, education and construction sectors absorbed most of the expatriates last year.

The industrial and manufacturing sectors attracted the most foreign workers, rising by 18 percent to 16,084 from 13,045 in 2010, according to the immigration office.

“The rise in FDI has to some degree contributed to the soaring inflow of expatriates,” said the Industry Ministry’s director general of international industrial relationships, Agus Cahyana.

“They mostly take high-level positions in companies,” Agus said.

The inflow of foreign nationals has also contributed to boosting the local economy with the sprouting of restaurants, bars, clubs, hotels, and apartments catering to expatriates, especially in Greater Jakarta.

While data detailing which nationalities are granted the highest number of working visas is not publicly available, it is possible to infer the origin of most foreign nationals by looking at the number of visas issued for stays of between six months and one year.

Most of those visas are issued to Chinese, Japanese, South Korean Indian, US and Australian nationals.

Related News >>http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/01/16/indonesia-new-honey-pot-expatriates.html

Lessons from Bali

2012-01-16T15:36:00.001+08:00

Pride of Place

Like the Philippine rice terraces, Balinese and other Asian rice landscapes have a network of man-made canals that are communally managed following a traditional method

5:16 am | Monday, January 16th, 2012

EVERYONE is on the beach at Sanur: tourists, food hawkers, bikers, dogs.

At Bali Ngurah Rai airport, I beat the queue to a newly opened window at the immigration counter. The officer who had just come on duty routinely stamped my passport while staring blankly through the glass enclosure toward the rapidly thickening queue of tourists forming in front of his window.
Everyone looked jaundiced under fluorescent lights. Tired from long flights, each zombie in the immigrations room just wanted to get out of the airport quickly and step into Bali at last.
I stepped into Bali close to midnight. We drove for an hour to my hotel in Sanur. Early the following morning, I stepped onto my high-rise balcony, inhaled the salt air, heard waves gently breaking on the shore below, and went into holiday mode.
While tourists were asleep and souvenir shops shuttered, I walked on a paved public path along the beachfront that ran past luxury hotels, restaurants and closed food stands that still smelled of last night’s beer and barbecue.
Service crews swept away the remains of the previous evening’s revelry from the beach and raked the sand. Tables and chairs were being set out in the outdoor restaurants, getting ready for the day.

AN UPSCALE outdoor restaurant evokes fantasy Borobudur images on the sand

The public path democratically exposed to one and all the different hotels’ pools amid lush tropical gardens that wind around tree-shaded terraces where extravagant breakfast buffets were being set up.
Touristic Bali was, well, very touristic, exactly what the guidebooks said it would be.
Another side
However, another side of Bali came into view when we drove up into the hills of Ubud to start our mission to investigate the Balinese cultural landscape and look into the national and local government’s protection and conservation plan for it.
Picturesque Ubud is thick with tourists, packed with the usual roadside craft and souvenir shops, restaurants, massage places and Internet cafés. On the surface, it feels just like any other tourist town.
We had lunch at Indus Restaurant on Ubud’s main road whose open decks in the rear overlooked a rural landscape of rice terraces and forests, peaceful and quiet, a cultural landscape irrigated by a network of canals dating back to centuries ago.

A RARE moment of peace and quiet before the tourists invade the beach

Cultural landscapes are scenic and beautiful places where humans and nature coexist in such balanced unison that it is difficult to separate the impact of one from the other. These landscapes were shaped by a long interaction of humans with nature.
Agricultural landscapes are one type of cultural landscape; they show how humans modify the natural landscape to accommodate a specific need to grow rice. The paddied rice landscape that undulates with the natural topography is seen in all rice-growing Asian countries.
The spectacular Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, a Unesco World Heritage property, are considered the most dramatic rice landscape in Asia.
The difference between Balinese and other Asian rice landscapes is that the network of man-made canals irrigating the rice terraces is communally managed following an old, traditional method called the subak system.
Ancient system

TOURISTS, restaurants and bars crowd the beachfront walkway on the Sanur public beach.

Dating to the 11th century, the subak system is a social, religious and agricultural institution unique to the Balinese. It is a self-governing, democratic organization of farmers who manage the flow of water emanating from a single source from the crater lakes of Mt. Batur or Batukaru that are considered holy sites by Balinese marked by the largest and most important temples.
Water is believed to be a gift of the Goddess of the Lake. Therefore, temples always mark the point of origin of a water source.
From the temple source, a wide network of canals distributes the water downhill to the many groups of terraces that form the subak system attached to that particular temple.
During highly structured ceremonies, the temple priests allocate and control the flow of water to all paddies of their temple’s subak. They also assign planting schedules among the farmers to assure adequate water supply for all.
Through participation in the subak system, the Balinese learn how to manage and distribute limited water resources fairly, learning village organization skills, create equitable community welfare and to arrive at community decisions through consensus.
Farmers manage the system, coordinate planting and harvest schedules, always planting groups of terraces simultaneously for efficient water control. After harvest, farmers open canals, flood the terraces, drown rats and insects, and prepare the field for the next planting.
A single subak can consist of a group of paddies irrigated through canals and tunnels flowing from a single branch of a shared water source. Small subak groups connect to a larger subak group, ultimately connecting to an entire group of subaks all receiving water from the same temple source.
After the water channeling from the temple source is used for religious ceremonies, canals and tunnels transfer water downhill for distribution to all subaks that branch out from the same source.
Excess water channels downhill from one paddy cluster to irrigate the next, ultimately emptying to a river or the sea.
To be continued next week.
Comments welcome at pride.place@villalonarchitects.com or www.villalonarchitects.com.

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http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/31231/lessons-from-bali

Bali Tourism Grows 10 per cent in 2011

2012-01-16T10:56:00.000+08:00

By: Priya Aggarwal| | Viewed: 119 | Published in Travel News|

Bali tourism posted strong 10.57 per cent growth in tourist arrivals beating the official estimates. Bali welcomed 2.7 million tourists last year comparing to 2.4 million visitors in 2010.

Bali managed to beat the government target by 56,579 arrivals. Despite all the negativity surrounding Bali over the issues of traffic and rabies dogs, tourism performed very well and continued to recover from the terror attack few years ago.

The growth was lead by the tourists from United States. Despite the economic crisis, arrivals from United States grew by 25 per cent to 90,154 tourists. Australia came in second with 22.09 per cent growth, followed by China and Singapore.

Bali tourism officials were happy with the growth from United States despite economic crisis. Bali could take additional steps to attract more tourists from United States in 2012. Ever since the slump in tourism, Bali has started to explore new markets to revive tourism industry. Other markets being explored include India and China.

So far there has been very little success from India but Indonesia is determined to attract more Indian tourists in the future.

tags: Bali Tourism, United States, Indian Tourists, Indonesia Tourism
http://www.easydestination.net/blog/index.php?itemid=2581

British Columbia Real Estate dollar volume of homes sold through Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in BC climb

2012-01-14T15:33:00.001+08:00

Home Sales Increase Last Year

Vancouver, BC – January 13, 2012. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that the dollar volume of homes sold through Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in BC climbed 14.3 per cent to $43.1 billion in 2011. A total of 76,817 homes were sold in BC in 2011, up 2.9 per cent from 2010. The average annual MLS® residential price climbed 11.1 per cent to $561,026 over the same period.

Safe-Cracking Thieves Strike Again in Denpasar

2012-01-13T18:18:00.005+08:00

Made Arya Kencana | January 12, 2012

Denpasar. Police in Bali are under pressure to put an end to a spate of robberies in which criminals in Denpasar and surrounding areas have broken into safes and made off with hundreds of millions of rupiah.

The most recent robbery took place at the education quality assurance agency in Denpasar early on Thursday morning. Four masked thieves broke into a safe and took Rp 300 million ($32,700).

“The security guard was bound and gagged,” Nyoman Sucita, the head of the agency, said, adding that the thieves left behind Rp 2.2 million, ostensibly for the security guard.

“The money that was stolen was for our employee payroll,” he added.

Denpasar Police spokesman Ida Bagus Sarjana said police were investigating the crime and looking into whether the incident was linked to a string of similar robberies.

“We’re still questioning staff at the agency and the security guard,” he said.

Bali Police crimes unit head Slamet Riyanto said police had determined the identities of the thieves, but the investigation had been thwarted because the suspects were being protected and hidden by area residents.

“We’re closely monitoring their movements and will soon name the suspects,” he said.

According to police reports, Thursday’s robbery was the 22nd safe-cracking crime in the area in the last six months.

In December, criminals stole Rp 55 million from a safe at the Denpasar religious affairs agency, Rp 3.5 million from a safe at the Denpasar office of consumer goods giant Unilever, and Rp 100 million from the Kuta office of the industry training center.

Between August and November last year, there were 19 reported robberies from safes in the area.

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/safe-cracking-thieves-strike-again-in-denpasar/490881

Sisters Sisters Unprofessional- Not worth the money in Bali:

2012-01-12T07:23:00.001+08:00

Having attended many professional rock concerts in my life plus being a professional radio host, major newsletter writer and seminar presenter I can tell you that Scissor Sisters were one of the most unprofessional acts I’ve ever seen last Saturday night in Bali

First, the tickets indicated that the doors were open at nine o’clock. Instead everybody was forced to sit upstairs, purchase expensive drinks and wait while they supposedly did sound checks which were scheduled to start at seven o’clock .

The band finally did a sound check at 1130 and they actually went off the stage and didn’t come back until around 12.30 for one and only set of around 12 songs.

If lead singer Ana Matroni had done her homework she would realize Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world and many were severally offended by her constant extreme profanity on stage .

Bali is not a smoky bar in Portland or Australia where profanities are taken for granted.

After a short set the night ended with severe disappointment especially from the young Australians who were bouncing around knocking over tables including the one that I had reserved for 1.5 million.

I predict if this group doesn’t get their act together soon they will a typical overnight wonders if who have come and gone in the past.

I hope they take this comment as constructive criticism to realize that they can’t just carry on like daised musicians for very long .

They should learn form rock greats such as Santana who recently played in Jakarta last year when they arrived at the venue only one half hour late and were cheered all night long by young & old alike.

L.B. Bali News & Views , Radio, Blogs, Tweets, Newsletter

New York, London and Bali top Australia’s favourite short-term rental destinations

2012-01-12T06:53:00.000+08:00

Wednesday, 11 January 2012

Old favourites New York and London top the nation’s favourite places to rent short-term accommodation in 2011, according to data released by Roomorama. The world’s fastest growing short-term rental accommodation provider looked back at the bookings made by Australians in 2011 and the five top places included: New York, London, Bali, Shanghai and Beijing, with rising favourite Cape Town also in the mix.

While Australians are known for their love of travel, Roomorama founders Jia En Teo and Federico Folcia also noticed that the nation has really embraced the relatively new peer-to-peer short term accommodation concept, claiming the spot as Roomorama’s second most frequent user base in 2011, just behind the U.S.

With its offering of over 30,000 properties in over 500 destinations, Roomorama offers travellers the opportunity to experience a home away from home on their trip, but at better value – something that is particularly attractive to Australians who cannot justify travelling to an international destination for only a few nights.

“New York and London have been the most visited cities by Australian Roomorama users this year – this makes sense as they are very expensive cities, so when Australians fly all the way there and want to stay a little longer than the 2-3 nights, they prefer to rent an apartment that offers more value, and of course, provides a much more unique and authentic experience than a cookie-cutter hotel,” says Jia En Teo, COO and co-founder of the accommodation rental platform.

Australians travelling to Bali, the third most popular destination for Australian users, have also found a great alternative in the short term accommodation rental concept. “Bali of course remains a hotspot due to its proximity and mix of culture, nature and activities,” says Federico Folcia, CEO of Roomorama.

“Renting out villas and private homes has become a very value-for-money alternative for groups small or large travelling to Bali, because typically you get facilities such as your own private pool and the privacy that a big resort cannot provide,” he adds.

Also worthy of note are recent favourites such as South Africa – especially after the attention the nation garnered during the World Cup. Jia En Teo points out that this has been an especially popular destination among honeymooners – “what many people don’t realise is that there are many amazing, luxurious properties, especially around Cape Town, that far outstrip what the hotels can offer,” she says.

As for most accommodation providers, Christmas and New Year is obviously the busiest time of the year for Roomorama. For this year’s holiday period, they have found an increase in bookings for destinations such as skiing favourites Niseko and Furano in Hokkaido, Japan. For lovers of beach destinations, Rio de Janeiro continues to be a favourite for New Year.

2012 will see an even larger increase in the popularity of Europe, with the London Olympics providing a base destination for Australians to explore popular cities such as Paris and Rome, Federico Folcia says. “Short term accommodation rentals are the most convenient for groups of friends or families travelling to London for the games, as these private properties allow visitors to truly live like a local while experiencing one of the worlds’ most famous events,” he adds.

The Roomorama concept is based on bringing home-owners and travellers together. The platform allows homeowners a safe and standardised system to rent out their own properties at a 100% profit when travelling overseas, while providing travellers – both business and leisure – the opportunity to stay in affordable accommodation in major centres around the world.

Investors Flock to Indonesia’s 30-Year Bonds

2012-01-11T09:34:00.000+08:00

January 10, 2012

The headquarters of Bank Indonesia in Jakarta. Indonesia drew orders for double the $1.75 billion of 30-year dollar-denominated bonds it offered for sale on Tuesday, a sign of investor confidence. (AFP Photo)

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Govt Plans Debt Auction for Tuesday, the First Since Fitch’s Upgrade 9:28pm Jan 6, 2012
Govt Targets Increased Sales of Rupiah Bonds 9:48pm Jan 3, 2012

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Indonesia sold dollar-denominated 30-year bonds for the first time in four years on Monday, after receiving more than double the amount offered, reflecting growing confidence in the country’s portfolio assets as its credit rating was restored to investment grade last month.

The $1.75 billion sale is part of a bigger plan to issue a total of $15 billion in global medium-term notes in the coming years, which is higher than the $9 billion that was planned earlier.

The 30-year bonds offered 5.25 percent coupon to yield 5.375 percent, the finance ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. It last issued a 30-year bond in 2008.

The yield was more than 200 basis points higher than that for the US 30-year bond, which yielded 3.09 percent as of Monday. HSBC Holdings, JP Morgan Chase and Standard Chartered arranged the bond sale.

The offering was the archipelago’s first since Fitch Ratings on Dec. 15 raised Indonesia’s ranking by one level to BBB-, the lowest investment grade, as it lowered France’s rating outlook and put Spain and Italy on review for a downgrade.

“Those emerging-countries’ fiscal conditions are quite good, making it easier for them to issue and attract investors,” said Kenichiro Ikezawa, a Tokyo-based fund manager at Daiwa SB Investments, which oversees about $60 billion. “Indonesia just got upgraded by Fitch and of course, [the] speculation is for others to follow suit eventually.”

Proceeds from the bond sale will be used to help plug the 2012 state budget deficit. The government has forecast the state budget shortfall this year to hit Rp 124 trillion ($13.5 billion), or 1.5 percent of gross domestic product.

Indonesia last year posted a budget deficit-to-GDP ratio of 1.27 percent, which amounted to Rp 90.1 trillion, Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo said last week.

The Finance Ministry said it had received $3.6 billion in orders, of which 51 percent of investors came from the United States, 12 percent from Europe and 37 percent from Asia, including Indonesia.

Split by type of investor, 73 percent of the buyers were asset managers and 20 percent were banks, four percent were insurance companies and pension funds and three percent were private banks.

Indonesia’s GDP will increase 6.2 percent in 2012, according to the median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists. Bank Indonesia estimates growth rose 6.5 percent last year, up from 6.1 percent in 2010.

Consumer prices rose 3.79 percent in December from a year earlier, the lowest since March 2010.

Legislators last month approved a land-acquisition bill that will allow the government to accelerate construction projects in a move to boost the nation’s economic growth over the next decade.

The law may reinvigorate President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s push to double spending on roads, ports and airports to $140 billion in his second term.

Southeast Asia will have relatively strong economic growth in 2012, International Monetary Fund deputy managing director Zhu Min said in Singapore last week.

Recent developments “are potential rating triggers, including the passage of the land-acquisition bill” last month, Christian de Guzman, a Singapore-based assistant vice president at Moody’s Investors Service, said last week .

Agost Benard, Standard & Poor’s Singapore-based associate director, reiterated the company’s stance that it may follow Fitch should the government continue to improve fiscal administrative and structural reforms, in an interview last week.

The Philippines sold $1.5 billion of 25-year, sub-investment grade notes at a yield of 5 percent last week.

“You are better compensated for risk on Indonesia’s bonds than on the Philippine dollar bonds,” said Endre Pedersen, the Hong Kong-based managing director for fixed-income investments at Manulife Asset Management, which has an Asian bond portfolio valued at $29 billion.

“Not only are you getting better yield but also a better sovereign credit.”

Brazil on Jan. 3 sold $750 million of notes due in 2021 to yield 3.45 percent, while Mexico issued $2 billion of 10-year bonds the same day to yield 3.71 percent, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The Philippines sold its global notes a day later.

Bloomberg, JGhttp://www.thejakartaglobe.com/business/investors-flock-to-indonesias-30-year-bonds/490410

RI to fully implement free trade deal with OZ, NZ

2012-01-11T09:28:00.004+08:00

Editor's Note: More good news for Asia as a Australia drops tariffs on imports from Indonesia. This will certainly support a thriving economy and what I believe will be the lion of Asia, not a tiger

Linda Yulisman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 01/10/2012 12:13 PM

A | A | A |

Under the framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Indonesia is set on Tuesday to fully implement a free trade agreement (FTA) with neighboring Australia and New Zealand.

The Trade Ministry’s director general for international trade cooperation Gusmardi Bustami said on Monday that local producers would gain many benefits from lower tariffs on various products covered by the FTA.

“Around 90 percent of tariffs in Australia and New Zealand will be eliminated following our implementation of the agreement,” he said.

Indonesia is the last ASEAN member-state to join the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand FTA after calls from several business groups to delay ratifying the deal over concerns of huge losses to local businesses.

The negotiations on the establishment of a free trade area with ASEAN’s 10 members began in 2005. The deal was sealed on Feb. 27, 2009, in Phetchaburi, Thailand, at the 14th ASEAN Summit.

According to the tariff commitments, Indonesia will eliminate 90 percent of 10,000 tariffs listed in the normal track when the deal comes into force on Tuesday.

The products impacted include imports of live animals, fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, milk, cheese, eggs, pharmaceuticals and wood and paper products.

Tariffs on goods on sensitive lists, such as beef and dairy products, will be removed by 2020 to give local producers more time to prepare.

Based on the schedule, a further 6 percent of tariffs categorized in the sensitive track, which covers 1,000 items, will be phased out gradually by 2020, while the lifting of the remaining 4 percent of tariffs comprising 400 items will depend on further negotiations.

Following the removal of the tariffs, Gusmardi said, Indonesian products might compete better with products from other countries, such as China.

“This gives us an opportunity to sell several of our products that have had difficulties gaining market access there,” he said. Gusmardi further asserted that Indonesia’s economic relations with Australia and New Zealand were complementary in nature and the tariff removal on the Indonesian side would pose little risk to local businesses as few Indonesian products competed head-to-head with rivals from those countries.

Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) deputy chairman Anton Supit agreed, feeling that the benefits outweighed the costs.

“We can better compete with products from other countries that do not have a similar deal with Australia and New Zealand,” he said.

However, Anton noted that the lower tariffs would not bring immediate benefits unless local manufacturers boosted their competitiveness.

Indonesian Cattle and Water Buffalo Breeders Association secretary general Rochadi Tawaf said that local breeders were still opposed to the removal of tariffs on dairy products.

A zero tariff on milk, for example, would prompt milk processing plants to buy imported milk, which would be cheaper than local milk that enjoyed no government incentives, he said.

“Another risk is that we will be open to second or third quality meat imports, which will be sold at a very low price. This in turn, will distort the local market,” he said.

According to Rochadi, the government should create an improved business climate through low interest rates and similar assistance to that offered by the Australian and New Zealand governments.
Country profiles
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/01/10/ri-fully-implement-free-trade-deal-with-oz-nz.html

Stott Despoja: Heart-rending scenes in Bali prison

2012-01-11T09:25:00.000+08:00

One of Kerobokan's most well-known faces, that of Australian Schapelle Corby. Picture: Lukman S Bintoro

ALONG with a seemingly disproportionate number of Australians, I began the New Year in Bali.

Footballers, surfers and many average Australian families crowd this tourist destination on our doorstep, becoming more attractive due to our dollar.
Australian non-government organisations are a part of the Indonesian landscape too: AusAID funds various programs as part of our foreign aid goals.
In Kerobokan prison in Bali, AusAID funding - and that of other partners - assists in the fight against HIV/AIDS, not only to protect the prison population, but their families and others once people leave the facility.
I visited Kerobokan to look at the work provided by the Burnet Institute (of which I am a board member).
The provision of counselling, testing and treatment has had a positive impact, including a decrease in transmission through injecting drug use.
Sexual transmission of AIDS is still a growing issue and part of the prison's platform, and Indonesian prison guidelines generally, is to provide condoms and other devices, like bleach, to prisoners.
Whether this actually happens is another issue in prisons around the nation.
The information and education provided by the prison medical clinic is impressive. This is thanks largely to prison medical specialists and a prison that, despite some of its portrayals, has some forward-thinking rules.
That's not to say that the prison was not confronting. Despite capacity for around 300 people, there are more than 1000 inmates. It is heart-rending to observe scenes - not unlike those that we see in television news reports - of more than a dozen women sharing a cell, designed for less than half that.
Nonetheless, the women were welcoming. As my visit coincided with a Christmas concert (albeit in early January), I saw one woman resplendent in full traditional Bali costume.
My heart ached for the diminutive figure of Schapelle Corby sitting in the far corner of the concrete compound of the women's facility. Regardless of your views on Corby's innocence or guilt, when you see her in person, it seems an awful invasion of what small space she has to disturb her.
Scott Rush, serving life for his role in the Bali 9 trafficking, is a strong presence doing volunteer work in the clinic. He was personable to chat with and concerned about what he can do to make life better for both prisoners and, especially, for other young people who could learn from his example. He mentioned he got a Christmas card from former Howard minister Phillip Ruddock.
It was explained to me that vocational facilities, such as T-shirt printing and design, silver work and painting, are being provided for the prison by the families of the Bali 9.
Outside the prison, examples of Australians doing good work abound of course.
On Friday, I watched life-changing cataract surgery performed by the John Fawcett Foundation which took 25 minutes in a medically-equipped truck.
Bali is a big part of Australia's holiday plans. I can't help thinking of the difference a 50c donation from each Aussie tourist would make to these organisations.
This year, Bali is significant for another reason: we commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Bali bombings.
Indonesia and Australia are linked in many ways, and the more we work together on poverty alleviation, people smuggling, HIV/AIDS and other health issues - the better.

2 comments on this story

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/stott-despoja-heart-rending-scenes-in-bali-prison/story-e6fread3-1226240221981

Bali woven handicraft exports up 88%

2012-01-11T09:20:00.000+08:00

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 01/09/2012 7:08 PM

Bali booked US$2.33 million in woven handicraft exports in the first 11 months of 2011, up almost 90 percent over the same period in 2010, according to an official.
“The value was shown by the number of shipments increasing 105.22 percent to 1.83 million units during the January to November period in 2011, against 893,810 units in the same period in 2010,” Bali administration spokesman I Ketut Teneng said on Monday as quoted by Antara.
Teneng attributed the increase to new designs that appealed to foreign buyers, saying that woven handicrafts had a bright future in Bali and might boost the country's foreign exchange rate.
He added that woven handicraft exports from a low of $1.53 million in 2010.(drs)

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/01/09/bali-woven-handicraft-exports-88.html

Indonesian Property Prices Lackluster

2012-01-11T08:34:00.000+08:00

Indonesian Property Prices Lackluster

Published on:

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Indonesia is experiencing phenomenal year-on-year economic growth, although this surge in activity has not translated to comparable performance in the residential real estate market. Home prices rose 4.5% by the year’s end, but experts feel this is not representative of the overall growth being experienced in the across the country. The lack of bigger gains is blamed on bureaucratic roadblocks, high construction costs, foreign ownership limitations and high interest rates. The central bank plans on adjusting those rates down to combat inflation, but oversupply and a weak mortgage market may marginalize prices moving forward. For more on this continue reading the following article from Global Property Guide.
Indonesian residential property prices rose by 4.5% during the year to end-Q3 2011, according to Bank Indonesia’s Residential Property Survey. Higher prices of construction materials (up by 7% to 12 %), higher workers’ wages and a higher permittance were some of the reasons for the price rise witnessed in new construction.
Over the year to Q1 2011:

Small houses of 36 square meters and below had the highest price increase of 5.2% (-1.5% in real terms).
Medium houses of 36 - 70 square meters had the smallest price increase of 3.9% (-2.8% in real terms).
Large houses of 70+ square meters, had average price increase of 4.4% (-2.3% in real terms).

The relatively poor price performance of residential real estate in Indonesia has been something of a puzzle. There is tremendous pent-up housing demand. Indonesia has the world’s fourth largest population of 245 million people. Despite strong economic growth and high levels of investment, some of the major factors that have hampered the growth of Indonesia’s housing market are:

High mortgage interest rates
Foreign ownership restrictions
High costs of building materials
High tax rates
Red tape in government

Rapid urbanization has led to high urban densities, especially in Jabodebek-Banten (Jabotabek) which led the property market among the regions. Jabotabek or greater Jakarta is the urban development around Jakarta with more than 28 million residents, and its population continues to grow due to migration from all Indonesia. Here property prices were up 5.74% over the year to Q1 2011. However, in inflation-adjusted terms, prices were down by 1% over the same period.
Greater Jakarta was followed by Makassar with price increases of 5.32%. Makassar’s economy is driven by the fishing industry; it used to be a major trading port. About 8 % of Indonesia’s total population lives in this historic port city. In the near future, property prices in Jabotabek and Makkaser are expected to outpace the rest of the archipelago of Indonesia, barring Bali.
Indonesia comprises approximately 13,000 islands. The five main islands and their capitals are Java (Jakarta), Sumatra (Medan), Kalimantan (Pontianak), Sulawesi (Makasser) and Irian Jaya (Jayapura).
Residential property transactions, for new construction, rose by 4.5% Y-O-Y to 17,714 units in Q1 2011, according to Bank Indonesia, which collects data from 12 major cities. In 2010, there were about 67,707 units sold, up 13.8% from 59,498 units in 2009.
Residential property sales in Q2 in 2011 grew by 17.83% q-o-q, the largest increase being in medium sized units (up 31.29 %), followed by large units. The sale of small units declined. In Q4 the volume of sales is expected to continue to increase especially for landed houses, according to the survey.

Interest rates heading down

To curb inflationary pressures, the central bank raised the key rate by 25 basis points to 6.75% in February 2011. But generally, the direction of interest rates has been down since December 2005, when Bank Indonesia’s policy interest rate stood at 12.75%. Inflation eased to 5.54% in June 2011 from 6.65% in the previous quarter, and Bank Indonesia expects inflation to be under 5% going into 2012.
The Rupiah is still vulnerable to weakness in moments of global crisis, but it is noticeable that the 2011 ‘crisis of the West’ has hardly affected Indonesia’s exchange rate. In fact slow growth and low interest rates in developed countries since 2008 pushed funds to emerging markets, including Indonesia.

Indonesia’s high growth, high inflation

Indonesia’s economy grew 6.1% in 2010, after 4.6% growth in 2009, despite the global crisis. With high domestic consumption and investment and healthy export revenues, the Indonesian government is confident that the economy will grow by 6.6% in 2011.
GDP growth averaged 4.6% from 2000 to 2003, then 5.4% from 2004 to 2006, and finally 6.2% in 2007-2008.
But economic growth never translated to strong house price increases. In 2008 the Indonesian house price index was still about 50% below its 1994 peak in real terms; according to research done by Global Property Guide.
One possible reason for property’s weak performance is Indonesia’s unpredictable inflation rate, typically outpacing economic growth. From the Asian crisis peak of 58% in 1998 and 20% in 1999, inflation was wrestled down to 3.8% in 2000. In 2001 and 2002, inflation soared to more than 11%. Then it eased to 6% in 2004. The consumer price index jumped again to 10.5% in 2005, and 13% in 2006. Inflation dipped back to 6.2% in 2007 before rising to 9.8% in 2008. Then, it eased again to 4.8% in 2009 and 5.1% in 2010. In January 2011, it again increased to 6.9%, but steadily declined through the year and it was reported at 4.14% in November 2011, according to Bloomberg.com
High inflation increase the level of uncertainty in the economy. This tends to discourage people from borrowing to finance house purchases.
While real estate investment may be used by wealthy people as a hedge against inflation, this is not an option for the majority of the population.

Construction boom

Another possible reason for Indonesia’s lacklustre residential prices has been the massive amount of real estate construction.
Before the Asian Crisis, according to Bank Indonesia, the supply of apartments in Jakarta rose from around 6,000 units in 1996 to around 18,000 in 1997, with an additional 2,000 units completed in 1998 and 1999. Scant new supply came onto the market from 2000 to 2003, mostly projects started pre-crisis.
Real estate sales picked up in Q4 2001, encouraging developers to launch new projects, albeit slowly. With strong take-up and increasing occupancy rates, construction picked up pace in Jakarta.
Research carried out by Colliers International reveals that:

In 2004 around 9,500 new units were completed, bringing total supply of new apartments to around 31,500 units.
In 2005 and 2006, more than 5,000 units were completed annually.
In 2007 construction exploded, and more than 15,500 units were completed, pushing total supply to 57,353 units.
During 2008, 19,607 units were added.
As of Q3 2009, total apartment stock in Jakarta reached 74,920.
In Q3 of 2011 3363 units were completed, which brought the overall apartment units in Jakarta to 102,265, a 16.6% Y-o-Y increase.
The total stock is expected to reach 120,000 by the end of 2011

In the last two years the areas of South and West Jakarta have seen an increased supply of apartments because of good infrastructure and facilities like schools, malls, and supermarkets. According to Colliers international’s latest report on Indonesian property market, there was an addition of 3363 apartment units in Q3 of 2011 (an increase of 3.6% q-o-q). Out of this 2250 were large apartments, mostly in West Jakarta.
Pondok Indah is a South Jakarta upscale residential suburb much sought-after by expatriates due to the proximity to the Jakarta International School. The overall take-up rates in this region were 75.3%, a slight decrease from 76.4 % in the previous quarter. The CBD also offers many buildings aimed at the middle to high income group individuals and expats.
The average price for the Jakarta area edged 6.9% higher Y-O-Y to Rp12.52 million / sq m (US $1,384/sq m). In East Jakarta, apartments still under-construction had higher take–up rates, mostly because they were offered at affordable prices.
In South Jakarta, many projects such as Residence 8, Senopati Suites, One Park Residence and Kemang Village have been located in premium residential areas. Prices of apartments in this area are expected to increase because land is becoming increasingly scarce. This has caused apartment prices to increase by 70-75% in the premium regions in 2009-2011. In 2009, apartment units were offered at around Rp13 to Rp14million / sq m (US $ 1,440/sq m) but now, with good sales performance, offering prices have jumped to Rp23 to Rp24 million / sq m (US $ 2,547/sq m). Two ongoing mixed-use projects located along Jalan Satrio, i.e. Kuningan City and Ciputra World Jakarta are two projects which have witnessed a sharp price increase.

Bali’s stunning growth

In Bali, real estate investment has been rapidly developing in the main tourist areas of Kuta, Legian, Seminyak and Oberoi. Most recently, high-end 5 star projects have been under development on the Bukit peninsula, on the south side of the island. Expatriates have also shown keen interest in buying property in Bali. Bali is one of Indonesia’s wealthiest regions. About 80% of Bali´s economy depends on tourism, of which one offshoot is the growing real estate industry. Both Indonesians and foreigners are showing interest in investing here.
Million dollar villas are being developed along the cliff sides of south Bali, commanding panoramic ocean views. Foreign and domestic (many Jakarta individuals and companies are fairly active) investment into other areas of the island also continues to grow. Land prices, despite the worldwide economic crisis, have remained stable.
There are an estimated 30,000 expatriates living in Bali, according to Wikipedia. The positive economic outlook will likely continue to trigger demand in Bali’s residential sector, causing prices to climb.

Weak mortgage market

Surprisingly, all the building has taken place despite a relatively underdeveloped mortgage market. Indonesia’s mortgage market has grown by an average of 33.5% annually from 2003 to 2008 in nominal terms. But some apparent growth is due to inflation, and mortgage lending has come from a very low base. Despite significant growth during the past five years, mortgage credits were just 2.5% of GDP in 2008, still below the 2.8% of GDP in 1997.
In 2009, in an effort to provide decent housing to low income families and to boost a secondary mortgage market, the government and the central bank signed a joint decree to boost house financing through the sales of mortgage-backed securities. This would allow banks to get quick funds from selling their mortgage claims. The government also decided to increase its subsidy to low cost housing.
Despite the recent financial turmoil, Indonesian banks are strong and adequately capitalized. However, memories of the Asian crisis are still vivid. Banks tend to be extremely cautious in extending housing loans to the real estate industry. According to a Q2 2011 Residential Property Survey by the Bank Indonesia:

55.4% of residential property development projects were financed internally
29% were financed through bank loans
12% of projects were financed by consumer payments (pre-selling)

For home buyers, interest rates at 12-13% (used by 67% of property buyers under house ownership credit or KPR in Q3 2009), relatively low by Indonesian standards, impose a huge burden. During the post-Asian Crisis period, interest rates by commercial banks typically exceeded 20%. The survey also showed that 16.7% of buyers used progressive cash payments, while 7.6% bought using hard cash.

Rental yields high, but property investment unattractive for foreigners

Jakarta recorded rental yields on high-end properties of 10.2% in June 2011, according to Global Property Guide research. This is among the highest in the world. Despite this, property investment is relatively unattractive for foreigners, because of the high tax rates that non-residents are liable to pay.

The tax levied on the average annual income on a rental apartment/property in Indonesia is 20% which is the third highest in Asia, only after Bangladesh (25%) and Malaysia (22.4%).
A 10% Value-added tax (VAT) is levied on gross rental income.
Capital gains realized by individuals from the sale of real property in Indonesia are taxed at a flat rate of 5%. The tax base is the transfer value of the property, without any deductions.
Property tax is levied at 0.5% on the assessed value of the property. The assessment value of taxable property is determined as a percentage of the deemed fair market value of the property

The total cost of buying and then re-selling a residential property ( including Registration costs, Real estate agent fees, Legal fees, Sales and transfer taxes), is one of the highest in the region.

Yudhoyono, the reformer

The 2004 election of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Indonesia’s first directly-elected president, was followed by a revival of confidence and substantial economic reforms. A retired general with a doctorate in economics, he has had the political and intellectual acumen to implement reforms, including unpopular ones.
New laws and reforms on Yudhyono’s watch:

Laws to improve the investment climate and the delivery of public services.
A landmark investment law providing equal treatment regardless of nationality, to attract more foreign investments.
A new tax administration law strengthening the rights of taxpayers, while limiting arbitrary decision-making by tax officials.
Streamlining business licensing procedures.
Higher corporate governance and risk management standards for state-owned banks.

The fruits of reform are visible. Approved foreign direct investments (FDI) rose from US$10.2 billion in 2004 to US$40 billion in 2007. More importantly, realised FDI has been steadily on the rise. In 2008 realized FDI reached US$14.9 Billion. In 2009 there was a marginal dip to US $10.8 billion, but realized FDI is expected to reach US$35 billion by 2014. Greater Jakarta has received around 50% of all FDI. The real estate sector’s share in realised FDI has more or less remained stable at about 6 %.
President Yudhoyono was easily re-elected in April 2009, with 60.8% of votes during the first round. His closest opponent was former president-Megawati Sukarnoputri with only 26.8% of votes.
However, Yudhoyono’s reputation has been tainted by his alleged involvement in corruption. Though the president’s election platform focused on the rule of law, fighting corruption and wooing foreign investment, Yudhoyono has himself been alleged to have been involved in corruption, for example during the scandal-ridden rescue of Bank Century. Public satisfaction with Yudhoyono’s performance dropped from 63.1% in January 2010 to 46.2% in October 2011, according to the Lingkaran Survey Indonesia (LSI), as a result of disappointment over the government’s economic, political, legal, social and foreign affairs performance. Yudhoyono continues to rate well on issues relating to internal security.
Secret US diplomatic cables have accused the president of using his power to protect corrupt politicians and other officials in office of authority. Even the religious leaders have criticised Yudhoyono for his silence over these issues and not doing enough to resolve them. Both domestic and foreign investors are becoming increasingly frustrated with the situation. Transparency International still rates Indonesia quite poorly on its corruption index.

Foreign ownership restrictions

Pressure for the government to relax foreign ownership rules is growing. The International Real Estate Federation or FIABCI, was the most recent one to air such calls.
In the past, the government has considered extending the property usage rights of foreigners to 70 years, from the current 25 years, with two extensions possible, of 20 and 25 years. More recently, attention shifted to direct foreign ownership of real estate.
Early in 2009, President Yudhoyono stated that he would ask the National Land Agency (BPN), the home minister and the state minister for people´s housing affairs to conduct an in-depth study into granting expatriates home ownership rights.
Theoretically, foreigners can own condominiums or strata-title residential property. However, more than a decade after Regulation 41 of 1996, no foreigner has actually received a strata title certificate of ownership. Foreigners are likewise not allowed to own land.
Foreigners can only control landed property in Indonesia either by setting-up a Penanaman Model Asing (PMA) Company or through long-term leases, with the right to buy if the ownership laws are changed.
However, these schemes add unnecessary costs, management difficulties and risks to foreign property buyers. In some cases, foreigners use loopholes in the existing laws to buy houses, apartments or condominiums indirectly.
For instance, a foreigner will ask a national to buy a house using his money. Then before a notary, the two sign an agreement saying that the national is acquiring a loan from the expatriate worth the same amount of the property value. Part of the agreement is that the loan will be made permanent, while the property used as collateral, can be retaken anytime.
Removing ownership limits could greatly help the real estate sector. Government officials, however, note that safeguards must be placed to prevent speculative purchases. One way of doing this is to limit ownership to permanent residences.

Outlook for the future

Indonesia’s growing economy, relatively stable political climate, surging consumer saving and spending, should lead to an increase in demand for property in the near future. The Indonesian property market was among the top 10 fastest-growing sectors in the economy in 2011, according to Jones Lang LaSalle. Despite looming international economic problems, demand for real estate development in Indonesia is likely to remain strong over medium to long term.
The Medium Term Development Plan, targets average economic growth of 6.3%-6.8%, reaching 7%+ with unemployment at only 5%-6% by the end of 2014. In order to achieve this growth, Indonesia needs to push through the red tape and invest in better infrastructure. To achieve that, the government’s draft 2012 budget, released in August 2011, has allocated IDR168.1trn (US$19.67bn) for infrastructure spending by government institutions, up by 16% from the 2011 revised budget.
Since Indonesia’s net exports only make up about 3% of its total GDP, global trade does not substantially impact economic growth. For this reason, the Indonesian economy and its real estate sector remain relatively unaffected by global slowdowns.
This article was republished with permission from Global Property Guide.http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/articles/indonesian-property-prices-lackluster-58545.aspx

Indonesia Now Ranks 74 out of 139 Countries for Tourism Competiteveness:

2012-01-11T07:54:00.002+08:00

Indonesia’s tourism competitiveness improved from a ranking of 81 in 2999 to 74 out of 139 countries in 2011. In what she described as a good spur for the further development of Indonesian tourism, the figures were announced by Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Mari Elka Pangestu and reported by antaranews.com.

Despite the improvement, however, Indonesia ranked far below other ASEAN countries like Singapore (16), Malaysia (32) and Thailand (42). She said the lack of competitiveness among professionals in the tourism industry plus the lack of capacity and quality in research and development had hampered the development of tourism in the country.http://www.whatsnewjakarta.com/newsletter/2012/index.htm

Stephen Hawking: Women are the biggest mystery in the Universe

2012-01-10T13:45:00.000+08:00

Reuters Jan 5, 2012 – 4:53 PM ET | Last Updated: Jan 6, 2012 11:13 AM ET

Bruno Vincent/Getty Images

“Women. They are a complete mystery," says Stephen Hawking

LONDON — The biggest mystery in the universe perplexing one of the world’s best known scientists is — women.

When New Scientist magazine asked “Brief History of Time” author Stephen Hawking what he thinks about most, the Cambridge University professor renowned for unravelling some of the most complex questions in modern physics answered: “Women. They are a complete mystery.”

The wheelchair-bound Hawking, who only recently retired from a post once held by Isaac Newton, talked to the magazine in the run-up to celebrations for his 70th birthday about his biggest scientific blunder and his hopes for modern science.

Hawking — who divorced his second wife in 2006 — is due to celebrate his 70th birthday on Sunday with a public symposium entitled “The State of the Universe” at the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Theoretical Cosmology.

Hawking heads a list of speakers including British Astronomer Royal Martin Rees, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Saul Perlmutter and Kip Thorne, one of the world’s leading theoretical physicists.

In addition to Sunday’s symposium on ’the state of the universe’, Hawking’s birthday will be marked by a new exhibition celebrating his achievements which opens at London’s Science Museum on January 20.

Hawking retired as Lucasian Professor of Maths when he reached 67, but his fascination with the world remains.

He is watching the progress of the Large Hadron Collider closely, having bet $100 in 2009 that it will not find an elusive particle seen as the holy grail of cosmic science.

He has also long had the ambition of going into space, which he has argued is mankind’s only hope as it uses up the Earth’s resources. However, he has cautioned that any contact with aliens would likely end badly for humans.

With files from AFP

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/01/05/stephen-hawking-women-the-biggest-mystery-in-the-universe/

Paradise Sends a Fashion Postcard

2012-01-10T13:29:00.000+08:00

Paradise Sends a Fashion Postcard
Katrin Figge | January 08, 2012

Jeffry Tan’s ‘Postcard From Paradise’ collection, which features four looks for men and 10 for women, was inspired by the shapes and volumes of white flowers as well as Nusa Lembongan, an island southeast of Bali, where Jeffry owns a beach house. (Photo courtesy of Hariono Halim)

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Most fashion designers create two full collections each year, one for the fall/winter and another one for the spring/summer season.

But creative minds never sleep, which is why Indonesian fashion designer Jeffry Tan has decided to fill the gap between his winter 2011 and summer 2012 collections with a resort collection called Postcard From Paradise.

The designs — four looks for men and 10 for women — debuted during Jakarta Fashion Week in November and are now on sale at Jeffry Tan stores.

The inspiration behind this “capsule collection,” as Jeffry calls it, is based on his observation that the introduction of new collections almost never coincides with major holiday seasons.

“There are so many festive occasions, like New Year’s, Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day,” he said.

And Jeffry’s resort collection is meant to fit the occasion during such special times.

“[This collection] envisions a celebration of life and wellness,” he said.

“I was inspired by the shapes and volumes of white flowers, as well as the stunning location of Nusa Lembongan,” he said, referring to an island southeast of Bali.

Whenever Jakarta feels too stressful, the designer finds refuge on Nusa Lembongan, where he owns a beach house. “It’s been my leisure sanctuary for the past six years,” he said.

The island has not only served as an inspiration for his designs, but also turned out to be the ideal location for a photo shoot to showcase the collection.

With the help of photographer Hariono Halim and stylist Lilian Ng, Jeffry put together the picture-perfect “Postcard From Paradise.”

“When I imagined my models wearing muted colors in a calla lily silhouette look, suddenly the idea of having a photo production on the beach crossed my mind,” he said.

He then tried to put on paper what he was imagining in the form of sketches, and said that it “just felt right.”

“All the fabrics I used were perfect for the theme,” he said.

The result is a stunning photo spread that does much more than simply present Jeffry’s designs: it tells a love story between a couple, with Nusa Lembongan’s beautiful scenery serving as the backdrop.

“Our models are a real-life couple,” Jeffry added, which explains the intimacy between them that shines through in the photographs, whether they are walking on the beach hand in hand or have their lips locked in a passionate kiss.

Jeffry said it had become crucial in the fashion industry to have well-produced photos, because “a picture says more than a thousand words — it shows the fantasy, the inspiration, mood, details, colors and the texture of the designs.

“To inspire people, to make them react and feel involved with the collection; it can all be achieved by a single picture.”

The majority of Jeffry’s designs, which utilize lots of silk, exude simplicity yet maintain a touch of sophistication — think Kate Middleton taking time off her royal duties and relaxing at the beach.

The long gowns, however, are less casual and more elegant and chic, showing Jeffry’s eye for detail. “My selection of long dresses carry built-in elastic straps, corsets and bonings,” he said. “I know it sounds tight, but actually it is very comfortable and easy to wear.”

With the resort collection ready for the stores, Jeffry is dedicating most of his time to his next summer collection, which he says is already half-finished.

“We are going to capture Jeffry Tan’s essential pieces in new versions,” he explained. Expect to see everything from wrap dresses, bubble skirts and long gowns to fun polos and tailored and structured garments, he said.

Jeffry plans to move his flagship store to a new location, but remained mum on the details. “If all goes smoothly, both the new boutique and the summer collection will be launched at the same time,” he said.

http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/story/2012/01/09/tegan-disproves-balis-bad-press-clarke/

Tegan disproves Bali's bad press

2012-01-10T13:24:00.001+08:00

Kara Paradies | 9th January 2012

High school graduate Tegan Clarke in Bali with an orangutan. She says that it’s tourists who give the country a bad name.

Contributed

AFTER spending her schoolies in Bali last year, a popular destination for Australian school-leavers, Tegan Clarke was keen to kick the bad stereotypes about the place she fell in love with.
The Monto State High School graduate spent 10 days holidaying in the country with her friends in December last year, and was overwhelmed by just how wrong Australians' perception of the place was.
She was inspired to shed some light on the issue.
I cannot fathom why this country has such a bad reputation in Australia, as it would seem that Australians actually cause many of the problems in Bali.
Every single night there were intoxicated, underage Australians zooming around irresponsibly on scooters, generally causing havoc.
According to the BALI FOR SCHOOLIES Facebook page many couldn't "... wait to get BOOZED!" and apparently "Bali (was not) gunna know what's hit it".
When Nine News brought out a report labelled "Bali Schoolies shows its seedy side", it was cause for laughter among my friends and myself, who were aware of the situations alcohol-driven Australian schoolies get themselves into in Bali.
The negative things that happen in Bali occur in every single country that embraces tourism, though for some reason Bali is relentlessly targeted.
The insistent story in the news, regarding the Australian boy who willingly bought illicit drugs in Bali and the Boycott Bali slogans that subsequently followed, are just two examples of the extreme over-reactions which the Australian public continuously vocalise.
Everything about Australia is so different - so money and power hungry; so unfriendly; so inconsiderate; so unhelpful.
Every single Balinese person I encountered was extremely respectful and ultimately there to help you.
These wonderful people only strive for what they need and always have a smile on their face.
Transport is offered everywhere you go and honesty is a given from any Balinese person.
Exuberant high fives and waves on the streets are Bali protocol, which would definitely be questioned and ignored in Australia.
The people of Bali made my schoolies trip unique and amazing, and they are what I will remember for years to come.
I won't remember in detail the clubbing or the many different types of cocktails available, just the lovely people and how they actually cared and had the infectious ability to make you smile.
In the end, what I'm trying to say is, Bali as a country is not the problem; the irresponsible tourists in Bali are the problem.
Until Australia wakes up and realises this, Bali will continue to cop more than its fair share of flack from ill-informed sources, who have never even experienced this beautiful place.
Tegan hopes to study photo journalism at the Griffith University in Brisbane this year.
http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/story/2012/01/09/tegan-disproves-balis-bad-press-clarke/

U.S. Home Prices Down in 2011, but Market Stability Forecasted for 2012

2012-01-10T13:11:00.004+08:00

Editor's note: Last year I said the US real estate prices would continue to fall and as shown below they have.

In my January 2012 newsletter I said there may be a small rebound.

It appears I'm not alone on this forecast.

U.S. Home Prices Down in 2011, but Market Stability Forecasted for 2012

While Year-Over-Year Prices Notched Down in 2011, Prices Are Expected to See Slight Uptick in 2012, the First Time in Positive Territory Since 2006

TRUCKEE, CA, Jan 09, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Clear Capital ( www.clearcapital.com ), released its monthly Home Data Index(TM) (HDI) Market Report, with news of a year-over-year national price change in 2011 of -2.1%, and forecast of a slight 0.2% gain in 2012.

Report highlights include:

                 --  2011's decrease of -2.1% year-over-year was bolstered by a stabilizing             of prices in the latter half of the year and decreasing REO             saturation.         --  In 2012, U.S. home prices are forecasted to show continued             stabilization with a slight gain of 0.2% across all markets, remaining             near levels not seen since back in 2001.         --  Importance of micro-market analysis is reiterated as the 2012 forecast             is for a flat U.S. market, but only 40% of individual markets (20 of             50) are projected to be stable.

"Overall, 2011 was a relatively quiet year for U.S. home prices compared to the last five years," said Dr. Alex Villacorta, Director of Research and Analytics at Clear Capital. "With national prices down a little more than two percent for the year and sitting at their lowest point since 2001, our projections show that the current balance the market has found will continue through 2012.

"However, individual markets reacting to their local economic drivers exhibit a wide range of performance levels," added Dr. Villacorta. "Although the national numbers suggest markets are flat, when looking at individual metro markets it turns out only 24% of them showed signs of stabilization in 2011, while the others are still moving more dramatically higher or lower. What's most interesting is that the lower segments of appreciating markets are driving much of the current price growth. In places like Florida, which have historically been hard hit, we are now seeing considerable activity in lower-end properties as demand continues to heat up."

2011: Quarter-over-Quarter Numbers Reflect Seasonality U.S. prices declined -0.4% in December on a quarter-over-quarter basis, showing the markets giving back some of the gains of the summer buying season. This is the first cooling off after six monthly reports showing minimal quarterly gains. In fact, the most recent six months of the year (June - December) saw national home prices flat at -0.1%.

While these national quarterly numbers for December fell slightly, half of the major markets covered saw quarterly gains. Dayton, OH checked in at the top of highest quarterly performers with a gain of 5.0%. On the downside, Atlanta, GA showed consistent weakness as December's lowest performing major market with a loss of -8.4% quarter-over-quarter.

In addition to the relatively flat home price performance, national REO saturation rates at the end of 2011 reached a new yearly low at 24.8%. REO saturation was volatile early in 2011, and showed consistent declines and stability toward the latter half of the year.

2011: U.S. Numbers Stable Over the Year The -2.1% price decline in 2011 marked the smallest year-end change in either direction since the market gained 1.7% in 2006. The majority of the downturn was early in the year through May, with upticks hitting during the summer buying season, and then remaining stable through the fall and early winter.

Regional trends revealed a bit more price variability. The Northeast's meager 0.1% yearly gain led the nation, comparing favorably to the -1.3%, -3.0% and -4.4% price declines turned in by the South, Midwest and West, respectively.

While the changes in prices across the U.S. were mild for 2011, there were notable extremes at the positive and negative sides of the market. Four metros posted price declines greater than 10%, with Atlanta leading the way down with a -18.3% price change, followed by Seattle, WA at -15.1%. Birmingham, AL and Detroit, MI also rode the markets down with -11.1% and -10.8% price drops, respectively. Each of the markets with double digit declines saw an increase in the percentage of sales that were REOs through the year.

On the positive side, Dayton enjoyed 11.5% annual price growth in 2011. The next two strongest performers came from Florida, with Orlando and Miami basking in 6.7% and 5.6% price gains, respectively. Just as increasing REO saturation affected our worst performers, decreasing REO saturation for these three markets in 2011 (Dayton down 12.3%, Orlando down 21.0% and Miami down 9.9%) appeared to buoy their home prices for the year. Chart 1 below shows all metro markets ranked by their yearly numbers, and includes quarterly performance and REO saturation measured at the end of the year.

Chart 1: 2011 Observed

                                   Major U.S. Metro Markets (2011 Observed)                   2011                                            2011      2011          Yr/Yr                                         Observed  Observed     REO          Rank       Metropolitan Statistical Area        Yr/Yr    Qtr/Qtr Saturation         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------            1  Dayton, OH                                 11.5%     5.0%      29.2%         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------            2  Orlando, FL                                6.7%      3.2%      24.9%         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------            3  Miami, FL - Fort Lauderdale, FL - Miami    5.6%      1.7%      31.3%               Beach, FL         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------            4  Rochester, NY                              4.7%      2.1%      3.5%         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------            5  Milwaukee, WI - Waukesha, WI - West        4.5%      -0.3%     19.9%               Allis, WI         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------            6  Washington, DC - Arlington, VA -           3.5%      4.7%      11.8%               Alexandria, VA         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------            7  Denver, CO - Aurora, CO                    3.3%      3.0%      22.5%         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------            8  Dallas, TX - Fort Worth, TX - Arlington,   2.7%      0.7%      28.5%               TX         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------            9  Providence, RI - NewBedford, MA - Fall     2.6%      -3.4%     14.5%               River, MA         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           10  Pittsburgh, PA                             2.5%      0.0%      6.1%         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           11  Jacksonville, FL                           1.7%      0.1%      27.9%         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           12  Phoenix, AZ - Mesa, AZ - Scottsdale, AZ    1.5%      2.7%      32.9%         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           13  New York, NY - No. New Jersey, NJ - Long   1.2%      0.6%      7.0%               Island, NY         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           14  Boston, MA - Cambridge, MA - Quincy, MA    0.1%      0.2%      8.7%         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           15  Tampa, FL - St. Petersburg, FL -           -0.6%     2.1%      23.7%               Clearwater, FL         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           16  Houston, TX - Baytown, TX - Sugar Land,    -0.8%     1.8%      27.6%               TX         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           17  Honolulu, HI                               -0.8%     1.6%      7.4%         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           18  Cleveland, OH - Elyria, OH - Mentor, OH    -1.1%     0.9%      31.1%         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           19  Oklahoma City, OK                          -1.2%     -1.6%     12.3%         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           20  Charlotte, NC - Gastonia,NC - Concord,     -2.2%     -0.3%     13.3%               NC         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           22  Bakersfield, CA                            -2.6%     0.5%      42.7%         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           23  Chicago, IL - Naperville, IL - Joliet,     -2.6%     0.6%      29.9%               IL         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           24  New Orleans, LA - Metairie, LA - Kenner,   -2.9%     -1.9%     20.6%               LA         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           25  Riverside, CA - San Bernardino, CA -       -3.4%     -1.7%     42.2%               Ontario, CA         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           26  Columbus, OH                               -3.5%     0.3%      33.9%         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           27  Portland, OR - Vancouver, OR -             -3.5%     0.8%      15.5%               Beaverton, OR         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           28  Hartford, CT - West Hartford, CT - East    -3.6%     0.4%      5.4%               Hartford, CT         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           29  Raleigh, NC - Cary, NC                     -3.7%     -0.9%     5.6%         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           30  Los Angeles, CA - Long Beach, CA - Santa   -3.7%     -2.3%     28.9%               Ana, CA         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           31  Cincinnati, OH - Middletown, OH            -4.1%     -0.4%     22.3%         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           32  Virginia Beach, VA - Norfolk, VA -         -4.4%     1.2%      20.0%               Newport News, VA         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           33  Memphis, TN                                -4.7%     -6.4%     37.4%         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           34  San Diego, CA - Carlsbad, CA - San         -4.7%     -2.4%     26.7%               Marcos, CA         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           35  San Francisco, CA - Oakland, CA -          -4.7%     0.1%      24.3%               Fremont, CA         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           36  Nashville, TN - Davidson, TN -             -4.8%     -0.8%     17.1%               Murfreesboro, TN         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           37  Philadelphia, PA - Camden, NJ -            -5.0%     -2.5%     9.9%               Wilmington, DE         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           38  Richmond, VA                               -5.9%     -0.9%     18.3%         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           39  Baltimore, MD - Towson, MD                 -6.2%     -1.7%     14.2%         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           40  Sacramento, CA - Arden, CA - Roseville,    -6.9%     -0.1%     34.0%               CA         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           41  Fresno, CA                                 -7.3%     0.5%      38.6%         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           42  St. Louis, MO                              -7.7%     -0.9%     25.9%         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           43  Oxnard, CA - Thousand Oaks, CA -           -7.8%     -3.7%     28.0%               Ventura, CA         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           44  Minneapolis, MN - St.Paul, MN -            -8.7%     -0.5%     42.1%               Bloomington, WI         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           45  Las Vegas, NV - Paradise, NV               -9.2%     -2.0%     46.5%         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           46  Tucson, AZ                                 -9.4%     -1.5%     39.2%         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           47  Detroit, MI - Warren, MI - Livonia, MI    -10.8%     -4.7%     48.4%         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           48  Birmingham, AL - Hoover, AL               -11.1%     4.3%      34.0%         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           49  Seattle, WA - Tacoma, WA - Bellevue, WA   -15.1%     -3.7%     19.7%         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------           50  Atlanta, GA - Sandy Springs, GA -         -18.3%     -8.4%     42.2%               Marietta, GA

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/clear-capitalr-us-home-prices-down-in-2011-but-market-stability-forecasted-for-2012-2012-01-09

Bali's best 5 hidden beaches

2012-01-10T11:04:00.000+08:00

Away from the overcrowded beaches of Kuta, Legian and Seminyak are five spots fit for even the most beached-out vacationers

By Charlene Fang 9 January, 2012

Bali is not short of beaches.
But with over 2.5 million tourists descending on the Island of the Gods in 2010 alone, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a quiet spot.
Here are five Bali beaches that aren't overrun with other people.

1. Balangan Beach

Hang loose with Bali's surf community at Balangan Beach.

When the neighboring Dreamland beach got taken over by bulldozers and chain resorts, the surfers drifted over to Balangan.The long stretch of white sand is flanked by rocky cliffs while the shore is lined by an assortment of warungs (local cafes) serving plates of indo mee and ice-cold Bintangs, and cheap non-air conditioned huts.
The agenda at Balangan is simple: surf (if you can), go swimming when it is high tide, build intricate sandcastles -- the sand here is exceptional for doing so -- and laze about in a hammock watching the surfers, young and old, catch the waves.
Reef shoes are highly recommended as the beach has a sharp rocky base and some of it covered in slippery green moss.
For the virgin surfers, there are surf schools and numerous freelance instructors who’ll be willing to take you out for a price.
How to get there: From Kuta, take the Bypass Ngurah Rai towards Nusa Dua. Look for the Uluwatu turn off to the right after about 10 minutes, after which, keep your eyes peeled for signs that direct you to Balangan.

2. Geger Beach

You won't get pounded by the waves at Geger Beach.

For sun seekers dismayed by some of Bali’s rougher waters, this is a beach you can actually swim in.Situated close to the Nusa Dua golf course, the sparkling green-blue water here remains relatively calm with gentle rolling waves.
The sand is thick and soft, packed hard so you can play a game of volleyball or go for a leisurely beach run.
A string of restaurants make this a popular Sunday brunch spot, especially with the local expats and their young ones.
There are touts hawking their wares but they’re relatively tame compared to other beaches and deck chairs can be rented from about 20,000 rupiah (US$2) a day.
Go at the right time of the day and you’ll see seaweed farmers working between the area from Geger Cafe to Geger Temple.
Another big plus? This is one of the few beaches where topless sunbathing is allowed
How to get there: Located five minutes from the Nusa Dua golf course and next to the St Regis Nusa Dua resort.

3. Bias Tugal

Bias Tugal: Good luck tracking this spot down... here's a hint, it's close to Padang Bai.

Referred to as Pantai Kecil (Little Beach), this spot is often deserted, except for the odd adventurous tourist and a couple of the warung vendors.Tucked away near Padang Bai, the beauty of this beach is that it is hidden, accessible only after a 500-meter trek down a rocky path.
What greets you at the end of your mini-hike is a glorious body of water in varying shades of blue and turquoise fringed by a strip of fine white sand and swaying coconut trees.
The current here can be strong, for the non-experienced swimmers, make do with playing in the waves and soaking up the sun in relative solitude as you watch the boats entering and leaving Padang Bai for Lombok and the Gili Islands.
How to get there: From the ferry terminal of Padang Bai, head east up the hill and keep walking till you come across an exposed bit of the bay.

4. Ungasan

Ungasan: Some of the best things in life aren't free.

This strip of beach situated on the southern most point of Bali is quite possibly the island’s prettiest.The only catch is that it'll cost you to enjoy this little slice of paradise.
If you’re not staying at either the Karma Kandara resort or the neighboring Banyan Tree resort, the best way to access it is to spend a day at the popular Nammos Beach Club.
The entry fee of 250,000 rupiah (US$27) (fully redeemable for food and beverage) is a little cheeky, but the view from the inclinator that brings you 150 meters down the cliff-face to the beach is almost worth the fee alone.
Here, the sand is fine and delicate, the water, an intense azure color -- not too dissimilar from the Mediterranean -- and the waves roll in hard and evenly, forming pretty white patterns on the shoreline.
The best time to swim is before lunch when it is low tide and you can frolic at ease.
Later in the day, the waves become stronger, and the currents will sweep you across to the other beach, should you prefer a little more privacy and don’t mind the lack of deck chairs.
Warning: do not laugh off the yellow Wet Floor signs placed on the rocks, they’re placed there for good reason.
Go on a Monday when Nammos Beach Club screens a movie from 6:15 p.m., and if you really want to splurge, the Karma Kandara spa has a on-site beach sala.
How to get there: A Bluebird taxi from Seminyak area should cost 150,000 (US$16) rupiah to Karma Kandara resort.

5. Amed

Amed: A quieter, less touristy bit of Bali.

Situated about two hours drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport is Amed, where the sand is of the coarse black volcanic variety.Instead of surfers and surf boards out on the water, the beach is lined with traditional outrigger fishing boats.
Those who venture up to Amed are usually keen to get in some quality diving as there are a number of wrecks located at nearby Lipah Beach and Tulamben.
For snorkelers, the coral and underwater life in Amed is abundant.
While the prettiest bays are found at Jemeluk and Lipah, the whole stretch of coastline presents a different, more natural image of Bali where the locals' primary source of income lies in salt mining and fishing.
When night falls, take a walk on the beach and look up to the sky bathed in stars.
How to get there: Turning east at the village of Culik which lies on the main east coast road from Karangasem to Singaraja. A taxi from the airport should cost 400,000 rupiah (US$44).

Charlene Fang is the CNNGo city editor in Singapore. She's spent the past decade working in the media and was most recently the editor of Time Out Singapore.

Aussie wanted in Bali denies wrongdoing

2012-01-10T10:35:00.001+08:00

Editor's note: Everyone deserves the right to clear their name. Unfortunately modern press does not allow that to happen very often. To complement Mr. Grossman on endeavoring to return to Bali to clear his name.

After all in a democracy you're innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Not guilty when accused by some overzealous reporter.

Aussie wanted in Bali denies wrongdoing

AN Australian businessman wanted in Indonesia to face a charge of embezzlement has denied any wrongdoing, saying he is willing to return to Bali to clear his name.

Barry Grossman, who now lives in Perth, became the subject of an extradition request from Indonesian authorities following an accusation that he defrauded another Australian businessman of more than $200,000 through a company operated out of Bali.
If he is found guilty, Mr Grossman, could spend up to four years behind bars.

He is accused by Sydney-based builder Patrick Finlay of taking an order for a shipment of stone that was never delivered.
In a complaint filed with Bali Police, Mr Finlay alleges that he agreed to buy stone from Mr Grossman, although concedes no contract was signed.
"The total money I sent after I agreed to buy natural stone from BKG (Barry Kevin Grossman) was $236,000 of which only $136,000 was sent by transfer," Mr Finlay said in a statement to police in March 2008.

Mr Grossman has denied the allegation, saying that while he did receive money from Mr Finlay, the funds were related to "share transactions" and that "there was at no time any discussion of a product order".
"I have never received any order at any time from Finlay or (David) Purll," he said, referring to a second man who alleges he gave money to Mr Finlay, with whom he had entered a partnership, for the purpose of buying stone.
"I received and acknowledged receiving various amounts from them which fall very far short of the $236,000 Finlay alleges to have paid and claimed to police that he has proof of," Mr Grossman said.
"The evidence he provided, of course, is limited to three transfers totalling some $93,000."
The pair once worked together in building one of Sydney's most lavish properties, the Point Piper mansion known as Villa Veneto which sold last year for $52 million, and for which Mr Grossman supplied much of the stone.
Mr Grossman said his company, Goliath, had been forced to cease trading as a result of the legal action against him.
"My company did not, however, go bust. It simply stopped production. Sadly, the dozens of Indonesians previously employed had to be let go," he said.

The Bali Police and Indonesia's Ministry of Law and Human Rights have confirmed an extradition order had been lodged with Australian authorities.
A spokesperson for the Australian Attorney-General's Department refused to comment directly on the case, saying it was longstanding practice not to disclose whether an extradition request had been received until the person was arrested or brought before a court.

But Mr Grossman, who left Bali in 2010, said he reported to both the Australian Federal Police and the extradition unit at the Attorney General's Department, including providing details of his address, shortly after arriving in Australia in August 2011.
The 52-year-old, who has a wife and daughter still in Bali, said he has consistently expressed a willingness to voluntarily return to Indonesia but wants an assurance that he would receive a fair trial.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/aussie-wanted-in-bali-denies-wrongdoing/story-e6frf7ko-1226239719505

Good news for financial markets -Merkel and Sarkoz vow fast action as crisis

2012-01-10T10:13:00.004+08:00

Merkel and Sarkoz vow fast action as crisis bites

BERLIN

Germany’s Angela Merkel and France’s Nicolas Sarkozy call for rapid action as the ongoing eurozone crisis is showing little sign of easing. The leaders say Greece cannot get anymore support without implementing serious measures

France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy (L) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel walk near the sea in Deauville in this October photo. REUTERS photo

The leaders of France and Germany vowed yesterday to speed up various measures to ease the eurozone crisis, as the euro flirted with new lows on the market amid signs of heightened banking tensions.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said after talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel that an agreement on stricter budgetary rules tying in all EU members except Britain should be signed by March 1.
Merkel said negotiations on a text were progressing well and also announced Paris and Berlin were ready to accelerate payments into a permanent fund for future possible bailouts.

“Germany and France are ready to review... to what extent our payments can be accelerated in a certain way and thus once again make our trust in and support for the eurozone clearly visible,” she told reporters.

Euro loses big

EU leaders are looking into ways of arming the fund, the European Stability Mechanism, with its resources in one go, rather than putting in smaller trenches over several years under the current plan.
The meeting between the two, who have been at the forefront of efforts to combat the eurozone debt turmoil, came as the euro tested near 16-month lows against the dollar.

“The situation is tense, very tense,” acknowledged Sarkozy.

The crisis also appeared to be returning with a vengeance to Athens, where it began. A team of international auditors was due to return to Greece next week to assess the country’s economy after Prime Minister Lucas Papademos warned of an “uncontrolled default” in March if no further aid was forthcoming.

Merkel called for the “rapid implementation” of reform measures in Greece, warning that new bailout funds could not be paid out otherwise.

Amid renewed speculation that Greece could be forced out of the euro, she nevertheless stressed: “It is our intention that no country should leave the eurozone.”
Analysts were largely unimpressed by the meeting.

January/10/2012

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/merkel-and-sarkoz-vow-fast-action-as-crisis-bites.aspx?pageID=238&nid=11078&NewsCatID=344

Australia November New Home Sales Rose Sharply_20 per cent below what you could conservatively call healthy."

2012-01-09T09:05:00.002+08:00

SYDNEY (Dow Jones)--New home sales in Australia rose sharply during November, spurred by interest-rate easing by the central bank, according to an industry survey published Monday.

Sales of new homes rose 6.8% on a seasonally-adjusted basis, compared with October when sales rose a revised 2.8%, the Housing Industry Association-Jeld-Wen monthly report said, based on a survey of the country's biggest 100 builders.

A first rate cut by the central bank in November and an expectation of more easing boosted sentiment in the market, though overall conditions in the building sector remains soft, said Harley Dale, chief economist at the HIA.

"There is, however, a long way to go to restore new home sales volumes to acceptable levels," Dale said.
"At present, sales volumes are running at least 20 per cent below what you could conservatively call healthy."
-By Enda Curran, Dow Jones Newswires; 61-2-8272-4687; enda.curran@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 08, 2012 18:50 ET (23:50 GMT)

Bali - Stabbed man tells of flight from hell

2012-01-09T08:14:00.001+08:00

Stabbed man tells of flight from hell

Chris and Mandie Mete flew home after Chris was knifed in Bali. Picture: Darren Tindale Herald Sun

THE Cranbourne man stabbed in a bar brawl in Bali has told of his flight from hell to get medical treatment in Melbourne, but vowed to return soon to the island where he was nearly killed.

Chris Mete, 26, was forced to buy a first-class ticket and fly six hours to Australia with a leaking pancreas and fluid in his lungs after the scuffle that saw him and Newcastle man Jake Whitehead slashed at Kuta's Bounty nightclub.

He and wife Mandie chose to dash home four days ago after days in a Balinese intensive care unit where several other patients died.

But Mr Mete still says Indonesians are better behaved than Australians.

His comments come as fresh police statistics reveal crimes against Australians in Bali rose by a massive 214 per cent last year.

Mr Mete said getting through more than nine hours of transit with stab wounds and a bag collecting fluid from his abdomen was an experience he would never forget.

"We went straight from (Tullamarine) airport to the Monash Hospital," Mr Mete said. "It wasn't a comfortable flight."

He is now recovering at home after treatment.

The couple, who travel to Bali for a month each year, praised local police and generous strangers who donated thousands of dollars to get him home.

And they pledged to return to Bali for a court case after two local men were charged over the incident.

"We've had people we don't even know donating a lot of money and we really want to thank them for that," Mrs Mete said.

More than $7000 was raised through the Facebook page titled The Chris Mete Appeal, with Mr Mete's parents Tony and Ruth still struggling to cover more than $12,000 in airfares and bills since the ugly saga started.

A Bali police end-of-year report reveals an explosion in offences committed against Australians.

The Australian-based Indonesian Institute's chairman, Ross Taylor, said the figure must be taken in context of the huge rise in Australians visiting Bali.

He said more than 717,300 visited Bali last year - up a quarter on 2010.

Mr Mete said Balinese culture was not to blame for crime against tourists, and Aussies acting like louts was the biggest problem.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/stabbed-man-tells-of-flight-from-hell/story-fn7x8me2-1226238948420

Bali one-day challenge

2012-01-09T07:56:00.002+08:00

CITIZEN OF THE WORLD By Edu Jarque (The Philippine Star) Updated January 08, 2012 12:00 AM Comments (0)

Impressive: A beautiful arch to yet another temple in Bali, Indonesia. | Zoom

Bali has become many a tourist’s destination of choice. With the wide array of pleasures the island offers — from batik and babi guling to beaches and forests, not to mention the rich history and alluring traditions, arts and culture, cuisine and shopping and the list goes on and on — no visitor can hide the wide-eyed look of touristic awe when deep in exploration.
Most people come to Bali for a tour, and within that tour they usually get a one-day break. We, on the other hand, visited Bali for a number of reasons — all of them personal pursuits. Funnily, it was this one-day break that we used for our tour. After accomplishing and achieving what we came here for, we found a guide, Ngurah Oka, a personal favorite of dear friends in Manila whom we could consult on all things Balinese.
Joining him, our comfortable van was a refuge from the morning swelter outdoors. To test and tease his knowledge of Bali, we posed this challenge to him: If a tourist had only one day to spend on the island, what would he recommend he or she do?
At the rate of five tourist destinations, plus three activities per second, his mouth was a rat-ta-ta-tat of suggestions. He almost sounded like a living brochure, advising us to watch the traditional Barong and Keris dances in Batubulan, to shop in Mas, which was the impressive center of handicrafts in gold and silver, to rest our eyes and soothe our souls in Ubud with its bottomless reserve of paintings and other artistic and cultural endeavors. “Know the beauty that the elephant cave holds in Bedulu,” he said.

Shopper’s delight: The islanders endeavor to meet their tourists’ needs

“Explore the active volcano that is Mt. Batur,” he rapidly continued. “Be awed on the slope of Mt. Agung by the Beskaih temple, the biggest temple in Bali. Enjoy wild dolphins as they perform and play, jumping on the water for audiences at Lovina Beach; marvel at the eloquence of nature as embodied by the Buyan, Beratan and Tamblingan lakes.” What a catalogue of places to see and things to do! He so casually rattled off names of exotic places, we had trouble collecting all his words, initially catching only more familiar terms such as “acupuncture,” “banana boat,” “parasailing” and even “safari.” And did he just say “shopping”?
After breakfast, we hesitantly left our luxe villa at the Ramada Resort, at the tip of Tanjung Benoa area, to start our daylong adventure. On our way, the cloudless blue sky was a spectacle of sun and birds. One almost had the impression that the entirety of Bali was a massive temple — airy enough for all these birds to flap through, with the roads paved with statues and serenity. In fact, it was as if every spot in Bali was marked with a statue, from the entrances of restaurants, to the exits of marketplaces.
Passing by the unfinished Dutch Colony Museum, we wondered about the sudden sprouting of so many new buildings, all of them, no more than four floors tall. More room in the sky for birds? Asked about it, our guide informed us that buildings could not be constructed higher than coconut trees and temples, thanks to a mandate signed by the Governor of Bali in 1971 to protect the area’s tourism culture.
He recommended that we start our day with either lobster or jukut ares, a kind of Balinese chicken soup with banana stems that he urged us to taste. Having had lots of the former, even in the Philippines and on trips abroad, we thought the latter was intriguing enough to try. But too bad, we were satisfied from breakfast. Speaking of local cuisine, we recalled how one of the towns in Bali — Ubud, for that matter — sounded like our very own delicacy of fresh lumpia or “ubod.” Having a good giggle about the linguistic comparison, I thought it was a novel idea, eating an entire town draped in a lumpia wrapper, peppered with crushed nuts and visitors like ourselves.

Absolute winner, hand’s down: The island’s major attraction Tanah Lot, the iconic temple, is likewise of great importance to the Hindus. Resting on a strip of rocky land, it transforms into an island at high tide.

Off to Batubulan, we watched a cultural show, the traditional Barong and Keris dances as suggested by the guide. It was a delight with its riot of colors onstage, and the expressive details on their faces — most especially the darting movements of the eyes — begging for our attention, as if every crease and wrinkle, stare and wink was choreographed meticulously. Charmed by the show, we even went backstage, just to take a peek at the performers, who were exhausted by their rigorous routine, yet smiling.
From there, we moved on to a batik factory, where we observed how these patterns were made on cloth. It was quite a learning experience. While batik isn’t at all part of what I would consider my repertoire of wear, studying the process deepened my appreciation for this generations-honored craft. Every step was discussed and demonstrated in detail: from designing the white or primed material, to filling the design with wax in dots and ornaments, to dyeing it with one or more colors, to the removal of all wax in boiling water, even to the final stages of drying the material after it had been totally washed.
Then, a lunch of domestic delicacies followed in a lush, pollution-free, open space. The setting could have easily been among our rice paddies in the Philippines. But we have yet to transform our fields into venues for exotic luncheons such as this. What a joy it was to eat, surrounded by nature with tiny crisscrossing brooks, in the presence of several ponds, and a thousand blooming lotuses.
Over food we talked more about the similarities of certain words in Pilipino and Balinese — “ulo” for “head,” “pinto” for “door,” “mura” for “cheap,” among others. Ngura likewise continued to map out in words what we ought to experience in Bali: a temple by the lake, a temple by the sea, their famous beaches — and of course, at the end of the catalogue of must-do activities, the Balinese spa.

Have not seen anything yet: Tour guide Ngurah Oka in traditional garb briefs the author on the grandeur of the Mengwi Temple, a royal temple built in the 17th century

Lots of signs pointed our way to this field that designated the various spa entrances. According to our guide what makes these popular among tourists is the length of time meant for each visit: two hours minimum, with an hour of body massage, half an hour for what is called “body lotion,” and another half hour for a flower bath.
Having savored the home-cooked lunch, we proceeded on our journey. Headed for Nusa Dua, we passed by what seemed like a rotunda, with a statue at the center of it. The installation, according to Ngurah, “guarded our tongues.” For it was how one spoke that measured trust in their culture. A good talk between two people meant they could be friends, and a conversation that went awry between them was an indication that they could become enemies.
Strangely enough, this conversation about conversations segued into cremation and how the Balinese people resisted talking about their dead. Perhaps the topic was introduced to our minds because we had just noticed a sign that read “crematorium.” How interesting to learn that the longer a dead loved one remains fresh in one’s memory, the more he or she must wait before entering paradise. It is absolutely necessary, then, to completely forget the dearly departed, in order for them to find peace — almost as if enduring memory is a kind of prison for the wandering Balinese soul.
Nusa Dua means “two islands.” And the pleasure of the place also comes in twos: luxury and tranquility. A cradle of five-star hotels, it’s a prime destination for tourists in search of the peace that comes with pristine coasts, coupled with topnotch service from the surrounding spas and exclusive restaurants. While it isn’t impossible to find some budget accommodation in the area, it possesses a lushness that is understandably exclusive to the socially privileged. Nearby, within walking distance of the peninsular beauty that is Tanjung Benoa, our boutique hotel was ideally located. Nusa Dua also has in its vicinity a beach whose waters are of such a particular calmness that Indonesian farmers can successfully grow the most delicate seaweed there, desired all over the country.
Then there is Ubud — magical, enchanting Ubud!

Nature at its best: Open space, green vegetation, running water and blooming lotuses

The community we visited, was not so much composed of houses with art in them, but of galleries that looked like houses: there was no doubt that painting was simply a way of life for the people who lived here. Variations of the “Tree of Life” were painted, framed and hung on the various walls of Ubud, almost as if every resident here had his or her own rendition of the famous image.
And if another activity in this town could match painting in ubiquity, it would be shopping — from antiques to modern masterpieces of art, the latest design in clothes to whimsical trinkets, decorative objects to souvenir items. Prices vary widely, and bargaining is the norm. We took a stab at it, laughed a lot, but remained polite.
Their marketplaces are full of interesting items, to say the least: all this dynamic commerce perimetered by statues and stone sculptures and arches wide and narrow, high and low.
And with so many temples everywhere, it was impossible not to chance upon a religious ceremony or two. While we were lucky enough to run into a traditional wedding — everyone was dressed in sarongs and malongs, as if at a gala affair — we chose not to intrude pm the solemnity of this ritual with our visiting gaze.
We continued our enjoyable ride. The countryside, rich in thick and luxuriant vegetation, was very green and serene. We also got to drive past Bali’s own rice terraces, though they were not as dramatic, I must admit, as our very own in Banaue. Still, inspiring nonetheless. This was the route to Mengwi, where the Royal Temple was located, the second largest in Bali according to the guide, built in 1634.
We were totally awed by the Tanah Lot Temple near the sea — surely the most exquisite one we would get to see in this lifetime. Dramatically settled on a massive rock, it would turn into an island at high tide. My French friend called it “the Mont Saint-Michel of Bali.” It was such a knockout beauty that one could easily ignore the crowd of tourists hogging all the space around the temple.
For the trip’s denouement, our tour guide informed us, “We’ll soon be on our way to Batu Bolong, another temple which is closer to where we are and perhaps proceed to Dalalat, another marvelous temple.” As evening would soon be upon us, we opted to save it for another time. Besides, who wants to move on and see another temple on the very same afternoon, when one is still admiring the beauty of a combination of nature’s best and man’s genius?
On the road once again, we eventually saw warungs, the Balinese equivalent of our sari-sari stores. Cramming an entire tour into one day managed to parch our throats so we treated ourselves to esteler, a milk drink that is quite similar to our halo-halo. So it seemed the Balinese and the Filipino have more in common than a handful of words — savoring the same tastes and sharing a rich heritage of similar religious experiences.
We thought we could cap the day off at Kuta, to at least catch a glimpse of what sort of nocturnal parties the Balinese youth engage in. But, exhausted from all that travel, we honestly thought the scene wasn’t for us.
We then retreated for home to join Indah Kartika, director of sales and marketing of the Ramada Resort, where she hosted a relaxing dinner on her property. The food changed every night, and on that particular evening, barbecue was on the menu — a superb selection of meats, seafood and vegetables, fresh and juicy, tender as the memories we’ve made on the island.
With a bit of grease on our lips and Bali on our minds, we took a leisurely walk under the stars, considering ourselves blessed to be under the Indonesian sky on our merry way to one of the spas we had chosen earlier.

* * *

Singapore Airline flies directly four times daily from Manila to Singapore, with the most convenient connections to Denpasar (Bali) twice every day. For more information, contact Rita Dy, manager, marketing communications and services, at 756-8899 or visit their website www.singaporeair.com.

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I predicted the worldwide crash in 2007, the Australia downturn 12 months ago and the Singapore and Hong Kong downturn six months ago

Now I predict that Vancouver, my old hometown will see a major correction in real estate prices the next 12 to 24 months.

Why, Simple, Vancouver is vastly overpriced and with a more cautious Asian buyer and inflated Canadian dollar making it more difficult for Americans to buy the writing is on the wall.

Hint for Canadian owners. Sell now and move your money to Vancouver Island on the outskirts of Victoria where prices are still very reasonable.

For those of you that want to enjoy a place in the sun I can tell you as a Canadian living in Bali, Indonesia for 15 years, Bali has the best prices, lowest cost of living and one of the best lifestyles in world and I can prove that to.

Here you can still by beautiful two bedroom three bathroom luxury Villa for hundred and $189,000.

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I've been saying for many years now that Indonesia is not a rising tiger it's going to be a Lion in Asia.

Why, Because as China and Japan labor prices rise dramatically 200 to 300% more than in Indonesian labor it becomes very attractive for neighboring Asian countries to locate their manufacturing in Indonesia and ship from here.

Not to forget that Indonesia has abundant natural resources including coal for fuel diesel generators, and abundant minerals.

I wouldn't be surprised within a few years to see the Indonesian rupiah rises 10% to 20% against the U.S. dollar.

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