Susi Johnston Bali Blog

It was a full moon, with a partial eclipse, and it was also my birthday. July 7. Auspicious, indeed. A well-chosen day for the grand opening of Oazia Spa Villas, a most unusual newcomer on the Bali spa and rental villas scene. The party was themed “white,” although it felt as if it should have been themed “white Russian” instead. Certainly a glamourous evening, and a triumph for the creators of Oazia, but one had to wonder, with so many Russians there, where was the vodka? Indonesia’s draconian policies on imported alcohol are strangling the social season. Anyone for another arak sangria?

Three cheers, nevertheless, to Oazia’s developer, Russian interior designer, Veronica Blumgren (above), for pulling off such a grand fête in the temporarily dry climate of Bali.