By: HollywoodNews.com

HollywoodNews.com:

Actress Jennifer Aniston said she wants to take a break from work so she can travel the world.

The 41-year-old, who was recently in London to launch her debut fragrance, said she would love to see more of the world but not just for her job. She said to Britain’s Stylist magazine: “I travel a lot for work but I need to start traveling more for myself – it’s really important to me. You’d be shocked at my list of places I want to go. I want to go to India, Bali and I would love to go to Italy – I’ve never been to Florence or to Venice. I also want to go to Thailand and Fiji – a lot of places!”

Aniston added that she is always happy to take a trip to France as she revealed it is her top travel destination.

She said: “Paris, definitely. I love the people, the elegance, and the beauty of it. I stayed years ago at a little boutique hotel, I couldn’t tell you the name of it now, only that it wasn’t one of the big fancy ones. “I’ve always liked those little quaint places that make you feel like you’re in someone’s apartment, rather than a hotel.”

Source: Splash News

BALAM Dance Theatre | Jul 26, 2010 | there are 0 comments 0
Carlos Fittante as

Carlos Fittante as "Rama" in Rama's Meditation from the "Ramayana"

by Carlos Fittante, Artistic Director, BALAM Dance Theatre

What does it take to pull together the international tour of a dance company? A dance enthusiast asked me that question, which got me thinking about the skills needed to organize Bali Tour 2010 for BALAM Dance Theatre.

The stresses we face are typical, including a tight budget, many things to do and not enough staff, etc. Rather than giving advice on stretching a budget, I want to share the following directorial points of view that guide me in rallying the BALAM Dance Theatre team to stretch the kite string all the way to Bali.

Maintain a good attitude. Interact with others with a calm and trusting disposition.

Create a sense of abundance. In your daily interactions and preparations, especially in rehearsals, try to bring a feeling of ease and availability to the situation.

Patience is a virtue. When required, I have developed the ability to slow down my pace during interactions, allowing time for me to get involved in the nitty-gritty of the problem, while reducing my potential for being annoyed.

Listen to the messenger. Try to understand what is said and simultaneously feel what is in the heart of the individual, as the person states it. The motivation behind the words is the essential communication.

Use these three lucky charms: breathing, smiling, and waiting. These three activities can help divert a conflict.

Apologies can heal. The ability to apologize sincerely to a colleague is essential. Let the person know you care about their feelings, regardless of a difference of opinion. People are more important than getting what you want.

Acceptance is a sign of maturity. Be able to accept terms that are not your preferences. The creative process is all about accepting and incorporating boundaries and, at the same time, trying to stretch past them.

These realizations are the foundation of my directorial style and have helped me throughout the planning of Bali Tour 2010.
For more information about BALAM Dance Theatre or Bali Tour 2010 and ongoing updates throughout the tour, visit http://www.balamdancetheatre.blogspot.com, http://www.facebook.com/pages/BALAM-Dance-Theatre/332263244599, and http://balamdance.org/.

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Garuda Faces Strike Threat As Unions and Bosses Clash

Tuesday, 27 July, 2010 | 21:44 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono yesterday departed for Bali to attend the National Students Art Creation Competition and to meet with George Soros.

The meeting with Soros was held at the Tampaksiring Palace in Gianyar, Bali. To his guest, as quoted in the President’s website, SBY introduced the Tampaksiring Palace to Soros. He also said the palace is one of the most beautiful palaces in the country.

SBY was accompanied by the Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare Agung Laksono, Environment Minister Muhammad Gusti Hatta, State Secretary Sudi Silalahi, Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam, Culture and Tourism Minister Jero wacik, and Presidential spokesperson, Julian Aldrin Pasha.

Before starting the meeting, the president mentioned that his meeting with Soros was to discuss about climate change. Soros, who is the United Nation’s ambassador for environmental issues, had just returned from Kalimantan to look at the condition of the forests there.

Later on Wednesday, the president is scheduled to visit Lombok, West Nusa Tenggar to attend the event “Indonesia Free From Rotating Power Shut Downs.”
 

The green school
BY CHRISTIANE OELRICH

GREEN SCHOOL BALI is one of the most groundbreaking schools on the planet, hoping to produce a generation of citizens who are knowledgeable about and inspired to take responsibility for the sustainability of the world.

Situated on the Indonesian island of Bali, the first impression could be of a hippy camp in the jungle but here, the objective is for the school’s children to tune in to the world around them, not drop out from a consumerist society.

The school was founded two years ago with a focus on environmental protection and sustainability, but the 130 pupils also learn mathematics, physics, philosophy, English grammar and mathematics to the Cambridge IGCSE standard.

"A life-changing experience," says Renee Schipp, whose 13-year-old daughter Greta has been attending the school for a few months now.

"We have seen the transformation of a teenager, who previously barely opened her mouth at meal times but now discusses Plato and environmental protection with us."

The Australians are delighted with Greta’s progress. "Our daughter has found her voice and learnt that her views are valued," says father Ashley.

"The children are more socially engaged, understand cultural and linguistic differences and have greater respect for others," explains the school’s German teacher, Satya Berger.

The stony road to the school at Sibang Kaja, which lies a quarter of an hour’s drive south of the artist town of Ubud, weaves its way through jungle and is lined by trees and palms.

Travellers have to cross the river Ayung by means of a bamboo bridge and continue along the unlit route before the school building suddenly comes into view.

The single classrooms are spread over eight hectares and are almost invisible as their construction entirely out of bamboo means they blend superbly into the forest.

The school also uses compost toilets to reduce its impact on the local environment and has, at its heart, a two-storey open hall that serves as an atrium and will also house the planned library.

Lessons take place inside and outside with students switching on a regular basis. The classrooms rely on natural ventilation and air-conditioning is only used in the bamboo huts on particularly humid days.

Each class is responsible for its own garden, supplying the canteen with any harvest. "It’s so much fun here," says one 13-year-old schoolboy from Belgium who is standing with friends at the organic restaurant on his last day before returning home for his summer holidays.

"I’m sad because we’re moving away from Bali," he explains.

As well as the usual subjects, the school’s timetable includes yoga, organic farming, water treatment and the manufacture of batik, a Javanese cloth that traditionally uses a manual wax-resist dyeing technique.

Children also learn the Balinese martial art of mepantigan which involves the techniques of throwing and locking.

Most importantly, the children have to have no fear of getting their hands dirty as a lot of physics and biology classes take place in the forest or along the river.

Berger’s seven-year-old son Melvin also attends the school.

"We were won over by the academic timetable, combined with the essential skills the children learn here that means they are more environmentally aware," he says. "They are being brought up to have values that will last them a lifetime."

Understanding the environment is not a separate topic but is a thread that runs through all subjects.

"Today’s school education needs to be more focused on the needs of the 21st century than was previously the case," explains admissions director Ben Macrory. "We want to raise creative problem-solvers."

The school was founded by John and Cynthia Hardy, an American couple who for years produced silver jewellery in Bali. The Hardys have since sold their factory, which was mainly built of bamboo and with minimal impact on the neighbouring rice fields.

"This school should stand in the vanguard of revolutionary education in the 21st century," says Cynthia.

The school emphasises taking responsibility for each other, the importance of a social conscience, promoting creativity and caring for the environment.

It’s not cheap, however, with parents paying up to US$10,000 (RM32,000) per year with scholarships only available to locals.

Next year, the Hardys expect between 150 and 170 schoolchildren through their doors. – dpa

Wasti Atmodjo, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar | Wed, 07/28/2010 10:49 AM | Bali
A | A | A |

The Bali Forestry Office has implemented community-based seed-planting programs in 77 villages across Bali as part of a national program to mobilize communities in forest conservation.

The head of the office, A.A.N. Buana, said they would distribute Rp 3 billion in funds from the provincial budget to run the program until the end of 2010.

"This national program is in line with our plans to empower individual communities," he said.

Through the program, the office's field staff would train villagers on how to cultivate seeds of rare plants in effective ways in a "transfer of technology from experts to the communities".

The first priority was to cultivate productive plants, which have high economic value. Farmers would be able to benefit from the wood or fruit of those plants, he said.

There are a number of endangered plants as well as productive fruit plants such as mangosteens and mango, which can be cultivated through the program.

The program also encourages active participation by locals in preserving forest areas and rare plant species. In terms of economic value, farmers will be able to sell plant seeds as well as harvest the plants' yields.

"Some trees have high economic value as they produce high quality wood fit for handicrafts and art works," he said.

The office, he said, would help local farmers select the best plants for their respective to take advantage of geographically specific soils, water abundance and other factors.

Buana said since 2008, the office had delivered one million seeds to 66 local farmer groups in Jembrana, Buleleng, Klungkung, Tabanan, Gianyar and Karangasem regencies.

I Gusti Made Oka Ratawan, a farmer who once worked at the forestry office, said he was glad to hear about the program.

Ratawan now grows various rare plants such as mejanggau, a native plant of Bali.

"Many people are unaware of the richness of native Balinese plants. They plant them in their homes without knowing their economic value," he said.

The program would encourage other farmers to cultivate the endangered plants, which are good for medicinal purposes, he said.

ESPN Action Sports

/photo/2010/0727/as_surf_carmichael_300.jpg
ASPCarmichael, handling solid swell.

Australia's Wade Carmichael has won the Billabong Pro Junior Asia in pumping, four-to-five-foot surf at the Keramas Rivermouth in Bali, Indonesia. The 17-year-old beat out New Zealand's James Woods despite Woods posting 9.0 early on in the final.

"I was really concerned when Woods scored that 9-point ride early but I sort of told myself to relax and concentrate on getting a great wave. There were a lot of excellent waves coming through and I'd scored big prior to the final and realized I simply had to score a big one again," said Carmichael afterward.

Carmichael responded to Woods's ride with a 8.75 before backing it up with a 7.75. Woods needed a 7.5 but failed to find it in the final 10 minutes.

This was Carmichael's first final and best-ever result in any ASP Pro Junior event. He took home $7,000 in prize money and Woods with $3000.

Billabong Pro Junior Asia 2010 Final Day Results:

Final:
1. Wade Carmichael (AUS/NSW/Central Coast) 16.50
2. James Woods (AUS/Qld/Coolangatta) 15.50

Semi 1: Wade Carmichael def. Blake Ainsworth
Semi 2: James Woods def. Thomas Woods

Quarter 1: Wade Carmichael def. Garrett Parkes
Quarter 2: Blake Ainsworth def. Ty Watson
Quarter 3: James Woods def. Ryan Callinan
Quarter 4: Thomas Woods def. Beyrick Des Vries (Sth Africa)

BALI  ECONOMY

Foreign Investment in Indonesia Up 49% in First Half

 

Foreign investment in the Indonesian economy has grown significantly during the first half of 2010. (AFP Photo/Adek Berry)
Foreign Investment in Indonesia Up 49% in First Half

Indonesia. Indonesia experienced a surge in foreign direct investment in the first half of the year, creating expectations that the total for the year may exceed earlier forecasts, the Investment Coordinating Board announced on Wednesday.

Investors from Singapore, Hong Kong and the United States topped the list, with most of the capital coming from expansion of existing operations, according to Gita Wirjawan, chairman of the board, also known as the BKPM.

FDI totaled $7.8 billion during the first half of the year, an increase of 48.7 percent over $5.3 billion recorded during the same period last year, the BKPM said.

Gita said he expected the full-year FDI figure to reach $13.1 billion in 2010, an increase of 25 percent from last year’s realized investment of $10.5 billion. Previously, the government projected FDI to increase 15 percent this year.

The first-half figure for this year topped the $6.5 billion invested in the same period of 2008, prior to the outbreak of the global financial crisis.

The transportation, warehousing and telecommunications sectors combined to attract 40 percent of the total FDI in the second quarter, while the mining sector attracted 17 percent during the same time.

Gita said expansion of existing facilities was complemented by new investment in the textile and footwear sectors, especially factory relocations to Indonesia from Vietnam and China.

“It indicates a rising trust in Indonesia’s investment environment among both local and global players,” he said, adding that Indonesia’s competitive wages were a major attraction.

Rising wages in China and political uncertainty in Thailand are seen as contributing to investment in Indonesia, which has low wages, abundant natural resources and a huge domestic market.

The Indonesian Footwear Association (Aprisindo) told the Jakarta Globe last week that six footwear manufacturers would relocate from China and Vietnam to Indonesia this year, investing a total of $550 million. Aprisindo chairman Eddy Widjanarko told the Globe that he expected another 20 such relocations next year.

Carmaker Nissan last month outlined plans to double its production capacity and more than quadruple its sales in Indonesia by 2013, adding that it would consider making the country its export hub for Southeast Asia.

Gundy Cahyadi, an economist with OCBC Bank said: “In general, the total investment growth in the first half does suggest that investment climate has improved in Indonesia. Certainly, this strong number is partly caused by the low basis effect from the financial crisis that was still prevalent in early 2009. But no doubt the fact that investors are returning to look into Indonesia is a positive for the growth outlook.”

But Gundy added that investors would continue scrutinizing domestic policies and the success of the government’s reform agenda.

Enrico Tanuwidjaja, a regional economist at OSK-DMG Group in Singapore, said the encouraging investment data strengthened the group’s forecast for Indonesia’s economy to achieve 6 percent growth this year.

“It is encouraging also to see more investment, both domestic and foreign-origin, fall into the transportation area and our hope is for the investment to improve upon the efficiency of cross-provincial transportation system so as to reduce the transportation costs and consequently lower food prices” and the prices of other related items.

Gita was optimistic that the FDI figure would continue growing strongly for the year.

“There are $10 billion of investment that could be pledged and signed in the second half, mostly from abroad, like Asia and Europe,” he said.

Local investors seem to share their foreign counterparts’ bullish view, as they reportedly invested Rp 21.9 trillion ($2.4 billion) in the first half, dwarfing the Rp 1.9 trillion in the same period a year ago.

Total investment in the first half rose to Rp 92.9 trillion, up 40 percent from the year-earlier period. In 2009, total investment reached $14.9 billion.

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Indonesia has entered a rolling-blackout-free era

 

Jakarta Globe & Antara
SBY Inaugurates ‘Blackout-Free’ Era

Indonesia. Indonesia has entered a rolling-blackout-free era. At least that’s according to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who arrived in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, on Tuesday to officially launch the government’s new electricity program.

The “Indonesia Free From Rolling Blackouts” launch was attended by, among others, Energy Minister Darwin Zahedy Saleh and Coordinating Minister for the Economy Hatta Rajasa.

The official launch came two days after Dahlan Iskan, president director of state utility PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara, said the country now had sufficient power supplies to end scheduled blackouts, which he vowed to do effective immediately after vocal protests from industries that a rate hike passed in June had burdened them with increases far greater than that promised.

Dahlan’s pronouncement was greeted with skepticism, however, by industry analysts who said the complexity of the problems facing PLN might cause Dahlan to regret making his vow.

Speaking in Lombok, Yudhoyono said 19 million households across the country still had no access to electricity, and emphasized the need for concrete efforts in the sector.

He said PLN’s next target should be to assure that anyone who wanted electricity would be able to access it.

“The government continues to strive in electricity so that the poor will be able to enjoy it,” he said. “Everyone knows it is our homework. Access to electricity is also connected with justice. It is unfair if some people still do not have access to electricity.”

He added that the central and regional governments were both actively working on the problem.

Meanwhile, Darwin said the government was now buying power from private companies, using leased generators and shortening maintenance times to help PLN meet the goal of preventing scheduled blackouts.

“If outages are still occurring, it must be because of local problems,” he insisted.

He added the government intended to accelerate the first phase of the 10,000 megawatt “fast-track” electricity generating program, with a focus on building new coal-fired plants, that was scheduled for completion in 2012.

The second phase, which will shift away from coal, is intended to add a further 10,000 MW of capacity by 2014.

BALI  REAL ESTATE  NEWS

Critical land' in Bali increasing

 

`Critical land' in Bali increasing
| Mon, 07/26/2010 10:09 AM | Bali
A | A | A |

DENPASAR: The amount of critical land in Bali has reached 51.107 hectares, or 9.1 percent of the entire island. Critical land is a term used to describe land that has suffered severe physical, chemical or biological damage.

"Plots of critical land were found inside and outside the island's forested areas. In Buleleng, Bangli, Karangasem and Klungkung we came across critical lands inside the forested areas," said I Wayan Restu a researcher at Udayana University's Center for Environmental Research.

"In 2008, the amount of critical land inside forested areas reached 18,450 hectares, or 14.1 percent of the total size of the island's forest," he said. "The area with the largest amount of critical land is Nusa Penida island. The amount of critical land on that island is 13,825 hectares. - JP

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Lombok Resort Still on Track: Emaar

 

Lombok Resort Still on Track: Emaar

Jakarta. Dubai-based property developer Emaar Properties has again been forced to deny it has pulled out of a $600 million resort project on the island of Lombok, which has been idle for years.

The property developer said it had “responded on time and with total commitment to the proposals of [joint developer] the Bali Tourism Development Corporation for the project.”

The statement came in response to comments from the Indonesian government, published by the local media last week, which said that officials were to retender the project after Emaar pulled out.

Emaar said it had provided recommendations on how it intended to proceed with the development, adding: “Emaar has strong financial fundamentals and will undertake all strategic projects across its key markets.” Emaar did not disclose the current status of the project.

Last week, the head of the Indonesian Investment Coordinating Board, Gita Wirjawan, said potential investors from Abu Dhabi, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and India had expressed interest and could be ready to replace Emaar.

This is not the first time that Emaar has denied pulling out of the project.

In March, the Jakarta Globe reported that Emaar said it was still planning to proceed and was awaiting a response from an expression of interest it had submitted to the Bali tourism authority.

The comment in March was made after the Indonesian ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Mohammad Supriyadi, said that Emaar had abandoned the project.

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/business/lombok-resort-still-on-track-emaar/387747