posted by Charles H. Russo on Dec 18
A trip to a tropical destination will provoke thoughts of possible dangers and how to deal with them. Among the concerns are safety of food and drinking water, transport systems and the local safety situation. These concerns are compounded worries about local emergency and health services. Expats living in Bali have to deal with these issues on a daily basis, but get a more realistic picture of the way things really are after a while. For a first-time visitor to Bali there are things you can do to help take the risk out of your visit.
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posted by Charles H. Russo on Dec 18
Tuesday September 18th 2007 was the 200th anniversary of Danish explorer Mads Lange. The Mads Lange tomb located at Tuan Lange in Tuban was the scene of a memorial service this morning, with over 100 people, both western and Indonesian listening to speeches and prayers in honor of Mads Lange.
Mads Lange was born in Denmark in September 18th 2007, he first came to Indonesia in 1833 and settled in Lombok working as a rice trader. Local politics combined with foreign competition forced him to leave and settle in Bali a few years later. Lange lived next to the river in Kuta with his wives and extended family. He became extremely influential, had children with a local woman and died at the age of 49.
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posted by Charles H. Russo on Dec 18
Philly may be more fun when you sleep over, but at these prices?/R. Kennedy-GPTMC
Tomorrow’s cover story is all about doing your holiday shopping in Philadelphia. I’m totally on board. Great idea. Philly=good stuff.
Still. Who knows why — probably all the spendy Brits who couldn’t get hotel rooms in New York for their shopping sprees — but for some reason, a cold and wet Philadelphia costs more per night this week than a lot of other places where it would be nice to be next week - say, Las Vegas, for instance.
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posted by Charles H. Russo on Dec 17
Sorry, I didn’t post this any sooner, but to those of you in NYC writer Michael Luongo, who we interviewed here a few months ago, has an event planned tonight:
When: Monday, Sept 17, 7pm
Where: Barnes & Noble (Chelsea/Flatiron)
675 6th Avenue at 22nd Street
1-212 727-1675
NEW YORK
www.barnesandnoble.com
The controversial new book, Gay Travels in the Muslim World, has already jumped to the top of Amazon’s Gay travel books. It was edited by Loungo and includes writing by Jeff Key, a gay American soldier who had been based in Iraq; Parvez Sharma, the director of “A Jihad for Love”, a movie about gays and Islam; editor Michael Luongo’s discussions of his several visits to Afghanistan and other countries in the region; and the work of many others.
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posted by Charles H. Russo on Dec 17
How does this grab you - you’re picked up by horse and carriage and driven through the streets of Brussels, past some of the city’s best spots and sights, before being dropped at the antique quarter for the annual Sablon Nights festival. The event starts on 29th November until 1st December, where you’ll get the chance to browse the city’s collection of antique shops and stalls, mingle to your heart’s content and sample some sumptuous freebies, from wine and champagne to chocolate.
For more details on this event, visit the Sablon Nights website at www.sablon.org. For more details on visiting Brussels, visit our Thomson Cities destination guide.
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posted by Charles H. Russo on Dec 17
Tuesday September 18th 2007 is the 200th anniversary of Mads Lange, the Danish trader who lived in Kuta / Tuban and was one of the most important foreign expats in Bali’s history.
Mads Lange’s tomb is located close to Supernova in Tuban, a minute’s drive down Gang Langga and onto Jl. Blambangan. There is some kind of ceremony planned, but I have not heard anything about it in the local press. Would be nice to bump into one of Mads Lange’s relatives at the ceremony, so I’ll try to make a trip down there besok (that’s tomorrow for you ‘bules‘)
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posted by Charles H. Russo on Dec 17
One of the many aspects that makes Bali a sensational place to visit is the availability of cheap and tasty food. The most common type of eating establishment in Bali is the warung, the small local cafe type places that traditionally serve local food, but have adapted to accommodate foreign palletes.
•Roadside Balinese snack places:
Driving around you will come across many small locally operated warungs ranging from the most simple Balinese places, offering only longtong (compacted rolled rice) with bean spouts, ground peanuts, lime juice, salt and many hot chilis. This type of snack is served cold and you can find it all over the island at roadside places that are barely warungs. These type of places often look more like a disorganized local snack shop and only people who like super spicy food will enjoy it. The cost is likely to be only a few thousand rupiah.
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posted by Charles H. Russo on Dec 17
Following last week’s excellent article in Bali Discovery regarding the legality of foreigners buying land in Bali, there follows another related article, this one an interview with a respected notary on the same subject.
This Land is My Land, This Land is Your Land
Interview: Balidiscovery.com Speaks with Rainy Hendriany SH, a Bali-based Notary, About Foreigners Purchasing Land in Bali.
Bali News: This Land is My Land, This Land is Your Land
(9/15/2007) A recent article in balidiscovery.com [Freehold Land Title for Foreigners in Bali: Caveat Emptor] generated many comments from readers seeking to clarify the confusion that surrounds foreign land ownership in Bali, particularly as relates to freehold land ownership. To shed more light on the subject, we recently caught up with a leading Sanur-based Notary, Rainy Hendriany, for the following interview.
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posted by Charles H. Russo on Dec 15
Those making the trip to Mecca or Jerusalem know pretty much what they’re going to find when they arrive. But there are many kinds of pilgrimage, many silly-seeming little dream journeys we’d all like to fulfill. I’ve made a few in my time — to the pacing grounds of Galileo and the tight-hearted brick houses of a youthful D. H. Lawrence — and none of them turn out like I expected. My father’s dream, to seek out an icon of the 60s, didn’t either.
On a drizzly, cold Saturday in March a few years ago, my father, my husband and I were driving in circles, trying to find Woodstock. The roads curved through dripping trees covered in rich green moss. We didn
posted by Charles H. Russo on Dec 15
From San Francisco, California.
(thanks again Thomas Hawk)
tripcart.typepad.com