November 26 2014 Leading into this fortnight Mercury is conjoined Saturn in Scorpio and heads on into Sagittarius on the 28th and will finally join the Sun again on the Full Moon in early December Mars changes signs this fortnight as well and heads into Aquarius also around the Full Moon Remember our New Moon was squared to Neptune and as we move towards Full Venus Sun and Mercury in turn will trine Uranus and square to Chiron What this could possibly mean is that as we are impulsed to strike out on our own creative path others may be hurt or feel neglected in the process Energy will be fast moving and unpredictable and with Mars in Aquarius the sign ruled by Uranus pushing things along to an inventive new level chaos may become the norm As Uranus and Pluto pull in ever tighter towards the square the pressure increases and the old guard holds firm and the rebellious new flamboyantly expr
Month: November 2014
The Slippery Issue of Fair Trade Fish
The Slippery Issue of Fair Trade Fish Cooperation and hard work between a wide range of players from the government in Jakarta down to the humble fishers of Maluku paid off big time last month Four fishing associations based in Buru and Ambon became the first in the world to gain Fair Trade certification for wildcaught fish Gentle Reader this would be a huge achievement for any country Indonesia as one of the biggest fish producing countries in the world should be very proud of what has been achieved in Buru and Ambon Selling fish domestically and internationally is an important component of Indonesias economy The total value of fisheries products from Indonesia exceeded US 14 billion in 2010 with tuna being a large component of this These statistics are a bit dated but give an indication of the industrys size With a 2011 total production of well over 12 million metric tons based on official statistics Ind
Shrivelled Tomatoes
Shrivelled Tomatoes Dear Dr Kris I have been trying to grow tomatoes many times here in Bali with very little success Using seed I bought or using seed from a fresh tomato washed and dried Usually the plants start well then when its almost ready to bloom some leaves show tracks like a tiny insect is burying tuners inside it This goes on until the plant shrivels and dies I have tried many things like always using a new pot new soil and new location the end result is always the same Can you explain what is happening Thank you Jules Growing tomatoes in a tropical climate can have its difficulties The tomato originally from South America can grow year round in warm climates though dry season crops are definitely much easier to deal with compared to growing them in the wet season The humidity of the wet season ca
Chicken with Mushrooms and White Wine
Against the background of Javanese culture and the fading power of Japanese occupiers Java in a Time of Revolution explores the origins of revolutionary youth groups the military and political parties with remarkable scope and in scrupulous detail First published in 1972 by Cornell University Press this classic was brought back to life by Equinox Publishing kicking off the publishers Classic Indonesia series in 2007
For Want of a Nail…
For Want of a Nailhellip ldquoFor want of a nail the shoe was lost For want of a shoe the horse was lost For want of a horse the rider was lost For want of a rider the message was lost For want of a message the battle was lost For want of a battle the kingdom was lost And all for the want of a horseshoe nailrdquo Last week we looked at how trying to save a small amount of money can end up costing a lot of money In many situations this is fairly obvious you buy the cheaper lightbulb and it burns out in 2 weeks when a better quality one at a price of only half as much again lasts 2 years We are surrounded by these temptations to save money all the time but things are not always as straightforward as they at first appear
Nusa Lembongan A Gondola Ride Through the Mangrovesby Bill Dalton
Balis traditional markets were once a necessity in a society where refrigeration and corner stores were not as widespread as they are today These ageold trading centers are now giving way to the onslaught of corner Indomaret Alfamart and Circle Ks proliferating all over Bali
November 26 2014
The Whistle BlowerIn this gritty movie inspired by true events an American female police officer takes on a job with a private contractor as a peacekeeper in the postwar torn Balkans There she is made head of Gender Affairs and through her work with women she stumbles upon a lsquowhite slave racket in which innocent young girls are viciously forced into prostitution Director Larysa Kondracki makes a strong movie and Oscar Winner Rachel Weisz as the peacekeeper also performs strongly In addition Rachel gets superb support from Monica Bellucci and Vanessa Redgrave as two ineffectual diplomats
November 12 2014
November 12 2014 PINTEREST Pinterest is the fastestgrowing social media network with over 70 million users an impressive achievement when you consider that Pinterest only went live in 2010 Pinterest cofounder Evan Sharp describes it as ldquoa place to discover ideas for all your projects and interests handpicked by people like yourdquo Do you remember in the presocial media days how you would cut out articles recipes or photos from a magazine to keep or share with friends Or you might have pinned them up on a physical bulletin board that you kept over your desk or in a work or craft room Maybe you also put up knitting or craft patterns or Doityourself DIY instructions for making a bookshelf or creating more storage in your kitchen Or perhaps you just put up humorous pictures of cats or inspirational quo
November 12 2014
November 12 2014Shes Off Her Face Book Susi Johnston the longterm American expatriate whose situation in regard to the property she lives in at Mengwi is as disgraceful as it is well known has dropped off the social medium preferred by gazillions of virtual chatterers She has deactivated her Facebook She told us when we inquired that she was fed up with her situation who could blame her and was upset by what she sees as abandonment by former friends It is all very sad Her legal argument over title to her villa which she shared with her late Italian husband Bruno Piazza remains unresolved Some local grub name known to police decided that she should have it instead Johnstons house has been invaded She has been threatened with violent harm Her personal space has been violated She has been the target of people who have planted illegal products in her home so she would be charged with a crime But she is the victim and because
THE MYSTICAL VIBERio Sidik Jazz QuartetBy Polly Christensen
THE MYSTICAL VIBERio Sidik Jazz QuartetBy Polly Christensen Rio Sidik is Indonesias most famous jazzfusion musician and singer and is well established on the international music scene He has played as the headlining act in venues such as Ronnie Scotts of London as well as appearing at international jazz festivals Together with his previous band Saharadja Rio has performed all over the world As a composer Rio continues to write music for other bands as well as producing and writing his own music while travelling the globe Rio was born and raised in Surabaya Rios first appearance on stage was at the age of 10 with his brothers and sister Music was always a big part of his life and Rios grandfather Dariono was the front man of a Big Band and the encouraging mentor who introduced young Rio into the world of m
Alas Purwo Making it Rough to Save It By Bill Dalton
Alas Purwo Making it Rough to Save It By Bill Dalton One days hard drive from Bali at the end of a long dark corridor through a mahogany forest lies a mammoth and richly endowed national park essentially unbeknownst to tourists Alas Purwo on Blambangan Peninsula at the southeastern tip of East Java province is renown for its lowland tropical rainforests huge banteng cattle scenic proximity to the ocean pilgrimage spiritual sites and worldclass surfing Although this national treasure boasts one of the best lefthanders in the world at Gland I discovered that the vast reaches of the park in the islands easternmost regency are emphatically not just for surfers Along with Banyuwangis Ijen Plateau this unique reserve is an estimable tourist destination in its own right The seacoast at Plengkung Gland on Grajagan B
UK Healer Roams the World
UK Healer Roams the WorldAlison began her journey from the tender age of four when she first began speaking words of truth For many years she shut that part of herself down because it wasnt acceptable for her family who came from strong Catholic and Protestant religions When she was 19 everything changed when Alison started astral traveling This was the catalyst for all her abilities to be reactivated again She began having visions and seeing and feeling what was happening with other people Her dreams were filled with insight about what was to come ldquoSadly a lot of what I saw was about death I would be walking along and see something that was about to happen Within 24 hours it would manifest An example was a dream I had about a guy who came to my house and was bitten by a snake and died In reality he never came to my home but at the same time he died I woke having just witnessed it the next day I heard that this is exactly what h
Theres magic in them there Sanur starsa night of readings by the seaby Shelley Kenigsberg
Theres magic in them there Sanur starsa night of readings by the seaby Shelley Kenigsberg Its not an ordinary full moon on 7 October Its the blood moon a term thats become popular when referring to the total lunar eclipses in the 2014ndash2015 lunar cycle Its entirely appropriate then that its this night were gathered for the final event in the stellar festival that was Ubud Writers Readers Festival 2014 Even though the term blood moon has apparently no technical or astronomical basis it is soon evident that we are about to have the blood flowing more strongly in our veinshellip as were dazzled by the bright sky and silver sea at our marvelous venue the Tandjung Sari Hotel on Sanur beachfront When the sun has just set over
November 12 2014
November 12 2014TURN OFF YOUR TAP As I write this Aceh is experiencing huge floods but Bali has a water shortage with some yearround rivers run dry and farmers saying its the worst for 50 years The old guys say back then everyone was using only river water but the population has more than doubled and many households ndash and all hotels and resorts ndash are draining underground water by sinking bores What can we do and encourage businesses to do Simple things that dry countries know Water the garden with a hose or a bucket not an automatic sprinkler system Reuse grey water a bowl in the sink becomes water for pot plants turn off the tap while you clean your teeth biggest personal waste five minutes max in the shower And teach other travelers and locals from your experience When I built Ibu Jens House eight years ago I suggested an underground water tank in the big hole caused by the foundations on my sloping
November 12 2014
November 12 2014 NETBALL NEWS More than 200 longlegged beauties representing16 teams from Singapore Thailand Australia and Indonesia jetted in to Bali to take part in the SPURS Bali Flames Netball Invitational 2014 on 25 October the largest Netball tournament in Bali to date The tournament has been held at Bali International School annually since 2007 when it started with just a few teams playing some social netball in between shopping and pampering It has developed into a fullday roundrobin with simultaneous games on four courts and backtoback games across four divisions The competition was fierce but it was the Singaporeans and New Zealanders who took home the honours The A Division Grand Final was held between The Bangkok Barbarians a team of expatriates living in Thailand and Paua Rose a team of Kiwirsquo
Indonesia Etc by Elizabeth Pisani
Indonesia Etc by Elizabeth PisaniNever hesitating to let a complete stranger take her home in the opening scene of Indonesia Etc the author is invited into a house to meet someones dead grandmother From that moment on the reader is captured In her discursive and wideranging travel book covering hundreds of topics and destinations Elizabeth Pisani manages to almost make sense of this maddening 4200 kmlong string of islands that she describes as a ldquogiant bad boyfriendrdquo and ldquoone of the most invisible countries in the worldrdquo Having spent a total of 25 years in Indonesia this hardworking and dedicated journalist is eminently qualified to serve as a knowledgeable spokesperson for Indonesia and an eloquent interpreter of its diverse cultures Even before embarking on her research for the book Pisani had already earned her stripes as a Reuters correspondent assigned to this sprawling country Thoug