I’m originally from Melbourne. Born in suburbia sometime
last century. I think it matters where you’ve been rather
than where you’re from. I also spent a few years of
my childhood in the middle of the bush, 20 miles south of
Darwin, completely the other side of the black stump.
What kinds of jobs have you had in your life?
Graphic design, advertising and publishing for 20 years in
Australia, Jakarta and Bali. Jobs have included washing cars,
washing kids, washing glasses in a bar, washing dishes in
a Chinese restaurant, selling skiwear, selling cakes and assisting
with the mentally handicapped. Now sometimes I feel washed
out, sold out and definitely mentally challenged!
How did you ever come to live in Bali?
After holidaying in Bali a few times since 1984 (hair braided
‘n all), a friend offered me a job to start up an ad
agency on the next island to Bali‚ in 1991. Imagine
my surprise when I got off the plane in Jakarta. No beach,
no Kuta! After a five-year night I moved to Bali.
Why Bali? Well it’s sort of a natural progression from
Jakarta if you’re looking for blue skies, fresh air,
less traffic, and want to stay in Asia without having to learn
another language! There’s a very comfortable spirituality
here too, and the culture is so colorful. When I arrived I
saw the then-growing economy and took the opportunity to set
up a marketing communications, design and pre-press company
which I ran for five years. For the past three and a half
years I have worked with Island Communications.
Where did you get the idea of publishing a magazine on Seminyak?
In Ubud. Seriously. We live in Seminyak and try to get up
river one weekend a month. We’d thrown the idea around
but many friends thought we were mad. A Seminyak magazine?
they’d exclaim, Are you mad? So once the red flag was
raised we put the magazine together: sales, stories, designed
and printed in six weeks from a living room and with zero
budget. We hit the December 2003 holiday makers with a 40
page glossy which is now over a hundred pages and has received
much international acclaim. I’m not sure if we believe
it ourselves yet!
There wasn’t an upmarket magazine around that addressed
issues which affect residents of Bali, only expensive imported
fashion magazines or tourist publications. Appropriately
called The Yak (taken from SeminYAK) we also showcase other
destinations like Kuta, Nusa Lembongan and Lombok. We can’t
expect people to stay in Seminyak forever! After three issues,
we thought we owed it to Ubud to include a separate magazine
in the back of The Yak, entitled The Bud.
Who are your business partners and what skills do they bring
to the job?
Sophie Digby and Tina Ardie. Sophie brings her express witted
sales skills to the advertising department, her British up-smart
writing skills and her unrelenting distribution skills. Tina,
our semi-silent partner is half Indonesian so she keeps us
in line locally. She has a successful event management company,
Pro-Motion Events. Together, with our wealth of individual
experience, we make a dynamic little team.
What is your position at the magazine?
Generally upright. Occasionally horizontal. I’m responsible
for the eye candy and the mind magnets.
What do you like most and least about your job at the magazine?
Most: Making a difference, lifting the standards. Reinventing
myself and expressing myself freely with creative carte blanche.
Least: Rubber time deadlines. Getting a magazine out on time
involves a lot of discipline, but we need to retain the quality.
I also don’t enjoy telling advertisers that we have
rejected their ad because the design, text or quality is substandard.
Although we do this to retain the quality image of our magazine,
I’ve also been in marketing long enough to know what
will work for their product image or message.
What makes the Yak different from other "tourist"
magazines being published on Bali?
We don’t classify The Yak as a tourist publication.
If I had to characterize it in one word, I’d say lifestyle.
Our readers are Indonesians, expatriates (both local and regional)
and visitors looking for the latest stimuli. We have a no
past events publishing policy (except our own yearly Golden
Yak Awards show) because we think readers want to know about
what’s happening today and tomorrow not yesterday.
What makes Seminyak unique as a tourist and expat destination?
Marketing and best-kept secrets. Did you know that Seminyak
has been a destination for European visitors since before
the 80s, no secret now. Even just five years ago, most visitors
and residents to Seminyak came from Europe and South America.
Thus Seminyak developed into an upmarket Euro-village.
In your mind, what’s the way to spend a perfect day
in Seminyak?
A perfect day begins at 7.00 am with a brisk beach walk from
Kudeta to the Bali Padma Hotel and back. Followed by breakfast
at Lalucciola with my children, then a massage at Jari Menari.
Some shopping at Paul's Place (clothes, shoes, jewelry for
the evening!) and a fresh ginger ale...which could lead into
a Shanghai Fried Rice for lunch. Afternoons are definitely
champers at Kudeta until sunset where kids can have a splash.
Dinner at Kafe Warisan or perhaps the Seminyak Seafood BBQ
at The Legian if it was a Friday, then down to Hu'u Bar for
a boogie, onto Lush to beat the boys on the pool table then
finishing off at 'F' Lounge. (Next day may not be so 'perfect'!).
For anyone interested in being considered for Siapa, please
contact : pakbill2003@yahoo.com
Copyright@2005 Al Hickey
You can read all past articles of Siapa at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz
