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Dear Readers,
It has been a while, but from now on I hope to keep you updated
again weekly. If you have sent me an email recently, but you did
not get a reply, please send it again. Bart
BuGils Group to sponsor
international cycling team!
Again this year the Tour de Indonesia will be held, for the
third year on row and every year it gets bigger an more popular.
20 Team of 5 riders will compete over a 9 day 1400 km route from
Jakarta to Bali, from August 27 till September 4. It's grown to
one of the famous Cycling Races in Asia for its heat, mountains
and length.
This year we are proud to announce that we will have our own
BuGils Cycling Team:
5 (semi) professional riders from Denmark and Holland will come
down and join in the race as the BuGils Cycling Team. Bar
manager/writer Bartele will follow the tour caravan as assistant
tour leader and bring you a daily article about his experiences
during this tour. More info on the BuGils Group (BuGils, Cazbar
and Eastern Promise) and the Tour d'Indonesia in the next
newsletter!
 Indonesia
hardliners mobilise 'jihad' fighters
About 30 black-clad members of the Indonesian Mujahedin Council (MMI),
which is led by a radical cleric who was convicted over the 2002
Bali bombing, jogged in formation as members opened registration
for more volunteers. MMI spokesman Fauzan Al Anshori said that the
volunteers faced
financial constraints in travelling
abroad, with each needing some 15 million rupiah to go. (Yahoo)
Indonesia says no cease-fire, no troops (UPI)
Annual haze from Indonesia to last a decade
- (DPA)
The annual haze originating from land-clearing fires in Indonesia
is likely to blanket South-East Asia for the next decade,
officials said in a published report Monday.
Sulawesi trio to face firing squad
Three Christian men found guilty of inciting a bloody outbreak of
fighting with Muslims in eastern Indonesia in 2000 are
to be executed on Saturday, prosecutors have told the men's
family. (CNN)
Bar owners in Jakarta battle
in one month non-alcohol contest
 'Its
not that we have an alcohol problem that we do this, as bar owners
we have actually an luxury problem.' says one of the three bar
owners. Fred, Bart and Sake are from Aphrodite, BuGils and Everest
respectively. They all have different goals. For one it is to
proof that he is not an alcoholic, for another it is to loose
weight and for the third it is to sharpen up while being busy in
new businesses. 'I did this contest before', says a somber looking
Bartele. 'But at that time I made a mistake as I did this contest
with my best
 customers!
I lost a lot of revenue in that period.' After 7 days of no
alcohol its taking its toll. 'They are all
in a bad mood', says one frequent visitor to all three bars. 'They
don't give away free rounds anymore', says another. The bar owners
have mixed feelings. 'I wake up sober every morning and I
realise now that a day is actually very long...', says Fred. Sake
has other experiences. 'After one week, my staff still doesn't
believe I am
serious about this. They still put whiskey in front of me every
night...'. Rene Baas, a well known figure in the Jakarta
Nightlife, is also participating. 'Just to be sure we have
looser', explained Fred.
Everyone who will catch one the above persons drinking, will be
awarded with a whole night of free drinks and food in bar of the
person cheating. Rene Baas, who is a contractor, will built you a
house for free when caught. (BuGils Daily)
FROM
THE EDITOR:
If I ever run out of characters for a future book, I will move to
Bali. During my last trip there, I realised there is a whole
'other' world of Bule Gila's over there. Weird characters
and different from the ones in Jakarta, but nevertheless just as
colorful.
'Hi, Bartel! It's me! Look at me! Yes, it is you! My god, you
haven't changed a bit!' It was the first person that came up
to me through the slowly growing crowd at this villa party,
somewhere in Oberoi, Bali. From the moment I stepped through the
garden entrance I knew this was not my scene. But a good friend
brought me along and here I was, between expats, but so different
from the ones I was used to. Most of the guests looked like they
were flying, wearing long shawls, flowerily blouses and most of
the men and women had long hair. They smelled funny.
The man who recognized me was in his late 30s, his heavily gelled
black hair combed backwards, expensive sunglasses on top of his
head prevented his shiny hair from fallen down. He hugged me,
again repeating how happy he was to see me. I had no clue who the
man was. He looked to me like a newly promoted drugs baron from
Miami Vice. Now he grabbed my shoulders and took a good look
at me. 'I heard you are doing well in Jakarta. Fantastic!'
He waited for a reaction that didn't come and then he shook his
head as if he was really, really happy for me and hugged me
again. 'Let me get you a bottle of the best wine in house. I have
it hidden from the rest. Wait...' He disappeared and I turned to
my friend, who lives in Bali. 'That's Jack.', he said. 'Jack met
you once in BuGils, but you probably forgot.' I looked again at
Jack who was now busy explaining the local kitchen staff how they
should open a bottle. Now I suddenly remembered Jack. Not too long
ago I had indeed met him in BuGils. When I had asked him in what
kind of business he was, he answered that he had no business. He
didn't do anything and he was not planning to do so anytime soon.
He had only one goal in life which was to never work. He hated
work, he said.
Jack enthusiastically welcomed people he passed while coming into
my direction with the expensive wine in his hand. Left and right
he greeted people as if it was his own party, which it wasn't.
'Hi man! Good to see you! Hi, you are looking good! Fantastic!'
I figured he was on track with his goal to never work. He pushed
the red wine in my hand. 'Let's cheers!' shouted Jack. 'And
meet the woman I love and married!' He pulled a lady from the
crowd. Her long grey hair was swirling over her shoulders. Her
face was grooved and her eyes tired, but it still showed a beauty
that probably had been more intense some 50 years earlier. 'I won
the lottery. The English lottery.. Jackpot', he quickly
whispered in my ear before introducing me to his wife, who I
estimated to be at least 25 years older then Jack himself. 'My
dear, this is the guy I told you about! The book? The bars in
Jakarta? THIS is the man!' She looked at me for less then a
second, nodded unimpressed and after a 'oh, ok...', turned
around again to rest of the mostly pink and yellow colored crowd.
Jack had reached his goal. Maybe she was over 60, but she was rich
and as long as he would be with her, he never needed to work
again. 'Congratulations', I told him. It was the first word
I said to him. With a relieved, sincere and -from the bottom of
his heart- 'thank you', he lifted his glass and looked me
proud in the eyes. 'Thank you...'. he repeated and turned
around, back into to the life he enjoyed. He greeted a gay guy in
total white with a pink belt with a long 'hiiiii...! How are
youuuu!' and then turned around again to three surprised
Indians that he hugged and grabbed by the shoulders.
Colorful. And although a lazy bastard he had reached his goal on
how he taught he had to enjoy his live. I tried to imagine my
father as a visitor to this party. A man who has milked cows at 5
in the morning, day in day out, never missing a day. How would my
old man fit in here? A grooved face with big hands, probably
still with the cow dirt on it at the moment he will arrive. How
would he look at these people? He wouldn't say much. He would
shake hands with the Jesus look-a-like and ask him
straight-faced how a Jesus possibly can make money in a Muslim
land. As a real Dutch open minded citizen, he would give the gay
guy a 'light' hand shake and tell him Bart has a nephew that is
gay as well and ask him if the white shirt doesn't get dirty too
easily. I wonder what he would say to the Japanese property sales
woman, who does not eat xtc, but puts it 'up from her behind',
to get the maximum effect and less damage for her stomach. He will
probably tell her that he does something similar with cows back
home, but that insemination has a different purpose and it goes
much deeper. He would shake hands with the man who never wants to
work. For this man my fathers' handshake would be firm. Firm and
long, so firm, that the person would beg him to
release his grip. He would then turn to me and say: 'he doesn't
need his hands anyway, so who cares'. After a few expensive red
wines, he might actually enjoy a Bali villa party. Imagine the
stories he could tell in our local village pub in Friesland once
he returns.
But soon after leaving the party, he would ask me to borrow my
mobile to call the farm. 'Has Eelkje 31 recovered? Don't forget
to feed Aaltje 48 a bit extra'. I realise, while dreaming away
on this, that I do the same while I am away from the job. 'How is
the new waitress doing? Warn her for the guy who is always chasing
new waitresses. How are Riza and Yenita? They should
stick to the cheap catering food and not eat from the menu, the
are getting too fat.'
There is not much difference between running a farm and running a
bar. Milk and alcohol are both healthy. Cows smell funny. Bali
expats smell funny. Cheeses and wine both have good years. Maybe I
have followed in my fathers footsteps after all.... --
Bartele
If you don't have any plans yet this weekend, I can recommend the
live music nights in BuGils. A guaranteed night of fun. Also, try
out the breakfast that we serve in Cazbar the whole week through
from 7am onwards. And Eastern Promise? It's back on the map.
BUGILS CAFE
- (Senayan):
Fri 11 Aug BEATLES NIGHT (with the rumor that INXS is coming down)
Sat 12 Aug ROLLING STONES & THE MEGAWATTS
Every Tuesday LADIES NIGHT
CAZBAR - (Mega
Kuningan):
Sun 13 Aug 17.00 - 19.00 - WINE & CIGAR TASTING
Call Leanne for more info at 081808710024
EASTERN PROMISE -
(Kemang):
Every Sat and Sun ROAST LUNCH & DINNNER
For more info email jasper@bugils.com
 Elsewhere
in Asia:
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - An 88-year-old Indian farmer became the
father of a baby boy and has sex daily and
wants more kids, The Times of
India reported Tuesday. He has been drinking fresh camel milk
since childhood. The BuGils Group is now planning to sell camel
milk commercially through its bar chain in Jakarta. (Yahoo)
You know anybody who needs an "anti-stupid" pill?
A German scientist has been testing an "anti-stupidity"
pill with encouraging results on mice and fruit flies, Bild
newspaper reported Saturday.
British golfer's double hole in one
(AFP) - A British golfer told how he celebrated after hitting a
hole in one -- then was left "bewildered and stunned" when he did
it again at the same hole the following day.
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