Bali Joins Worldwide PechaKucha Event on February 20, 2010 to Assist Victims of Haiti Earthquake.

PechaKucha – a Japanese phrase denoting the sound of conversation; chit-chat.

Founded in 2003 by architects Mark Dytham and Astrid Klein, PechaKucha was initially conceived to provide a place and space where young designers could meet, network and show their work in public. Over time, it has evolved into a massive celebration of creativity, with events regularly being held in over 270 cities. Last year, more than 6,000 presentations were given at more than 600 PechaKucha events. [www.pecha-kucha.org]

The format of PechaKucha is simple. Be creative and do so in a presentation that can be boiled down into 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds.

Keep it light, keep it lively and keep it moving. …click here to read more

Popularity: 30% [?]

Bali by the Numbers: Through End of November 2009, Bali on Track for Final Tally of 2.2 million Visitors.

Although well into the first month of 2010, the officials count on December 2009 visitors to Bali and, by extension, the final count of foreign visitors for the year, won’t be in hand until sometime in February.

However, the tally of visitors traveling to Bali through the end of November is now in demonstrating that Bali has sailed past the 2 million visitor mark, safely on the way to the 2.2 million visitors for the entire year projected by www.balidiscovery.com.

Here’s what Bali’s arrival numbers through November have to say:

• November arrivals equaled 163,531 an increase of 15.2% over the same month in 2009 (142,014). …click here to read more

Popularity: 16% [?]

However, there was confusion yesterday about the origin of a New Year’s Eve warning to tourists on the holiday island, which was circulated by the US Embassy in Bali.

It quoted the Governor of Bali, Mangku Pastika, warning there was an indication an attack was planned for New Year’s Eve.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs also posted the warning on its SmartTraveller website, saying it was circulated by the Bali Tourism Board, and urged travellers to be alert to the statement.

However a spokesman for the Governor’s office yesterday denied Mr Pastika had made such a statement.

DFAT’s advice yesterday urged travellers to reconsider their need to travel to Indonesia, including Bali, due to the terror threat.

It said the new travel advice was not based on specific information, but reflects the “reporting of statements made by the Governor of Bali”.

Terrorists detonated bombs at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta in July last year.

Brisbane man Garth McEvoy, 54, and Perth businessman Nathan Verity, 38, died, along with senior trade official Craig Senger, 36.

Bali was the scene of devastating bombings in October 2005 and 2002 in which 92 Australians were killed.

Popularity: 6% [?]