Soma Helmi

I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Soma yet, but I have heard nothing but amazing things about her and her work. Check out her show reel below. This woman is fast on the rise in the beautiful world of film.



Soma Helmi Showreel 2012 from soma helmi on Vimeo.


"Born in Bali, Soma Helmi grew up somewhere between Indonesia, Australia, and the US. In 2009, Soma decided to pursue film making after many years as an Art Director in web, advertising and photography.

Her debut short film – The Angel & Rajapala – won the short film competition at BALINALE International Film Festival in 2009. Her work has been screened at film festivals around the world including Anchorage Film Festival, WOW Film Festival, Sydney, and Short & Sweet Film Festival in the UK.

Soma’s latest film credit is as co-director on the ground breaking film ‘Life in a Day’ directed by Kevin Macdonald and produced by Ridley Scott and YouTube. Her footage was chosen from over 80,000 entries. She was then amongst only 20 film makers invited to attend the premier of Life in A Day at Sundance this year!

Soma is now co-writing an Indonesian feature film and actively raising funds for Mermaids, a short film to be shot and produced in Bali."



www.somahelmi.com

Roosters, Thunder, and Galungan

A quick post before bed. I had a highly productive day in Denpasar. My friend / driver / translator Wayan and I hit the road just after 9am. It was a brilliant sunny day. My new puppy, Shanti, slept the whole time in the back seat.

I tied up loose ends, took care of business, etc. Also got a new phone - blackberry, so you can expect lots more mobile uploads from me ;)

Arrived back in Ubud just after 3pm. The streets look absolutely beautiful. The Balinese have been preparing giant pieces of bamboo and decorating them, to put out front of their houses. These "penjors" are for Galungan, which begins tomorrow.

Galungan is a Balinese holiday that is celebrated every 210 days, and always falls on a Wednesday. It literally means "When the Dharma is winning." During this holiday, the Balinese gods visit the Earth and leave on Kuningan, the 10th and last day of the holiday. 

The day will be spent with family and at the temples, giving offerings. The day after Galungan is a time for a holiday, visiting friends, maybe taking the opportunity to head for the mountains for a picnic. Everyone is still seen to be in their 'Sunday best' as they take to the streets to enjoy the festive spirit that Galungan brings to Bali.


I took a quick nap before meeting my parents for dinner. All I could hear was the neighbors roosters crowing and thunder. I am beginning to really love these sounds. The sounds of living somewhere remote and the sounds of the tropics. I can see palm trees from my bedroom window and I still can't really believe it. 

Balinese Wedding-Bound

Green Village Bali - My Dream Home

I had the pleasure today of accompanying my new friend who is an architect to "The Green Village" in Bali. She has spent her 20's in London, designing high-end flats. Now currently living in Australia, she - who will go unnamed - has come to Bali to see how they build with bamboo.

I found my dream home today and also had the pleasure of sitting down with Elora Hardy, the CEO and lead designer for Green Village. Elora is daughter of the famous jeweler and business man John Hardy, who recently built the widely publicized and successful international "Green School" 25 minutes from Ubud, Bali. Elora was born in Bali and educated in the U.S. and got some major experience and exposure working as a sole print designer for fashion icon, Donna Karan, in New York City. Elora is beautiful, high-energy, humble and absolutely sweet. I look forward to hanging out with her again, seeing as I have now found a home in Ubud. It's no Green Village, but it's perfect for the time being.

Upon arriving at Green Village, my architect friend and I were offered fresh hand towels and a glass of cold coconut water. Heaven. We got to tour two of the homes, one which was a show home and is still for sale $400,000 US. 

Everything from the floors and the counters to the beams and the walls are made of various sizes of bamboo. Elora told me 5 different species are used, which are grown on Bali and also imported from Java. A small amount of concrete is used during construction to pour into the base of the large bamboo beams, so that they have a solid foundation in the rock that is used. The bamboo is treated before building to protect it from sun, rain and insects. Walking around this beautiful home today was surreal. The detail and attention to craftsmanship is truly world class.

I kept day-dreaming about waking in the master bedroom, having a shower in the open air, and enjoying a coffee or perhaps doing yoga. Absolute peace. With the palm trees swaying in the background, and the fresh coconut juice......  sigh. I have my work cut out for me!

Check out the pictures and please click on the website below for more information.

<3 Bali Chick

Green Village Website: www.greenvillagebali.com/

Green School Website: www.greenschool.org

Interview with Elora Hardy for The Yak Magazine ( Bali ) :

www.greenvillagebali.com/2011/12/green-village-on-the-yak-magazine/

Liquid Art Gallery

Walking along Monkey Forest Road today, I passed a photograph display that caught my attention. A single droplet of water, splashing into a perfect horizon.... of water. At the entrance, water cascading smoothly down a mirror. Curious, I climbed the stairs to the "Liquid Art Gallery."

The gallery was empty. I had it all to myself. I was met by a lovely Indonesian man, the host, who warmly welcomed me to the room. I asked him where the photographer was from. "Canada", he responded. Brilliant.

The photographer, Stephan Max Reinhold, is a Canadian currently living in Bali. He is a retired lawyer who studied and worked his practice in Calgary. Since the age of 9, he has had an interest in photography and through high school worked at a camera specialty store in Edmonton. One hot afternoon, as he was swimming in the pool, a rainstorm started. With the surface at eye level, Max watched how the raindrops impacted, splashed and rebounded into the pool. He was captivated and it planted a creative seed within him.

Stephan began to experiment, and being a perfectionist, he fine-tuned the method of how to photograph the life cycle of a single drop into liquid. He works with many different mediums, from milk and whipping cream to ink and food coloring. Flowers, postcards, art paper, fabric or other mediums are also added behind the shot to add vibrant colors and unique details to the drops. His images have a beautiful almost cosmic-like effect.

Shot with a Canon IDs Mark II, with 16.7 million pixels. The lens: and 18mm f3.5 macro lens, usually at f32. The flash fires at a whopping 1/15,000 of a second ( 67 microseconds ). These images are NOT digitally altered, which makes them so mysterious and beautiful.

Printed on Epson canvas, ranging in a wide selection of sizes, you can purchase his prints anywhere from $10 - $600.

Check out his website at: www.liquid-art-gallery.com

 

Ubud Market - Shopping with the Locals at 6am

Nadi's Herbal in Ubud - Ayurvedic and Organic Products

I had plans on sleeping in this morning, but was awoken by the roosters just after 830am. I headed out for a walk before it got too hot. On the main street, I passed "Nadi's Herbal", and was greeted by a happy looking middle-aged Indonesian man. I said I would come back later. 30 seconds later, I turned around.... and went to check out the store as I was interested in finding out about the "herbal walks" they offered.

The man, who introduced himself as Weca, offered me a cup of tea. He said anyone who comes through the door is family, so they are treated that way. The delicious tea was made of lemongrass, ginger, cinnamon, cardamon, star anise, cat whiskers leaf and a special herb called gotu cola.

Gotu Cola has been called "the fountain of life" because legend has it that an ancient Chinese herbalist lived for more than 200 years as a result of taking gotu kola. Gotu kola is a perennial plant native to India, Japan, China, Indonesia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the South Pacific. A member of the parsley family, it has no taste or smell.

I perused the selection of items in the store. All organic and derived from local plants and herbs. The body lotions are made from natural ayurvedic herbs, fresh coconut oil, cocoa butter, aloe vera, seaweed and beeswax.

As I continued to check out all the products in the little store, Weca gently took my hand and started to massage between my thumb and index finger. Steady pressure, almost acupressure. It hurt! He gestured for me to sit down and for the next 40 minutes or so, applied pressure to my hand, elbow and then the back of my neck. He stimulated some sort of organ, because I started to sweat out all the wine I had drank the night before. Afterwards, I was very relaxed and felt totally balanced.

I purchased a small container of "Bali Moon", which is body lotion made with tulsyi, amla, bibhitaki, haritaki, spring water, cocoa butter, aloe vera, seaweed and rose fragrance. I also bought 2 face products, one being a "wild white tumeric" facial scrub, and the other being a "wild yam" clay mask.

Today planted a seed within me, so to speak. I have a new passion for ayurvedic herbs and medicines. I am going to go on the herb walk and learn about the local medicinal plants and herbs and how to prepare them. Now, a shower and then Bali Moon cream all over my body before bed. Namaste.

Check out Nadi's Herbal website here: www.baliherbalwalk.com

Their range includes; a massage oil made according to traditional Balinese methods, a natural insect repellent, candles made from coconut wax and tree resins, bath and massage salts based on sea salt with plant extracts, body scrubs made with local healing tus and many more products for home and spa.

The Woman Who Walks Alone ❤

Pondok Kecil in Ubud

When my parents and I arrived in Ubud yesterday afternoon, Wayan, my friend and driver, took us to his friend Madek's villa. It was absolutely stunning. 2 bedrooms overlooking rice fields and palms. We decided it was too far out of the town, so we were offered another option closer to town. Walking back to the car, heavy rain started and we got soaked through. Laughing and drenched, we got back into the car and headed to the villa owners' other property closer to central Ubud.

Madek owns Pondok Kecil. A very small and very private few rooms just off the main road. He gave us an amazing deal, 150,000 Rupiah for each room per night. About $15 CAD. Bed, shower, fan and a lovely breakfast was just served to us. Fresh fruit, coffee and a tomato and egg sandwich. Madek has owned these properties for 25 years, which he built "little by little". He has the kindest eyes I have ever seen. Truly a gem. He has invited us to a traditional Hindi ceremony at one of the temples this afternoon. I absolutely recommend Pondok Kecil if you are planning to stay in Ubud. It's quiet, peaceful and simply lovely.

Shower time now, then off to the market.

Kuta in a Nutshell

Kuta is a corporatized, digitized and colorized madness. It's fast, cheap and easy like a dirty hooker. It's the Las Vegas and Bangkok of Bali, rolled into one. Kuta is the loud, busy, hustling and bustling part of Bali right on the beach. Canadians go to Mexico for vacations, Australia comes to Kuta. The surfing is pretty good, but the beaches are filthy with washed-up garbage and coconuts from faraway lands. The traffic is busy. The bikes are fast, cheap and readily available. The nightclubs go all night long. You can't go 5 steps without an Indo asking if you want a "Transport, motorbike", gesturing with his hands pretending to drive a scooter.

The dogs wander the streets freely. Happy, smelly, dirty, unfixed and smiling dog couples. They stick together and eat together, foraging restaurant garbage and any other tourist scraps they can find. The boys with their balls hanging and the girls with droopy dog nipples, showing a lifetime of puppy-producing. I have been told that Indonesians do not believe in fixing their animals. This can open up a can of worms, so I am going to keep my mouth shut on this one. Hey..... I like puppies.

To some Kuta is home, so sorry if I offend you. Kuta is just not my style. I'm about the green and spiritual stuff. I want to experience real Bali and learn about the culture, not get sucked into the Kuta party vortex. If you want to see people puking, sleeping on the streets, crashing their bikes, swearing and yelling...... head out for a night in Kuta. There is no shortage of drunken, underage and shirtless Australian boys. If that's your thing.

On the bright side, if you are looking for mass amounts of hotels, restaurants and shopping, Kuta is the place to be. The beach vendors are really lovely, so sit down and have a Bintang or two with a local and ask them about their life. Head to La Plancha or La Barca on the beach for cool vibes, sweet beats and cold cocktails at sunset.

Over and out! XO Bali Chick

Hotel Kumala in Kuta, Bali

A gem of a hotel located right in the heart of Kuta. 10 minutes from the airport and a 5 minute walk to the beach. Beautiful, lush landscaped grounds surround the hotel with palms, frangipani, orchids, fountains and 2 swimming pools. A large room with a double bed, AC and hot water shower is around $30 CAD for the night. Breakfast included: Coffee or tea, toast with an assortment of jams and a beautiful spread of fresh fruit... Papaya, pineapple and watermelon. The staff are extremely friendly and very, very helpful. This hotel will definitely be my go-to place the next time I stay in Kuta.

Hotel Kumala
Jl. Werkudara,
Legian Kaja,
Kuta 80361, Bali,
Indonesia
Telephone:
(62-361)732186
Website: www.hotelkumala.com
For reservations: gkumala@indosat.net.id  

Pondok Pitaya in Balian Beach

I've spent the last 2 nights in the incredibly chilled out Balian Beach, which is about an hour west of Kuta. There was a cyclone, the whole time.... so I did a lot of reading. Regardless, being surrounded by rice fields and rolling hills dotted with palms was calming and inspiring. Because of the weather, there weren't many people there. I am told that when it is sunny, it is a bustling little surf beach town.

I stayed just up the road from Pondok Pitaya, but ate all my meals at this lovely hotel on the beach. Excellent service, free wifi, very affordable prices and delicious smoothies. The place I stayed up the road called Balian Segara which was $12 a night in a bungalow. Just lovely.

I am back in the the "Kuta chaos" now, and can't wait to get back to green! It's noisy, loud, crowded and busy here. Looking forward to spending the next week or so in Ubud with my parents, who arrive tomorrow. I am so excited to see them, explore the island and check out some little fishing villages up north.

I'm starting to develop my website: www.balichick.com where I will transfer all my blog posts, and then the real work begins with sections, finding affiliates and advertisers and posting my photos and videos. Very excited!!

Lots of Love, Kate ( Bali Chick )

Click to see website for Pondok Pitaya :  www.baliansurf.com

NYE 2012 at Betelnut in Ubud

It rained on Saturday, December 31st. I called my "driver", Wayan, from my previous trip to Ubud and he agreed to pick me up from the villa in Seminyak at 2pm. Around noon, I slipped out to drop off the laundry, mostly towels, and grab some lunch. After a delicous chicken burger and a Bali "Kofe" ( coffee ), I bought two dresses. Both frilly and of the same cut, one lavender and one dark blue. Wayan texted me, he was just getting into Seminyak. I rushed back, had a quick shower, packed all my stuff for the night ( this time with a toothbrush and deoderant which I had forgot last time! ) and met Wayan.

On the drive out to Ubud, Wayan helped me with my Indonesian ( terrible ) and I helped him with his English ( much, much better ). We laughed lots, got confused a bunch and really didn't understand each other much at all....... but is was tons of fun! I was dropped of at Betelnut, where I was DJing that night, just before 3pm. I was early! I am never, EVER early for anything. Ask any of my friends. I have no concept of time and am habitually late, always. After arriving 9 hours early to the venue, I have found it is so much more relaxing to arrive somewhere early, with enough time to settle into the moment. I plan to make this my new habit for the year, absolutely. In most cases, anyways.

I was greeted by Odeck who was fine-tuning all the equipment for the night with the sound technician. The restaurant looked absolutely beautiful. I made myself comfortable on one of the lounge couches with my laptop and ordered a lime / lemongrass soda. I stayed on the couch until about 7pm, chatting with my Mum online and organizing my music for the gig. Betelnut looks down onto a waterfall / jungle, with palms and villas in the distance. The rain came and went all afternoon. The fireworks started very early. I am told there is a "fireworks phenomenon" going on right now in Indonesia. You can buy them for cheap cheap cheap from China, and there are no age restrictions, hence the 4 year olds lighting them off in my first blog post.

7pm. Sat down with lovely Odeck and the sound man for dinner at the main long table in the restaurant. A beautiful spread was laid before us. Rice, noodles, chicken and seafood satays, and the most delicious salad I have ever had. Mint leaves, with lime, coconut, coriander and chicken. My mouth is watering as I type this.

The party started at 9pm. It was a very classy event being a combination of a book launch, traditional Balinese performance and dance, a world-music DJ and then myself, to play just after midnight. The crowd was both kids and older people, so the party didn't go until late. I played house beats until about 130am, then left Thievery Corporation to play as I sat with Odeck and Tara and had more champagne with pom juice. As the staff cleaned up the restaurant, we just chilled out. Again, Odeck and Tara are the owners of Betelnut and they are so so cool.

I was to sleep at their place that night. Yes, the absolutely stunning place I spoke of in my last Ubud post. We arrived back at their house just after 3am, and Tara showed me to my own private bungalow with private bathroom. I thanked her and made myself comfortable. The dogs joined me on the porch as I sat and smoked a clove cigarette and watched fireflys dance in the ferns at the bottom of a giant palm. The stars were shining. The air was fresh. The crickets and frogs were singing. I crawled into bed, dimmed the lights and fell asleep just after 4am with a smile on my face. I was told in the morning that Jet, the big 4 year old black lab, stayed outside the bungalow all night. Something he has never done.

New Years Day. A perfect first day to the year. I slept in until 11am. Well done, Kate. I left the bungalow and made my way down to the main house. The day was overcast and the grass was dewy on my feet. Odeck was sitting at the table reading the paper. He offered me a seat and a coffee. Tara joined us and we spent the next 3 hours at the table having an absolutely fabulous New Years Day brunch. Bowls of watermelon and papaya smoothie to start. Tara ordered from one of their favorite places. Blueberry whole wheat pancakes with caramelized bananas and warm maple syrup. Spinach and smoked marlon omelette. Lots and lots of Bali kofe. Amazing. The 4 dogs slept under the table and the rain fell as we chilled. So relaxing and wonderful.

We sat and played with our chosen devices. Odeck on his Blackberry, downloading apps. Tara and I on our Macbooks. Sometime after 2pm, we cleaned up the table and Odeck headed off for a nap. I grabbed my camera and began to explore the property. Words just do not do it justice. It resembles a palace. There are actually 3 houses, with a large temple-like structure that looks down onto a perfect turquoise pool. Palm and banana trees gracefully dot the property. At one point, I climbed the stairs to one of the bungalows that looks down onto the pool and the main house. I stretched my arms to the air.... stretched... breathed.... heaven. At this point, 2 of the dogs ran up the stairs and joined me, and a brief canine photo shoot commenced.

After my walk, a wonderful first shower of the year. In this "open shower", I washed my hair with coconut-lime conditioner and looked out onto rice paddies and palms trees. The sound of rain on the plastic roof above. Simple luxury.

Wayan picked me up just after 4pm. I thanked Tara and told her to hug Odeck for me. What a truly perfect day. On the drive home, Wayan and I stopped for 2 plates of Nasi Goreng at a food stall at the side of the road. Spicy fried rice with vegetables and prawns. Huge servings. Absolutely delicious. That plus 2 orange drinks = 22 Rupiah. That's around 2 dollars. Man, I love Bali.

I'm off to a friends villa today to meet new people and most likely float in a pool, look up to palm trees and think about how lucky I am and how much I love this life I am creating for myself. I feel blessed, fortunate and absolutely grateful. My parents come to Bali in 10 days. I am so happy and excited to travel with them around this magic island and make some wonderful new memories.

Hope everyone has an incredible 2012. May all your dreams come true!! ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

Love, Kate

January 1st 2012

Hope everyone had a fantastic New Years. I had a lovely evening and a truly perfect first day of the year. Longer post to come with details tomorrow. For now: Champagne, private bungalow, coffee,  blueberry whole wheat pancakes with caramelized bananas and warm maple syrup for breakfast. Photo-taking. Yoga. Exploring. Tropical rain. Dogs. Dog slobber. An outdoor shower with coconut lime conditioner...... looking onto rice paddies and palm trees..... hearing the rain. This year is going to be amazing ❤ May all your dreams come true ❤

★ ☆ ✮ ✯ Happy New Year ★ ☆ ✮ ✯

Mid-afternoon Update in Ubud

Hello!

I have arrived safely in Ubud. My contact here is MIA ( island time ), so I am passing the time until I hear from him at a German restaurant with a huge bottle of water and a package of clove cigarettes. I know, I should quit. They are just so good. The last bus back to Kuta leaves at 5pm. I definitely won't be on it. I have connected with another friend, Bop, a friend of my friend Claire, and will take him out for big dinner later and then sleep on his couch tonight. Thanks, Bop! I'm living like a total pirate gypsy today. Why make plans when you can just go?

This restaurant is next to a beautiful zen garden with a pond with pink lilies growing in it. Very beautiful. There is also a lime tree, a few coconut palms and what appears to be a pomelo tree. Every so often, a large black butterfly floats past. That combined with the trickling water sounds coming from the two fountains next to the pond, I am pretty relaxed.

I haven't seen any crazy hippies yet, but the day is just beginning. Meeting Bop at the Ubud market at 6pm. Looking forward to spending the night in Ubud!

Off to Ubud

It's 10:30am on Monday. Boxing Day in Bali. I'm catching the 11am bus to Ubud, which is 70,000 Rupiah one way. That's the equivalent of about $7 CAD. I've got a DJ gig in Ubud this weekend, and the owner of the establishment has kindly invited me to have lunch today with him and his family and friends. Judging by the map he has sent me, it looks like he lives on quite a large property. I am touched by his offer and am so looking forward to the new people I will meet today.

The hugely successful book / movie "Eat, Pray, Love" takes place in Ubud. I am told that it is incredibly green and lush, almost jungle-like. It is also the arts and cultural center of Bali and home of the famous "Monkey Forest". I'm imagining all the usual hippie stereotypes: bare feet with anklets, dreadlocks with beads, tanned vegan bodies and drum circles everywhere. I love it. Very excited.

I caught the tail-end of the movie "A New World" last night, with Colin Farrell. He plays a pirate who makes a home for himself amongst a tribe of "new world" people. A part of me wishes I had lived in that era. In past lives, I probably have. Fur clothing, feathers in the hair, body piercings and ceremonial tattoo's. A part of this world is part of that tribe.

Time to order a quick breaky and catch my bus. Onto the next adventure!!

Bali Christmas Poem

Twas the night before Christmas in Bali, and all through the huts, not a creature was stirring, not even the coconuts. The Bintang's were chillin in the fridge, with care, in hopes that St. Buddha would soon be there.

The Aussie's were nestled snug in their beds, while visions of sic swells danced in their heads. Papa in his shorts, and I in my sarong, had just settled down for a hit from the bong ( Hookah )

When out in the palm tree, there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, tore open the bamboo shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen frangipani's, gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below. When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny Bali deer.

"Now Palm tree! now, Banana leaf! now, Hibiscus and Papaya! On, Mango! On, Pineapple! on, Bamboo and Guava! To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL :) ❤ ✦ ✧ ✩ ❤ ✦ ✧ ✩ ❤ ✦ ✧ ✩ ❤ ✦ ✧ ✩

Postcard from Bali - Shot and Edited by Stephan Kot

I Mag