The Yak #39 by The Yak Magazine

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Lu xur y

I n

P r i n t

Volume Thirty nine june/july/august 2013

The Yak Magazine Sophie Digby, Agustina Ardie, Nigel Simmonds

Publisher's PAs Indrie Raranta, Anis Kristiana

Production Manager Evi Sri Rezeki

Graphic Designers Stuart Sullivan, Irawan Zuhri, Teuku Melody

Accounting Julia Rulianti

Distribution Made Marjana, Kadek Arthana, Putu Widi Susanto, Made Sutajaya, Didakus Nuba

Publisher PT Luxury In Print

Licence AHU/47558/AH/01/01/2011

Advertising Enquiries Tel: (+62 361) 766 539, 743 1804, 743 1805

www.theyakmag.com e: info@theyakmag.com, sales@theyakmag.com The Yak Magazine, Kompleks Perkantoran Simpang Siur Square, Jl. Setia Budi, Kuta, Bali 80361, Indonesia © PT Luxury In Print

#39: Vertigo. Spencerhansen.net You know the drill. No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced electronically or otherwise without prior permission from the Publisher. Opinions expressed within this publication are those of the authors not the Publisher. The Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that does not comply with the magazine's design criteria. The Yak will not be held responsible for copyright infringements on images supplied directly by advertisers and/or contributors.

The Yak Magazine Bali.

min 18

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contents P: 86 Omnibus: ALIEN NATION.

High Wordage

Buzz Aldrin

Yakety yak

where are they now

15 minutes

Anthony Bourdain

Calendar Collection

Charity Clarity

dates With destiny

one world

114 22

Around Town

Shelf Life

Mark Baker

Virginia Isakova

Charley Boorman

new in the hood

out of the box

profile

172

Ines Katamso

Beauty Before Age

interview

culture vulture

100

North To Noosa

112

Bianca Timmerman

114

Angga Pratama

100

travel

artsake

image

150

contents

118

yak fashion

Sins To Come

128

Kenza Le Bas

132

In Vino Veritas

upcoming

constant wining

138

Mandif at Teatro

144

Baba's at Hu'u

148

Luke Mangan

oral pleasures

82 26

150

oral pleasures

Spavodka Lobster

152

Merah Putih

156

Small Spaces

oral pleasures

feature

160

Rooftop Specials

168

Regent Returns

172

Elegancia

feature

hotels

venting in a villa

156

174

fashion freestyle

Clobber

190

Kevin Yost

192

237 Sugarman

194

Star Turns

196

What's What

198

Your Bali

sounds around

celluloid

Astro yak

advertiser's directory

Last word

138

“Take more time, cover less ground,” said Trappist monk, Thomas Merton, one of the great spiritual thinkers of the 20th century. “Not what we have, but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance.” states Epicurus, Greek philosopher (341BC – 270BC), and… “In every real man a child is hidden who wants to play,” as postulated by late 19th century philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche. Three quotes that we at The Yak, for the most part, peruse, pursue yet not-so-methodically follow when we lovingly create each issue of the book. So in this, our 39th issue, we have taken more time to meet none other than moonwalker Buzz Aldridge and epicurean traveler Anthony Bourdain. And covered just the right amount of ground with what’s new in Bali in our New In The Hood section, before heading Out of the Box with inspired pieces from this issue’s choicest stores. Still making time we enjoy a chance meeting with New York’s ex-party boy, Mark Baker – who has hauled roots to set up shop in Bali, before we cover more ground with Virginia Isakova who muses on life, trash and love, ahead of bike-riding Charley Boorman. Outlandishly, our feature story philosophises about anything alien, from near … or far, before we ‘glass case’ what the island does have – talent and lots of it… We chat to photographer Christopher Leggett and hear from the Deus troop – who boldly go upstate to our neighbouring continent’s one-andonly Noosa, before we give a heads up to a trio of Bali’s seriously up-andcoming thinkers and doers – Bianca, Angga and Kenza Le Bas. As per the quote, we dwell not on what we have but on what we enjoy, so it’s the fermented grape and the players behind Bali’s revered bottle that have our unequivocal vote. Our voracious palates get to enjoy all that is new in kitchens around the ‘hood’; theatrically, ‘Teatro – Gastroteque’ gets 10 thumbs up on our epicurean scale, as does the fabulous re-ideated Baba’s at Hu’u Bar. Getting ‘salted’ by none other than Australian celebrity chef Luke Mangan at Sentosa Seminyak who will soon assist us in our ‘abundance’, as our heart remains nationalistic with the recently opened Indonesian fine dining option – Merah Putih. Now is the time to play, so yachting, shopping and getting high fulfill our childlike attitudes before we round off this stylish issue with fashion á la carte, music reviews and interviews, our must-read Astroyak and ‘a what’s in your cupboard?’ duo view from Pika and Pascal of Sardine fame. So in bringing you this bumper issue we would just like to top it off with our very own philosophical quote: May The Yak be with you.

yakback Dear Yak, I really enjoyed reading the piece entitled Under the Gun on your website, but could not figure out who wrote it. It is written from a very personal perspective and yet there is no author name on the page itself. Also, for future reference, please include publication dates on your articles for citation purposes. Sincerely yours, Claire Sevigny. Thanks Claire. The byline is under the main image. Glad you liked it. The story appeared in the March/April/May issue of the magazine. Dear Yak, Thank you for including Taco Beach Grill in the article Revolution Mexicana in a recent issue of The Yak. We very much appreciate your kindness and the lovely comments from gourmand S. Bali. Again, thanks to everybody for helping us out. When circumstances permit, we look forward to becoming a regular Yak advertiser. Viva El Yak! The Taco Guy. Bali. Tacos all round. Dear Yak, Bravo for your work! Loving what you do forever. Big hugs, Sarjan, France. Je vous en pris.

yakinthelapof Danny de Vito Whooosh! We tried to say hi to Danny de Vito on his recent excursion here, but we think it was over his head.

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Mike Pohorly meets spaceman Buzz Aldrin and sensibly doesn't ask him about the moon landing conspiracy.

"Here’s a guy who actually did something in his life on earth, aside from all the other bullshit that makes people famous these days."

I would have punched that guy in the face too. If I had been a Korean War fighter pilot selected for NASA’s fledgling space program slated to be the first human being to step on the moon, only to have the Lunar Module’s confined seating arrangement dictate that I stepped out second – after Neil Armstrong. Then years later to have some conspiracy theorist, who like other conspiracy theorists, likely suffers from the cognitive bias of fundamental attribution error, be up in your grill saying that the defining achievement in your life and arguably for the human race was a fake, a fraud, a hoax made in Hollywood studio…in the end, it was a small right hook for Buzz Aldrin, and a giant punch for mankind. Buzz was in Toronto presenting at a sci-fi convention and I had caught his talk earlier that was less a lecture than it was a non-stop rant on NASA’s lackluster space ambitions. He had methodically detailed his own spaceship design ideas peppered with technical jargon way above the head’s of even the most fervent techie in the room, going over the specific engine sizes and parallel arrangements required to send a spaceman to Mars. Sensing his overall bitterness, no one there dared

provoke him further by asking about the alleged studio taping of the historic moonlanding broadcast of July of 1968. Finding myself standing a few feet away in the same Starbucks with this now 80 year old, it was as if I had been transported into a Discovery Channel series on the highlights of humankind featuring other hallmarks such as gaining the use of fire and acquiring speech. Here’s a guy who actually did something in his life on earth, aside from all the other bullshit that makes people famous these days like singing songs or repeating some lines in front of a camera. Even if all along he was merely doing his nine-to-five like the rest of us. I walked directly up to Buzz without thinking, drawn in with a vague idea to just look into his eyes, shake his hand, and connect with a living link of the chain of history. I stepped closer to the counter and closer to Buzz. “Excuse me, I was at your talk today. It’s inspiring to see you still so enthusiastic about further space travel.” I held out my hand and looked into his steely gaze. A gaze that for decades looked out over vast horizons and confidently told the story that he had been out there, up there looking back down at us ants

running around on this big mud ball. In that moment I wanted to say, “I don’t believe any of that bullshit either,” but somehow even bringing it up felt like it would be a kick in the balls as would any trivializing comment as to his feelings about Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story or the time Ali G. asked him sardonically if a man will ever walk on the surface of the sun. I waited a moment for him to say something back but he never did. He just looked at my hand and then nodded. Buzz’s eyes said it all, staring through me as if to say that none of the stupidity of mere mortals matters next to the real thing – and then he walked away. Later I discovered that he had remarked in the press that he considered global warming by the hand of man was a hoax, proving once again that just because someone gets famous by throwing a ball or flying a spaceship, they’re just as much a potential space cadet idiot as any of us. But, at least he was there that first time, 45 years ago, for two and a half hours wandering around collecting moon rocks, the second human being on something that for the last 1.7 million years the rest of us just looked up at and wondered what was up there.

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tony stanton watches in horror as The author of Kitchen Confidential comes unstuck in front of a cold crowd. Sniff.

About a thousand years ago I was the editor of a high profile society magazine in one of the cleaner parts of Asia, and with such a celebrated job came invitations to a number of different events. On one occasion I was invited to a dinner speech featuring Anthony Bourdain – famous for multifarious television appearances in which he searches out strange foods around the world to consume onscreen for the edification and amusement of viewers. Bourdain was first famous, though, as an author, and I imagine many of you will have read his book Kitchen Confidential – a superbly written exposé of life as a working chef in New York City, in which he reveals various “truths” about what goes on in the kitchen while you’re waiting for the bread service. Some of it isn’t pretty – Bourdain paints a fearsome picture of complete degeneracy over the stoves and basins of New York’s famed kitchens. In it he writes: “So who the hell, exactly, are these guys, the boys and girls in the trenches? You might get the impression from the specifics of my less than stellar career that all line cooks are wackedout moral degenerates, dope fiends, refugees, a thuggish assortment of drunks, sneak thieves, sluts and psychopaths. You wouldn't be too far off base.” The business, as respected three-star chef, Scott Bryan, explains it, attracts 'fringe elements', people for whom something in their lives has gone terribly wrong. Maybe they didn't make it through high school, maybe they're running away from something – be it an ex-wife, a rotten family history, trouble with the law, a squalid Third World backwater with no opportunity for advancement.” Bourdain was proud to be part of this family, and by his own admission he joined in all nefarious activities with gusto, including the consumption of illegal drugs. In Kitchen Confidential he writes of his experience in a trendy SoHo restaurant in 1981: "We were high

about his former Mafia owners and his love of French food . . . he was enjoying being on stage, reveling in the attention and clearly warming to the evening once it came time for questions from the audience. The first question appeared to all of us (apart from Anthony, it would transpire) a very simply one: “What do you like about cooking?” This part of Asia took a stern view of illegal substances – long jail sentences; the death penalty for smuggling; no mercy. Perhaps Anthony was thinking about this when he heard the question, because in his mind he didn’t hear the word “cooking”. He heard the word “cocaine”. The question in his head therefore was: “What do you like about cocaine?” So he proceeded to answer it . . . at length. “I hate cocaine,” he started. “I despise it. It goes against everything that is good about cooking. You can’t eat, you can’t sleep, it’s a disgraceful substance that has ruined communities.” As he warmed to his theme believing, I assume, that he was carrying the audience with him, he Bourdain: Forever sneaking off to the walk-in ploughed on: “Oh, I have done it, sure. Loads of it. refrigerator to 'conceptualize'. Piles of the stuff. All chefs do it at some point or other. But generally it’s a bad thing – bad, bad and selfish. Horrible. I would never condone its use. Which was, I all the time, sneaking off to the walk-in refrigerator have to admit, prolific . . .” at every opportunity to 'conceptualize'. Hardly a On and on he went, to the bemusement of decision was made without drugs.” It was in this context that I sat down to enjoy the the crowd, which sat, when he had finally finished, quieter than a congregation at a funeral. show – and, lo and behold, I was seated next to him. I could stand it no longer – he’d seemed like a We chatted for a while, and he was a charming and nice guy and I wanted to help him out. beautiful man who’d written something pretty close Once he’d finished his soliloquy he sat there to a literary masterpiece. I was in awe. Then came in silence on the stage looking bewildered at the the time for him to sing for his supper, and he was crowd’s stunned reaction . . . so I shouted from the introduced and called to the stage. back of the hall, where we had been seated: “He said For 20 minutes he had the crowd at the Four cooking, Mr Bourdain, not cocaine.” Seasons Hotel in raptures. He was funny, informed, And finally the banquet hall released him from his articulate and charismatic. He talked about his life as a chef, about the trials and tribulations of kitchenworld, squirming hell with a barrage of raucous laughter.

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calendar

datesWITHDESTINY June 15 - July 13 – Bali Arts Festival: The annual Bali Arts Festival kicks off on June 15th with a spectacular parade along the streets of Denpasar, followed by a month of traditional and contemporary dance and music performances, handicraft exhibitions and cultural displays. During this monthlong celebration, villagers from all corners of the island will come together to showcase the unique cultural and artistic traditions of their particular villages. Visitors at the Bali Arts Festival can join in cultural workshops, watch painting, dance, music and offering-making competitions, peruse the wide variety of artisan stalls and sample authentic Balinese and Indonesian fare. July 21 to 24 – Bali Kite Festival: Join thousands of spectators on Padang Galak Beach in Sanur, as entire villages compete to see who can get the highest at the Bali Kite Festival.

Kite flying is serious business on the island, and nowhere more so than this colourful festival where a multitude of massive kites in the shape of birds, fish and even vampires take to the air. Gamelan orchestras provide invigorating music to cheer on the kite flyers, locals come out dressed in their finest traditional attire, and there are plenty of food carts on hand to serve tasty snacks and cold drinks to spectators and competitors alike. August 21 to 24 – Air Guitar World Championships (Oulu, Norway): If you fancy yourself somewhat of an air guitar hero (and let's face it who doesn't after a glass or six), you won’t want to miss the grand-daddy of all air guitar events, the Air Guitar World Championships. Join seasoned invisible instrument pros as they rock out in an effort to become champion of the world and promote world peace. The contestants must complete one performance with a song of their choice, submitted prior to the competition, and one performance with an obligatory song played only minutes before the grand final. It's not as easy as you might think. The only rules are that the guitars must be invisible (acoustic or electric) and no back-up bands are allowed. However, contestants can use a real guitar pick if they so desire.

IF YOU’RE IN AUSTRALIA . . . June 5 to 16 – Sydney Film Festival: As one of the longest running film festivals in the world, the Sydney Film Festival draws internationally acclaimed filmmakers who showcase their original feature films, short films, documentaries and animation at venues around the city. This June, the SFF celebrates its 60th anniversary and the event promises to be the best yet with fascinating cinema, free exhibitions, filmmaker talks and panels, vibrant parties, live music, dance performances and world-class DJs. Be sure not to miss the Official Competition, where filmmakers compete for the top prize of AUD 60,000, and the title of “the most courageous, audacious and cutting-edge cinema”.

IF YOU’RE IN SPAIN . . . July 6 to 14 – Bous a la Mar (Denia): Pamplona may have the adrenaline-pumping Running of the Bulls festival, but the coastal town of Denia takes it to a whole new level with the Bous a la Mar (Bulls to the Sea) event. The event is part of the Santa Sangre festival in honour of the Holy Blood. During the week-long festival there are colourful parades, concerts, sporting events and fireworks, however the main draw for many is watching the mighty bulls being chased down the street onto a makeshift pier and into the Mediterranean Sea. Animal lovers need not worry – the bulls are pulled back to dry land after their dip in the sea.

June 27 – Australian Outback Marathon: Not just another running event, the Australian Outback Marathon is a unique opportunity for runners of all ages and skill levels to experience the beauty of outback Australia on an athletic challenge like no other. The mostly flat course winds its way through trails and bush tracks, past the awe-inspiring Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (the Olgas). Runners can participate in the full marathon, half marathon,11 kilometre and six kilometre fun runs. Drinks stands are set up every three km along the course and free food and drinks at the finish line for all participants. Finishers will also receive a special commemorative medal and free race photography upon completion of the course.

August 28 – La Tomatina (Buñol): Join the biggest food fight on earth at La Tomatina in Spain, when thousands of revellers pack the streets and throw over 100 tonnes of tomatoes at each other and everyone in the vicinity. The festival dates back to the 1940s when a group of teenagers incited the ire of festival goers at a parade in the honour of the Virgin Mary and St. Louis Bertrand. Some of the people in the crowd grabbed tomatoes from a nearby vegetable stand to throw at the troublemakers, and the rest is history. The event starts when one of the locals scales a greased pole to grab a cooked ham. Once the ham is down, water cannons spray the crowd, the tomatoes are dumped into the street, and the fun begins.

IF YOU’RE IN JAPAN . . . July 24 to 25 – Tenjin Matsuri: Ranked as one of Japan’s top three festivals, Tenjin Matsuri is an event not to be missed. The festival dates back to over 1,000 years in Osaka, and it starts with an elaborate ceremony at the Tenman Shrine, which is dedicated to the patron god of arts and scholarship. After the ceremony, over 3,000 people dressed in traditional garb and carrying shrines to the deity take to the streets alongside Japanese drummers, lion dancers, puppet masters and musicians. When they reach the waterfront, the procession boards wooden boats that then make their way up and down the river. The festival finishes with a spectacular fireworks show over the water. August 16 – Daimonji Bonfire: Just like the Balinese, the Japanese believe that at a specific time of year, deceased relatives come back to the earth to visit their living families. This period is called Obon, and the city of Kyoto has a very special event to mark the end of this important time of year. On the last evening of Obon, giant bonfires in the shape of Chinese characters are lit on the slopes of the mountains surrounding the city. This is meant to signify the moment when the ancestors return to the spirit world. Many believe that if you drink sake or water that has the fiery symbols reflected in your cup, you will ward off illness for the following year.

giving back

oneworld

i'm an angel & Bali Children's project. time to give, writes susan hu.

I’m an Angel Every year around this time, business owners, entrepreneurs, residents and party seekers flock to Ku De Ta for a night of wining, dining, music, dancing and auctions; all in the name of a good cause. The annual I’m an Angel charity fundraising events have been taking place since 2003, and each year local merchants and private donors contribute fabulous goods and services and cash donations to raise money for some of the island’s most poverty stricken communities. Co-founders Mike Mohan, Danielle Van Poppel and Yawahar Punjabi created the I’m an Angel (IAA) foundation after coming to the realisation that a celebration was the perfect way to raise funds for worthy causes. The group got in touch with Ku De Ta co-founder, Arthur Chondros, and the first charity gala was born. In the first year, the IAA foundation raised over US$20,000. Last year alone it raised over $100,000 for communities in Bali and Indonesia who need it the most. “We do not give, we share, and with this strategy, we empower the community to think and help themselves,” says program director Asana Viebeke Lengkong. Under Lengkong’s direction, the foundation allocates funds to supply nutritious food and school supplies to underprivileged children; supports sustainable development projects such as water tank infrastructure in remote rural areas; promotes environmental awareness and education; and provides money for healthcare and medical procedures. It also contributes disaster relief to communities that need emergency aid. The IAA foundation works under the philosophy that aid should be shared and extended to each member of the communities it help so that these communities can then move forward to improve and maintain a better standard of living for themselves. The team oversees engineering, construction and monitoring of projects and encourages communities to monitor their own success. The foundation also encourages the communities they help to prompt the government to match the funds raised by IAA. This year, June 15th will mark the 11th I’m an Angel fundraiser at Ku De Ta, and the event promises to be just as spectacular as the previous galas. Guests can expect an allstar chefs’ dinner with top guest chefs from Bali, Indonesia,

lives. At that moment, they knew what they had to do. With the blessing of the girls’ father, John and Joyce arranged for the girls to live with Nyoman and his family and they lent support so that the sisters could continue their education. They discovered that the sisters’ mother had always dreamed that the girls would continue on in school and pursue an education for a better life – a Bali Children’s Project goal that the sisters promised they would keep on their In the 1990s, John Cooke and Joyce Scott were living far mother’s deathbed. The couple also began to realise that from the sandy beaches and swimming pools so often Iluh and Kadek were only two examples of what was a depicted on glossy tourist brochures about Bali. Instead, their world consisted of dense forests, steep mountain trails widespread problem in rural Bali. John says: “We knew from experience that in times of and remote rural villages where many people spoke only economic hardship, it would invariably be the girls who Bahasa Bali, but no Bahasa Indonesia. would be withdrawn from school first to labour in the In the mountain village of Sanda, John and Joyce fields. Yet we felt sure that the key to breaking this cycle of experienced the warmth and generosity of hardworking agricultural poverty lay in education, for without education Balinese rice farmers and labourers, as well as the stark the future held no vision beyond motherhood and reality of economic hardship that these people dealt with farming – no dreams of college, university and a possible on a day-to-day basis. It was a chance conversation with profession.” the couple’s friend, I Nyoman Wisata, that propelled them The couple began supporting other children to stay in to take action to break the cycle of agricultural poverty and school and enlisted the help of friends and acquaintances create the Bali Children’s Project. Nyoman told the couple about two young sisters who for financial support. They eventually registered the Bali Children’s Project as an official non-profit organisation, walked over an hour every day just to get to school. They and with the help of dedicated and enthusiastic Balinese often went without breakfast and had no shoes to wear assistants, they developed a protocol whereby the needs on the long journey. After some insistence, Nyoman took of each child were monitored closely and the funds were John and Joyce through a series of narrow muddy paths distributed directly to the children or schools. in the undergrowth and winding forest trails to meet the Today the organisation supports over 200 children girls. When the couple finally arrived at a dilapidated hut and has built more than a dozen village kindergartens and in a forest clearing they were shocked to see two tiny, undernourished figures huddled in a corner of the hut and preschools. It has also organised two gamelan orchestras; implemented a pilot micro-investment program; and even more disturbed at what they learned from them. created an HIV/AIDS awareness and sex education project Iluh and Kadek’s mother had died a few years earlier, that has already been invited to eight regional schools. and the sisters were left with their father, a labourer who often had to leave them for days at a time to work on other Future plans include the creation of village learning centres with libraries and computers and a program that caters to people’s fields. Balinese artists with disabilities. “They must leave to walk to school before daybreak,” As for the two sisters who inspired the Bali Children’s Nyoman explained, “and generally there is nothing to eat.” Project, Kadek has now finished her schooling at a high“Don’t they get anything to eat at school?” the couple end spa training school and dreams of opening her own asked. establishment one day, and Iluh is attending university to “They have no money to buy food,” said Nyoman. “If they are lucky, they will get a bowl of rice when they learn how to train teachers and acts as the BCP regional manager. get home at night.” John and Joyce had always wanted to give something www.balichildrensproject.org back to the people of Bali who had left an imprint on their

Singapore and the United States; exciting auctions featuring accommodation packages, jewellery, art, clothing and more; as well as live music performances and “living works of art” from renowned entertainers. www.imanangel.org

GET SPOILED Savvy expat ladies have been 'in the know' for years, but for those who’ve missed out, the folks at Spoiled in Umalas 2 justifiably pride themselves as experts in the hairdressing field – which is precisely why they don’t do facials, spa treatments, etcetera. They aren’t beauticians, but, quite simply, a renowned hair salon. As you’d expect, these specialists spoil you rotten with their hairdressing skills and impressive knowhow on everything coiffure – from cutting, colouring, styling, highlights and lowlights, to extensions, cream baths, updo and wedding styling, keratin treatments, straightening, curling and blow-dries! Their forte is attending to the more sensitive, fine Caucasian hair types. At Spoiled, you won’t get a jack-of-all-trades, rather, a master’s touch! Tel: 0361 8475141 www.spoiledhairdressers.com Yak Map. S.1

A PLAYFUL WINE Plaga – an innovative new wine label hitting Indonesia – announces the latest addition to its brand, Cabernet Sauvignon – a bold, fruity and powerful little number. Produced from Western Australian grapes here in Bali, the taste is young, fresh, rounded and wellbalanced, with aroma; hints of berries, plums, black pepper spices, and ruby-red hues reminiscent of young Italian wines. Cabernet Sauvignon is the fourth wine from the Plaga label – which produces Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Rosé. More than mere tipple, Plaga sees itself as a lifestyle brand and new generation choice. Plaga launched with much fanfare in April 2013 at parties hosted by some of the island’s premier venues . . . stay tuned for more fun-filled Plaga events. Tel: 0361 756781 www.indowines.com Yak Map. F.9

FOLLOW HER FOOTSTEPS Art imitates life? Quite possibly, with a unique collection of footwear and accessories, created by Belgian-born artist, Sara Nuytemans, in collaboration with BIASA. Her Observatories of the Self installation, launched at the newly opened BIASA Art Space in Jakarta in April draws inspiration from human interaction with the world. Nuytemans took the project for BIASA Art Space a step further into the heady realm of fashion. She created bespoke accessories – men’s jazz shoes and women’s jute wedges, crafted from silver-plated brass and circular mirrors, allowing the wearer to “experience their past, present and future with every step taken”. These are currently showcased at BIASA art space on Jalan Raya Seminyak until July. Tel: 0361 730308 www.biasabali.com Yak Map. V.16

FIRED-UP AGAIN W Retreat & Spa Bali-Seminyak’s new cuisine director, Richard Millar, has been busy finalising several new delectable and exclusive culinary treats. W’s signature grill restaurant, Fire, has undergone a menu overhaul, focusing on traditional Indonesian herbs and spices from its organic garden. Fire is all about showmanship and grilling – still firing-up classics like aged, grain-fed Black Angus Prime Ribs, the new highlights include Iced Lombok Prawn Ceviche. Millar works with fellow Australian, Toby Garritt – the visionary behind Pod Chocolate; an artisanal factory in Bali where organic chocolate is produced, where the cocoa beans are cultivated, working hand-in-hand with local farmers. This chocolate – decadently delicious and artfully presented – now features in signature Fire dishes (try Pod Chocolate Melting Sphere) and new additions for W’s daily Afternoon Tea. Tel: 0361 4738106 www.whotels.com Yak Map. O.4

DOG-GONE IT The bad news: Vet International Animal Hospital was recently forced to cease operations at their Kuta premises. The good news – after some corporate restructuring it has reopened as Sunset Vet Bali. Fortunately Bali's newest vet practice boasts the same friendly team, state-of-the-art facilities, competitively priced, international class, veterinary service, routine healthcare and emergency cover. Progressive initiatives in the pipeline include working with PDHI Bali and the government on phase-four of Bali’s rabies vaccination programme – helping Bali achieve a rabies-free status by 2015. Tel: 0361 754881 www.sunsetvetbali.com Yak Map. E.8

Lv8 RESORT HOTEL June marks the grand opening of the Lv8 Resort Hotel, the newest and trendiest all-suites resort to open on the sands of Berawa Beach in Canggu. Originally a private estate, Lv8 was conceptualized and designed by a talented team of international architects, designers and operators to maintain the integrity of the property, while still offering a unique, comfortable and stylish getaway. Singles, honeymooners, couples and families can soak up the ambiance of the local materials, elegant furniture and Balinese artworks in one of the 124 luxurious suites, cool off in the private swimming pool, or bask in the sun on the sands directly in front of the resort. Lv8 also features Eight, a modern brasserie focusing on Mediterranean fare, Ning, a tribute to authentic Asian cuisine, Vue, a hip and happening nightclub boasting international DJs and exotic cocktails, and Victus SPA and Fitness, where you can relax and reinvigorate the body and the mind. Tel: 0361 8948888 www.lv8bali.com Yak Map. K.1

Le Méridien Starwood Hotels and Resorts latest offering on Bali, Le Méridien Bali Jimbaran, unveils a new perspective on luxury with ultra-modern styling, a passion for the arts, and the Paris-based brand’s creative vision. Complementing its Jimbaran Bay setting, the resort juxtaposes rich elements of traditional heritage with sleek contemporary elements. Check out (or check into) Le Méridien’s Hub experience – a whole new lobby concept with a social gathering space for creative people and Latitude 8 bar-lounge. The three-storey complex features signature restaurant, Bamboo Chic; Smoqee Lounge; rooftop Sky Bar with unparalleled sunset views; and Wala which serves bespoke gelato. Stylishly appointed and surrounded by water features, 118 guestrooms and suites feature ground-floor rooms with direct access to a 1,300sqm free-form saltwater lagoon pool. The resort’s rooftop glass-encased Celebration Pavilion and Bale Banjar Ballroom provide an exceptionally elevated spot for weddings and corporate events. Other facilities include state-of-the-art conference centre, Serenity Spa, fitness centre, and Kids’ Club with children’s pool. Tel: 03618466888 www.lemeridienbalijimbaran.com

BACK TO THE FUTURE Konderatu Indonesian Village in Jimbaran is a stand-alone multi-function lifestyle complex. Resembling a traditional Indonesian village, Konderatu marries colonial style with Indo contemporary design, showcasing a cross-section of old and new Indonesian arts, culture, culinary, and wellness elements all under one roof. Have a relaxing spa treatment, attend “Movie Night Under the Stars” in The Courtyard, grab some fresh gourmet fare at The Deli, or sip a few at the Wine & Cigar Bar. Most impressive is The Gallery – displaying an amazing collection of textiles, antiquities and handicrafts - hosting regular heritage and cultural exhibitions. Signatures at the exclusive Khayangan Bar & Restaurant – which boasts an open-air function space with stage – are Indonesian feast, Rijsttafel, and Sultan’s Royal Cuisine. Other facilities include playroom, library and, coming soon, suites and residences. Tel: 0361 702995 www.konderatubali.com

DAZZLING SUCCESS Talented designer Zohra Boukhari has been a trendsetter on Bali for yonks and, finally, she’s opened her own gorgeous boutique, Shan-Shan. By women for women, Zohra is assisted by her two teenage daughters and showcases a dazzling array of hand-picked fantasy jewellery incorporating wood, silk, velvet, beads, leather, nickel, stone and blingbling diamante. You’ll also find adorable clutch bags to co-ordinate with the jewellery and scarves from a vast collection to complete “the look”. Also for sale are oversized shopping bags, exquisite bejeweled boxes and signature key-ring chains – even the tasteful vintage antique décor is for sale. Look out for Shan-Shan’s upcoming perfume line. Tel: 0361 7450678 15 Jalan Basangkasa, Seminyak. SEA CHANGE Waka Group Resorts, Cruises & Beach Club have now regrouped under new corporate brand Waka Hotels & Resorts. One of the island’s pioneers of eco-tourism, The Waka Group has been in Bali since the early 1970s, establishing its own mid-range Waka branded Resorts & Cruises. Waka Hotels & Resorts now plan to refurbish, upgrade, and add new projects to its existing stable of much-loved properties, namely Waka Gangga and a beachfront property in Nusa Lembongan: low-rise, environmentally-sensitive and Balinesestyle developments in beachside locations, showcasing the island’s finest architecture and natural tropical landscapes. The group is also considering expansion into other exotic locales in Indonesia . . . watch this space. Tel: 0361 484 085 www.wakahotelsandresorts.com

EL KABRON RUSTIC DINING Since opening on a cliff, high above the Indian Ocean, El Kabron has been Bali’s favourite go-to spot for Spanish tapas, flavourful paella and incredible sunset views. Now diners can also enjoy fresh, seasonal a la carte dining in the evenings with executive chef Marc Torices’ 'Rustique Dining’ menu. Born in Spain, Torices learned the art of cooking from his grandmother, who taught him to appreciate the original flavour of natural products. After graduating from a prestigious cooking school in Barcelona with a specialisation in haute cuisine, he went on to work at Michelin starred restaurants in and around Barcelona. Today he shares his gastronomic expertise and love of Spanish and Mediterranean flavours at El Kabron with his rustic dinner menu, remaining loyal to what the ground can deliver at different times of the year and avoiding unnatural approaches, making the cuisine a journey of “culinary recovery”. The a la carte menu is available from 7:30pm to 9:30pm daily. Tel: 0361 7803416 www.chiringuitoelkabron.com

BILLABONG PLATINUM X BOARDSHORTS SERIES Despite having roots that go back to 1973, Billabong is still keeping things fresh and real with their commitment to developing high quality, functional and stylish boardsport products. Take for example, their Billabong Platinum X Boardshorts series. The highperformance PX boardshorts are made with Featherweight Contour Seam Technology and 120% Quad X four-way stretch material for comfort and efficiency, and the special H2 Repel coat eliminates water absorption, preventing painful boardshort rash. In addition, the company does their part for the environment by incorporating approximately 25 PET bottles into the fabric of every pair of PX1 and PX2 boardshorts. You can find the Platinum X Boardshorts in a range of trendy colours and patterns at Billabong Concept stores and select multi-brand stores throughout Indonesia. www.billabong.com/asia

EXTENDING THE OLIVE BRANCH Conveniently positioned in central Petitenget, Olive heralds another delicious addition to this neighbourhood’s exceptional culinary portfolio. Whitewashed walls and dark timber beams on the breezy terrace lend an evocative Mediterranean air, or head inside for airconditioned, elegant living-room ambience. Olive comes courtesy of seasoned Executive Chef, Boyke, who describes his kitchen concept as, “Simple, fresh, light and constantly evolving”. Olive presents an eclectic, international menu of well-tried favourites and new creations, utilising fresh, locally-sourced produce and seafood, and quality imported meats such as New Zealand lamb. A flair for Mediterranean dishes with twists include Black Olive and Basil Crusted Snapper Fillet. Asian and French inspirations, gourmet sandwiches and salads also feature, along with reasonably priced wines. Tel: 0361 4735976 olivebali@ymail.com Yak Map. O.5

FARID STEVY ASTA SOLO EXHIBITION Yogyakarta-based visual artist and indie rock musician Farid Stevy Asta is back in Bali to rock Kendra Gallery with his latest solo exhibition. Farid fuses low-brow art and graffiti with movie posters and the essence of garage bands, taking major influences from Andy Warhol’s work and philosophy. He aims to trace the history of visual communication and capture the spirit of each era of design in his work. On June 29 from 7pm to 9pm, Farid will transform Kendra Gallery into a youthful street art space, creating a new atmosphere for the Bali art scene and a synthesis of visual expression and music industry counter culture. Tel: 0819 3602678 www.kendragallery.com Yak Map. T.9

SELF-PROMOTION One of the island’s longest-established resorts, Bali Hyatt in Sanur, offers tantalising June promotions, starting with The Piano Bar’s hot ‘n’ spicy exclusive range of cocktails, mocktails and teas – based on versatile ginger; the renowned medicinal, beauty, and culinary spice. The Hyatt’s spa, meanwhile, showcases wonder ingredient, wheatgrass; beneficial to the skin; high in antioxidants; rejuvenating; anti-aging; and detoxifying. The spa’s two-hour wheatgrass treatment (US$85++) incorporates footbath, body scrub / body wrap, mineral bath and aromatherapy massage. Finally, Hyatt’s Italian Pizza Ria tempts with delicious new cold appetizer and main course dishes such as Risotto Scamorza con Asparagi Verdi (smoked Scamorza cheese and green asparagus) – all worth a trip to Sanur! Tel: 0361 281234 www.bali.resort.hyatt.com Untouchable Prohibition swings onto Batu Belig at Watercress and invites all Bali dames and gentlemen to indulge in a jamboree of all things 1920’s. Tuck into little sandwiches, petite quiches, baby cakes, scones with Chantilly cream and homemade preserves all washed down with lashings of contraband liquor served in teapots (lest the authorities catch wind of such booze related antics in the afternoon). Pack yer tommy guns ya dirty rats. Coming soon to weekends at Watercress. Tel: 0361 7808030 www.watercressbali.com Yak Map. N.3 RUSTIC CHIC A distinctive boutique hotel teetering on Ubud’s dramatic Sayan Ridge, Bambu Indah is a family-owned, Indonesian-run, eco-luxe sanctuary. Meaning, “beautiful bamboo”, Bambu Indah blends Bali glamour and sustainability with bamboo buildings and antique Javanese teakwood bridal homes, hand-picked in Java by John and Cynthia Hardy. Bambu Indah recently opened its in-house restaurant, Dapoer (meaning “kitchen” in Indonesian), which is all about traditional Indonesian home-style cooking, focusing on the freshest, local organic ingredients – much of it harvested from on-site permaculture gardens. Dapoer promises an indigenous dining experience in an inspired natural environment. Available for private dining and special events. Tel: 0361 977 922 www.bambuindah.com

VIVA BALI Introducing Bali Vivere Hotel & Villa, a new lifestyle boutique resort well positioned on upcoming Jalan Beraban, greater Seminyak. This chic hotel-villa complex set in tropical gardens with main pool, offers fine facilities and amenities, while classical Balinese architecture mixes stylish comfort with traditional elements. Villas (complete with fully equipped kitchens) and guestrooms come designed as modern extensions of Balinese culture with comfortable bedding, timbered features and antique wooden furniture. Cooked breakfasts, DVD players, satellite TV and free WiFi are all-inclusive. Bali V offers guests a smart base from which to explore the nearby beach, and Seminyak’s legendary pursuits. Tel: 0361 739113 www.balivivere.com

EWA’LL BE AMAZED For lovers of tribal art, Ewa Oceanic Sepik Art Gallery is a must. This intimate, discerning Ubud gallery houses a rare collection of tribal art from the Sepik region of Papua New Guinea, affording a unique glimpse into the complex, diverse culture of this remote region. The amazing art pieces – created by the Sepik people for ceremonial and customary use – have been collected by the Todorov family since the 1970s, while exploring and filming in the many remote regions along the Sepik River. Collected from more than 200 villages, each art piece – stunning ceremonial and ancestral masks, figurines, adornments, utensils and tribal jewellery – bears a unique artistic style. Open Tuesday to Sunday 9am-noon and 2-7pm. Tel: 08123 683 5261 www.ewaoceanicgallery.com

THE ITALIAN JOB Fontana Hotel’s Italian restaurant, Portabella (tucked away on Kuta’s Jalan Dewi Sri), is growing in reputation for its authentic Italian cuisine (with a focus on fresh seafood), thanks to innovative cooking from Italian Executive Chef Vittorio Negri. Translating as “Beautiful Door,” Portabella is your door to Italy, with monthly promotions offering the chance to experience a different Italian region – each revealing unique cuisine characteristics. Next stop on this culinary odyssey: Piedmont and Liguria in June; Lazio and Umbria in July; Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia in August; and Portabella’s final port of call, Sicily, in September. Mamma Mia! Tel: 0361 8947100 www.fontanahotelbali.com Yak Map. E.8

SEASONAL CHANGES Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, Ubud, hardly needs improving – a world-acclaimed luxurious sanctuary, recently included on Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List 2013. Newlyappointed General Manager Uday Rao and team are busy with the Four Seasons Style Evolution, transforming and relaunching their 42 private villas as more “romantic, in touch with nature, and authentically Balinese”. These villas have been impeccably maintained over the resort’s 15-year lifespan, “but we want to ensure their place among Bali’s finest villas,” Uday says. Designed by Koichi Yasuhiro from Tokyo’s Design Studio, Spin, the new look is chic modern, but strongly reflecting Balinese architectural style, tradition and culture. The resort continues to evolve – renovating its 18 suites, but with an upgrade programme designed so that guests remain unaware of work in progress. Tel: 0361 701010 www.fourseasons.com/bali

SLAM DUNK From the 69Slam label – an ultra-modern brand of alternative funky underwear, swimwear, and related attire, with signature ethnic motives, handmade collages and provocative prints – comes a new, bold and sexy summer collection! Feel the ocean breezes, head to the beach and party on down: 69Slam's fab new collection concentrates on nothing but the best of summer in its all-new designs – light, bright and breezy fabrics and playful prints to look totally hot and yet cool under the tropical sun. Get on down to any one of 69Slam’s concept stores to grab yourself something new for the beach – from stretch printed board shorts to reversible bikini ensembles. www.69slam.com Yak Map. T.8

OLD MEETS NEW Magnificent Javanese joglo architectural style, Balinese hospitality and modern deluxe comforts – et voila! You’ve ended up at Villa Berawa. A new little gem in the heart of Berawa’s peaceful rice fields, and a short walk to Berawa Beach (a convenient tenminute drive to all the action in Seminyak), Villa Berawa comprises a series of stunning accommodations, featuring one-bedroom villas, two-bedroom pool villas, and masterpiece three-bedroom pool villa (450sqm) with a seductive Pendopo – old-style outdoor living-dining area. Facilities run to main pool and traditional restaurant – Dapur Berawa (“Berawa Kitchen”), dishing-up tasteful lndonesian cuisine and ambience. Tel: 0361 4737600 www.villaberawabali.com Yak Map. K.1 SEEING BALI DIFFERENTLY Tauzia Hotel Management Group has launched its latest property, the Harris Hotel Bukit Jimbaran. With 245 rooms and suites, this striking new hotel is suitable for business and leisure travelers alike. Spacious guestrooms come equipped with flat screen TVs, innovative design elements, flexible workspaces, and WiFi access throughout. Perched atop the ”Bukit”, this Harris is Bali’s loftiest hotel with incredible panoramas over Jimbaran Bay. It’s a mere ten minutes from Uluwatu Temple, Dreamland Beach, and more. The rooftop wedding chapel presents stunning 360-degree views, as does their magnificent rooftop bar-restaurant – the venue for the Harris’ 'Warming Party, set for June 15. Other facilities on offer include meeting rooms; Kids’ Club; H’ Spa and pool; and golf packages with new Kuta Golf Club. Opening promotional rates from Rp.498,000 available until June 30. Tel: 0361 8468777 www.harrishotels.com

MULIA SPA Experience the ultimate in pampering and bliss at the Mulia Resorts & Villas’ newest exquisite facility in Nusa Dua, the Mulia Spa. Complete with 20 treatment rooms, the Wellness Suite by Sweet Spa includes Hammam tables, which were awarded the prestigious Innovation award for best new wellness product by the Belgium Trade Fair and Beauty and Wellness Magazine. In addition, guests can luxuriate in the Finnish wood sauna with eucalyptus fragrance, Aroma steam room, outdoor meditation and yoga area and the Spa Beverage Bar, which serves healthy fruit juices and herbal infusions. However, the highlight of the spa is Asia Pacific’s only Ice Fountain room with Chroma Therapy chakra cleansing colours and a Hydro-tonic pool with hot and cold-water baths that are excellent for detoxification, balancing metabolism and soothing aching joints. Tel: 0361 3017777 www.themulia.com

WHAT’S COOKING? LUKE MANGAN’S SALT TAPAS OPENING SOON AT SENTOSA SEMINYAK

Luke Mangan is one of Australia’s leading chefs and restaurateurs and a shining example of Australia’s culinary culture. Now he’s growing that culture in Sentosa Seminyak, home to his latest restaurant, Salt tapas. Daily from 11am until late For reservations call Sentosa Seminyak on (0361) 737 675

www.salttapasbali.com Jl. Pura Telaga Waja, Petitenget, Seminyak Bali, Indonesia 80361 t. +62 361 730333 | f. +62 361 730333 info@sentosaseminyak.com | www.sentosaseminyak.com

Bean bags, bunnies and assorted Bali barang.

Union Jack bean bag from Soo Santai, Rp2,095,000 www.soosantai.com

www.no-11.com

Eleven Boutique at potatohead,

T's by Norse Projects from

LED light

by piment rouge,

Rp2,670,000

www.pimentrougelighting.com

T-SHIRT & SHORT PANTS BY NAKAL, ORIGAMI BAG BY KATSUNORI UEDA, TABLE BY KARTEL www.sksbali.com

BB TRansverse boardshort rp599,000

batukaru by Kevala Home rp285,000

www.billabong.com

www.kevalaceramics.com

chilli ganache from pod-chocOlate

Curly shoes come in a variety of shapes and sizes

made to order. www.pod-chocolate.com

www.facebook.com/curlybali

CAMDEN DESK RP3,900,000 www.thehobostore.com

Bunnie & Clyde resin sculptures available in five colours from www.cowboycivilians.com, Rp1.300.000 each.

PROFILE "There was no schooling. My job at the circus was publicity."

Mark Baker went from the wrong end of the street to the top of the new york nightlife pile, writes salvador bali. photo: spencerhansen.net.

Show time . . . Mark Baker, 50 years old and born in Brighton, England. Let’s get a bit of your background. When I was eight I started travelling with Chipperfields Circus. I did that for two-and-a-half years. For a young boy, it was filled with wonderful and terrible things – it was an insane and unusual upbringing. What happened to your schooling? There was no schooling. My job at the circus was publicity. They dressed me as a clown, sat me on the roof of a van with a loud speaker and drove around the towns we played at. My father died when I was very young, along with most of my relatives. My mother had a nervous breakdown, so there was no one really to stop me . . . What about the authorities? Well the circus is a place where people sort of hide and I met all kinds. There was a murder in a town the show was at, and police came to question everyone. When it came to my turn I was immediately sent home, but a week later I was back. I got the travel bug very young and learned to take care of myself quickly by becoming street-smart. How about the academic side? There was a wonderful Russian trapeze artist with the show who tutored me occasionally, and as time went by I became self-taught. I did go to primary school, which was a horrible experience. Mrs Brockway, a freaking monster, totally took advantage of me. . . . I had one of those too, a Mrs Prescott. I think we’ve all had one of those. With all that’s happened in my life, I have forgiven everyone, but Mrs Brockway, never. The way she singled me out and tortured me was unforgivable – there was no one to protect me. Eventually my mother managed to get me into one of the most prestigious schools in England. I was a charity case – two a year and I was one of them. I was light years ahead of the other boys because of my experiences. I was way ahead of my classmates and got expelled for sleeping with one of the Portuguese kitchen workers. I was 12. Twelve? She was hot, what can I tell you! And I fell madly in love with her. She was 17. I did my share of fighting as well, so I was classified as an undesirable. That was for nine months and the end of my illustrious career in school.

Then what, pray tell? From that I went back to Brighton and started skateboarding. I was 14, then at 15 I met up with the Dog Town Boys from Venice Beach, California, who were leading the whole skateboarding movement. I started to go on tour with them around the world doing shows, and I became one of the top three skaters in the world . . . definitely the top skater in Europe. . . I was called Mad Mark Baker. A name that stuck . . . At that point I had no idea what to do with my life. I started inventing stuff on the skateboard in pools and pipes and so forth, and so there was lots of publicity – magazines, television and movies. It ended when I was 19, and I found myself back in Brighton with no education, in a tough town filled with queers, peers and racketeers. I had no money left so I worked selling insurance for six months – the most torturous time of my life. Horrible. Okay, so by this time you’re in your 20s? I was in Greece and ran into some New York guys who invited me to come and visit them, and I loved that idea. I had an old Porsche at the time, so I shipped that with me and headed for the Big Apple, where I found out there was a demand for grey-market cars. So I started importing Jaguars, Rolls Royces . . . the works. But I still had no money. I was importing these flash cars but had no money for gas. We had to do the siphoning trick. I remember coming into New York City the first night . . . there was this rumbling of energy that I will never forget, under the tunnel straight to Manhattan, then to this nightclub called Area. It was the craziest, wildest freak show I’d ever seen – a thousand people standing outside waiting to get in. I looked up and saw Jules, one of my skateboard buddies running the door. I shouted at him, and we were whisked in by the security guys. That was the turning point of my life, entering that club. I said to myself, this is my town and I’m never going to leave it. I stayed for 30 years and made that my business. And now comes the nitty-gritty of this interview . . . For a living, at the beginning as I said, was importing cars and eventually everything got smashed up by my partner, so we went into the furniture business. I was delivering into the worst neighbourhoods in the Tri State area and really getting to know New York. Back then when it came to the Bronx, man, it was like going into a war zone, and I became the repo man. Eventually it became too dangerous, too many crazy crack heads shooting

PROFILE

at us . . . end of that story. I was hanging out at this super cool restaurant on the Upper East Side called Café Pacifico. Mick Jagger, David Bowie and the like were there. This was the beginning of the ‘80s and I still had the Rolls Royce and I went to the lady who owned the place – Gloria De Mann, a notorious New York nightlife icon – and I asked her for a job. She let me join the team and I started working as a waiter and became friends with the staff who were going to all the after-hour clubs in New York. Then one night I spied this 300-pound guy having the time of his life surrounded by models. His name was Frankie Scinlaro and he was putting on model shows with all these top girls. Man, I wanted his job. I started to build a network of friends who knew people and started to do parties with models who knew models and it started to blow up. During that time I had built up my finances and became the general manager of Café Pacifico and then bought into the place as a partner, and so it began. At what point did Bali come into the picture? Every year I used to take two, three months off and travel around Asia – Thailand and surrounds – I was also training kick boxing with my travel partner, Alan . . . it was a way to keep healthy and fit. Bali was always a dream for me and I knew one day I would get there, and when I did I fell in love. I knew I would one day return to Bali and stay. Always had love and respect for the island and its people. So now we’re back in New York? During that time span I had built up the hottest club in New York called Metro C.C. on 17th Street. Again with the hottest models, celebrities, you name it, and the whole supermodel thing was just blowing up . . . so it was a question of the right place right time. Then disaster hit, I had a terrible motorbike accident, laid up for nearly a year – physically and mentally broken. During that time there was a big crackdown on the nightlife scene due to a big fire in one of the illegal clubs in the Bronx . . . a hell of a lot of people died at an illegal underground club. With all the hullabaloo and press, my place was a prime target – that was in ‘95. My place was shut down, then the crash. I came back to Bali to heal and fell in love with it even more. That led to the Millennium event you did here in 2000? Yes, I’m a workaholic and I had been promoting events all over the world – opening clubs during Grand Prix, film festivals, fashion weeks, so I thought to myself, why not bring something to Bali where my crowd could share the festivities. There were enough people here then, so why not? The event lasted for 10 days . . . dinners, spiritual happenings, parties. I had 1,000 people come down for the millennium paying good money and most were quite demanding, so I wanted to give them the best. Before the party we enlisted the help of all the local priests – our rain insurance – that was one non-stop party. It nearly broke me. I didn’t sleep for a week. In any case, it was a rude awakening getting things done in Bali. At 11.55 on New Year’s eve with a big production of DJs, 30 twenty-foot papier mâché ogoh-ogoh figures, seating on the beach,

fireworks and floats, helicopters and sailing ships, with the priests chanting . . . and just at that moment the electricity went out. Freaking out, five minutes to go on the millennium and all you could hear was the bells and smells of the incense and chanting of the priests. I have goose bumps telling you this – it was the most magical moment of my life. You could see thunderstorms all around us, and lightning and not a drop of rain came on us. At the same time our competitors’ parties got washed away, and at exactly 12 midnight the electricity came on. Fireworks, DJs, everybody just lost it, unbelievable. I presume this gave you a shot in the arm, so to speak? Absolutely. Back in New York for the next 10 years I started owning and operating some of the most well known venues in nightlife: Lotus, The Mansion, Double Seven, Life, Buddha Bar, Metro, Flowers and the Bowery Bar . . . on and on. Then I ended up opening the meatpacking district as it was the last stand of nightlife. You’re at the top of the pops, the Godfather of NY nightlife, then you stopped . . . why? I just started to burn out . . . it took a toll on my personal life. I had just got married and had a honeymoon in 2005 in Ubud. I was still wild and working in New York. And my marriage wasn’t working out. I took a year off and re-evaluated my whole life. The main thing was how to continue in this business in a healthy way . . . it’s brutal physically and mentally; relationships and so on. What do I do? I don’t know anything else, I know the club business and marketing, that’s what I know. So after much deliberation I came to the conclusion to dive back into the business, make myself very healthy, cut all the bad habits out and spend the next five years climbing my way back to the top again. So this led to us making moves in Asia and ending up in Bali. You’re setting up an exclusive entertainment venue here . . . Well it’s not so large so it will be somewhat selective, it’s a lounge but not a disco, and we create amazing cocktails, and, of course, the energy level goes up as the night goes on. People can jump up on the tables and dance, but they can also sit down and have a cocktail, and even hear each other talking, it’s hopefully the next level – somewhat sophisticated but fun and sexy . . . Do you have a name for the place? Yes, the Town House. I think Bali is in need of an upscale lounge and restaurant, and a gourmet cafe and juice place as well. Any other projects? Construction is about to start with an amazing beachfront restaurant, deck and spa on the Bukit, next to the Karma Kandara. That will start sometime this summer. Again it will be about quality, not quantity . . . upscale. Also working on producing festivals and events in a responsible way without upsetting the authorities. We have great relationships, not only here, but with people in Jakarta and throughout the region. Mark, good luck to you . . .

PROFILE

Virginia Isakova. “Life is trash without Love”

Born in 1989 in Dagestan – near the borders of Russia, Turkey and Iran – of a Muslim mother and a Jewish father, virginia isakova had A turbulent and experimental adolescence which ushered her, eventually, into meditation and what was to become her philosophy – the Law of Karma. today she's an artist in bali. words: stephanie Mee. styling chrstina. photo: anthony dodds.

"When I was going to sleep, I could hear the planes. the walls were shaking.â&#x20AC;?

76 creating it.”

reflecting the mood I was in when

“Each piece has its own personal meaning,

PROFILE

Virginia Isakova is a new girl in town and an up-and-coming buzzing artist, creating colourful, cosmic, somehow Dali-esque collages – and starting a graphic collaboration with Miss Milne clothing brand. Virginia’s collages gather a balanced and geometrical combination of elements evoking nature, humanity or space – with an echo of the depths of humanity through bright lights and dark shades. The images strike the eye and mind, leading one to deep inner thoughts, as she is absorbed in a universe of vibrating emotions. Patiently and meticulously, the artist glues together a selection of pictures cut out from the world’s magazines – until she reaches the “signifier“, the feeling she was looking for. “Each piece has its own personal meaning, reflecting the mood I was in when creating it,” Virginia says. “To understand what I’m trying to say, one has to feel the emotions that surrender to each artwork. It’s like a musician creating music with a special feeling. “Where do people get their inspiration? From the drama or happiness in their lives, from all the different types of emotions. And someone listening to this music would get that feeling – either it is a sad or funny emotion. It’s the same for me. Except I just use colours.” Still young – she is only 23 – the Russian beauty, with her long dark hair and delicate moves had already lived a full life, before her path led her to Bali. Virginia was born in October 1989 in Dagestan – near the borders of Russia, Turkey and Iran – of a Muslim mother and a Jewish father. With a complicated family story – her father was already married with kids – she was raised in the atmosphere of love . . . an omnipresent feeling in her work, and guiding her behaviour in life. “Love is the secret to everything,” she says. “Every move you make, every thought and every word you say should be about love. And when you forget about it, everything just goes wrong. Life is trash without love.” As war was raging in close-by Chechnya . . . “At some point, we had no water, no gas, no electricity. I remember my mother heating tea in an iron cup with a candle. When I was going to sleep, I could hear the planes, the walls were shaking.” Her father decided to send the family to Moscow when Virginia was six,

giving her a strict religious education in a Jewish girls’ school. “I don’t like religions, I don’t like making borders. (But) I do believe in God because of all these heartbeats, trees growing, sun shining, all of this in the middle of nowhere . . . this world is a giant miracle! I love being free to love God in my own way.” A turbulent and experimental adolescence ushered her, after few years, into meditation and what was to become her philosophy – the Law of Karma. “The way you work out the lessons that universe gives you makes who you are,” she says. After graduating and working for a major advertising company in Moscow, she soon realised she didn’t want to work in an office, in a system that didn’t attract her. “It was like I was acting, like it’s not my life . . . and it was absolutely useless for me.” Israel was her first choice for a new life but she felt the call from Bali: “When my best friend, my soul mate, returned from holidays, she simply told me ‘this is our home’, and that was it: I had to go to Bali. “Why should I choose somewhere else? In my mind, Bali has all the things I love and need – the believing, the meditation, and people living in karma . . . this is how I think the world exists. I just realised I wanted to be in that atmosphere.” For a year, she saved as much money as she could, doing all kind of jobs – even as a waitress in one of Moscow most famous strip clubs, The Egoist. “I stopped when I felt it was taking my soul out of me. I was seeing too much of the human dark side . . . all the money people would spend just to have a waitress sitting with them,” Virginia says. “I couldn’t do it anymore. I had stopped doing all forms of art. I had stopped meditating . . .” Karma again – a friend gave her the money she needed to take off: “I thought the universe was sending this to me – I bought my ticket the week after, one-way only.” After four months on the Island of Gods, with it ups and downs – among others, a passionate yet complicated love story – she rushed back into her art, where she finally recovered her stability. “Bali has a really strong energy I feel and that helps me keep moving,” Virginia says. “(When things went pear-shaped), I just closed my eyes and started to meditate again to find out – because the answer is always inside.” Her collages are the reflection of her personality – patches of emotion that at once bring together creativity and a vivid sensation. She signs her work “Never Die” because, “life is existing forever, and karma, destiny, and the world work together”.

PROFILE charley boorman is AN intrepid TV adventurer and friend of ewan McGregor â&#x20AC;&#x201C; he's also son of director john Boorman, a fan of deus motorbikes and an all round top guy. Tony Stanton spent 15 minutes with him. photos: anthony dodds.

Boorman the biker dressed as Evel Knievel.

Hi Charley. First of all we're fans of your work, and we'd like to get into your pedigree a bit – you are from a pretty famous showbiz family . . . Yes. My dad was the director John Boorman and I suppose as children – I’ve got three sisters – he used to put us into all these movies. We travelled all over the world with him. So we went from South Carolina to the South Pacific, over to L.A., over all these years, but our main base was Ireland. We’d go along with him and if there were any movie parts for children he’d throw us in . . . because we were cheap labour. The first film I did was Deliverance – I had a tiny part in that. You were the kid at the end, right? Or the kid with the banjo? No, not the banjo kid . . . luckily. But at that age it was difficult for me to look in the right direction on set – to get the eye line right with the camera. I remember my dad bought me a tricycle so whenever I had to do a scene he would place it where I needed to be looking, and told me if I got things right I could have it. It was all a bit dodgy really. I can imagine. So what was it like on set, given that you were so young . . . you were six or seven? You didn’t really know what was going on – just hanging out with dad and off you went . . . and he’d chuck you in the odd movie. I remember I used to go off with his driver when dad was on set – he’d keep me occupied by driving along the road and we’d shoot at people’s letterboxes with his handgun. “Don’t tell your dad . . .” he’d say. How old were you when you first watched that movie? I was pretty young – maybe nine or 10. Oh god . . . Actually I was more shocked by The Exorcist – because my dad made The Exorcist II – and I remember sitting down and watching it when I was 11 or 12, and, fuck me, that was disturbing. I remember dad saying, “maybe I shouldn’t have made you do this . . .” Yeah, right – it’s a bit late now . . . So we grew up not really realising what was going on. And it was only when I went to school properly – because when we were travelling we always had tutors – that the other kids said, “oh your dad’s a film director”. It was only later I realised that what he did was potentially cool.

. . . and all the other movies he did as well, with Angie Dickenson, Lee Marvin, and people like that – were you there for that? Yes, Lee Marvin was my godfather so we pretty much knew him all his life. Dad and Lee were best mates . . . and it was really because of him that dad got his film career going. Lee Marvin approached dad and said, “I want you to film my next movie”, which was Point Blank. That movie was super successful – it was really the first “violent” film. And then they made another beautiful movie together and became mates for life. We remember seeing the footage of Lee Marvin and Bruce Lee talking to camera – they were probably the two coolest people of that generation . . . Lee Marvin was the man. He was a Marine who fought in the South Pacific during WWII. He had a terrible battle at one stage where his whole platoon was killed except for him and another guy. The other guy saved his life. I think that affected him forever and probably explained why he was such a big drinker. He never truly came back from that war. It was bizarre that he went from this Marine to being an actor. That’s what we love about the movie business – that it does attract these types of people. Your mate Ewan (McGregor) is kind of like that – he’s attractive but it’s not really about the way he looks . . . he’s got it onscreen . . . My mother all her life had been exposed to famous people, to Hollywood, and to all that kind of stuff and she never really batted an eyelid. But every time Sean Connery would walk in to the room she’d go weak at the knees. And we’d known Sean forever . . . he’s got “it”. So Charley, these days you are into the TV adventure thing . . . is there anywhere you haven’t been that you want to go to? There’re lots of places. I’ve seen a lot but there’re huge amounts yet to do. The whole of Central and South America I haven’t really been to. There are just so many places – the whole of India, China, Burma. There’s always somewhere to go but it’s always about trying to convince people to give me the money to make the TV show. That’s always a big hard sell. And you’d think that as you made more and more TV shows it would get easier, but it actually gets harder and harder.

PROFILE

"the best thing about all the travelling is coming home and shagging my wife."

That’s the whole thing about show business – no show, no business . . . You’d think show business is about the ego thing, about the glamour . . . but it’s like anyone who lives in any city, anywhere really – you get an idea and you have to tout it around. Somebody gives you the money and then you’ve got to go and do it. I guess that the difference about making a TV show is that your failings are much more visible. Let’s talk about Bali, man – what do you think about Bali? What were you doing here? I was making a TV show called Freedom Riders for Star Sports. This show is all about what people do with motorcycles in Asian cities – basically what you can do on a tank of gas in these cities. One of the shows is placed in Bali, and we did a bunch of other places – Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, India and Thailand . . . We hung out with people in these places who use their bikes for work – like one guy who had a little kitchen on the side of his bike and goes off to do his business; people who do motocross; racing on tracks etcetera. It was a lot of fun I must say. I’ve been to Bali quite a few times and am very good friends with Dare Jennings (Deus Ex Machina). He’s got a bloody nice house . . . one of the hidden wonders of the world. And then there’s Deus – the Temple of Enthusiasm – when we were doing the show it just seemed like a natural place to go, and then to head out and have a bit of a laugh on the island. I tried my hand at surfing again . . . but I’m rubbish.

It’s an English thing – we’re hopeless . . . It might well be. What about motorbikes . . . favourite one of all time? I think if I had to pick one it would be the BMW GS. It’s the perfect bike for adventure because it does a little bit of everything. If you’re sitting on an old custom bike, for instance, you’re a bit limited. But the GS can do tracks and dirt roads and highways . . . and then, of course, second best would be any Deus bike. Bless you . . . They are so uber-cool. What’s the best thing about being Charley Boorman? The best thing about all the travelling and all of that is coming home and shagging my wife. But the best thing is that in life you tend to fall into things . . . and that’s the lovely thing about life – you can change your direction in it. I look back to doing a Dakar Rally a few years back – I broke my hand and didn’t finish it. But I felt so lucky that I could enter such an amazing race. I think that was one of my luckiest moments . . . and not dying was a good thing too. That’ll come . . . Yes, but it’s so over-rated . . . Charley, thanks for your time and best of luck. My pleasure.

JUNE 2013

interview

in es “I was at a party one night and I met this guy who really liked my shoes,” says Ines Katamso, a designer finding her way, one step at a time. Words: stephanie mee. styling: christina. Photo: anthony dodds.

“If somebody starts to copy you, it means your product is good. So, don't be mad about it – be proud about what you’ve made.” Ines Katamso should know. Just six months ago she launched her eclectic, vintage-inspired footwear and accessories line, Curly, and already she has seen a slew of copycats in Jakarta pumping out cheaper versions of her shoes – even down to the unique colour combinations and cut-out patterns. Yet, she’s not too bothered, as she knows hers are the real deal. “When I moved to Bali about a year ago, I couldn’t find low-cost, cool and elegant shoes, so I decided to make my own,” she says. “I took a classic English Oxford and played around with the design, mixing the leather and the colours and cutting out sections so they were half open and half closed. People liked the shoes, so I thought why not go with it?” The Curly brand was born out of a chance meeting. “I was at a party one night and I met this guy who really liked my shoes,” she says. “He offered to invest in my brand, but I didn’t really believe him at first. The next day he called and asked me if I had already found a craftsmen, and I was like, ‘wow. Okay then’.” Delve into Ines’ family background and it should come as no surprise that the 22-year-old has followed a creative path in life. Her father was a musician and a batik artist who loved to draw. Her mother and step-brother are both tattoo artists, she has another step-brother who is a graphic designer . . . and her step-sister models in Paris. “When people ask me when it was that I started drawing and designing, I really don’t know what to say. I was surrounded by art when I was growing up, so it’s natural for me. And of course, my family supports me. My mom is my biggest fan,” Ines says. At the age of 22, Ines graduated from an art and design school in Marseilles with a specialisation in fashion design. She was set to take the design world by storm, but she found it difficult to find job opportunities in France and was looking for new inspiration. “After my studies, I wanted to go back to my Indonesian roots,” she says. “The first place that came to mind for art and design was Bali. Jakarta was an option, but I don’t like cities. Cities are great

for some people, but I like rice fields. Also, there are a lot of talented people here. It’s crazy because it’s so small, but that’s what interested me.” Upon arriving in Bali, Ines landed a job as a designer with a Bali-based fashion label and devoted her free time to creating her distinctive black ink drawings that feature intricate line work and bold patterns. “I don’t think of myself as an artist,” she says. “I’m more like an illustrator. And I can’t really say what my style is. It’s always changing, always moving and organic. Every time I create something, I try to make it more personal. I might change the medium and try this or try that, but there’s always a bit of me in it. That’s just my style.” When she’s not exhibiting her drawings, showcasing her shoes in fashion shows or designing new bags and accessories, Ines is learning the ins and outs of the business side of the fashion industry. “I’m trying to be more professional now,” she says. “At first, I would just show up at shops and ask them if they wanted my product, but I would have to direct them to my Facebook page. Imagine doing that in Paris. I think the customers and the shops here in Bali are really cool. They know that I’m a young designer so they understand.” With her catalogue just finished, Ines will soon be taking her handmade shoes and bags on the road to Jakarta. “I’m not sure about the market in Jakarta, as I’ve never been there, but I think the fashion design is getting better and better. People have really good taste there, and I’m really proud about that,” she says. For most people, balancing a full-time job with a budding fashion brand and forging a path in the world of art exhibition would be too much to handle, but Ines pulls it off with aplomb. “I’m an active girl, so I love it,” she says. “Plus, the illustrations and designs are interconnected. Curly helps me become more business oriented and organised, and the art makes me free. One helps me to focus and the other refreshes my mind, so they’re in balance.” Any last words of advice for the up-and-coming designer? “It’s important to make your work personal. For sure you can get inspiration from other people, but make it your own. That way you won’t get bored with it. In the end, you have to love your product first.”

"I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think of myself as an artist."

omnibus

what is it about the human race that makes us suspicious, paranoid and xenophobic of people who appear different? by andrew e. hall.

omnibus

“The Martians are coming, the Martians are coming” . . . was a concept that sent a chill up the collective spine of Americans on Halloween in 1938. Of course, the Martians weren’t coming, nor any other alien species – it was a hoax radio broadcast perpetrated by Orson Welles, based on H.G. Wells’ (1897) novel The War of the Worlds.

difference and how we, as humans, deal with it. Is it we who in one moment fibrillate wildly as the Alien attacks Sigourney Weaver, and in the next ring a radio talkback show to remonstrate about how “illegal aliens” are invading “our” fair shores? In Australia a “debate” has been raging for some time about people from

But a lot of people fell for it.

countries that are torn by strife and various forms of prejudice, who risk life and

They had visions of being invaded by exotic creatures with even more

limb to cross the seas – often in less-than-seaworthy craft – to find a better life.

exotic technologies with which to visit destruction and despair upon innocent

A life that is less prone to wanton oppression, slaughter and savagery. These

Earthlings. Such was the extent of people’s paranoia that no one stopped to

people are the “aliens” Australians are most afraid of. No worries about the man-

think for a moment the Martians might well have been a bunch of curly-haired

eating wombat from space, but no bloody way to some “reffo” from Afghanistan

goodniks in a cosmic Combi van come to spread the love.

or Sri Lanka.

No, no, when it comes to the “other” it’s always a bad trip. Furthermore, if they’d read Wells’ book properly, they would have realised

They’re all terrorists you know. Asylum-seekers have become a political football. They have become the

that all one need do was sneeze on the extra terrestrials to do them in . . . the

focus of fears that grew out of the attacks on the World Trade Centre and

common cold for the win.

Pentagon – and a long history of xenophobia left over from being part of the

Within a month more than 12,000 newspaper articles had been written about

British Empire. The reaction to “them” has brought shame upon a nation that,

the broadcast because of the widespread panic it caused. Orson Welles was well

otherwise, has a reasonable record on human rights issues – if one ignores

happy.

the outrages meted out to the indigenous peoples who lived there for about

And in his usual self-effacing way Adolf Hitler referred to the American public’s reaction as “evidence of the corrupt condition and decadence of democracy”. We all marvelled at his alternative. Our popular culture is rife with the risks posed by those from parts foreign. It

50-thousand years before the white man invaded (and who were “granted” citizenship in 1967). I am blessed to be godfather to an Aboriginal woman and cousin to her mother who was adopted into my (white middle-class) family when she was a

all started with what became known as the “invasion literature” genre – the first of

child. Over the years I have been privileged to see the world through their eyes,

which is recognised as the 1871 novella by George Tomkyns Chesney, The Battle

and as a family, we have been blessed to learn about Ashley and Carol’s cultural

of Dorking (a wonderfully understated title about a fictional invasion of Britain by

heritage, which is rich and profound. But many Australians remain blinkered in

Germany).

their WASP-ish ways – prejudiced and pejorative of the plight still faced by many

Perhaps the Martians are coming after all. A filmic alien that freaked me out in my younger days was a thing called The Thing, which was not only able to survive untold years embedded in Arctic

of Ash and Carol’s people. It’s a fear response in a herd mentality. It whispers: “This is mine and you can’t have it.” In similar fashion to how white Australia treated the indigenous peoples in

ice but, when it thawed out, had a penchant for tearing people to bits – for no

the past (and in some significant ways, still does) both major political parties in

particular reason I could fathom. Not only that, if you hacked its arm off with an

Australia have morphed the “boat people” into a modern-day Godzilla. They are a

axe, it grew another one. It was just what I needed in a time when there was

threat to national security. They are a threat to “our” identity.

considerable publicity against even spookier things abroad in the world . . . communists. I’m reminded of an old joke (hopefully some of you are old enough to remember the characters): The Lone Ranger (of “hi-ho Silver” fame) and his faithful (Native American)

Some fine examples of that identity can be witnessed in Kuta on any given night of the week. The current federal government – floundering in the polls and about to get flogged in an election later this year – rather than standing on its traditional (leftleaning) values, is kowtowing to the mean-spirited in an effort to garner a couple

companion, Tonto, are surrounded by a tribe of hostile Native Americans who are

more votes. It consigns the weak, the afraid and the vulnerable to veritable

intent on seeking redress for the trials and tribulations visited upon them by the

concentration camps. As did various governments before it. It spends more than

white man.

two billion dollars to keep these people locked up.

“Don’t worry Tonto we will fight our way out of this,” says the Lone Ranger.

They’re all terrorists you know.

Tonto replies: “Who is this we Kimosabe.”

The government-in-waiting will be worse.

Who indeed. In an excellent rhetorical twist, I am reliably informed that Tonto’s “Kimosabe” translates as “horse’s arse”. Much of our popular culture and literary tradition speaks about notions of

It will engage in a colonialist finger-wagging exercise at anyone and everyone in the region including Indonesia – because this country is an important hub and way station in the people-smuggling business. There are some here who make large amounts of money from the fear and desperation of others.

right: popular culture is rife with the risks posed by those from parts foreign.

omnibus

To be fair, there is considerable pushback (even in some unlit corners of the Australian media) against the current policy as it pertains to refugees . . . but it’s like trying to have a game of Chinese Whispers in a hurricane. It was only 40 years ago that the government of the day repealed the White Australia Policy whereby racial profiling was used to vet those who could immigrate to the country. The policy was enforced to a greater or lesser

degrade one’s (real or imagined) foes to the point where they become less than human . . . easier to kill them that way. New Zealand recently became the first country in the southern hemisphere to legalise gay marriage. Quite progressive, the Kiwis – they were the first in the world to enfranchise women as well. I have many gay friends and have witnessed, first-hand, the trauma and

extent from 1901 to 1973. Australians howled at the white South African

discrimination they have suffered for having the temerity to express love for

regime while indulging their own form of apartheid. It was not until 1992 that

another human being outside the boundaries of heterosexuality.

the High Court of Australia ruled that the lands of the continent were not terra

nullius – i.e. that the lands belonged to no one – before European settlement. Aboriginal peoples were finally recognised as the traditional owners of their country after more than two centuries of disabuse and disenfranchisement. In the cut and thrust of “us” and “them” the Australian prime minister, Julia Gillard once remarked to US president, Barack Obama: “You think it’s hard being black . . . you should try being a woman.”

The gay marriage debate is raging on many fronts in many countries. There is a quaint notion that “true” love can only be expressed between a man and a woman. As one of my gay friends likes to quip: “These mixed marriages will never work . . .” In some ways he’s right – about 50 per cent of them end in divorce. When I was at school “poofter-bashing” used to be a popular pastime for

Jules, you should try being Aborigine, or Afghani, or Palestinian, or . . .

some. We all know what the Nazis did to gays . . . and all the other “others”

Try being a woman in Pakistan where there are those who are wont to

they didn’t happen to like.

shoot you in the head for the effrontery of insisting that women have a right to

Have we not evolved to a point whereby the franchise on love can be

education, no less so than a man’s. Although it could be argued that the kind

extended to every human being? Are we so insecure, so possessive that

of man who would harm a woman in such a manner (in any manner at all for

we still need to believe in an idea that was more than likely formalised as the

that matter) is less than educated . . . except in the ways that absolve him of

result of a simple need to procreate. There are seven billion of us now. We’re

responsibility for such excesses of patriarchy.

fucking up the planet. For the first time in three million years carbon dioxide

In the room of mirrors who is looking back at us?

(and its greenhouse gas relatives) has reached more than 400-parts-per-

Is it the person who bangs on about her or his interpretation of the

million in our atmosphere.

Almighty and refuses to take a sick child to hospital because of blind faith in Divine intervention? In the game of “who the fuck are you” religion casts an eerie shadow over

And we’re still having a sit-down drag-out brawl about whether two men or two women who love each other are fit to be parents. Are deserving of sharing their worldly goods and chattels with each other inside the legal

the contestants. We’re not talking about faith here – everyone should be able

frameworks that protect heterosexual couples. We’re still doing what the

to connect with that which is higher than themselves in their own way. Faith is

Nazis and some of my contemporaries at school did.

a good thing, although not blind faith (the band was okay though). Indonesia is an encouraging example of relative inter-religious harmony. The Pancasila recognises five religions: Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism and Buddhism – and in this vastly populated nation there is a notable lack of friction between those who profess their membership of these discreet groupings. But underpinning the religious layering in the

Some of “us” still seethe at the thought of watching “them” standing in a beautiful place exchanging vows and rings. Grow up! As Rabbi Julius Gordon says: “Maturity implies otherness . . . The art of living is the art of living with.” And back in Australia, despite the current furore about asylum seekers,

archipelago (and on Java in particular) is something referred to as kejawen

we can see what this form of maturity achieved from the 1970s onwards

– a fundamental (not fundamentalist) animist amalgam that binds people

when a previous wave of refugees sought asylum from the war in Vietnam.

together through manifesting the mysteries of the natural, and “supernatural”

These people who spent long times in leaky boats have become some of

worlds. Balinese Hindus relate to this amalgam through the concepts of

the most patriotic Australians. They brought with them a culture that is rich

sekala (the seen) and niskala (the unseen).

and profound, they have brought a culinary tradition that is delicious and

In other places no such bonding agent exists.

delightful. Vietnamese Australians have added to, not detracted from, the

During The Troubles in Northern Ireland the conflict was painted on the

wider Australian “we” for all but the most nationalist troglodyte.

canvas of Catholic versus Protestant. What it really was, was a tug of war

It is more than likely that Afghanis, Iraqis, Sri Lankans, and others – if

between the haves and the have-nots. Religion often provides an easy way of

they are given the opportunity – will similarly enrich the societies they find

them' debate

identifying the “other” though, and offers an absolution mechanism for doing

themselves in if they are offered the hand of friendship.

extends

“them” harm.

the 'us and

beyond colour to

Catholics and Protestants derive their understandings of The Divine

As British author and commentator, Karen Armstrong, puts it: “ . . . sometimes it’s the very otherness of a stranger, someone who doesn’t

from the same source, as do Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims – they simply have

belong to our ethnic or ideological or religious group, an otherness that can

of our diverse

a different way of interpreting the texts. But in the struggle for wealth and

repel us initially, but which can jerk us out of our habitual selfishness, and

world.

power it is all too easy to don the cloak of righteous indignation and to

give intonations of that sacred otherness, which is God.”

every corner

BEAUTY

culture vulture

B EFORE

AGE photographer christopher leggett searches for the soul in a world of contradictions.

"If I get it right," says Leggett, "when you look at a portrait you will see beyond the wrinkles to the essence of their lives."

culture vulture "I came from the old school, where one spent years just trying to be master of the negative."

Christopher . . . enjoyed our recent lunch together. Most civilized. Should we start with the baking soda? It seems appropriate somehow. Tell us about your family. My father’s family business, for the last six generations, has been mostly known for its Arm & Hammer Baking Soda. My grandmother was a princess and my mother a baroness. My grandfather was the engineer who invented the radio for the Marconi Company. Now can we talk about what is important to me, i.e. photography? Fair enough. When did you first pick up a camera? Age six. It was a Brownie box camera. I remember taking a photo of chestnuts roasting in the living room fireplace and my dad told me that if I wanted to waste film, I should buy my own. The thinking in those days was that cameras were mostly for shooting people. But then my mother used the image for our Christmas card that year and dad kept on buying me film. How would you define your style as a photographer? I come from the old school, where one spent years just trying to be master of the negative, using what we now call “chemical cameras”. One had to do all the effects in camera, as there was no Photoshop. When one used medium and large format cameras, there was no magical do-it-all “P” setting, so one needed to be very astute technically. With these well-honed skills and having the first photo studio in Bali with all the right gear, I became a default commercial photographer. I am also happy to observe the frustrated artist in me is appearing more and more. Tell us about the images on these pages . . . The other day I read an interview in The Yak with a photographer – a rather talented one at that – who said, “photography can be a lot more than just sharp digital images of Indonesians with wrinkly faces”, and although I agree that is an apt description of what I enjoy doing, I love shooting old people because, first, I have to get them to let me not just shoot them, but to spend time with them so that they start letting me see and hopefully capture their inner beauty. If I get it right, when you look at a portrait you will see beyond the wrinkles to the essence of their lives – the way they looked when they were young, with traces of the fortunes and misgivings that life chose for them. That’s what should be visible under those wrinkles.

Well that is certainly what comes through for us. It’s easy to see the children in your subjects. How do you make everyone comfortable when you’re shooting? I just talk to them. I spend time with them. I always go back and find them and give them prints of the shots. Some of them don’t even remember me when I go back. How do you find your subjects? Destiny. I don’t know. The best of it was the lady in Flores. I was walking around a fish market and I spotted this woman – so I shot her, then showed her the image on the small monitor on the back of the camera . . . but she couldn’t see, so I gave her my glasses . . . and she immediately started screaming, “adoh! adoh!” She was basically long-sighted, and this was the first time she’d seen clearly. I would have given her my glasses there and then but the boat was leaving and I didn’t have another pair. A few months later my old friends, Pascal and Pika, were visiting Flores, so I bought glasses and made a print and asked them to find her. They did. I now have a picture of her wearing the glasses I bought for her, and she has a smile from ear to ear.

culture vulture

"when possible, i go back and present them with a print of the work."

Virtually Blind, leggett gifted this flores woman a pair of spectacles in return for her patience.

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www.mangovision.tv

travel

Harrison Roach and a squall of Deus riders hit the tracks

in Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Queensland. Photos: anthony dodds.

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On the road: a '78 Ford van, three Deus bikes and a quiver of surfboards.

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travel Ah, the great Australian road trip, there’s nothing like it. This one was inspired by surf legend, Bob McTavish – he’d told tales of his “on the road” exploits up the east coast and inspired us to do it ourselves. With a group of friends, we set out to travel from Sydney to Noosa. This is our story . . . Our convoy involved a borrowed ‘78 Ford van and three motorbikes. We headed north, gripping the handlebars in the first rays of sunshine that Sydney had seen in three days. The dry didn’t last for long, only 30 klicks out of town we hit our first rainsquall. Javanese logger Husni Ridhwan; Noosa local Matt Cuddihy; and I found out just what it’s like to ride through pelting rain at high speeds. With a strong southeaster blowing, the only chance of surf was behind one of the east coast’s notorious headlands . . . and those didn’t have much on offer. It was up to the dirt roads and 650cc of grunt to give us the thrill we were after. The best line I drew was not on a wave . . . it was around a corner. Waves or not, it was nice to be out of the city. We set up camp near one of the back beaches, lit the fire and dried our socks. In typical camping fashion the elders served meals and the youngsters washed dishes. The day’s highlights were reviewed over a couple of beers. That night I fell asleep with the sound of my four-stroke still reverberating in my ears. At sunrise the next morning we were roused from our sleeping bags by the sound of laughter. For the first time ever, Husni experienced demeaning calls from a flock of Kookaburras. As it is most mornings for us, our first priority was surf. One of the boys had already coaxed last night’s coals to flame and a quick cup of coffee was served before we ran down to the beach. After Matt managed to find a tube and the rest of us got our fair share of rides, it was time to move out. By nine o’clock we’d packed up the campsite and rolled back onto the Pacific Highway. We headed north with one of our favourite east coast point breaks as our target. The rains had let off and we rode fast and dry. We noticed paddocks that had turned into lakes, confirming the squalls we’d dealt with in the south had hit just as hard up north. When it rains here, it pours. The road to the

"We set up camp near one of the back beaches, lit the fire and dried our socks."

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coast from Kempsey had been closed for a week before we got there. It opened for us, with only a foot of water to negotiate. Here, those of us on the bikes found out what it was like to be really wet. One of the boys attempted to gas it through the floodwater and ended up wearing wet boots for the rest of the trip. After three klicks in the wake of our old van, we rolled up to the point and surfed in the same brown floodwater that had drenched us so thoroughly on the way in. After a couple of soaking wet days on a motorbike, our whole rat pack was beginning to question whether the ride to Noosa was really a great idea. But as it happens with surfers, when the sun finally did shine and we found a fun wave – all of our worries were forgotten. The conditions weren’t perfect, but it gave us all a chance to ride something other than a motorbike, and my bum was starting to get sore. This may not have been the ultra modern, all-time-swell forecasted style of surf trip, but we were getting wet and having a good time. After a few noserides, a whole lot of paddling and another night in a tent, we made our way back out of town to resume the ride. The sun was out in full force for the first time since we’d left our friends behind at Camperdown. Things were full throttle until we realised that to get back to the highway, we still had to navigate the floodwater. This time, our convoy came off second best. The van got wet where she shouldn’t have and skipped a beat mid-crossing. Luckily, she didn’t blow her load. The same guys who’d stayed dry the day before had to join us in the wet and push until she came. We let her relax for a moment before she kicked over and started moving again. Next stop, Byron Bay. On we went, up the coast of New South Wales, happy to no longer be stranded. On that cool, sunny afternoon, the ride from Grafton to Byron Bay was pure bliss. With van in tow, we rode along the Clarence River, holding tight for the huge gust of wind each time a road train passed. Our excitement increased as we punched through each town, knowing that once Ballina was behind us, we were on the home straight. I’m not much of a believer, but the green hinterland around Byron Bay is how I imagine God’s country. Riding above the grassy hills, soaked in sunshine with a view of the ocean, it felt brilliant to be back in familiar territory. To Husni’s delight, we pointed out Lennox to the south and

never rains in noosa.

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the boys set up camp, ate roasted marshmellows and told ghost stories until they fell aspleep. Not.

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Byron to the north. The Broken Head turn-off took us from the highway towards the Pacific Ocean. From there we melted into the slow moving Byron Bay traffic, riding into town behind a pleasant smelling tour bus returning from Nimbin. On the main street we were welcomed by the sound of bongos and didgeridoos. Avoiding it completely, we rode to the beach and saw what it was that we’d come so far for. From The Pass, all the way to the Shipwreck, perfect waves were spinning along. With only shortboards on the bikes, the faster, spinning peaks at Clarks were the go. We paddled out still full of adrenaline, and surfed until fatigue caught up with us. Two beers later, feeling luxurious, we were fast asleep in a house at Suffolk Park. Byron Bay and its eclectic group of locals, wandering hippies, and backpacker places are always interesting to visit, but this road trip wasn’t dubbed North to Noosa so that we could lose our mind around the Northern Rivers. After a couple of cozy nights in Suffolk Park we were itching to be on the road again. We left Byron and its grassy hills – our final destination just four hours away. No time to visit the Gold Coast, our boards are too weird to be appreciated around the Quiksilver Pro. We were on a direct path to Hastings Street and First Point, Noosa. Once we’d left the Bay, we were content with the knowledge that on this day we would finish our voyage. After five days, three million rain squalls, one flood, and more than a thousand kilometers on two wheels, we finally made it! Matt Cuddihy and I were home. Husni Rihwand had at long last arrived at the place of dreams. We rode straight to the points. Here, at the end of our journey, we found the best waves we’d seen since leaving Camperdown.

"The Broken Head turn-off took us from the highway towards the Pacific Ocean. From there we melted into the slow moving Byron Bay traffic, riding into town behind a pleasant smelling tour bus returning from Nimbin."

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artsake

words: stephanie mee. styling: Christina. bianca portrait by: spencerhansen.net.

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Behind the super laid-back persona, hipster mohawk, bold tattoos and relaxed fashion sense, Bianca Timmerman is a girl that’s got stuff going on. A lot of stuff. Besides her nine-to-five job as a design assistant at clothing line The Story Of, Bianca creates fun and flirty accessories for her own brand Bunny Bone, exhibits her whimsical pencil and ink drawings at galleries, organises a monthly art and design gathering called Black Market, and collaborates with boyfriend Craig Woodroff (owner and designer of the YOKII clothing line) on their eclectic new brand Gold Fang. The level of productivity going on with this Jakarta-born artist and go-getter is enough to make your head spin – and invoke more than a few uneasy twinges of guilt for all those times you tell yourself that there just aren’t enough hours in the day to follow your dreams. “I always wanted to live in Bali ever since I was in high school,” says Bianca. “I just like it here. Maybe it’s a calling – something you can’t explain, but it just drags you here.” Despite the urge to move to Bali directly after finishing high school, Bianca honoured her father’s request to attend college, and completed a three-year fashion design programme. It wasn’t long after that Bianca packed her bags and moved to the Island of the Gods, a move that set her career in motion and put her on the fast track in the art and design world. “I never really felt productive creatively in Jakarta,” says Bianca. “I just can’t think there. All I would think about would be what restaurants to go to or what clothes I should wear so people would take me seriously. Jakarta is a big city with a different culture, and that’s okay. But if I tried to go to an office dressed like this (she points to her faded sleeveless T-shirt dress and prominently displayed tattoos), c’mon man, I’d get fired right away!” When Bianca arrived in Bali, her accessories brand Bunny Bone was born and she began selling her vibrant neon handfans, knitted bandanas and pastel-hued scarves in select stores around the island. She quickly fell in with a crew of like-minded designers and artists, and the first seedlings for Black Market were planted. “Black Market started when two of my girlfriends and I were discussing garage sales,” says Bianca. “We thought it would be fun to do something like that, and we already had the venue at the Black Sheep bar behind Craig’s YOKII shop. It turned out not to be a garage sale, but more a gathering for friends who were making cool things and wanted to sell or promote their products.” In the beginning, the Black Market events were small and consisted of just a few friends setting up stands, enjoying a few drinks and chilling out. As word began to spread, friends began inviting friends, new faces appeared, and the events became a monthly happening. Yet despite its popularity, Black Market still retains its friendly and mellow vibe.

Bianca says: “It’s a creative thing. If people like painting, they can come and create stuff on the walls. Other people showcase their original clothing, and some people even make finger foods. It’s all about just hanging out, talking, listening to music and drinking with friends. It’s also about connecting people. You know, maybe you come to Black Market and you meet other creative people and you decide to work together to create something new. That’s what I love about it. Bianca and her crew aim to have at least one Black Market event a month, and they promote the events via word of mouth or Facebook. “Lots of people know about it now, so we try to do it on a consistent monthly basis, but all of us are working, so it can be hard to get it happening every month,” Bianca says. Most people would have trouble balancing a full-time job and organising a monthly event, but Bianca, the everprogressive artist, still manages to forge forward with new ventures. After a long hiatus from drawing, Bianca picked up the pencil again six months ago and began to work seriously on her illustrations. Her efforts paid off, as she recently exhibited a series of pencil and ink drawings at Swoon Gallery in Sanur that received an overwhelmingly positive response. Bianca and Craig are also currently hard at work creating one-of-a-kind attire for their edgy streetwear line Gold Fang. “We came up with the name Gold Fang when we were hanging out one night, and we thought now that’s a brand name that you can do anything with from clothing to cushions to artwork.” The duo take their inspiration from Craig’s hard metal and skater designs and combine it with Bianca’s more feminine and funky style to create a label that appeals to both sexes and goes above and beyond just clothing. “We don’t want to be restricted to just one thing. The artwork is what matters, the medium can be anything. We’re planning to do screen printing on canvas, home goods, and work with other artist friends who want to create things too,” Bianca says. When you meet a girl as motivated as Bianca, you may wonder what could possibly be next for her. “I like my boss and I don’t feel trapped working a nine-to-five job with her at all, so I’m not ready to let go of that yet. But one day I will want to devote more of my attention to Bunny Bone and Gold Fang,” she says.

bianca : motivated multi-tasker.

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PASSIONS image

[ ANGGA ] ”If I get the images back and somebody has a pimple,” says Bandung-born photographer Angga Pratama ”that’s fine.” Words: Stephanie Mee. Styling: Christina. Portrait: D.Hump.

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From provocative shots of women hanging out au natural to bro’s rocking out at parties, psychedelic fashion stills and seductive portraits, Angga Pratama’s photos are pushing the limits of conventional photography in a way that is both bold and intriguing. Using only old-school film, Angga shoots mainly female models dressed in fresh fashions or in the nude, and candid shots of hipster happenings. At the focus of each photo is a personality and a mood, and Angga doesn’t hold back from using images that stray from the norm. “I only use film because I like the feel and the raw aspect of it,” he says. “Nowadays you look at covers and shoots, and everything is so polished. Nobody looks like that. I just like to shoot things as they are and even if I digitise the images, I don’t do beauty corrections. If I get the images back and somebody has a pimple, that’s fine.” Peruse Angga’s portfolio, and you’ll find that mixed in with the sleek shots are blurry colour shots where the models seem to evaporate into the background, and grainy black and white images that evoke the arcane. Although some photographers may find film to be too finicky, Angga prefers the challenge and the diversity that film affords. “At the lab where I develop my photos, they have a really old machine and they use the chemicals over and over again, so sometimes it washes out my film or even scratches the negatives,” he says. “Sometimes it works, so I use those shots in the final edit. But a lot of people are like: ‘Why would you use this?’. I guess they see polished stuff every day, so in their heads they think that’s how it’s got to be.” Born in Bandung, but schooled in Holland, Angga almost chose a life in the corporate world before he fell into photography. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so

I thought why not try business school,” he says. “I went to an international business school for a year, but I didn’t like it. It just wasn’t for me. I always wanted to make films, so I enrolled in an art academy that offered video and photography. In the second year I had to choose a direction, so I just kind of rolled into photography and found I really liked it.” After graduation, times were tough in Holland, and Angga found himself struggling to find enough jobs to pay the rent. He had visited Bali previously and had many friends here who convinced him to make the move. “I’d love to live in Bandung, but there’s no work there,” he says. “I’m a photographer and my girlfriend is a model, so all the jobs for us are either here or in Jakarta. Jakarta is pretty strict about art, so our choice was Bali. I just like the energy and people here. People in Bali are open-minded and things are more relaxed.” However, despite the fact that Bali is much more laid-back than other places in Indonesia, Angga still faces restrictions when it comes to his artistic freedom, particularly when it comes to nudity. “One time I shot for a magazine here, and the client was like: ‘This is totally awesome, but I can’t print it or the cops will come get me’,” Angga says. “The models weren’t even nude. They were wearing swimsuits and just standing with their legs partly open, but the client still didn’t want to print it. It’s difficult here because when you shoot you have to think about whether it will be okay or not. “In Holland I can just shoot away and everything is fine. That’s one of the biggest differences between working in Europe and Indonesia.” Some may find Angga’s work risqué, but the artist has no shortage of jobs and inspiration in Bali. “There are lots of jobs for photographers here, so if you want them you can have

"women are my favourite subjects."

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them,” he says. “You just have to get your name out there as a new photographer. I just try to work with creative people and get my work out there in magazines and with brands. Also, many of the people I know are really talented, so that’s really inspiring and makes me excited to do my thing.” Although Angga has been referred to as a young Terry Richardson, he claims to have no real influences when it comes to his photography. “I just get ideas, and I’m not sure where they come from. I may be staring at something, and then an idea will come. Or maybe it won’t. It’s sort of a feeling I guess. I really like just going to a location with a model, and if it falls into place, I’ll start shooting away.” As for the technical side of things, Angga says he believes that the only way to learn is not from books or courses, but rather by doing. “I wasted a lot of film before working out how to get the shutter or the light just right. I think you just have to practice, see the results and make note of what you did. Eventually, you’ll have a thing that you like, so you can stick with it or evolve from there.” Angga’s photos might be generating a buzz in Bali and abroad, but the artist still feels he has room to grow. “I’m definitely still learning,” he says. “I learn every time I shoot. The technical side maybe not so much, but more like the direction and how to work with people. For example, women are my favourite subjects, but I have to click with them. There are a lot of beautiful girls, but if it doesn’t click, it doesn’t work.” With a slew of magazine shoots, top brand campaigns and photographic exhibitions under his belt, as well as an upcoming photo shoot in Papua New Guinea for the National Museum in Jakarta, you would think that Angga would have equally huge plans for the future. His response? “I don’t really know what the future holds for me. Maybe I’ll be married with kids, maybe I’ll be in Bali or maybe I won’t, who knows? I’m just going to focus on my photography and see where it goes. You know . . . go with the flow.” angga - going with the flow.

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“I shot for a magazine here, and the client was like: ‘This is totally awesome, but I can’t use it or the cops will come’“

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fashion

photography: heal by photo styling: the Ăś models: kristy and gia hair: james sutton for toni & guy essensuals

make up: juno pchelkina & anastasia shot on location at la favela special thanks to think pink nails shoot video by pres ban productions

top and pants by KTZ. jewellry by Ă&#x2013;zlem esen. ear cuffs by house of malakai. shoes by camilla skovgaard available from prisoners of st. petersburg. belt by miss milne.

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fashion Black sequin dress by ALI CHARISMA. Jewllery: Ã&#x2013;zlem Esen available from a.muse concept store. headpiece by HOUSE OF MALAKAi.

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lace cream dress by ALI CHARISMA. pearl necklace/bracelet by vivien westwood, available from sks. rings by Ă&#x2013;zlem esen, available from a.muse concept store. nose cuff by House of Malakai.

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fashion top and bustier Ă&#x2013;zlem esen. skirt by ali charisma. jewellery by Ă&#x2013;zlem esen. headpiece by house of malakai. shoes by ali charisma.

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top by KTZ. jewellry by Ã&#x2013;zlem esen. ear cuffs by house of malakai.

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fashion gown by house of malakai. headpiece by house of malakai. ring by Ă&#x2013;zlem esen. shoes model's own.

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KTZ dress, worn as a top. skirt by house of malakai. shoes by givenchy. jewellery by Ă&#x2013;zlem esen.

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upcoming

sixteen years old with a passion for photography that's already taking her places. words: lorna jane smith. styling: Christina. photo: d.hump.

When George Bernard Shaw articulated the infamous generational slander “youth is wasted on the young", I don't think he was referring to the likes of 16-year-old photographic prodigy Kenza LeBas. This French native – culturally a Balinese-infused teenager – has the sheer determination that only those who are not of age to possess a driver's license can master. Kenza LeBas' mojo is to work for the magazine that defines her photographic Nirvana – Vogue. Kenza was given her first camera at the age of three in what appeared to be an act of guilty remorse by her father. It was the eve of the birth of her sister – the first rival who, in one of life's magical twists, has become Kenza's muse. One child was born and another child was reborn as a photographer. Four years ago Kenza styled her sister and friends in a photo shoot set in her quintessentially Balinese garden. This shoot initiated Kenza's fairytale. Facebook became her vehicle, and her magical visions have snowballed ever since. Kenza's portfolio displays creative freedom and appears acutely influenced by her two photographic gurus – Italian-born photographer Paolo Roversi encompasses sensuality as a signature throughout his work, and British photographer Tim Walker who combines extravagant staging and romantic motifs to epitomise his style. At the moment the mission is creating a revelation of fashionable imagery that will one day be used as the golden ticket into the chocolate factory.

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I wondered how much her upbringing in Bali has influenced this mission. "Bali obviously has an influence on my photos . . . (it) provides an abundance of stunning settings which I use in many of my photographic stories," Kenza says. “The secret though is to look at the scenery in a different way . . . my way." I was delighted to hear that the narcissist ballad by Frank Sinatra remained trans-generational. Kenza cannot foresee herself remaining in Bali once she completes her secondary education. "Bali has been my creative base, but I need to travel as well or else I believe my creativity will stagnate. Bali is easy, it’s home, it has helped me build my portfolio," she says. A school exhibition of her photography left her floored, in awe, and for the first time, fully exposed. It was the moment that the full range of emotional vulnerability and the fear of public rejection reared its ugly head. But the series sold out and Kenza acquired the confidence to consider herself a photographer of merit . . . a player. Her favourite photo, taken one sunset, is a black and white portrait of her tousle-haired sister crowned with roses and wearing simply an old jumper. The photo is visually bipolar – innocence fighting experience, beauty fighting soul, today fighting yesterday. Kenza loves it for its clarity and purity.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The secret is to look at the scenery in a different way . . . my way."

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words: katie truman

images: spencerhansen.net styling: christina

shot on location at amy's

THE MASTER BLENDER: Name: Pablo Osvaldo Gonzalez. From: Mendoza, Argentina. Occupation: Producer of Plaga wines (United Beverages Bali) – Chief Winemaker. What’s your passion? Why the wine business? Since aged 15, making wine has been my true passion, when I started doing micro-vinification at home with any fruit I could find in the fridge! For 20 years, I’ve been living my dream, experiencing all the various stages of wine production. How are you contributing to Bali’s wine revolution? Developing Plaga Wines is helping introduce wine to new consumers. Today the gap between drinking nothing or drinking beer and starting to drink wine is too wide, down to price, snobbery, etc. Our new wine brand will narrow that gap, bringing fruity, fresh and playful locally produced wines to domestic palates. Proudest achievement/s in the wine industry? I was in charge of 4,000 French and American wooden barrels holding premium icon wine, Finca La Celia, my former vineyard. Winning the best US Chardonnay Award in Vinexpo Bordeaux, 2005. Sexiest / best wine label? La Celia Reserve Cabernet Franc 2003: Unique, intense red hues speckled with black tones; complex, balanced and harmonious in nose with red fruits and mineral aromas, notes of coffee and smoke. Finest “Oprah” wine moment? Very complex question, as I’ve had memorable encounters with many wines across the globe. But perhaps the best was years ago, with my first trip to Patagonia and its breath-taking landscape. Nighttime, the fire crackling, cooking a rabbit, and opening a bottle of Trumpeter Reserve Malbec . . . unforgettable. How’s the local wine market shaping up? Rapidly and in a very creative way – new producers like us, new wine bars, more imported wines, more sommeliers, etc. Everything is happening around wine today, the only thing stopping this explosion is the alcohol tax. How can we find you? Up in the mountains of Bali, 1,000m high, in our winery, breathing wine! pablo@unitedbeveragebali.com / tel: 087860044131 / www.unitedbeveragebali.com / tel: 0361 847 7232

THE WINE PROMOTER: Name: Donald E. Manoch. From: Jakarta, Indonesia. Occupation: Director of Sales & Marketing, Sababay Selections. What’s your passion? Why the wine business? I’m just an average Joe who loves wine, but regards it as

a living-breathing drink. I don’t have much knowledge of the international wine industry but help give locals a basic insight into how to enjoy their wines. Hopefully my passion is a blessing to others! How are you contributing to Bali’s wine revolution? In the wine industry, my strength lies in sales and marketing, so I help promote our new Indonesian wines, produced in Bali wineries from high-quality grapes grown on Indonesian soil. Local grape varieties are quite different from international wine grapes – hence we can now boast quality homegrown wines with distinct characteristics and less carbon footprint. Proudest achievement/s in the wine industry? I’m helping to shape a new generation of much improved, "New Latitude," Indonesian wines; hopefully people will get the point and give their appreciation and support to it.

pablo and katrina.

Sexiest / best wine label? Not that I’m biased, but it’s the wine variant that Sababay Winery will launch after our “White Velvet” label. Finest “Oprah” wine moment? I can’t really disclose this, as my wife is liable to kill me, but it’s something to do with a Cavalli Tenuta Degli Dei Toscana (2007). How’s the local wine market shaping up? It’s going to be bigger and unique – Indonesia has dozens of grape varieties already growing, and, surprisingly, people will succumb to them because of their distinctive “new” and “old” world combo, accentuated with exotic tropical texture and tastes. How can we find you? Just email or Twitter me! donaldmanoch@ sababayselections.com / Twitter: @donaldmanoch [Sababay Selections, tel: 0361 261104 / www. sababayselections.com / Facebook: /SababayWinery]

THE WINE GURU: Name: Katrina Valkenburg. From: Sydney, Australia. Occupation: Wine consultant, purveyor, educator and communicator. What’s your passion? Why the wine business? My entire life has been centered on a love of entertaining. I’ve been an enthusiastic cook since I was four, and wine is pivotal to my enjoyment of food. I discovered quite early that I have a ’nose’ and wine and food-pairing comes quite naturally to me. There’s been a lot of wine under the proverbial bridge to get me to the point of being able to read a menu and to choose the right wine match. After 30 years in the wine industry I’d say that I now have an experienced ’nose’. How are you contributing to Bali’s wine revolution? I manage Winehouse Shop and Bar (a.k.a Amy's) and run the Sommelier School – Bali’s sole professional wine school – training up-and-coming sommeliers on the island. Another service I offer at Winehouse is suggesting wines to complement menus: up until recently, not only did this service not exist but nor did the wine options. I’ve also written a wine education programme and do consultancy work with Indowines. Proudest achievement/s in the wine industry? Invigorating the Pinot Noir industry in Australia with fellow Pinot-phile, Peter Bourne. We ran Pinot Noir Australia in the mid ‘90s for several years, visibly increasing awareness and appreciation of a grape regarded as the winemaker’s Holy Grail. Hosting World Riesling Summit 1997 in Sydney, and bringing together some great Riesling producers from Germany, Australia and New Zealand for the first time. Sexiest / best wine label? 10 Minutes by Tractor 10X: Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia. Finest “Oprah” wine moment? Finding three bottles of Cullen’s Pinot Noir 1995 in my cellar that I’d forgotten about and spiriting them away to my Hunter Valley shack one wintery weekend in 2003. My friend and I promised ourselves that we’d only drink one bottle but all three bottles ended-up being imbibed by the night's end. If Pinot Noir was our favourite varietal (which it is), then these were truly the finest bottles of Australian Pinot Noir ever. How is the local wine market shaping up? Since April 2011 the number of wine import licenses has increased from one to 11, meaning there’s a greater selection, and we can now add a number of locally made wines from imported grapes, like Plaga. By bypassing the high import duties and thus being able to retail affordably, there’s a very real opportunity to grow the wine drinking community exponentially. How can we find you? Most days I’m at Winehouse in Kerobokan – either on the floor chatting with wine lovers, in the bar drinking with wine lovers or in the school encouraging new wine lovers. katrina@winehousebali.com / tel: 0361 737217 135

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THE LOCAL SOMMELIERS: Name: I Made Puniasa Eka Putra & Nengah Suartika. From: Karangasem and Klungkung, East Bali. Occupation: General Manager and “wine guy” at SIP Wine Bar, Seminyak and Wine-Bar Manager, The Legian Bali. What’s your passion? Why the wine business? Made: I’m Balinese and I love drinking wine. I’ve a fairly broad wine knowledge and love sharing my passion for wine and educating local youngsters, explaining how to drink it wisely. The more locals get a taste for wine, the more opportunities for wine-related businesses flourish – I wish Bali could become a winegrowing region! Nengah: Bitten by the wine bug 12 years ago, it’s one of my great passions, a way of life; one of the few things in life to remind us we’re alive. There are names and faces behind every label, a story behind every bottle and a history in every sip. The more you learn about wines, the more you don’t know; triggering me to a deeper understanding. Today, wine is an exciting, booming industry and I love the whole process How are you contributing to Bali’s wine revolution? Made: To increase Bali’s wine awareness – I’m constantly seeking out great wines, even obscure ones, to satisfy wine aficionados and novices alike. I’m a wine lecturer in several hospitality universities in Bali, and SIP Wine Bar continually hosts wine events and workshops. My recent trade trip to Vasse Felix winery, Margaret River, gave me invaluable wine-related knowledge to bring back to Bali. It is, however, an uphill battle making wine a daily part of Bali life. Nengah: Working at The Legian Bali Hotel from 2001 has given me a rare platform to unravel a beverage totally alien to locals at that time. Now as a Balinese participating in this industry in a sommelier-style position, I meet and exchange knowledge with those also carrying the same passion. I am living proof that Balinese do know their wines; I’m also a founding member and on the committee of the Bali Sommeliers Association (BSA). Proudest achievement/s in the wine industry? Made: I learnt my trade in various wine-related positions in Bali and the US (three years), but really cultivated my wine skills via my mentor, Christian Vanneque, owner of SIP and world-renowned youngest Chef Sommelier of La Tour d’Argent, Paris. When Christian launched SIP in 2008, I was promoted to GM and Director of Wine. I’m one of the BSA founding members and a committee member of International Sommeliers Association - Bali Chapter. Nengah: Since 2008, for five consecutive years, honoured by the Wine Spectator magazine with Award of Excellence, acknowledging The Legian Bali Hotel having one of the world’s best wine lists!

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Sexiest / best wine label? Made: Chateau d’Yquem 1811, of Sauternes, Bordeaux, France: Christian brought it to Bali after purchasing it from renowned London wine merchant for US$123,000. It’s the world’s most expensive bottle of white wine and only two bottles still remain worldwide, one now at SIP! Just think, I get to hold this rare bottle on a daily basis and never paid for it! Nengah: Torbreck Vitner is my favourite Barossa Valley wine producer: the entire range is fantastic, but one stand-out is 2005 Torbreck Run Rig – a Shiraz Viognier blend – full-bodied, balanced and rich, boasting blackberry, raspberry cassis, sweet spice and violetlavender notes. Finest “Oprah” wine moment? Made: Serving a frozen, pre-ordered bottle of Dom Perignon champagne to a South American billionaire, with coffee spoons! He and his guests ‘ate’ the Dom Perignon, apparently always enjoying his champagne this way wherever he goes in the world. Nengah: A recent wine dinner hosted at Vasse Velix Restaurant, in Margaret River, Western Australia, with Vasse Velix’ chief wine maker, Virginia Willcock (voted Australia’s Best Wine Maker 2012). How’s the local wine market shaping up? Made: It’s growing due to increased tourism and more wine choices available – but strangely, red, rather than white or rose wines, is more popular despite being in the tropics. We’re also seeing a growing demand for New World wines due to more attractive pricing, a trend likely to continue in 2013. Nengah: Booming in the last four years, marked by a flourishing number of wine suppliers offering a more quality, broader portfolio, plus awareness of the importance of offering a top-notch wine selection and sommelier service in hospitality with discerning clientele. It’s exciting to be part of a momentum, where wine distributors and suppliers actively get involved in improving wine players knowledge and expertise. How can we find you? Made: Everyday working on the floor at SIP Wine Bar, Seminyak, often, with glass in hand! E-mail: putra@sip-bali.com / tel: 0361 730810 / website: www.sip-bali.com. Nengah: Most days working the floor of The Restaurant, The Legian Hotel, Seminyak, or email me: fbm@thelegianbali.com.

THE INTERNATIONAL SOMMELIER & WINE POET: Name: Harald Wiesmann. From: Marktheidenfeld, Germany. Occupation: chief sommelier, St. Regis Bali Resort. What’s your passion? Why the wine business? Discussing wines is intriguing and indulgent; I love wines as they evolve over the years like humans! Great

wine in your youth gives pleasure but great wine in prime years gives you wisdom and life-long memories. Wine offers great history (with the likes of Dionysus, etc) and tales of celebrated wineries, I’m fascinated by it all – learning the background to wine-makers helps sell the right wine to the right person. How are you contributing to Bali’s wine revolution? I believe that since I started in Bali eight years ago as a sommelier to restaurant patrons, that wine lists in fine dining restaurants have improved immensely on the island – many, influenced by our award-winning wine list (over 450 labels). For five years, I’ve also helped to educate and expand a team of assistant sommeliers, who’ll emerge as Indonesia’s first genuine wine teachers in a decade’s time. Proudest achievement/s in the wine industry? Forty-one years in hospitality – including 21 years as an international sommelier. In Switzerland I received Best Award of Excellence 2004, from Wine Spectator magazine, and was instrumental in Indonesia’s first ever Wine Spectator Awards. I created a name for a new wine produced in Sardinia, with Sassicaia winemaker, Mr. Rosa, and am one of the few people worldwide presenting special wine poetry, and I write Indonesia’s finest wining-dining menus! Sexiest / best wine label? Sorry, but I’d never call my wines “sexy”. . . rather, erotic and full of flesh! Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Allegrini, Fumane, 2007 Venetia, Italy (Rondinella, Corvina & Molinara). Finest “Oprah” wine moment? In 2002, three-star Haeberlin Restaurant, in the Alsace wine region – enjoying the fruits of being a “waiter” for 30 years, with whole black truffle in puff pastry and truffle sauce with 1er Cru Latour Volnay (1990). How is the local wine market shaping up? People are getting to understand how important wine is for tourism. Look at all the wineries now producing wine in Bali and how suppliers have tripled in the last eight years. Wine choices are improving and prices too (albeit slowly). What’s with the wine poetry and writing? My parents were deaf, so I had to write to communicate what I was up to (especially when involved in adventurous travels). As I like to read, I yearned to become like writers such as Dostoyevsky, D.H. Lawrence, Nietzsche, Balzac et al, but of course it takes more than being a “waiter,” and I don’t have time to write like them, either. How can we find you? In Kayuputi Restaurant, St. Regis Bali Resort, Nusa Dua. Tel: 0361 8478 111 / www.stregisbali.com

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Words: Sarah Douglas Images: Lucky 8

Haute Cuisine takes centre stage at Teatro, Seminyak's latest – some would say greatest – resto.

Bali has already fallen in love with the culinary handiwork of Chef Mandif.

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"It’s exciting when Indonesian chefs of Mandif’s calibre are running the show."

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Youth and enthusiasm, while admirable, are not always the best recipe for success in a new restaurant venture. At Teatro, however, skill, precision and an ambitious attention to detail have created the perfect storm at what is arguably Bali’s most exciting new dining destination. Like dancers on a stage, the white-jacketed chefs behind the stoves at Teatro have all the right moves. Working behind a large plate-glass window open to the street, the first glimpse of these chefs flashing the pans in the gleaming stainless steel kitchen is enough to stop traffic. The name, Teatro, is a perfect fit. Youthful chef, Mandif, has traveled the world gaining the experience he needed to stage his latest gig. His formula is to take a young team and train them up until every single detail is as close to perfection as is humanly possible. Intimate and interesting, Teatro is all about the food. It is ambitious and perfectly executed and thankfully doesn’t feel the need to play hokey with Balinese decor. Instead the décor is sophisticated and moody, a lot like the food. The wine list that accompanies the menu is another eye opener – filled with European classics with an uncharacteristically small nod to Australia. French and Italian wines dominate. Teatro isn’t for the budget traveler, however, the money is quite clearly on the plate. Think caviar and foie gras, the highest grade wagyu, and lobster. Most recently Mandif was the man behind Ju-Ma-Na at Banyan Tree, where he had plenty of room to flex his culinary muscles. Before that he did a long stint in Dubai, and the level of sophistication in the dishes he serves shows considerable skill and confidence. “It is all about confidence,” Mandif says. “Being young is an advantage in my mind, I’m all about taking risks.” Very well calculated ones, as it turns out. On the night we dined there, the food was flawless. Not fussy or overdone, rather exactly the right amount of flair and theatre, the perfect balance of ingredients and flavours, nothing more, nothing less. As close to perfection as it gets in fact. If I am raving, honestly, I’m not alone.

Highlighting the courses themselves were the tiny, jewel-like amuse bouche that appear throughout the meal, providing tiny tastes of culinary depth; think bite-sized parcels of Peking duck wrapped in a skin made from Japanese black bamboo powder. I won’t be trying that one at home. As Bali falls in love with this culinary gem, Mandif is very focused on building a skilled team of professional chefs. Most of the team at Teatro is straight out of college. “We build each menu over a month, before we serve it to our guests. We start each morning at eight o’clock on the following month’s menu, we practice every day. Then we have a break and return to prep for service of this month’s menu,” Mandif says. Teatro offers a choice of four degustation menus. The ingredients set the prices and those higher priced menu items are treated with reverence and care. Our four-course degustation, ( Rp900,000), included foie gras cooked two ways, wagyu also cooked two ways, the most delicate slipper lobsters ever with surprising accompaniments, and chocolate to finish. The plates could have been designed by a stylist but beyond the form there is great substance here – technique, a light hand and a thorough knowledge of the ingredients, how to handle them and what to match them with. An a la carte menu is also offered and each diner is treated to a range of amuse bouche and petit fours that would challenge many experienced kitchens, the menu is one that will appeal to serious foodies. It’s hard to explain the excitement when Indonesian chefs of Mandif’s calibre are running the show, when so many kitchens are still dominated by foreign executive chefs. The years of experience they have gained working with international chefs and travelling to further their careers is showing up in Bali’s kitchens, and it is worth celebrating. Teatro, discreetly tucked away at the end of Oberoi Road, is just the beginning for Mandif. His vision is to open others, to celebrate Indonesian chefs who are at their peak, and to train young chefs to his level of expertise. He is well on the way and the critics are raving.

Intimate and interesting, Teatro is all about the food.

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hu'u bar's new incarnation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; peranakan-influenced baba's â&#x20AC;&#x201C; brings the way of the wok to bali, writes SARAH douglas.

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“The Singapura laksa is my paternal grandmother’s recipe,” says Hu'u Bar's Sean Lee of Baba's cuisine.

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Sean Lee is a man who knows what he likes. He opened the first Hu’u bar in Singapore where he quickly discovered that conservative Singaporeans were not ready for his progressive musical tastes. So he picked the whole thing up and moved it to Bali. In the years since Hu’u opened on Jl. Petitengett, it has morphed and changed and grown around Sean’s personal tastes. There is no doubt he has his finger on the pulse and his eye on the prize. In the restaurant, however, he catered to the tastes of Bali. Hiring a chef who oversaw a casual approach to fine dining worked for the stylish eatery at the back of the happening bar. The former chef set off to seek his fortune and Sean Lee decided to step in and make Hu’u’s adjoining restaurant something much more personal. Thus, Baba’s was born. Sean is a native Singaporean who grew up eating Nyonya cuisine, a Peranakan hybrid of dishes influenced by Malay, Chinese and Indian cultures brought by immigrants to the island state, with a little British Raj thrown in for balance. “Baba is Peranakan for a male, so I am Baba,” explains Sean. “This restaurant came about when I was challenged to create an exciting new concept and I wanted something that wasn’t here in Bali. It was then I realised that some of the recipes I had grown up with could work here.” Sean began to interview family members whose recipes were close to his heart. “ The Singapura laksa is my paternal grandmother’s recipe. They had a food stall in the neighborhood and sold this laksa. If they were alive today they would be happy to know that this recipe made it across the ocean to hip and happening Seminyak, something I am most proud of,” Sean Seys. It is indeed a redolent, scented broth with the perfect combination of heat and salt, sweetness and meaty ingredients, a classic laksa in the Singaporean tradition. The slant on the menu leans more towards Chinese but incorporates South East Asian cooking, and to make them work he has two chefs in the kitchen. One is a classically trained Singaporean, the other is a chef who honed his skills in Chinese restaurants and understands, intrinsically, the ‘way of the wok’. With an eye to hitting the culinary g-spot, Sean says that these days in Singapore diners are more discerning and well used to restaurants that work with finer ingredients, serve sophisticated wine lists, and battle it out for the best chefs. This is where he plans to go with Baba’s. Plating is the way that modern restaurateurs interpret traditional dishes in a modern setting and at Baba’s plates arrive at the tables looking like they’ve fallen out of the pages of glossy gourmet magazines. The recipes however, stay true to their roots.

With luxurious new residences opening behind Hu’u and a new approach to dining, Sean Lee is backing his better instincts that this is going to be the recipe for success for the diner that has often been eclipsed by the club. And while traditional dishes may be the backbone of the menu, Hu’u and Sean are thoroughly modern. Dishes like slow roasted coffee ribs, Baba’s Babi Guling with pork cooked two ways and a host of accompaniments, show the depth of skill intrinsic to South East Asian food. Most refreshingly there is no dumbing down of the spices on this menu. The flavours are clean, the presentation makes for a lighter approach, salads show up alongside vegetable dishes but the classics stand out. This is also a menu made for sharing. Asian mezze plate features fresh vegetables, wonderful home-made roti with spicy dips, duck spring rolls, angus beef sate that is cooked to perfection, spiced wings, all produced with a lighter hand. “If you think back to the ‘60s and ‘70s a Chinese or an Indonesian chef in Singapore, Malaysia or Indonesia would be experienced in all the cuisines of the region. In some ways we are going a little bit retro with the menu but these days South East Asian chefs do have a lighter hand, access to better ingredients and going to a local restaurant can blow your mind. This is the experience I’m looking to serve up at Baba’s.” By day, Baba’s is light and airy, serving up a simpler lunch menu around the pool. At night, the full impact of the renovation is revealed. With a long bar faced with nickel, soft lighting that bathes the bar in a soft pink light, and a range of formal tables mixed with comfortable sofas, it is a modern and appealing space. Modern meets traditional, with more than a touch of the stylish Singaporean, has created a new destination restaurant, bar and club that marks Baba’s as an ultimate hang out.

Ribbing yarns.

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Luke Mangan brings his international empire to sentosa seminyak with the opening of salt tapas. sarah douglas spoke to him in sydney.

"I've been in discussion with Sentosa for two years. it seems a perfect fit."

As one of Australia’s most successful chefs, restaurateur, Luke Mangan has turned his brand, Salt, into an international food empire, reportedly turning over more than 35 million dollars per year. With the first Indonesian venture opening in Jakarta last year with Salt Grill, Mangan will finally tackle the Bali market on an island that he has loved for 20 years. Salt Tapas will open in July at Sentosa Seminyak, serving up the chef’s own take on tapas, a formula he has perfected in Australia, Singapore and now in Bali. Salt is a name that has followed you for years, why are you so attached to it? It’s part of our brand – it’s the name of the first restaurant we created and the beginning of our success. In the ancient Greek days it was a sign of friendship and hospitality, and was an expensive commodity. You can’t cook without it. Salt Tapas differs in concept from Salt Grill, what can we expect? We’ve now got six Salt Grills and one Tapas in Singapore – it’s lighter, easier, more casual. Has Bali been on your radar for a while? I’ve been in discussion with Sentosa for two years, and it seems a perfect place for this concept. I’m in Bali a lot and I love it, so it just came together. You have a lot of experience with restaurants in hotels . . . will this resort setting require a slightly different approach? No, we have a restaurant in a hotel, smaller versions in other places, Bali is more laid back but the food won’t be, it’ll still be our food and our standards. How do you see Salt Tapas fitting into the competitive restaurant market in Seminyak? There are so many fantastic restaurants in Bali, but this is quite different I think. We don’t want to compete – rather we want to compliment what’s there already. It is food designed for sharing and I think it will appeal. We have our own menu, that we’ve developed over time, and it’s my take on Spanish tapas, there might be a little bit of Asian in there, but mostly we’ll be sticking with the dishes that we’ve developed and hope that people like it. How involved will you be in the set-up and running of Salt Tapas? Will you have a local chef? I have a local team, my group head chef is over there setting up and working with the team. I’m in Bali every two months or so, so I’ll be there checking everything. I’ve been going to Bali since I was about 20, so for about 20 years and I love it . . . I’ll be there a lot. What kind of challenges do you face in Bali with accessing ingredients? We’ve already opened in Jakarta and been through those challenges, we work the menu with what we can get. Where does your passion for tapas come from?

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It started years ago. I’ve been back and forth to Spain quite a bit and it’s the way I like to eat at the moment, Salt Tapas is my version of all the regional tapas styles, with an Australian influence. Will there be any local influences? We’ve seen tapas translated into almost every cuisine in recent years – if it comes on a small plate it’s tapas . . . You may see the occasional Asian ingredient but mostly we’ll stick with our own style of tapas, and I know it will appeal to Australian diners and we’ve already seen it working in Asia. Your most recent ventures are all in Asia, are you predicting the future for expansion is here? Not all, we’ve just opened a wine bar in Sydney, called Mojo. We have two in Tokyo, two in Singapore, now Jakarta and soon in Bali, people are enjoying our food in Asia and that’s what it’s about, there is obviously an audience for it. How was the Jakarta experience? We’ve got a great space on the 60th floor – it’s in a great building called the Plaza. The response has been great. Bali diners come from all around the world, is it difficult to please such a diverse crowd? The aim is to please everyone but I think with the variety of our food, it will fit in and as long as you’re serving good food, people will like it. As a long-time chef and now businessman, how do you keep the passion alive? Do you still get into the kitchen? Not as much as I used to, all my head chefs have been with me for a long time, I travel a lot and it’s great fun. I still do the menus. Will we see more high profile Australian chefs in Bali? I think so, why not? It’s such a great place and there are lots of people wanting good food, Bali’s restaurant scene is exploding with a high concentration of new ones in Seminyak? Is it sustainable? Every time I go there all the good ones are doing well, when you serve a good product people will come, they don’t want to eat in the same place all the time so the variety is great. Do you have any personal favourites? Yes, Sarong, Metis, Mamasan, The Legian, Mozaic Beachclub, What is the secret of your success? Luck. And salt. www.sentosaseminyak.com

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Dress up, put on your high heels girls and enjoy something wildly different at Spavodka Lobster, writes Sarah Douglas.

The phrase, ‘slip into something more comfortable’ springs to mind when you enter Oazia’s latest offering, Spavodka Lobster. Not in the sense of throwing on your trackies but in the sensual way they used to say it in the movies. One can almost start to feel like a movie star when slipping into one of the velvetlined booths at Spa lobster. It is luxurious, sexy and something totally different for Bali. It is also intimate. The book-lined entrance from Jl. Kerobokan reveals only a hint of what lies beyond the sultry facade. Designer Veronica Blomgren has created a space that has all the hallmarks of a classic cocktail bar with a sophisticated line-up of cocktails, music and food. It seems there is very little that Russian designer, Veronica Blomberg designs under the Oazia label that doesn’t have an instant ’wow’ factor. Her inspirations are often great quotes and her brochures and even the walls of her venues are adorned with them. Many of them refer to love, and the romance of Spavodka Lobster is tangible. It’s in the music, the food, the cocktails, it’s in the air. It’s a place you want to go on a date, you want to take your husband or lover, or if single, you can dream of meeting someone there. It’s quite easy to get carried away with loving life and loving love. Oazia wowed Bali with its first entry on the scene, the fabulously adorned Oazia Spa Villas followed by the Spavodka bar on the road to Canggu. The spa took away the “Best Spa Design” award by AsiaSpa Awards in the first year. Then there is the boat. An incredibly sleek schooner that caters for a single couple only. A quick look at the brochure and you know you want to go on that boat. It is, quite simply, a thing of beauty. The food and the cocktails at Spavodka Lobster reflect the deluxe attitude as well. With a range of signature cocktails that are based on real fruit and herbs, and, naturally, vodka, they are often adorned with gold and silver leaf. Imaginative, elegant and completely unique. Some feature seafood as well, others are flavoured with thyme, rosemary or basil and fruits featured are local favourites like mangosteen. It’s a heady list and mostly around the Rp100,000 mark. “All our cocktails are made using fresh fruit and herbs, they’re muddled, we don’t add any juices or flavourings, they are designed to be rich and different. We have mules and vojitos, infusions and every drink is made to order” explains manager, Mikael. The menu is also a reflection of the deluxe lifestyle and naturally features lobster in various dishes, including lobster sate and a creamy lemon scented risotto. Caviar, fresh house-made gravalax, oysters and foie gras sit alongside perfectly pink lamb chops and Australian tenderloin. At the time of our review a new tapas menu was being created to suit those who come in for a drink and a light meal. On the night we dined, the bar began to fill up around nine, the booths were sprinkled with couples who had come for a romantic dinner and groups of friends who were there for the music, the cocktails and a light bite to eat before heading out. To say that Spavodka Lobster is seductive is understating it a little – it is designed to be. Lit by ornate chandeliers, with thick carpeting on the floors, glittering wallpaper, beautifully decorated bathrooms . . . it doesn’t feel like Bali. It doesn’t feel like anywhere, it’s almost as though you’re cocooned from the world outside. The prices are surprisingly reasonable for this level of luxury and while you will pay over Rp 300,000 for grilled lobster served with tagliatelle, or Rp 245,000 for the beef, the lobster risotto is served up for Rp 95,000. Spavodka Lobster may have an unusual name but the elegance of the interiors, the high grade ingredients, including an extensive list of quality wines and champagnes, and the sheer luxury of this intimate venue is sure to seduce. Dress up, put on your high heels girls and enjoy something wildly different.

Luxurious, sexy – and different.

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Sarah douglas flags the next big thing in nouveau indonesian dining.

The glory box is the design and décor at Merah Putih.

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In Bali we are spoilt by staggering architecture, great restaurants and sophisticated spaces. No matter how jaded, Merah Putih is bound to stop you in your tracks. It’s a game-changer whichever way you look at it. Designed to be reminiscent of a classic brasserie, which it is in some sense, Merah Putih also gives the impression of ‘mosque meets Avatar’. A classic domed ceiling is lined with a translucent fabric that catches the rain, bringing it down column-like tubes to underground tanks. Huge picture windows allow natural light during the day to feed the indoor gardens. Classic motifs line the floors and walls and the impossibly high ceilings allow for an elegant raised bar at the front and at the back, mezzanine seating in front of the open kitchen situated upstairs. Designed by Charlie Hearn of Inspiral Architecture and Design Studio, it is a work of functional and eco-art. Classical, elegant and futuristic all at the same time. The decor almost eclipses the food but the menu tells a story that blends beautifully with the venue. Named Merah Putih after the colours of the Indonesian flag (red and white), the restaurant pays homage to Indonesia’s most classic dishes in both traditional and modern forms. Merah Putih is not the first to attempt to translate Indonesian food into fine dining fare, and surely not the last, but this is a very courageous attempt to take classic dishes, well loved throughout this country, and twinkle them into starring plates. Designed as a sharing menu, plates are laid in the middle of the table and diners can pick and choose. The dishes float past like jewels, perfectly presented, beautifully plated and in most cases, true to their roots. The dishes have almost all undergone a transformation that sometimes renders them unrecognisable, however the flavours remain true to form. Take the much-loved Balinese babi guling, or Balinese Suckling Pig as it appears on the modern menu laid out beside the traditional. The pork is slow cooked and shredded, as in pulled pork, and then formed into a patty. It is served with classic accompaniments given a make over: long bean kalasan, crispy skin and basa rajang, a hand-chopped spice mix traditionally served with Balinese food. It is moist and delicious, albeit a little less powerfully flavoured than the warung version. The mix of modern and traditional gives diners a chance to mix and mingle between them. Traditional entrees include the staple Perkedel jagung, corn fritters, topped with a prawn sambal and corn curry, or the Tahu Isi, which takes the mild tofu found everywhere and dips it into another realm by stuffing it with a mushroom and vegetable filling and deep-frying it to add texture. Working with a team of chefs, a classically trained Western chef (Kieran Morland, formerly of KuDeTa), and a team of Indonesian chefs including the Balinese chef, Wayan Mustika, Merah Putih has combined a western sensibility with classic Indonesian fine dining. The pick of the dishes, and many of them are either fried or slow cooked, honouring both culinary traditions, is the Gulai Kambing, a Javanese stew that is traditionally made with goat but here, is made with Australian lamb, one of the few imported ingredients featured, is a blissfully aromatic, flavourful stew. Taking Indonesian food into a modern environment is always a risk, but one worth taking. Certainly the venue is filled on the night we visit and on the floor, another ex-KuDeTa member, Jasper Manifold, is rallying the floor staff and pumping the team at the bar who are serving up glamorous cocktails to both diners and drinkers. The atmosphere is charged and there is certainly a buzz about this new restaurant, situated on Jl Petitengett. The staff are busy, the open kitchen upstairs is ablaze with chefs and waiters coming and going, and while it’s still early days, Merah Putih is worthy of a visit and while there you may discover some of the undiscovered treasures of the local cuisine. There are many highlights here and a few that will undoubtedly be revised, but the glory box is the design and décor; the holistic approach to Indonesia and its culinary traditions while raising the flag to one of the oldest culinary traditions on earth. It may not be the most famous, the flashiest or the most refined by world standards but Merah Putih may well have staked its claim in promoting it in a venue that is exciting, adventurous and ultimately glamorous.

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el kabron rustic dining from 7.30pm-9.30pm tuesday-sunday culinary concept & philosophy by ex.cheF marc torices the mediterranean flair evolves around several and extensive concepts. it is diverse in all its fields whether is cultural, linguistic and gastronomic. it is a way to understand life subjected to the tradition of cooking. el Kabron. spanish restaurant & cliff club Jl. pantai cemongkak pecatu bali 80361 - indonesia phone : +62361 7803416 www.chiringuitoelkabron.com

feature KATIE TRUMAN PICKS OUT six SMALL AND PERFECTLY FORMED SHOPS IN SEMINYAK . . . SECRET SERVICE: The Secret Room is an evocative concept store, close to Ku De Ta, where you’re whisked away on a haute couture journey to other worlds and cultures. This little gem selects and sells a neo-ethnic collection with modern, edgy twists and bohemian chic – inspired by the travels of a Frenchwoman, the range has been sourced from Vietnam, Thailand, India, China, Kalimantan and the Middle-East. Resembling a globetrotting collector’s home, everything in the store is for sale, even the décor. Rummage through authentic rugs from Afghanistan and Turkey, vintage posters from Hong Kong, and items designed specifically for The Secret Room, such as cushions created from hemp coffee bags and free-standing Chinesestyle bamboo bird cages. Fun, original gifts include vintage Chinese ceramic teapots, Vietnamese handpainted ceramic beads, kooky vintage earrings, and Thai notebooks from Bangkok markets. Accessories include Indian tote bags made from old rice sacks and antique Borneo tribal shell bags. Several store mini-sections include an in-house clothing collection created in Bali, with ethnic prints in limited edition styles infused with modern chic interpretations – funky tartan kaftans, jersey jumpsuits with ethnic beading and bold batik print shirts – while a jewellery section showcases selected designers who have created a contemporary a range of one-off neo-ethnic pieces. The outrageously sexy Madame lingerie section is a stark contrast to a Kid’s Corner, with its more innocent designer pyjamas, Moroccan Kurtas and knitted toys. . . . and yes, there is a secret room – the changing room at the rear revealed behind a sliding bookshelf! Tel: 0361 862 6460/ Facebook page The Secret Room Bali SHED SOME LIGHT: After several years residing in Bali and founding super-popular Sea Circus, Australian entrepreneur/designer Josh Herdman decided to import a nostalgic piece of home to Bali. So his first retail space, Bali Boat Shed, is inspired by the iconic boat sheds and bathing huts found along Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay foreshore. “As a kid, I’d always loved the beach and those fun, colourful boat sheds were part of those idyllic days – a symbol that summer had arrived,” Josh says. His boat shed, in central Petitenget, comprises three individual structures – conspicuously painted bright pink, orange and blue – where separate retail themes merge together as one. A laid back Aussie beach vibe is the go inside, but Indonesian-sourced bamboo, recycled teak and ironwood and distressed woods inject a local flavour, while an archipelago nautical theme pervades with an old canoe suspended from the ceiling, Kalimantan wooden paddles doubling as door handles and pulley ropes sourced from Javanese shipyards creating quirky clothes racks.

The Bali Boat Shed showcases hand-picked designer brands from Bali (local and international) with fab designer apparel, beachwear, homewares, swimwear, accessories, shoes, surf culture, jewellery and vintage items. Premier labels include Australian State of Georgia and Tan and Brown, House of Cards, Beach Candy, Lost Dogs and Frangipani – the latter offering striking men’s light cotton shirts with Indian block prints. Accessories include Super Earth recycled bags and Pared handmade eyewear. BBS’s own brand label features beautifully crafted leather bags in bold colours and casual apparel, including ultra-soft cotton T-shirts. Coming soon, an all-new “men who hate shopping section“ complete with couch and beer fridge. Tel: 0361 736 673 / www.baliboatshed.com PAPER THIN: Long-term Bali resident, chef/restaurateur Kali Sari (the Australian visionary behind Three Monkeys) has always been pretty clued-up about Bali’s struggle with environmental problems. Seeking practical waste solutions and a desire to give back to this island, Kali founded Saraswati Papers in 1995 – following paper-making courses, and experimentations with her kitchen blender. Inspired by Saraswati – Hindu Goddess of beauty, knowledge and poetry – and supported by environmental organisation, WISNU Foundation, Saraswati Papers setabout creating exceptional paper hand-made by local women. Using 100 per cent post-consumer recycled paper collected from around Bali, the products are coloured with locally sourced natural dyes and textured with sustainable plant fibres, such as bamboo and flower petals. Silk screened and laminated cotton papers are also made, but no chemicals or unsustainable practices are used. From recycled pulp and delicate paper sheets pegged-up on washing lines come beautifully earth-friendly hand-crafted paper products of natural integrity . . . “Proving you can take rubbish and make beautiful products out of it,” Kali says. Saraswati Paper’s garden-fronted factory and flagship showroom, Kado, which opened in Batu Belig, 2012, showcases its charming range of journals and notebooks, photo albums and frames, arguably the finest greetings cards on the island (with proceeds donated to the Bali Kindergarten project), wrapping paper and stationery. The flagship store now hosts papermaking demonstrations in an adjoining courtyard – a fun and educational insight into the production process. Tel: 0361 4732117/ http:// saraswatipapers.com GONE POTTY: Samantha Robinson Handmade Porcelain is a classy store that showcases exclusive hand-made porcelain designs of celebrated Australian potter, Samantha Robinson. Vintage apotheary charm at Bathe.

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In a design style that she describes as “Western grandma meets Asian fusion,” the one-off porcelain pieces are individually designed and made by Samantha, aided by a small team of potters in her Sydney-based, ceramic design studio. Her “freshly-baked happy pots” portray a lovely old-time crafted rusticity, with delicate prints inside and out, in subtle shades superimposed on white such as mustard yellow, dusty pink, russet and turquoise. The collection covers teacups, stools, cylindrical table lights, teapots, vases, plates, jugs, and more. Standouts are porcelain ceiling lamps in triangular art-deco forms and signature “watermelon bowls”. Samantha recently transposed her original prints onto textiles, created in unison with local artisans, and culminating in a collection of hand-printed sarongs, throws, and linen cushions. Tel: 0361 737295 / www.samantharobinson.com.au CUPBOARD LOVE: For those who can’t be bothered to travel across the far-flung Indonesian archipelago to find beautiful antiques and striking island objets d’ art, best hotfoot it to new bijou store, LeMari. The savvy Balinese antique hunters behind LeMari have eagle eyes and an innate passion for superior collector’s items. Via travels in Java – and to a lesser extent, the islands of Madura, Lombok, Sulawesi, Flores and Bali – these Bali whizz-kids snap-up an eclectic haul of beguiling antique and vintage pieces, which end-up artfully displayed in the store. Have a good look round this gallery space, located at Jalan Batu Belig’s gateway, and be sure to walk through to an adjoining second space, housed in an open-sided villa, beside a courtyard and plunge pool. Selling predominantly 19th and 20th century items, some seriously good stuff, and an occasional rare treat of some of the archipelago’s finest, LeMari, however, doesn’t take itself too seriously. In Bahasa, lemari translates as “cupboard,” of which you’ll find many, including Javanese antique, painted and carved varieties, or 19th century Dutch Colonial with Euro-Asian design fusions. You can also purchase a 19th century wooden Javanese rice chest (Grotog) or antique wooden chairs from East Java. For alternative wall decorations, check out hard-to-find keris hilts, revealing carved wooden faces and wooden stag heads (a traditional good luck motif in Javanese homes) strikingly mounted on LeMari’s white walls.

All pieces are clearly labeled, with price, date, origin, and relevant provenance. Some contemporary inclusions feature specially commissioned hand-made ceramics from Tabanan including tea sets in sugar pink or baby blue, and hand-woven ethnic textiles. Tel: 0361 473 0219 THE BEST SCRUBBER IN TOWN: We spend a lot of time in the bathroom, so why not have some fun with it? Bathe, in central Petitenget, is reminiscent of an arcane drug store and is soaked in a simple philosophy that bath time should be fun and products don’t have to be serious to be good. To that end the people at Bathe have sniffed out and created a unique collection of quality yet affordable own-brand products. The store creates a retail experience continually teasing the eye, with mobile chandeliers created from Bathe bottles, and the entire ceiling covered in suspended white capiz shells. A massive yellow duck guards the entrance – a recurring theme, given it is the Bathe brand’s motif. Products, made in Bali, are derived from nature’s plants and are parabin and paraffin-free, with no artificial preservatives. The store sells bath and grooming products, accommodating all family member needs, including a children’s and men’s range (with macho bold soaps and body scrubs); Basic line, with four moisturizer varieties from dry oil to raw butter; fragrance-free, Women’s line – showcasing scrumptious pick-me-ups, mini perfume sprays; therapy oils and sun care. Evolving new collections include new mini-Survival Kits, while accessories include pastel-striped cotton Turkish towels; toiletry bags; and home-wares like diffuser sets, bath mats and mood-enhancing candles. Tel 0361 4737580 / www.bathestore.com

LEFT: bALI bOAT sHED. right: samantha robinson handmade porcelain (above); saraswati papers (below).

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Bali’s hottest rooftop spaces, By Katie Truman.

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT: The Mulia’s newly launched Sky Bar – two slinky wings above beachfront Soleil restaurant – is primed and ready for Bali’s high-dry season. Expansive and completely open to the skies, the Sky Bar faces the resort’s infinity pool, and is positioned for sumptuous views across Geger Beach, to the surf breaking out on the reefs. Sky Bar is ultra-modern minimalist – all-white stone floors and funky high-backed retro sofas and daybeds, with a long bar at the rear lending a parallel with more seating facing seawards. Open from 11am, but with little cover, head there late afternoon, when sea breezes and refracted hues for the sunset signal cocktail time! Signature handcrafted Bora Bora (homemade lemongrass-infused gin, vanilla sugar and mint leaves) or Classic Cocktails with a Twist, such as Cotton Candy Cosmo are cool choices. Offering a pre-dinner menu, the superior tapas selection is the way to go – once again The Mulia’s multi-national chefs hitting the mark, with Mediterranean, Pan-Asian and Asian tapas authentically reflecting their respective culinary regions and deliciously fresh and flavourful. Nibble on Asparagus Bacon, Sate Lilit and Arancini di Riso, but do NOT miss the Vietnamese tapas; for one, Goi Cua Cuon Tom (chilled Vietnamese fresh spring rolls with shrimp and soft shelled crab), whipped-up by a chef from Haiphong – which means, “thank the Gods” . . . real deal Vietnamese fare! DJs spin sounds Friday and Saturday nights and on Full Moon parties, but essentially Sky Bar ain’t a party animal – rather, a peaceful chill-out spot; dimly-lit by flickering candles and ideal for the romantically-inclined

on couple-friendly circular daybeds; post-meeting wind-downs; and meaningful conversations (remember that?). Or perhaps just zip it, and contemplate the moon shimmering over Nusa Dua Bay. 11am till late, The Mulia, Mulia Resort & Villas, Jalan Raya Nusa Dua Selatan, Kawasan Sawangan, Nusa Dua, tel: 0361 3017777 / www.themulia.com PARTY ON . . . AND ON: The first sunset rooftop bar in lower Legian-Kuta, The 1O1 Legian hotel’s Rooftop Dine & Music Lounge has certainly made a name for itself since opening 2011 – and not just for its lofty local panoramas. On the fourth floor of 1O1’s funky modern hotel, a massive rooftop deck features cabanas strung across its open “Sky Deck” and partly-covered dining lounge area complete with full bar. But it’s the lower Sky Pool area – a split level just below on the third floor – with 22-metre infinity-glass pool overlooking Legian Street, which sizzles as the party epicentre. . . . especially, Sky Pool Parties, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, among several promo events catering to a young, mainly Australian, party-loving crowd of both in-house and outside guests. Proceedings start around three in the afternoon with pumped-up, feel-good music belting out from resident DJs – expect bikini-clad ladies dancing in and out of the pool; BBQ corner; free spirit shots and drinks in plastic beakers – a brave stab at Ibiza-style pool parties in downtown Kuta-Legian. Themed party celebrations are also hosted monthly, with local or international DJs, dancers, and general mayhem, while daily events and promotions include Tuesday Movies Night with big-screen box-office

movies and free popcorn (7pm and 9pm), and Thursday Acoustic Nights. Weapons of mass destruction cover signature socktail Senior Playboy (vodka, passion fruit puree, fresh pineapple and mint sprigs), ice-cold international beers (including Mexican Coronas) and an affordable wine selection. Dining in the more sedate restaurant area – which runs buffet breakfasts where you can catch stunning early morning volcano views, through to post-sunset dinners with Western and Asian fare – is even better in the private cabanas. The rooftop bar-lounge attracts the early night crowd, and when all the action fizzes, it’s off to Kuta’s clubs and bars – all handily within staggering distance. 7am to 1am/ THE 1O1 LEGIAN, 117 Jalan Raya Legian, Legian, tel: 0361 763101/ www.the101bali.com VERTICALLY CHALLENGED: Vertical Point Roof & Jacuzzi Bar has been organically developing on the seventh floor of new The Akmani Legian since opening late 2012, and it is now ready to part-ay. Like the rest of this Indonesian-owned, stylish boutique hotel in lower Legian, Vertical Point is surprisingly vast – a timbered deck space completely open to the elements offering a dip pool; adjoining sunken bar and front lounging area with sofas wellplaced for privacy; and, as one of the highest spots in the neighbourhood, glorious volcanic, Indian Ocean and Legian-Kuta views. Prime yourself for sunset from an extensive cocktail menu. The Akmani Martinis are hot – try the disarmingly clear White Chocolate Martini (vanilla vodka, white crème de cacao and shaved white

Head in the clouds at Mulia's Sky Bar. 160

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chocolate) or Legiantini (vodka, orange, crème de cacao). Other notables include signatures such as Akmancolada (coconut liqueur, shaken with butterscotch liqueur, coconut cream, pineapple and mango); Granita-style cocktails; and Alcoholic Milkshakes. Soak these up with tapas, or comfort food from The Akmani’s restaurant, Bel Piatto. A free cocktail is given to anyone jumping into the pool at the weekend (5pm-7pm); a Cold Beer Bucket will cool you off (five Heineken beers @ Rp.125,000); and soulful DJ sessions will rock you Saturdays (from 6.30pm). VP is a significant events destination for weddings, corporate, and fashionista gatherings in the Legian area – the lengthy deck area a godsend for elevated product launches, fashion shows and cocktail indulgences. When this place is fully completed in June, its lower front balcony section will reveal a VIP section and four individual Jacuzzis with canopy cover and side tables – these transforming to private daybed and dining areas, facing out to sea (reserved at a minimum Rp. 2.5mil per half-day; creditable against F&B menus). A pricey but shamelessly indulgent way to catch the sunset . . . 12pm to midnight / The Akmani Legian 91 Jalan Legian Raya, Kuta, tel: 0361 754 577 / www.akmanilegian.com TO “L” AND BACK: For those in the know, Luna Bar & Restaurant, atop quintessential lifestyle boutique L Hotel – the premier iconic offering from Singapore’s deluxe L Hotel brand – is one of central Petitenget’s little hideaway secrets. The smallest rooftop bar featured here, the semicovered Luna carries on L Hotel’s uber-contemporary urban design flair and offers one of PetitengetSeminyak’s finest views of surrounding paddies; the Indian Ocean; and volcanoes . . . and some welcome breezes. Luna set-up is lounge-lizard style and relaxed, with square-shaped bar and an assortment of seating. Supplying chilled sounds, most nights are more about intimate chats, stargazing and moon spotting (well it’s not called “Luna” for nothing). That said, evening promos include Wednesday’s Women on Top Ladies Night with complimentary welcome cocktail and Sunday’s Boys Night with live DJ – L’s only DJ session night. Mixologist-inspired cocktails include Frozen Seaside, an icy blend of vodka, Midori, Malibu, pineapple and Grenadine, while well-priced drinks promos cover Fire & Ice – spicy Tandoori buffalo wings with ice-cold beer (Rp. 40,000++) and Grab a Bud, with

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Le Méridien Bali Jimbaran.

Budweiser’s at Rp. 20,000++. From the small open kitchen, which boasts an authentic copper tandoor and is run by Dutch executive chef Rutger Nohl (formerly of Mama San), Luna Grazing Menu presents tapas-style dishes designed for sharing, such as Tandoori orange confit duck leg and chef’s Dutch pork bitterbalen. Or book ahead their popular Kitano Teppanyaki corner, seating six, complete with Teppanyaki chefs working it with their grilling techniques. Now open from noon and offering light lunches, flee the heat under the well-fanned covered section, or in two private dining-cum-meeting rooms at the rear for air conditioned bliss. Corporate types and bon viveurs have already marked Luna a little gem for private and discreet cocktail soirees, and product and fashion launches in the heart of Petitenget. 12pm to midnight / L Hotel, 8L Jalan Raya Petitenget, Petitenget, tel: 0361 473 3147/ www.thelhotels.com A SEMINYAK LIFE SAVER: When SOS Supper Club opened in Thai-owned Anantara Seminyak, 2008, this new trendsetter rooftop bar-lounge was the first real sniff of competition for Seminyak beach club supremacy. On the fourth floor of urban chic Anantara – slapbang on Seminyak Beach – SOS is still one of the area's favourite sunset hangouts. Elevated from the beach,

you’ve got sweeping bay panoramas, but semi-open to the elements, you can still hear the surf crashing below . . . plus there’s some pretty sophisticated F&B and sounds going down. An established destination bar, SOS doesn’t rest on its laurels and continually energises itself with new menus and entertainment styles. Get there late afternoon: in the lounge bar grab an oversized daybed facing out to sea and recline, or perch on couple-perfect pod stools teetering on the lounge edge, for priceless sunset gazing. This all comes with funky DJ sounds and superior mixologist-inspired cocktails. Shaken, stirred and whatever at the never-ending long bar – revamped concoctions include Classic Mojito’s and SOS Sunset Daiquiri; magically frozen but no ice, blending white rum, Triple Sec, lime juice and frozen mango cheeks atop berry liqueur and fresh mixed berries; all matching the sunset hues. Or better still, an exceptional wine list – including a well-stocked champagne selection . . . perfect accompaniments to the tasty pre-supper tapas menu, including satay combo cooked over a mini-charcoal grill. SOS is primarily an early crowd sunset bar, but also a supper club, so stay to dine on the breezy open-air dining deck. A reworked menu focuses on quality steak cuts and ribs – top-notch stuff thanks to certified US Black Angus and Texan US executive chef, Brandon Huisman. Succulent seafood also features. Daily F&B promos include Wednesday’s Wine 'n’ Dine six-course tasting menu; Thursday live acoustic guitar performances; and Friday’s – their buzziest night – Ladies Luxe Night, with free-flow cocktails, salsa dancing sessions and late-night party with female DJ, Sterly – there’s an ample dance floor to let loose on. Available for private hire, SOS is a hotspot for corporate events, wedding ceremonies and fashion shows – with its unique suspended glass catwalk; a prime beachside position yet removed from the crowds below. Sunday to Thursday 4pm- 11pm, Friday to Saturday, 5pmmidnight; Anantara Seminyak, beachfront Jalan Dhayana Pura, Seminyak, tel: 0361 737773/ www.anantara.com, www.sosasupperclub.com SMOKIN’ HOT: Launched this year, Le Méridien Bali Jimbaran introduces a new style of ultra-contemporary resort to Jimbaran Bay and with it, a new elevated experience. Across the road from Jimbaran Beach, this upscale resort’s all-white accommodation towers

SOS - Help is on the way.

and facilities come tightly packed around a 1,300 square metre freeform saltwater lagoon and sundeck. And that includes its stylish three-in-one dining and entertainment destination venue – signature restaurant, Bamboo Chic on the ground floor with adjoining handmade gelato parlor; first floor Smoqee Lounge; and rooftop Smoqee Sky Bar – the finest sunset perch on the bay. Opened ready for the dry season, Smoqee Sky Bar’s white stone terrace lords it over the bay and distant volcanoes. Seaside inspirations are evident with a reflecting pond edging the terrace; water wall; and dazzling white sail roof, covering the open bar section (matching those atop the rooftop penthouses). Apart from the covered bar area, this rooftop is openair and too hot to handle in the daytime . . . proceedings start at 5.30pm – a heady combo of cooling sea breezes, prime views of the sinking sun over the bay, and surreal smokin’ from seafood restaurant huts below (hence the “Smoqee” tag). This is a low-key intimate setting with well-spaced lounge seating and background music from laid back to upbeat. A select, mixologist-concocted menu includes refreshingly tropical Coco Mojito from the signature Crushed line – most cocktails highlight organic produce blended with quality imported ingredients and come served in arty-style glasses, typical of Le Meridien’s playful touch. Multi-coloured LED lanterns placed on the pond and tables illuminate the rooftop space and herald the night ahead. Still finding its groove, live entertainment is on the

agenda and SSB is available for private hire for corporate and social gatherings. Open until late, SSB is more a sunset, pre-dinner spot; a selection of small bites and tapas, such as potato skins loaded with lobster and truffle should keep you going before dinner – either at Bamboo Chic downstairs or Jimbaran’s seafood restaurants. Afterwards hit Smoqee Lounge for a nightcap and taster of Jimbaran’s first late-night club . . . complete with DJs, dance floor and VIP rooms. 5.30pm until late; Le Méridien Bali Jimbaran Jalan Bukit Permai, Jimbaran, tel: 0361 8466888 / www.lemeridien. com/balijimbaran COO DE TA: We’re all familiar with Ku De Ta – since 2000, an iconic beach club-restaurant that jetsetters haunt for seasonal DJ parties, sunset cocktail rituals and refined beachfront dining. Ever-evolving KDT is, however, placing increasing emphasis on its exceptional fine dining, endeavouring to be taken more seriously as a formidable foodie Mecca – not difficult, armed with one of Bali’s top chefs, Phillip Davenport, and replete with impeccable service and sublime modern global cuisine. Always the pioneer, KDT, again, raises the bar with newly minted Mejekawi by Ku De Ta – with the open-air first-floor events space transformed into a separate entity destination restaurant-bar. More than fine dining, Mejekawi presents a totally unique tasting kitchen and laboratory concept, catering to discerning gastronomic tastes. Accessed by a stone

spiral staircase, ultra-modern Mejekawi reveals sleek, clean lines and minimalist interiors – all-enclosed as a snub to Bali’s unreliable weather. Mejekawi’s intimate space and playful showmanship concept comes with a central open kitchen and adjacent open bar – both square-shaped in sumptuous marble, allowing diners (seated counterstyle or surrounding communal-style) to observe how food and beverages are prepared. Two dinner tasting menus of three and 11 courses showcase progressive cuisine, strongly influenced by local specialties while continuing their focus on divine locally-sourced produce . . . how asbout Lobster Roll with Steamed Brioche, Iberico lardo, or kimchi aioli and pickled celery. A collaboration with kitchen manufacturers Sub-Zero & Wolf results in state-of-the-art, kitchen appliances and equipment, and adjoining “mad professor” open laboratory gleaming with modern poly-science, hi-tech equipment from homogenisers to liquid-nitrogen machines . . . primed for cooking lessons, guest chef demos, and innovative cocktail concoctions. Along with balcony seating, deck space and meeting rooms, Mejekawi is up for private dinners and events, wine tastings, guest chef dinners, and more . . . Open 5.50pm, last orders, 10.30pm / KU DE TA, 9 Jalan Kayu Aya, Seminyak, tel: 0361 736969 / www.kudeta.net

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hotels Once all-conquering in asia, regent hotels was acquired by four seasons and all but disappeared. the bali property represents a return to splendour.

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it's all in the detail.

regent hotels - the epitome of luxury – opens a resort in tranquil Sanur. by Tony stanton.

A lifetime ago I worked for a hotel brand that was remarkable in many ways, but most notably in its dedication to the details of luxury. There was the one-third rule – the large suites were to be divided into three . . . one-third bathroom, one-third bedroom, one-third balcony. It transformed hotel stays. There was the 30-second bath rule – all tubs must fill in under half a minute. And there was the ‘best’ rule – all hotels and resorts had to be the best in the area, and the very best in class. It was no surprise then when this pinnacle of global hotel brands ex-Asia was swallowed up by another premium brand who were looking to move into the region. Regent retreated to a small core of properties in the less travelled parts of Asia, and it was all but forgotten by anyone outside the industry with a memory that stretched back further than any of us liked to admit. And then came resurrection. Acquired by new management in 2010 and with the original creator of the brand – Robert Burns – back in as chairman, Regent now plans hotels in Abu Dhabi, Doha, Kuala Lumpur, Phuket and Bali with future expansion focusing on China, New York, Paris and London. Regent Bali is located in Sanur, a fitting choice given its commitment to discerning locations. Sanur is a quiet, friendly, former fishing village that remains resolutely Balinese in the face of enormous changes on the island, and Regent fits right in. Sitting on 10 acres of tropical gardens and 200

hundred metres of golden beach, it boasts 94 suites, one beachfront Regent Villa, 25 Regent residences, a Spa, and two premier dining options. Cuisine comes in the shape of a variety of international and pan-Asian menus at the informal and refined Nyala Beach Club & Grill. All-day dining is available at the Layang Layang Restaurant and healthy meals at The Pool Terrace alongside the main swimming pool, which has a spectacular sea view. Regent Bali’s singular sensation is the ultra luxurious Regent Villa. At nearly 1,000 square metres, the two bedroom beachfront villa features a private pool, Jacuzzi, spa treatment room and steam room. “Regent Bali embodies the new direction and philosophy of our company,” Regent Hotels & Resorts president, Ralf Ohletz, says. “We are committed to creating bespoke luxury lifestyle destinations, offering exceptional service and unique facilities as well as exclusive residential property.” General manager Murray Aitken – whose job it is to ensure the property reaches the high standards of yore – is confident the property will surpass expectations. “Regent Bali will offer guests unrivalled comfort, privacy and understated elegance. Our exclusive suites and The Regent Villa allow guests to their own private sanctuary and indulge in Bali’s premium beach resort experience.”

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venting in a villa Villa Elegancia is a design wonderland born from a peripatetic imagination.

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Dreammaker Renato Guillermo de Pola brings his love for Bali via Geneva, Ibiza and the Cevennes to Villa Elegancia in Seminyak.

Hi Rene, tell us a little about your background . . . where you're from and how you grew up? My father wanted me to be an architect so I studied in Switzerland to please him. I then went to hotel school, which would enable me to travel. I obtained my diploma and left to travel around the world. After two years or so of craziness, I went back to Europe with no money whatsoever. I opened a bar in Geneva, which was successful so I decided to open more. I also created luxury fashion boutiques and trendy nightclubs. I retired to France in the Cevennes where I spent two years painting before discovering Ibiza, which was a very creative period in my life; I stayed there for around 25 years. I opened successful businesses there – notably a luxury hotel, bars, restaurants and clubs. I transformed the old Fincas area and built houses. Architecture, design, decoration, the art of aesthetics, the colours, the shapes, the light, the perspective and the different atmospheres fueled my creative process. When did you first come to Bali? After 25 years in Ibiza, I was curious to experience new adventures. But where to go? I knew plenty of people who would spend the winter in Bali. After my first visit in May 2008, I returned to Bali immediately to settle down, and create a collection of luxurious furniture. Old clients of mine then contacted me about building a villa in Seminyak, giving me complete freedom to choose the concept, design and to develop the place as I wanted. This is how I got involved in the project of Villa Elegancia, thinking of it as my own home, with everything I love in comfort and design. Tell us about your hotel in Ibiza? In Ibiza I created Les Jardins de Palerme – a boutique hotel which very quickly became the place to be. It would be home to all the stars, the politicians, businessmen and other “beautiful people”. I created this hotel with a certain “art of living” in mind, a bit like La Dolce Vita. We love Elegancia Villa as it's heavy on design . . . does that passion come from you? I intervened on every single phase of the creation of this villa – the architectural concepts, the sizes and shapes, the choice of materials, I made exclusive furniture, mirrors and lighting, I created a unique floor made from wood, pebbles and glass, and I added some of my own paintings and sculptures. This villa is unique. It this the first villa you've designed? No, I built and renovated villas in France, Switzerland, Belgium,

Netherlands, and notably Ibiza, where the 1,200-square-metre villa on the top of the hill, Puig Redo, offered a 360-degree panoramic view. I also specialised in designing lofts because I loved their size, perspective and the lifestyle they offered. I designed quite a few of them. I also especially like to renovate old houses. I love to combine the existing elements with the modern by introducing different volumes and inventing different atmospheres. What's the most challenging aspect of designing a villa in Bali? The greatest difficulty I ran into was, without a doubt, finding teams that would understand and be able to achieve the level of quality I was looking for. Although, the advantage of working in Bali is that everything is achievable – we can let our imagination go crazy. The villa is very well located yet it also seems removed from the hustle and bustle. Did you choose the location with this in mind? Yes, the location of the villa is very important. Here we're in the heart of Seminyak where the best boutiques, restaurants and trendy bars are all within walking distance. You can also admire the sunset on the beach, which is just next door. It really is ideal. Who are your inspirations when it comes to design? Everyone thinks that everything has already been done, but actually whether it is in design, in architecture, or seen in a painting, for example, one can always reinvent something . . . create something based on personal experiences, inspirations or current trends. My mentors would include Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Grisle (aka Le Corbusier), Jean Nouvel, Philippe Starck, and Kengo Kuma. Without falling into minimalism, I love purified lines and playing with colours to create a warm ambiance. What kind of guests do you expect will be interested to stay? I design all of my projects as if I were designing them for myself. I also pay close attention to all my creature comforts and my crazy creativity. Villa Elegancia is a unique villa that resembles no other. I think it will seduce people seeking exclusivity, people that have taste for design and who appreciate the deluxe style . . . and the wellbeing that this villa provides, to the point where they'll want to spend all day lounging around in a comfortable setting. And finally, when can we come and spend time there? Now . . . enjoy! www.elegancia-bali.com

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sounds around So Kevin, any first impressions of Bali? This is my second time to Bali. Definitely a very unique place… Growing up, was your family musical? Not really musical, but they loved music…I mean my father would play people like Chuck Mangione, and stuff like that and we would go to marching band shows, where each band was different and all kinds of different genres so that introduced me to some of the classical stuff. It wasn’t until I was about 11 that I met a guy, who used to be our paper boy, and he was a deejay and he basically introduced me to house music. You started out as a drummer? I always played drums, that was my main instrument. I started out with a snare drum when I was really young, and then I got full set. I tried to play in school, but they wanted me to read music and back then I didn’t want to read music, I just wanted to play what I wanted to play. It wasn’t until recently that I started playing with bands. How do you see the music industry these days compared to when you were starting out? When I first started out house music was so underground. I was deejaying, but it was at house parties and stuff back in the day and you couldn’t go over 110 beats per minute. People would say it was too fast. What’s your toughest challenge these days? I’ve slowed down a lot with the dance music thing. I’ve been doing a lot of music for film, and more vocal stuff and band-type stuff, so I’m going in different directions. Do you prefer time in the studio or on the road? I would say in the studio right now. I mean I love travelling, but for example, trips like this where you’re in a very beautiful part of the world but only for two days, and I’m very thankful for it and happy but it sucks sometimes because you don’t always get more time to absorb the places you go to. I’ve been travelling pretty heavy for the last

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15 years so it’s nice to take a little break, honestly. Top three places in the world to play – and why? I would say … Greece … Russia … and probably Japan. For some reason in Greece, they really like me there, I don’t know why, it’s pretty crazy, so that’s where I play the most. Russia because they weren’t very used to that kind of music, so they appreciated everything, it was a fresh thing and they weren’t there to judge, because they sort of missed the whole disco thing and everything. And in Japan, they really know their music, I mean there’s probably more jazz clubs in Tokyo than in all of America. How do you best enjoy your time away from work? I sometimes go fishing, I have a little fishing boat. I do a lot with my family, I have a little niece and nephew who I spend a lot of time with. I live out in the country, so it’s quiet out there. I like to be outside, stuff like that. Any ambitions for the future? Besides doing music for film, which I really love because it brings me back to where I first started with music, and I’m deeply into it and it’s so much fun, I’m just trying to find a sound that I’m happy with. As an artist you can get caught up with making a living and you want people to like your music, but there’s so much politics and so much going on right now that you kind of lose track of what you like and what makes you happy. Once that happens, as an artist you turn into a cynic and it’s pretty bad. You lose that creativity and and become lethargic. I’m just trying to find a different sound that makes me happy and which other people enjoy. I’d also like to come back here for a month or so next time and maybe do some recordings with local musicians. Sounds like a plan. Thanks so much for your time, Kevin.

movie goodness from jimmy waters.

ROOM 237 (2012 Rodney Ascher) Kubrick’s 1980 interpretation of Stephen King’s horror masterpiece is widely regarded as one of the most terrifying movie experiences committed to film and is one of the most dissected and studied pieces of cinema, thanks largely to Kubrick’s employment of subliminal imagery and hidden messages throughout the grounds of The Overlook Hotel. This subjective critical documentary explores the numerous theories about the hidden meanings that riddle The Shining, and whilst some are more outlandish than others (did Kubrick actually fake the lunar landing?) the very different points of view of the filmmakers are illuminated through voiceover, archive footage, animation and dramatic reenactments. Director Rodney Ascher assembles a handful of devoted Shining cinephiles and lets them loose to explain the various hidden themes behind the original film, from the sublime to the frankly ridiculous, his assembled board of film buffs explore Kubrick’s sub focus on the holocaust, the massacre of the native Indian Americans, repressed sexuality, the recurring numerology throughout the film and the subliminal images that play constantly on the mind of the viewer. You can take from it what you will, but some of the ideology behind what Kubrick was trying to communicate to his audience is hard to disbelieve, whilst other more ambitious conspiracy theories are hard to take seriously. The broader and more uniting themes of the film that are dissected in Room 237 (named after the haunted hotel suite in the original film where three axe murders were committed) are the most provocative and interesting highlights, especially the linking of the past to the present where the film is looped and played in reverse to suggest that the beginning and the end of The Shining are in fact identical occurrences and the relevance of the hexagonal carpet to Danny’s state of mind. Room 237 may miss more than it hits, but the trip into the thought processes and genius that was Stanley Kubrick makes this a must watch for fans of the original film and an intriguing doco-distraction for anyone that has more than a passing interest in contemporary cinema.

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SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN (2012 Malik Bendjelloul) Winner of the Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012, Swedish filmmaker Malik Bendjelloul’s moving indie documentary charts the efforts of two South African fans – Segerman and Bartholomew – to track down the relatively obscure 1970s Detroit-based folk and blues singer Rodriguez. In the early ’70s Rodriguez released two relatively unknown and non-selling albums in the US and drifted into obscurity. Little did he know that he had, by virtue of the timeliness of his lyrics, become a champion of civil and social rights in apartheid-stricken South Africa. Long rumoured to have committed suicide after an unsuccessful concert, a pair of his fans decided to track him down in the 1990s and this became the basis for this surprisingly touching and emotional story that eventually morphs into an odyssey of discovery as a Detroit construction labourer learns that his artistic aspirations and dreams came true after all. What follows is one of the most bizarre and heartwarming stories in modern popular music featuring one of the most unlikely anti-establishment frontmen in history. As the mystery surrounding Rodriguez unravels, we learn that a tiny independent South African label distributed his seminal album Cold Fact and that Sugar Man was banned on the government-run radio station for its drug references, as well as the anti-establishment lyrics of his songs. An astonishing story about a talented and humble human being, Searching For Sugar Man is as life-affirming as the lyrics in the soundtrack. Be prepared to have the music playing in your head for some time to come.

Kubrik dissection in Room 237 and God-like ressurection for the Sugar Man.

astroyak

moodofthemoment By Dr Deepak | astro-deepak@usa.net | www.astronlp.com | Skype: drdeepakvidmar The ancient I Ching is called the Book of Changes. Astrology should be called the Map of Changes. When you are born, a cosmic imprint is made upon your dna that resonates with the frequencies of the planets in a process physicists call entanglement. After your birth, the planets keep moving and you move with them. The same laws that drive the universe drive us also. We are not separate. This movement brings changes in our environment and inside ourselves. They are called transits and they are cyclical and predictable. That is what this horoscope is all about.

aries

The desire to be free and independent at this time is so strong that it may be difficult to get along with others. Harmonious relationships where everyone is polite and nicey nicey is not your thing now. Freedom is all about taking risk and the paradox is that now is the time to spend your energy on making sure that everything is secure. Useful to have a base camp when the next day you climb to the peak. Useful to have food and water in the boat when you set sail for another shore.

taurus

The purpose of life at this time is not to have fun or to be comfortable. It is about work and responsibility. Miles to go and promises to keep. It is also about money and resources. It is about working to make the money to pay for the car to go to work to make the money to pay for the house to rest in to go to work to… etc, etc. The paradox is that you already have the money, but now you are having to spend it. Spending is okay, but spend some time with friends and neighbors too.

gemini

A little bit of frustration and dilemma at this time. One duality is whether to push your energy to get what you want or to say the heck with it, it is not worth the effort. The dilemma is whether to put forth force into the world to get your way or to surrender to whatever happens. This is a time of doubt when you are not sure that what you want is true for you or not, will satisfy you or not. The tendency is to look for shortcuts, the easy way. Not a good time to speculate. Happy Birthday.

cancer

This is a time when you are feeling the shocks and catastrophes in the world and the effects it is having on people. It is also a time when you have the personal energy to support other people in what they are going through. The more generous you are, the more others will feel generous. The more self-confidence you have, the more others will feel self-confident. The more you love yourself, the more others can love themselves. When the tiger is eating you, enjoy the pleasure the tiger is having. Happy Birthday.

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Dualities in your life at this time between

Past and Future, between Holding On and Reaching For. Old, old issues come up from childhood conditioning that hold you back from fully merging in intimate relationships. Home life may become a little dry or too much responsibility. The Juice of Life for you now is in your friendships and being with others with common interests. Once your feet are on the ground, time to lift your wings and fly toward your dreams and aspirations. Happy Birthday.

don’t understand about you is that you like to debate. They think you like to argue, but that is not it. You are not personally projecting trying to impose yourself. It is about the truth of the matter and the honesty involved. You may have noticed by now that honesty has gotten you into a lot of trouble over the years. Now is a time to learn to not be so honest, to do it another way that doesn’t ruffle feathers. Support the other in their illusion and you will forget your own.

virgo You may not know exactly what you are looking for, but you will know it when you find it. The paradox is that it cannot be found on Earth. Neptune time. Satisfaction cannot be found in the ordinary material world or in people living everyday lives now. Satisfaction can be found in only creative or spiritual realms. It is a time when you are attracted to sensitive people and yet there is some judgment or fear when you find they have weaknesses and faults. Faith is the answer.

capricorn

There is a leap in your awareness of the power of the unconscious to shape your life at this time. When you look into your fears and repressions, you will discover the secret mechanisms by which consciousness works. It is discovery time, the discovery of the Light by looking into the Shadow. All the stress and strain you have been going through was just to work the stone so that the statue can show. The paradox is that all this inward discovery attracts loving others into your life than might distract you.

libra

Time to disentangle yourself from relationship and to define who you yourself are in this world. It is the old dilemma between “I” and “We”. Now is the time for “I” in your life. Time to do what you want without consideration of other people. Time to fulfill your uniqueness and to be what you were meant to be. Time to go beyond social constraints and even your own limitations. The best place to do this in your life is in your work. Even if you don’t have a specific job, you have the opportunity to contribute to the planet that gave you birth.

scorpio It is a time to go inward, inward into the deepest recesses of your emotions and unconsciousness self. It is something most people will not do. They get caught up in the trivialities of things outside themselves and feel fear to Go In. Your laser beam consciousness sees their inside better than they do. It is practice to use this same laser beam for yourself now. This is not hah hah time. There is a seriousness here that comes from intentional action. Go In deeper, deeper and you will see what it all means. sagittarius

One of the many things people

aquarius This is a time for hard work and responsibility in the world. Saturn aspect transiting. Happens every 28 years. Time to ask hard questions about your goals and what you want to achieve. Time to ask if what you are doing is getting you what you want. Time to ask if doing it another way will give you more fun and better results. It is a good creative time for new ideas and insights. You may be so busy with your goals that you are careless about your resources. Pay attention to your money and be absolutely clear. pisces

Words and proper nouns were never your thing and even less so now. They can’t express what is really important and what is said is not what is meant. You cannot be spoken to now, you can only be touched. You cannot be confronted now, you can only be comforted. This is a particularly sensitive time in your life and you avoid conflict at any cost. This man-made world is too much a metallic taste that grinds upon your soul. Get out of the house and merge yourself with nature and nothingness.

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www.komuneresort.com Page 49 Mantra Nusa Dua Tel: 8465750 www.mantranusadua.com Page 130 Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort Tel: 815900 www.panpacific.com Page 36 Yak Map U.1 Regent Hotel Tel: 3011888 www.regenthotels.com/bali Page 15 HOSPITALS/CLINIC Semara Seminyak ARC Tel: 8476661 Tel: 754645, 750982 www.semaraseminyak.com www.arcclinics.com Page 191 Yak Map G.10 Page 164 Yak Map O.5 Semara Uluwatu Siloam International Tel: 8482111 Hospital www.semarauluwatu.com Tel: 779900 Page 164 www..siloamhospitals.com Page 170 Yak Map F.11 Sentosa Seminyak Tel: 730333 Sunset Vet www.sentosaseminyak.com Tel: 754881 Page 61 Yak Map O.6 www.sunsetvetbali.com Yak Directory P.2 Yak Map E.7 Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort Tel: 8465555 www.sheraton.com/balikuta HOTELS & VILLAS Page 59 Yak Map D.12 Alila Villas Soori ST Regis Bali Tel: 8946388 Tel: 8478111 www.alilahotels.com www.stregisbali.com Page 19 Page 44 Ayana Residence Bali The Akmani Legian Tel: 702120 Tel: 3009191 www.ayanaresidences.com Page 110 Yak Map V.16 Page 41 The Laguna Ayana Resort & Spa Tel: 771327 Tel: 702222 www.starwoodhotels.com www.ayanaresort.com Page 85 Page 131 The Mulia Bali Ayung Resort Ubud Tel: 3017777 Tel: 9001333 www.ayungresortubud.com www.themulia.com Page IBC Page 197 The 101 Legian Batu Karang Lembongan Tel: 3001101 Tel: (0366) 5596376 www.batukaranglembongan. www.the101bali.com Page 166 Yak Map D.12 com The Sungu Page 126 Tel: 975719/7449837 Como Shambhala www.thesunguresort.com Tel: 978888 Page 155 www.como.bz Tugu Hotels Page 137 Tel: 0361.4731701 or Elegancia Villas 03706120111 www.mavillapremium.com Page 35 Yak Map R.7 www.bali@tuguhotels.com www.lombok@tuguhotels. Four Seasons Resorts com Tel: 701010 Page195 Yak Map O.1 www.fourseasons.com/ Villa Berawa jimbaranbay Tel: 4737600 Page 51 www.villaberawabali.com. Komune Resort Page 84 Yak Map K.2 Tel: 3018888

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Blue Restaurant Tel: 737898 Page 71 Yak Map T.12 Cafe Bali Tel: 736484 E:thecafebali@yahoo.com Page 99 Yak Map Q.7 Casa Luna MEDIA / PRINTING Tel: 977409 Indonesia Printer www. casalunabali.com Tel: 021 6618501 Page 193 Yak Map Q.7 www.indonesiaprinter.co.id Charlie Bar & Restaurant Page 171 www.charliebali.com Page 14 Yak Map U.3 MISCELLANEOUS El Kabron Alexa private cruises Tel: 7803416 www.oazia.com www.chiringuitoelkabron. Page18 com Patra 11 Patent Page 154 Tel: 888916,7878811 Gelato Secrets Yak Directory P.8 www.gelatosecrets.com Plaga Wine Page 110 www.plagawine.com. Hu’u/Baba's Restaurant, Page 26 Yak Map F.9 Club & Bar Rim Cargo Tel: 4736576 Tel: 737670 www.huubali.com www.rimcargo.com Page 23 Yak Map N.6 Page 171 Yak Map W.6 Khaima Simpson Marine Tel: 735171 Tel: 087862244053 www.khaimabali.com www.simpsonmarine.com Page 99 Yak Map Q.8 Page 46 Konderatu Sourcing Bali Tel: 702995 Tel: 9003025 www.konderatubali.com www.sourcing-bali.com Page 30 Page 154 Ku De Ta Third Millennia Health Tel: 736969 Tel 737317 www.thirdmilleniahealth.com www.kudeta.net Page 3 Yak Map N.8 Page149 Yak Map Z.15 Mejekawi Tel: 736969 PROPERTY www.kudeta.net Elite Havens Page 12-13 Yak Map N.8 Tel: 731074 /738747 Merah Putih Restaurant www.elitehavens.com Tel: 8465950 Page 1 Yak Map P.8 www.merahputihrestaurant. com RECREATION Page 39 Yak Map O.4 Beachwalk Bali Mozaic Beach Club Tel: 8464888 Tel: 4725796 www.beachwalkbali.com www.mozaic-beachclub.com Page 167 Yak Map Y.12 Page 37 Yak Map K.2 Mozaic Ubud RESTAURANTS & BARS Tel: 975768 Balique www.mozaic-bali.com Tel: 704945 www.balique-restaurant.com Page 57 Potato Head/Tapping Page 27 Shoes Biku Restaurant Tel: 4737979 Tel: 8570888 www.ptthead.com www.bikubali.com www.tappingshoes-bali.com Page 155 Yak Map O.5 Page 43 Yak Map O.5 Bistrot Salt Tapas Bali Tel: 738308 Tel: 737675 www.bistrot-bali.com Page 27 Yak Map T.8 www.salttapasbali.com Villa Kubu www.villakubu.com. Page 166 Yak Map W.12 W Retreat & Spa www.wretreatbali.com Page 17 Yak Map O.4

Page 61 Yak Map O.6 Sardine Tel: 8436111 www.sardinebali.com Page 6-7 Yak Map U.3 Sundara Tel: 708333 E:sundara.bali@fourseasons. com Page 51 Tirtha Dining Uluwatu Tel: 8471151/+62 8283611111 www.tirthadining.com Page 137 The Junction Tel: 735610 Page 71 Yak Map Q.7 Wah’s Restaurant Tel: 736585 www.wahwahburger.com Page 77 Yak Map N.8 Watercress www.watercressbali.com Page 40 Yak Map N.3 VIN Plus www.vinplus.biz Page 81 Yak Map O.7 SHOPS 69 Slam www.beachgoldbali.com Page 33 Yak Map T.7, V.9, V.10 Bamboo Blonde Tel: 730450 www.bambooblonde.com Page 53 Yak Map S.8, U.11 Beach Gold Tel: 737549, +62 81338017256 www.beachgoldbali.com Page 34 Yak Map S.8 Biasa Tel: 730308, 8878002, 0217182322 www.biasabali.com Page 8-9 Yak Map V.12 Billabong Tel: 769157 www.billabong.com Page 25 Yak Map E.10 Body & Soul Tel: 732325 www.bodyandsoulclothing. com Page 55 Yak Map V.13, V.14 By The Sea Tropical Tel; 8446530 www.bytheseatropical.com Page 47 Yak Map V.12 Deus Ex Machina www.deuscustoms.com Page 4-5 Yak Map O.8 Farah Khan Tel: 4731789 / 8464971 www.farahkhan.com Page FIC Yak Map O.4/ Y.12 First & De

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We asked Pascal and Pika Chevillot – of Sardine Restaurant fame in Petitenget – what they rate about our island home. This is their last word.

Right. Favourite sunset spot please: Rock Bar Best coffee in town: Buzz Cafe

Favourite shop/brand concept in Bali: John Hardy Favourite beach: Pasir Pantai Putih

Where to head for a long weekend: Labuan Bajo, Flores Where to party: Hu’u Bar

On the weekend you’ll find us at: Sardine

When our friends are in town we take them to: Sardine If we weren't in Bali we’d be in: Flores

Favourite spa: Amo...mani, pedi & facial

Favourite fashion designer: Susanna Perini for Biasa

Favourite DJ: Martin East

Best event: The Yak Awards

Favourite resort/hotel/villa in Bali: Villa Bali Asri

Best hair cut: Rob Peetoom

What’s on your iPod at the moment: Not much new...

Cocktail of choice: Bombay Sapphire Martini extra dry, shaken not stirred

Money’s no object... where do you go for dinner: Metis Favourite airline: Thai Air

What Bali brands have you got hanging in your wardrobe: Biasa, Uma & Leopold, Lili Jean, Lulu Jasmine & Magali Pascal

What Bali brands have you got in your kitchen cupboards: Kevala, Jenggala

Guilty pleasure: Cheese and wine Last watched: Californication

Last read: Yahoo news

What Bali VIP cards do you have in your wallet/purse: Naughty Nuri's and The Legian

Who do you most respect in Bali: Balinese women, they are most gracious and hard working Green fingers: Sometimes

Which charities do you work with: Jodie O'Shea Orphanage More rice paddies less traffic please, say the peeps from Sardine.

Sport you do in Bali: None.

What would you like to see more of and less of in Bali:

More rice paddies...less traffic

Favourite interior designer: Etienne De Souza

If you were Governor for a day you would: Reduce the tax on alcohol. Amen.

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