seven things you must know about may and lou homes

One of the best things about buying a villa or a property in Bali is the whole experience of looking for the perfect location, the perfect architecture, and then finally seeing it being built. And one way to make this particular experience better is by getting professional help from the right people. As one of the island’s leading property developers, May and Lou Homes comes in with high recommendations. Here are seven things about them that might tickle your fancy:

1 architect, builder and consultant

The guys at May and Lou Homes
don’t just provide you with help in searching for that perfect villa, but you can also come to them for consultations on building your future house from scratch. This means you can come to them with something as little as a dream (and money of course!) and they will do all the necessary work to transform your dream into a reality.

2 house expansion

Should you already have a house or a villa that you want to revamp and expand, these guys can also do it. They are very experienced in building swimming pools, adding an extra bedroom, expanding your kitchen, or even enlarging your garden and working on the landscape to make it look exactly how you want it to be.

3 the kemenuh villa

This gorgeous villa is located in Kemenuh, Gianyar – the town of the woodcarvers – famous for their Balinese-style garuda statues. The two-storey villa is built on a vast 3,600 m2 piece of land and the landscape is quite impressive indeed.

cocktail

what the fizz

a refreshing cocktail is the ultimate cure for all that ails you. hip hangout spot sea circus shares some tips on getting tipsy on their signature cocktails
text annisa dharma images robert dylan

the sea circus sparkler

Referred to as “naughtiness in a glass”, this drink is based on the Sgroppino, an Italian drink that is part lemon sorbet, part sparkling wine, 100 per cent refreshing.

60g / 1 scoop fruit sorbetto
30ml peach liqueur
75ml sparkling wine
4 cubes of ice

Throw it in the blender to get on
a three-day bender.

the pow wow

Although served in a vintage milk bottle, making it very look very innocent, this drink is anything but.

135ml gin
30ml lime juice
45ml lychee liqueur
225ml pineapple juice
30ml lychee syrup
3 slices fresh ginger

Add all ingredients to the milk bottle, then stir well and serve on the rocks in latté glasses. Garnish with lychees and pineapple leaves in the bottle.

The best of bali Awards 2010

best of bali

ah, the moment all you readers (and nominees) have been waiting for. the votes for the 2010 hellobali best of bali awards have been submitted by the judges and have been counted and double-checked. here we present to you the list of winners, with a comprehensive vote count just so you know where they stand.
envelope, please. and the award goes to…


the judges

Our panel of judges is quite vast, although some prefer to stay anonymous. However, there are some judges that have agreed to be mentioned, as listed below:

1. Chris Salans, chef owner of Mozaic Restaurant
2. Jose Luis Calle, general manager of The Balé and The Amala
3. Guy Bedarida, head designer and creative director of John Hardy Jewellery
4. Kim Randall, director of Kendra Gallery of Contemporary Arts
5. Mark Kuan, owner of Delicious Onion
6. Peter Stephenson, culturalist-cum-writer
7. Nobuyuki Narabayashi, head designer of Desain 9
8. I Made Putra, executive chef of The Laguna Nusa Dua
9. Darren Lauder, executive chef of Nusa Dua Beach Hotel and Spa
10. Malik Lomax, DJ extraordinaire
11. Judy Chapman, wellness and spa curator at Karma Resorts
12. Martin East, DJ and music producer
13. Tipi Jabrik, professional surfer
14. Annisa Dharma, editor of hellobali
15. Unggul Hermanto, editor-in-chief of hellobali.

hellobali readers’ most favourite chef
Winner: Christian Hinckley, executive chef of Amandari
Runner up: Simon Blaby, executive chef of Karma Kandara

Best fine-dining restaurant Restaurants that serve delicious food with a side of class
Winner: Il Ristorante, The Bvlgari Resort (33.33%)

Best casual-dining restaurant Affordable cuisine in a comfortable setting
Winner: Sardine (40%)

Best new restaurant
The newbie that proves to be a goodie, in all aspects mentionable. This restaurant is preferably not more than two years old
Winner: MÉTIS (46.67%)

Best place to boogie
Venues that have an ample-sized dance floor, good live music, lively atmosphere, and, most importantly, the boogie factor
Winner: Hu’u Bar (40%)

Best place to get wasted
Venues that encourage, support, and fight for your right to party. Consider the quality and variety of drinks
Winner: The Living Room (33.33%)

Best new bar or club
Recently opened bars or clubs that have made a statement in the scene
Winner: Rock Bar (53.33%)

Best party
Quite simply, events that rocked the island in the past year
Winner: The Junction House Music Festival (40%)

Best original cocktail
Many venues offer original masterpieces in the art of mixing, we would like to know which cocktails from which venues are the favourite creations of many
Winner: Bali Mary at the St Regis Bali Resort (33.33%)

Most magical fingers
Spas that offer the best, most divine massages and rubdowns, without all the frills and thrills
Winner: Jari Menari (33.33%)

Best new hotel or villa
Newly established accommodation that truly makes the hospitality industry proud
Winner: Alila Villas Uluwatu (60%)

Hotel or villa with the best design
Accommodation that stands out for its aesthetic features (interior design, architecture, and overall décor)
Winner: Alila Villas Uluwatu (53.33%)

Most original cuts in a fashion label
Fashion labels that have the most cutting-edge and unique cuts, shapes and structures for their clothing
Winner: BIASA (40%)

Most avant-garde accessories
Trinkets that possess beautiful and innovative designs
Winner: Jemme (26.67%) & John Hardy Jewellery (26.67%)

Greenest establishment
Companies, organisations, venues that support and effectively practice an eco-friendly attitude
Winner: The Green School (45.45%) & Ibuku Bamboo by Design (45.45%)

Best arts and culture event or festival
Events and/or festivals that successfully promoted, cultivated and displayed the arts and culture of the island in all forms imaginable
Winner: The Ubud Writers and Readers Festival (60%)

A Pachyderm Experience

a trip to lampung, the lesser known part of sumatra, takes you on a walk through the rainforest on a large mammal with a long trunk and tusks, and plays football

Situated on the southernmost tip of Sumatra, Lampung is often overlooked as a tourist destination. Holiday and adventure seekers usually head northward to see the picturesque Lake Toba, the furry orang-utans of Bukit Lawang or the underwater beauty of Pulau Weh. Therefore, the idea of a road trip made me a bit hesitant. But intrigued. Nonetheless, on paper, the trip looked quite interesting: a festival, an elephant ride and a jungle trek. Not bad.

Only when I got to this trip’s assembly point did I realise that it was going to be an eight-hour bum-numbing journey each way. Leaving from Jakarta, we were to take a 2.5-hour drive to Merak Harbor, a 2.5-hour ferry-ride across the Sunda strait, land in Bakuheni Port and then take another three-hour drive to Way Kambas.

The first leg was fine, conversation was good and a few playlists on my iPod later, we reached Merak. The ferry-ride was surprisingly pleasant. It’s a roll-on/ roll-off ferry, meaning, our car got onto the ferry, entered the belly and we could walk around the upper decks.

Before the ferry set off, some local boys entertained us by diving off the ferry into the deep waters below for some spare change. Great stunts from these kids but at the same time it tugged on my heart that they had to risk their lives for some small change.

We passed the beautiful and scenic islands across the Sunda Strait and even caught a glimpse of Krakatau volcano on the way. A mesmerising sunset greeted us while on the ferry, making me momentarily forget that we had passed the five-hour mark.

The drive from Bakuheni to Way Kambas along the hilly trans-Sumatra highway would have been beautiful, but since we were driving at night, it was quite boring. We finally got to our hotel, tired and hungry, lower body numb. After a bit of socialising, I set off to bed. The next day would be a long one.

The town of Way Kambas celebrates the uniqueness of the flora and fauna of the area and the rich diversity of the different cultures in Lampung each year with the Way Kambas Festival. As soon as we arrived at the festival grounds, six of the biggest guests immediately greeted us: six Sumatran elephants from the Way Kambas National Park’s Elephant Conservation Centre. After some lengthy speeches from the Minister of Culture and other government officials the festival finally kicked off. A number of cultural dances were performed and a tableau on the transmigration of various peoples from Java and Bali to Lampung and Sumatra Island was staged.

Of course, the real stars of the show were the elephants. The crowd eventually gravitated to the pachyderms, posing for photos, watching them perform minor tricks. The highlight of the day was the three-on-three football match these animals played. Everyone was enthralled, including me.

Done with the culture part of the day, we headed to the National Park after a quick lunch for the adventure part. Located south of the Barisan Hills, the nearby Way Kambas National Park, is a 130,000 hectare reserve consisting of swampland and lowland rain forest established in 1972. Within the reserve are the Elephant Conservation Centre and the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary. The adventure part of the day included a jungle trek, a boat ride and a night elephant safari.

The jungle trek took us deep into the rainforest. According to our guide, there are still around 300 wild Sumatran elephants in this reserve. So we had to be careful. Every time we would pass a known elephant crossing, he would remind us to give-way to the elephants if we saw one. As if any of us would dare play tag with a wild elephant. Aside from the elephants, the forest is home to a wide variety of wildlife.

It is said to be a birdwatchers delight. Among the bird species which can be found in the park include the white-winged duck, the storm stork, the desert adjutant stork and a number of owls. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any of these although maybe we weren’t really looking.

The 90-minute trek was easy. The only problem was the leeches. Yeah, leeches. Tiny suckers. The forest was teeming with them. If you weren’t careful, you’d miss them. But they won’t miss you. They wait for their victims, tiny mouths open. These little suckers latch onto the victim’s skin, break it and they secrete an anti-coagulant substance which stops your blood from coagulating so they can freely suck your blood. I came in hiking sandals and was actually very cautious when walking around. When we got back to camp I felt an itch under the strap of my sandal, checked it out and found a not so tiny bloated sucker, peacefully filling up from my ankle. It was a war wound and I was proud of it.

We also took a short boat ride up the Way Kanan River which runs through the Park. A number of monkeys and colourful birds made an appearance. And as the sun was setting, our guide announced that we had to head back to camp since we didn’t want to be in the forest at dark. Who would?

After a simple dinner prepared by the camp staff, we were off to the Elephant Conservation Centre for our night safari. At present, there are 62 elephants under the care of the Centre, six of these are babies. Each elephant has an assigned trainer, his job is to wash, feed and teach little tricks to his charge daily. The night we were there, there were 20 of us going on the night safari. Each of us was to get onto an elephant, driven by its trainer. The “boarding” area had two tall concrete stairs which led up to a platform, from the landing, one could easily get onto the elephants.

I chose a big one called Mambo, a 20-year-old male with long tusks. After the initial excitement of everyone getting onto their elephants, the real adventure started. Convoy style, the elephants formed a single line and headed for the forest. The pachyderms are trained to walk in line. To get them in line, each trainer is armed with a tiny flashlight. They light up a path for the elephants to see the other elephant in front and violà, 20 elephants in a line. Single file the elephants and their giddy passengers walked quietly into the forest. Once my eyes got accustomed to the darkness, I looked up. It was a magnificent night. Never had I seen the sky this clear this clear and bright. I could make up constellations of and stars. And what made it more grand was that I was soaking up this view from atop an elephant.

We made our way through some trees and to the flatlands. Then all of a sudden, my trainer asked me to hold onto his shoulders. This was when I discovered where we were. At the edge of a river. We were going to cross.

I held tight onto the trainer’s shoulders as Mambo made his way down to the riverbed. With water rushing around me, our line of pachyderms made their way across the river. When we got to the other side, the elephants again climbed out of the river onto the bank of the river. As I looked behind me, I marvelled at the sight of the long line of elephants walking through the forest and river. An unbelievable sight. I guess the eight-hour journey to get here was worth it, even if just for this experience.

The line of elephants went through the forest for a bit longer or maybe it was too long, since my thighs and bum were getting sore. On our way back to the Centre, we caught a glimpse of the baby elephants playing around, again a truly moving sight.
I went to bed quite happy and fulfilled. When I woke up, it dawned on me, I had another eight-hour journey back home. •

The office of the Way Kambas National Park’s Elephant Conservation Centre is on Jl. Raya Way Jepara, Labuan Ratu Lama, Lampung, Sumatra. T: 0725 44220.

Free Wyllie

hamish daud wyllie is a fun-loving, carefree, silly man, but he’s also the creative director of tarita furniture, one of the largest furniture companies on the island, an architect-cum-designer with saka designs, and an art aficionado with a charitable heart at the age of 30.

so who is hamish daud wyllie? How about I give you a brief surface rundown. Currently, I am design director at Saka – which focuses on architecture and design. I am also creative director of Tarita Furniture. My mother was born in Singapore to Boyanese parents (an island north of Madura, Central Java) and my father is Australian. I’ve been based here in Bali since I was a baby but spent time travelling between Jakarta, Singapore and Sydney.

how do you balance out all these businesses, have a life and manage to not burn out? Well, I’ve pretty much mastered the art of looking busy [laughs]. No, I really owe much of my work credit to my partners Novan and Aan and the rest of the team from Saka Designs and Tarita. We all have something to bring to the table and have respect for each other’s visions. Respecting each other at work is very important.

Being in Bali, there are always ways to unwind. But if I see a gap in the schedule, I usually try and head down to Sumba to visit my dad. He usually has his ways of clearing my mind and looking at things differently.

what is your passion in life? Learning, seeing, touching, and tasting new things in life. You need to learn something everyday. So, I guess I love to tell stories about the journey.

I’m currently working very closely with Arief Rabik of Indo Bamboo (Linda Garland) on ways to push sustainability into our industries – both design and architecture. Subjects such as bamboo and other low-emission categorised products and ideas are exciting the possibilities of our future. I pretty much learn something new every time I come over to his house!

you were busy with setting up a new studio, what is that about? Well, the studio is a new chapter for Tarita Furniture. Now, under the same roof, we provide architectural services focusing on both the hospitality industry and private residential projects. The space is a hub for clients and designers to come in with an idea, and we basically execute it for them.

tell me more about blowing smoke, the exhibition/ auction/ fundraiser taking place this month at tarita studio. There are over 30 established artists donating work to this exhibition so we should see some cool things. All proceeds will be donated to the Narayan Seva childrens home in Singaraja. Two women who have dedicated their lives to sheltering built this place, educating and nurturing marginalized and disadvantaged children in an all encompassing approach.

Art has always been a great platform with helping charities. It also allows up and coming artists to get exposure. I think it’s a healthy relationship between everyone involved.

what are your hobbies? Food and laughter. I would have said surfing, but it just gets too crowded here these days.

what are you busy with at the moment? We have a few projects on at the moment in the region and abroad. I have this jinx thing that every time I talk something up before completion, it crumbles. Promise to tell you once I’m done, though!

what do you think about bali’s current wave of spiritual tourism? Well, to me, it’s funny that tourism has only just now tapped into this niche. Spirituality is something most of us grew up with here; I just hope that Bali and its culture don’t get exploited anymore than it has. However, if tastefully done and capturing the right amount of nostalgia and knowledge, it could be a winner.

recently, the tourism industry in bali has exploded and developments are sprouting everywhere, what do you think of that? I think as far as development, we went through a shocking couple of years where money was pouring in almost too quickly (post-bombings) and the lack of vision and site planning caused upsetting design and infrastructure or lack thereof.

Bali is an affordable place to holiday, bringing in people from all ends of the world. I think the Balinese people are strong enough to maintain their values and not get too fussy about wild holidaymakers. Thankfully, Kuta and Seminyak are a very small aspect of Bali – tourism-wise.

A firmer council regulation would be great in order to control developments sprouting too quickly without much thought to the surrounding environment. Let’s keep Bali beautiful!

what will you be doing on nyepi (seclusion day)? Nyepi is a sacred and holy day here, so we usually spend our time exploding fireworks and being completely mad. I’m kidding. No, I’m guessing I’ll be with a close group of friends somewhere nice.

where do you see yourself in five years? The future hasn’t happened yet and the past is gone. So I think the only moment we have is right here and now, and I try to make the best of those moments – the moments that I’m in. I think Annie Lennox said that. That’s pretty much where my head is at. •

Check out www.tarita.com and www.sakadesigngroup.com to learn more about Hamish Daud Wyllie’s work

Emaar Withdraws From US$600 Million Lombok Project

The Jakarta Globe reports that a massive US$600 Million mega-resort planned for South Lombok is now in jeopardy.

The project of shopping, recreation areas, golf courses and luxurious hotels on a 1,200 hectare site is a "pet project" of Indonesia's Vice President, Jusuf Kalla, who personally invited Dubai's state-owned Emaar Properties to spearhead the investment.

Citing bureaucratic delays and an inability by the government to fulfill its obligations, Emaar announced that thy have closed their Jakarta office and are abandoning it plans for investing in Indonesia. Elly Savitri, a representative of Emaar said. "there have been too many delays on the realization of the project and the company just could not wait any more."

Jakarta Globe coverage suggests that greed on the part of government officials seeking hand-outs may have also played a role in a decision to cancel the project. Meanwhile, others suggest that the worsening global financial crisis may have adversely affected the liquidity of Emaar and diminished their keenness to pursue the Lombok investment.

Lombok is almost certain to be sent reeling by Emaar's decision to quit the project, seen as the catalyst for planned new roads and a new international airport in Lombok. The final project was targeted to host 10,000 luxury villas, eight hotels and two 18-hole golf courses.

Emaar told the press that they have already expended US$4.2 million in consultancy fees in connection with the Lombok project.

Jusuf Kalla's plans to woo Middle Eastern investors appears to be in serious strife. The withdrawal of Emaar from the US$600 million Lombok Project follows the recent pull out of the Saudi Arabian Bin Laden Group from a US$4.3 billion agricultural project planned for Papua.

Vice President Kalla has reportedly convened a special meeting of cabinet ministers in a last ditch effort to salvage the prestigious Lombok project.

Lampung & Krakatau Volcanic Island

Ancient Chinese travel chronicles refer to a place in the most southerly part of Sumatra called “Lampung” or “place of southerly winds”. The province is gene-rally flat with the highest mountains of Gunung Pesagi, Tanggamas, Seminiung, Sekincau and Raya all being dormant volcanoes. Bandar Lampung, the Provincial capital, was formerly two separate towns, Tanjungkarang and the port of Teluk Betung, which after the infamous eruption of Krakatau were both completely covered in volcanic ash. In the course of development, however this town have merged together to become one single city.

Tourist Office:
Jl. Ahmad Dahlan No. 79, Gunung Mas,
Bandar Lampung 35211
Phone. (0721) 263401, 361430
Fax. (0721) 266184

Getting there:
Domestic airlines have daily flight from Jakarta. Rajabasa bus terminal is one of the busiest in Sumatra, with a constant flow of departures. The trip from Jakarta takes eight hours which include crossing Sunda strait between Merak in Java and Bakaheuni Lampung by ferry. Three trains a day run from Palembang.

Tourism Events
Krakatau Festival. This annual event is held at the end of August 25-30 2008 the festival commemorate Krakatau’s eruption in the late 19th century. The volcano is located in the Sunda Strait, South of Lampung, in the southern tip of Sumatra.

Places of Interest;

Bandar Lampung has a Museum and a Monument of Krakatau Eruption.

Krakatau Island

Krakatau is an inhabited island and located on the southern part of the Bay of Lampung. Krakatau is reachable in three hours by boat from Canti, a fishing village near Kalianda, South Lampung. Anak Krakatau (Child of Krakatau) is still growing, first emerging from the sea in early 1928, 45 years after the legendary eruption in 1883.

Krakatau Island is currently among three destination in Indonesia that has been qualified in the New 7 Wonders of Nature campaign held by the New 7 Wonders Foundation (two other candidates is Lake Toba and and Komodo National Park). You could support Krakatau Island to become the New 7 Wonders of Nature by voting through the following the URL:

http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/liveranking/

Pugung Archaeological

Pugung Archaeological Site in Pugung Raharjo village, 40 kms northeast of Bandar Lampung is a site of megalith and prehistoric relics, as well those of the classical Hindu-Buddhist period.

Merak Belantung Beach

Merak Belantung Beach is 40 km south of Bandar Lampung, on the way to the seaport of Bakauheni, the beach is ideal for swimming and wind surfing. Cottages are available.

Mentawai Island: the Ultimate Diversity of the Hidden Paradise

Located in the middle of Indian Ocean, 150 km and takes 9 hours trip from Padang, West Sumatra-Mentawai glowing with all the nature spirits and make it an extraordinary escaping spot from a hectic life. Mentawai is the natural habitat for 16 endemic species, and some of them categorized as endangered species e.g. Simakobu monkey (simias concolor-eat leaf as primary food).

The present life of Mentawai people categorized as the legacy from Neolithic era and they have a strong believe in nature spirit, for their life strongly affected by nature. They believe that nature is the center of life. All the genuine attributes make Mentawai a perfect place to gain cultural experiences, here you will notice a very fascinating and indigenous culture, like traditional cloths, art, music and the way of life. The entire culture attributes strongly reflects their respect to nature.

Tattoo is one of the most important symbol for Mentawai people, its reflect maturity, manhood and status. The art of this body painting inherit from their ancestor. The tattoos ink naturally made from leaf.

Among the surfers, Mentawai is the best place to fill their demand for challenges and natures beauty. The beaches offer one of the highest wave in the world, 3 to 4 meters, totally challenge your gut. Once you grounded your self in this hidden Paradise Island, next you will paddle out to the worlds best surf. Dont call your self Surfer if you havent ride Mentawais waves said most of the surfer to expressed their surfing experiences in Mentawai

There are four ultimate diving spot here in Mentawai ,Siberut, Sipora, Pagai Utara (north Pagai) and Pagai Selatan (south Pagai). You can find great waves here year round, but the best waves are during dry season, March to October. Make sure you have the gut to explore all the glassy waves, because the best way to entitled your surfing experiences remarkable is through finding your own.

Getting There

• Take flight from Sukarno Hatta air port, Jakarta to Tabing air port, Padang-west Sumatra (flight served every day)
• Trip from Teluk Bayur port, Padang to Mentawai island by Ferry

Where to Stay

Lot of visitors said, that the best housing to stay is the local people house. Offer you a distinctive way of living in a unique architecture and experience interacting with local people. Other wise you could stay in a budget hotel in Siberut




Moving Around

To access all the beauties offered, you can use boat owned by local people. You can find the boat a long the beach and the rate depend on your bargaining power

Boost your taste with exotic and fresh sea foods that you can found in the local restaurants run by local people. If you are lucky enough, you can pick and cook your own sea food, but make sure you know the secret recipe/spices from Mentawais people. For those who are not sea food lover, you can find regular meals for your dining.


Souvenir Tips

Local hand made souvenirs like traditional hats, traditional bag and accessories will be genuine souvenirs for your relatives and friends. You can buy it in a souvenirs shop or buy it from local people directly.

Other Things to See or Do

Beach Activities

• sight seeing
• Diving
• Snorkeling

Cultural Activities

• Learn how to perform the Traditional dances (war dance and gratitude to nature)
• Traditional ceremonies
• Mentawai is one of the best place to conduct an Ethnographic study since its one of the oldest tribe in Indonesia

Ecotourism Activities
As the habitat for rare primate, the natural rain forest of Mentawai will be the perfect place for research or other educational purpose. Here, you can conduct research about

• Snub-nosed monkey/Simakobu (Simias concolor) monkey family eat leaf as primary food
• Joja or Lutung Mentawai (Presbytis potenziani) easily identified for the long tail, white face and black hair head
• Bokkoi atau Beruk Mentawai (Macaca pagensis)
• Kloss Gibbon/Bilou or Siamang Kerdil (Hylobates klossii) famous for the beautiful voice, different compared to general monkey

Travel Tips

• Nature and culture come to be understood and respected
• Bring your own surf board with you, because its may hard to find surf board shop in Mentawai
• You may arrange your travel using the local travel agent in Indonesia
• Great wave can be find year round, but best wave is during dry season March to October
• Bring your personal medicine
• You may arrange your visit by contact the travel agent and airline services in Indonesia

The Sumba Culture : Facinating, Mysterious

"The ratu? He's sitting over there, trying to figure out if this will be a nice funeral," says a solemn onlooker.

Lying on the bloodied ground are a dozen disembowelled hens, and like an Etruscan haruspex, the elderly ratu – the great priest – solemnly explains to latecomers: "Yes, the entrails say that the one today will be an excellent funeral."

David Danggalolu and his wife Albertina died within a few days of one another, both from illness. A tragic event, which in small Mgambadeta, at the centre of western Sumba, must be honoured with the necessary pomp (and with the sacrifice of at least fifteen buffaloes).

That's why eighteen-year-old Umbu, wearing jeans and a T-shirt, who two minutes earlier smilingly explained that he loved listening to America R&B, doesn't give a moment's thought to unsheathing his parang and slitting the throat of the first buffalo of the day.

Sumba is one of the 18,000 islands in Indonesia. Twice as large as Balì and 400 kilometres farther east, Sumba was frequented by the Portuguese and then the Dutch, traders of the sandalwood. Sumba's isolation has allowed it to be better preserved: its slow rhythm, life marked by the agricultural cycles, the uncontaminated beaches, the raising of horses and the extraordinary megalithic tombs—it is one of the most fascinating and mysterious cultures in all of Indonesia.

At the tourist office of Waikabubak, a starting point for exploring the western zone, about fifteen people in khaki uniforms seem surprised by the presence of a tourist. A woman, Miss Anisa, came to sit in her office and says, "The best part of the island is the western part, Sumba Barat, more fertile and culturally richer than Sumba Timur, the eastern part."

"Here in Sumba, people still have the warriors' temperament," says André, a Frenchman who for several years has been making water wells in some local villages.

The ikat, Sumba's typical cloth so desired by tourists (its characteristic is the dying of the threads before the weaving), often depicts scenes of combat and warriors on horseback gripping long spears.

At the beginning of the planting season, from mid-February to mid-March, the warriors return to combat. Today, they do it during the Pasola, one of Indonesia's most famous festivals: a simulated battle during which groups of horsemen challenge and hit each other with long spears, the hola, from which the festival takes its name.

Pasola, the horsemen's festival, is also derived from another legend: Thousands of years ago Umbu Dula from Wanukaka left his village to go fishing but never returned. After
a while, his wife Rambu Kaba married another man, Tedo Gai Parana from Kori. Umbu Dula, however, wasn't dead: upon returning suddenly to the village, he burst into a rage, but Rambu Kaba didn't want to abandon her new husband and therefore Tedo Gai Parana had to pay Umbu the wife's price: buffaloes, horses, jewellery, weapons and nyale, the sacred sea-worms. To ensure peace, the people of Kori invited those of Wanukaka to a simulated combat, the Pasola, which, ever since then, has been celebrated every year in February and March, exactly when the sea is filled with nyale, the appearance of which is a good omen for the future harvests.

Every year the government tries to keep the situation under control, but participants are often wounded or even killed on the field of festive battle. This was, in the end, the purpose of many battles in the past: not so much to square away accounts as to let human blood flow in honour of the ancestors, thus guaranteeing a good harvest.

"Do you see that stone slab over there?" says an elderly man during Mgambadeta's funeral.
"It's the tomb of our warrior Rato Dapaduu, who was killed while fighting against the Dutch. And his pistol has been buried along with him."

"Sumba is an island where the tombs are usually in the centre of the village in front of the dwellings to remind the inhabitants that death is the most important event of all," says André.

Funerals last entire weeks and the poor go to many lengths so as to be able to offer a worthy burial for their loved ones, thus keeping the tradition alive. The sacrifice of buffaloes and pigs sanctions the deification of the deceased, and the sacrificed meat is offered to those present in sumptuous feasts.

One of the most beautiful tombs of the island is at Pasunga, about twenty kilometres east of Waikabubak, and it is said that when it was built at the beginning of the last century, 150 buffaloes were killed.

Julius, the 40-year-old head of the village, explains that in 2000, when his father died, 24 animals were killed (more than 15 pigs, 7 horses and an indefinite number of dogs and sheep).

The buffalo horns still ornate the outside walls of his hut. Julius usually gets up at five in the morning and like everybody else goes to work in the rice fields. Today he lives peacefully together with his people, but a long stele on the main road reminds us that, deep down, these people remain warriors at heart.

Twenty years ago there was a conflict with the nearby village of Tamu Au, in which several people died and the head of the enemy chief was buried under that stele.

"We danced for many days, it was a great battle. Since then we haven't had any kind of relations with the people of Tamu Au," Julius says.

The kampung along the southern coast of Kori are among the most fascinating in Sumba. They offer a spectacular view of the nearby beaches frequented by the fishermen, whereas the houses of Paranobaroro and Wainyapu with their straw roofs tower beyond the forest. Raised from the ground, the Sumbanese dwellings have a raised first level with the floor made of bamboo, and a long veranda (the animals live underneath).

Ann McCue, a sixty-something Englishwoman, has lived her entire life divided between Washington and London, but in 2002, when she happened to come to Sumba on vacation and witnessed the Pasola, she fell in love with the island. She returned several times, until a year later she remained definitively.

"I decided to help these people, and I understood that there were two priorities: water and education," she says.

Ann founded "Project Hope – Sumba," which aims to create new wells, schools in the more depressed areas and courses for teachers.

"One out of two children of Sumba abandons school after only three years and is forced to work with his or her parents," Ann explains.

But she also admits that "many of them seriously want to improve. And then, here there's truly a lovely community, social relations, friendship, all of that which cannot be found in England anymore."

Ann thinks for a moment, sips her iced tea and smiles:
"Write down that here in Sumba, in order to improve things, even just a few people can really make a difference".

More on Sumba
Fly to Bali and once there take a ferry. Sumba is one of the islands of Nusa Tenggara that stretches out to the east of Bali. In Sumba, the dry season is approximately from March to October. Waikabubak, the capital of West Sumba, is the ideal starting point for exploring the western part of the island by car or motorcycle.

Places to Stay and to Eat
The Manandang Hotel and the Artha Hotel. In the city, you can eat excellent lotek – rice, vegetables and peanut sauce. In Sangkuring, a warung nasi (rice restaurant) can be found on your right as you leave town heading east along the Bhayangkara.

Mentawai - Eternal Identity and the Forest Primeval

The remote forest in the depths of Siberut National Park in the Mentawai Islands holds tales of a society that firmly upholds its culture.

We started our journey with a ten-hour crossing of the Mentawai Strait from the fishing port of Bungus (near Teluk Bayur) in a wooden ship crammed with foreign tourists. I felt the ship being pounded by rolling waves, which seemed to be headed for Muara Siberut, considered one of the world’s ten best surfing locations.

It was six in the morning when we landed, yet the dock area was teeming with car and motorcycle services all seeking to take the tourists to Simalepek village, a commercial center with many government offices and also the gateway to Dorogog village and the small islands for surfing.

I then traveled by motorboat another hour and a half to Dorogog, heading toward the home of Pak Koki, or Sikerei (term of address for the head of a household), and began to sense the exotic lifestyle of the people of Mentawai.

From the distance, we could see a number of people waving and shouting “Alai loita, alai loita!”, the Mentawai words for “welcome.” The local people’s joy was evident as the small children escorted me to an uma, or Mentawai house.

Inside the uma, the aroma of tobacco smoke was intense. The interior was decorated with ape and pig skulls, as we see in most uma. I made out the silhouette of an old man sitting with a hand-rolled cigarette dangling from his lips. He smiled and waved to me.

“Alai loita, alai loita,” he said.

This was Sikerei, whom I’d come to meet; he’s nearly 80 years old and is believed to have shamanic powers to mediate between his family members and the spirits of their ancestors.

Pak Koki had a son, who died before he was able to pass on the position of Sikerei to him.

Given this situation, in the end Pak Koki remained his family’s Sikerei. To be a Sikerei, one must follow certain traditional restrictions that seem odd to outsiders, such as a taboo on eating eels. But he has abided by these taboos – proof of his loyalty to the traditional ways and the teachings passed down from the ancestors.

In the evening, Sikerei sang a song in the Mentawai language, accompanied by the nighttime sounds of the forest. There was no electricity; the only light came from a Petromax kerosene lamp given to them by a tourist.

I joined the family gathered in the fading light of the Petromax lamp. Sikerei started to tell about the tattoos that cover the bodies of the Mentawai people. Each stroke in the designs has its own meaning, signaling identity and serving as eternal clothing that they take into the unseen world. The tattooing process is sacred and full of pain. Sikerei told about his own experience when his body was tattooed.

“This many many aww.....blood blood and many, many cry,” he said, trying to explain in English, though it took me some time to make out what he was saying.

Most young Mentawai nowadays no longer want to get their bodies tattooed like Sikerei’s generation did; they cite the extraordinary pain, but the influence of outside modern culture is no doubt also a factor.

In the morning, as the dawn peeked through the branches outside the uma, Sikerei strode toward the forest with a parang in his hand. An hour later, he returned, carrying a section of sago tree nearly the size of his body. Amazing. Though far from young, he still engages in such activities every morning. Meanwhile, his wife was fishing in the river near the house. In Mentawai culture, the task of seeking food from the river, such as fish, shrimp and shellfish, falls to the women, while the men are responsible for hunting and gathering in the forest.

I had been told that there were several waterfalls in the forest; one is Kulukubuk, at Madobag village. The only way to get there is to trek through the forest. The terrain was beyond my expectations: hills, valleys, rivers, thorny underbrush and muddy trails.

The next day, we returned to Dorogog village. Sikerei had prepared something the Mentawai are very proud of: hunting poison, made from various plants and smeared on an arrowhead, then heated over a small flame. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to see it being used; there were no apes or other prey to be hunted, because the right time for hunting is morning. But instead, kind Sikerei taught us how to shoot a bow and arrow. Neither I nor any of my friends were able to do it right. It looks easy, but it requires special expertise, and a great deal of strength when you pull the bowstring.

The evening was full of typical Mentawai exoticism. Sikerei invited some friends over to dance the Turuk, a sacred dance the Mentawai people perform for healing. So sacred is this dance that every dancer must be dressed in a kain (wraparound waistcloth). Accompanied by a simple rhythm, they performed various Turuk movements, symbolizing the movements of birds and of snakes. And then Sikerei took my hand and had me join them in the dance.

After dancing, we gathered again with Sikerei’s entire family and told them about our experience the previous day going to the waterfall. In the midst of our conversation, Sikerei suddenly gave me an unforgettable present: a Mentawai name. He gave me the name Laisan Nun, “the sweet one”. Masura bagata (thank you), I said to myself.

Getting to Mentawai
Garuda Indonesia flies the Jakarta-Padang-Jakarta route 21 times per week.
From Minangkabau international airport, proceed 45 minutes to Bungus harbor to take the ferry.

The Mentawai Islands lie within the province of West Sumatra and consist of 213 islands; the four major islands are Siberut, Sipora, Pagai Utara, and Pagai Selatan. Dorogog village is on Siberut Island.

Family Fun : Waterbom

Bali's very own waterpark, really does have something for everyone.Set on 3.8 hectares of land; most of which is lush tropical gardens; it is a beautiful location and is perfectly cared for. Waterbom is actually one of Bali's botanical gardens with a wide range of plants – some easy to find, others very rare. Some are planted by their own gardeners, others simply grow from seeds dropped by birds.

The park is a five minute drive to/from the airport & right in the heart of Kuta opposite Bali's bustling shopping mall – The Discovery Mall.Living here with children, I have to admit to being a pretty regular visitor; however when I went recently, I went not only to enjoy, but also to look for things to write about. Result: the place has far more than I ever realised! In the last six months the entrance has moved and grown. It now houses a shop and Soul Asylum a spa offering treatments for children as well as adults; as well as the regular 'way-in' turn style. The security is very good. They have also improved the guest facilities so now there are bigger lockers and changing rooms – pink for girls, blue for boys! There are hot showers, facilities for the disabled and a babychange room. A new PA system keeps you informed of events happening throughout the day.

The main attraction has to be the slides. There is a series of six 'big slides' ranging from the soft and gentle 'Raft River'; great for younger children, to the absolutely terrifying 'Smash Down' for the 'less fearful' - you drop out of the sky and end up with your stomach in your mouth. Some slides require huge tyres to get down, some mats and some just your bare bum! Some you can do with a partner – or even accompanied by three others if you take a double tyre and sit on each others' laps with the aim of going 'really fast'! Some you have to do alone. Whichever, whatever, there are HOURS of fun to be had. And plenty of steps to climb.

The 'kiddie's area' is great fun for the children. It houses three shorter, slower slides along with 'Bombastic' – a wet climbing frame with slides, water guns and a huge bucket which sporadically tips, consequently soaking anyone underneath it. The gardens all around the kiddies area have recently been extended offering loads more space and more sunloungers. Waterbom's newest addition, just recently opened is The Boomerang. Waterbom is the first water park in the Asia Pacific region and only the fourth in the world to have this slide – so quite something!It is a massive half pipe on which two riders shoot down a steep slope creating enough speed to send them up a ten metre ramp at a sixty degree angle and then come down backwards; and very fast! The ride lasts for about fifteen seconds and will leave you breathless! Adrenaline seekers – this is for you.

All Lifeguards in the park are Australian trained, very friendly and speak great English. There always seems to be an abundance of them and all staff in general. Life saving equipment is of international standard and particular attention is paid to the kiddie's area in keeping it non slip, clean and safe. Qualified first aid attendants with eyes in the back of their heads are also around.So what else is there to do? Mandara Spa have a Bale near the large pleasure pool which offers a range of pampers & wonderful aromas – take a babysitter or a husband/wife & hide out there! Half price for KITAS holders. Other activities? The pleasure pool – as you enter - is great for lounging around; it is also the place for the odd game of volley ball and water aerobics take place daily. Close by is a duplicate rock face, for those of us that fancy exerting loads of energy and climbing a sheer rock. If not, try Ping Pong, Football, Badminton, Boules, Pool or just lazing around in the sun! There really is something for everyone here.

Scuba Duba Doo has an outlet inside Waterbom. Introduce your children to scuba diving - lessons are for children from 8-12 years old. Contact Waterbom for more information on the ins and outs.So with all these activities what about food?. The food at Waterbom is fantastic and supplied by M&M Catering. Yet again, there is something for everyone – Pizzas, Asian, Snacks, Salads, Sandwiches; every tastebud is catered for. You can even sit on your sunlounger & have it brought to you if you are feeling really lazy! No extra charge. After lunch there are ample tempting icecream stands around. All this and the prices are very reasonable.

Now what else to entice you? As you leave (or as you arrive depending on how fast you can get by it) is Eurobungy., Lots of children seem to 'need' to do it! Great fun – an upside down Bungy. Before leaving you also need to get past the photo stand. All day long Big Brother has been watching you & you didn't even realise! And there is your grin plastered on the wall – you gotta buy it. I recently went to Eurodisney where they do the same thing, but you have to take out a mortgage to buy the photo – once again prices here are very reasonable.

So, all in all – a great day out, a lot of fun and something for every minute of the day. Children love it, so do the adults. The food is good, so are the souvenirs and the memories. What more can you ask? Enjoy! Entrance fees are reasonable but Waterbom also do regular offers whereby you pay for one day and get the next half price. They also do annual memberships with which you can visit four times a month.

Please call direct for current information on +62-361 755676. The Waterbom shuttle bus serving various hotels is also bookable on this number.

East Javenture

when you have the dawning realisation that bali has become too claustrophobic and you are in urgent need of a little trip, east java has a few precious geological gems

The first step to an awesome Java adventure is getting to Java in the first place. Thankfully, this just might actually be the easiest leg of a modest journey.

The beginning of our trip is marked by an early morning arrival at the central bus station known as Terminal Ubung. A little windowed booth in the middle of the station is staffed by uniformed employees who can direct passengers to one of the many buses loitering in the station. If that’s too difficult, there are plenty of men hustling the bus station ready to direct you to a bus in order to graft a little commission from a bus driver.

The bus route to Gilimanuk takes a breezy three and a half hours along a road that hugs most of Bali’s South-West coast. Before you know it, you’re at the Gilimanuk bus station, which is conveniently next door to the ferry port. A short walk, a mere Rp. 33,000, and a ten-minute wait later you’re on a vessel that creeps over treacherous currents of the Bali Strait to your next waypoint, Banyuwangi.

Despite Banyuwangi’s rich history as the last Hindu kingdom in Java and a territory of Bali, there’s really not much to gawk at. The roads are lined with concrete mosques and other residential and industrial structures, with intermittent scatterings of agriculture. Evidence of the large Hindu community that inhabits this city is scarce. The best thing to do is check in at a hotel and knock back some cold bottles of Bintang at a pool in preparation for the first big item on the East Java itinerary: Ijen.

The Ijen volcano complex is made up of a group of stratovolcanoes within a large caldera. The high plain contains 17 individual peaks consisting of active and extinct volcanoes. The largest of these is Mount Merapi, which, confusingly enough, shares the same name as two other volcanoes in Indonesia. But the real jewel of this plethora of geological activity is the Ijen crater itself. Within the wall of this vast crater lays the world’s largest highly acidic lake that stretches an entire kilometre from bank to bank.

The actual trek to the crater lake starts at about 3am when you jump into a hired car. The drive itself is about an hour and a half long (over some road that can easily be described as off-road) and takes you to the base of the volcano. From there it’s a moderately easy two-hour trek along a wide beaten path to the rim of the crater.

Once atop the rim, all exhaustion from the hike is delayed by a brilliant display of an epically giant bowl filled with liquid jade surrounded by rocky mountains.

Breathtaking views and geological wonders aside, Ijen also offers an industrial curiosity only seen where labour and life is relatively cheap. Men act as human mules to haul up to 100-kilogram loads of sulphur up to the rim from the bottom of the crater then several kilometres down. The miners use a stick of bamboo with two baskets attached which leaves a permanent groove of bone and muscle on their backs. They work in plumes of noxious sulphur without any respiratory protection and consequently have eyes red with irritation.

Once descended into the crater, everything is barren rock and life ceases to exist in such a hostile environment. Walking down into the crater takes care and patience – the path is steep and a moment of carelessness can easily lead to a fatal fall. If it weren’t for the respirator I packed, I most likely would have had to retreat from the sulphuric plumes of gas that turn away most hikers.

At the bottom, pipes spew both smoke and molten sulphur as if they were directly plugged into a fiery hell churning below your feet.

After an epic mountain adventure, it’s sometimes best to detach yourself by seeking completely different geography. I did this by eating at the beach in Blimbingsari where a collection of little warungs serve fresh grilled fish much like they do in Jimbaran.

With my protein level replenished thanks to some tasty fish, it was time to rehabilitate a worn out body by pre-emptively drinking more beer in the hotel pool as a precursor to a train ride to Malang early next morning.

As the crack of dawn descends upon me, morning prayers from nearby mosques welcome the morning silence. The single class train from Banyuwangi to Malang (and everywhere in between) leaves the station at 5:30am. Tickets are cheaper than dirt and the empty train looks like it’s going to be a comfortable journey with an entire booth to myself.

After about four stops, I couldn’t be more wrong. The train quickly swells with people and I’m instantly crammed in like a poor little sardine – for eight hours.
Vendors stroll up and down the train, trying to sell you everything from tofu to newspapers to lighters. Smokers fill the passenger cars with pungent streams of kretek smoke, and only small windows open to bring much anticipated fresh air at the whim of wind gusts. It soon becomes apparent that the best way to cope in that train is to hang out the constantly open doors with the cool breeze flowing as Javanese landscape whizzes by.

As the Malang station approaches, a Herculean feeling of relief flows through my entire body. Finally off that train, I hop on a becak (bicycle rickshaw) to a hotel to wash off my train-marinated body. The rickshaw struggles along and I instantly fear for the cardiac health of my very senior becak driver.

Malang is a collection of typical Indonesian cityscape, military installations, and Dutch colonial-era buildings. The cool temperature makes it instantly obvious why the Dutch flocked to Malang and their contributions can be seen everywhere. Colonial lampposts, bridges, and homes give the city a very distinct flavour. All places of interest can be toured on becak, which gives an almost austere feeling of modern colonialism.

Mount Bromo is a short two and a half hour drive by car from Malang. It is but one of the 21 peaks of Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. The Tengger caldera itself is a remnant of a giant volcano where five younger volcanoes have sprouted up in a sea of sand. South of the Tengger complex lies mount Semeru, the tallest mountain in Java and in a state of near-constant eruption.

Mount Pananjakan is usually the first place to go when visiting the park. The touristy vantage point is easily accessible by car and only requires a mere ten-minute walk before you are able to overlook the entire Tengger Volcano Complex.
After Pananjakan, it’s a short drive to the sand sea (laut pasir) located within a cliff-enclosed bowl. The sand sea is flat and desolate: other then sparse grassy patches and the occasional shrub, it is completely featureless. It is essentially a black sand desert in the middle of jungle.

As the vehicle begins to approach the temple, which sits next to the entrance to Bromo, a gathering of cars appears in the distance. Suddenly you find yourself surrounded by a small swarm of horsemen eager to show off their skills. Upon arriving at the car park, the horse guides approach you and offer rides on their horses to the base of the concrete staircase that leads to the peak. You pass a large Hindu temple and plenty of horses on the way and it almost seems surreal, as if you’re passing by some alien temple on the moon with a bunch of colourful cowboys riding around you.

The cement stairway that leads to the top of the volcano rim looks misleadingly easy; but it is 250 steps of strenuous stairs that torture the thighs. At the peak, drink sellers are ready to quench your thirst amidst clouds of sulphur radiating from a large breach at the centre of the crater. Up there, you’re at the mercy of the wind, and when it’s being disagreeable, expect to experience the acrid taste of sulphur burning down your olfactory organs.

When the wind finally relents and blows in your favour, Bromo treats you to massive views of the surrounding caldera edge and the young peaks of juvenile volcanoes.

The view is surreal, as if you’re looking at a postcard. It’s both breathtaking and overwhelmingly condescending, which is not necessarily a bad thing in this case.
When you’ve taken in all the epic scenery possible for the average human being, Surabaya is a civilised three-hour drive away. Being the second largest city in Indonesia, Surabaya is a vast urban sprawl that serves as an important port and commercial centre. The city also has multiple daily flights back to Bali, so I end my little journey where I started.

what to bring

1. Good hiking shoes with decent tread
2. Warm jacket and clothes
3. Respirator with gas cartridges for acid gases (available at Ace Hardware)

where to stay

1. Mirah Hotel
   Jl Yos Sudarso, no. 28 Tanjung, Klatak, Banyuwangi
   T: 0333 420 600
   E: info@mirrahhotel.com
2. Hotel Helios
   Jl. Pattimura, no. 37, Malang
   T: 0341 362741

Pullquote:
“Within the wall of this vast crater lays the world’s largest highly acidic lake that stretches an entire kilometre from bank to bank.”-

Bend it Like Benz

ceo of kemana.com, christopher benz, is a hardcore multi-tasker. he dives, he makes films, he plays the guitar, he graphic designs, he plays sports, he helps handicapped children and he brings extraordinary success to online businesses

Waiting for the man behind online store kemana.com – Indonesia’s version of Amazon.com – to come out and greet me, I sit and flip through the website’s press release for the third time, not wanting to sound like an airhead during the Q&A. When I learned that I was assigned to interview a Christopher Benz, 32-year-old online entrepreneur nominated as America’s most promising social entrepreneur by BusinessWeek [American version] in 2009, I was expecting a younger version of Bill Gates. I prepared myself for the interview by digesting as many techy jargons as I could wrap my tiny brain around. Little did I know…

All of a sudden, Christopher Benz walks in, hand held out for me to shake, a boyish twinkle and a warm smile radiating from under his glasses, which I find out later are not his favourite thing to wear for photos. Unfortunately.

Before I can say anything more, he leads me to the front door and mutters, “Let’s go and do this at the café up front, I definitely need an excuse to get out of here.”
Well, alrighty. I’m definitely not dealing with Bill Gates here. And rightly so, as it turns out Benz holds an Organisational Communications major with a minor in Film Studies. He was even nominated for Best Short Film at the Asian Underwater Film Festival in Singapore for an underwater documentary he created-nothing Silicon Valley about that. But it is Silicon Valley that greatly influences the young entrepreneur, having taken part in an MBA programme called The Global Social Benefit Incubator at Santa Clara University’s Centre for Science, Technology and Society – the heart of Silicon Valley itself. This programme assists entrepreneurs in developing business plans that enable their organisations to reach increasing numbers of beneficiaries. Plainly speaking, because of his socially oriented business, Benz was chosen to participate in this highly reputable programme.

Social entrepreneur? Filmmaker turned online store guy? Okay let’s rewind a little.
Nine years ago, Benz moved to Bali after a bout of globetrotting. He did so because he instantly fell in love with the island (not a surprise, I can relate with that). Born in Manhattan and having grown up in London, Benz refers to his mother as his biggest source of inspiration.

“She’s a very socially conscious creature. She shaped the way I look at things,” he explains. “I was lucky to have been brought up in a family that’s, well, we were well off. Very well off. Liam Gallagher is my neighbour in London. But this upbringing – and that trip around the world – were exactly what made me realise that I had to do something that wasn’t only profitable, but also beneficial to other people. Knowing about other people’s way of viewing things really opened my eyes. It was the richest experience ever. I had to give back.”

Thus, Benz then founded his first online business in Bali, called craftnetwork.com, connecting artisan producers in Indonesia with wholesale and retail customers worldwide, basing his project on a strict concept of fair trade and equal profit sharing. This project of his received recognition from many organisations and institutions, including the World Bank, who then partnered up with him and provided him with a lot of materials to further develop his business.

Five years later and he already has two online businesses blooming (the other one is sourcingindonesia.com), in addition to the recent kemana.com, scheduled to be officially launched this month.

Being a total cynic, I ask Benz what makes this online store so special. He welcomes my cynicism with a sarcastic smirk and patiently explains all the perks this particular online store has to offer.

From his passionate explanation, I learn that kemana.com is an all-round cyber store. First of all, it provides everything you’re looking for on the face of the Earth – from electronics, to books, to fashion and everything in between – integrated with completely secure payment systems (they give you the option of paying with your credit card or through ATM machines), 24-hour customer service, supported IT management based in New York and trusted shipping and handling. And secondly, it’s also been designed so that you can create a “wish list” that you can share with your friends or the public.

“Celebrities do this for charity. They share their buy-me-a-one-dollar-gift with the public to raise money. Our customer can use this for their birthdays or weddings,” he adds. And also, for the Narcissus among us, the store lets you create your own personal profiles where you can upload your pretty pictures so the world can adore you and all that jazz. “It’s not only for people in Indonesia. It can also be for millions of the Indonesians who are currently abroad and want to buy something for their families or friends in Indonesia,” he points out. Okay, okay, my cynicism admits defeat.

All this at the tender age of 32. I’m curious. “How did you do it?” I ask. Leaning back in his chair and taking a gulp from his glass of iced tea, Benz laughs and replies, “I don’t know, you know, it was just really organic. Everything that happens in life is just a series of events and chance encounters. I think with me, it was just luck mixed with opportunity. When life throws an opportunity at you, you have to seize it and make something out of it. Make something happen, be open to everything.

Don’t dwell on the negative, and just know your limits. Know when to quit, know when to stop. Just do something, and keep at it.”

This mentality sounds familiar to me and I just had to ask, “When is your birthday?”
“May 24th. Why?”

Aha I knew it. Classic Gemini traits.

“A Gemini. It takes one to spot one,” I reply with a smirk, my hand raised in the air to give him a high five. “So, I suppose you’re a hardcore multi-tasker too, then?”
“Haha, well, I dive, I make movies, I do graphic design, I play guitar, I play basketball and soccer [editor: It’s football, mate] and I help handicapped children.

Not much going on, really.”

Sarcasm dripping, he leans in smugly as if about to divulge a top secret federal conspiracy, and whispers, “Listen, life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself and being the best at what you do.”

And that is how Christopher Benz taught me the secret of life.

To start online shopping and experiencing this latest trend visit www.kemana.com

Lighten up!

anyone hanging around the bali art scene knows that
balloon-like egos and narcissistic strutting are standard fare among artists and gallery owners. in the battle to become king of the hill, the biggest victim is a much-needed sense of levity

Historically, Balinese and Indonesian art were anonymous until westerners brought their ways and began clamouring for signatures. This does not mean that the great masters of Indonesia’s past were not acknowledged – everyone from king to peasant knew who the most talented artists and artisans were.

The same situation existed largely in the west until the early Italian Renaissance, which marks the first appearance of self indulgent artist superstars who would keep the Pope as well as Medici princes waiting for hours.

In Bali, this would begin in the 1930s when tourists and art collectors from the west demanded that the paintings and sculptures they bought be “signed by the artist”. Since the art was not made for local consumption and it was considered rude to refuse a request from a guest, those early artists did as they were bid. In some cases, such as Gusti Lempad who could only write in Balinese, the paintings were signed by other family members. Little did anyone realise that by doing so they opened the floodgates of future artistic megalomania!

The bad news for the vast majority of artists is that few among them will ever achieve the status of Picasso or Matisse no matter how much they or their gallery owners rant and rave. The drive for stardom planted in the already-sensitive artistic mind can result in numerous negative effects including narcissism, delusion and even mild forms of schizophrenia. In Bali, this translates to openings that often ooze with gravity reminiscent of state funerals, religious cult meetings or heavy metal concerts.

The British artist Paul Whitehead is the perfect counterpoint to this insanity. This is not to say that Whitehead is sane (in fact he is a certified nut case) but that he long ago realised that he had nothing to prove to anyone, thereby liberating himself from all the ballyhoo. “Who wants to be Van Gogh, anyway?” After all the guy only sold one painting in his lifetime (to his brother), cut off his ear to spite a bully who could not care less (Gauguin) and has been portrayed as a crazy spontaneous artist even though his letters prove that he was completely calculated and lucid about what he was doing.

Although Whitehead might not have been completely lucid when he began designing album covers for the likes of Fats Domino in London’s Swinging Sixties, by the time he created a series of ground breaking designs for the mega-group Genesis, which defined the new music art of post-psychedelic era, he probably had some inkling of who he was and what he was doing. Ironically, exactly like the ancient Balinese artists, while the insiders knew him and sought him out, he was for the general public largely anonymous. The lack of ego stroking probably did him well.

Today, Whitehead has settled in Bali and now specialises in paintings that can be best described as visual puns intended to nudge into contemplating the state of the world. While his work utilises juxtapositions that can be compared to those of Belgium Surrealist, René Margaritte, this is only coincidental. Paul Whitehead does not aspire to be anyone else except himself. This was proven by his December exhibition Questions? at the Ganesha Gallery at the Four Seasons Resort Jimbaran.

Curiously one of the least expected children of his self-effacing humour is occasional and perplexing profundity. This can be seen in the painting, Accident, whereby a cup of spilled milk (don’t cry over it) has created a puddle on the floor in the shape of Bali, which asks many more questions than can ever be answered.

Although its message is clearer, Furniture, the image of a giant tree with a bird and tiny boy reminds us of the multifunctional uses of the tree, as well as deforestation. It could easily be a poster for Bali’s Green School.

The power of less pretentious and more focused work can also be seen in the current exhibition, Intelligent World, which features the latest works of two Balinese graphic artists, I Made Saryana and Mega Sari. Amazingly Saryana and Mega Sari, both whom formally studied in Jogjakarta, have chosen the oldest and most difficult of all the graphic arts – woodcut, which is usually associated with Albrecht Dürer and Katsushika Hokusai.

Their choice of this ancient medium was courageous not only because of the difficulty of the technique, but more so because the lack of understanding and appreciation of all classic graphic arts – woodcut, etching and stone lithography – by Indonesian collectors who have favoured paintings on canvas since the Sukarno Era. Fortunately, a growing number of collectors have come to understand that signed, limited series of art prints are not only modestly priced and attractive but also genuine art, not cheap photocopies. These techniques also have unique qualities as explained by Mega Sari and Saryana who emphasise that their original attraction to woodblock making was the edgy textures that result applying multiple handcut wood blocks to handmade paper.

Saryana shows his mastery of the art in complex, colourful compositions inspired by Balinese mythology and everyday life. In Pura-Pura Baik (Making Believe Everything Is All Right), he makes use of angular lines and the tension of a coiled naga (dragon), the symbol of the Balinese Underworld, to express an ambivalent emotional state of being. Another print, Endless Prayer, is also an absolute masterpiece.

In comparison, the prints of Mega Sari, who has held numerous exhibitions in Japan, is like her gender, decisively more feminine and subtle in colour and form.

In particular she is attracted to flowers seen in A Parade of Dragonflies and still life compositions with vases. Like Saryana, the surfaces of her prints are highly textured and complex but instead mirror a radically different but equally valid perspective. Twenty five years after the publication of E. F. Schumacher’s “Small is Beautiful” and the first year of the 2nd decade of the 21st century (Y2K + 10), it is probably a good moment to remember that Bali is a small island. While large egos are inevitable, lets celebrate smaller victories and accomplishments too. Like the cool clear water of mountain streams, the benefits are many. Artists and megalomaniacs take note of Paul Whitehead, I Made Saryana and Mega Sari – deflate your ambitions and lighten up, at least occasionally.

The Last Megalithic

Sumba almost untouched modern civilization. Here we can see many things not recorded in the tourist brochures: the tomb stone weighing 70 tons, wild horses running on the savanna, the head of the wife of a dozen tribes, villages perched on the hill, the houses tall coconut trees , as well as the funeral procession with tumbal 150 water buffaloes. The following recordings Fadil Aziz who had twice visited Sumba

Horses pony sandalwood species roamed the grasslands that are found in eastern SumbaWaktu frozen in Sumba. He was sitting 80 miles south of Flores, Indonesia imprisoned by the Sea. If the achievements of civilization in the form dikerucutkan LV bag and the BlackBerry, the Sumba is an isolated place, almost untouched, a counter-thesis "The world is flat" which concluded the Earth is no longer recognize geographical boundaries. It took six months for news of the proclamation could be heard in Sumba, as a general illustration used to describe how desolate island.

A breeze blew gently. The cold air seemed to penetrate the skin even though it was headed in the afternoon. This typical weather in Waikabubak located 600 meters above sea level. It was 18 years ago since I first set foot in the capital of West Sumba. Still wet in the memory of the scene at that time: a jumble of stone tombs, knight on horseback with a machete tucked into his waist, and draped in traditional costumes weaving.

A white stadiums now standing in front of me. Across from the church tower a few grand. A little to the south, there is a market with a row of shophouses in front of him. Deserted avenues snaking here and there. Occasionally angkot (or angdes?) Passed with the spirit kernetnya offer. Waikabubak now more of a small town than a big village. These achievements are positive, although it achieved after nearly
two decades.

Outside sweets such development, Sumba not changed much. Durable cultural purity maintained. Globalization just touching the surface. Stone tombs still standing in place. They seemed to whisper about the ancestral culture and the long procession that gave it birth. Savannah plains that still lay quiet area, complete with beautiful horses that crossed it. While the tops of towering traditional house, poking among the leaves of trees.

Regions in Indonesia are generally included in the Austronesian cultural group. However, over time, this culture eroded by the presence of Hinduism and Buddhism. What makes the special is a culture of Sumba is still relatively authentic. Some of his form is the belief of animism, ancestor worship of spirits, traditional betel nut, the use of houses on stilts, and custom carrying goods as stock tomb.

Sumba communities living in the clan named kabisu. Each clan leaders to establish a village master then down the other villages in the vicinity. In the past, the main village at war with each other. That's why some villages deliberately built on a hill in order to have a better defensive position. Often these villages surrounded by palisades of rock or a cactus thorn. The center of the village is the partly open space filled with stone graves and ancestral worship stones are sacred.

The main belief in Sumba called Marapu. "Religion" is exclusive to Sumba, not found elsewhere. The ritual was led by priests who styled rato. They hold authority in the affairs of the incantation and prayer, and as a mediator with the spirit world. In teaching Marapu, harmonious relationship with the ancestors was in number one in the list of faith harmony.

There are many rato in Sumba. This is not due to a large population, but more because each specialized in one rato ritual. Rato to different funeral rites for the celebration Wula rato Podu (new year in the calendar Marapu). Even in a large ceremonial circuit, there are a number rato each with a different mantra in every babakannya. Rato did not recognize caste, all equal. There was no discrimination between elite or village rato. At most there were only a senior rato, namely those who are elderly. This profession can not seem to ditekuni just anyone, but rather inherited by lineage. Compiling mantra each rato usually obtained from parents.

One is the use of teaching Marapu stone tomb. This tradition is said to be the cultural heritage of the Megalithic era who lived thousands of years ago. Khazanah similar culture can be found elsewhere in the archipelago. In North Sulawesi, for example, we know waruga, the stone grave of Minahasa community version. While in Toraja community to bury the body in the rock cliffs. Differences in Sumba is, the stone used is not limited to the procession of death, but also for the rituals of pilgrimage and holy days. The use of stone as a pillar of this religion that makes Sumba touted as "the living megalith culture".

The uniqueness of the tradition of Sumba stone tomb is in the size of stone used. Stone is generally used large and heavy. Stone weighing tens of tons withdrawn from the mountains to the location of the cemetery, often go through a steep uphill road. Amazingly, all this done completely rely on the aliases manually manpower. No wonder, the procession could spend months or even years. Sometimes just cutting stone for it takes two years. Thousands of men were deployed to pull the stone, while the women prepare the food logistics. A ceremony was held is not cheap by slaughtering hundreds of buffaloes, pigs and chickens, as well as serving the gods. It is said that in ancient times, slaves and slave can participate sacrificed.

A stone tomb is a square containing four to five bodies. Together they also included items such precious fabrics weaving high value, glassware, and so on. Then crushed with a stone coffin-shaped thick plates. Stone weight is usually chosen so that the grave is not easily dismantled thief. To be more safe again, usually placed in the grave yard or in the village area. If any family member who died, the stone and then opened a new body is inserted.

Coastal landscape of West Sumba

Arena rock withdrawal in Sumba is one of the cultural magnet for researchers. Anthropologists from around the world willing to charter a plane for witnessing this rare event. Now, though already done with a more modern way, the procession pull the stone tomb still attract many people.