nomad4ever

24 years ago, when Kuta in Bali was a small fishing village with bamboo huts and mud tracks, only known to late Hippies and a handful of adventurous low budget tourists, something interesting happened.

Amidst the serenity of its 8km long stretch of sand and (back then) clean waters a night club opened opened in Legian/Seminyak.

It was located directly at the beach, an open concept and opened until the wee hours of the next day. From 6pm to 6am. Thus Club 66 was born.

written by Chris

Today after lunch, I was just sinking in my arm chair to read ‘The Bali Times’ – it suddenly became a bit hectic in our yard. The cat was running around scared and began hiding combined with some desperate meowing, followed then by an awakening hunting instinct towards the bushes and palm trees in our yard.

What was going on?

Armed with a broom stick I parted some leaves around the plants and noticed some moving shiny brown body. Very slim and lots of curves. The centerfold of the month? No!

written by Chris

When things like this happen, it makes me feel that it’s all worth to maintain a website like this over the period of now more than 6 years.

This May, GQ China interviewed half a dozen Bali and Phuket Expats for a July Special Print Issue about people who left the city life behind. It seems more and more Chinese are overwhelmed by their work and life pressure and looking for alternative lifestyles.

So in a 4-hour interview and photo session which took part in the Four Season Hotel in Jimbaran and also Uluwatu temple, I was ‘interrogated’ about how I came to live the life I’ve been living the last 5 years. Here is what came out of it:

written by Chris

It was a long time ago.
I have almost forgotten my dream.
But it was there then,
In front of me,
Bright like a sun–
My dream.
And then the wall rose,
Rose slowly,
Slowly,
Between me and my dream.
Rose until it touched the sky –
The wall…

written by Chris

The modern working climate is unforgiving. In its never-ending strive for higher productivity and efficiency, employees are a mere cost factor in a firm’s calculation.

A cost factor, that constantly has to be optimized, downsized and monitored for return on investment; restructured and adjusted to fit the firm’s strategies and policies.

What happened to the human factor? To Work-Life-Balance?

Come on – don’t kid yourself! If you don’t watch out for that, nobody else will.

Here is the latest fairy tale from the corporate world, which might just prove that point:

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written by Chris

In spite of the recent Immigration Experience at Denpasar Airport by 2 female travelers from the Philippines, I was wondering, what your opinion might be about Racial Profiling at airports.

Currently a story is making waves on Blogs and Facebook, how 2 Filipina were allegedly obtained, held and questioned for 1.5 hours upon immigration without initial suspicion, or justification – obviously simply because they were traveling to Bali being Citizens of the Republic of the Philippines.

The debate, if their treatment was justified, is heated and sparked plenty of controversy so far. Here is what happened:

written by Chris

I’m currently researching for a more in-depth article about some new exciting technology making its way to Bali. While this might take another 1-2 weeks for the next update, I noticed that the motivation category also hasn’t seen some new input in a longggg time.

When I surfed on my friend Jerm’s website I found this gem of truly inspiring music.

Although Jerm and me sometimes have different viewpoints and can debate endlessly and full of enthusiasm in regards of philosophy, religion and tech gadgets, this is surely one life motto we can always agree on.

written by Chris

Whale sharks are the most amazing gentle creatures of the sea. They are huge, blue-grey monsters with white dots; big like trucks – but they are moving and gliding so effortlessly through the seas. The thrill you will get when swimming with them is unbelievable and indescribable.

The best place in the world to see them in their natural habitat – are the waters around Donsol, in the Bicol region on the main island South Luzon in the Philippines.

Here is what you need to know, to make it a successful and exciting encounter:

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written by Chris

If anyone still had any doubts, that for the right amount of money everything is for sale in Indonesia, here is to prove that theory.

Most tourists certainly experience the sellers and hawkers on Bali’s beaches and beyond. ‘Rolex, boss? Transport, transport? Girls? Magic Mushrooms?’ – it seems they are everywhere. You can’t avoid them and it’s THE major annoyance on the Island of the Gods.

If you are a ‘bule’ fresh off the plane, with that lovely pink teint of yours, they will spot you from miles away and like swarms of flies will be all over you before you can even say ‘Bintang’.

written by Chris