18 Nov Johan Tandoko
“You don’t choose Bali. Bali calls for you.”
That is the notion that I believe and have experienced myself. Having spent more than 2 decades building my career in Jakarta, I moved to Bali for good to focus on helming Makadaya – the impact foundation of Bali Institute.
I´m also assisting on business development side of Bali Institute along with other Directors.
I´m from North Sumatera. North Sumatera has the biggest lake in Indonesia – namely Lake Toba, with a very beautiful Samosir island in its middle. The landscape scenery is wonderful there, with an area resembling Alpen range of Switzerland during spring.
What is your favorite food?
My favorite food is a local Indonesian food called “Sayur Asem” and authentic Indonesian spicy sambal.
What is your favorite Balinese holiday?
My favorite Balinese Holiday is NYEPI – The Silence Day.
I like the philosophy of Nyepi as it is the day in Balinese when we believe we should give a break for nature to restore its harmony without much disruption by human activities I think we sometimes should also practice this in life, to be more mindful, slow down, then we are able to appreciate more.
The best piece of advice you want to give to someone traveling to Bali?
Take some moments to just slow down, with no rushing itinerary.
What is your favorite word in Balinese, that has no direct translation to English?
My favorite Balinese word is “Mekenyem”. Tt’s the Balinese word for “smile”. As Indonesians, especially among Balinese people, hospitality has been a value we hold dear since a long time ago. And “smile” is more than just an act, it is a culture to portray our humility and sincerity.