Two years ago, when I was still working in Bali Camp, I bought a cotton mask from a mountaineering store in Denpasar. It looks like the mask that the terrorists in Counter Strike game wear.

So the evening after I bought the mask, I tried to wear it and took several pictures using my laptop cam. Then I noticed this would be more cool if I have a hostage too. So I called Ardie, my friend, to be so kind to be the hostage.

Then another friend of mine, Ardi (don’t confused it with the previous Ardie ), saw it and we thought it would be a lot more cool to make a video with the terrorists behind the hostages asking for the ransom.

It didn’t take long before we start recording the videos with yet another friend of mine, Hazel, as the hostage.

Not satisfied with just a hostage video, we then proceed to make a bit longer movie that involved some more of our friends in the office.

So this is the short movie that we made. For this public viewing I censored some of the scenes. For uncensored version, you can request me the youtube link. Enjoy!

When you live secluded from the city, your wild animal instincts appear. The people in Bali Camp Pacung, living far from Denpasar, in a midst of wild green lushes of Bali, up in the mountains, have developed a very merciless form of entertainment.

It is a ritual where very few people can escape and the number of victim keeps rising.

Whenever the ritual is initiated, the harmless people you see in Bali Camp will turn to possessed-blood-thirsty executors who will not stop running and chasing until they catch their prey and execute them.

No one can stop them, so it is safe to keep distance when the ritual is happening. Some courageous (or naive) people managed to take shots of the ritual, but who knows what happened to them when the executors saw them.

Dedicated to the victims and photographers-turned-victims, I present to you the collection of Bali Camp Pool Execution Ritual.

*Some of the content contain violent graphics and are unsuitable for children.

Hahaha! Just kidding fellas, hope you enjoy this post.

Thank you for Adik Iig for the great photos on memorable September 11th, 2008 (The Massacre Night) and other photographers who risk their lives to take these memorable moments.

Though not as famous as the other part of Bali, the west side of Bali has a lot of things you can’t find in other side of Bali. Last week, me and other 19 of my work colleagues decided to explore this side for two days and we can’t be happier during the journey.

We started from Denpasar, visited Bunut Bolong (Pekutatan), stopped at Pura Rambut Siwi, stayed at Gilimanuk, snorkled and get sunburned at Menjangan Island, slapped by Ayam Betutu of Men Tempeh, and went back to Denpasar.

Want more of the details, read on…

Day 01

14:30 (Denpasar)

Cost:
Rp 175,000 (rent one Toyota Avanza car)
Rp 150,000 (full tank of gasoline)

Yay.. It’s time to go! Three cars, 20 people, 19 insane psychos (I’m the only normal person), zero bug, and one destination, journey to the west.

16:20 (Bunut Bolong)

Cost:
Rp 0.0

If you think you can only find this kind of view in Sequoia Park, United States, think again.. Bali own one too and you can only find it here at Bunut Bolong.

Actually it’s not only a single tree, but consist of several banyan trees joined into a giant tree.

It’s 11 km from the main road going to Gilimanuk, and I believe it worth the trip.

17:42 (Pura Rambut Siwi)

Cost :
Rp 2,000 (Parking fee for a car)

Unfortunately we arrived sort of late at this Pura so we can only took few pictures and did not manage (or allowed to) enter the pura to take more pictures inside.

The Pura directly face the sea and you might get a wonderful shots here though the sand is kinda dark.

20:00 (Gilimanuk)

Cost :
Rp 70,000 (1 ayam betutu + 1 basket of rice at Warung Ayam Betutu Bu Lina)
Rp 65,000 – 75,000 (1 room at Hotel Lestari)

Finally, exhausted and hungry, we arrived at Gilimanuk, the most famous port city in Bali. We tried to have supper at the famous ‘Warung Men Tempeh’ that serves a very hot and spicy Ayam Betutu, unfortunately it was already closed.
But someone points us to the other warung that serves Ayam Betutu nearby (Warung Ayam Betutu Bu Lina), and we ate there.

On Gilimanuk, we stayed at Hotel Lestari, just beside the main road. The rate is friendly enough for us. The cheapest room start at Rp65,000 and Rp75,000 per night for 3-4 number of people in our case. Now, that’s a bargain..

Day 02

10:00 (Going to Menjangan Island, Labuhan Lalang)

Cost:
Rp 330,000 (1 boat to Menjangan Island)
Rp  75,000 (1 tour guide fee)
Rp  30,000 (1 set of snorkle and goggle)

After a good breakfast at the warung Mbak Nur nearby the hotel and several happy pictures, we are good to go to the Menjangan Island. So be prepare reindeers, we are going to getcha… Hohoho…

10:30 (Menjangan Island)

Here we are at the Menjangan Island. Unfortunately I got no underwater camera to take underwater pictures but just trust me, it worth to go there. Just find 9 of your friends to share the boat fare, and have your way to one of the best sixteen underwater location in Indonesia (I don’t made it up, check National Geographic Traveller vol.1 no.3 2009).

Sadly because we didn’t go explore the island, we didn’t see any of the Menjangan though people says there are 400 of them in the island. Maybe we’ll see you the other time Rudolf.

15:30 (Gilimanuk – Warung Men Tempeh)

Cost:
Rp 110,000 (1 ayam betutu + 1 basket of rice)

Back to Gilimanuk to tried the Warung Men Tempeh. Ok chicks, no more hiding this time, come to daddy…

16:30 (Going back to Denpasar)

After we settled our business with the six Ayam Betutu, we are ready to go back to Denpasar. And of course, we don’t forget to get some more happy pictures in front of Warung Men Tempeh.

20:00 (Arrived at Denpasar)

After three and a half hour of non-stop riding, we finally arrived at Denpasar.

So that’s all our adventure for two days exploring the west side of Bali. Passing through a giant tree at Bunut Bolong, seeing the beauty of Menjangan Island corals and fishes, and get kissed by several very hot chicks (a well cooked Ayam Betutu Men Tempeh) were really unique experiences you can only find at West Bali.

In the end, just like visa advertisement says….

Total cost per person in this journey: ~ Rp 230,000
Number of chicken executed for our meals: 12
Total happiness and fun: priceless

Ok, if you ever visit the company website of Bali Camp, you might have several questions in mind such as:
- Is this really an office?
- Where are the offices, I only see huts?
- I thought Bali is all beach, why it’s like all mountain and valley in the picture?
- Where in Bali is it located?

Unfortunately I cannot answer all the questions this time but the last one.

Bali Camp is located at the heart of the island of Bali. Specifically, it’s located in Desa Pacung, Kecamatan Baturiti, Kabupaten Tabanan, propinsi Bali.

How to get there?

From Denpasar take the main road going north to Singaraja, also known as the Jl. Raya Denpasar Singaraja. It takes more or less an hour from Denpasar to reach Baturiti, you will pass through many lush green rice fields and coconut trees as you leave the busy, fast moving life in Denpasar.

The beautiful office of Bali Camp is unseen from the main road so you have to pay attention to your left as you enter the Desa Pacung. As a guide, you are already near Bali Camp if you have encounter the Pacung Hotel and Restaurant (also known as Hotel Saranam). About 250m further you will see the Bali Camp office entrance as the Bali Camp sign written in a large stone welcomes you.

The mountainous area you see in the picture is located at a height of +876m with an everage temperature of 22 degrees centigrade. Cool enough to make anyone chill, especially in July and August, when temperature is at its lowest according to the locals.

A half hour ride further you will reach Bedugul with its famous Lake Beratan at +1401m.

If you have time to pass by, do so and you will understand why people awe when they come to the legendary Bali Camp office in Pacung.

Once again, the Bali Camp Pacung adresss is:

Jl. Raya Pacung No.32A
Baturiti, Tabanan
Bali 82191

Oh yeah, the huts and the hotel-like building are the offices..

Still want to get more stories about Bali Camp Pacung marvelous building? Of course, it’s one building that won’t be easily forgotten once you’ve step your foot there. Though it’s not a hotel nor any recreation building, it can surely competes with the top hotel and bungalows in Bali.

However, a big question remains so far, who actually designed the building?

Finally I got a link to Prasetyo Budi Santoso, one of the Interior Designer who worked the project in year 1998.

Well, if you are a fan of Bali Camp, or someone who is interested to know how on earth such an office do exist in this world, check Prasetyo’s blog and get the insight scoop of the Bali Camp Pacung building design story.

There’s a very interesting note on his post’s ending:

“What is this place?” our visitor asked.
“Is it a mountain retreat? Is it an artist’s colony? Is it a think-thank or is it a playground?”

We reply: “A corporation on the cutting edge.”

Well, decide yourself…

[above] Primary Meeting Room

[above] Reception Table Design (next time I’ll include the receptionist pictures as well… )

[ above] A cozy sofa at one of the living module (bungalow)

[above] A design of servery counter (honestly, I don’t know where is this one located..)

[above] A downward shot of one of the stairways in BC main building

I found this picture from the book “Belief and Work of Seventh-Day Adventists” that can be downloaded freely from the General Conference Archive Site. The book is published on the year 1934 and so I assume the picture was at around the same year.

Hmm…, for comparison, this is the picture of Manila Sanitarium and Hospital, or Manila Adventist Medical Center as it is called now, that I took last year 2004 when I was still in the Philippines.

“But… not all that look good at night can look as good at daylight.”

Yes and the opposite is also true, some sites of Bali Camp Pacung look far better under sunlight rather than under artificial lights and so I uploaded several photos of Bali Camp Pacung under the sunlight.

Bali Camp Pacung building is basically a mix of traditional Bali living, surrounded by lush green fields of rice fields and clear blue skies, and comfortable modern facilities, such as open theatres and swimming pool.

I have yet to know if there is any other software house office in Indonesia that matches the beauty of Bali Camp Pacung.

Once again, enjoy the pictures and for larger resolutions, check my flickr account.

Come to the Open Theatre for live performances..

while taking a deep breath of fresh air under the clear blue skies..

or enjoy the green scenery that surrounds the building..

while taking sun bath beside the swimming pool if you want.

As most of you have heard about the Bali Camp legends (if you haven’t, then you can listen now..), the Bali Camp office in Pacung, Baturiti, Bali is so much famous for its beauty. Splendidly designed to be unlike any other office, the legend holds true till now.

This was my chat with one of my best friend:

djito santoso: udah lihat fotonya?
my friend: kantor tuh??
my friend: anjeeeennnnggg
my friend: pantesan betah lu di kantor
my friend: emang nasiblu tuh ya ada aja hokynya

[english version]

djito santoso: have you seen the picture?
my friend: that’s an office??
my friend: daaaawwwgggg
my friend: that’s why you love to stay in office
my friend: you really always get lucky in your life huh

Honestly, I was one of the skeptics about the place when I haven’t arrived here.

“Its gorgeous? Really? Yeah.. yeah… Come on, it’s a software house, like how gorgeous can it be?” I said.

But I actually can’t believe what I saw the moment I stepped into the Bali Camp Pacung compound. “This is amazing!!!”

I tried to capture the beauty through wide photos, and although it helps but the experience of seeing the place yourself will never be replaced. However, enjoy the pictures, and believe the legend.

*For more pictures and higher resolutions, check out my flickr.

Welcome to Bali Camp Pacung!

please enter the lobby

we are at the open theather now

 look upward for a while..

and we arrive at my office, doesn’t it look pretty cozy…?

Ever since the third week of my work here at BaliCamp Pacung, I become one of the office habitants. It was started by my senior developer who began sleeping in the office every night a week earlier, and in just a few weeks after, the office habitants have increased to not less than 10 persons (me included :p).

Why do we sleep in the office? There are many reasons actually, but probably the best one is:

“Why Not?”

Bali Camp office compound has all its developers need to stay alive. A cable TV, a ping-pong table, a swimming pool, hot water shower, and broadband internet connection. A simple and affordable warung (eatery) and laundry is just beside the compound whenever we need foods to eat and clean clothes to wear. Besides, BaliCamp office compound hardly feel like an office at all.

“But How Do You Sleep In The Office?”

This is one of the most asked questions for me lately by many of my friends and families. Honestly, it’s kinda hard to describe it whenever they ask me this. So I decided to take pictures and show how to do it here in this post. Hope this answer the question!

Just when I checked the traffic to my blog today I noticed that one of them is the google search result with keywords
“medical technology course what is it about?”. Hmmm.. it really sounds familiar, because everytime people ask me what my bachelor course is and I tell them that it’s bs medical technology, they either do not know what medical technology do or never even heard the course at all.

Usually I tell them that it is better known as clinical laboratory science (which more than half of them still do not know what is it), which means that the medical technologist usually work in clinics and hospitals laboratory.

We are the one who check all patients’ body fluids such as blood, urine, stool, CSF (cerebrospinal fluid), seminal fluid, synovial fluid, etc.

Most of the person who ask me will then remember one or several times in their life where they went for check up to laboratory, so at this point they usually already get what medical technologist do.

It is forgivable that most of the people do not know what medical technology is or what medical technologist do. Because in fact, the medical technology students do not know what their course is all about till they are in clinical division.

During the first and second year of the course, medtech students are still just like any other science course students. In AUP, medtech students is even more like nursing students because of the many similarities in classes requirement. I’m not sure in other college and universities, but I believe it won’t differ so much because of the regulated national Philippines curriculum.

Back to the question, what is medical technology? Here are several definition of medical technology, depending on to whom should we explain:

In laymen’s term:
“Hospital and Clinic blood suckers…”

In Freshmen and Sophomore’s term:
“Can you tell us the difference between medtech students and nursing students..?”

In Clinical Student’s term:
“Nightmare…”

In Intern Student’s term:
“Liberation…!”

In Medical Technology Graduates and Registered Medical Technologist (RMT)’s Term:
“Finally, after all the pains and unforgettable sleepless moments…”

-Fin