Team Talk

Second Semester Starts...

'Om Swastiastu...'

Welcome to the archipelago, welcome to Bali and to the July 2010 edition of Bali & Beyond magazine!

The second semester is rolling on for this year, and time certainly flies as we take a look back and view the archives of the past editions we have on our shelves. Surprisingly, we enter our twelfth publication anniversary this year. Thanks for the good wishes from our close patrons, some of which we have posted on a following page. Thanks also to our overseas subscribers and visiting readers who keep emptying the stands at the various pickup points. And yes, Bali & Beyond has, still and always will be complimentary!

First up, in Craft & Culture we provide a glimpse into Bali's export items. The island's exports have been on the increase, yet many businesses have become anxious especially because of the tight competition from neighboring countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia, and especially China with its CAFTA free trade agreements.

In this month's Lifestyle & Leisure we enter the dazzling world of the Jemme Jewellery Boutique, a treasure-filled refuge where, through its petite gallery and profuse showcases, one may discover a world of luxury and romance through vast collections of glittering gems, as well as the sophistication and passion of the people behind its creations.

Up next in Profiles & Portrait we meet with Wayan Mertayani, a young girl from Amed who just recently caught the nation's public attention after she won the Anne Frank photo competition that was held in 2009. She photographed her pet white chicken that was perching in the Ceara rubber tree that grew tall in front of her house. She symbolized the chicken as herself — enduring the heat of the sun by day as well as dampness during rainfall — lacking much, yet perseverance must be maintained in order to live on.

In this month's Pondering Point we discuss the matter of waste management as an effort to save the future, and to share a new, very simple and practical method introduced for organic household waste management.

Head out on a journey through this month's Action & Attraction as we take you on a stroll through the coffee plantations of the Kiadan Pelaga village in East Bali, a tour program by the Jaringan Ekowisata Desa; a perfect program for those who love the outback, be it coffee novice or connoisseur.

What's ultimately special about this tour program is that it is from, by, and for the village of Pelaga. All this while the tourism scene has been in the hands of "big players" with big capital and large networks. A different principle has been developed in Pelaga. From transport drivers, guides, culinary, and homestay are all the possession of the locals themselves. It is a concept developed by the Jaringan Ekowisata Desa (JED) or Village Ecotourism Network.

So it's good to know that you are enjoying an insightful adventure on the island while a percentage goes into the funds of the communal village, the subak irrigational organization, the local guides and the owners of the homestays. The funds gathered into the village organization are then used to maintain village communal facilities and infrastructure.

We go Beyond Bali to Pantai Pulau Merah (literally, ‘Red Island Coast'), approximately 60 kilometers south of the town of Banyuwangi in East Java. In Capital Corner we take a look at the past, present and future of Indonesia's railway scene.

'Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om...'

— The Team