David's AW News: 80 in Indonesia and Other Amazing Things.

Greetings from Bali, Indonesia

Last week I was telling you about my trip from Spain to Kuala Lumpur - not without Drama.. if you missed it you can catch up here.

I spent the weekend in KL, one of my favourite cities in the world, and then on Sunday afternoon took a Batik Air flight from KL International airport to Denpasar, Bali.

Very smooth flight, about three hours, and very smooth through the airport. Batik arrivals stand is the one next to the arrival hall. Because I have investor status in Bali I get to use the VIP passport channel. Which I enjoy, yes ok I know maybe shallow and childish but so nice to skip the lines. I have to speak Indonesian, because they assume I can (actually not very well at all), but I wing it and like this I'm off the plane and in the luggage area in 3 minutes.. grab my priority luggage and to customs control..   here's a tip you can fill the form and get a QR code before you fly.. customs is just a scanned code and you're outside in a jiffy.  I have Denpasar airport down to a fine art.. and Bondhan is waiting outside to greet me.

We drive from the airport across the dramatic bridge across the bay to Denpasar city.. if you are very lucky you can see Mount Agung which is on the other side of the island but here seems to rise out of the sea in the evening light. A took a picture from the car window.  A nice welcome to Indonesia on their 80th Birthday.. more details below.

Mount Agung.. (ok I admit it I AI enhanced it a smidgen.. haha but just so you get the vibe better)

Happy Independence Day

So here I am arriving on Independence Day in Indonesia. 80 years so it is a bigger than ever celebration. Every company in Indonesia does some kind of celebration, Red & White flags are everywhere and this massively diverse land is united in celebration. I'm happy to be here at this moment in history.

Indonesia X factor

AW-Advantage our digital marketing off-shoot is no exception and Debbie our manager has organised an X Factor style talent show for the staff. Before work at 9am  I'm given the honor of being a judge.. Everyone has made a huge effort.. dressed in regional costumes.. they each give a little speech about the culture of the region or island of Indonesia they are dressed up in.  I genuinely learn so much from these guys.  For example I never knew that North Sumatra has a large Christian community with a uniquely developed set of traditions, dances and costumes etc merging Christian and ancient Sumatran elements.    The Batak people have an ancient and developed culture unique in the world like Bali culture is unique.. I really have to visit.

The guy on the left: Edo is wearing the Batak traditional dress. As with all the costumes every element of the dress holds a particular cultural or spiritual meaning.. these guys explained all this to me.. I learnt so much.

This is Vika in a Papua costume - one of our super bright developers.  He did a monologue, a dance, a dramatic makeup change and ended with firecrackers.. so he won the competition. Well done Vika!

Ok so young educated Indonesians are super social and super bright.. and our team seems to be more so. I have discussed this before.. Indonesia is an unlikely country.. made up of hugely different ethnicity, religions, traditions, languages - The original multicultural society and yet people in main get on amazingly together proud of each other's cultures.

I have only been here a few days and lots happening.. managed to see one or two suppliers.. will report more next week.

Coco is crazy hot.

Meanwhile the heat bomb in Spain they tell me is subsiding, but Coco in China tells me she has never in her life experienced such a prolonged heat wave. The candle factory really cannot operate, the warehouse is too hot to work in the day. Outside they have hit 45c.. she tells me you cannot go outside like that.

But she also told me the notebook and journals that we ordered on the last trip finally arrived in the warehouse. Sandra, our designer in the UK has worked long hours on the journals making something truly (I think)awesome - and the dream journals.. fluffy books to write down your dreams in.. gonna be awesome.

Here's a sneak preview.. coming soon.

Also from China we have some Ancient (Chinese) Wisdom.. Excited to see these cultural Feng Shui pieces.

They are beautiful and detailed, full of moving parts with masses of meaning.. Take a picture and ask ChatGBT to explain each piece has a story to tell.

When Tomas and I found them we just had to get them for Ancient Wisdom.

Meanwhile in the UK.. Holly has been busy this week.

And following on from Interviewing the designer Emily of the award winning designer of the Crystal Elemental Soaps. She went along to see Audrey, one of our amazing artisans at AW-Aromatics, actually making those soaps and other soaps as well.   Behind the Scenes look at artisan soap production..

Check it out here.. (say Hi to Audrey in the comments)

Selenite is Magic...

Holly also gets enthusiastic about Selenite.. and with good reason.. Selenite is a bit weird and wonderful. You probably know we import from a guy with an amazing artisan business in a small town under the Atlas mountains in Morocco..

Holly talks Selenite all the details..  Check it out here.

Meanwhile..

In the UK so much new stock is arriving.. there is too much to tell you about!

Indonesian and Chinese.. Check out the beautiful minimalist lamps below.. sure to be a bestseller.

Take care and enjoy your week!

David