Bali News & Views

Fatal Bali Storm a Hoax, Agency Says

2012-01-31T04:46:00.000+08:00

Jakarta Globe | January 29, 2012

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNBP) dismissed circulating rumors that a cyclone struck Bali and caused hundreds of fatalities — rumors circulated through the blogosphere on Friday and Saturday.

“We have checked our Bali office and there is no such thing. It’s a hoax,” agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told Antara.

Sutopo said that high waves and strong winds from tropical storm Iggy had been thrashing Bali, causing the closure of the famed Kuta beach and the Padang Bai ferry port, where ferries depart for Lombok island.

On Wednesday, Sutopo also said strong winds claimed the lives of two Tabanan residents, Wayan Tirtayasa and Saifudin. Both died when they were hit by a tree uprooted by the wind. Four other bystanders were injured in the incident. http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/nvironment/fatal-bali-storm-a-hoax-agency-says/494379

Bali and the chocolate factory

2012-01-31T03:59:00.002+08:00

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Bali and the chocolate factory

By Gisela Williams

Bamboo, eco-friendly and strong as steel, is used to build everything from homes to bridges and schools

Green School is within walking distance via the KulKul bridge

While Bali’s south coast is being swallowed up by villa and resort developments, there is an innovative green design movement gathering pace on the island. The area in and around Sibang, an off-the-map hamlet between Ubud and Denpasar, has become an unexpected centre for buildings made almost entirely of bamboo. But unlike the bamboo structures that have popped up for centuries throughout Asia and South and Central America, these buildings are resistant to decay and radically innovative.
The principal building of the Green School, a pre-school through 12-grade institution in the centre of Bali, has attracted attention in architecture circles since it opened three years ago. From the outside it’s intriguing enough – three interconnected spiral roofs of thatched grass seem to float 20m above the ground – but only when standing inside its vast open centre does it become apparent that this three-storey building is supported by more than 2,500 bamboo poles.

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“Contemporary, organic-inspired, Frank Gehry-style architecture is easily done with bamboo,” says Jörg Stamm, designer of the Green School’s bamboo Kul-Kul bridge, which curves about 22 metres over the Ayung River. “On a smaller scale, bamboo can be used like steel tubes, which are being used to build many contemporary buildings.” Because of its strength and elastic properties, bamboo is often used as scaffolding on building sites in Asian cities such as Hong Kong.
However, an interest in building with bamboo is also booming thanks to its environmental benefits. Studies carried out by civil engineer Jules Janssen at the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands show that bamboo has the tensile strength of mild steel, but needs only 1/50th of the energy for processing. Properly harvested and treated bamboo timber can also effectively replace hardwood. Not only does bamboo grow faster, it can be harvested in three to five years versus the 10-15 years for most hardwoods. Yet contrary to popular belief, properly harvested and treated bamboo isn’t necessarily cheaper.

House prices at Green Village, a community of 32 bamboo structures yet to be completed, will range from $300,000 to $600,000

“At the end of the day bamboo is not that much cheaper than steel,” says Stamm. “It’s a difficult and costly process to select, harvest and transport the right bamboo timber in a sustainable way.”
Much of the technical know-how comes from Colombian-based architects and self-taught bamboo experts Oscar Hidalgo-Lopez (who wrote the book Bamboo: The Gift of the Gods) and Simón Vélez, who is credited with inventing a unique bolt system that creates strong and durable joints. He is currently building a bamboo bus terminal, in Santiago de Cali, Colombia, the length of three football fields.
The Environmental Bamboo Foundation, an international think-tank for scientists and architects founded by the Irish designer Linda Garland, has also helped transform bamboo into a permanent material by developing a treatment known as the vertical soak diffusion method. This protects bamboo timbers from insects by penetrating it with a solution of borax (or sodium borate), boric acid and water.
Contemporary bamboo architecture is at such an early stage that techniques are still being developed on the ground. While the massive span of the new Big Tree chocolate factory in Sibang – possibly the largest industrial bamboo structure in the world – has benefited from the bolt systems invented by Vélez, the on-site American architect of the project, Peter Celovsky, had to come up with several solutions of his own.

Celovsky worked for months to develop interior walls that could replace concrete walls, or at least substantially reduce the amount of sand and cement used. He eventually created surfaces made of woven bamboo strips held in place by small bamboo poles and a layer of plaster.
“This creates a very lightweight wall that is both incredibly strong but also supportive in the event of an earthquake,” says Frederick Schilling, chief executive of Big Tree. Fibres from guadua bamboo are longer and more elastic than those in wood, which is why it is often used for seismic-resistant buildings. The factory itself – a surprisingly whimsical structure that resembles a woven basket in the shape of a barn – speaks of artisanal handiwork rather than sterile industrial production.

In order to adhere to industrial codes, Big Tree builders had to coat the inner bamboo walls with a food grade sealant and seal all the interior food production rooms. (There are also plenty of fire extinguishers stashed away.) However, it’s unlikely that a factory like this could be built in much of the developed world. Relaxed regulations in countries like Indonesia are the reason why Bali is a source of great experimentation.
“We have the freedom here to work without strict codes that restrict possibilities,” says bamboo architect Arief Rabik, who is Linda Garland’s son. Rabik is also a material scientist and is currently launching a bamboo flooring company in central Bali funded by a grant from the Netherlands. He believes that bamboo laminates and flooring will have a positive impact on the environment.
“It’s about changing wood from within,” he says. “Most carpenters will not accept a round natural form like bamboo that’s irregular and can’t be standardised for their frames. With laminates those contractors can still get their 2 x 4.”

Rabik agrees that buildings such as the Green School and the Big Tree factory are important examples of bamboo’s capabilities and have helped to improve its reputation. “Bamboo is no longer just the poor man’s wood,” he says. “It’s glamorous and environmentally innovative.”
Back in Sibang, another bamboo project is under way next to the Green School. The Green Village is a community of bamboo homes overseen by Elora Hardy, daughter of the Green School’s founder John Hardy. Although only five of its 32 planned houses are so far complete, the project was chosen as a finalist for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2010.
Walls here are made from bamboo poles that have been sliced into a boxy pattern and even kitchen appliances, including the refrigerator, are covered with a bamboo laminate.
House prices range from $300,000 to $600,000. “We also have a request to build a million-dollar estate on a separate piece of land near the Green Village,” says Hardy. “In general the building costs start at $800 per sq m, though on request we can design much higher-end luxury.”
Tom Navasero, founder and executive director for the Asia Center for Sustainability, moved his family here two years ago after enrolling his eldest son in the Green School. “We live in luxury in the middle of the jungle,” he says. “We hear the sound of a river, see beautiful sunrises and sunsets and have fresh coconut water every day. We know that our carbon footprint is very low despite comfortable living. People talk about thinking outside the box; we live outside the box.”
................................................
Details
● Big Tree www.bigtreefarms.com
● Green School www.greenschool.org
● Green Village www.greenvillagebali.com
● Linda Garland and the Environmental Bamboo Foundation www.bamboocentral.org

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2012-01-30T12:26:00.002+08:00

Editors Note:

There were many times during the five hours and fifty three minutes of last night's match at the Australian open when I glanced over to a young Irish man next to me and a young Italian woman next to him, both avid tennis players, who I was carrying on a creative dialogue during the entire match.

I could not stop myself from saying over and over again as if in a hypnotic trance "it just does not get any better than this" the same wordstI uttered two nights before when under similar circumstances Djovic played Murray which lasted almost as long.

Both matches were tennis nirvana for any avid tennis player and truly an honor and privilege to be there when history was made in the longest grand slam final in history

Novak Djokovic's win over Rafael Nadal was as good as tennis gets.

________________________________________________

Commentary: No. 1 Novak Djokovic's epic five-set defeat of No. 2 Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open is the longest Grand Slam singles final ever — 5 hours 53 minutes. And for fans, it's tennis nirvana.

Novak Djokovic rips off his shirt after a grueling five-set victory over Rafael Nadal, right, in the Australian Open men's championship match early Monday morning in Melbourne. (Photos by EPA and Associated Press / January 29, 2012)

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By Diane Pucin

January 29, 2012, 8:00 p.m.

So many times sleep approached.

But then Rafael Nadal would make the tennis ball do loop-de-loops with his forehand and it would drop out of the reach of Novak Djokovic and, OK, sleep backed off.

But there was a wake-up call scheduled for 9 a.m. and a golf tournament approaching, the final round, and so sleep would beckon again.

And then Djokovic, whose raspy breathing crackled over the television speakers, would run as he does, with lightness even though it was four hours and counting into the Australian Open final, and he would whack his backhand so precisely that the sound of ball hitting racket made sleepy eyes snap to attention. The ball would land on the baseline and Nadal would howl as he arrived half a step too late.

It was 6:37 a.m. Sunday in California or 1:37 a.m. Monday for the lucky ones in Melbourne, at Rod Laver Arena, when the world's No. 1 player, Djokovic, beat the world's No. 2 player, Nadal, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5, in a 5-hour 53-minute display of emotionally powerful tennis that should leave us all, tennis lovers or not, counting the days until the next major tournament, the French Open.

The dull numbers say that 24-year-old Djokovic of Serbia has won a third consecutive Grand Slam tournament and the fifth major title in his career, but this match was never about numbers.

This was the longest Grand Slam singles final in pro tennis history because Djokovic and Nadal, the 25-year-old Spaniard who has already earned 10 major titles, seem incapable of doing anything except making each winner more incredible than the last.

This has become one of the greatest times ever in men's tennis, as the two semifinals at the Australian Open proved.

Djokovic and fourth-seeded Andy Murray had played five sets and 4 hours 50 minutes and produced more tantalizing shots than it was possible to imagine, and that was a day after Nadal had come from a set down to beat Roger Federer, the man who has won more majors (16) than anyone in history, in four sets of what had been described as "ethereal" and "effervescent" tennis. Yes, we are running out of words for what is produced by these four.

So it was assumed that neither Djokovic nor Nadal would have the physical energy or the mental fortitude to be better or play longer. But they did.

Nadal, who has now lost in the finals of the last three majors to Djokovic, said, "I lost a match, but it was perhaps the final that I lost that hurts the least. Because I did all I could. I fought with everything I had."

There was a 31-point rally in the final set. Djokovic lost that point and collapsed on his back in exhaustion. And it felt as if it was also his surrender. But it wasn't, even as the crowd was firmly on Nadal's side, chanting "Rafa," and Nadal was willing to run from sideline to sideline and not stop.

Nadal had appeared to be a goner too, when he was down 0-40 on his serve in the eighth game of the final set. But he eventually held and then rain started. Rod Laver Arena has a roof, and in the 10 minutes it took to close the top, both players re-gathered their energy for the final push.

When it was over, Djokovic told reporters, "It was obvious on the court for everybody who has watched the match that both of us, physically, we took the last drop of energy we had."

For the rest of us, we only wanted more. Djokovic is already looking toward the French Open in May. It's the only Slam he hasn't won. Last year he lost in the semifinals to Federer. Nadal beat Federer in the final. Let's just do that again. Soon.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-0130-australian-open-pucin-20120130,0,1599294.story

diane.pucin@latimes.com

Trouble in paradise: Falling foul of Southeast Asia’s tough drug laws

2012-01-30T08:58:00.005+08:00

Posted by Mike Aquino on January 26, 2012 in Travel Tips

TALK about your Bali vacation gone all to hell. Kerobokan Prison was likely the last thing on the anonymous Australian teenager’s mind when he paid a Kuta dealer about $25 for a baggie of marijuana. But drugs in Southeast Asia have a way of screwing up your travel plans.

Image © Mateusz Atroszko.

As the Aussie teen found out the hard way, countries in Southeast Asia are famously strict about drugs. In Singapore, you can be arrested on arrival if you test positive for drugs consumed while abroad. In Thailand, over 2,000 alleged drug pushers were killed within a three-month war on drugs between February and April 2003.
So the kid actually got lucky – getting arrested in a buy-bust operation and getting away with two months’ jail time in Bali? Considering the worst possible scenario, the anonymous Aussie teen caught a break.
If you get arrested on drug charges in Southeast Asia, though, you can’t expect to get off as lightly as the Aussie kid. It all depends on where you’re caught, and how much you’re carrying at the time of arrest.

Image © Colby Otero / Creative Commons.

On the lax end is Cambodia. Despite being hard on drugs in theory, the authorities mostly ignore drug users who don’t call too much attention to themselves. The risk of arrest for marijuana use is “practically zero if you’re not particularly socially inept and/or unlucky,” explains an expat in Cambodia who goes by the name of Halvor. “Almost all the locals and frequent visitors I know here consider smoking pot openly at bars… nothing to worry about.”
Contrast this with Singapore, which has some of the toughest drug laws on the books and does not hold back when it comes to enforcing them. Singapore’s draconian Misuse of Drugs Act prescribes a mandatory death sentence if you’re found guilty of possessing at least half a kilo of marijuana or 30 grams of cocaine.
Why are local laws so harsh on drugs? The answer is one part cultural and another part geopolitical.
First, the ancient Chinese philosophy of legalism exerts a subtle influence on modern law in the region: the philosophy mandates strict laws and harsh punishments for violators. Modern-day Singapore bureaucrats claim that the results justify such archaic harshness: “Over two decades, the number of drug abusers arrested each year has declined by two-thirds, from over 6,000 in the early 1990s to about 2,000 last year,” wrote Singaporean diplomat Michael Teo in 2010. “We do not have traffickers pushing drugs openly in the streets, nor do we need to run needle exchange centres.”
Second, the proximity of the heroin-producing Golden Triangle (a patch of mountainous real estate shared by Thailand, Laos and Burma) puts pressure on countries in the region, forcing lawmakers to crack down hard on drugs in the hopes of damming a potential flood of cheap heroin. They have every right to be nervous: Burma alone produced 580 metric tons of opium in 2010, and the numbers are only climbing.
In the following weeks, we’ll look at the specific laws and penalties in certain Southeast Asian countries, and what you should do if you’re ever unlucky enough to be caught. In the meantime, may your luck never run out in mid-toke.

Tags: asia drug laws, burma, Cambodia, cambodia drugs, drugs, singapore, singapore drugs, thailand drugs

http://www.travelwireasia.com/2748/trouble-in-paradise-falling-foul-of-southeast-asias-tough-drug-laws/

Rod Laver and Australian Open Management- Very Stupid, Very Incompetent

2012-01-30T08:05:00.006+08:00

Rod Laver Arena and Australian Open tennis tournament management Incompetent or Incompetent or inconsiderate;

I have some very serious criticism for whoever is running the Rod Laver Arena the site of the Australian Open tennis tournament which just completed last night.

First a complement. After having been to Wimbledon two years ago Rod Laver is a much better layout with lots room for the 20,000 fans to enjoy.

On the downside, last night at the beginning of the match based on my professional opinion as a prior owner of an air-conditioning company and G.M. of three resorts for eight years I estimated the temperature within the arena was upwards of 30 to 33°.

When you're paying $200-$300 for a ticket I don't think you should have to endure a that of temperature especially when the management has the option of turning on the air-conditioning and make it comfortable for everyone including the players .

About an hour into the match one fan collapsed from the heat and had to taken out on a stretcher.

Shortly thereafter they turned on the air-conditioning but they left the roof open which meant we were air conditioning Melbourne. Talk about wasting energy.

I can only conclude that the management of the Rod Laver and Australian Open tennis tournament were either very stupid, very incompetent, or just trying to save a few extra bucks by not running the air conditioners.

Yes the roof open as it is a nice feature but it's better to be more comfortable while we endured dangerously high temperatures during the longest grand slam tennis match in history at five hours and 53 minutes.

Whether it was incompetence or just illogical thinking it was definitely wrong to keep the roof open and air-conditioner off in such dangerous conditions.

At one point I looked across at my neighbor and said “here we are complaining about heat think about Djokovic and Nadal who also had the lights on them and are exercising. They must be superheated.

I highly recommend that the Rod Laver Arena management and the Australian open management consider closing the roof and turning on air-conditioning as soon as the temperature reaches above 27° which is the maximum that most people feel comfortable based on my former profession as an air-conditioning company owner.

I encourage those of you that endured these conditions along with me last night to send an e-mail, tweet, blog or letters to the editors of the newspaper so this does not happenin the coming years

Longest Grand Slam men’s singles final in history-n 5 hours and 53 minutes

2012-01-30T00:06:00.001+08:00

By CHRISTOPHER CLAREY

Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Nicolas Asfouri/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Joe Castro/European Pressphoto Agency
Torsten Blackwood/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Mast Irham/European Pressphoto Agency
Julian Smith/European Pressphoto Agency
Paul Crock/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Toby Melville/Reuters
Barbara Walton/European Pressphoto Agency

Novak Djokovic celebrated after winning the 2012 Australian Open.

11:01 a.m. | Updated with more match details

MELBOURNE, Australia – Shirtless in Rod Laver Arena at 1:38 Monday morning, Novak Djokovic screamed with release and delight in the direction of his supporters. And who could begrudge him the celebration?
It had required five sets and the longest Grand Slam men’s singles final in history, but Djokovic finally managed to win his third straight Grand Slam singles title on a Sunday night that turned into a Monday morning in Melbourne. Djokovic did it by defeating the same determined but ultimately frustrated opponent, Rafael Nadal, in an Australian Open final that will rank as one of the greatest matches in the long history of tennis.
Djokovic, the No. 1 seed, required a record 5 hours and 53 minutes to defeat the second-seeded Nadal 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5.
But numbers, and there were plenty of them, do not sum up the depth and emotional power of this marathon: the latest joint effort in a golden era in the men’s game that has repeatedly matched strength against strength.
For now, there can be no doubt that Djokovic, the bristle-haired 24-year-old from Serbia, is the strongest. In the last seven months, he and Nadal have played for the trophy at Wimbledon, the United States Open and now the Australian Open. Djokovic has won every final and has now beaten Nadal, the Spaniard who is one of the supreme competitors in the sport’s long history, seven times in a row over all.
Djokovic had to rally on Sunday to defend his title in Melbourne but after an edgy first set, he gradually found his intimidating range, even though there was so much more tennis to play.
It was third Australian Open title and the fifth Grand Slam singles title for the elastic-limbed Djokovic, and he has now won four of the last five major tournaments contested, the only loss in that stretch coming in the semifinals of last year’s French Open against Roger Federer.
But since taking the reins of the men’s game last year, Djokovic has never been pushed quite like this. In contrast, their grueling four-set final at last year’s United States Open, seemed much closer to a short story.
The longest Grand Slam final in history until this one was the 1988 final at the United States Open, in which Mats Wilander defeated Ivan Lendl in 4 hours and 54 minutes. This one went for very nearly an hour longer and the winner never seemed clear until Djokovic’s final shot, an inside-out forehand, bounced twice for a winner.
“We made history tonight,” Djokovic said to Nadal in his victory speech. “Unfortunately there couldn’t be two winners tonight, but I wish you all the best for this season, and I wish and I hope that we will have many more matches like this, many more finals.”
Nadal, the first man to lose three consecutive Grand Slam singles finals, could be forgiven for not sharing the sentiment, but he was gracious in defeat.
“I never will forget this match ever, because of you,” Nadal told the crowd in Melbourne Park. “Even if I lost it was something really, really special to me.”
Nadal appeared to be on his way to losing this match in the fourth set, when he fell behind 0-40 on his serve in the eighth game of the fourth set. But he boldly hit and hustled his way out of that tight spot to keep Djokovic from serving for the match, and that effort coincided with the arrival of light rain.
After a 10-minute delay to close the arena’s retractable roof , the two rivals resumed the baseline hostilities indoors, and Nadal eventually prevailed in a tiebreaker to force a fifth set, the first fifth set in their 30 matches against each other.
It would transform an already exceptional match into something rarer, and there will be ample debate in various time zones about where this final ranks in the historical pecking order, which includes mutual masterpieces like Bjorn Borg’s five-set victory over John McEnroe in the 1980 Wimbledon final or Nadal’s five-set victory over Federer on the same patch of grass in the 2008 final.
The fifth set of this marathon did not require quite as many games to resolve as either of those epics, but the intensity and tension was extraordinary. Djokovic, who has been struggling with breathing problems in the latter stages of this tournament, staggered after returns in the fifth game and actually collapsed to the blue court after his errant backhand put a brutal end to a 31-shot rally on the first point of the ninth game.
“That’s the first knockdown I’ve ever seen in tennis,” said Jim Courier, the United States Davis Cup captain who was commenting on the match for Australian television.
But though Djokovic once had a reputation for lacking staying power, retiring from several high-profile matches earlier in his career, he has become a much more resilient force in the last two seasons. He needed deep reserves against Nadal, who looked the fresher man for most of the fifth set (the only knockdown in relative terms coming when, during the awards ceremony, Nadal sat on the net while Djokovic remained standing).
Nadal broke serve first in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead, but Djokovic broke him back immediately in the next game and held to 4-all. On they pushed each other into the late night with the 15,000-seat arena still nearly full.
“This is as good as I’ve seen,” Courier, a four-time Grand Slam singles champion, said of the match.
It was not just the ticking clock or the grand tennis occasion. It was the quality, both defensive and offensive, under duress, and though the strain was evident on their faces, above all Djokovic’s with his reddening nose and slightly vacant gaze, it was not nearly so evident once the ball was in play.
Nadal saved a break point in the ninth game by serving and volleying for the first time in the match, even though Djokovic’s return failed to get over the net. Nadal saved another break point in the 11th game when he ripped a backhand crosscourt that Djokovic, lunging with his forehand, could not handle.
But on the next point, Nadal missed a whipping forehand down the line and then surrendered the break with a weak sliced backhand into the net. This time, Djokovic did serve for the match, but Nadal was not done pushing him or himself, lunging desperately into the corner and hitting one-handed slices to keep rallies alive.
He got one more chance to keep the marathon going, but Djokovic saved a break point at 30-40, and on the next point, Nadal’s full-force backhand hit the top of the net and sailed wide. Djokovic wagged an index finger at the sky, but it was not quite over.
There were still the bounces (and more bounces) before his next serve, but Djokovic handled the moment and the pressure with aplomb, which has become quite a habit in the last year, and he slammed a first serve down the middle that Nadal reached with his last desperate backhand.
The ball landed short in the court, and Djokovic, after so much hard work, made the last one look easy: stroking his forehand for a winner. As he fell to the court, the crowd raised to its feet.

http://straightsets.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/djokovic-tops-nadal-in-five-sets-to-win-in-australia/

2012-01-30T00:01:00.000+08:00

Spanish Gentleman loses Australian Open After giving up a major point.

2012-01-29T23:48:00.007+08:00

I just returned from what was arguably one of one of the best tennis matches in history with number one Djokovic against number two Nadal at the Australian Open in Melbourne Australia .

Since former number 1 Nadal has a history of losing to Djokovic all of us in attendance were amazed and impressed when 5 hours an 50 minutes later in the marathon match they were tied 5- 5 in the final set after winning two sets each. Finally Djokovic won.

What's amazing about this match is that the Nadal actually probably would've won if he had not been one of the most gracious gentleman players of all time .

After winning the first set he was close to winning the second set when the linesman called one of his opponents shots out.

Nadal could have keep quiet and went on to win the second set but he used one of his valuable challenges to challenge the ref's call on behalf of Djokovic. After the Hawkeye camera determined Nadal was correct the point was taken from him and given to his opponent and friend.

I have watched grand Slams for decades and never seen this act of all out chivalry before .

Maybe it's a karma from his good deed which allowed battle on to go all the way to a 5- 5 tie in the final match.

At any rate as all of us said who were watching it live “it could've been anybody's game” and only a few minor mistakes separated the number one from number two.

Congratulations to both players and thank you very much for providing on of th bets sports events of my entire life.

Gay Bars and Clubs of Seminyak, Bali

2012-01-29T09:27:00.005+08:00

By Megan McCook

Friday, January 27th, 2012

One of the more popularly visited beach towns of Bali is the city of Seminyak and one of the more upscale destinations in the region with numerous high-end bars and restaurants as well as mostly luxury accommodations. It is hard to realize when you first view the city that only 10 years ago it was somewhat of a backwater, undeveloped community that didn’t entice many international travelers and tourists. Although it is a targeted destination of romantic heterosexual couples, Bali has a very lively yet smaller gay and lesbian scene. For those looking for a fun, gay vacation, with a host of visits to the bars and clubs in Bali, Seminyak is the perfect vacation spot.

The following is a listing of the some of the most popular and recommended gay bars and clubs of Seminyak, Bali:
Mixwell – Dyana Pura Street is the location of this bar and one of the more popular bar stops in the city when heading out to the club scene. It is the home to drag shows that are conducted every night of the week and is a favorite spot of both locals and tourists. The bar sees its busiest time between the hours of 11 pm and 2 am.
Bali Joe – located right next door to Mixwell, many locals say that barhopping is at its best by jumping back and forth between the two bars. Bali Joe features its own go-go dancers and some extremely popular drag shows. The atmosphere oftentimes rings loudly with bar patrons singing some well known gay anthems.
Club Cosmo – named after a very popular cosmopolitan cocktail, Club Cosmo is one of the newer gay bars in Seminyak which features a late night dance club as well as a newly installed terrace bar. Nightly shows begin promptly at 10:00 and are followed up by the “Midnight Extravaganza” which features some of the finest female impersonators in Bali as well as an abundance of talented male dancers.
Bottoms-Up Bar – one of the most popular gay bars in Seminyak, the Bottoms-Up is well known for its nightly diva drag queen performances with go-go dancers accompanying them. The Bottoms-Up Bar is situated adjacent to the Bali Joe and our next choice for recommended gay bars, the Facebar Bali.
Facebar Bali – one of the relatively newer bars of the Dhyanapura gay area of the city, the Facebar Bali is situated in between the Bottoms Up and Bali Joe Bars. Just like the other gay bars located on this street in Seminyak, this bar features female impersonators as well as go-go dancers. However, the primary focus is still the go-go performers along with pole dancing and a “shower show.”
http://www.venere.com/blog/gay-bars-seminyak-bali-10797/

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

By: Augusto F. Villalon
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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
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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

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Editors Note:

There were many times during the five hours and fifty three minutes of last night's match at the Australian open when I glanced over to a young Irish man next to me and a young Italian woman next to him, both avid tennis players, who I was carrying on a creative dialogue during the entire match.

I could not stop myself from saying over and over again as if in a hypnotic trance "it just does not get any better than this" the same wordstI uttered two nights before when under similar circumstances Djovic played Murray which lasted almost as long.

Both matches were tennis nirvana for any avid tennis player and truly an honor and privilege to be there when history was made in the longest grand slam final in history

Novak Djokovic's win over Rafael Nadal was as good as tennis gets.

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Commentary: No. 1 Novak Djokovic's epic five-set defeat of No. 2 Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open is the longest Grand Slam singles final ever — 5 hours 53 minutes. And for fans, it's tennis nirvana.

Trouble in paradise: Falling foul of Southeast Asia’s tough drug laws

Rod Laver and Australian Open Management- Very Stupid, Very Incompetent

Longest Grand Slam men’s singles final in history-n 5 hours and 53 minutes

Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Nicolas Asfouri/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Joe Castro/European Pressphoto Agency

Torsten Blackwood/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Mast Irham/European Pressphoto Agency

Julian Smith/European Pressphoto Agency

Paul Crock/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Toby Melville/Reuters

Barbara Walton/European Pressphoto Agency

Spanish Gentleman loses Australian Open After giving up a major point.

Gay Bars and Clubs of Seminyak, Bali

Five classic mistakes made by home sellers

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

Cyclone Iggy Wreaks More Havoc in Indonesia

Electrified coral sparks new life for reef

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

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

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

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

Faster process for Schengen visa applications: EU delegate

Faster process for Schengen visa applications: EU delegate

1,000 threads from the Song dynasty

S Korea to Invest in Bali Waste Disposal Site

The Mama San - a Rare Bali Restaurant Gem

Travel Diary: An island of two tales

by Rosie Hamer on 24 Jan 2012 in Social

Charity a beacon of hope in Bali

Teen Pimp Arrested Over Bali Sex Ring

Banished Words of 2012

Spirited Traveller: Arak gives tipplers a Bali high

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

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.

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

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

Former Playboy Editor Explores Darkness Amid Bali’s Beauty

Aussie cities ranked among most expensive

Australia Open - Top 10 players' WAGs

Top 10 players' WAGs

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

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

Michael Gebicki

Vancouver Real Estate Bubble About to Bust

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

‘Massively Deteriorating’

Bubble Bursting

Australia Home Prices drop but houses still up on global list

Tax Office Shelters Richest Men in Bali

Boshe Dance Festival 2012 coming to Bali in February

Confusion over subsidized fuel restriction continues

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