The NOW! Bali Podcast

What makes Balinese arak so important for the island? This traditional spirit is both culturally and socially significant, and with its modernisation, it may be economically significant too.In the Season 1 Finale of Bali Breakfast Talks, Nathan Santoso of Iwak Arumery (Arak brand) joins us for a seaside conversation at @breakfastclubseminyak to share his insights on the past, present and future of Arak. Discover the world of Balinese arak, the craft and culture behind Indonesia's beloved spirit, and what it means to preserve this ancient drink that honors the island’s soul. Proudly presented by Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak Beach, The Rockin' Life Bali, and NOW! Bali.

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Bali Breakfast Talks is a talkshow that brings you meaningful discussions from our island home of Bali, recorded from the seaside deck of ⁠⁠Breakfast Club Seminyak⁠⁠.

Hosted by NOW! Bali Editor, Edward Speirs, listeners and watchers are invited to sit and sip as they discover more unique perspectives from Bali, with special guests.

A collaboration between Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak Beach, The Rockin’ Life and NOW! Bali.

Janice Girardi is the Founder of Bali Animal Welfare Association (BAWA). She sits down with host Edward Speirs to talk about the fascinating history of Bali's indigenous dog breed – the Bali Heritage Dog – and why its becoming increasingly important to conserve this special breed of canine.

BAWA is a registered non-profit founded in 2007 by Janice Girardi, who has made Bali her home for over 30 years. The association does everything in their power to change the lives of animals in Bali, from animal rescues and rehabilitation to education and outreach.

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Bali Breakfast Talks is a talkshow that brings you meaningful discussions from our island home of Bali, recorded from the seaside deck of ⁠Breakfast Club Seminyak⁠.

Hosted by NOW! Bali Editor, Edward Speirs, listeners and watchers are invited to sit and sip as they discover more unique perspectives from Bali, with special guests.

A collaboration between Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak Beach, The Rockin’ Life and NOW! Bali.

Tipi Jabrik was born and raised in Legian, Bali, where he picked up surf and became a professional surfer by the age of 18. As a pro surfer he toured the world, winning international competition in Phuket, Japan, as well as here in Bali.

After his pro career, he changed his focus to surf development, coaching young surfers, developing the Indonesian surf industry, and overall surf ecosystem. He has brought Indonesian surfers to the olympics and international competitions, hoping to give to them the same opportunities he got when he started his career.

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Bali Breakfast Talks is a talkshow that brings you meaningful discussions from our island home of Bali, recorded from the seaside deck of ⁠Breakfast Club Seminyak⁠.

Hosted by NOW! Bali Editor, Edward Speirs, listeners and watchers are invited to sit and sip as they discover more unique perspectives from Bali, with special guests.

A collaboration between Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak Beach, The Rockin’ Life and NOW! Bali.

Kania Maniasa is the Executive Director of Green School Foundation, a non-profit organisation created to bring sustainability-focused education to children in Bali.

The foundation began in 2008 providing scholarships to the renowned Green School Bali. Today, Green School Foundation’s scope extends to working with local public schools to create environmental sustainability projects, including training local teachers, to funding scholarships to agricultural universities, with the goal of attracting a younger demographic to work in the agricultural industry.

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Bali Breakfast Talks is a talkshow that brings you meaningful discussions from our island home of Bali, recorded from the seaside deck of ⁠Breakfast Club Seminyak⁠.

Hosted by NOW! Bali Editor, Edward Speirs, listeners and watchers are invited to sit and sip as they discover more unique perspectives from Bali, with special guests.

A collaboration between Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak Beach, The Rockin’ Life and NOW! Bali.

Jasmine Okubo is a dancer, producer, choreographer and the founder of Yayasan Kitapoleng, a multidisciplinary art platform based in Bali. Though of Japanese descent, born and raised in Turkey, Jasmine has a deep passion for Balinese and Indonesian arts and has been a key figure in bringing the performing arts to modern audiences, especially here in Bali.

In this episode of Bali Breakfast Talks, Jasmine shares with us her background in Balinese dance, her insights on traditional and classical Balinese dance in the modern age, and her intriguing work with deaf dancers.

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Bali Breakfast Talks is a talkshow that brings you meaningful discussions from our island home of Bali, recorded from the seaside deck of Breakfast Club Seminyak.

Hosted by NOW! Bali Editor, Edward Speirs, listeners and watchers are invited to sit and sip as they discover more unique perspectives from Bali, with special guests.

A collaboration between Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak Beach, The Rockin’ Life and NOW! Bali.

Many have heard of Nyepi, Bali’s Day of Silence, and understand that for 24 hours the entire island undergoes a strict period of no work, no activity and no sound.

But what is the reason behind this Day of Silence? And why is Nyepi observed on the day it is observed? These are the questions we hope to answer in this episode of the NOW! Bali Podcast with host, Eddy Speirs.

For more details you can read the full article on Nyepi on our website.

How to support NOW! Bali

(1) You can help grow the Podcast by following or rating us on your preferred Podcast platform, or indeed share our episodes with a friend.

(2) We'd love for you to become a reader! Our bi-monthly magazine is available as a digital edition and can be downloaded for free from our online catalogue: ⁠⁠⁠⁠payhip.com/nowbalimag⁠⁠⁠⁠.

(3) For those in Indonesia, you can ⁠⁠⁠order a print version of NOW! Bali. ⁠⁠⁠

(4) Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ - or even send us a short email of encouragement or even feedback at [email protected].

Tjokorda Raka Kerthyasa is an esteemed member of the Ubud Royal Family and holds the position of Bendesa Adat of Ubud (Head of Customary Village Organisation) since 2009. He is one of Bali’s respected authorities on culture and local traditions.

He joins the podcast ahead of a colossal ceremony taking place in Ubud, on 10 November 2024, known as Karya Agung Penyejeg Jagat. This opens a wider conversation surrounding the nature of ceremonies and the intricacies of ‘yadnya’, or sacrifices (offerings) that are central to Balinese spiritual life. Tjok Raka demystifies many of the burning questions many have regarding Balinese Hindu ceremonies, including a frequently asked question: “Why do so many Balinese Hindu not understand the ceremony they are taking part in?” This episode delves deep into Balinese philosophy, belief and practice. 

Join Tjok Raka for the debut of an immersive cultural event from 15 to 17 November 2024’ Unveiling Bali’: Details can be found here: https://ibahubud.com/experiences/

Thank you to our Podcast Sponsor, Genesis Creative Centre, for providing the professional recording studio, centred in Pererenan, Bali. 

Purchase a copy of TIMELESS Bali Volume 4, the fourth edition in the annual publication series:

⁠⁠⁠Purchase a copy here. ⁠⁠⁠

How to support NOW! Bali

(1) You can help grow the Podcast by following or rating us on your preferred Podcast platform, or indeed share our episodes with a friend.

(2) We'd love for you to become a reader! Our bi-monthly magazine is available as a digital edition and can be downloaded for free from our online catalogue: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠payhip.com/nowbalimag⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

(3) For those in Indonesia, you can ⁠⁠⁠⁠order a print version of NOW! Bali. ⁠⁠⁠⁠

(4) Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - or even send us a short email of encouragement or even feedback at [email protected].

In this episode, host Eddy Speirs shares a bite-sized perspective piece on factors that help to perpetuate Balinese rituals through time.

Balinese Hindu philosophy has some effective built-in mechanisms for self-perpetuation down the generations. It is a mechanism driven by duty, debt and superstition. This is seen in the principle known as Tri Rna, the three duties or obligations one must fulfil during one’s life.

This episode comes from an article published in TIMELESS Bali Volume 4, the fourth iteration in the annual publication series, released in August 2024.

⁠Purchase a copy here. ⁠

How to support NOW! Bali

(1) You can help grow the Podcast by following or rating us on your preferred Podcast platform, or indeed share our episodes with a friend.

(2) We'd love for you to become a reader! Our bi-monthly magazine is available as a digital edition and can be downloaded for free from our online catalogue: ⁠⁠⁠payhip.com/nowbalimag⁠⁠⁠.

(3) For those in Indonesia, you can ⁠⁠order a print version of NOW! Bali. ⁠⁠

(4) Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ - or even send us a short email of encouragement or even feedback at [email protected].

Bali, renowned for its breathtaking landscapes and vibrant culture, has faced escalating environmental challenges as its tourism industry continues to grow. Issues such as waste mismanagement and ecological degradation have prompted a local response led by Eco Tourism Bali.

Founded in 2021 by Suzy Hutomo, Chairperson of BodyShop Indonesia, and Rahmi Fajar Harini, a Balinese entrepreneur with a background in hospitality and public relations, the social impact business is building the path to make Bali a sustainable destination by 2030. Through their  ‘Sustainable Guideline and Verification System’ and 'Regenerative Bali' programmes, they aim to improve the quality of the island's tourism industry and make it 'future-proof' in the face of environmental challenges.

Read the full article on Eco Tourism Bali on nowbali.co.id

Podcast Partner

The NOW! Bali Podcast is supported by ⁠⁠Genesis Creative Centre⁠⁠⁠, where you'll find video, photo and music studios, as well as other content creation services for any of your personal or business projects. This Episode was edited by Quincy Dekker.

How to support NOW! Bali

(1) You can help grow the Podcast by following or rating us on your preferred Podcast platform, or indeed share our episodes with a friend.

(2) We'd love for you to become a reader! Our bi-monthly magazine is available as a digital edition and can be downloaded for free from our online catalogue: ⁠⁠⁠payhip.com/nowbalimag⁠⁠⁠.

(3) For those in Indonesia, you can ⁠⁠order a print version of NOW! Bali. ⁠⁠

(4) Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ - or even send us a short email of encouragement or even feedback at [email protected].

In this episode, host Eddy Speirs covers one of the most central aspects of Balinese Hindu ritual life: the Pawukon Calendar.

This episode outlines the mythological origins of Hari Saraswati, The Day of Knowledge, rooted in the legend of 'Watugunung', Bali's own 'Oedipus' tale. This is tied to the creation of the calendar as well as wariga, the knowledge of time. Following this is an explanation of how the Pawukon calendar is used, and what 'calculations' must be done to define specific auspicious days.

This episode comes from an article written by Jean Couteau, published in TIMELESS Bali Volume 3, the third iteration in our annual publication series, released in August 2023.

Purchase a copy here.

Free Transcript Available: Download Here

Podcast Partner

The NOW! Bali Podcast is supported by ⁠Genesis Creative Centre⁠⁠, where you'll find video, photo and music studios, as well as other content creation services for any of your personal or business projects. This Episode was edited by Quincy Dekker.

How to support NOW! Bali

(1) You can help grow the Podcast by following or rating us on your preferred Podcast platform, or indeed share our episodes with a friend.

(2) We'd love for you to become a reader! Our bi-monthly magazine is available as a digital edition and can be downloaded for free from our online catalogue: ⁠⁠payhip.com/nowbalimag⁠⁠.

(3) For those in Indonesia, you can ⁠order a print version of NOW! Bali. ⁠

(4) Follow us on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ - or even send us a short email of encouragement or even feedback at [email protected].