Modern Women Bali Issue 1

Smart fun magazine for smart fun women.

IS THE BALI DREAM DEAD?TRENDINGINTHETROPICS

BULLSHITOMETER

Healer or Hustler - how to tell the difference

LAUGHING MATTERS

Why Bali is making me dumber

58 BULLSHITOMETER

Healer or Hustler: how to tell the difference

24

62 LAUGHING MATTERS

Why Bali is making me dumber.

66 KEEP YOUR WITS ABOUT YOU

Art Zone

Voices unleashed: where expression meets encouragement

18

68 THE ESSENTIALS Useful Bali WhatsApp groups to follow (how not to drown in them)

84 WHAT’S ON? Events Calendar

92 OPEN PAGES Celebrating female voices

Ask Mama Bali

Where are all the good men at?

The ones who ventured out of familiar comforts in search of je ne sais quoi. Some of us weren’t buying the little roles and expectations and piercing boredom sold as obligatory. Some were girl-Magellan-ing it across the seas to check if the grass is indeed greener. Some were so utterly miserable and misplaced and, yup, sometimes abused that

they were prepared to weather any storm to escape the storms within. And some of us didn’t even know they were missing something until they landed in Bali for a short vacation, never to leave the island again. We all wanted more. More opportunities, bigger opportunities, a bigger life. We wanted to see who else we could be, how else it was possible to live, what other kinds of people can become our family.

We are the women who left home.

And so we arrived. Impossible and unbelieving.

And the rice fields are sure nice and green. And the surf is high, and so are the lovely surferers. And other sensual delights aplenty. And freedom is here, if you know how to do freedom. And still, still, the paradise has been hacked and sallied. And the baggage has arrived. And where’s home now?

Despite our cheerful social media and the #balilivin click-baits here too, we struggle sometimes.

Mentally, emotionally, financially, socially. Shit gets real. Adaptation and exploration are made all the more difficult by the aggressively commercial environment Bali is dancing towards.

Some of us are introverts, many - closeted. We don’t quite know how to do the ever-smiling everloud crowds. But isn’t this how you make friends? Isn’t this aggressive networking key to surviving outside the corporate world? Whom do we ask our many questions? Surely not the coaches?! We are pretty tired of the same clichéd ideas getting

repackaged and resold to us in shiny new, customisable wrappers. We have a sneaky feeling another way is possible. But we don’t quite know how, and we are turning and turning this-and-that-a-way.

We yearn to find our way. To be seen, to matter. To live independently and successfully. To connect deeply in our own way. To stay true to who we are in whatever we are doing.

We walk past the burnouts, past the lines fearfully scribbled on the sand, beyond the frontiers of self. We walk where there are no paths. We make up our own. And we lose the way, oh we lose it good. And we lose balance, and we fall off the edge of sanity. And out there, in a place the orderly logical mind can’t see into, we find our vision, we find ourselves.

We are here to remind each other that what we dreamed of is possible. That it all is worth it. That we are here to together - to win, to lose, to be with each other in unsightly ugly moments; in silence, in dizzying conversations, in work and play. We are the Ubud girls, dressed in divinity and incense smoke. We are the curious Indonesian women, half here, half there, cautiously optimistic about ourselves and the future. We are the unsubtle kitties of Canggu, ready to blow minds, hearts and bank accounts. The mermaids of Amed. We are the secret communities in between. The quiet, bright badasses writing poetry and running the shows.

We all are here. The kaleidoscope girls.

This magazine is for us. By us. For all others like us. For all others who are different, but curious.

Modern Women Bali Founder

AnastasiaBelikova

FOUNDER

Anastasia Belikova

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Sania Rasyid

EDITORS

Lynn Maria Minervini

Rahima Saikal

EDITORIAL TEAM

Lynn Maria Minervini

Rahima Saikal

Saoirse Rafferty

PRODUCTION TEAM

Helene Maremma

Sydney Barnett

ADVISORY BOARD

Ibu Kat

The NYX

DESIGN

Sara Aznan

ILLUSTRATIONS AND PHOTOGRAPHY

Qolis

Luis Toledo Laprisamata

Izabella Ortiz

Andrey Yarashevich

Jon Carling

Sudarimbawa

CONTRIBUTORS

WANT TO GET PUBLISHED?

We are a hub for creatives, intellectuals, business women, professionals and other badass Modern Women in Bali who want to grow, express, create, inspire, inform and connect.

We welcome writers to become the voice of Modern Women Bali and make an impact in the community.

We encourage you to contribute articles, thoughts, opinions, expert tips, poems and stories about your Bali experience.

You will get a great exposure and an amazing platform to showcase your writing, your art, your area of expertise to a wide audience.

Not a writer but would like to flex your creative muscles and gain experience? Join our creatives braintrust!

modernwomenbali@gmail.com @modern_women_bali

BALI’S BEST

artteas - a delicate ritual everyone can enjoy.

BY RAHIMA SAIKAL

As we talk tea, I can see the passion in Imma’s eyes. Her hands do a lot of the talking and it is evident that this woman is not just a coowner of a tea house, but someone who finds pure joy in sharing the art, rituals, and benefits of tea with her community.

Hailing from northeast Spain, Imma explains that growing up, she saw tea-drinking as something only older people did. “It was something your grandma would drink,” she joked. “Us Spanish, we are not great at tea. Wine, yes! Tea, not so much.”

Coming from a background of knowing very little about tea, Imma and her husband set up a beautiful and authentic tea house in

Ubud called ‘Artteas’. Located on Jalan Hanoman, one of the busiest streets of Ubud, Imma and her team have created a close-knit community of tea lovers.

“During COVID, we were able to stay open every day because of our regular customers. Although many of them actually moved away from Ubud during the pandemic, we still had loyal patrons driving up from Canggu every weekend for tea and orders coming in from Amed. It was amazing to feel such a sense of loyalty”.

Step inside Artteas and you can see why the quaint little tea house has such a following. Rich, dark chocolate hues catch the eye, incredible and delicate tea cups line the walls, and a deep, woody, smoky aroma fills the air.

“This is a family business” explains Imma. “My husband is from Lebanon and tea has always been a big part of his life. When we met, he introduced me to the world of tea and I fell in love”.

The pair opened their first tea house in Abu Dhabi and learnt from the best. “We went to every tea fair and market you can think of. We immersed ourselves in the world of tea to learn everything there is to know. Our best teachers have been those that have dedicated their lives to studying tea”.

After venturing over to southeast Asia on holidays and getting to know the town of Ubud, Imma and her husband decided to move to Bali in 2015. Artteas opened its doors in 2016 and the rest, as they say, is history.

“…a Balinese friend once said to me: ‘pelan pelan (slowly), Imma’.

I have tried to approach the day-to-day of Artteas with this attitude” said Imma. “The Balinese are so wise in their life musings… but, this has also been a good thing as it has taught me about patience and when you have the luxury of time, you can actually plan better”. This is the perfect attitude to have if you ask me, especially when it comes to tea, which is all about enjoying life and taking time for yourself.

Artteas tends to attract those that are in the know about tea, but the tea house caters to everyone. Imma tells me that they have many Russian and Javanese people coming in because tea drinking is a large part of their culture. But what makes her heart sing is all the young people that come in for tea. “It seems that it is becoming ‘cool’ for the younger generation to drink tea!” Imma says.

With a glint in her eye, Imma’s mouth and hands start talking as she tells me about the incredible healing benefits of tea for the mind, body and soul:

“It supports your body and can help with certain health issues but of course, if you go and eat five ice cream cones, don’t blame it on the tea!”

Particular teas can help with various ailments like controlling cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes, even aiding weight loss. They are full of antioxidants, amino acids, and vitamins.

“I always say, tea will not lie.”

Throughout Imma’s tea journey, she has witnessed amazing health transformations. In Abu Dhabi, their main customers were people who were recommended tea by their doctors. “At first, these people didn’t even like tea – they would screw their face in disgust when tasting the teas,” mused Imma. But over time, these same customers would come into the tea house and gush about how good they felt. They had incorporated tea into their daily life and were reaping the health benefits.

What about drinking tea from a tea bag?

tea. When the tea is constrained in a tea bag, it can’t swim around. I always tell my friends: if you are going to drink tea from a tea bag, at least open up the tea bag and let it be free in your cup”. Free the tea!

At Artteas, the tea is brewed according to the traditional methods of the country from which the tea originates. The ritual is beautiful. The leaves are rinsed and the tea is served at the perfect temperature. However, Imma wants tea to be an experience everyone can enjoy. She doesn’t want it to be too complicated and she wants people with all budgets to be able to enjoy a good cup of tea which is why there is an array of teas from which people can choose.

“We are all busy in life but a tea ritual can only take a couple of minutes and it can make such a mental difference to your day. It provides calm, clarity, focus and energy. For me, this is a beautiful thing”, explains the tea connoisseur.

Imma explains. “Traditionally, the contents of a tea bag are the leftovers from a tea leaf – the cutoffs, the part you don’t really want. Tea likes to expand and float which is how you get the full benefits of

“Tea brings people together. I love that someone might come here at the end of a bad day and when they leave, they tell me: ‘Being here has transported me somewhere else and the tea and the girls have made my day better.’ Hearing that makes my day!”

(I nervously ask, on behalf of myself and 85% of the population).

ASK MAMA BALI

Mama Bali is an all-knowing, gentle spirit that watches over Bali with a smirk on her face. Like an old granny watching her favorite soap opera, she’s fully invested in all the drama. She knows all of our patterns, and she sees past all of the bullsh*t.

Due to a recent uptick in bad advice circulating around (hello pesky “life coaches”), Mama Bali feels compelled to open her DM’s to all of your troubles so she can impart her eternal wisdom.

Now remember, Mama Bali is an old crone with sass. She’s the Alpha-Ibu that keeps the whole damn island’s shit together. She doesn’t have time to wrap her truth bombs in banana leaves. Her tough love is intended to challenge you and take responsibility for your life.

She uses humor to remind you to lighten up – you are fortunate enough to live in her paradise after all! And at the end of the day, like any sweet Ibu in Bali would say: “Sudah makan?

Oh sayang, wipe your tears, get yourself a nasi campur, go scream under a waterfall, block them, smell the cempaka, and sing ken ken, sister!”

In terms of actual advice she has a gift for pointing out when we make assumptions, overgeneralize, create black and white thoughts, fortune tell, catastrophize, think in terms of shoulds/musts, jump to conclusions, blame, etc. Mama Bali will help you to recognise that you are holding the remote for the soap opera inside your mind and will show you a couple of power buttons.

And of course Mama Bali has a tribe - whenever her wisdom alone is not enough she calls on her mama crewexpert business advisers, legit psychologists (goodbye ‘life coaches’), experienced artists and other no-bs true experts of their fields.

So rev up your Scoopy, put on your damn helmet.

Mama Bali is here to help you navigate all your drama and be your best self.

Where are all the good men at?

If you are feeling stuck or confused, send us your troubles - emotional, relationship, business, creative, family, whatever, and wait for us to publish a response from mama Bali.

modernwomenbali@gmail.com

@modern_women_bali

Om Swastyastu, dear!

Many women get stuck in this “where-did-all-the-goodmen-go” story no matter where they live. Here in Bali a lot of dating frustration can be boiled down to one thing: a mismatch of motivation. Generally speaking, women come to the island for personal growth in its many forms. And for some, cinta is on the brain. There’s no doubt Eat, Pray, Love has subconsciously instilled a

“Honestly I’m starting to question if Bali dating scene is for me. I expected to have lots of options for quality men here. But in reality, I’ve almost given up after 4 years of trying… is it only me?” - Anonymous

small hope in all of us that we’ll find our happy-ever-after as soon as we are “healed.” So indeed, women often flock to Bali seeking inner transformation with a prince charming cherry on top. And for men? Oomph…

Before continuing, let’s do a quick cleansing, shall we? Like the ferociously hairy ogoh-ogoh, some men on the island are quite literally possessed, giving into their demons as they make their helmet-less shirt-less way around the jalans. Repeat after Mama Bali: “Ogoh-ogoh, no mo.” Now continue on to the roast so you can release these demons from your subconscious.

Guys come to Bali for business (specifically the #digitalnomadlife), surf, maybe the gym, driving loud bikes, and swiping on Tinder to locate any female with a pulse to straddle the back (of the bike and well... put two and two together, ladies!). You can find them after their scuba dives at the beach bars, bintang in hand; holding up traffic while running shirtless; fostering pitiful Bali pups for the purpose of getting attention from hot chicks like YOU, minding your own sweet spiritual business, doing your evening self-love beach walk. You can find them in Atlas, drooling at you like the monkeys right before they steal the hand sanitizer from your bag (true story). Or at your kirtan circle, kumbaya-ing with their shirt unbuttoned three buttons too many, exposing a sacred geometry pendant buried amidst their massage-oiled chest hair. And you can definitely find them licking their lips while piercing your soul during a tantric eye gaze meditation. And if you ever hear the line, “I’m a coach of coaches,” RUN.

These are the men on the wild merry-go-round of, “Yippee! I can work anywhere and date anyone!”

“Yee-haw! I have the attention span of a macaque and I will most definitely leave you on read!”

“Yaa-whoo! If I wasn’t already fully committed to my [amateur] bodybuilding career/my [sure-tofail-without-ever-really-starting] startup, I’d totally commit to YOU!”

until… they wake up one random day, exhausted, and realize by themselves that there really is magic to stability versus constant novelty.

See, perpetual Peter Pans have a subtle sadness to them. And over time, this weariness grows until they run out of steam for the “ohso-many-choices-can’t-decide” lifestyle. Plus a realization may finally come that they are stuck in an illusion of a choice, essentially dating copies of the same giggling boundary-less woman, while more emotionally mature, impressively accomplished women avoid them like the plague that they are. Some Peter Pans do finally decide to banish their shadow and say, “Give me the truth. Give me clarity on my values and goals. Give me someone to really fall in love with. I want off this merry-go-round.”

Now, now, dears. Though elusive, these men do exist in Bali. And their prime motivation? Well, they’re in Bali for the slow life, and the freedom to pursue their passions outside the pressure of the Western “machine.”

So the next time you encounter a male specimen of interest, ask these questions and feel into his responses. Listen for any signs of weariness in his tone.

• What’s your experience of dating in Bali?

• What’s your experience dating around the world?

• What’s it been like? How does it feel to have infinite options? Is it actually difficult?

And though it’s so much fun to fantasize that you’ll be THE ONE they’ll settle down for… you probably aren’t, sayang. No amount of faith, trust, or pixie dust will get these Peter Pans to shut down their Neverland,

To check how the male specimen feels about stability, you can ask him these questions (remember, don’t ask in a judging way, but with sincere interest)...

• What are you working on?

• What do you want to achieve?

And since we are hitting the hard truths, acknowledge that you too may need to answer some serious questions. Are you living in a wounded bitter past? Do YOU know what you want? Do you know what you need? Are you chasing the wants before the needs? Are you able to hold strong, OgohOgoh-defying boundaries? Are you looking for a man to fulfill you or are you capable of making yourself happy?

“Sampai jumpa, until next time. Mama Bali’s out!”

As always for your head and heart problems I am joined by our resident psychologist Dr Anastasia Sitka. You can find her gentle power alpha mama wisdom on IG: @drsitka

ART ZONE

Voices Unleashed

WHERE EXPRESSION MEETS ENCOURAGEMENT

BY INGA MARIA PANTEN

A mix of nostalgia and gratitude takes me back to my very first night at Voices Unleashed in July 2020. Stage fright nearly gave me a heart attack on the drive from my house in Uluwatu to Canggu. The night before, I’d hardly slept. I was a bundle of nerves. When I arrived, I literally flew into the arms of the founders, who greeted me with warm smiles. Andrea, Roel and

Nicole had started these creative gatherings during the pandemic, ten weeks earlier.

They met coincidentally: A tall Italian with corkscrew curls, Andrea was sitting at a café, writing. Soon, a handsome Dutchman , Roel, came over and asked what he was doing. “I’m writing poetry,” replied Andrea. And that was the beginning of a love story. Eventually the handsome twosome became a threesome when a Kiwi beauty, Nicole, met the two during an online poetry event. Little did they know that when they joined forces, they would go on to create one of the most profound arts experiences in Bali, uniting a vibrant community of creatives, speakers, feelers and listeners who had been craving to connect.

For Andrea, “Voices Unleashed started from his need to share what he was creating and to challenge himself. Gradually, it became a community which encourages free expression.

There have been more than 74 open mics, music and dance performances, poetry slams and festivals since then. Musicians, poets, speakers, novelists, painters, comedians, dancers, magicians: more than 4000 people have graced the space with various kinds of expression. People of all ages and from all walks of life. All with two things in common: their humanity and their vulnerability.

It allows people to experiment, get out of their comfort zones or share what they believe is necessary to share.

Ultimately, inspiring more to do the same.

At Voices Unleashed, we meet and connect with artists, lovers, and creators from all walks of life. Everyone comes with something to offer, something to share. There have been live streams, events and art exhibitions all across the island and beyond.

Highlights include the Poetry Slam at the Hard Rock Café in Kuta in 2020 and Suara Festival in 2022 and 2023.

According to Roel, VU aims to encourage us to speak up, create, and show who we are underneath. “When you do, you’ll find the world is not so dark, and you’re not so alone after all,” he says. “Voices Unleashed, to me, is an idea that binds and frees simultaneously.”

An open mic on a Friday night is where it all began, a group of people gathering to share their hearts. Eyes and minds wide open. The lights dimmed to the color of honey. The floorboards, remnants of old ships, creaking. A single wooden stool upfront. No microphone, no masks, no filters, no walls. All stripped down. Human.

For Nicole, Voices Unleashed has been one of the most pivotal projects in her life, not only for herself, artistically, but also for the opportunity to cultivate, understand and nurture community. “To invite and witness people in their most vulnerable state, expressing freedom in creativity, is a rare and beautiful thing,” she says. “To allow people a place to belong without the need to fit in. Welcoming and accepting the artist in the human, and the human in the artist.” For Nicole, as well as myself and many others, Voices Unleashed has become home.

When it was my first turn to sit on the stool, I could hardly breathe. My heart was beating so loud, I thought everyone could hear it. My hand wouldn’t stop shaking as I read the poem in front of me. As if in a trance, my mouth kept moving and one word after the other made it across my lips. It felt as if my heart had been spat into the open, like a newborn, helpless, raw, and vulnerable. Witnessed for the very first time.

Afterward, I was so shaken, I could hardly sit still. There was an overwhelming feeling, as if shackles had been removed, and my heart had been freed to express itself fully. The air was different. My body felt different. I was different. More alive. More myself. With every night I show up and share a piece of my heart - with every perfectly imperfect poem (and a couple of songs) - my soul comes more into being.

Growing up, I was told I had no sense of rhythm, my voice was’“too loud” and that I was “not a musical child.” I pushed singing away for years - until I met an opera singer at VU and started jamming with a rock star that came through the community. I took singing lessons and am learning to play the ukulele. The more I choose to sing and free my voice, the more I experience an overwhelming sense of relief. As if a centuries-old knot, made of self-sabotage and dimming my light to accommodate others, has been untied.

Since I joined Voiced Unleashed, my journey with music has also come back to life.

Three years later, I feel more confident than ever as a writer and am proud to say that one of my biggest dreams has come true: With the help of my friends from VU, I signed a book deal with a publisher in March 2023.

They loved the idea of sharing my story: That of a German-raised writer and surfer who moved to Bali at age 24 to be with a lover; a pièce de résistance, the story of how love, creativity and the ocean humble, teach and empower us. We come together in vulnerability. We hold each other and lift each other up by sharing our feelings and experiences. Every time I witness an open mic night, I leave a bit lighter. More compassionate. With more understanding of the power of love and how it transcends all limits of perception.

Voices Unleashed is a vibrant community that is spreading across the globe. A place where we feel seen and understood. Free to bare our souls and share what is within. To understand that we are all wonderfully imperfect, human artworks in progress. A space where we come to honor our gifts and each other. Because life is short, and we need to take every chance we can get.

FROM THE AUTHOR

Love, expression, art and connection are the things that move me and inform my work as an author, poet and workshop facilitator for kids and adults. Surfing is poetry in motion and a spiritual practice where I gain meaningful insights. The Surf & Write Retreats I am hosting allow me to merge these interests and share my passion for creative expression and the ocean.

Website

Instagram

LinkedIn: Inga Maria Panten

TRENDING IN THE TROPICS

BY HELENE M AND ANASTASIA SILVER

For almost a year, the hot topic in Bali has been the skyrocketing rental prices. How much higher will they go? When will things settle down? Is it time to move on? Or maybe time to cut the losses?

Yes, we knew that with the borders reopening tourists would flood back into Bali looking to “eat, pray and love” even harder after two years of lockdowns and restrictions. We all expected prices to return to pre-covid levels and perhaps, a temporary spike until tourism levelled out and things returned to the pre-pandemic normal. But almost a year later and prices are still 3-4 times higher than before .This is the new Bali.1-bedroom properties that were listed between IDR 4-6million per month in 2019 are average at over 15 million per month. Luxury villas that cost 20 mil per month now cost over 50mil. And while it is a huge blessing for the Balinese to finally have the economy up and running again, longterm residents of Bali are are still struggling to adjust to this shocking change. Online housing forums and chat groups are full of people who can no longer find long-term housing at what they consider to be reasonable rates.

“We are now paying Miami and London prices to live in third world infrastructure.”

Maria from Germany tells us that she chose to live in Bali in 2017 because it was a beautiful island, full of culture and budget friendly; a place where her euro could stretch further and “no more financial stress”. She was happy to give up the modern conveniences and developments of her home country to live a more laid-back, rustic lifestyle in Bali at a pocket-friendly price. And during the pandemic when all the tourists vanished and the economy of Bali almost crashed, Maria and others like her stayed put keeping landlords afloat, restaurants and businesses open. Expats like Maria proved to be the bedrock of the economy. But now, finding themselves priced out of their homes, they are starting to ask questions.

Is it worth paying more to live in an increasingly congested, polluted, noisy town with views of construction sites replacing rice fields? Is it worth being stuck in traffic fumes for hours on village roads to reach trash-filled beaches that can no longer handle the growing population?

Is the Bali Dream over? Is it time to move on to destinations that are offering similar lifestyles at more competitive prices?

Marc Yannick Ceyton is adamant that the Bali dream is well and truly alive: “All you have to do is move a few miles away from Canggu and other hot spots that make up a very small part of Bali.” The island is full of beautiful landscapes — jungles, mountains, beaches and villages steeped in authentic, rich culture. Paradise is still here for the people who can afford it, or who don’t mind living an ultra-simple life. People who want to be in more fashionable, cosmopolitan, chic areas close to trendy restaurants, spas and clubs will continue to pay more and outprice the previous inhabitants. These are the normal capitalist market forces of growth, gentrification and globalization mirroring what happened and is happening across the world.

Local government seems to be very pleased with these normal capitalist forces.

Bali’s policy makers recently announced that they want to discourage budget travellers and instead rebrand Bali as an exclusive destination for upscale tourists and investors. Meaning that if you find yourself outpriced — too bad, we have other plans.

And plans they have! Some mind-boggling projects are propping up, such as the futuristic Russian-backed Nuanu city occupying 44 hectares of land. Infrastructure projects to support these developments are on the way. There is talk of projects like Gilimanuk-Mengwi Toll Road, which is currently under development by the government and will help to ease congestion around Mengwi while also allowing the development of tourism in the poorer villages along the road. There is also heavy investment in Nusa Dua and other tourist areas to support the booming resort towns coming up there,

surely benefiting not only to the investors and real estate sector, but also to the local community of land owners and workers.

Indeed, a lot of local Balinese are upbeat about the growth. According to Sari, a lawyer from Malekat Hukum Legal Services, the development has helped local communities, created more wealth, employment opportunities and empowered previously impoverished villages. In her particular case, she grew up in Dalung near Canggu and when the land prices went up, her family became quite prosperous and were able to send her to the UK for a firstrate education. She counts her blessings for that opportunity.

Not all of the local community is equally gleeful. Like everything else, the growth comes with pros and cons. “It is the nature of duality in all things,” Sari explains in philosophical tones. Mistakes and miscalculations happen, such as families selling their ancestral land for money that runs out within a decade, leaving the new generation with nothing. It has been a common issue since the 90s in Kuta and Seminyak. This problem of selling freehold titles (instead of the less permanent leasehold titles) to non-Balinese Indonesians and foreign-owned companies still remains an issue. Seems that investment and long-term wealth management is too new of a concept for a lot of locals to grasp. And it’s not just the future generations with hypothetical future problems.

Dayu told us that she moved from Lovina to Canggu to work in a restaurant but prices in the area were too high for her so she had to find a room in Tabanan (approximately 40 minutes away).

Locals working in the new trendy areas find it increasingly unaffordable, just like the expats.

There are concerns that the current rate of growth is destroying Bali’s nature and culture — precisely what makes the island so attractive in the first place.

Conservation International Indonesia warns about serious issues already in full bloom, such as diminishing water reserves, disturbance of the marine and wildlife, and, of course, the waste pollution. It comes as no surprise that some choose to act in protection of their heritage and not give way to the ‘normal’ forces of capitalism. 10 years ago, Bali saw local communities coming together in protests to eventually block an ambitious development plan consisting of 12 artificial islands with a golf course, theme park, and a Formula One race course. The triumph was, however, shortlived. During the months of COVID-pandemic a discreet move was made allowing sand mining as well as extension of the harbour and the airport. Money does seem to speak.

It remains to be seen how Bali will handle the current wave of the world’s fascination with the island. Will the prices hold or are we in a bubble that will soon burst? Will the infrastructure projects hold? Will the investors and their money feel safe amidst the corruption concerns? Will the pollution and the water shortages and the traffic congestion be adequately addressed? Will the people keep coming? At this point we are left with more questions than answers. Excited and uncertain, we watch.

Of one thing we are sure — life in Bali has changed irreversibly with mixed fortunes for everyone.

What’s driving the current sky-high rental prices in Bali?

SHIFTING DEMOGRAPHIC OF THE PEOPLE SETTLING LONG TERM IN BALI.

INCREASED TOURISM.

This is the least surprising cause and probably the most predictable. The return of tourism took many properties off the long term rental market as it has become more lucrative to rent out rooms and villas at high nightly rates than at the lower monthly prices. After a couple of years of low to no income, landlords prefer to take advantage of the current influx of tourism and to recover for lost income by renting out short term rather than opting for the more secure but lower income of monthly rentals. Some entrepreneurial foreigners who also want a piece of the action are known to sublet their long term properties for astronomical monthly rates.

Covid transformed the global workplace creating more remote workers, digital nomads and entrepreneurs. Marc Yannick Ceyton, a property developer in Bali, explained how Bali is attracting more high-income people from Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, UK, US etc who want to live here and work remotely. This demographic is willing to pay top dollar for quality housing and a piece of paradise. It’s no longer just the backpacker who is trying to live in Bali on a shoe string budget that has access to this nomadic lifestyle or the retiree stretching their monthly pension as far as possible. Sari added that many Indonesians from Jakarta bought large amounts of land in Bali during covid due to fear of possible insecurity in Java at the time — to either have a second home or for land banking (holding their money in the form of land). This has transformed Bali from a relaxing tourist getaway into a commercial hub.

PUTIN’S WAR.

The influx of 130 -150,000 Russians and Ukrainians into Bali over the last year fleeing military conscription and war has obviously put a strain on the property market and pushed up demand for long term housing options.

GLOBAL TRENDS.

Many cities around the world saw a rise in rental prices post-covid. A combination of inflation, increasing construction costs, increased migration since global borders re-openings sent rent prices up in Australia, Europe and US in what has been described as a global housing crisis by many news sources from Reuters to the Wall Street Journal. Indonesia has not been immune to these global

economic pressures. However, the last quarter has seen rental increases start to decline and house prices fall, especially in the US. Leading analysts like Goldman Sachs to predict corrections and downturns in the global property market later in 2023.

FROM THE AUTHOR HELENE

M

I am an anthropologist and writer - passionate about culture, arts, nature and holistic health. I have lived in Bali for over 3 years being a breathworker, permaculture instructor and making natural, herbal products.

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LOVE ISLAND

Bali Datingsurviving a Bumble date.

BY CAROLE THE STORYTELLER

I’m on Bumble! Welcome to the place where all the rejects gather to find love, trying to avoid or resolve their past relationship traumas and challenges. That’s probably why so many men make it clear that they don’t want DRAMA.

Now, gentlemen, let me remind you that the best art, inventions or innovations are created following the unfolding of some kind of DRAMA; that the mortar that binds us to each other, despite and beyond all the differences that divide us, is the one we fashion when we face and overcome DRAMA... to - ge - ther. A life of purpose and meaning is dramatic by definition. Erase drama and you attract boredom, which is not a word I want in my vocabulary.

I am prepared mentally. I have spent the last hour visualising the best yet planning for the worst and I am not disappointed!!!

All my hopes are being crushed, as every profile in my feed turns out to be a caricature of what I fear the most. I am under no illusion that due to my age my pool is incredibly limited. I am in Bali, sandwiched between the wannabe Schwarzeneggers of Canggu and the wanna-be Dalai Lamas of Ubud. I’m looking for the ham in the middle but since everyone has turned vegetarian, I am doomed!

The first guy I come across is holding a pint of beer, a real mark of sophistication. Obviously, look at me... that’s not going to work. His only redeeming feature is that he smokes, which means that he will die much earlier than I will, and that gives me a tangible chance to inherit his money. Yippee!

The second guy has one parrot perched on each of his shoulders. The third opted for a monkey. How exotic! Yes, I am not making this shit up, everyone. And then, I get all the cat or puppy lovers. I am French. I only love animals in two places: on my plate and in the wild, so it’s a firm NON for me.

Then we have the guys, whose tummy circumference has increased in alignment with their age. Even I could not aspire to reach that kind of size if I fell pregnant. I am into climbing but when it comes to sex, I like to see what lurks on my horizon!

I am about to give up... when I see the picture of a black man wearing snow goggles. Where I come from, you can count on the fingers of one hand the number of black men on the slopes. So, I think: “Whoah, what a daring guy!”. I read his profile and I FREEZE. It says: NO DRAMA.

I should swipe left but I am writing a book about compassion, so I tell myself that this is a great opportunity for invaluable field research. I want to exist inside of love and outside of judgment. Let’s be honest, I am

Next comes the string of men who use fancy words or abbreviations that I need to google. One tells me that he is demi-sexual. Demi of what? Does he have half a willy or one out of two balls?

desperate. My finger is in a trance and I swipe right.

Mistake!

We are at my favourite Italian, by the beach. I have just completed a one-week detox that included –not one – but 3 colonics, and I am gagging for a pizza.

I ask him why he loves to ski. Any normal human being would tell me that it makes him feel free but non, non, non.... that would have been too good. The universe is out to get me! This man goes on the slopes because he loves getting drunk at the apres-ski.

Now I have serious ground to worry BUT I am on a mission to connect! So, I ask him about the young girl I saw on his profile. She’s super cute. That’s his daughter. He’s separated but he drives 300 miles to see her every week. That’s commendable. My hopes are back up!

I ask one simple question: “How does she make you feel?”

Well, I was in for a treat! He tells me that she frustrates him and that if she had not been born, he would be travelling the world, living the life of his dreams.

Now, I have manners: I do not remind him that it is the private jet he has between his legs that aimed for the wrong destination and that it is his own emissions that should be the object of his frustrations.

Instead, I ask: “What is the problem, exactly?”

I am open-minded. He answers: “She loses concentration when she reads.”

Interested, I ask him: “How old is she?” and I am so taken aback by his answer that the piece of pizza I am eating gets stuck in my throat.

I can’t breathe. I start to make funny faces, I hit my chest with my hand. I look like a gorilla in the jungle.

He says, with no intention of moving: “Would you like a glass of water?” No, what I want is for you to take your ass off your chair to do the Heimlich Manoeuvre on me. But obviously I can’t talk.

So, I run to the kitchen, hoping that a waiter will help me. A young Made looks at me and repeats exactly the same question. This time, she puts ‘ibu’ at the end. Thank you for your attention to detail but that’s not going to save me!

So I refocus. I am an ex-girls’ guide. Instead of trying to swallow, I manage to eject the piece of pizza out of my throat. It flies into my hand and thoughtfully I put it in a cup, give it to the waiter and go back to my seat, to finish my dinner and the date, politely.

Now, it is not lost on me that I took my field research to another level by unconsciously creating a situation that tested the veracity of his statement: drama is really not this guy’s cup of tea! I have to give him credit: his profile was not lying!

I am 52, I’ve travelled to 70 countries. I am intelligent, resourceful and solvent, but it is not until the next morning that I fully realised that instead of taking the time to process and to react in alignment with the woman I wish to BE, I did what my parents raised me to DO: I ignored my needs and boundaries; I did not realise that my compassion was

aimed at him, rather than towards myself; I blindly forgot to acknowledge that I saved my own life.

These are mistakes women often make. If I choke, it is because his daughter is five.

“You know, I am a teacher and I really think you should give a childhood to your daughter,” I told him. At least that evening I managed to stand up for her, even though I failed to stand up for myself.

FROM THE AUTHOR

I did not know I could write until Covid gave me the space to reinvent myself at 50. Today, I am writing the first of a four-book series: a poetic bed time story for adults who seek to love unconditionally. People hire me to curate poems as gifts for birthdays, weddings or anniversaries. I host a Story Healing Club and am also a Vision Whisperer.

By that time, I am thinking: “I can’t breathe but I cannot die here. The guy is an English Accountant – that’s depressing enough under normal circumstances. I want my death to be more exciting and I want to finish my pizza and my glass of bubbly!”

Searching for a Quick-Fix Healing

BY SAOIRSE RAFFERTY

On the plane over to Bali, I’m ashamed to admit I watched Eat, Pray, Love, indulging in the fantasy of my single unemployed life transforming into Elizabeth Gilbert’s story. So, almost as soon as I hopped off the plane, I headed to Ubud and made an appointment with a rather expensive but highly rated palm reader (no, it was not Ketut from the movie).

Random man sorting out my present problems and promising a bright future? Check. My first Bali spiritual quest started on the back of a GoJek in heavy traffic and ended in a beautiful quiet home decorated with colourful sarongs.

Afraid to let go of control and hand over my future to a stranger I’d met via TripAdvisor. What if he told me wonderful things about my life? What if he didn’t. What if he saw all of the heartache from the last few years? What if he didn’t. I remained sceptical like a closed book wanting to be read. I was testing a man who didn’t seem phased by my existence. I was just a four o’clock in his busy list of clients.

And then he appeared, resembling a mythical creature dressed brighter than his home. He signalled for me to follow him as if I’d been there before. The healer gifted me with everything I wanted to hear and more: especially a good husband who I’d meet two years later. Mum will be thrilled. But why couldn’t I believe it? I hated myself for not gullibly digesting every word. After he finished analyzing my personality and told me to stop thinking so much (which caused me to think more - does he say this to all Westerners?), we proceeded to the healing rituals.

The first step to ‘finding yourself’ is ‘facing yourself’, I thought while waiting by a fountain in the lobby, chewing on a sweet offered by the healer’s wife. I was scared.

By then I’d been in his home for over an hour, and as he pressed different parts of my body, silently chanting some sort of spells, I resisted the urge to use the bathroom with deep breaths, not wanting to ruin the magic of the ceremony. But after listening to him command ‘release and let go’ several times, I almost did, and the healing concluded with me urgently running to the loo.

The healer gave me a printed copy of affirmations to repeat morning and night. At last, a neatly printed cure for my overactive mind to keep me busy till the husband arrives. But after a week, this felt like daily penance. Alongside my 30kg suitcase, I had a heap of extra personal baggage before visiting this healer, yet somehow the load felt heavier when I left. I realised I’d have to take daily action rather than expecting a quick fix or waiting for an imaginary partner to save me. Turns out, reciting generalized affirmations twenty times a day wasn’t for me. Recognising that, was one step closer to trusting myself instead of relying on healers.

...when I serendipitously made a new friend. I felt drawn to sit beside her during a breathwork class. She recommended an underrated healer who worked at the back of a supermarket. Nothing luxurious. Nothing expensive. But she claimed he restored the energy, though the process was the most pain she’d ever endured. Let’s give Balinese healing another chance, something in me urged on. And so two days later, I approached a plain building that I would’ve missed if it weren’t for the man waiting by the entrance with a smile on his face. This can’t be it. No sign or display — just packets of pringles and cans of coke. The man assured me I was in the right place before I had a chance to ask. I followed him behind the till to a quiet room decorated with family pictures. Everything felt… just so normal. Where’s my incense smoke? Where are the mysterious altars?

“What can I do for you?” he asked, and suddenly I broke down crying to a stranger who spoke little English. He placed both hands on my shoulders and I felt as if I’d known him my entire life. He rested his forehead against mine, then said a few sentences and I believed every word. After that, he squeezed and twisted different parts of my body. Something inside me released (this time it wasn’t my bladder). Since that day, I have been able to breathe easier. This time it didn’t break my bank account either, though it felt my bones were breaking at the time.

I was close to concluding that Bali healing is not worth the hype or the money. Until one day...

I have considered venturing to more healers and even contemplated returning to the supermarket for a dose of spiritual BDSM. But at what point do we stop visiting strangers and start trusting in ourselves? Stop depending on oracle cards and listen to our intuition?

I’ll keep branching out further in hope of getting closer to discovering who I am and what I can do, which is why I came to Bali to start with. Then who knows, maybe the palm reading will come true after all.

FROM THE AUTHOR

First of all, my name is pronounced ‘Seer-sha’ (I’m Irish if you hadn’t already guessed). I like to talk about the messiness of being human and why it’s okay to be a beginner. I am a travel enthusiast, writer, podcaster, book-lover, dog lover, cat lover, and, as of lately, risktaker. I have just finished my first novel and am working on the second.

Check out

www.agoodkindofscary.com or follow @agoodkindofscary on Instagram.

Take what you want from my experience. I am not fully ‘healed’ and unconvinced I ever will be.

BULLSHITOMETER

or Hustler Healer

HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE

BY IBU KAT

Once upon a time there were very few foreigners in Bali. The local people sought out balians, or local healers/ shamans, to cure their illnesses, contact their ancestors, clear black magic and address other spiritual housekeeping matters. There were (and are) thousands of balians; some good, some ordinary, some who work on the dark side. People would pay what they could, often just a few rupiah folded into an offering.

A handful of these balians who were gifted healers began to be known to the foreign community. Over time visitors would make pilgrimages to see them, with interpreters because English was rarely spoken. The standard fee for a foreigner to see the famous Cokorda Rai was Rp 200,000, which was a lot of money at that time.

Combining Bali’s undeniable ambient energies with the anxieties of Westerners and their willingness to pay for a quick fix created a lucrative and unregulated ‘healing’ industry. Balinese and foreign practitioners began to sell their services to the increasing number of tourists flocking to Bali.

The menu is diverse and esoteric. The exchange is for hard currency. Some of these practitioners are authentic. Some are predators. No industry can exist without a market to support it. The healing industry in Bali exists because of the assumption that there’s a short cut to fix anxiety, depression and other imbalances. Surely someone can make it go away, at a price and preferably before Tuesday. There’s a tendency to view Bali as a Disneyland where everything is beautiful and nothing bad can happen. Sadly, this is not so.

An insidious shift toward the commodification of healing began.

Many of these seekers are vulnerable and naive young women who are easy prey for the men (rarely women) who claim to be healers. Again, some of these guys are authentic and helpful. Others are eager to get into their clients’ souls, wallets and/or underwear. I personally know foreign women who have been sexually abused, emotionally manipulated and separated from large sums of money by so-called ‘healers’ who talk the talk and look the part. Some of these ‘healers’ were foreigners and some were Balinese.

So we have a product and we have a market. Shop wisely.

Learning to listen to and trust this inner wisdom can spare us a lot of grief. It’s very important to develop firm boundaries and learn to say NO. That can mean overriding our conditioning, our training to be nice and to please others. If a situation feels uncomfortable, get up and walk away. Even if the ‘healer’ tells you that discomfort is part of the process, walk away if it does not align with what you know to be your truth. Be alert to attempts to control you, demands for money or suggestions that you leave the group for a oneon-one session unless that feels very comfortable. Don’t do the polite thing. Honour that little red flag. You don’t owe anyone an explanation or excuse. Just walk. And never let anyone judge you.

Most of us were raised to respect our conscious, judging, rational minds and mistrust our intuition. But our intuition, our gut feelings, are the remnants of our ancient survival instincts.

How to avoid these predators in the first place? Personal, first-hand referrals are usually a good indicator. Check online reviews. Find a close-up picture of the face and look into it deeply. Whether your experience was positive or negative, always leave a review.

At the end of the day, there is no magic bullet. Yes, we’ve been harmed, traumatized and wounded. But there are no Healers except ourselves. The best practitioners will hold space for you, share their skills and compassion without ego and support you to do your work. This can be scary and uncomfortable. You have to do that work yourself, no one can do it for you. There are no short cuts. But when you choose this path and walk it with a safe and caring helper, you can indeed find and keep your joy and balance in this increasingly chaotic world.

LAUGHING MATTERS

Me Tarzan, You Jane

BY IBU SKIT

Could living in Bali be making you dumber? I wonder if there’s a correlation between the gains we make through travel and cultural exposure when they’re juxtaposed by the need to simplify language to be understood.

Can living in a tropical paradise take a bite out of your IQ?

We’re told most of our problems begin in the mind. So, maybe embracing a simpler life at the risk of becoming intellectually flabby isn’t such a bad thing. Perhaps part of Bali’s allure is the opportunity to move away from the complications of analytical thought, a way to get out of your head and into your heart.

If that’s true, a migration from cerebral-centricity should, theoretically, feel like an evolution. Personal growth. Maybe the goal in being human is to be more sensually connected to life. There’s an old adage, ‘ignorance is bliss’.

Does that mean a loss of intellect is necessary for happiness? And how does a facility with language, necessary for thinking, fit into that belief?

Language is one of those skills that follows the ‘use it or lose it’ rule. If your only fluent language is English you might be screwed. Now that the world has adopted English, speaking your native tongue like a reductive lingua franca can feel like you’re spent your life studying the Kamasutra only to end up perennially celibate.

The other day at the gym, the Canadian class instructor waved us into a studio like she was herding ducks clad in colourful spandex. “Weights,” she said with a smile. “You bring now, yes. We start.” When I turned around, I realized I was the only person left in the room. She was actually talking to me in this remedial English. She knows I’m Anglo Canadian too.

Lacking in opportunities for challenging conversation, one solution to keep thinking alive is to write. Writing keeps the mind taut and flexible. It may be the only elasticity over which we have any control. Without some kind of exercise in this environment, the mind could lose its ability for critical thinking the way bras and bathing suits in Bali give up on trying to support boobs and balls.

Just let it go, Ubud Enlightened Man tells us. Writing as a tool to nourish thinking is just the Ego talking, he says. This is the same man who firmly believes that since he quit being so ego-centric, he’s perfect.

If writing formalizes thought, and thinking requires language, what is the correlation between vocabulary and our depth of thoughts? And just how much closer are all English speakers to adopting a ‘Me Tarzan, you Jane’ diction by default?

A friend I haven’t seen in years tells me she’s in Bali. I’m delighted to read that she’s kept up her English after such a long time back in her native Japan. We meet at her favourite haunt. “How did you do it?” I ask, sipping a margarita. She shows me her phone.

“Just try it,” she taunts. Reluctantly, I ask the language AI, chatgpt, “What is the value of writing?” It replies, “… writing can be an effective way to improve our critical thinking and analytical skills, as well as learn how to convey complex ideas effectively.” Hmmm. I’m intrigued.

I ask several more questions. Then, slipping out the format, I type, “mastery of language is relative to depth of thinking and ideas”. The AI writes, “as well as the ability to express and communicate those ideas effectively.”

Every previous response began with, “As an AI language model, I do not have [opinions; biases; beliefs…]” But not this one.

Had mercury in retrograde caused a glitch? Or had this program, following a few, ‘getting to know you’ questions penetrated my process of thinking? It felt like the AI and I were an old married couple that finishes each other’s sentences.

How the simplification of English could potentially change the way we, particularly native speakers, think is a question I’ve been asking myself and the writers I know here.

“The simplification of English may lead to a reduction in critical thinking skills, inhibiting the ability to articulate complex ideas comprehensively and effectively.”

Oh. And this is only part of chatgpt’s multi-tiered answer, outlining the pros and cons of easy, concise communication against potential cognitive impairment. This AI distilled my thoughts, and two weeks of engaging conversations with other writers, in mere seconds.

“Me no likey,” I grimace, handing back her phone.

My friend smiles widely, and orders me another drink.

Being concerned about losing our faculty of thinking due to language decline just made me feel a little dumber.

KEEP YOUR WITS ABOUT YOU

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Join us for fun intelligent evenings. And no, you don’t HAVE to drink wine.

Join here

Stay sharp!

THE ESSENTIALS

Useful Bali WhatsApp groups to follow

AND HOW NOT TO DROWN IN THEM

BY ANASTASIA SILVER

If you spend more than 5 minutes in Bali, you’ll quickly realise that the secret to surviving here is tapping into the power of networks. A seemingly simple task of locating what you need when you need it is quite a quest in Bali. Information hides like a mischievous monkey, leaving Google scratching its digital head in sheer helplessness. To find products, services, events, support, anything - you will need to ask another human (sorry Ai). This is where the damned social media actually comes in handy. There are dozens of Facebook, WhatsApp and telegram groups that will point you in the right direction whether you are looking for a tailor, a morning-after pill or some legal advice on your investment.

We asked our community which WhatsApp groups they are following. Here are some of the favourites:

For Events

UBUD FAMILY 2023

Network*: 250ppl

For whom: men + women

What they say: ‘Here, we ask questions, and share advice + feedback as well as invitations to local events + gatherings. Enjoying ourselves with an attitude; we are a family in Spirit.

What we saw: 99% of the group is people promoting their events and services

To join: https://chat.whatsapp. com/GB6xjl6WZB7HjxAj4Fbb70

ULUWATU EVENTS

COMMUNITY

Network: 670ppl

For whom: men + women

What they say: ‘Uluwatu Community and Events focus. 1 post regarding specific events every third day.’

What we saw: The group pretty much delivers what it promisesannouncements about events in Uluwatu. However, expect plenty of posts about events in other Bali locations.

To join: https://chat.whatsapp. com/GWqONOwBlufIOB7L3OeJTx

SHAMBALAH EVENTS

Network: 670ppl

For whom: men + women

What they say: Salam Everyone. This is a Group for the activities held by “ShambAllah” Community and events which serves the same Values in Ubud mainly. Pm me to feature your event on the group.

What we saw: admin-posts only. Expect 4-5 posts a week summarising events for the upcoming day (typically around 3-5 events per post). Occasional promos of unrelated events appear. Great for first timers in Bali, but those who have been around for a while are unlikely to find anything new here

To join: https://chat.

whatsapp.com/

HVMO2Jj6mpCGBrJzinNJCd

CANGGU COMMUNITY

2023

Network: 313 ppl

For whom: men + women

What they say: Please share events and discussion relevant in Canggu. Please have minimum ads on selling products (unless the product you have will greatly benefit the entire community as a whole). Let’s build a community of kindness and sharing in Canggu.

What we saw: The group is mostly people promoting their services and events, however occasional genuine conversations do appear (like lost and found, and ‘looking for…’ posts). Since the group is not moderated, there’s a lot of aggressive repeat marketing.

To join: https://chat.

whatsapp.com/

KYv9VnTSqsJBZZEeM036Lgg

For Work

WOMEN IN BIZ

Network: 120 ppl

For whom: women only

What they say: It is our mission to inspire and practically support female business owners and freelancers living in Bali. This is a place for discovering each other’s talents, knowledge, experience, expertise and wisdom and leveraging them in the community. What we saw: Well moderated with zero spam, though the group is not very active. There are occasional messages from people looking to hire or offering their services, as well as occasional resource and advice exchange.

To join: https://chat.whatsapp.com/ D2oJXe9jNwf2RU3v5jCQ61

BABES CREATIVE CREW

Network: 118 ppl

For whom: women only

What they say: For the Creative Babes who live and work in Bali. This is a safe gathering place for Photographers, Filmmakers, Producers, Creative Directors, Stylists, HMU artists, Brands, Models, Designers, Colorists, Retouchers, and those who often work with creatives. Be kind and respectful. We welcome project proposals, collaborations, meetups, posts for hiring, work to promote, and requests for support.

What we saw: Well moderated with a very involved admin who tries to answer all messages. We like what we see!

To join: https://chat.whatsapp.com/ JnLdNZgDFWx5hpIs1lCaTQ

BALI CREA8IVES

Network: 340ppl

For whom: men + women

What they say: Welcome to ThriveIN Bali. These groups are meant to support each other here in Bali whether we stay here long-term or are just passing by. Please be respectful and reduce the spam. DM people directly. Keep it relevant.

What we saw: Pretty sweet community, but annoying random ads and promos do appear regularly. The community sometimes gets pissed off and take matters into their own hands, attempting non-admin regulation of ‘offenders’. Plenty of genuine conversations about creative work: people looking for work, people hiring, advice exchange etc.

To join: https://chat.whatsapp. com/EJJvfHFh6mfAhU00x57XXr

WOMEN WHO WRITE

Network: 140/80/90 ppl

For whom: women only

What they say: A space for women writers to grow, receive support, inspiration, feedback and practice. May the WORDS be with us all. Weekly free meetings. Strictly no promos or advertising.

What we saw: Amazing group for women who like to write or read. Very tightly moderated with zero ads and off topic discussions. Discussions are centered around weekly meet ups, tools for writers, feedback and publishing and other visibility opportunity for writers.

To join:

Women Who Write Canggu: https://chat.whatsapp.com/ FtQ7DTx4FqCEkTRE4dFZ15

Women who Write Ubud: https://chat.whatsapp.com/ ById3LB5RcaI2d6LyvT17F

Women Who Write online: https://chat.whatsapp.com/ FS701D2wbVUGR01KaxQeQx

Bali for Parents

BALI ALL MUMS

Network: 418 ppl

For whom: Women only

What they say: You’re a new Mom, seasoned Momma or a Mommy to be based in Bali and in need of community, support and / or information- then you’re in the right space.

What we saw: Mostly posts on items for sale and ‘looking for’ requests. Good amount of ad, promotions, dog and cat posts. High-volume group with roughly 60 posts per day. Admin’s presence is palpable, working on making things better.

To join: https://chat.whatsapp. com/KrJmN1f2xne2d3Eoqf2ekm

FOR DADS

Network: 44 ppl

For whom: Men only

What they say: Bali DADS DOJO is a FREE peer-to-peer SUPPORT COMMUNITY for Dads and Soon-tobe-dads here in Bali!

What we saw: Well, we girls aren’t allowed to peek in. But we hear it’s a lovely supportive group that offers real support for emotional issues as well as help with practicalities and mundanities of parenthood.

To join: https://chat.whatsapp. com/LoM2CejybN1H4OaSPtAAxU

MAMAS-TO-BE COMMUNITY

Network: 20/17 ppl

For whom: Women only

What they say: Small supportive group for pregnant women who want to go on the mama journey together. Please join only if you want to meet, find other mama friends, support and be supported. What we saw: warm and genuinely supportive groups for currently pregnant mamas. Strictly no ads or promos. Regular meet ups. The group is kept small so that friendships can develop.

To join:

Ubud pregnant mamas: https://chat. whatsapp.com/Dvk5lptFpBXIhf711mwHgq

Canggu pregnant mamas: https://chat. whatsapp.com/FDLatvcDv3F280QfuRdfbz

UBUD PARENTS

Network: 200ppl

For whom: Women + men

What they say: This group is created for Ubud parents with kids. Any range of age, nationality, status. Our objectives are to arrange gatherings/playdates together, promote activities, camps, courses for kids or families, share information on products and services related to kids and families.

What we saw: A mixture of events and genuine questions. Some pretty useful info circulates sometimes, like playgrounds, regulations and kids classes and groups.

To join: https://chat.whatsapp. com/KbPCZQZgwBgLe6ADYuC1Ev

Shopping

BALI KIDS SECOND HAND MARKET

Network: 60ppl

For whom: Women + men

What they say: Hey Parents, Kids grow fast. So let’s reuse as much as possible. This is a second-hand market place for baby / kids / pregnancy gear.

What we saw: This is a new group created by the Bali Mums group, only about a couple of weeks old at the time of writing this article. We expect it to grow exponentially, as yes kids grow out of things at some ungodly rate.

To join: https://chat.whatsapp. com/DP79BAfzJ0f2wH4AXYqbg6

BALI THRIFT WEARABLES (SELL-BUY)

Network: 750ppl

For whom: Women + men

What they say: A group specializing in selling-buying preloved wearables (clothes, accessories, shoes). Join our Weekly Yard Sale every Sunday. If you have things to let go of and no time to sell, we connect you to our offline market in Pengosekan, Ubud every Sunday. For more info DM admin.

What we saw: Super high volume group (100 messages per day) that delivers perfectly. Our favorite online ‘shop’ for preloved clothes in Bali.

To join: https://chat.whatsapp. com/LnpLQ7DSdvnH7kDfsMLw0C

General

MODERN WOMEN BALI

Network: 220 ppl

For whom: Women only

What they say: Ask away. What’s on your mind. What are you looking for? Let yourself be supported, and maybe support others. NO promos or advertising. Please share your promos, advertising, events, offerings, products to sell and all other commercial and charitable promotions on Modern Women

Discord: https://discord.gg/xZ95j98b

What we saw: A group that used to be active with 30 meet ups a month in Canggu, Ubud and Uluwatu, but recently dwindled to more of a practical exchange of ‘looking for’. Waiting to see if more of an active vibe will re-appear. Still, we like it as it’s strictly moderated and members are mostly long-termers so even the ‘looking for’ questions are pretty interesting.

To join: https://chat.whatsapp. com/J7NOx4bVuFqJ1OIkEoSp9x

ION THE COMMUNITY

Network: 394 ppl

For whom: Women + men

What they say: a list of links to other groups in the community

What we saw: 99% events, but actually pretty good ones. We are regularly spotting events here that do not appear in other groups.

To join: https://chat.whatsapp. com/DGLuf3ogsQ8BgH3PsVnbo3

BALI LONG TERMERS

Network: 552ppl

For whom: Women + men

What they say: This group is for expats & nomads living in Bali long term (3 months or more)

What we saw: One of our favorite communities with advice sought and given. Lots of interesting discussions with opinions on Bali – occasionally gets aggressive though. The vibe is vaguely reminiscent of the trolling-prone Canggu Community fb group. Promos and ads do appear.

To join: https://chat.whatsapp. com/LBKkQJK2lZv4Veap1QWcjR

BALI CREW LONG TERM

Network: 210 ppl

For whom: Women + men

What they say: Welcome to the Bali Crew group.This is a social and support group for expats living long term in Bali. Join us for our various meetups and meet the crew.

What we saw: Events, events and more events.

To join: https://chat.whatsapp. com/JzBpo5fAJKTBPXLmghnYeN

EATING DISORDERS SUPPORT

Network: 20 ppl

For whom: Women + men

What they say: Support group for people of any gender who is / has been struggling with disordered eating.

• Full confidentiality (regarding the WhatsApp group and the meetings, who is there and what we talk about)

• No talks about weight loss goals, body looks, no diet tips. Please don’t share details about the behaviour itself (explicit descriptions of the food and/or purging) to avoid triggering anyone.

What we saw: The plus of this group is that it’s moderated by 2 trained therapists. There used to be weekly meet ups, but with both therapists away from Bali (at the time of writing this article), the group is largely dormant. Occasional questions and discussions do pop up. Hopefully the group will revive again to its former action. To join: https://chat.whatsapp. com/FHr4fQVaKRJ0065anv3Omp

RUSSIAN-SPEAKING GROUPS

Network: 55 268 ppl

For whom: Women + men

What they say: БалиФорумкрупнейшее комьюнити на Бали! За 10 лет БалиФорум накопил

массу сверхценных статей и

советов.

What we saw: Super active group on Telegram in Russian with over 20 offshoot groups (such as business, art, books, food, dating, news etc). The group boasts a well-educated chat bot and a ‘rewards-andpenalty’ system to moderate the chat. 100+ messages per day. Pretty damn impressive.

To join: https://t.me/balichat

*Network size is given at the time of writing the article (June 2023).

Are you a leader or a member of a group you think our readers will enjoy?

Are you getting overwhelmed with groups?

Here are a few tips on how to make the most out of them without compromising your mental and emotional well-being.

Pick wisely. If you are looking for a community, connection with people, in-person meet ups, go for groups with a smaller number of people (below 100). These tend to be well moderated and nurturing. Unfortunately, very few groups are properly moderated. Most groups say that they are about support and community. However, in reality, the majority end up being a dump for promos and events(which is not necessarily a bad thing if you are into that kind of thing)..

You are in control. You have control that goes beyond choosing to be in or out of the groups. You can regulate how you interact with the groups.

OPTION 1:

Put the group on mute. You don’t get notifications every time someone posts. Good option if you still want to be somewhat aware of the group’s activity, but don’t want the pesky notifications. The group will still appear at the top of your list every time there is a new post.

OPTION 2:

Put the group in archive.

If you don’t want the groups to pollute your main feed, you can opt for archiving the group. This is called ‘accessible disappearance’ – meaning that you will still be a member of the group and you can access the group any time, but the thread will not appear in your main feed. To access an archive group, simply click on ‘Archived’ at the top of your feed, and viola –all chats there.

Work with your anxieties

or exit. Remember that social media is supposed to be a tool, not a burden. If you are noticing that it’s affecting your mood, your ability to concentrate, your spendings, your relationships, self-esteem or any aspects of your life in a negative way – you can choose to work with the trigger or simply exit. If you feel pressured to reply to every notification, if you obsessively check someone’s online status, if you feel jealous after reading posts or insecure about not being included as much as you want –these are all signals to you that you are not on top of your mental and emotional health. Exiting is a legitimate strategy, exiting is good. But remember that sooner or later you may want to address what’s underneath. Psychologists observe that many of us often abuse the option of ‘exit’ and ‘block’ as a way of shifting responsibility for our own impaired boundarysetting, insecurities and poor communication skills.

ALL SOUL EVERYTHING

Where: Kafé, Ubud

When: 6:00pm

1st Saturday of every month.

Cost: Free entry

An open mic event. From spoken word to poetry, storytelling, comedy, philosophy, singing and rapping (acapella only), and more - this is the place to share what’s in your heart.

INK’TUITIVE DANCE

Where: Paradiso, Ubud

When: 3:00-5:00 pm

3rd Wednesday of every month

Cost: 100.000

A time to dance freely, to connect and play in a safe bubble. Connect to yourself, to your body & to the other dancers.

Dress code: Black or dark comfy clothes to dance in.

WHAT’S ON Monthly

PHILOSOPHY CLUB

Where: Cargo Café, Berawa, Canggu

When: 6:00 pm

1st Wednesday of every month

Cost: Free

All women welcome to discuss, debate, exchange ideas and insights on a given topic for the month.

WOMEN WHO WRITE

Where: Casa Luna, Ubud

When: 10:30 am

Cost: Free

A space for Ubud’s writers to discuss writing, share resources or pieces, schedule meetups, support each other in the creative process.

SOULBRIGHT MOVIE NIGHT

Where: La Luz, Ubud

When: 6:00pm

Cost: 30.000

Movie night with a discussion.

SUNSET MEDITATION CIRCLE

Where: Babadan Beach - Pantai

Lima, Pererenan

When: 4:45pm

Cost: 150.000

Presence and connection meditation circles in Pererenan

SPEAKUP MONDAYS

Where: Tropical Nomad, Canggu

When: 6:00pm

Cost: Free entry

Every Monday an expert in their field speaks about issues concerning entrepreneurs, business owners and digital nomads in Indonesia.

Tuesdays

SBKZ SOCIAL

Where: Herb Library, Ubud

When: 7:30pm - 10:00pm

Cost: Free entry

Fun, social night of Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba and Zouk

LIVE LATIN MUSIC

Where: No Màs, Ubud

When: 8:00pm -11:00pm

Cost: Free entry

LIVE MUSIC

Where: Lovin Bar, Ubud

When: 9:00pm on

Cost: Free

Local bands play covers and original music.

CANGGU COMMUNITY RUN

Where: Crate Cafe

When: 6:15am

Cost: Free

Join Canggu’s community run club for a social 4km or 8km loop track.

SBK SOCIAL

Where: Café del Mar, Canggu

When: 5:00pm - 9:00pm and on

Cost: Free entry

Dance the night away with Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba.

CANGGU

LIVE MUSIC

Where: Why Not, Ubud When: From 8:00pm

Cost: Free entry

Local bands play covers

SBK SOCIAL WITH LIVE MUSIC

Where: Laughing Buddha Bar, Ubud

When: 8:00pm - 10:30pm

Cost: Free entry

Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba with Buena Tierra Band.

BALI BOARD GAMES

Where: Downtime Cafe, Kerobokan When: 5:00pm

Cost: Free entry

Wind down playing with other board game enthusiasts.

LADIES’ NIGHT AT SHISHI

Where: Shishi Night Club, Seminyak

When: 8:00pm - 11:00pm

Cost: Free entry for ladies

Free dinner and drinks for ladies. Contact venue to register.

Wednesdays

Thursdays

OPEN MIC

Where: Bali Bohemia, Ubud

When: 7:30pm - 10:00pm

Cost: Free entry

Sign up and sing a song, do a dance, perform a poem.

AFRO LATIN SOCIAL

DANCE

Where: Pilleyar, Ubud

When: 8:00pm - 11:00pm

Cost: Free entry

CANGGU COMMUNITY RUN

Where: Crate Cafe, Canggu

When: 6:15 am

Cost: Free 60 minute interval speed session.

GU PHILOSOPHICAL EXCHANGE

Where: Clear Cafe, Canggu

When: 6:30pm

Cost: Free

Spirited, insightful debate with a new topic every week.

BALI ENTREPRENEURS COMMUNITY

Where: The Social, Seminyak

When: 7:00pm

Cost: Free

Come connect and network with other entrepreneurs in Bali in this value packed meetup that features different leading, industry experts every week.

LOVIN’ BAR

When: After 9:00 pm

Cost: Free Jam with local bands playing covers and their original music.

COMEDY NIGHT

Where: Deus ex Machina, Canggu

When: 7:00 pm

Cost: Free entry ROFL with hilarious local and international stand up comedy acts

CANGGU

LIVE MUSIC

Where: Why Not, Ubud

When: 8:00pm

Cost: Free entry

Sing out loud, dance and enjoy a night of rock ‘n roll with great local bands

WOMEN WHO WRITE -

CANGGU

Where: The Flow, Pererenan

When: 10:00 am

Cost: Free

A space for Canggu’s writers to discuss writing, share resources or pieces, schedule meetups, support each other in the creative process.

SATURDAY BALI

Where: The Wave at Batu Bolong

Beach, Canggu

When: 4:00 pm

Cost: Free

Art on the Beach. Enjoy a fun art Saturday on the beach painting.

PEACHY’S LADIES NIGHT

Where: Peachy Rooftop Bar, Canggu

When: 7:00pm

Cost: Free

Enjoy rice field views, cocktails and Lebanese cuisine. Free flow cocktails for ladies from 7-9pm.

UBUD SUNDAY MARKET

Where: Adiwana Suweta, Ubud

When: From 8:00am

Cost: Free

LA BRISA SUNDAY MARKET

Where: La Brisa, Canggu When: From 9:00 am Cost: Free

Browse fresh produce and personal care products.

INSPIRE & CREATE MEETUP

Where: Ring Djinar, Canggu When: 4:00pm Cost: Free Creative skill sharing sessions hosted by different facilitators, covering a wide range of artistic disciplines.

GAMES NIGHT

Where: Clear Café, Canggu When: 6:00pm Cost: Free entry

Play social and strategy games with other enthusiasts. Sundays

OPEN PAGES

CELEBRATING FEMALE VOICES

Submitting to magazines is a great way to break into the publishing world.

• practice sharpening your pitches,

• get your work seen by a large audience,

• benefit from notes and feedback by experienced authors and editors…

Would you like to get featured on our pages?

Submit to Modern Women

Bali OPEN PAGES - our literary open mic.

We are inviting creative writing submissions on the topic Confronting a change. It can be a poem or a short story, a song or even drawing. A winning piece selected by our editorial team will appear in Issue 2 of our magazine, and will be prominently featured on Modern Women Bali social media.

Word count: 800 words max

Submit to: modernwomenbali@gmail.com

Submit by: 17 Sep 2023