Review of Bali 2020 & Prediction of Happier New Year for Bali in 2021

PT. Bali Affordable Lifestyles International who manage PT. Bali Luxury Villas and Best Bali Real Estate want to wish you & your loved ones an incredibly Happy New Year.

LAST DAY 2020 METAPHOR:

Last night I slept poorly because I knew that I had to rise up at 5 AM to drive to my bi-weekly tennis match that starts at 6:30 AM to avoid the harsh Bali sun.

Having been rained out two days before I was looking forward to today as it was clear and sunny at my beachfront residence.

As I drove towards Denpasar it got darker and darker. When I arrived at the courts it was pouring rain.

While driving over to my office it dawned on me that this is a metaphor for the entire 2020 for myself, my family, my company, Bali, Indonesia, and the world.

This morning was like 2020 which started out bright and then continued to worsen throughout the year with a few bright spots.

Most of us started off 2020 being positive with an economy and our businesses running at full speed.

CHINESE FLU OUTBREAK:

That all ended after I returned from a Christmas vacation Skiing in Switzerland and attended a Chinese New Year party at the end of January.


A few days before I had been reading about a flu virus that had broken out in the city of Wuhan China.
The day after the Chinese New Year we decided to go to the mall and once I saw that most of the Chinese tourists there were wearing masks it made me very wary of what was going on.

I reasoned that there may be a run on surgical masks. Our driver took us to the pharmacy where I noticed a Chinese national walking out with all the masks he could carry in his hands. Another dire talisman of what was to come. 

 
We purchased all they had left, 3 boxes at 65,000 a box. Two months later if you could buy them people were paying up to 1,000 % more.

I told my family that we were in for a serious problem after I started charting the outbreaks first in China and then throughout the world.

As I observed the exponential growth I had visions of a catastrophic worldwide pandemic that would make many of the current Hollywood movies look pale in comparison.

For a couple of months Bali thought they were immune until March when it started to affect Bali and we went into a pseudo-lockdown.


The government began to close beaches and major tourist attractions and it was obvious that we were in a long pandemic like the 1980 Spanish flu.

In June we began to hear positive news about this virus not liking high humidity and sunshine which is plentiful in Bali.

While the world was having huge growths in cases and deaths Bali was enduring very few cases and even less deaths. 

For a while we thought we were immune, and the government was talking about opening the Bali International Airport to Tourists on September 1st.

They began to open tourist attractions such as waterfalls and malls in mid-August.

Our boys who were on school vacation were becoming depressed, so we decided to take a break and drive to Lovina on the north coast where we enjoyed a home exchange and were within hours of the opening of the major waterfalls which we enjoyed all to our selves with no tourists in site. 

These famous waterfalls that I had avoided for 23 years due to the congested tourist hordes was the largest benefit for us to have some magnificent photos to reflect on in the future that will bring smiles. 

Based on that goal of the Gov.'s office for a Sept 1st opening we kept our staff on full-time and used the time to deep clean and repair everything. Most villas are now in the best condition they have been in for some time.


At one Point Housekeepers, Gardeners and even Pool men were showing their support for the owners by spending their time sanding and painting owners Villas.

Then when the government cancelled the September 1st. International Airport Opening it was obvious that we had to do something and our staff along with most staff in Bali of hotels were put on half-time.

During the third quarter of 2020 one only had to tune into CNN to see the dismal news of tens of thousands of cases and thousands of deaths occurring under the administration of Donald Trump who only cared about his public image and was afraid to tell the public the truth. 

Famous doctors like Dr. Anthony Fuci ,head of the disease control in America warned that it was going to get worse before it got better.

When talking about possible vaccines he cautiously warned that normally most vaccines can take 4 to 7 years and that they still did not have a vaccine for the common flu.

Things became worse and worse throughout the world especially in Bali where it is estimated an 83% of all incomes comes from tourism. With tourist arrivals down over 90% hotels began to fail. Popular tourist areas such as Kuta had become ghost towns.

In the last quarter of 2020, the government began to allow opening of restaurants and malls who had to follow specific protocols including handwashing and wearing a mask until you are seated. 

Once again another benefit was that we had areas such as Sanur almost all to ourselves.

Just last week they reopened Bali’s cinemas with social distanced seating. While Bali appeared to go back to some form of normality places such as Jakarta, Indonesia’s largest city continued to have exponential growth of cases and deaths. Statistics this week indicates that the hospitals, morgues, and even burial grounds have run out of capacity.

An unconfirmed comment this week printed in the newspaper states that one in every five Persons in Jakarta tested positive for the virus.

That has led to many of the upper-class Indonesians to get on a plane or in many cases hop in their car and drive to Bali and enjoy their Christmas vacation in a safer environment.

We were able even able to rent 6 to 8 villas to domestic tourists and from a few from places such as Russia.

Getting back to the metaphor just like this morning when I drove in and 10 minutes later it was raining like crazy.

The metaphor is that it is kind of like this entire year 2020. Every once in a while you have some good news and then suddenly something happens to turn it even worse than it was before.

For example, I published a blog this morning regarding total chaos at the Jakarta airports after the Indonesian government decided to enact a 4- 5-night Quarantine in Jakarta Hotels for every international person arriving in Jakarta. https://baliworldnewsviews.blogspot.com/2020/12/viral-posts-show-chaos-and-confusion-at.html

New Faster Spreading Strain of Covid-19.

The reason for this was a very valid concern as a new strain of the COVID - 19 virus has been spreading through countries such as England, United States, Canada and even Australia which appears to spread 71% faster.

The good news is that they have discovered that this variant of the disease is less deadly so hopefully they will find that they can discontinue this stringent quarantine requirements soon.

In the meantime, the government has come out and stated unequivocally that all foreigners will not be allowed to enter Indonesia beginning January 1st. until January 14th.

This does not apply to foreigners who have working or retirement visas and such as a KITAS or KITAP visa.

WHAT IS AHEAD FOR 2021:

Anyone who has been on this earth as many decades as I have has been through many economic and natural catastrophes in the past.

I have lived through three major recessions a total economic collapse close to a depression in 2009.

While living and working in Bali for the past 23 years we have endured pre-Suharto resignation riots that had most foreigners leave Bali followed by the Bali bombing which had the same effect followed by another Bali bombing.

I survived a class four cyclone on the open oceans between Australia and Indonesia which almost took my life and took my life savings along with my uninsured yacht.

Lately we have also endured the effects of horrific earthquakes on Neighbour Islands of Sulawesi and Lombok.

We even endured the adverse tourism affects of a once in a lifetime eruption of Bali’s main volcano Mount Agung

ALWAYS LOOKS THE WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER:

What I have learned through all this chaos my long life is that it always looks the worse before it gets better.

A few weeks ago, I told my family that I think the bottom of this crises has been reached and it was going to improve from there.

A short time after that two major vaccines were approved that have up to 90% effective rate and are being distributed throughout the world as we talk. 

It is estimated by the first or second quarter  that they will have a major effect slowing and inverting the curve of deaths caused by this virus throughout the world.

The top experts predict that by the summer we may have heard community which means that over 70% of the population of the world will have received vaccination or already endured COVID - 19 so that they cannot be infected again.

So, as I said to my family and my friends a few weeks ago I believe the bottom has been hit and even this recent new strain will not cause a major change in the overall direction of overcoming COVID - 19.

This up trend should begin to go exponential by the end of the first or second quarter of 2021. Just in time for high season. 

I remind everyone that after the worst crisis I have endured in 23 Years in Bali the first Bali bombing which took over 200 innocent lives and when doomsayers were predicting the end of Bali, blah, blah, blah. In two short years we were back to pre-bombing tourist arrivals and the third-year w enjoyed record tourist arrivals.

As I said earlier this year “Bali is still Paradise no act of violence, natural or manmade disaster or  Pandemic will ever change that”. 

I personally am going to start planning trips which had to be cancelled last summer to go to places such as England, Scotland, Ireland, and Canada on an around the world trip to celebrate a special birthday that I had to cancel this year.

The one philosophy that has helped me through my entire life when chaos has struck with her economically physically and emotionally is the famous scene from Napoleon Hill. 

Every adversity, every failure, and every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal greater benefit Napoleon Hill 

EQUAL OR GREATER BENEFITS DERIVED FROM PANDEMIC.

There are already some equal or greater benefits from the worse pandemic of our lifetimes.

TRUMP FIRED:

The world got rid of one of the most dangerous poor excuse for a leader, Donald Trump, because primarily of the way he mishandled Coronavirus. 

What is scary is that even with his obvious selfish handling of the crisis he still managed to gain over 45% of the electorate. 

You may say I am not American why should I care?

I will tell you what if he would have been put back in power for another four years he could have permanently damaged the world by not following any environmentally friendly protocols.

He could have destroyed America's reputation for ever. Right now, it is heavily tarnished and needs a good strong, conservative, ethical leader to bring it back. Hopefully the Bidden, Harris ticket is a solution. 

NEW TECHNOLOGY : Scientists may have discovered technology that not only can create a vaccine in record time but also a vaccine for other diseases. 

 The new technology that the laboratories throughout the world utilized to produce a COVID - 19 vaccines can also be used to solve other major illnesses such as Cancer, Diabetes, ECT. 

SLOW DOWN AND SMELL THE ROSES:

 During the past 10 months many of us throughout the world have Slowed down our hectic lives and rediscovered our families, our hobbies, sports, and recreation plus added some new talents. 

LOWER TRAVEL COSTS IN 21: 

One of the major benefits that may not be obvious to those of you who are not hotel owners such as myself is that the cost of visiting and staying in most major resorts in the world has dropped 30% to 70% and will stay that way for at least the next 6 to 9 months.

If there are places you wanted to travel to before, but the costs were too prohibitive, now is your opportunity enjoy the seed of the equal or greater benefit created from this pandemic as hotels around the world had to drop their prices by as much as 70%.

In Bali right now you can stay at a five-star hotel or our Bali Luxury Villas for as little as forty dollars a night.

Other costs such as transportation, massages, salons are all significantly lower as well. 

So, start looking at where you are going to spend your next vacation in Easter and in the summer. 

Make sure your bookings can be cancelled with a full refund and go ahead and book them now because I guarantee you they will be substantially more expensive in 3 to 6 months. 

My slogan for 2021 is “more fun in twenty-one”

“More fun in Twenty-One” 

BALI REAL ESTATE SELLING at 20%to 50% DISCOUNTS:

 One of the largest benefits of this pandemic will be for smart, prudent real estate investors who will buy properties in Bali that are currently selling for 20% to 50% off January 2020 prices.

This means when they sell the property in the future they will make 20% to 50% more when things return to normal.

This pandemic has encouraged me to come out of semi retirement and re-stoke our real estate division with a brand-new high tech website BEST BALI REAL ESTATE and a special section called BALI DISTRESSES PROPERTIES selling for 20% to 50% off January 2020 prices.

We have already sold a few of these the last couple of months and are expecting to sell a lot more in the coming months.

So, I hope that my prediction comes true and you and your loved ones will have a happier, more prosperous year while having “More fun in Twenty-One”.

Cheers, Azizah, Lawrence, and Team at

PT. Bali Affordable Lifestyles International who manage PT. Bali Luxury Villas, and Best Bali  Real Estate & Bali Luxury Retirement Villas.

Viral posts show chaos and confusion at Soekarno-Hatta Airport as new quarantine rules enforced on int’l travelers

Editor's comments: 

Sadly it appears along with the total ban on other than those that have a KITAS or KITAP visa starting Friday Jan 1st. those that are on their way to Asia and already arrived forced to spend four nights five nights at a Jakarta hotel in quarantine before being allowed to continue their voyage.

The good news is that the strain of virus that is causing all this havoc first appeared in England Canada, and Australia has not been detect in Indonesia yet.

Also good news is although  it appears although it spreads 71% faster than the previous strain it is less deadly.


By Coconuts Jakarta Dec 29, 2020 | 10:52am Jakarta time
Travelers packed the arrival hall at Soekarno-Hatta Airport’s Terminal 3 on Dec. 28, 2020. Photo: Twitter/@arisrmd

International travelers packed the Soekarno-Hatta Airport yesterday, several viral social media posts have shown, which was said to be the result of last-minute policy changes to international arrivals in Indonesia.

Yesterday, the Foreign Affairs Ministry announced a ban on all international arrivals from Jan. 1 to 14 as the government seeks to prevent an outbreak of the new strain of the coronavirus first discovered in the UK. The ministry’s new policy also required international travelers arriving between Dec. 28 and 31 to undergo a five-day quarantine period at a government-assigned accommodation.

Also Read — Indonesia to close borders to all foreign visitors from Jan 1 to 14

One photo, taken yesterday at Soekarno Hatta’s Terminal 3, has been widely shared on Twitter, showing the arrival hall packed with travelers with little to no room between bodies.

Prominent opposition lawmaker Fadli Zon was among those who reacted to the viral tweet.

“Who caused this crowding to happen to the point that health protocols were violated?” he tweeted above.

In a series of Instagram stories, a woman named Cornelia Yang, who was traveling from Singapore to Jakarta, posted photos and videos detailing her arrival at Soekarno-Hatta yesterday.

The posts allege that airport employees were woefully prepared to enforce the new quarantine rule as well as the new requirement to subject travelers to PCR tests upon arrival. Before the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s new policy came into effect, there was no need for quarantine and a negative PCR test result obtained prior to departure sufficed for entry into Indonesia.



Speaking to Coconuts, Cornelia said she booked a one-way ticket from Singapore to Jakarta as she plans to relocate to the Indonesian capital, clarifying that her trip was not for leisure.

Cornelia said she took an antigen swab test and a PCR test prior to her departure in Singapore just to be safe. However, she was not informed about policy changes in Indonesia, which were announced the evening before her flight.

“That’s why [at Soekarno Hatta] we waited in several spots for a long time while the officers [were] discussing how they will proceed,” Cornelia said, adding that the whole process from disembarking the plane to get to her quarantine hotel took around six hours, but stressed that the experience may vary for others.

Cornelia also said she learned that the government will fully subsidize the cost of the quarantine stay only for Indonesian citizens, and not for foreigners. One day into her stay, she does not know yet how much her quarantine will cost.

When asked about the viral posts, Soekarno-Hatta Airport spokesman Haerul Anwar this morning said that the airport management is working to verify the authenticity of the images.

“If [what was shown in the viral posts] were true, I will need information from the field to learn about how it was handled, so I can’t comment right now,” he told Detik.

The Soekarno-Hatta Port Health Office confirmed that authorities took international travelers to quarantine facilities yesterday. Contrary to what the viral photos may suggest, the office said only 200 travelers were placed in quarantine then.

This was not the only occasion this month in which Soekarno-Hatta was packed with travelers amid last-minute regulatory changes. Prior to Christmas, the government enforced a new COVID-19 test requirement for domestic flights, which created long lines for testing booths at the airport with travelers alleging that staff were woefully prepared for the huge turnout.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include statements from Cornelia Yang and the Port Health Office.

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Indonesia to deny all foreigners except Kitap & Kitas Holders entry amid fears over new COVID-19 strain

 

Editor's comments:

Sadly Bali and Indonesia received the news last night that the national government has decided to close the borders to all foreign tourists effective the first two weeks of January 2021.

This to avoid a serious new strain of Covid 19 that is causing havoc in many places in the world including England, United States, Canada etc..

The government decree Issued late on Monday, December 28 is shown below.

In Paragraph G of The Protocol Item E Number ii itclearly states. Pemegang kartu izin tinggal (Kitas) dan kartu izin tinggal tetap ( KITAP
Which Google translates into “Holder of residence permit card (Thursday) and permanent residence permit card ( KITAP)”

Kitap & Kitas Holders May Enter Indonesia.

Foreigners who have working Visas, retirement Visas and permanent residency that hold KITAP and KITAS Visas may enter Indonesia providing they follow the same protocol that Indonesians returning must follow.

Hopefully the new locally made COVID-19 machines will be up and running shortly allowing for foreigners and Indonesians returning to Indonesia and Bali to have a quick test and receive results in a few hours.

These are brand-new so it may not be deployed fast enough to fall within the first two week regulation.

Dian Septiari The Jakarta Post Jakarta / Mon, December 28, 2020 / 08:48 pm Travelers wearing face masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic stand at check-in desks at Terminal 2 of Heathrow Airport in west London on Dec. 21, as a string of countries around the world banned travelers arriving from the United Kingdom due to the rapid spread of a new, more-infectious
Indonesia is closing its borders to foreign travelers from all around the world for the first two weeks of 2021. 

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi announced on Monday, amid concerns over the discovery of a more infectious SARS-CoV-2 variant first detected in the United Kingdom.

Last week, scientists from the UK’s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG) discovered a new strain of the coronavirus that has been spreading rapidly in Britain, Reuters reports.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the new variant, known as the B117 lineage, may be up to 70 percent more transmissible than the original disease, although there has yet to be evidence that it causes more severe illness or higher mortality.

This new strain has since been found in a number of European nations, Canada, Japan, Australia and Singapore. ”

In response to these developments, a limited Cabinet meeting on Dec. 28 came to the decision to temporarily bar the entry of foreign nationals from all countries to Indonesia from Jan. 1 to 14, 2021,”

Retno told the press at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Monday. Exceptions for foreigners due to arrive prior to Thursday, Dec. 31 have also been put in place, based on the latest regulations set up by the national COVID-19 task force.

They must adhere to strict health protocols that include presenting negative results of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test taken at least 48 hours before departure to Indonesia, to be uploaded into the Indonesia Health Alert Card (eHAC) application.



Upon arrival, they will be required to take a reverse-transcriptase PCR test by the Indonesian authorities and be quarantined for five days at designated hotels if they test negative.

Foreign travelers must take another RT-PCR test after the quarantine period and will only be allowed to continue their journey if results come back negative.

Retno said that citizens returning from abroad would still be allowed entry but that they were expected to follow the same rigorous procedures as foreigners, although their expenses would be covered by the government.

The decision to close its borders is just the second time since the COVID-19 outbreak spread through the country, as Indonesia continues seeing a steady rise in positive cases nine months into the pandemic.

The nation has recorded more than 719,000 confirmed cases and upwards of 21,000 deaths from the disease, according to the official tally as of Monday.

The high positivity rate and a low testing capacity serve to indicate that the true scale of the crisis could be much bigger.

A more infectious strain of COVID-19 could prove catastrophic if adequate measures are not introduced. Read also:

Government prepares measures against new coronavirus variant The government had begun denying entry to foreign nationals from the UK since last week, as stipulated in an addendum to Circular No. 3/2020 on travel health protocols for the Christmas and New Year holidays during the COVID-19 pandemic.

National COVID-19 task force chief Doni Monardo previously said that up to 3,000 foreigners who entered Indonesia had tested positive for COVID-19.

Last week, Singapore became Indonesia’s closest neighbor to confirm a case of the new COVID-19 strain.

The patient is a 17-year-old Singaporean girl who had studied in the UK, The Straits Times reported.

While Singaporean authorities have assured that its measures were sufficient to control the spread of the virus, especially with the new strain still being transmitted via droplets and close contact, Indonesia’s latest policy looks likely to pause the existing travel corridor arrangement that it has with the city state.

Indonesia has a travel arrangement called the Reciprocal Green Lane with Singapore that began on Oct. 26.

The arrangement was established to facilitate urgent diplomatic missions and essential business trips.

Education and Culture Minister Nadiem Makarim was among the few Indonesian officials who traveled using this arrangement when he visited Singapore in early December.

In addition to Singapore, Indonesia has a travel corridor arrangement for essential business with the United Arab Emirates, South Korea and China.

With Monday’s travel curbs in place, Retno said that only high-level official visits may be granted exceptions. “Official visits at the ministerial level and above will be exempted from this temporary entry ban, but will be implemented with very strict health protocols,” she said.
This article was published in thejakartapost.com with the title "Indonesia to deny all foreigners entry amid fears over new COVID-19 strain - World - The Jakarta Post". Click to read: https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/12/28/indonesia-to-deny-all-foreigners-entry-amid-fears-over-new-covid-19-strain.html?utm_campaign=os&utm_source=mobile&utm_medium=android&fbclid=IwAR2-IRVnzzyIZv9wxu5IcnOOFV4M-ok9ibzTt9Ygv07A8csigiD8IWsp5HE.


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Indonesia Tightens International Entry to Prevent COVID-19 Variant

by Indonesia ExpatDecember 27, 20200551


The emergence of a new variant of the Sars-Cov2 virus in South Wales, England is expected not to worsen the development of COVID-19 handling in Indonesia.

Currently, a number of countries in Europe and Australia have reported having identified a similar virus called Sars-Cov-2-VUI2020-12 / 01.

The spokesperson for the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, Professor Wiku Adisasmito, stated that the COVID-19 Security Task Force had helped improve the regulations of travellers by implementing an addendum to circular letter No. 3 of 2020 concerning travel health protocols for people during Christmas and New Year holidays during the 2019 coronavirus pandemic.

“THIS IS PARTICULARLY INTENDED FOR TRAVELLERS ARRIVING FROM THE UK, EUROPE, AND AUSTRALIA. DUE TO THE DISCOVERY OF A NEW VARIANT, IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO OTHER COUNTRIES,” SAID WIKU.

The circular letter regulates several stages of checks for foreign and Indonesian citizens travelling from foreign countries. Foreigners from the UK cannot enter Indonesian territory for the time being, either directly or transiting beforehand in a foreign country.

Meanwhile, foreign and Indonesian citizens travelling from European countries and Australia, either on direct flights or transiting in a third country, must show a negative RT-PCR test result issued by a health facility in the country of origin that is valid a maximum of 2×24 hours before the date of departure.

For the next stage, foreigners or Indonesians who pass the initial examination must retest the first RT-PCR.

“If the result is positive, then they have to undergo further treatment. If the result is negative, then the traveller must carry out the next stage, namely isolation for five days from the date of arrival,” he explained.

For foreigners or Indonesian citizens who are negative for COVID-19 and have undergone isolation for five days, an RT-PCR re-test will be carried out as the second stage. The consideration of this retest is the median incubation time of the COVID-19 virus, which is five days. If the second test result is negative, the traveller will be allowed to enter Indonesia.

However, if the second test result returns a positive, then further treatment will be required. In terms of costs, Wiku said that Indonesian citizens will be compensated by the government, whereas foreigners will have to pay independently.

“In principle, this regulation is formed to limit mobility, which can increase the chance of transmission as well as be responsive to the phenomenon of virus mutations in several countries in the world,” explained Wiku.

In addition, the Indonesian government is also committed to surveillance of genetic changes in the new variant of the Sars-Cov2 virus and its national and global distribution. The government says it is making every effort to prevent the entry of new variants of the virus to protect the safety and health of the country from the emergence of imported cases.
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FeaturedNews
Visually Impaired Christians Form Virtual Choir Celebrating Christmas
by Indonesia ExpatDecember 26, 20200195


The Jakarta Association of Indonesian Visually Impaired Christians and the Ecclesiastical Choir Party Organisation has created virtual choirs.

The choir combines 35 voices recorded at different places to form a single choir. The plan for this virtual choir video will be broadcasted on the official website of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government.


“THE SONG SUNG IS RING THE CHRISTMAS BELL WHICH IS TRANSLATED INTO INDONESIAN AS THE CHRISTMAS BELL HAS BEEN RUNG,” SAID CHAIRMAN OF THE FOUR INDONESIAN CHRISTIAN BLIND ASSOCIATION, MAHRETA MAHA.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made this year’s celebration and choir recording different from previous years. All services for the Blind Christian Association took place virtually, including the making of this choir video.

The audio-video editor of the 2020 Christmas choir, Aris Yohanes said that one of the challenges was to unify the voices and adjust the tone according to the proportions of each visually impaired person.


This adjustment of voice and tone was challenging because they had to record their own voice and sing without the direction of the conductor. “They are not used to using music sheets, so sometimes someone needs to stop to take a breath and their voice is cut off,” said Aris.

Another challenge is that the types of cell phones used for recording have different technological specifications. As a result, the resulting sound product is different.

Aris added that sound adjustments were needed in the editing process, including when outside sounds or recorded noise had to be muted or removed.

The treasurer at the Regional Executive Board of the Indonesian Visually Impaired Christian Association and Chair V of Research and Development for the Central Executive Board of the Indonesian Christian Blind Association used the program Gold Wave for editing.

This sound editing application, according to him, is the most accessible and easy to use for blind people. Apart from Aris, Cinthia Montolalu, Chair I of the Central Executive Board of the Indonesian Visually Impaired Christian Association, also got the task of making the 2020 Christmas choir video.

Cinthia, who is also visually impaired, made a video. “I was in charge of editing the videos that have been collected and later put together with the audio that has been edited by Aris,” said Cinthia.

Visually impaired Christians still have fun celebrating Christmas virtually from home. They are still enthusiastic and creative in working as a form of worship to God.




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Locally made COVID-19 detector approved by Indonesia's Health Ministry "97 percent accurate"

 Editor's Comments:

Great news this morning from Indonesia's Health Ministry regarding a machine that is 97% accurate in determining whether a person has COVID – 19 simply from their breath.

Congratulations to  Gadjah Mada University (UGM) and the team of Indonesian scientists and team head Kuwat Triyatno, government officials and Investors that developed this machine in such a short time.

When this machine sees mass distribution it will cut the time down from days to hours for those seeking to know whether they have Covid – 19.

It will help prevent people from getting on airplanes and distributing the disease further.

It will certainly help in tourism as once these machines are distributed to airports throughout the world, especially in Asia, this last minute test will make it easier for people to travel .

________________________

News Desk The Jakarta Post Jakarta / Sun, December 27, 2020 / 07:11 pm 

GeNose, a COVID-19 detector developed by a Gadjah Mada University (UGM) research team. (Kompas.com/Yustinus Wijaya Kusuma)  

The Health Ministry has approved a locally made COVID-19 detector called GeNose for distribution. 

The device was developed by Gadjah Mada University (UGM) and was funded by the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) and the Research and Technology Ministry’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). 

GeNose research team head Kuwat Triyatno said the device was approved for distribution on Thursday. “Alhamdulillah [thank God], with support from various parties, GeNose has received approval for distribution, which is a recognition by the regulator, the Health Ministry,” Kuwat said in a statement on Saturday, as quoted by kompas.id. 

The COVID-19 detector was developed several months ago. 

GeNose detects possible COVID-19 infections through human breath. The machine, which uses artificial intelligence, produces results within a few minutes. 

Kuwat said that having received the ministry’s approval, his team would immediately distribute the first 100 GeNose machines, the first batch of a larger production effort funded by BIN and BRIN. 

The 100 machines are set to be distributed to hospitals, airports and train stations, among other places. Read also: Govt, UGM to distribute 11,000 free local test kits to clamp down on COVID-19. 

The research team also plans to distribute some of the machines to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB). 

GeNose is not yet available for personal purchase. Kuwat said he hoped the machine would help the government address COVID-19, especially as it only took three minutes, including taking the breath sample, to get a result. “Having the 100 units, we’re hoping to conduct 120 tests per unit, which equals 12,000 people being tested in one day. “The estimated 120 tests per unit is based on an average of three minutes in process for each test, including taking the breath sample. 

Therefore, in one hour, we hope we can test 20 people, and if it is used effectively, each kit can be utilized up to six hours per day,” said Kuwat. Prior to receiving the ministry’s approval, GeNose had undergone a test that used 600 samples from the Yogyakarta Police’s Bhayangkara Hospital and a COVID-19 emergency hospital in Bambanglipuro, Yogyakarta, kompas.com reported on Saturday. 

The test found that the device was 97 percent accurate. A GeNose machine is expected to be priced at Rp 40 million. A test will likely cost Rp 25,000 per person. (nkn) Editor’s note: 

This article is part of a public campaign by the COVID-19 task force to raise people’s awareness about the pandemic.

This article was published in thejakartapost.com with the title "Locally made COVID-19 detector approved by Health Ministry - National - The Jakarta Post". Click to read: https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/12/27/locally-made-covid-19-detector-approved-by-health-ministry.html?utm_campaign=os&utm_source=mobile&utm_medium=android.


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A Bali Christmas like no other.

I am sure I share this thought with most people around the world, that this Christmas has been the most unusual of their entire lifetime.

With cases and deaths of Covid -19 patients hitting new highs every day around the world the professionals advise simply having  a low-key Christmas with your immediate family which is exactly what we did.

Normally we would go on a Christmas vacation someplace like Switzerland as we did last year.

Having our two boys at home following months of online schooling added a new challenge to a already nerve racking Christmas this year.

My lovely wife Azizah offered to bring a turkey from our home  to the home of the mother of the father of our two boys and their uncles.

This presented a special challenge especially when I started looking for turkeys several months before. 

I was concerned that with the pandemic most food supplies will probably feel reluctant to bring in a large supply of turkeys especially with tourists being down 70%.

I managed to locate a few thanks to the staff of Cafe Smorgas in Sanur  who refered me to Lotus foods several months ago. 

I found  space for them in our two freezers. 

Unfortunately the largest I could buy at the time was only 5 kg. just barely enough to feed five or six people, or two of me.

The other problem I faced was since our destination for Christmas day was a full two hours away and I had t figure out how to cook a turkey and serve it warm since they did not have a large oven.

All problems are solved with time money or combination of both and after lots of time debating issues I decided to have one turkey with our immediate family at our home on Christmas Eve.

We were definitely practising social distancing.

Then I got a call from my oldest friend David Howell who has been living in Bali almost as many years as I have and I invited him over as well.

As we talked in the Bale with pre-dinner drinks he advised me that he just discovered that one of his ancestors actually came over on the Mayflower from England to Portsmouth with  the famous Pilgrims which eventually led to the yearly celebration of Thanksgiving.

After spending the afternoon preparing Grandma's Turkey stuffing which included bread, sage, thyme, rosemary, salary, eggs, and chicken broth with my own personal addition of walnuts I placed the turkey in the oven and was happy to see that it had the famous pop-up timer to tell me when it was ready.

Several hours later as I watched and basted constantly it was ready and looked beautiful.

 The timer had popped and so I naturally assumed that it was cooked perfectly but when I started to crave it I realized it was a  little drier than expected.

But but still not bad for the second turkey I ever cooked in  my long lifetime.

Nobody complained.

Later our boys, Azizah and I enjoyed opening the limited presents we had this year.

A highlight of the day for me was when my 16-year-old came and gave me `an unusual long hug and thanked me for being his dad.

As a stepfather I always wonder how good a job am I doing. 

This was the best reward and Christmas present of my lifetime.

Young Darius also gave me a great hug.

After a final hug from Azizah it was time to hit the sack and rest for another day of cooking, travelling and partying

The next morning I got up early and put the second turkey in the oven. This time watching it closely and not relying on the timer.

Lo and behold I pulled it out at the perfect time with the juices flowing and frankly couldn't wait to cut into it later that day.

Then we headed up the coast to the home where the boys grew up with her mom which is more like a castle owned by the famous jewellery designer Shankari  who is mother to the boy's father.

This building is located on gorgeous Balian River.

 It is very unique. She now labels it as an artists retreat.

Soon after arrival we are advised where we could stay the night in the second home that she built recently on the same property. It is actually still in construction but several bedrooms were prepared for us

Later it was time to serve the second turkey which was devoured quickly.

Then it was time for presents.

Shown here is Shankari with her daughter-in-law Azizah.

Also joining them was a lovely young lady Mira who is from a very successful Bali family who own the Kopi Bali Brand.

Shown here is our 16-year-old son Xander and his uncle Ahkasha Ashton

It wasn't long before everybody got in the photo including grandchildren of Shankari and her other son Jaya. Two other sons Omar and Kainan who lives in Australia were unable to join us.

Shankari's son Jaya is shown here with his two boys Jaida and Keido.

Our two sons from far right Xander and middle Darius with uncle Ahkasa.

Mira and Ahkasha try on their presents and matching Masks

After dinner we decided to go down the famous Balian beach and have a quick swim in a local hotel swimming pool while watching the sunset.

Azizah posing at Balian beach

Although it was a rainy day just before sunset the sun managed to peek out between the horizon and cloud to give us a final mental snapshot.

We spent the night in a building built by Shankari recently on her property which is a piece of art in itself.

Local hardwoods and hand laid mosaic floors make for a unique building by the river.

The view in the morning was stunning of the Balian River and the ocean that runs between Bali and Java.

It was time for a few early morning poses by Azizah

The beautiful mosaic floors are hand laid by Shankari and a multitude of foreigners who stay for work program.

Then it was time for a final goodbye to Shankari as we had to drive the two hours which actually took only 1 1/2 to our home in Southern Bali

Even a new kitten came out to bid us farewell.

Three of Bali's Beauties Mira, Aziah and Mia

Even the driveway to Shankari's residence, as we departed, is a magnificent piece of art.

During the drive home Azizah and I  felt a little alone as the boys decided to stay another night with their former Nanny.

After we arrived home I went  and played a couple of hours of tennis with our Sanur Tennis group.

As I showered later Azizah took a few selfies in the president seat.

We decided to treat ourselves to a date night at the beautiful Fairmont Hotel where we enjoyed a delicious Caesar salad and a Beef Rendang to die for.

That was followed by mandatory photo ops on Boxing Day.

When it was all over after cooking two turkeys and having two turkey dinners, tennis, swimming travelling etc. etc. etc. I felt like Santa Claus in this picture below.

Today I feel like the song "today I'm not anything, nothing at all Except this lengthy blog which I will understand if you don't bother reading it all.

I posted so I have vivid memory of a very interesting Bali Christmas which was like No other in my life.

I'm hoping that all of you managed to enjoy some Christmas Joy.

Remember Christmas is not all about travelling presents, and parties.

It  is about sharing what ever you have with the ones that are closest to you.

Happy Holidays.