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Plague in Paradise? AIDS and Condoms “Misunderstood”

Well, now we’ve gone and done it. HIV/AIDS thrives on ignorance and denial, and it’s thriving in Bali. A decade ago it was almost unheard of here; now it’s the stuff of headlines in the local Indonesian language newspaper almost every day. Today’s headline story, set off from the other … Continue reading

Filled under : Bali , Uncategorized
Author : Susi
Comment Number : 5 Comments

Bali, Paradox Island: What’s wrong with this picture?

Travel guides and glossy magazines call Bali paradise and wax poetic about the island’s glories, and how peaceful and spiritual a place it is. Of course, there is some truth amid all the hyperbole, but reading the local newspapers written in Indonesian gives a somewhat different impression. There is evidently … Continue reading

Filled under : Bali , Uncategorized
Author : Susi
Comment Number : 13 Comments

Christmas Shopping in Bali Lesson 1: Deus Ex Machina

This year there are only five places to go Christmas shopping in Bali. Number One: Deus Ex Machina in Canggu, otherwise known as the Temple of Enthusiasm. I’m enthusiastic about shopping here, not only because there’s something for everyone (it’s a one stop shop), but also because you can eat. … Continue reading

Filled under : Bali , Design , Uncategorized
Author : Susi
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BREAKING NEWS: ICON Asian Arts Has a Website (Finally)

Our gallery of ancestral arts, ornament, weapons and textiles in Seminyak has been open for more than a year. Better late than never, at long last we have our website up. At present, there are 66 pieces from our inventory shown in the “collections” area of the site. We’ll be … Continue reading

Author : Susi
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Critical Whimsy: Sandow Birk’s American Qur’an at PPOW

Sandow Birk is one of the most interesting artists working (hard) in America. I began following his work at first because our friendship is a Bali bond. Then I  continued following because it’s impossible not to once you start. There’s a plethora of plots to follow in Sandow’s work, all … Continue reading

Filled under : Bali , Fine Art , Uncategorized
Author : Susi
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Tagged on : art exhibitions , fine art

“Sumatra: Isle of Gold” at the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore

It’s too splendid to miss. An exhibition of  300 artefacts from Sumatra opened last night at the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore. “Sumatra: Isle of Gold” runs from today through 7 November 2010, giving us all plenty of time to plan a Singapore stopover to see the show, which is … Continue reading

Author : Susi
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Silly Hats, Silly Walks, Silly Party: Ian’s Birthday @ Phalosa

They call August the silly season in Bali. Well, I’ll drink to that. I did drink to that come to think of it, starting at the end of July. I toasted silliness in general on July 25th at the birthday beach party for Ian Macaulay of Elite Havens and a … Continue reading

Filled under : Uncategorized
Author : Susi
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Off Topic: Bowled Over by a Pair of Bowls at Bonhams

This pair of bowls is exquisite. It is the pairing that makes them so. Together, they tell us so much about blue. And about how we see objects in the world. Offered at Bonham’s Chinese & Asian sale on 10 May in Knightsbridge. The estimate is £600 to £1,000 the … Continue reading

Filled under : Ancient Asia , Design , Uncategorized
Author : Susi
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Roger W. Hollander, Irma Lake, and “Buffalo” Bill Gates

Last June I heard Bill Gates bought Irma Lake Ranch in Wyoming, the property of a dear friend of mine, Roger W. Hollander. I was happy to receive the news. I loved this place passionately, and will never forget the times that I spent there. Knowing the ranch remains in private hands is somehow heartening. … Continue reading

Author : Susi
Comment Number : 16 Comments

Photography in Bali: Mixed Bag of Goodies at the Alila

Last night we attended the opening of a photography exhibition by a dozen or so emerging Indonesian imagemakers at the Alila Ubud. The show was a pre-event for the Bali Photography Festival 2010, (which seems to be identical with BLIPFest, but I can’t tell for sure). The most impressive works … Continue reading

Filled under : Bali , Uncategorized
Author : Susi
Comment Number : 2 Comments

Bali is Overloaded with Magazines (and so is my bathroom)

The island of Bali is at risk of sinking into the Indian Ocean under the weight of all of its magazines. I put the latest issues of Bali’s mags on the bathroom scale, and it tipped almost ten kilos. How can an island so small generate so many magazines? And … Continue reading

Filled under : Bali , Uncategorized
Author : Susi
Comment Number : 5 Comments

Vomitrocious III: Refrigerated Beach to be Built in Dubai

How disturbing to learn that the sand on the beach at the Palazzo Versace Dubai will be chilled. This mondo luxe development will refrigerate its beach using a network of buried pipes. It will also feature a chilled 820 square meter outdoor pool and a simulated marine environment called the “scuba … Continue reading

Filled under : Architecture , Uncategorized
Author : Susi
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Tagged on : hotels , overdevelopment

So Many Developments in Bali . . . My Head is Spinning

WE INTERRUPT THIS BLOG FOR AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE Apologies to readers of my blog for the past two weeks’ outpouring on (over)development in Bali. I started out hoping to get a general overview of the state of real estate development on the island, and one thing led to another and … Continue reading

Filled under : Bali , Uncategorized
Author : Susi
Comment Number : 3 Comments

Lost Weekend

Friday night was the “Shhh! Speakeasy” dinner fundraiser for the Balinale Taksu Film Festival at the Ritz-Carlton in Jimbaran. What with the illicit teacup martinis on arrival, and brown-bagged bottles of hooch (excellent New Zealand red wine) handed out to every attendee, not to mention the fine works of literature on … Continue reading

Filled under : Uncategorized
Author : Susi
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Tagged on : Bali news , Made Wijaya , parties

Kunzru: The Expensive Search for What Money Can Never Buy

“Self-fashioning through shopping is a perfect pastime for the modern control society – non-threatening and solipsistic.”   (Hari Kunzru for The Guardian) Kunzru just wrote a piece for The Drawbridge (also excerpted in The Guardian) on the vacuousness of “luxury”. This is not an earth-shaking article and most of its points are self-evident to … Continue reading

Filled under : Bali , Uncategorized
Author : Susi
Comment Number : 1 Comment

John Hardy, Eco-Celeb: Make Up! Hair! Get this Man a Face Blotter!

How did we miss this? John Hardy, who is adored for his earnest eccentricity, wacky warm heart, and acute eye for great Indonesian textiles, was featured in Destinasian way back in February in an article entitled “Much Ado About Bamboo”. And we missed it. How? The article delved into some … Continue reading

Filled under : Bali , Uncategorized
Author : Susi
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Picture Paradise : Early Photography in the Asia Pacific Region

Frankly, there aren’t a lot of reasons to visit Canberra in the middle of winter, which is now. Here’s one: to see an exhibition of 100 years of Asia-Pacific photography, “Picture Paradise” at the National Gallery of Australia. This is the first exhibition to survey the history of Asia-Pacific photography, … Continue reading

Filled under : Uncategorized
Author : Susi
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Tagged on : photography
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