Various national media report that Bali's governor, I Made Mangku Pastika, admires and in some ways covets the manner in which Malaysia promotes its tourism industry.
And well he might, while Bali, despite her many charms, attracts only around 2 million foreign tourists each year, while Malaysia managed to welcome 22 million foreign tourists in 2008.
Pastika gave voice to his "jealousy" of Malaysia's burgeoning tourism industry in comments made at a Bali conference on "Terrorism Prevention in Bali's Tourism Environment" held on October 31, 2009.
Quoted by Kompas.com, governor Pastika blamed Bali's relative shortfall in tourism numbers on a "wrong concept" and a lack of organized promotion. The governor complained: "To date all that's been done is going back and forth on overseas trip armed with an unorganized concept. Everything needs to be reorganized."
Refusing to specify what concept could best guide Bali tourism, Pastika said, "basically we will redesign tourism promotion, whether we will emulate Malaysia or not, let's wait and see."
Bali Hotelier Beg to Differ
Commenting separately, the Chairman of the Bali Hotel Association (BHA), Djinaldi Gozan, expressed disagreement with the governor's statement. He felt that Bali's tourism professional were pursuing the best course of action. "Promotion through the door-to-door distribution of pamphlets can only be done when large sums of money are available for promotion; a situation not enjoyed by Bali at this time," explained Djinadli. The BHA official also attributed much of Malaysia's tourism's success to the large amount of money lavished on tourism promotion. "The funds they (Malaysia) have for promotion is ten times the amount spent by Indonesia," he said.
Djinaldi underlined, however, that the main obstacle Indonesia faces in bringing more tourist visitors is an inadequate infrastructure. Adding, "we can bring 5 or 7 million people, but on the other hand, we're not ready (to receive them) like Malaysia and Singapore."
Djinaldi also pointed to poor immigration service at the airport and the frequent change of officials in charge as another stumbling block. "If there a program like 'Visit Indonesia' – it is automatic that our airlines, infrastructure and their equipment must be complete and ready. And, while we can't say (the current situation) is horrible, but, rather, is in process to becoming better."
To demonstrate his point, Djinaldi cited the high occupancy enjoyed by many hotels in Bali is dominated by areas such as Nusa Dua, Kuta, Sanur and Ubud. "It's not so much that the other areas are disliked, it's just that the facilities they offer are not as complete as these favorite destinations, he explained.
Governor Pastika was not in total disagreement with the BHA official, crediting Malaysia's human resources, guaranteed security and good infrastructure as the mainstays of its successful tourism industry. In order to earn Bali a larger market share, Pastika said he would prioritize three areas: human resource, education and the people's health. He assured that in this way and by improving its infrastructure Bali would be on an accelerated path to 10 million tourist visitors coming to the island each year.

As reported on balidiscovery.com, Bali will host the First Annual International Bali Meditators Festival in downtown Ubud November 14-16, 2009. [See: Think on These Things]
The creation of Indonesian author, educator and spiritual leader Anand Krishna, the Bali conference will seeks to explore and expand the role meditation plays in the world's great faiths and religions.
The Interview: Anand Krishna
Recently we caught up with Anand Krishna in order to ask him more about the planned conference.
Balidiscovery.com: Briefly, why are your organizing the First Annual International Bali Meditators Festival?
Anand Krishna: I must say that I have been inspired by Janet's DeNeefe's Ubud Writers and Readers Festival. I was impressed not only by her phenomenal success, but by the fact that her efforts help in the realization of our common dream "One Earth, One Sky, One Humankind." This is about bringing people together, people belonging to different walks of life, different backgrounds, different-different-different....
Secondly, this is our response to combating the "spiritual, and holier- than-thou ego." I envision this as a celebration of differences among us. I would like to see this event as a bouquet of different flowers, each adding to the beauty of the bouquet.
Balidiscovery.com: What role should meditation play in our daily lives?
Anand Krishna: Interestingly, in my mother tongue, Sindhi, meditation is not only a verb, but an adverb. And, it is more often used as such - an adverb rather than a verb.
So, it would be: "Sit meditatively," or even, "eat meditatively," than merely "meditate."
Meditation, or "dhyaana" in sanskrit also means "being attentive," It is how you live, how you behave, - the very nature of your actions, thoughts, and words.
"Sitting in meditation," for however long, means nothing if we do not practice meditation in our daily lives. Therefore, meditation cannot be separated from any aspect of life, be it political, social, economic, religious, or whatever.
Balidiscovery.com: There's an inclination to believe someone attending such a conference might be "pushed" in the direction of a specific denomination of religious belief. Is that a misconception?
Anand Krishna: To be very honest with you, I would say "yes". I would be lying, if I said "no." It depends though, on how we define the "universal outlook towards life". If such is considered an "ism" and referred to as "universalism," and universalism is considered a denomination, then the answer to your question is "yes."
But, if you do not consider universalism a movement or an "ism," then the answer to your question is "no."”
But, once again, to be very honest with you, whether it is a denomination or not, an "ism" or not" - it if can make us a better person, more loving and caring - then why does it matter?
Meditation can make us value and appreciate the truths found in all religions, all belief systems, and even in the "faith" of the so-called atheists.
Balidiscovery.com How can meditation change the world?
Anand Krishna: Meditation does not change the world. Meditation is not even really bothered about the world. I remember reading somewhere, "What makes God laugh the most is when He/She/It hears us making plans about the world."
Meditation, in my opinion, is about changing oneself. If I change, you change, he and she changes, we all change - then the world changes.
Related Website [Balimeditates.org]

Nasir Abbas, a Malaysian former jihadist of the radical Jamal Islamiyah Movement spoke in Bali on October 31, 2009, providing insights into the workings and concepts of the group blamed for a series of terrorist attacks across Indonesia.
Speaking at a meeting convened by the Bali branch of the Association to Prevent Crime in Indonesia (LCKI) held at the Hotel Nikki in Denpasar, Abbas said that to truly understand terrorism we must examine not just its actions, but also its style and the content of its messages. Citing examples, Abbas pointed to terrorists' justification of murder and bombing, refusal to mix with local populations, or strange behavior such as entering a room via the window. In order to understand the terrorist, he explained, "terrorists cannot only viewed from their physical aspects, but must also be evaluated from the content of their speech".
In preventing terrorist attacks, public awareness has proven successful in alerting officials to strangers with peculiar personal habits who suddenly appear in local communities. And, according to the former radical, the threat of bombs and terrorists while reduced, cannot be completely eliminated in Bali due the concentration of Americans, Australians and their allies that make the island an attractive target for terrorist.
Quick to condemn his former colleagues, Nasir said bombers are inhumane individuals when viewed from the perspective of any religion. He said their actions are cruel and have claimed the lives of many innocents.
Quoted in Radar Bali, Nasir said that while those who made Bali the target of the first bomb are now dead, such acts can reoccur at the hands of those who survive Dr. Azhari and Noordin M. Top. He cautioned that while no one has stepped into the shoes of Noordin and Azhri, there is an individuals whose ambition is to do so.
Because of this, he warned the people of Bali to pay special attention to their surroundings and make a point of getting to know their neighbors. He underlined that those who desire to perform future acts of terror have a perverted and incorrect understanding of their religious faith.
He went on to explain how JI continues to use family-based networks to recruit future bombers. The power of JI's message and global issues such as bombing in Palestine and Israel can all contribute to aiding the recruitment drive for new suicide bombers.
The one-time JI leader who now assists Indonesian police in tracking terrorist bombers, is able to maintain contacts in fundamentalist circles despite being branded a traitor by his former murderous colleagues.

Now! Bali - the monthly magazine for Bali visitors distributed through hotels in Bali, held an appreciation party in the seaside gardens of the Bali Segara Village Hotel on Friday, November 6, 2009.
Launched in January 2009, by well known travel publisher Alistair Speirs, the magazine claims to be the most widely circulated publication of its kinds in hotels, resorts and villa rooms in Bali.
Attended by hoteliers, retailers, restaurateurs and leading tourism operators in Bali, the evening party featured Indonesian music and dance, a contemporary band and attractive door prizes.
Speirs spoke to the gathering thanking advertisers for their support of his desire to create a magazine dedicated to "real" Bali – highlighting the island’s temples, dance, art, museum, and its countryside. In the months ahead, Speirs plans to improve the magazine's layout and, in response to popular demand, expand circulation.
Shown on Balidiscovery.com is Alistair Speirs posing with a Balinese dancer.

Bali's governor Made Mangku Pastika is becoming increasingly irritated by the island's regents and mayors who continue trying to score political points by criticizing him on a variety of topics ranging from the management of the Bali Development Bank to the new zoning rules (RTRW) for the island. The governor's displeasure overflowed recently when he questioned these officials sudden and very vocal rejection of the RTRW while, during the public deliberation of the zoning law, thedr same people took the "safe" option of remaining silent and staying out of the debate.
Quoted in Radar Bali, the governor said now is not the time to be putting forward their objections as the RTRW has already been ratified as a provincial law by Bali's House of Representatives. Giving voice to his irritation, Pastika said: "They should have voiced their rejection and made noise during the long deliberation process. Come on - now they raise a raucous, but before they stayed silent. We're tired after finishing the deliberation process, they should have spoken up then. The process is finished now."
The governor reminded how the new zoning rules had been under a review process that lasted almost an entire year before finally being ratified by the Bali House of Representatives. He called on the regents and mayors of Bali to recall the long consultative process, saying, "it's strange to only speak up now; it's too late."
Insisting that all elements of society were asked for input in formulating the RTRW, the governor counted off participation by the Hindu organizations, village leaders, academics, non-governmental organizations and various experts before being approved by Bali's House of Representatives.
Obviously displeased with he behaviors of Bali's regents and mayors, Pastika admonished leaders who now want the agreed "no build" zones surrounding sacred sites modified to accommodate their specific requirements. To those only now voicing their objection, the governor somewhat cynically suggests they confront all the factions of public society who helped formulate the rules.
Pastika underlined the desire of his administration to end the hodgepodge of different approaches to provincial law in each of Bali's regencies in favor of a "one island management" system. The governor warned that Bali's would be ruined by planning based on an endless variety of individual narrow interests.
The governor warned that plans by regents to file a formal letter of rejection regarding the RTRW might represent a violation of the law in such a document's failure to accept and acknowledge the democratic legislative process.
According to press reports, many of the island's regents are resisting the new zoning rule's attempt to introduce a uniform set of building rules across the entire island. Such rules would end Regent's current ability to grant exceptions to the rules. The new rules also impose criminal penalties on administrators caught facilitating exemptions in such areas as set-back rules from sea sides, river banks and sacred sites.

The Laguna, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali has announced several recent appointments to its sales team.
Andrew Fairbairn, Director of Sales & Marketing
Heading the Hotel's Sales and Marketing team will be Andrew Fairbairn who has been appointed Director of Sales and Marketing for the 271-room luxury property resort within the Nusa Dua complex.
Wayan joins the team with a wealth of Sales & Marketing experience within Starwood Hotels & Resorts including stints with Le Meridien Nirwana Golf & Spa Resort Bali and, most recently, the Sheraton Bandara Hotel Jakarta. In Wayan's role as Director of Sales - Leisure he will lead the sales efforts within the FIT & Wholesale markets and reporting directly to Andrew Fairbairn.

To show their gratitude and appreciation to their partners, and to celebrate the joy of the wonderful world of children, Nikko Bali Resort and Spa will host a fun day-out titled "Nikko and I" on Sunday, November 15, 2009.
This special event will feature interactive games and activities for different age groups of children organized by a professional team held in the Graha Sawangan Ballroom. Kids will partake in activities ranging from the simple joys of making balloon animals to participating in an interactive treasure hunt around the resort that will take children on a mini-tour in search of hidden clues.
Highlighting the day will be a special musical performance by the children from Purwacaraka Music School and a comedy magic show by the father-daughter duo, Uya Kuya and Cinta Kuya.
A special menu of food prepared for kids and "Nikko and I" merchandise will also be on offer.
The fun gets underway at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 15, 2009. The cost is Rp. 300,000 (US$30) for kids covering food, drinks and games and Rp. 100,000 for accompanying parents.

Confirmed cases of rabies now stretch to all four corners of Bali with rabid dogs now detected in two communities at Sambirenteg, Tejakula in the Buleleng regency, North Bali. Officials in Buleleng are responding by educating the local community on preventive steps to stop the further spread of the disease. Local authorities are also in the process of eliminating stray dogs on a village by village basis in combination with a program of vaccination for the local pet dog populations.
Meanwhile, Bali's provincial government has pledged to make Bali "Rabies Free" by 2012, three years ahead of the earlier announced target of 2015.
Jakarta Globe quotes Tjandra Yoga Aditama of the Indonesian Health Ministry as saying because of Bali's role as a tourism icon the island was being prioritized in the national fight against rabies, saying: "This is an important battle given Bali's role as a world-class tourist destination and its strategic contribution to the national economy. If we are late acting on this issue, the disease could have a negative impact and spread to other areas."
From an initial case one year ago isolated in Bali's southernmost regency of Badung, rabies cases have now been confirmed to have spread island wide with cases reported in Gianyar, Tabanan, Bangli, Karangasem and Buleleng. At least 15 human fatalities have been linked to the current outbreak.
Rabies control units are now in operation in six regions of Bali offering anti-rabies vaccine for those who are bitten by potentially rabid animals.
Current estimates are that 26,705 dogs have been culled from a total dog population put at 500,000 animals.
Kompas.com reports that Rp. 2.4 billion (US$240,000) is being allocated in 2010 to prevent the spread of rabies. A total of Rp. 8 billion (US$800,000) has been spent in 2009 in Bali in the fight against rabies.
Officials in Bali insist that any shortage of vaccine is only momentary, tied to supply-chain issues and not a lack of funding to secure vaccine.
Yoga Aditama is recommending that Bali set up rabies centers in all of Bali's regencies and municipalities to help meet the 2012 target for elimination of the disease and quickly address any new cases discovered in the coming months.
Nation-wide Indonesia reports confirmed cases of rabies in 24 of its 33 provinces, with the worst affected areas in North Sulawesi and South Sulawesi.

The Championship Greg Norman 18-hole Nirwana Bali Golf Course will host an exciting day of open tournament play on Saturday, November 14, 2009, for the Bupati Tabanan Cup VIII 2009.
Play commences with a shotgun start at 1:00 p.m. in this individual stroke play competition.
Considered one of Asia's finest courses, Nirwana Bali Golf Course is managed by IMG.
Commenting on the course he personally designed, Greg Norman says the links contain "some of the most dramatic holes in golf." Continuing his description, Norman added: "The 7th hole is especially challenging, requiring the golfer to hit a middle iron from the cliff side tee across a piece of the ocean to a scenic and well-guarded green. Hole 13 will require all a golfer's skill and concentration as it plays along Indian Ocean cliff tops. Hole 14 is a dramatic par 3, with the ocean thundering below."
The Bali tournament is open to the public. An entry fee of Rp. 1.1 million (US$110) covers entry fee, a snack box, awards dinner and prizes/awards.
Anyone sinking a hole-in-one during competition will win a BMW 3 Series. Numerous other prizes will be awarded to contestants including a lucky draw prize of a Honda Absolute Revo motorcycle.
For reservations or more information, telephone ++62-(0)361-815960

Balidiscovery.com has learned of the death of Bob Monkhouse, who succumbed to a respiratory infection on Sunday, November 8, 2009, in his adopted home of Bali.
.A "friend of Bill" who formed alcoholic anonymous groups in Bali in the late '1990s, Monkhouse also help found Bali Health Foundation (YAKEBA) in 1999. YAKEBA embraced the philosophy that people who have lived with drug or alcohol problems or are afflicted with HIV/AIDS are those best equipped to help fellow sufferers.
In June 2008, YAKEBA received the prestigious Red Ribbon Awards by the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in acknowledgement of its successful community action programs mounted in the battle against HIV/AIDS.
Working with the stigma of criminality often associated with drug users and alcoholics in Indonesia, Bob was a tireless champion in ensuring his flock were given a second, third, or as many chances as they needed to make their life's work. A man who successfully managed to free himself from a ten year addiction to narcotics, psychotropic drugs and alcohol - Bob Monkhouse pioneered a movement in Bali for the rehabilitation of drug addicts.
Bali became a focus and steady beacon in Bob's life. He first came to Bali in 1974 and immediately fell in love with the island that was to become his adopted home. Over the years, Monkhouse taught English and worked in the Indonesian oil patch in order to accumulate the money needed to purchase a small Inn in Tabanan.
During this same period Bob also acquired a substance dependency which, at its very depths, caused him to question the value of his existence. Fortunately, with the help of others, Bob reclaimed his life the only way an addict can - one day at a time.
Monkhouse believed that in order to truly live, one must almost die. Accordingly, he viewed the days prior to his addiction as "normal" and those after his recovery as "normal plus."
Bob's personal road of redemption dates from his attendance at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in Ubud in 1997. Fluent in Indonesian, Bob saw the absence of any Indonesians at the AA meetings as a worrying sign of an unmet need within the community, prompting him to organize the first Indonesian language gatherings that eventually touched the lives of hundreds of Indonesians. In 1998, AA meetings for Indonesians started in Seminyak eventually drawing tens of participants at every gathering and a realization for Monkhouse that drugs, rather than alcohol dependency, were the main problem in Bali's shopping and nightlife Mecca on the island's south.
Alcoholics Anonymous meetings eventually morphed into Narcotics Anonymous meetings. The "12 steps" of personal redemption drew hundreds, many of whom remain "clean" to this day.
Recognizing a genuine need within the Balinese commnity, YAKEBA also brought its program to Bali's largest prison, providing counseling and support for prisoners both during the period of their incarceration an after their release. To create employment for former prisoners YAKEBA set up a small business enterprise that produced chocolates, candles, incense and advertising banners.
Acknowledged by the Indonesian government for its important contribution in the war on narcotics, the National Narcotics Board (BNN), provided support to establish a halfway house for former addicts.
Bob Monkhouse will be mourned and missed by his many friends in Bali and the hundreds of people whose lives he helped get back on track.
Plans for Bob Monkhouse's burial had yet to be announced when this article was posted but are expected to take place on Monday or Tuesday in Denpasar. Prior to burial his body lies in state at the Rumah Duka Rumah Sakit Angkatan Darat in downtown Denpasar.

It wasn't the way the week in Bali, and such a potentially great final, was supposed to end, but Aravane Rezai became the first winner of the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions when Marion Bartoli retired after losing the opening set 7-5.
The match, the first all-French final since Amelie Mauresmo defeated Mary Pierce at the Paris Indoors title in February 2006, had been shaping up nicely as both players came out firing in a succession of furiously-contested rallies. Both pounded their ground strokes, made great returns and ran each other around the court as they sought an advantage.
The first four games went with serve, before Bartoli broke to lead 3-2 after a strong service return from her led to Rezai netting a forehand. Bartoli then survived two break points in the next game as Rezai netted a pair of forehands, and then she held a set point at 5-3 when Rezai double-faulted.
But then she made a poor return and Rezai went on to hold for 5-4. Then Bartoli missed another opportunity when she failed to serve out the set, netting a backhand on break point. Yet another chance went begging at 5-5 when Bartoli was unable to convert a break point as Rezai sent a terrific backhand winner down the line.
Leading 6-5, Rezai then went up 40-15 on Bartoli's serve when she won a typically long and hard-fought rally, but Bartoli then limped to her chair and called for the trainer. Obviously in great pain, she received treatment to her left leg, had it taped, and tried to continue the match. But it was hopeless, and after double-faulting to lose the set she retired with a left quad strain.
"It's a big surprise to finish like that and I'm very sorry for her," said Rezai, who added $200,000 to her bank account. "She looks like she hurt a lot and I hope it is not a big injury."
"It was a good quality. It was a big level. We fight and it was pretty nice for the people watching. We are professionals and try to win the title, and that's why it was a nice match. Winning here means so many things for myself. (sic) I proved to myself I can be at a much better ranking and much better player on the tour, and also prove to so many people, my family, my parents, my coach, that I can do better and better."
Bartoli was obviously bitterly disappointed.
"I started to feel my leg was pretty tight in the middle of the set," she said. "I started to feel some pain all over my quads and I thought maybe it was the stress and no reason to be serious. But then it hurt me a lot, especially each time I had to push and put some weight onto my left leg it was really getting worse and worse and at the end I couldn't continue."
"It was a good match and I'm very sad to finish like this. The last thing you want to do is injury yourself in the last match of the season. But what can you do? I was trying my best and perhaps it was just too much."
She will now return home, and will not pick up a racquet for the next three weeks as she allows the injury to heal.
The prestigious Bali tournament suffered a shock when Yanina Wickmayer, ranked number 18 in the world, was forced to withdraw from the Bali tournament on Thursday, November 5th, following her immediate one-year suspension by the Flemish Doping Tribunal for failing three times to comply with "whereabouts rules" that mandate players must provide complete details of their travels and moments to anti-doping officials.

North Bali's emergency response officials staged a simulated natural disaster on Friday, November 6, 2009, creating a scenario in which the village of Pancasari, in the sub-district of Sukasada, Buleleng was devastated by a 6.9 earthquake and a resulting threat of a tsunami.
The Vice-Regent of Buleleng, Made Arga Pynatih, told beritbali.com that the disaster simulation was only part of the regency's emergency response plan and reflects the area's past history of suffering the consequences of frequent earthquakes and landslides.
The disaster simulation was conducted on the shores of Bali's lake Buyan where injured "victims" rescued from crumbling buildings, landslides and by boats when they were swept away by a tsunami - were all stretched out on the ground. Nearby other uninjured disaster simulators gathered in open fields in anticipation of possible aftershocks. Triage and medical team members attended the "dead" and "injured" as the human drama - fortunately, in this case, completely staged - unfolded further, including sudden calls to respond to household fires and police patrols anticipating the risk of looting.
Follow up meetings have been held after the simulation - all in aide of improving North Bali's response to any future crisis.

Modernity ushers in the world to come. In this world, humanity is positioned as the center of rational subject that independently creates norms and criterion of life in the world. This new world purports to offer universal humanism, a humanism that diminishes the darkness in the past with brightening light of logic and brain.
The many aspects of the chronicle of this new modern world are elaborated in an art exhibition at Hanna Artspace entitled "KRONIK DUNIA BARU" November 15-28, 2009, through the presentation of the works of four artists:
• Tatang BSp will depicts modernity in a language of parody.
Kronik Dunia Baru
November 15-28, 2009
Hanna Artspace, Pengosekan, Ubud - Bali
Painting by Tatang BSp, Putu Gede Djaya, Ketut Jaya and Made Somaditha

Dutch expatriate Leon Vrielink was arguably pronounced Bali's youngest known photographer at 18 with his critically acclaimed exhibition of photographs in Bali last year. Homesick for Bali, he has taken a break from his studies at The Royal Art Academy in Den Hague to participate in his latest exhibition - a two-person show with Meliana Salim.
Employed by a publishing company, Meliana's passion for travel has been expressed in the regular publication of her pictures in well known travel magazines.
Indonesian Pulses – Photos by Leon Vrielink and Meliana Salim
November 26 – December 26, 2009
Swiss-Belhotel Bay View Nusa Dua.

Malaysian Airlines has increased to three flights a day its services between Kuala Lumpur and Bali.
Tourist visitors traveling from the Malaysian capital have the choice of three departure times at 8:45, a.m. 12:25 p.m. and 3:20 p.m..
The additional flight from twice to thrice daily will remain in operation until December 31, 2009.
Malaysian Airline officials said that load levels in excess of an average 80% prompted the decision to increase capacity and was needed to accommodate the Bali-bound passengers transiting Kuala Lumpur via the airline's worldwide route network.
To keep planes running full, Malaysian Airlines is offering special airfares starting from RM 480 round trip from Kuala Lumpur to Bali.

Bali animal rights groups are barking mad at the current policy of widespread culling of stray dogs as part of the Bali government's response to the outbreak if rabies on the island.
<>BAWA or the Bali Animal Welfare Association are circulating petitions and letting local officials know their displeasure with what they view as the "ineffective" anti-rabies program of killing all stray dogs fund in local communities.
Activists say the poisoning of dog and lethal darts shooting as inhumane with the possible unwanted side effect of creating an unwanted surge in Bali's rat population as Bali's canine population diminishes.
Complaining that both stray and pet animals are being killed in the current drive, BAWA wants the government to undertake a blanketing vaccination program of all dog in Bali.