Why is the Nusa Dua Festival a fizzle rather than a sizzle?-part I
The Nusa Dua Festival is an annual event that has been around since 1997, featuring traditional Balinese arts and culture as well as modern interests. A recent Jakarta Post article questions why this year's event hasn't drawn the interest the organizers would have liked. Living here in Seminyak I knew the Festival was approaching, but didn't make it down there. I have seen very little media coverage and no one I've talked to have mentioned it. I'm sure 99% of the tourists in Kuta have no idea it's even on right now.
Another well known annual event, The Kuta Karnival does significantly better, but for me still misses the target overall. Both events are too long in my opinion and neither is advertised enough. I know a lot of people work hard on the Kuta Karnival and that some of the organizers think it's fantastic with events galore etc. For me surfing and football contests on Kuta Beach and are not that exciting, I can see the same people doing the same thing 365 days a year.
By Nick | Permalink
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Comments
Godinho,
If I am not mistaken, you are living in Portugal, right? Do you visit Bali often? Well, next time you are in indo, you may want to visit those islands east of Bali like Flores, and Timor (East and West). I heard that there many Portuguese descendants living in those islands. Some may still speak the language. There must be many beautiful, unspoiled beaches.
Actually Tom, East Timor (or Timor Lorosae) was a Portuguese colony until 1975, when following the April 74 revolution, all former colonies were liberated. Unfortunately, they only got a few weeks of freedom, because Indonesia invaded the territory.
In the 1980’s there was a bit of international coverage after a few Australian journalists where murdered by militaries who then failed to cover the all thing, but finally I think it was the massacre in the cemetery of “Santa Cruz” that woke the world for the dispute. Portugal was very annoying for Indonesia during this all process, always trying to bring the subject up in the UN and passing votes against the occupation. Internationally this was still considered Portuguese territory and only Australia and 4 other countries recognized East Timor as a part of Indonesia.
Flores, I doubt anyone can speak Portuguese in there, we discovered the island and stayed there for 200 years, but our presence was more of a dozen guys with a flag claiming a territory and building churches. As for East Timor, Portuguese is the official language, but only the oldest can speak it because of the occupation. The governments of Timor and Portugal have a protocol that drives each year many teachers from back here to teach there (the kids and future teachers), so the future looks promising.
I have never been to Timor, but hope one day to get there, all the people I know that have been there tell me its paradise. If you’re ever in the neighbourhood go there, Dili is a wonderful capital for what I hear and the natural beauty rules all over the island!
If I remember well Nusa Dua, it must all be fake! Hehehe
By the way Nick, how is Bali tournament going?! I know Davenport is in the next round, but is there many people watching the matches, or is it a bit like Nusa Dua festival?
And I only hear it about the girls back here, cause the guys all seem to be in Beijing, isn’t there any known player in the tournament?!