Bali in Jeadist Mind - A general information about Bali

About Bali generally

Bali is one of 17,509 islands that make up Indonesia. It’s not a big island but such a small island, it has many beautiful resources of nature and culture. It is a part of the Republic of Indonesia, one of Indonesia's 33 provinces. The provincial capital of Bali is in Denpasar towards the south of this island. It is also the largest tourist destination in the country that popular until to the whole world.

Bali lies between Java in the West and Lombok in the East. This island is 153 kilometers long and 112 kilometers wide (95 by 69 miles) with a surface area of 5.633 km². This island is surrounded by coral reefs. The beaches in the south tend to have white sand while those in the north and west have black and grey volcanic sand. The Bali Sea laps ashore from the north and the Indian Ocean from the south. It is also famous for its beautiful landscape. There are lush tropical forests, pristine crater lakes, fast flowing rivers and deep ravines and picturesque rice terraces and fertile vegetable and fruit gardens cover its alluvial plains. A chain of six volcanoes, between 1.350 meters and 3.014 meters high, stretches from west to east. It has two active volcanoes which is Mount Agung and Mount Batur.

Mount Agung, Bali’s highest peak, rises to an impressive height of 3.142 meters (10.308 feet). It last erupted in March 1963. An eruption around 30.000 years ago, from Mount Batur, Bali’s second active volcano was recorded as of one of the largest known volcanic events on the earth. The mountainous region covers Bali from its center to the eastern side of the island. It is due to this terrain that the roads tend to follow the crests of the ridges across the mountains and the coast. The high mountains are the main reason for Bali's extreme fertility. The rain and humidity they create irrigates the rice fields, and the volcanic ash is very fertile.

Bali, beside has the capital city also devided into 8 (eight) regencies which is Jembrana Regency, Tabanan Regency, Gianyar Regency, Bangli Regency, Badung Regency, Buleleng Regency, Klungkung Regency and Karangasem Regency. The population of Bali is over 3 million people, the vast majority of which are Indonesia's small Hindu minority. It is renowned for its highly developed arts, including dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking and music.

Rice is Bali's main crop. The elaborate irrigation systems encourage a cooperative way of life between the rice growers. The rice plant system of Bali which is as the unique point of Bali’s agriculture is the Subak system. The main regency which plants rice and surplus 53.000 tons of rice at 2002 is Tabanan Regency which is named as “Lumbung Beras Bali”, toward the middle or the center of this island.

Bali has several more or less well maintained royal palaces in memory of the powerful kings that once ruled here. It is spread around the island. Their descendants still inhabit many of these buildings. Large and small statues and sculptures can be found practically everywhere.

Bali enjoys warm, tropical weather all year. Temperatures average is between 21° to 33° Celsius (68° to 93°Fahrenheit). In the mountains, however, it can go as low as 5° Celsius at night. Humidity varies between 60% and 100%. In general, Bali experiences two seasons: moist and wet. The dry season is normally from May to October, where as the rainy season is normally from November to April, during which it can rain for several hours each day. The rain tends to be intermittent, however, with plenty of sun in between. There is comparatively little difference between the day time and night temperatures.

For the time, Bali as in the Central Indonesian Times zone, which is GMT + 8 hours. The time is in WITA (waktu Indonesia tengah) or Indonesian central time which is one hour faster than Jakarta.

About the language which is use for communicate, there is Bahasa Indonesia and Balinese language. Bahasa Indonesia is the national language, but English is widely spoken and understood. The Balinese language is very different from the official Bahasa Indonesia. The Ballinese language mirrors the caste-system. Traditionally the language was separated in three different forms; low-Balinese (Ia), mid-Balinese (Ipun) and high-Balinese (Ida), the last form is almost only used when speaking to religious superiors.

The Indonesian currency is Rupiah (IDR). The currency exchange is about IDR 9.175 for USD 1, but it changes everyday. Most foreign currencies are easily changed at airports, banks, hotels or money changers. The currency exchange rate fluctuates regularly.

Banking hours are from 08:00am to 14:00 afternoon Monday to Friday and from 08:00am to 11:00am on Saturday. Bank in hotels usually stay open longer hours while money changers are generally open till evening. ATM is available in many places, provides VISA, MASTER, ALTO and more. In department store as Mall or shopping center, it’s allowed use the credit card or debit card. Diners Club and American Express, Visa and Master Card are widely accepted at hotels, department stores, shops, restaurants and pubs. According to Indonesian banking regulations, payment by credit cards should be charged in local currency.

In Indonesia the IDD or International Direct Dialing, the country code of Indonesia is +62 and for Bali’s city code is 361. For example the phone number is +62 361 xxxxxx (phone number). Indonesia has many GSM cellular communication providers such as Telkomsel, Indosat, XL, Three, AXIS, etc. For CDMA cellular communication providers there are Fren, Esia, Telkom Flexi,etc.

The Tourism Envoy of Central Kalimantan on The Traditional Dance Performance in Art Center-Denpasar, Bali 2008

Last night, I went to the Pesta Kesenian Bali abbreviated PKB or in English it may called the celebration of Balinese Art, with my cousin and two friends of us. One of our friends comes from Depok origin of Batak and the last comes from Bali origin Central Sumba-East Nusa Tenggara.

We designedly came to watch the traditional dance performing from Central Borneo or Kalimantan Tengah. This year, Kalimantan Tengah abbreviated Kalteng, showed the traditional dance from East Barito Regency. Of course there is a couple of tourism envoy.

We arrived when the show is in the middle, because we were lost before. It’s too hard to search the performance closed room “Ayodya” because we cannot found any direction board to help us in Art Center of Denpasar. But, it didn’t make we lose our spirit. We still have a high appreciate to watch the Dayak traditional dance.

Since the performance, I cannot lose my attention. I’m really proud of my own culture. I thank God about study far from hometown, so I can proud and appreciate it. I’m proud because i can feel my traditions and culture are priceless. When I saw the other audiences, they also gave the same big appreciate for it. The domestic audiences even the international audiences. Many of the foreign audiences took some pictures and admired the performance. But, my happiness was disturbed by the tourism envoy of Kalteng. Both of them didn’t give the same appreciate as all of the audiences. Both of them didn’t give the full of attention for their own performance.

I really fully disappointed when I saw both of them was using their cellular phones just like made some call during the performance goes on. They were look too passionate also was too busy with themselves. I know that was not my business. But, I’m a critical person. Especially when a foreign audience came to one of the envoy, she just ignored him. More, she just busy with her phone calls. So I gave some comment to my cousin about them–not at the right moment-attitude.

I spoke to my cousin in the Dayak language, so there’s nobody could understand because the other audiences is Balinese, java, or foreign. But, i really didn’t expected before, the man in front of us, was the vice president of the province tourism department. He turned back his body to see us behind. We knew then if he is the same origin as us. Then I asked apologize for my words. I know i was too critical but i have a good will. It’s for their evaluating in the future, so then could be better than today. As a tourism student, my cousin and I really upset to the tourism envoy of Kalteng attitudes. Not only myself, but my cousin and our friends are agree with me.

Then we returned from the Art Center, my cousin and I discuss about them. We connected it with the other envoy such as the Duta Bahasa or Language Envoy, Putri Kalteng or Miss Kalteng, the same things happened. We concluded that the committee who organize the envoy-programs isn’t having the good standards for the winners who will represent their origin to introduce their own culture. It just like the committee didn’t pay much attention for the important aspects such as the knowledge of their own social-culture, their educational background match to the program or not, ability in foreign language actively writing and speaking, and the most is their attitude is originally kind, active, responsive, friendly, and have a good character. Before and today, it seems the envoy just chosen because of their charming aspect, their beauty-physical performance, or the other tangible aspects. Most of them background experiences is from modeling. How if the envoy has the experience background such as joint the exchange student program in culture, science, or other major? Maybe the envoy from Kalteng will be the winner in the Indonesian election.

I hope the other envoys are not the same. I wish for the next year, whoever become the tourism envoy is different that the more before.