Social Page with Tante Betty

Tante Betty Goes to Bali

Ubud in Bali has become Indonesia’s favourite town for book launches: the annual Ubud Readers’ and Writers’ Festival alone sees scores of book launches and readings.
Last month I helped celebrate the release of a collection of columns by this magazine’s regular writer, Made Wijaya. The venue was the colourful Warung Enak restaurant in Pengosekan, Ubud also designed by the author. Present were ‘Stranger’ enthusiasts from Bali, Jakarta and abroad.
The nice thing about Ubud events is the generous mix of people they attract: Indonesians and expats from all walks of life. And Made’s book ‘The Best of Stranger in Paradise 1996 – 2008’ is really about that too—unity in diversity (or ‘Adversity in Unison’ as he calls it).

Alistair Speirs, Nyoman Darsana, Erwin Indarto and Made Wijaya
Made Wijaya and Jamie James	Made Wijaya and Alistair Speirs
Ola Waworuntu, Akhmad Yani & Yaya Waworuntu	Bulantrisna Djelantik, Surya Djelantik and Roland Lickert
Jero Asri, Made Wijaya and Tjokorda Raka Kerthyasa
Vaughan Hatch (I Wayan Pon Semara) with his wife, Putu Evie Suyadnyani	Ni Komang Arnami and Agus Setiawan, the book’s art director
Nyoman Miyoga with his wife, Ni Ketut Ariani	Jero Asri and Rachel Greaves, the book’s editor
Made Wijaya and Pierre Poretti
Rio Helmi	Ngakan Apel, Made Wijaya and I Wayan Agustino
Puspadewi, Mangku Meme and Muliati	Dewa Juana and Bebek, the book’s illustrator
Mrs. Haryati, a director of Jakarta’s famous ‘Wayang Orang Bharata’ dance troupe	Mangku Meme (star of the Stranger in Paradise since 1979)

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