OUR TREASURES: The Taxis

They are the 2nd front liners the moment our visitors step foot in our airports. Our taxi drivers give the first impression to them on how we are as a people. That is why I cannot reiterate enough that taxis of our gateways MUST be centralized and drivers are well mannered and well trained.

Our taxis are the ones we love to love and we love to hate as locals. We have endless stories and anecdotes we experienced riding with them. But one thing is for sure, they are important to us…in practicality and cultural aspect.

Here’s how the taxis of our neighboring villages look like --



Our taxis -- Treasures and icons of Southeast Asia.

Have you got a nice story to share about our taxis?


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MOUNT AGUNG: The Seat of the Gods

When you’re in the beach and the lowlands, you would think Bali is not at all mountainous. Well, the island has more than 10 major mountains and the tallest of which is what the Balinese believe to be the seat of the gods and the center of the universe – Mount Agung.

Mount Agung (Gunung Agung) is one of the holiest mountains in Indonesia. All temples in Bali face this mystical mountain waiting for the gods to descend. It is also one of the most active volcanoes and the 10th tallest mountain in our region at 3142m (10,400 ft) high.

The largest temple in Bali is the Besakih Temple -- resting on the slopes of the volcano. Devotees attend ceremonies here for the gods visit this temple a couple of times a year. A Balinese year has 210 days.

The Balinese believes that their island belongs to the gods and they are custodians to look after it. Although most of the outside world would think this belief seem preposterous, we all can learn from it on how we treat our environment.

Mount Agung looks different in different direction. It looks perfect cone shape in the east and massive in other points.

The last time Mount Agung erupted was in 1963. Lava, fire and ash destroyed what it gave – water streams, fertile soil and bountiful harvest. The holy mountain is both the source of life and death. But the gods spared the Bersakih Temple as devotees hurried up the slopes to give offerings and restore the pact between the gods and man.

We were told that since Bali is one of the most visited places in the world, Mount Agung has to be the most climbed volcano as well. Visitors can go up hiking on 3 trails and one of which is the way to Bersakih Temple.

There are rules in climbing up this holy mountain (mostly religious) and don’t forget to ask your guide so not to be “playing with chance”. Respect local beliefs. There are many tourists who got lost, fell on crevices or simply met a lot of uncalled incident by walking about back and forth when a ceremony is in progress. Please remember that your presence might be a “disturbance” to people performing the rites.

Climbing Mount Agung would give you a peak on the colorful local culture that is distinctly Balinese. The rice terraces on it's slopes too! There is nothing like it in Southeast Asia and it could be a very good learning experience for visitors.

From the temple, you can go up farther up to the highest peak but it would be rare to see the entire island because this point is mostly covered or above the clouds. On a clear day, you can see the 7th Tallest Mountain in Southeast Asia – Mount Rinjani, on neighboring and equally fantastic island, Lombok.

Mount Agung -- treasure of Southeat Asia.

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EURASIAN BLOGGERS SUMMIT IN BALI!

16 November 07 – Today is the huge summit of Eurasians, Biracials, Mulattos, Blasians and Hapas. We made an announcement here last October.

Gorgeous babes & dudes from London, Amsterdam, Paris, Tokyo, Honolulu, L.A., KL, Saigon, Bangkok, Manila and Jakarta came! *mainly because it's free! lol* We'll thank our sponsors later, o'right? *I love you mom and dad! The best gift ever!*

For the ones coming from Bangkok, we took Thai Airways flight TG431 at 8:50am to Jakarta and met the people we invited to spend a week with us. From Jakarta, we took the connecting Garuda flight GA406 to Denpasar International Airport. Denpasar, for those of you who didn’t know, is the capital of the island province of Bali.

Half of Southeast Asia is represented + Japan and India. There are 25 of us altogether *5 promised to come, but didn’t make it...wasting the plane ticket! Ha!* and these are the people who belongs to 1 blog – BISEAN; all Eurasians, of course…

Pisanu *that’s me!*, Sofia, Sucre, Harry & Petey (Thailand), Morgan, Misha & Vinh (Vietnam), Toby, Francine & Michael (Philippines), Farah & Rhys (Malaysia) Xtian (Indonesia), Tommy & Akihiro (Japan). The rest of the 9 belongs to other blogs *which we don’t want to endorse (yet), ha!*

All of us are bloggers, although most are private. We came here to get together and exchange ideas, experiences and how we can better ourselves in blogging. OH C’MON! WHO AM I KIDDING?

We came here to party, booze up, booze down, and booze some more! This is a holiday in paradise for christssake! Beautiful people on a beautiful island living a beautiful life -- We didn’t come here to blog. Leave the serious stuff to the country leaders' summit in Singapore. We came here to partyyyyyyy!!! There. Take that!

And when we are drunk enough, we’ll post pictures of ourselves! Watch out!

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*Some gorgeous and nice fella forgot to post this last Friday -- that's me! =) Waaah!

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ORANGUTAN: The People of the Forest

If Julia Roberts fell in love with these ginger-head beauties, why can’t we? We often see them in theme parks, in zoos and some of them are movie stars!

The only one, of the four great apes, that comes from Asia and to be more precise – only from our region. Orangutans are found only in Malaysia and Indonesia; endemic to the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. This geographical gap also separates them as 2 distinct species.

What’s in a name? Indigenous peoples of Indonesia and Malaysia call this ape "Orang Hutan" – “Orang” means person and “hutan” means forest, so "Man of the Forest". Legend has it that in the past, locals would not kill them because they thought the orangutan was actually a person hiding in the trees -- trying to avoid having to go to work or become a slave. *I think so too!*


They are special. Orangutans are highly intelligent with ability to reason and think. They share 97% of the same DNA with us. *Oh my! That’s why my neighbor looks familiar!* Orangutans are the largest tree-living mammals in the world. Even their bright reddish brown hair color is unique in the ape world! They can live up to 35-40 years in the wild and sometimes more than 50 in captivity.

What’s for dinner? Scientists are thinking that the orangutans must have a very detailed map of the forest in their mind -- And detailed knowledge of the fruiting cycles of many species of trees. The mothers must teach the babies what food to eat, where to find that food, in which trees and during which seasons. Their diet is made up of bark, leaves, flowers, a variety of insects, and most importantly, over 300 kinds of fruit! *I want to see photos of vegetarians please.*

You clever, you! When it rains really hard; they make an umbrella out of big leaves! When water is difficult to get, they chew leaves to make a sponge to soak up water in tree holes. Orangutans also make tools to help them search for food!

Calling for help. Bornean species of orangutans is highly endangered, and the Sumatran species is critically endangered. The Borneo population is estimated at about 50,000 in the wild, while the Sumatran species is estimated at 7,000-7,500. Only 20% of their habitat is left.

*start of rant* Illegal loggers are destroying their habitat. And those goddam miners too! I also don’t understand why people burn the forests? Nothing better to do? And those poachers! Do you know that they have to kill the mother of the baby Orangutan before they can steal it? Oh those b*stards! Why don’t they just sell their own babies as pets? BISEAN advocates the castration of illegal wildlife traders. Cut their balls and feed it to the crocodiles! *end of rant*

Please help to protect them by educating and creating awareness through your blog.
One blog post won’t hurt.

The Orangutans – citizens of Southeast Asia.


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Previously Featured SE Asian Rare Species:

*The KOMODO Dragons of Indonesia, *BUTAAN: Lost Dragons of the Philippines, *CAMBODIAN KOUPREY: Do They Still Exist?, *TARSIERS: The Adorable Little Hunters


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WHY NOTHING COMES CLOSE TO BALI

Most people would think Bali is just made up of beaches, sand and surf. Well, it is not. There’s more to this island than what the magazines and the “all-knowing” people say. Let me tell you why I said “nothing comes close” to Bali on my earlier post.

Bali has it all. It is almost as big as Brunei and it’s actually a province. There is more than 11,600 km of coastline in all sorts of color – white, pink, powder blue, beige, volcanic gray, jet black, you name it. All kinds of beaches, coves, rock formations, everything! It's like a one-stop island for everybody.


The center of the universe. I wasn’t kidding when I said that... “legend has it when the gods of the universe gather together for a summit, they come to Bali”. No, it wasn’t a joke. The world famous Mt. Agung is located here and Gunung Agung is long reputed to be the center of the universe.

A distinct civilization. There are 2.5 million people living here. As much as the beaches are the main attraction of Bali, so are the people living in it. Bali is the only predominantly Hindu county in the whole of Southeast Asia -- A distinction that makes it unique from the rest of Indonesia and our region. They have their own language, their own rich culture, their own art form, their own architecture, their own “civilization”. It’s like another country, really.

Bali as a world travel icon. While other countries are struggling to reach a million visitors a year – Bali can manage to lure a million tourists in 6 months even after the 2002 incident. Think the importance of this tiny island compared to one whole country dreaming of a million visitors.

Oh, c’mon! With a resume as loaded as this – nothing comes close to Bali.
*So, give it up dude!*

Paradise is not just about beaches.

No comparison at all.


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OUR CULINARY GEMS: Balinese Lawar

“Bani ngajeng lawar?" (“Are you brave enough to eat lawar?”)

Bali’s signature dish has to be the Lawar - made from pig’s blood, spices, fruits, veggies, meat and animal entrails mixed together like a wicked salad. Lawar can be found in every village in Bali and mostly served on special occasions and celebrations.

This delicacy is traditionally prepared by men. Only the eldest and the most experienced are allowed mixing a Lawar. Men of the village would gather together in a circle, with cutting knives and chopping boards on hand, sit down together and chop away.

This socializing “ceremony” is the most important part of making Lawar as it would make the villagers closer together. Catching up with each other's business, chatting, story-sharing and a lot of laughter! Nowadays, it is done by anybody who wants to participate.

Get a load of this. Lawar has many types and distinguish each other by meat used - chicken, duck, pork, beef, sea food, turtles (!) and dragonfly (!!!). The turtle is not famous anymore (obviously for conservation issues) and dragonflies are the most expensive. You have to gather hundreds of it to fill the casserole!

Don’t let the dish put you off. It may not serve us all but the social aspect of making this “unusual” dish makes it worthwhile to mention on this blog. To make it more “tolerating” to non-Balinese…Wayan from Bali made it a little cosmopolitan.


Here’s the recipe…


Preparation Time 30 mins
Cooking Time 30 mins
Serve 6

Ingredients 1

3 cups blanched string beans, cut by 1”
1 cup roasted coconut, grated
4-5 cloves garlic, peeled, sliced and fried
6 shallots, peeled, sliced and fried

2 large red chilies, cut in fine strips
6 bird's-eye chilies, finely chopped
3 teaspoons fried chilies
1 chicken broth cubes (Knorr)

Banana leaves, cut 12”x12” square

Ingredients 2

250 g chicken breasts, deboned and minced
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black peppercorns, coarsely ground


Directions

1. Mix together ingredients 1 (except banana leaves!) in a large bowl and mix well. Set aside.

2. Combine ingredients 2 on a separate bowl and mix thoroughly.

3. Put the ingredients 2 mixture (chicken patties) lengthwise in centre of banana leaf and roll up very tightly. Cover it in aluminum foil and seal it tight.

4. Steam it for 20 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and banana leaf and break up meat with a fork to its original minced form.

5. Combine it with ingredients 1, season to taste with salt, pepper and lime juice.

*You can replace the chicken with other meats

Bon appetite!

*First photo from Hello Bali magazine.
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BALI: The Island of the Gods

Blogging from Bali, Indonesia
16-23 November 2007

Bali, Indonesia


Eleven-times larger than Phuket or Langkawi.
Five hundred forty five (545) times bigger than Boracay...
nothing comes close.

Legend has it that when the gods of the universe gather together
for a summit -- they come to Bali.

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--Pisanu, Sofia, Morgan,
Tommy, Sucre, Farah, Xtian,
Akihiro, Michael, Vinh, Toby, Francine,
Petey, Misha, Harry ...BISEAN Summit in Bali.

Related Articles:

Bali's 10 Best Beaches
Why Nothing Comes Close to Bali
Gunung Agung

10 LONGEST BRIDGES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Southeast Asia is home to some of the world’s longest bridges. In our attempt to speed up economic advancements, bridges also narrowed the gaps of cultural differences between our peoples. I dream of a Southeast Asia connected by bridges where I can drive from Burma to the Philippines, from Indonesia to Vietnam.

Now repeat after me…”Ain't no mountain high enough... ain’t no valley low enough... ain’t no river's wide enough…to keep me from you.” *eat your heart out Ms. Ross, lol*


Here are the longest bridges in our region;

Name / Length in kilometre (miles) / Year Completed / Country

1. Penang Bridge / 13.5 km (8.39 mi) / 1985 / Malaysia
Currently the 4th in Asia and 10th in the world.

2. Mawlamyaing Bridge / 6.6 km (4.10 mi) / 2005 / Burma

3. Candaba Viaduct / 5 km (3.10 mi) / 2005 / Philippines

4. Rama VIII Bridge / 2.4 km (1.49 mi) / 2002 / Thailand

5. San Juanico Bridge / 2.2 km (1.36 mi) / 1979 / Philippines

6. Malaysia-Singapore 2nd Link
1.9 km (1.18 mi) / 1998 / Malaysia & Singapore

7. Prai River Bridge / 1.85 km (1.15 mi) / 2005 / Malaysia

8. Benjamin Sheares Bridge
1.8 km (1.12 mi) / 1982 / Singapore

9. Kizuna Bridge / 1.36 km (0.85 mi) / 2001 / Cambodia

10. Marcelo Fernan Bridge / 1.24 km (0.77 mi) / 1999 / Philippines

Indonesia has announced the plan of building the world’s longest suspension bridge last October (sorted by span)*. It will connect the islands of Java and Sumatra spanning the Sunda Strait for 30 km (18.65 mi). Construction will start on 2012. The world’s longest suspension bridge in Japan would only be half of it.

The Can Tho Bridge in Vietnam is under construction. It would be 2.75 km (1.70 mi) and will be the 4th longest in Southeast Asia when it’s completed in 2009.



*As the general rule, the longest bridge is sorted by the length of the span -- the span is the longest stretch of the bridge without support. The list above was sorted by their full length. **Others would list the longest bridges by type – there are more than 24 types of bridge. This list is sorted regardless of type.


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OUR CULINARY GEMS: Thai Ginger Chicken | ไก่ผัดขิง

This classic Thai dish is both simple and delicious with the ginger complimenting the chicken to perfection -- A healthy combination of ginger, mushrooms and protein.

Please also note that that this is more “to taste”, where you can add or lessen spice, sweetness or saltiness. Nevertheless, this is an easy-to-cook dish that would surprise your friends on their next visit.

Try it!

Here’s the recipe…

Preparation Time 15 mins
Cooking Time 20 mins
Serves 2-4

Ingredients

6 boneless chicken breasts, chop into small pieces
4 ginger (1 inch), sliced to pieces like "matchsticks"
Few pieces fresh shiitake mushrooms and mouse-ear mushrooms

4 stalks of Chinese cabbage
1 red bell pepper, de-seeded and sliced
1 medium onion, cut to quarter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 red chilies, minced

1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar (or other type of vinegar)

Cornstarch dissolved in ½ cup water
2-3 Tbsp. oil for stir-frying

Directions

1. Heat oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat.

2. When oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, chilies, mushrooms, chicken and stir fry for a full minute.

3. Add the ginger matchsticks, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar and vinegar. Stir-fry for 5-10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked.

4. Add Chinese cabbage, bell pepper and the grated ginger. Stir-fry for another 3 minutes, or until Chinese cabbage is cooked. Add a little water as needed to keep ingredients frying nicely.

5. Finally, add the cornstarch dissolved in water and soy sauce, stirring quickly to dissolve in the sauce. When the sauce is thick, remove from the heat.

6. Slide onto a serving platter immediately. Serve with jasmine rice.

Enjoy!

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CHANG ERAWAN: The Birth of an Urban Legend

There’s this woman who lives outside Bangkok. She travels from the suburbs to the city everyday -- passing by this giant 3-headed elephant statue while it's being built. One day, while on a bus going back home, the woman made a wish to the elephant that if he help her win the lottery… she would have his baby.

Within a week she did in fact win more than a million Baht. And she also became pregnant. By the time the national newspapers heard about it, she was already in hiding.

Another woman made the same wish. But she offered a different promise – her virginity. She was found half-dead, genitals shattered and profusely bleeding. Next to her is the winning lottery ticket of the week.

People soon flocked the gates of the compound even before the gigantic elephant statue was finished. Many Thais came to worship -- especially every 1st and 16th day of every month when the winning numbers are announced.

“Chang” means elephant in Thai. “Erawan” is the name of the 33-headed elephant of the Hindu God Indra. This is often abbreviated to just 3 heads by artists who depicts the statues.

The Chang Erawan (พิพิธภัณฑ์ช้างเอราวัณ) is a spectacular place beyond description. It is actually a museum of Thai antiquity. It is now the most famous tourist attraction of Samut Prakan. The elephant alone is almost 100 feet tall and 130 feet long, mounted on a building 10 stories high. Construction took almost 10 years.

Wish granted. Although this is mainly a museum, I think that the building is more interesting than the artifacts it houses. And more interestingly, the prospects of having your wish come true. At the shrine, light incense and offer flowers or fruits. Don’t forget to be specific and set a date; when would you like your wish to come true. And when it does, don’t forget to come back and thank him.

You wanna visit? Chang Erawan will welcome you from the airport on your way to Bangkok. It's along Sukhumvit Road and 20 minutes away from downtown. Taking a cab is the best way to get there. All taxi drivers know where it is. It is open from 8am to 6pm everyday. Entrance fee is 150 Baht (€4, $5, Rm15) and 50 baht for kids. If you don’t wanna go inside the museum and just walk about the compound, it would cost you only 50 Baht.

Be careful of what you wish.

Somebody might be listening.

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*Photo credits: Hartfreid and Krash

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ÁO DÁI: The Elegance of Simplicity and Subtle Sensuality

Is there any traditional dress with striking simplicity yet elegant and provocative as the Ao Dài? A conservative dress than reveals no skin at all and yet flatter the natural curves of a woman’s body. What appears to be an ordinary dress fiercely embodies the extraordinary beauty of Vietnamese women.

It is very hard not to fall in love when seeing a woman dressed in Áo Dài wearing it with pride... seemingly floating as she pass by like a gentle dream. The grace, the form, the refined sensuality.

The Áo Dài is relatively a new design. Its original pattern dates back to the 1700s compared to the thousand-year history of Vietnam. It faced numerous modifications as it adapts to the ever changing time but the form remains the same.

From Southeast Asia’s first ever couturier... Monsieur Le Mur (a Vietnamese) in the 1930s to the innovative local designers like Tram Kim and Dung in the 50’s -- the Áo Dài was transformed to what we see today. Fashion geniuses like Ralph Lauren created an entire collection of Áo Dàis as well, a testament that this dress is distinct and special.

Áo Dài is pronounced as ‘ao-jai’ in the South and ‘ao-zai’ in the North. It literally means a "long dress" or "long tunic".

Vietnamese women wear the Áo Dài on traditional and festive occasions. Usually with special fabrics -- from floral to checkered, from silk to see-through fabrics. Plain white Áo Dài is the uniform for female students in Vietnam. Many companies and government bureaus also require their female staff to wear the Áo Dài.

The striking contrast of women dressed in Áo Dài walking in the streets of Hanoi against the modern tall buildings is mesmerizing. Watching women dressed in Áo Dài riding a bicycle along modern cars and motorcycles in Saigon is awe-inspiring. A tradition I hope will not vanish with time.


The Áo Dài is not just a traditional dress;
it is an affirmation of elegance of a Vietnamese woman.

The Áo Dài is not just a national symbol;
it is a global icon.

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-- Pisanu in Bangkok

*Photo credits: Duyen Chao, the Nervous and Ytuong Sang Tao.
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