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Cruise rings in New Year at top of box office Posted: 02 Jan 2012 07:31 AM PST Tom Cruise attending the 'Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol' US premiere. – AFP/Getty Images LOS ANGELES, Jan 2 – Tom Cruise's "Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol" topped the North American box office for a second straight weekend, ringing in the New Year with US$30 million (RM95.10 million) in ticket sales, industry estimates showed Sunday. The action film, the fourth in the series, thus far has taken in US$133 million, according to Exhibitor Relations. In second place was "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows," a sequel to the 2009 film about the detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It took in US$22.1 million in the third week since its release. In third place with US$18.3 million was "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked," the third animated film about the adorable singing critters. Fourth place went to Steven Spielberg's "War Horse," about the bond between a boy and his horse during World War I, which was expected to reap in US$16.9 million. "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" – the Hollywood adaptation of the wildly popular Stieg Larsson novel, starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara – took in US$16.3 million for fifth place. Family film "We Bought A Zoo" starring Matt Damon finished in sixth place, taking in US$14.3 million. Another Spielberg film, "The Adventures of Tintin," about an intrepid Belgian boy reporter, was seventh with US$12 million. Star-studded holiday romance "New Year's Eve" earned US$6.7 million for eighth place, while thriller "The Darkest Hour" took ninth place with US$4.3 million. Rounding out the top 10 was "The Descendants" starring George Clooney, which grossed US$3.7 million. Final figures were due out tomorrow, after the four-day New Year's holiday weekend. – AFP Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Placido Domingo sings in ‘Enchanted Island’ in NY Posted: 02 Jan 2012 03:58 AM PST NEW YORK, Jan 2 – Famous Spanish tenor Placido Domingo debuted late Saturday in a new opera, "The Enchanted Island," that premiered at the Metropolitan Opera theatre here on New Year's Eve. The 70-year-old singer (picture), who performed the role of King Neptune, was warmly welcomed by the audience as he appeared at the end of the first act. "The Enchanted Island," directed by Jeremy Sams of Britain, is one of the main productions of the famed opera house for its 2011-2012 season. Sams said he created the role of Neptune specifically for Domingo after Peter Gelb, director general of the Metropolitan Opera, had invited the tenor to perform. "Peter invited him to join the production and asked if I could create a role for him," Sams wrote on the theatre's website. "Could I? Thus the role of Neptune was born. And very handy he proved for plot purposes." This year, Domingo also plans to perform in Los Angeles, Madrid, Berlin, Zurich and Santiago de Chile among other cities. – AFP Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Safwan akan ambil tindakan mahkamah insiden di UPSI Posted: 01 Jan 2012 11:36 PM PST KUALA LUMPUR, 2 Jan — Mohd Safwan Anang, mahasiswa yang mendakwa dibelasah teruk oleh anggota polis ketika insiden demonstrasi di Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) hari ini mengeluarkan kenyataan akan mengambil tindakan undang-undang terhadap pihak berkuasa atas kecederaan yang dialaminya. Peguam kepada Pengerusi Gerakan Menuntut Kebebasan Akademik (Bebas) ini, Mohd Khairuddin Othman mendakwa pihaknya akan mengambil tindakan mahkamah terhadap pihak berkuasa berkenaan dalam masa terdekat. "Safwan mendakwa dia dipukul menggunakan lutut oleh anggota polis terbabit sehingga pecah bibir, sakit dada, dan keadaannya sekarang stabil dan dia sudah sedarkan diri. "Sehubungan itu, keluarganya akan mengambil tindakan mahkamah terhadap pihak polis dalam masa terdekat, dan antara defendan adalah Ketua Polis Negara, Ketua Polis Perak, dan anggota polis yang terlibat dalam kejadian awal pagi tahun baru itu," katanya ketika dihubungi The Malaysian Insider. Menurut Khairuddin, keluarga Safwan akan membuat pemeriksaan kesihatan lanjutan berikutan pihaknya kini masih lagi belum memperoleh sebarang laporan kesihatan daripada Hospital Hospital Slim River. Laporan The Malaysian Insider semalam menyatakan bahawa polis telah menafikan dakwaan mereka memukul beberapa aktivis mahasiswa semasa menghuraikan demonstrasi aman di UPSI dan menegaskan "tiada pergelutan" berlaku apabila tangkapan dibuat. Timbalan Ketua Polis Perak Datuk Mohd Shukri Dahlan sementara itu berkata "tindakan perlu" diambil demi keselamatan awam dan salah seorang mahasiswa "tercedera sendiri". "Kumpulan mahasiswa tidak mendengar arahan polis supaya bersurai dan kami terpaksa bertindak dengan menangkap mereka. Menurut Khairuddin lagi, seorang pegawai penyiasat pihak polis hari ini ada berjumpa Safwan dan mengambil keterangannya. "Keadaan Safwan masih lemah, dan sementara ini kami  akan kumpulkan bukti, apabila Safwan sudah pulih sepenuhnya, kami akan membawa kes ini ke mahkamah," katanya lagi. Awal pagi tahun baru lalu, sekumpulan 60 mahasiswa telah mengadakan demonstrasi aman di perkarangan pintu masuk UPSI dan mendakwa telah berlaku pergelutan dengan pihak polis. Ketika insiden tersebut, seramai 17 antara mahasiswa terbabit telah ditahan polis Tanjung Malim, dan kemudiannya dibebaskan. Sementara itu, PKR dan DAP terus mengkritik tindakan polis terhadap mahasiswa, semasa demonstrasi aman untuk memberikan sokongan kepada aktivis mahasiswa dan menuntut kebebasan akademik di UPSI, Tanjung Malim selepas tengah malam kelmarin. Parti pembangkang mendakwa polis termasuk dua anggota dari Unit Cawangan Khas menggunakan tindakan kasar terhadap mahasiwa yang didakwa mereka seramai 100 orang berbanding 60 orang yang dikatakan peguam hak asasi Fadiah Najwa Fikri apabila kumpulan itu enggan bersurai. Ketika kejadian berkenaan,  Safwan  dikatakan dipukul, ditumbuk dan ditendang sehingga tidak sedarkan diri. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Saifuddin: Hati-hati semasa bercakap, bawa bukti kekasaran polis ke depan Posted: 01 Jan 2012 07:44 PM PST KUALA LUMPUR, 2 Jan — Timbalan Menteri Pengajian Tinggi Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah menggesa semua pihak termasuk aktivis mahasiswa agar tidak mengeluarkan kenyataan yang boleh menimbulkan fitnah dalam insiden yang berlaku di Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) awal pagi semalam. Dalam satu kenyataan kepada The Malaysian Insider, Saifuddin berkata terdapat banyak kenyataan yang telah dikeluarkan melalui pelbagai medium kurang tepat. Kata beliau, sepatutnya mana-mana pihak yang mahu bersuara perlu berhati-hati kerana dikhuatiri boleh mendatangkan fitnah. "Saya meneliti pelbagai kenyataan oleh pelbagai pihak di pelbagai medium. Saya dapati terdapat kenyataan atau istilah tertentu yang digunakan adalah tidak tepat dan tidak sesuai. "Saya seru semua pihak agar lebih berhati-hati mengeluarkan kenyataan kerana saya bimbang berlaku fitnah daripada insiden ini," kata Saifuddin merujuk insiden tindakan polis terhadap demonstrasi menuntut kebebasan akademik oleh aktivis mahasiswa di UPSI. Kumpulan mahasiswa yang terlibat mendakwa polis bertindak kasar semasa menghuraikan demonstrasi dengan memukul dan menahan mereka berikutan ingkar dengan arahan bersurai oleh polis. Namun  polis menafikan bertindak kasar terhadap aktivis mahasiswa itu yang mengadakan demonstrasi aman di UPSI. Seramai 17 aktivis mahasiswa telah ditahan dalam kejadian pada pukul 2.30 pagi dan kesemua mereka dibawa ke balai polis Tanjung Malim. Kesemua mahasiswa yang ditahan telah dibebaskan semalam. Seorang mahasiswa, Muhammad Safwan Anang,  Presiden Presiden Gerakan Menuntut Kebebasan Akademik (Bebas)  dikatakan dipukul, ditumbuk dan ditendang sehingga tidak sedarkan diri. Tambah Saifuddin, sekiranya ada pihak yang tidak berpuas hati boleh membawa bukti dengan menggunakan saluran yang betul termasuk melalui Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia (Suhakam). "Mahasiswa ada hak bersuara tapi perlu dengan cara sesuai. Polis ada terjawab menjaga keamanan dengan cara tertentu. Saya yakin tiada permusuhan antara kedua-duanya. "Pihak-pihak yang tak puas hati dalam insiden ini wajar tampil dengan bukti masing-masing. Saluran menyuarakannya ada contohnya melalui Suhakam," katanya. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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2012: The Third Force Posted: 01 Jan 2012 03:54 PM PST 2 JAN — Sejak kecil, apa yang saya faham mengenai "demokrasi" adalah "pemerintahan negara oleh rakyat menerusi wakil-wakil yang dipilih oleh rakyat". Begitulah saya dididik oleh guru-guru di SRK Convent Aulong dan SM Darul Ridwan, Taiping. Malah, begitu juga definisi yang saya temui dalam Kamus Pelajar Bahasa Malaysia (1988) terbitan Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP). Dalam pada itu, amalan "demokratik" pula "menjunjung atau menyokong demokrasi atau kepentingan rakyat biasa". Namun, semua itu hanyalah definisi dalam kamus. Apa yang menjadi amalan secara konvensional nampaknya adalah sebaliknya. Sering kali, wakil yang dipilih oleh rakyat akan lupa daratan dan menganggap diri mereka lebih berkuasa dan berhak menindas rakyat yang sebenarnya memilih mereka melalui kuasa undi semasa pilihan raya. Anas Zubedy melihat 'The Third Force' sebagai 'check and balance'. Pada pendirian saya, kerajaan sepatutnya berterima kasih dan terhutang budi kepada rakyat yang memberikannya peluang mentadbir negara milik rakyat. Pandangan di atas ada saya paparkan pada ruangan status Facebook pada 19 Oktober 2011 dan mendapat reaksi positif daripada beberapa rakan yang turut prihatin terhadap amalan sebenar demokrasi. Hasil pemerhatian secara umum pun sudah memadai untuk memberikan gambaran jelas di mana kerajaan (persekutuan dan negeri) bersikap bagaikan "maharaja" yang paling berkuasa. Rakyat yang memberikan kuasa sebenar itu pula hanya diperlakukan umpama hulubalang, dayang, gundik dan hamba abdi. Si maharaja sahaja yang berkuasa penuh menentukan untung nasib hamba abdi; sementara rakyat diseru supaya terhutang budi kepada maharaja yang memikul tugas memerintah negara. Perbandingan ini mungkin dilihat sebagai keterlaluan atau simplistik, namun membantu melihat gambaran sebenar tentang apa yang berlaku di depan mata. Sekadar contoh mudah, Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-12 berlangsung pada 8 Mac 2008. Maka, mengikut Perlembagaan Persekutuan, pilihan raya umum seterusnya perlu diadakan selewat-lewatnya pada Mac 2013; kecuali jika Parlimen dibuburkan lebih awal. Namun, seawal Januari 2010, sudah muncul berita di media arus perdana di mana ahli politik ini dan ahli politik itu meminta jentera pilihan raya parti yang diwakilinya bersiap sedia menghadapi Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13! Caesar berani mengatakan 'Tidak' terhadap penindasan. Ternyata politikus seperti itu bermimpi bahawa kitaran hidup Wakil Rakyat dan Ahli Parlimen hanya untuk berkempen, memancing undi, menabur janji kosong, menang dalam pilihan raya, bercakaran seperti anjing dengan kucing, dan kemudian mula berkempen semula bagi pilihan raya umum seterusnya. "Selepas pemilihan parti selesai, parti kami kini bersiap untuk menjamin kemenangan besar dalam pilihan raya umum akan datang." Demikian kata seorang pemimpin sebuah parti politik. "Saya mahu semua ahli dan pemimpin parti bersiap sedia dan mendekati rakyat bagi memastikan kita menang besar dalam pilihan raya umum akan datang." Demikian seruan seorang lagi pemimpin lebih tinggi dalam sebuah parti politik. Semua ini berlaku walaupun belum cukup dua tahun politikus terbabit memegang jawatan yang disedekahkan oleh rakyat! Usah kita lupa (atau dipaksa lupa) pada hakikat bahawa wakil rakyat dipilih (diundi) untuk berkhidmat kepada dan untuk rakyat; bukan untuk parti politik tempat dia berselindung. Dewan Rakyat juga bukan tempat untuk mana-mana Badut Paul Lathic menunjukkan aksi sarkas. Sebaliknya tempat untuk bersuara mewakili rakyat. Suara rakyat, bukan suara parti, bukan lawak lucah, dan bukan untuk bersuara atau melompat seperti katak. Walaupun segala kejadian yang bertentangan dengan "demokrasi" dan amalan "demokratik" terus berlaku di depan mata, ramai yang memilih untuk berdiam diri. Maka, golongan politikus yang menganggap diri mereka "maharaja" semakin berkuasa manakala rakyat yang menjadi "hamba abdi" semakin kehilangan kuasa yang sepatutnya milik sah mereka. Sehingga akhirnya, rakyat bagaikan hanya perlu tahu membisu, mendengar, mengangguk dan menurut segala apa yang disuruh oleh politikus pada peringkat pusat dan/atau negeri. Keadaan ini mengingatkan saya kepada siri filem "Planet of the Apes"; khususnya watak Caesar dalam "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" (1972) di mana cimpanzi itu mengetuai gerombolan ep yang tertindas dan teraniaya, lalu bangkit menentang manusia yang menindas dan menganiaya. Filem "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" (2011) turut membawa kita memahami kuasa yang ada pada "No" iaitu apabila golongan yang tertindas berani mengatakan "Tidak" terhadap penindasan dan ketidakadilan. Hal ini membawa kepada "kuasa rakyat" atau apa yang boleh juga dinamakan "The Third Force". Dahulu, pernah juga disebut sebagai "makkal sakthi" sebelum dikaitkan dengan pertubuhan politik tertentu. Saya melihat kehadiran The Third Force sepanjang Kumpulan Sasterawan Kavyan (Kavyan) terlibat dalam kontroversi novel "Interlok Edisi Murid" mulai Januari 2011. Kavyan menerima sokongan, maklumat, maklum balas dan bantuan secara langsung dan tidak langsung daripada segenap lapisan masyarakat yang mahu melihat kontroversi itu diselesaikan secara rasional dan bukan secara emosional. Selepas Menteri Pelajaran mengumumkan keputusan memurnikan novel itu di Dewan Rakyat pada 24 Mac 2011, The Third Force menjadi pemantau bagi memastikan apa yang dijanjikan itu dilaksanakan. Saya tidak bercakap tentang penglibatan mana-mana parti politik atau mana-mana pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) yang sebenarnya bermotifkan politik. Juga bukan mengenai mana-mana persatuan dan pertubuhan yang berlindung di bawah bayangan parti politik perkauman dan politikus yang mengapi-apikan semangat rasisme. Sebaliknya saya merujuk kepada "kuasa rakyat" yang bersikap apolitikal dan bebas dalam menangani kontroversi "Interlok Edisi Murid" secara profesional, rasional dan sistematik. Kuasa rakyat atau The Third Force juga saya perhatikan sepanjang terlibat dalam isu "empat penulis teraniaya" yang dinafikan hak royalti walaupun karya mereka dijadikan teks Komsas di sekolah. Kuasa rakyat sebagai 'pemantau' dilihat dalam isu 'Interlok Edisi Murid'. Sekali lagi, pelbagai lapisan masyarakat tampil menyalurkan serta berkongsi maklumat dalam usaha memperjuangkan hak penulis terbabit. Sokongan belakang tabir turut diterima dari Putrajaya, kementerian tertentu dan lingkaran dalaman industri penerbitan kerana mereka tidak mahu "rakyat" menjadi mangsa. Walaupun masih pada skala kecil dan sederhana, saya percaya The Third Force akan semakin berkembang dan semakin tampak pada tahun 2012. Konsep The Third Force bukan sesuatu yang baru. Anas Zubedy menerusi iklan semuka di akhbar theSun (19 Disember 2011) antara lain menggelarnya sebagai "Malaysia's check and balance". Tentu sahaja konsep ini tiada hubungan dengan organisasi separa tentera di Ireland atau gabungan beberapa parti politik yang bertanding dalam pilihan raya di Myanmar pada 2010. Namun, walapun rakyat mahu bersikap apolitikal, realiti di negara ini adalah bahawa segala apa yang berlaku, pasti ada hubung kait dengan (kepentingan) parti politik dan politikus. Maka, menjelang Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13, The Third Force akan menentukan "masa depan" calon yang bertanding. Bersikap apolitikal tidak bermakna kelompok ini akan membiarkan negara diperlakukan sesuka hati dan diperkuda mana-mana politikus yang rakus. Sebagai kelompok yang penuh dengan kesedaran politik dan tahu perkembangan antarabangsa, serta tetap bersikap apolitikal dan bebas, The Third Force bakal memastikan negara tidak "jatuh" ke tangan "maharaja" yang hanya mementingkan diri dan kroni. Dalam novel "Atlas Shrugged" (1957) timbul pertanyaan berulang "Who is John Galt?" manakala di negara kita, saya percaya, ramai yang akan segera tampil menyatakan "I am The Third Force" — sekurang-kurangnya pada ruangan status di Facebook. Dalam masa terdekat, murid dan pelajar juga akan kembali mengaji dan memahami bahawa "demokrasi" adalah sesungguhnya "pemerintahan Negara oleh rakyat menerusi wakil-wakil yang dipilih oleh rakyat". Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Dari rock ke indie Posted: 01 Jan 2012 03:41 PM PST 2 JAN — Ahad lepas, 26 Disember saya berkesempatan ke Konsert Loudspeaker Y2K11 di Stadium Merdeka anjuran Red Garage Sdn Bhd, syarikat yang cukup sinonim dengan industri permotoran berkuasa tinggi, penerbitan dan juga pengurusan acara. Konsert ini menampilkan dua ikon rock generasi lama Wings dan XPDC bersama-sama dua ikon rock generasi baru, Faizal Tahir bersama The Royal FT Force dan Azlan & The Typewriter. Minggu sebelumnya pula saya terlepas hadir ke Konsert Fenomena Search di Pusat Konvensyen dan Pameran Antarabangsa Mines (MIECC), di Seri Kembangan. Konsert di Stadium Merdeka hanya mampu menarik seramai 3,000 jiwa manakala di Seri Kembangan dikhabarkan sekitar 10,000 jiwa memenuhi lokasi. Rock, Rock Kapak dan Indie Tiga aliran muzik ini secara tidak disedari telah mengiringi perjalanan hidup saya selama tiga dekad. Lagu pertama yang benar-benar memasuki jiwa adalah "Suratan Takdir" oleh Gersang pada tahun 1987 dan masih kemas di ingatan bagaimana saya menyanyikan lagu ini setiap kali pergi dan pulang dari Tabika Kemas di Pasir Gudang pada waktu itu. Eksplorasi muzik pasca-Suratan Takdir menemukan saya dengan bermacam-macam lagu dari berbagai kumpulan-kumpulan muzik lainnya. Sebut sahaja Bumiputra Rockers, Massa, Medicine, Ukays, Lefthanded, XPDC, Slam, Iklim, AXL'S, Arrow, Mega, Black Rose, May, Ekamatra, Rio, Budak Kacamata, Fotograf dan ratusan yang lain. Setiap kali ke Indonesia saya pasti akan mendengarkan lagu-lagu dari kumpulan seperti yang disebut terutama Iklim, Slam dan Ukays yang kemudiannya dilabel sebagai "rock kapak" oleh entah siapa dan secara tidak rasminya menjadi kata gelar yang sah. Lokasi-lokasi popular pendengaran di sana persis seperti di Malaysia iaitu di kota-kota kecil, warung-warung kopi, pusat karaoke dan pastinya di dalam teksi yang dipandu golongan lama. Malah boleh dianggap sahih bahawa muzik rock kapak atau lebih dikenali kebelakangan ini di Indonesia sebagai aliran muzik "Metal" alias "Melayu Total" adalah identiti muzik Malaysia pra-Siti Nurhaliza. Apa itu rock kapak? Buddhi Hekayat, seorang penulis merangkap ahli politik menulis: "Sembilan puluh sembilan peratus kapak-kapak ini akan mengetengahkan isu kegagalan bercinta. Terfokus dan obses di saat-saat genting ditinggalkan kekaseh — cinta tak sampai — walau apa pun sebabnya. Detik itulah yang dilebih-lebihkan dari mula menyanyi sampai ke hujung-hujungnya." Tulisan penuh beliau tentang rock kapak boleh dibaca di laman sesawang Jalan Telawi dengan judul "Rock Kapak Tangkap Leleh". Saya secara peribadi sangat bersetuju dengan Buddhi Hekayat di dalam tulisannya bahawa rock kapak tidak boleh disamakan dengan muzik rock yang dibawa oleh Search dan Wings, apatah lagi XPDC yang terkenal berat sebagai kumpulan metal walaupun mempunyai beberapa lagu tangkap leleh yang lebih berjiwa menurut saya. Menghampiri tahun 2000 dan setelahnya, muzik Malaysia yang sebelumnya didominasi muzik rock dan rock kapak kehilangan sengatnya dan waktu kosong inilah muzik pop segar Indonesia bermaharajalela di tanahair bermula dengan Sheila On 7 dan seterusnya yang menerbitkan rasa suka dan tidak suka di kalangan penggiat industri dan pendengar. Sebagai pendengar, saya memegang konsep muzik terkini yang menarik, berkualiti dan sedap didengar wajib dikonsumsi hatta Justin Bieber sekalipun dan muzik yang tidak terkini tetap wajib diapresiasi sewajarnya. Oleh sebab itu, ketika lambakan muzik aliran arus perdana Indonesia melanda tanahair saya tidak terkecuali dari merayakannya sehingga sering kali menghadiri konsert-konsert yang menampilkan Peterpan, Dewa, Sheila On 7, Ratu dan banyak lagi baik di tanahair atau seberang. Menurut saya, muzik Indonesia yang memasuki negara ini mudah dicerna oleh pendengar di sini yang secara umumnya juga merupakan pendengar tegar rock dan rock kapak, lebih-lebih lagi para pedagang burger yang dulu, kini dan selamanya setia mempromosikan secara percuma rock kapak kepada para pelanggan pelbagai generasi mereka. Saya merasakan sepertinya ada persefahaman di antara syarikat rakaman dan pedagang burger untuk memutarkan lagu-lagu rock kapak selama hayat masih ada. Beberapa tahun ke hadapan, muzik Malaysia sedikit demi sedikit dijajah kumpulan muzik independen yang semakin naik daun dengan genre muzik indie pop dan genre-genre lainnya yang kemudian menimbulkan kekeliruan di kalangan mereka yang terbiasa dengan muzik aliran perdana tentang istilah independen. Bermula dengan kemenangan kumpulan Estranged di Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL) 2007 dan tahun seterusnya Meet Uncle Hussein, kumpulan-kumpulan muzik independen mula diterima masyarakat luas dan kemuncak kepada hal ini adalah tersenarainya lagu-lagu mereka di pusat-pusat karaoke baik yang berkonsep jamban mahupun yang berkelas. Barang harus diingat, populariti sesuatu lagu dan kumpulan itu hanya boleh disahkan seandainya tersenarai di dalam senarai lagu pusat karaoke. Setelah menunggu agak lama, akhirnya saya berpeluang mendengar lagu-lagu 'indie' diperdengarkan di warung burger walau ruang ke udaranya masih kalah jauh berbanding lagu-lagu rock kapak. Meskipun begitu saya menganggap ianya suatu fenomena yang sihat melihatkan tahun-tahun sebelumnya mustahil mendengarkan lagu-lagu yang segar di corong warung burger dan yang saya maksudkan segar di sini bukanlah lagu-lagu dari kumpulan seperti Akta Angkasa, Space Gambus Experiment dan Furniture. Ada sisi-sisi menarik yang saya perhatikan dengan fenomena rock, rock kapak dan indie. Apa dia? Menurut pemerhatian saya fenomena rock melahirkan suatu kelompok yang berani melawan fikrah pemerintah atau lebih tepat establishment ketika itu dengan lirik-lirik tajam makna yang dibalut kemas rambut panjang, berserta baju, seluar dan perhiasan khas mereka. Barang harus diingat kebanyakan rockers ketika itu adalah berbangsa Melayu Islam Malaysia dan mereka hidup di zaman bukan media sosial, akan tetapi karakter dan pemikiran mereka melangkaui zaman Facebook dan Twitter. Penyumbang-penyumbang lirik tajam makna zaman tersebut akan terpampang megah namanya setiap kali hendak memulakan nyanyian lagu mereka di pusat karaoke, sebut sahaja JS Kevin, M. Nasir, Loloq, Nasir Jani dan ramai lagi. Rusuhan para peminat rock di Tapak Pesta Sungai Nibong, Pulau Pinang yang dijayakan oleh kumpulan seperti SYJ, Lefthanded, Bloodshed, Ella and the Boys dan Rahim Maarof & Whitesteel pada tahun 1990 menyaksikan Menteri Penerangan ketika itu, Mohamed Rahmat mengarahkan penyanyi rock memotong rambut jika hendak keluar televisyen. Antara yang menjadi mangsa ialah penyanyi Awie dan Search. Kejadian ini menandakan permulaan kepada sebuah kematian era rock yang penuh dengan kontroversi dan perlawanan dan dengan siap sedia diambil alih oleh rock kapak yang mengkedepankan cinta leleh. Zaman rock kapak bermaharajalela tidak membawa impak perubahan sosial kerana ketika itu Malaysia berada di dalam zaman sedapnya dengan kek ekonomi yang melimpah ruah dan masing-masing sibuk membesarkan kek mereka. Hanya kehadiran rock metal yang sedikit sebanyak mengimbangi kelelehan zaman itu. Ada dua konsert besar yang saya hadir pada waktu ini iaitu Konsert Grand Slam Unplugged pada 1996 dan Konsert Raksasa XPDC Brutal pada 1998 di Stadium Negara dan kedua-duanya meninggalkan memori indah, baik dari segi persembahan dan kehadiran penonton yang sukar diulang semula oleh kumpulan-kumpulan muzik independen zaman ini. "Panik" Barangkali kontroversi pengharaman lagu berjudul "Panik" nyanyian Bunkface daripada disiarkan di RTM akan menjadi tanda baru akan keseriusan muzik independen melawan establishment. Harus barang diingat bahawa erti establishment di sini tidak selalunya merujuk kepada anti-kerajaan atau lebih tepat lagi anti-Barisan Nasional atau Asalkan Bukan Umno kerana maknanya lebih luas dari soal cetek kepartian yang kadangkala menjengkelkan. Dolak dalik RTM dalam memberi alasan pengharaman sangat tipikal pemerintah kita. Memetik kata-kata Ketua Pengarah Penyiaran RTM, Datuk Norhayati Ismail: "Stesen milik kerajaan itu tidak mempunyai masalah dengan perkataan 'reformasi' yang digunakan dalam lagu lirik 'Panik' oleh kumpulan Bunkface. Sebaliknya, keprihatinan RTM adalah berhubung perkataan 'celakamu' dalam lagu yang dipetik daripada album kedua kumpulan punk rock itu." Manakala Sam selaku vokalis Bunkface pula menegaskan: "Reformasi yang saya sebutkan dalam lagu 'Panik' tidak ada kena mengena dengan Gerakan Reformasi yang dilaung-laungkan oleh Pakatan Parti Politik Pembangkang. Lirik-lirik tulisan saya adalah berdasarkan pengalaman hidup seharian yang saya lalui di mana saya mahu berkongsi dengan para peminat Bunkface. Jadi, adalah tidak adil apabila RTM dengan mudah mengharamkan sesebuah lagu seperti 'Panik'." Episod ini memperlihatkan kepada saya bahawa RTM itu takut tidak berasas, Bunkface pula tersepit di antara hairan dan takut kehilangan rezeki apabila isu ini diambil berat oleh sekelompok anggota Pakatan Rakyat dan Pakatan Rakyat pula jelas mensensasikan isu ini demi kepentingan politik kekuasaan mereka semata-mata. Kebebasan Baik rock, rock kapak atau rock metal, kesemua kumpulan muzik aliran ini dipegang kuat syarikat rakaman dan boleh dikatakan kebanyakan kumpulan yang muncul tidak bebas atau tidak independen di dalam erti kata sebenar. Kongkongan dan eksploitasi syarikat rakaman era tersebut menariknya sukar diterap ulang pada era ini berkat dampak perubahan zaman, dan alhasil ciri khas kumpulan muzik sekarang mempunyai lebih kebebasan dalam berkarya dan penentuan hala tuju perjalanan muzik mereka. Pasca Estranged memenangi AJL 2007 menurut saya boleh dibilang secara rasmi sebagai zaman independen dan kemunculan zaman ini ini boleh kita banggakan melihatkan beberapa pengkarya independen berjaya menapak di luar seperti Bunkface di Indonesia, Pop Shuvit di Jepun, Yuna dan Zee Avi di Amerika Syarikat. Soalannya sekarang adakah pengkarya independen ini boleh menjadi lebih baik dan bertahan lama seperti senior mereka iaitu Search dan Wings mahupun XPDC? adakah lagu mereka yang bebas campur tangan itu akan menjadi siulan anak-anak remaja tahun 2030? Hanya dengan keberanian dalam berkarya dan bersikap barangkali boleh membawa mereka berbeza dari generasi rock kapak dan syukur Bunkface sudah menunjukkan jalan. Sebagai nota, muzik independen di dalam tulisan ini tidak termasuk muzik underground yang lebih keras dari segenap sisi dan sentiasa akan begitu selamanya, sebagai contoh Carburetor Dung. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Top restaurant and chef awards in 2012 Posted: 01 Jan 2012 06:52 AM PST NEW YORK, Jan 1 — When it comes to awards season in the culinary world, the first half of the year is one of the busiest. In addition to regional Bocuse d'Or competitions in Europe and the US, Restaurant magazine celebrates the 10th anniversary of its World's 50 Best Restaurants list, a competition that has swiftly climbed the culinary ranks to be considered one of the most influential, career-making lists in the industry, rivalling that of the old guard, the Michelin guide. Danish Chef Rasmus Kofoed (2ndL) holds his trophy as he poses with his team after winning the Bocuse d'Or (Golden Bocuse), on January 26, 2011. — AFP pic Here's a look at some of the most important awards shows in the world of gastronomy for 2012. Bocuse d'Or USA January 28-29 Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York, NY, USA Considered the Olympics of the culinary world, the Bocuse d'Or USA will choose the American chef-team to represent the nation at the biennial Bocuse d'Or World Cuisine Contest in 2013. Finalists this year include Bill Bradley, Danny Cerqueda, Jeffrey Lizotte and Richard Rosendale. On January 28 and 29, the chefs will compete for the chance to carry the American flag into the international competition in Lyon, France, where they will have 51/2 hours to cook the meal of their lives: two platter presentations around seafood and meat, each accompanied by three original garnishes that will be presented to a panel of 24 judges. Dishes will be evaluated for overall harmony of flavours, presentation and techniques. Bocuse d'Or France March 4 and 6 Paris, France For 51/2 hours, eight French chefs will cook their hearts out in front of a panel of judges that includes Joël Robuchon, holder of the most Michelin stars in the world, each hoping for a turn at the final Bocuse d'Or championships in Lyon next year. Each chef will be tasked with preparing a chicken dish to be presented family style on one platter, enough for 10 people. In the seafood category, they will have five sole filets to prepare, which is also to serve 10 guests and presented family style. So far, France has won six Bocuse d'Or titles. Gourmand World Cookbook Awards March 6 Folies Bergere Paris, France This year's edition of the Paris Cookbook Fair, which is an international gathering of some of the most powerful publishing houses in the business, has been extended an extra day. Winners of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards will be announced at a red-tie affair on March 6, at Folies Bergere. Last year saw more than 8,000 entries in wine and food from 154 countries, and organisers say they expect more this year. Categories include regional and national titles, as well as the best of ethnic cuisines such as Asian, French, Indian and Arab. Bocuse d'Or Europe March 20-21 Brussels, Belgium Finalists from across Europe will compete in the 2012 Bocuse d'Or Europe, which crowns the best chef on the continent and sets the tone for the grand finale in Lyon, which is set to take place January 29-30, 2013. New to the competition this year is Bulgaria. Countries include: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom. Chefs will compete for one of 12 places to take part at the final round in Lyon next year. 26th annual International Association of Culinary Professional Cookbook Awards March 29-April 2 New York, NY, USA Unlike the Gourmand World Cookbook Award, which accepts cookbook submissions around the world, the IACP is a members-only club that counts 3,000 people in its group from 32 countries. In cookbooks this year, the IACP has added Culinary Travels as a new category, while the online awards have added New Media and Broadcast awards to nine other categories. Last year, the IACP received more than 500 cookbook entries in 18 categories. Top honours for Cookbook of the Year went to Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes From My Home To Yours. 10th annual World's 50 Best Restaurants April 30 Guildhall, London, UK In one decade, Restaurant magazine's World's 50 Best Restaurants list has become an international benchmark in the world of gastronomy, single-handedly catapulting restaurants to astronomical fame and stretching waiting lists out to months with just one listing. Ferran Adria's now-shuttered El Bulli restaurant in Spain owes much of its international fame to the ranking, as it topped the list five times in the past 10 years. The award has been both praised and panned by critics. Some say it provides a refreshing change to the Michelin guide, which has been charged with being stuffy and its process excessively secretive, while others have panned it for excluding many old-school stalwarts in the cooking world. This year's 10th anniversary is expected to be a big event. James Beard Foundation Awards May 4 and May 7 Lincoln Centre, New York, NY, USA The James Beard awards are often described as the "Oscars" of the US food scene, crowning the best of the best. The awards cover publishing, restaurants and chefs, naming the best in categories such as cookbooks, food writing, outstanding chef, outstanding restaurant and talent spots with Rising Star Chef of the Year. Last year's winners included José Andrés, chef-owner of minibar in Washington DC, who took home the medal for Outstanding Chef while New York's Eleven Madison Park took home the title of Outstanding Restaurant. The Book, Broadcast and Journalism Awards winners will be announced on May 4, while the restaurant and chef awards will be announced on May 7. Bocuse d'Or Asia June 12-14 Sirha Shanghai, Pudong Expo, China At the qualifying Asian rounds, countries will put their best chef forward and vie for a place at the big Lyon competition in 2013. Japan, China, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka will compete against one another for a chance at just four spots at the final competition on January 29-30, 2013. Restaurant & Bar Design Awards September, 2012, TBA London, England Unlike restaurant awards that honour the food and its chefs, these British awards recognise the designers responsible for creating atmosphere and providing first impressions. The awards are independent, and establishments are judged by a panel of personalities from the design, lifestyle and hospitality industries. Entries come from all types of environments including hotels, transport, business, industry, fine dining, education, government, aviation, cruise and retail. Other key dates in the competition include: January 9 — call for entries; April 13 — closing date; June 20 — shortlist announced. National Restaurant Awards UK October 8 Venue: TBA The James Beard equivalent for the UK, the National Restaurant Awards can vault a restaurant's reputation and stretch out reservation lists weeks in advance. The 2011 winner was London eatery The Ledbury for the second year running, helmed by Aussie chef Brett Graham. The award is hosted by Restaurant magazine, which also created The World's 50 Best Restaurants list. Winners are voted by the National Restaurant Awards Academy, which is made up of chefs, restaurateurs and food critics, and represents the 12 regions of the UK. — Relaxnews Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Dessert trends for 2012: Donuts and canelés Posted: 01 Jan 2012 04:38 AM PST WASHINGTON, Jan 1 — They're not covered in chocolate, or studded with pretty berries, nor are they slathered in a caramel or toffee sauce. But editors of a prestigious US culinary foundation are betting that a simple, plain-looking French pastry will be the next big dessert trend after cupcakes, pies and macarons. According to editors of the latest food trend report from the James Beard Foundation in New York, canelés (also spelled cannelés), a pastry native to Bordeaux, France, are poised to be the new new cupcake in 2012. Made with a crepe-like batter of flour, egg yolks and sugar, canelés are known for their chewy, dense texture and their thick, dark, caramelised crust. Some recipes call for a splash of rum, others call for a dash of orange flower water. Meanwhile, the same trendspotting report predicts that donuts will enjoy a revival in 2012, but as regional interpretations. For instance, expect to see more Central European style kolaches — large pastries with a fruit filing centre, Turkish lokmas — deep-fried dough covered in simple syrup, or malasadas — Portuguese versions of sugar doughnuts. In a report out of the Centre for Culinary Development last month, trend tracker Kara Nielsen drew readers' attention to the Kouign-amann, a buttery, caramelised pastry from the northwest region of Brittany, France. Nielsen traces the rising popularity of the pastry back to acclaimed bakeries in the US like Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery in Los Angeles and French baker Dominique Ansel, who imported the sweet treat to New York. Ansel is also cited in the James Beard report for driving the canelé (picture) trend. Popular Paris-based food blog Chocolate & Zucchini offers a canelé recipe at http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2005/10/caneles.php. — AFP/Relaxnews Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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US Nasyid group, Muslim country singer to perform in KL Posted: 01 Jan 2012 03:29 AM PST Native Deen's music also highlights the issues confronting Muslims in the US. — blog.shukrattire.com pic KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 1 — Nasyid group Native Deen and Muslim country music singer Kareem Salama from the United States will be performing here next month, Bernama Online reported today. Both acts hope to share the message of peace with Malaysian audiences through their faith-based music. Native Deen, comprising Joshua Salaam, Abdul Malik Ahmad and Naeem Muhammad, is one of the leading Nasyid groups in the US and their music is a fusion of hip-hop and R&B. Kareem, on the other hand, is the first Muslim country singer whose music is a hybrid of the country, pop and rock genres. Event organiser Nizal.Com Sdn Bhd told the news portal that concert details will be announced at a later date. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Lana Del Rey, music buzz of 2011 — but is she ‘real’? Posted: 31 Dec 2011 06:41 PM PST Lana Del Rey performs on stage in Cologne, Germany. — AFP pic PARIS, Jan 1 — Honeyed vocals, a cinematic pout and a haunting, David Lynch-inspired video clip posted on YouTube was all it took to propel Lana Del Rey to global stardom, hailed as the musical revelation of 2011.  But a just-as-swift backlash has threatened to bring down the New York singer before her first album even hits the shelves next month, after bloggers attacked the 25-year-old as an industry-backed "fake", posing as self-made artist.  Lana Del Rey's story began early this year when, like thousands of would-be singers, the unknown American posted a track called "Video Games" on YouTube, an edgy, melancholy tale of unrequited love delivered in slow, sultry tones.  A collage of vintage footage, cartoons and contemporary images, the clip evokes the gauzy, nostalgia-tinted worlds of filmmakers like Lynch or Sofia Coppola.  "We fell in love with its fragile, surreal, 50s-soap opera beauty," wrote the British music magazine NME of "Video Games", which went viral clocking up 15 million online views.  A second clip, "Blue Jeans", was posted a few weeks later as Lana Del Rey wowed music critics worldwide, hailed as much as a musical revelation as a style icon, with spots in Vogue and Rolling Stone.  The singer's world is an artful blend of modernity — hip hop tinged lyrics, jewellery and bling false nails — and retro-tinged Hollywood glamour, in the spirit of the cult TV series "Mad Men". "Somewhere between Hollywood icon and postmodern 'It Girl', she is perfectly in tune with the Zeitgeist," wrote the French rock magazine Les Inrockuptibles.  "The gangsta Nancy Sinatra," is how she has summed up her persona, leaving critics struggling to find a neater turn of phrase. — 'A failed mainstream artist' — But her stellar rise soon enough gave way to a backlash, after some digging by indie bloggers unearthed a past life as plain old Elizabeth Grant, the author of two earlier, unsuccessful albums.  "She was basically a failed mainstream artist who is being 'rebranded' behind major label dollars," read a scathing piece on the Hipster Runoff blog in September, claiming to "expose" the singer's past.  As much as her background story as DIY artist, who may or may not once have lived in a trailer park, the controversy has zeroed in on the authenticity of her generous lips: a fake in both looks and substance, runs the argument.  Widely echoed in the music press, the backlash, wrote the Globe and Mail, "is threatening to bring down the It Girl before she has even has time to 'break'."  The Del Rey controversy has also left music critics red-faced, since many pride themselves on their flair for original new talent.  "People wailing about the 'inauthenticity' of Lana Del Rey," wrote Alexis Petridis in The Guardian, "would presumably, have recoiled from David Bowie in the 1970s, horrified that he wasn't actually a gay Nazi demagogue from outer space."  But another critic in the paper pointed out that "it matters a great deal whose idea 'Lana Del Rey' was," considering the languid, submissive feminine type she embodies through her looks and lyrics alike.  "Pop is a feminist issue, especially since it is stuffed with women who seem to be the playthings of overwhelmingly male creative and label execs," argued the writer, Kitty Empire.  The bottom line, critics agree, has to be the music. In October, a record deal with the label Interscope, a subsidiary of Universal, was made public, and a late January release date set for her first album "Born to Die".  The video of its title track was "leaked" online this month. Shot by Woodkid, a hot French director, the clip confirmed that — however Del Rey's story began — industry muscle is now firmly behind her.  Last month Lizzy Grant aka Lana Del Rey gave a string of concerts in Europe and the United States, drawing hordes of critics, but the forty-minute sets failed to settle the debate.  "On stage," wrote The Guardian, "the woman who inspires such analysis was a blank canvas" who barely spoke.  "There is something, real, and rather special here," but "you wonder how much of the real Lizzy Grant inhabits her songs."  So the jury remains out, the mystery intact, and Lana Del Rey's album one of the most eagerly awaited of 2012. — AFP-Relaxnews Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Doctors look to treat sick children in virtual worlds Posted: 31 Dec 2011 05:55 PM PST Photo dated July 2, 2011 courtesy of Societe des Arts technologiques (SAT) shows a child following the movements on screen of an avatar during a demonstration of a new therapy in Montreal, Canada. — AFP pic MONTREAL, Jan 1 — Doctors in a domed laboratory in Canada are designing a virtual world where they hope to one day treat traumatized children with colourful avatars using toy-like medical gadgets.  Sensory stimulation could be used to make a burn victim feel she is encased in a block of ice. Three-dimensional images of a child's bedroom at home could make him forget he is in a hospital.  "You could take a child suffering from burns and put him in a polar environment, crossing the threshold of reality, to dull his pain," said Patrick Dube, who is leading a team of medics from Montreal's Sainte-Justine hospital and software engineers at the Society for Arts and Technology.  "We know that cognitive illusions have an effect on the perception of pain," he said. At the Satosphere, an 18-meter-wide dome originally designed to provide spectators with a 360-degree view of art projections, the team has set up a hospital room, or "living lab", to try out new treatment ideas.  The dome, touted by Satosphere president Monique Savoie as a "cinema for the 21st century," is a scion of the Circle-Vision theatre unveiled at the 1967 International and Universal Exposition's Bell Pavilion in Montreal.  "We can, through multiple projectors, create immersive environments that integrate not only walls, but also the furniture in a room," Dube said.  Another tool being tested by the doctors would allow them to give medical gadgets the appearance of fantastical, non-threatening toys. Children would in theory be able to familiarise themselves with "scary" medical instruments, like syringes, easing common fears over medical tests and treatments.  In the hands of a little girl, a syringe is transformed into a storybook rocket. "I'm no longer scared of injections," said Maxime, 11, the daughter of one of the researchers.  The researchers are also looking into avatars that could one day allow doctors and nurses to communicate with children traumatised by sickness or a crippling accident, who may not be comfortable opening up to an adult.  Such high-tech puppetry might be used to build a child's confidence or help re-socialise them.  The person controlling the avatar from another room could ask a child to mimic its movements as part of physical rehabilitation.  The ultimate aim is to apply the technology to help the children "overcome their fears and discover things about themselves," said Patricia Garel, head of Sainte-Justine's psychiatry department.  "There's enormous potential in our discipline, but we're still at a very early exploratory stage." Virtual communication and video games are known to sometimes have a negative impact on the socialisation of children, particularly the most emotionally fragile, who might shut themselves in.  But Garel insists that if the tools are used correctly they could carve a virtual path back to normal life. — AFP-Relaxnews Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Electricity sparks new life into Indonesia’s corals Posted: 31 Dec 2011 05:45 PM PST In this handout photograph young corals grow on metal frame in the shape of a flower attached to a stone figure in the seabed of Pemuteran in Indonesian island of Bali. — AFP pic PEMUTERAN, Indonesia, Jan 1 — Cyanide fishing and rising water temperatures had decimated corals off Bali until a diver inspired by a German scientist's pioneering work on organic architecture helped develop a project now replicated worldwide. Based on "Biorock" technology it is implemented in 20 countries, mainly in Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and Pacific. In the turquoise waters of Pemuteran off the north coast of Bali where the project was launched in 2000, a metal frame known as "the crab" is covered with huge corals in shimmering colours where hundreds of fish have made their homes. "It's amazing, isn't it ?" Rani Morrow-Wuigk says proudly. The 60-year-old German-born Australian first dived in Pemuteran bay back in 1992, to see its beautiful reefs. But at the end of the nineties rising water temperatures had led to the near-disappearance of the reef, already badly affected by cyanide and dynamite fishing in the area. "I was devastated. Basically, all the corals were dead. It was gravel and sand," Rani recalled. But when German architect and marine scientist Wolf Hilbertz told her about a discovery he had made in the 1970s, the diver's ears pricked up. Hilbertz had sought to "grow" construction materials in the sea, and had done so by submerging a metallic structure and connecting it to an electric current with a weak and thus harmless voltage. The ensuing electrolysis had provoked a build-up of limestone, in a kind of spontaneous building work. When he tested out his invention in Louisiana in the United States, Hilbertz saw that after a few months oysters progressively covered the whole structure, and colonised the collected limestone. More experiments were carried out and the same phenomenon was confirmed for corals. "Corals grow 2-6 times faster. We are able to grow back reefs in a few years," Thomas J. Goreau, a Jamaican marine biologist and biogeochemist, told AFP. Goreau began working with Hilbertz in the mid-1980s to develop Biorock technology, and he has continued their work since Hilbertz's death four years ago. When Rani saw the discovery, it gave her an idea for how she might save "her" bay. She decided to expand the project to 22 structures using her own money with the help of Taman Sari, the holiday resort in front of the coral restoration project. Today there are around sixty of these "cages" in Pemuteran bay, across a surface of two hectares, and the reef has not only been saved from near-death, it is flourishing better than ever before. "Now we've got a better coral garden than we used to have," said Rani. Biorock not only revives the corals but it makes them more resistant, in particular against bleaching and global warming. "Biorock is the only method known that protects corals from dying from high temperatures. We get from 16-50 times higher survival of corals from severe bleaching," Goreau said. The evidence of this has been on show in Pemuteran, said Rani. "We had coral bleaching happening in the last two years. The water temperature was 34 degrees (93 Fahrenheit), instead of 30. Only 10 per cent of the corals were affected and two percent died. Whereas, in 1998, they basically all died". The local community in Pemuteran has also been won over after early reticence on the merits of the project. "At first, I thought he was a crazy 'bule' (white guy) putting iron in the water," Komang Astika said, recalling his first meeting with Goreau, but in 2000, Komang joined the project when he left college. Today he is the diving instructor and manager in charge of the Biorock information centre, located on Pemuteran beach and set up with funds from the sponsorship programme, "Adopt a baby coral" The tourists have also cottoned-on. "It was a poor village when I arrived," Rani said, "since 2000, the number of dive shops doubled." And the local fishermen have also seen the merits of the project they initially regarded as a threat to their livelihoods. "At the beginning, the fishermen didn't want Biorock because we were trying to stop them fishing. They were saying 'It's my ocean,' but now they see the fish coming back and the tourists coming," said Astika. — AFP-Relaxnews Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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