Students Join Together at GIN to Seek Solutions
On March 2 – 4, Canggu Community School welcomed more than 300 people to campus to share ideas and solutions on a variety of environmental and humanitarian questions at the Global Issues Network (GIN) conference. Twenty-two schools from seven countries joined together for three days of solutions-focused workshops, inspiring keynote sessions and forming new friendships with other like-minded students.
The goal of a GIN conference is to equip participants with the information, strategies and skills and spark passion to make sustainable impacts on environmental or humanitarian issues. The conference theme, Seeking Solutions: Meeting Global Challenges in a Changing World, was an excellent way for students to be introduced to global issues and immersed in the possible ways that they can move forward.
Our keynote speakers were exceptional. Dr Lindsay Porter, a whale and dolphin scientist who is based in Hong Kong, opened the conference by sharing her knowledge on the health of the oceans. After watching the documentary A Plastic Ocean, which her research contributed to, Dr Porter and the audience engaged in a question and answer session. She also led a hands-on workshop on plastics and the oceans, showing students both the benefits of certain uses of plastic and the long-term effects of single-use plastics.
On Saturday morning, Isabel and Melati Wijsen from Bye Bye Plastic Bags inspired our middle school participants as young people taking action. They led an exciting workshop, discussing their journey to ban plastic bags in Bali. Students saw the power of voice and the perseverance required for environmental activists. Later in the day, Gupta Sitorus from Bali-based company Avani Eco discussed the ways Indonesian companies are seeking alternatives to the plastic problem. Their #IAmNotPlastic campaign brings awareness to consumers and companies about the perils of plastic.
Students selected their workshops from 16 incredible options that ranged from food sustainability to deforestation, from systems thinking to the art and science of persuasion, from building a greenhouse to building an action plan. Some workshops were led by Bali-based activists, including Dr Sally Silverstone of the Biosphere 2 Foundation, the Asia Justice and Rights group, artist Made Bayak, and the Perenan-based waste management group Merah Putih Hijau. Other workshop leaders traveled from Borneo, Thailand, Hong Kong and China.
Many of the workshops were inspired by youth leaders. Some students made miniature Aquaponics systems, led by teachers and students at Canggu Community School, and the Green School Bio Bus Team taught students to make candles and soaps. Young people active in Kids Cut Conflict Palm Oil and Keep Bali Clean shared the ways that youth are able to make decisions each day to impact the world around them. All participants left feeling energized to understand the issues more deeply and seek solutions in their everyday life.
The conference was organized by a team of CCS students, who made environmentally-conscious choices while selecting vendors. Though the attempt to have an entirely plastic-free conference proved difficult, especially in regards to packaging, the team did have clear conversations with vendors in order to reduce excess packaging and limit the use of single-use plastics.
Together, we can make positive impacts on our world. And it starts with our students.
Katie Holmes, Middle Years Coordinator and English Teacher, Canggu Community School
Get Into That Summer Groove at Body Temple Bali
Bali’s annual silent day has long since gone and with it (we hope!) the rainy season! For a while at least…… Hot, dry days are creeping back into the calendar and the reduced humidity is starting to play havoc with our hair and skin. April means it’s about time to reassess that rainy season beauty regimen and find ways to freshen up lank and lacklustre locks, adios scaly skin and treat tired muscles. After all, the sun’s out and beach days are back baby! So take advantage of these April spa specials at Body Temple to ensure you look amazing for the awesome summer season ahead!
Tame frizzy uncontrollable hair into insta-worthy luscious locks with TONI&GUY Essensuals Kerastase Aura Botanica treatment. A first for Kerastase in natural products, this treatment provides up to 48 hours of style durability, 72 hours of frizz control and four times the shine. Say hello to head turning tresses and fuss free hair! The 60 minute treatment also includes a relaxing scalp massage, hair wash and nourishing oil with moisturising mist and opt to add a blow dry for that final touch. Add to this a hand massage and it’s an hour well spent in the salon if you ask me!
Musim Kemarau, or dry season as we know it in Bali can unfortunately create a few aches and pains for a few of us. If you’re ‘lucky’ like me and blessed with dodgy joints (thanks Mum), less moisture in the air means achey muscles, particularly first thing in the morning. Dry season can also be a curse for hay fever sufferers, causing headaches and even migraines for some. In search of natural remedies to alleviate these ailments, massage comes highly recommended and now, Body Temple is offering a new, magnesium oil massage!
While most of us are more inclined to reach for the multivitamins to get our daily dose of magnesium, studies show that this important mineral is more effectively absorbed though the skin than via an oral dose. Magnesium oil is effective in reducing muscle soreness and tension, eases headaches and migraines, reduces tendency towards muscle cramps and even assists in blood pressure management and sleep disorders. Opt for a 60 minute or 90 minute magnesium oil massage and feel the difference without having to pop a pill!
Being in Bali means indulging in a massage on a weekly or even daily basis is definitely doable when you know it won’t bust the budget. This month you can up the ante on your regular ritual AND bring a friend because Body Temple is offering half price Balinese massages for the second person when you book for two! Split the difference and share the love but be sure to book ‘cos at these prices they’re bound to be busy. Prefer to go it alone and savour some ‘me time’? Enjoy any of Body Temple’s 60 minute massages and you can really take advantage of ‘time out’ minus the toddler tantrums with a free one hour pass at Cubby House Kids Club for your little one. There’s Bali bliss for you!
Book your treatment at Body Temple today and be sure to check out their new signature range of oils, bath gels and massage candles. They might even have a little take home treat for you!
Located at Lower Level, Finns Recreation Club
bodytemplebali.com
Balancing Smokehouse Fare with Plant Based Favourites @ Bistro C
Serving up man sized, succulent hanger beef steaks, Texas style brisket and oh-so-juicy tender pulled pork basted in tangy, bourbon BBQ sauce might make you think that Bistro C may be the last place to impress your vegetarian date but think again….. looks can be deceiving!
Vegetarians and vegans rejoice because Bali’s best smokehouse has just launched their new, all day menu with extra, lighter style options to ensure that your meat seeking mates aren’t the only ones licking their lips. Herbivores aside (don’t worry… we’ll get back to you shortly) Bali’s midday heat means many of us are longing for something light and fresh to lunch on and Bistro C’s new menu has a whole host of options for beef and leaf eaters alike!
Start with light snacks and soups, or salad up with new additions like their Red Rice and Feta creation spiced with Dukkah dusted nuts, burnt cauliflower, basil, cherry toms & greens dressed with red wine vinaigrette. Crunchy, flavoursome and filling! Prefer some more protein? The palate pleasing Duck salad is hard to beat – juicy duck breast, blue cheese and caramelised pear, basil and smoked cashews….. divine dining!
Pizzas and pastas all include vegetarian options and while we’re on the letter ‘P’, it would be impossible to pass by the ‘poutines’ part of the menu without at least partaking in this naughty but oh-so-tasty treat. Originating in Quebec, Canada, poutines are French fries filled with cheese and gravy. Dieters, don’t look now but these taters loaded with toppings are NOT. TO. BE. MISSED!! Try the classic, meat free version or load up those babies with lots of different goodies the likes of cheddar, black pepper brisket and gravy, pizza style with mozzarella and bolognese or get ‘nasty’ with cheddar cheese, BBQ pulled pork sausage and gravy poutines. OK…..so a low carb option they are not but trust me when I tell you, you won’t want to share so words to the wise friends….. hands off my fries!
One of the best features about Bistro C’s new menu is its tiered page layout. With a labelled guide down the side of each page, diners can go directly to the type of cuisine they desire and with sections solely dedicated to vegetarian and vegan fare, there are more than enough options to appease any animal free appetite. Favourites from their vegetarian selection would have to include the smoked veggie salad complete with quinoa, quail eggs, cucumber, asparagus and mixed greens, proving that smoky flavours don’t necessarily mean meat!
Another clever innovation on the new menu is the ‘make-your-own’ vegan option. Talk about a balanced diet! You can literally create your own culinary masterpiece by simply choosing from the veggie, protein or carbs column for an entirely vegan feast. Toss some vegan Tex-Mex baked beans in with with a spiced, nutty quinoa bowl then balance it with a few beams of grilled asparagus and you’ve got mains! Menu items are clearly marked with symbols to indicate gluten free, other vegetarian or one of Finn’s signature dishes…… did I mention those poutines??? So much more than just a mecca for meat eaters, Bistro C offers palate pleasers for all preferences, their menu sourcing locally grown meat, vegetables, grains and greens to balance traditionally meaty smokehouse fare with plant based favourites. Book a table at Bistro C today and taste the difference. bISTROCBALI.COM