HAR’S TREE HOUSES
For a real environmental treat, visit Har’s Organic vegetable garden in Junjungan, take a lesson in organic gardening, and stay in one of the tranquil tree houses he has built behind the garden, overlooking the river below.
Hartonolo Kodjoyo, a Javanese gardener, was brought here a few years ago with two other young farm workers, for a big new organic farming project. When that went bust, his friends went home, but Har had become committed to organic agriculture, so decided to stay, lease a ricefield from a Balinese owner, return it to organic status, and try for himself. He’s a brilliant success; a humble, interesting, friendly guy who grows and sells delicious, very reasonably priced organic veges, has acquired a wealth of practical knowledge, and become an extraordinary teacher, with private or group classes. With his Japanese wife, he’s recently built some simple clean tree houses for guests.
“We need the rice field to produce the foods, the trees nearby to clean the pollutions and keep eco system to keep balance. Now I’ve made made the tree houses to just hang around and feel at home, interact with nature and try healthy food,” Har says. Bookings: www.harsgarden.com; email, hartonolokodjoyo@gmail.com, or call 081337 382 099.
UBUD WRITERS’ RUMBLES
We’re getting closer to this year’s Ubud Writers & Readers Festival (October 25 to 29), with early bird tickets on sale in July, along with news of the first confirmed events and speakers, and the full program and line-up available in August.
This year’s theme, ‘Origins’, draws from the Hindu philosophy ‘Sangkan Paraning Dumadi’ –our eternal connection to where we have come from, and to where we will ultimately return.
In a five-day program intended to challenge its audiences, the theme will examine the powerful movements that have influenced and continue to shape the world – from the political to the technological, environmental to spiritual – and their cyclical manifestations throughout our existence.
Festival Founder Janet DeNeefe says shifting attention away from the cult of the individual to cultivate a universal perspective makes truly affirmative action possible. “If we are no longer constrained by our individual perspectives, what are our responsibilities, and what is within our power to achieve together?” she says. Www.ubudwritersfestival.com.
ROOM4DESSERT ALL DAY
For those who want the day to start sweetly, Room4Dessert Ubud is now open from 12pm to midnight, 6 days a week.
Chef Goldfarb offers his exquisite hand-made desserts, and now the bakery team is flexing its skills with real croissants, Italian doughnuts and English muffins. There are savoury dishes – for deluded peeps like me who think desserts should follow a main course – so fresh lunch fare, like gazpacho andaluz, Russian salad and grilled Romaine salad, has now joined Room4Dessert’s dinner favourites. Oh my Lordie try the pandanbert, made from smoked pandan panna cotta, salak ice & tatin, kacang hijau crumble & nutmeg-poached pears!
Then every Thursday night, Room4Dessert offers a Balinese feast served like a family meal with absolutely delicious dishes that every visitor should sample, including rujak bua, berdegel jagung and kentang, pepes ikan, gulai telor, papaya urab and sate lilit ikan.
Not far from town, next to Naughty Nuri’s Warung on Jalan Sanginggan, out of the bustle of central Ubud. Closed Mondays.
LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY COWORKERS
With the passion and dedication of its founders and workers over the past few years, it’s no wonder that Hubud is now officially a member of LExC, or the League of Extraordinary Coworking Spaces.
So far, LExC has 30 coworking spaces around the world, where quality, accessibility, and passion have come together to foster communities that value connection and innovation. And LExC spaces form the world’s first reliable, seamless network of coworking spaces, so that global travellers can work in a similar way, and find like-minded workers around them, wherever they travel.
Hubud members are entitled to a “free space” of up to five days at any LExC space per year all around the world. There’s one in Singapore for visa runs! For other extraordinary coworking places, visit www.lexc.co.
BALI WATER PROTECT SPONSOR
The Bali Water Protection program (BWP) has secured both generous sponsorship and a commitment to help with the long-term goal of saving Bali’s freshwater, from global health brand, Body Shop® Indonesia.
Body Shop Indonesia’s Chairwoman, Ibu Suzy Hutomo, saw the program as a perfect match for the eco goals of the company, and has signed up for BWP’s biggest sponsorship level – the Pioneer Sponsor – and a donation of US$ 10,000 (IDR 130,000,000). This is the highest commitment a business can take to protect Bali’s freshwater, as the IDEP-LEAD BWP program is the best chance to ensure that the province of Bali will have enough water in years to come.
From September to October, Bali’s Body Shop outlets will seek donations from customers for BWP fundraising program.
A visit to IDEP’s Foundation Site & Training Centre is a a great day trip – see what locals and expats are doing to protect Bali’s water table, and other major environmental programs. Just 30 minutes from Ubud in Desa Kemenuh, at Sukawati. Call 0361 908 2983 for more info.
RUMI MUSIC HEALING PROJECT
Ubud resident Shervin Boloorian, an Iranian-born vocalist and sound therapist, has just launched a Kickstarter campaign and live music tour which aims to bridge current divides between East and West through the universal appeal of world-revered Sufi Master, Rumi – one of the world’s top selling poet authors.
Creating a Sufi-inspired album as the beacon centrepiece, this cross-cultural music project will raise awareness about people and sacred cultures from the Middle East – relaying a timely and much-needed counter to the negative stereotypes of Iran, Islam and Middle Eastern problems.
The Kickstarter campaign offers people the opportunity to support the project, including Boloorian’s forthcoming album “One with the Beloved”, which contains wisdom from Rumi, all in original Persian and Arabic languages.
Boloorian has had an interesting and relevant journey to this current role, having worked previously as an adviser to US-Iran peace coalitions in Washington D.C.
E-mail: BAubudnews@gmail.com
Copyright © 2017 Wayan Jen
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