OBEROI, Seminyak ~ The Legian hotel in Seminyak is proposing changing traffic flow in the area into a one-way system, in a bid, it says, to increase security and attract more tourists.

At a meeting last Sunday at Basangkasa Temple, the hotel’s human resources director, Yudhi Lingga, told those in attendance from the area’s hotels and villas, and local residents, that the proposed change was vital to retaining the locale’s upmarket image.

“Based on data from the Indonesian Association of Tour and Travel Agents, there has been a 15-percent increase in tourists visiting Bali, which translates into 227,579 people. In view of this, we see it as necessary to initiate the rearrangement of the Seminyak area to improve its distinguished popularity,” he said.

With such a system, it would be easier to monitor people coming into the area, said Lingga.

“So far the security in Seminyak is good, although we think that the area is a soft target for crime. By having a one-way direction, we all will be able to track who go in and out of the area,” he said.

Despite approvals from several major properties - The Oberoi, The Samaya, Resor Seminyak and The Ahimsa – local residents said they were against the plan. C151 Resort Seminyak, Laksmana Villas and The Dusun also were against the proposal.

“The one-way direction will be a problem for the villagers in performing ceremonies, which requires the people to walk through certain routes in order to get to the beach and the temples,” Rai Wiradarma of C151 told The Bali Times.

The bigger issue was clogged traffic in the area that would be better dealt with if there were parking spaces available, said Wiradarma.

“Based on government regulations, every establishment must provide its own parking area. This would reduce the traffic significantly,” he said.

Local community leader Gede Mulyawan said the people were open to any suggestions about improving tourism in Bali, as long as the proposals accommodated both businesses and residents.

“We support any efforts to enhance this neighborhood, but they must be in line with the wishes of the people, and right now we cannot support the one-way traffic system. Feasibility studies need to be carried out first,” he said.

Said The Legian’s general manager, Andreas Herbst, in an email to concerned parties following the meeting last Sunday, “I like to think that the meeting yesterday was a great step forward. If we continue our concerted efforts, I’m confident that security in and around Seminyak will improve. Indeed, there are many other things we can do improve security - this could be discussed in future meetings. We will keep you posted.”

PRAMBANAN, Central Java ~ Damage to one of Indonesia’s most spectacular temple complexes caused by last year’s devastating Java earthquake was so extensive that repairs will take at least five years, UNESCO says.

Some of the temples at Prambanan are threatening to topple and restoration of the entire Hindu compound, the largest in the country, will be slow and difficult, according to the UN culture agency.

“It’s not just putting back the stones, like a facelift,” said UNESCO’s Himalchuli Gurung, adding that repair work had not yet started.

“There has been physical and structural damage, and there are a lot of internal cracks,” she said.

One estimate has put the cost of rebuilding the UNESCO World Heritage site at US$5.8 million.

Cereals in poor countries could be fortified with a new form of iron to help roll back anemia, an investigation published in the Lancet suggests.

Nearly half of young children in developing countries suffer from iron deficiency, caused mainly by a diet based overwhelmingly on rice, maize (also known as corn) and other grains.

Cereals contain phytates, which bind tightly to the form of iron found in plant food and prevent it from being broken down in the intestine. As a result, the body absorbs only five percent of all iron in plant food, and the rest is excreted.

Dozens of countries today reinforce their cereals with iron in a bid to tackle anemia. The iron is usually pure iron powder derived electrolytically from mineral iron sulphate.

But the new study says that electrostatic iron is ineffective. It may be cheap, but it too binds to the bothersome phytates.

The authors, led by Pauline Andang’o, a nutritionist at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, tested a new form of iron among schoolchildren in Kenya.

Called sodium iron edetic acid (NaFeEDTA), the iron comprises particles wrapped in a carbon-compound “jacket” to prevent it from being snared by the phytates, thus boosting the chances of delivering it intact to the gut.

The researchers trialed the new coating among 505 young children aged three to eight at Marafa, eastern Kenya.

All of the children ate uji, a local porridge made from whole maize flour and sweetened with sugar, every day for five months.

One group had uji without iron fortification, to act as a comparison, or “control” group; the second was given porridge with electrolytic iron, in line with the dosage recommendations of the South African government; the third was given the new “iron-EDTA” at two dosage levels.

At the end of the experiment, fortification with iron-EDTA reduced prevalence of anemia by 89 percent as compared to the control group, while the electrolytic iron had no effect at all on anemia prevention.

Children who had low iron levels benefited most from the EDTA addition. But children who already had relatively good iron levels did not appear to suffer harm from eating the fortified cereals. Five children had more than the acceptable daily intake of iron, but there were no known ill effects.

The study, which appears in a peer-reviewed journal, was funded by the food giant Unilever and the chemical form Akzo Nobel Chemicals, which developed the iron-EDTA.

In a commentary, also published by The Lancet, US expert Ted Greiner said the findings “turn the tide” in the debate about nutritional addition for poor people, providing crucial early evidence that fortification could yield results.

“It is time to fortify the world’s processed cereal foods,” he said.

In 1990, only the United States and Canada reinforced their flour with iron; today, 49 countries do, including Nigeria and South Africa, Wageningen said in a press release.

Iron deficiency is acute among children in sub-Saharan Africa, where the typical diet is wholegrain flour, which has a much higher content of phytates than white flour.

Number 4 in a cut-out-and-keep series

Yoga Times (logo dikeciklan)

Activating the Navel Chakra for Action, Power

Yoga, which means unity, calms mind and spirit, and tones the body gently and easily, benefiting health and wellbeing even if you only do it for 10 minutes.

This week, we discover the Third or Navel Chakra (Manipura). Its name means jewel of the lotus or lustrous gem. It is located at the navel and its color is yellow. This chakra relates to personal power, action and charisma and links with the ego or masculine “doing” aspect of ourselves.

These simple yoga techniques help you activate your power, charisma, and ability to get the job done and achieve success.

Begin with the warm-up from Yoga Times number 1 (online at www.thebalitimes.com).

Bridge Pose from last week’s number 3 is also excellent for the navel.

Sit in Easy Pose (cross-legged with straight spine, chin tucked slightly, body relaxed, first finger and thumb pinched together resting on the knees). Close the eyes, focus at the third eye (above the bridge of the nose) as you imagine the color yellow expanding at the navel chakra and reflect for a few minutes on these aspects: The Human Challenge and Gift - to connect with our internal source of power and energy. Soul Desire - to ignite, connect with and focus physical energy. Primal Relationship - with internal source of power, identity, status.

Sat Kriya

Sat means self or truth and Kriya means completed action. So this powerful exercise is a self-ritual and it does bring a powerful, positive and centered sense of self. Sat Kriya uses sound as well as a body pose to powerfully activate the navel. Try it with friends, and notice how the group energy shifts to a higher plane as the exercise and mantra-chanting progresses.

Sit cross-legged with a straight spine. Tuck the chin slightly. With spine straight, relax the shoulders, relax the entire body. Interlock the hands in Jupiter mudra (first fingers extended upwards, other fingers interlocked) and raise the arms straight above the head, elbows hugging the ears. Close the eyes, focus at the third eye. Inhale deep (always through the nose), stretch up. Exhale. Inhale deep, stretch up, and begin chanting “Sat Nam” repeatedly (sat nam, sat nam…) On every Sat pull in your navel. On every Nam release your navel (you may find this happens naturally). If you feel short of breath, take a sniff in through the nose in between chanting, wherever feels comfortable. Continue for two to three minutes (or as long as is comfortable – never push it). When complete, inhale deep, stretch up. Exhale, relax the arms down and rest in Easy Pose for one minute.

Notice how the energy feels. If you feel an excess of energy, visualize it being stored at your navel chakra for later use.

This exercise eliminates negativity, helps you feel positive and confident about yourself and activates personal power and charm. It aids confidence and is great to do before meetings with clients.

Eagle Pose

Sit cross-legged, spine straight, chin tucked slightly and clench your fists with thumbs extended in a thumbs up. Raise the arms above your head, thumbs pointing up, arms at a 60-degree angle (the angle at which the sun’s rays hit the earth), to connect with the sun’s energy – the yellow brilliance. Inhale deep through the nose, stretch up. Exhale through the nose. Now inhale deep through the nose and begin “breath of fire” – panting like a dog, yet with the mouth closed (menstruating women should substitute long, deep breathing). Continue for two-three minutes (keep up as best you can), visualizing the rays of the sun pouring in through your thumbs, collecting at your navel chakra. When finished, inhale deep, stretch up, bring thumbs together above the head, clench your bottom in “root lock” or “mul bundh,” squeeze, feel the energy rush up your spine. Keep the arms up, exhale, release root lock, inhale deep, stretch up, squeeze root lock. Now gently release, and exhale through the nose as you float the arms down, imagining golden-white light expanding around you like an egg, lighting your aura up to three meters in all directions.

This one is great for charisma, attraction, luck and winning. Excellent before a business meeting or negotiation, it powers your aura up with golden light.

Bow Pose

Lay flat on your belly, bend your knees, reach behind and grab your feet with your hands. Stretch up, pull on the feet and rock backwards and forwards on your belly. Continue for one minute (or as long as you are able, relaxing down onto your belly in between as you need to). When complete, inhale deep through the nose, stretch up, perfect the pose, then exhale through the nose and relax down onto your belly for one minute.

Meditate in Easy Pose for two to three minutes to complete, focusing on your power and what you wish to create, visualizing it already happening, as you imagine the color yellow expanding at the navel chakra.

Name: Ni Nyoman Ari Suyastini
Age: 23
Occupation: Graduate student
From: Jembrana
Marital status: Single

Read entire article… »

By Annabel Thomas

For The Bali Times

SEMINYAK ~ Restuning Sandini recently became the first female PADI OWSI in Bali. Restuning did her PADI Divemaster in January 2006, and went on to take the Instructor Development Course and Instructor Exam.

Restuning runs Bayu Cottages (www.bayucottages.com) in Amed, on Bali’s northeast coast, with her husband. The hotel is idyllically located right on the sea and guests are able to take a wide variety of PADI programs while enjoying the whole “Bali experience.”

Minni Vansgaard, co-owner of Crystal Divers and the only permanent in-house course director in Bali, said: “It’s a fantastic achievement for Restuning. She has truly broken new ground in becoming the first female PADI Instructor in Bali. Restuning worked so hard - we wish her every success and are so proud of her.”

Restuning said, “It is just amazing to do the thing you love. The training I received was second to none, has given me new confidence and has opened up a whole new world of opportunities for me. It was not easy to be both Indonesian and female but I’m so glad that I did this. It really is one for the girls.”

The writer is director of AquaMarine Diving – Bali.

The Australian Consulate General in Bali has moved, to:

Jl. Tantular No. 32

Renon

Denpasar

Tel: 0361 241118

Fax: 0361 221195 (general); 241120 (visas)