David's AW News: A Busy Week in Bali…

Here in Bali, Raul is visiting and we’ve been working together most days from the AW Advantage office. The pace has been intense.

We’re running around like crazy updating websites and systems. The latest to go under the hood is AWArtisan.eu. From the outside it might look like a simple refresh — but behind the scenes the backend work is huge. Cleaning data, restructuring systems and preparing things for the next stage. All the websites including the UK main site will change over the next few weeks. We hope you appreciate the changes.. it should be a better (we hope it is) user experience.. and that you can find ever more Gifting Opportunities at AW.

It’s a bit like renovating a house while still living in it.

At the same time there’s a real “end of term” feeling around the office.

Across Indonesia the big celebration is Idul Fitri, marking the end of Ramadan. Many of our team are heading home this weekend to visit their families — travelling to different islands across the archipelago.

For our Balinese colleagues there’s another special event approaching: Nyepi, the Balinese New Year.

Nyepi is famous as the Day of Silence, and it really is extraordinary. For 24 hours the whole island shuts down. No traffic, no flights, no work, no lights at night. Even the airport closes. Streets empty, the island rests, and everyone reflects quietly before the new year begins.

Imagine an entire island pressing pause for a day.

But the night before is Ogoh-Ogoh a time.. wild celebration of the battle of good over evil.. Mongsters paraded through the streets mock fighting each other.

I'm planning to watch it on Mertasari beach.. where if I'm lucky there will be fires and monsters in the sea.

So all go!!

Fortunately our warehouse team here are mostly from Floris or Sumba, and many are Christian, so while others travel home the packing and dispatch continues. Orders are still moving.

And some beautiful new musical stock has just arrived:

- Pangi Seed Shell Shakers – wonderful natural percussion instruments made from jungle seeds.

- Kenari Seed Rattles – bracelets and hand rattles with a rich earthy sound.

- Manglid Wood Rainsticks – when you turn them slowly they produce a gentle rainfall sound that can last for several minutes.

They’ve just landed in the Bali warehouse and will be making their way onto the websites — keep an eye out. Music instruments are trending and one of our planned growth areas for 2026. Check it out here.

News from Kathmandu

While all this is happening here in Bali, we’ve also been following some exciting news from Nepal.

My Nepali friends are delighted that the Gen Z candidate won the election this week.

What impressed me most was his first message — asking people to celebrate calmly and respectfully, and to first remember the young people who died during the uprising.

That says a lot about a leader.

The man is Balen Shah — once a rapper, later the mayor of Kathmandu, and widely respected because he actually got things done. Real improvements, not just speeches.

To celebrate the moment (and send a little support from Bali) I wore my Gen Z T-shirt this week and sent congratulations to many of our suppliers and friends in Nepal. From what I can see they are overwhelmingly optimistic about this new chapter. And my YouTube I made just after the uprising (I was there) 

A new generation stepping forward.

Getting Things Done

Watching that energy in Nepal is quite inspiring.

And it reminds me of something important at Ancient Wisdom.

Ideas are great. Plans are great. Meetings are great.

But in the end…

what really matters is getting things done.

Whether it's improving websites, sourcing new products, packing orders or supporting artisans around the world — progress happens one small step at a time.

And thankfully our team is very good at that.

Looking Ahead

So from Bali — between website updates, rainsticks, holiday travel plans and the occasional Friday-the-13th chaos — we keep moving forward.

To all our Indonesian friends: Selamat Idul Fitri.

To our Balinese team: Selamat Nyepi.

And to our friends in Nepal: Congratulations on an exciting new chapter.

And the next one on the horizon is Easter, just a few weeks away.

So enjoy the weekend, it’s time to start thinking about the next opportunity. 

Take care, have a great weekend!

David