Home Grown Talent

Apr 25 2018

MAD ABOUT FASHION COLUMNIST: Beck Dahl was on a mission to discover locally-made fashion here in Singapore.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, I love to travel and, when visiting other countries, I love to buy locally-made garments. Sometimes because they’re must-haves; sometimes because of the craftsmanship; and sometimes just for the memory. It’s left me inspired to do the same here.
This idea led me to my mission for this issue: to find some go-to Ready To Wear (RTW) labels that continue to produce their garments here in Singapore. Purchasing close to home shows we’re not only lessening our footprint, we’re embracing where we live and supporting local business – all whist finding our Monday outfit just hanging out there on a rack.
I’m pleased to say I found a few, not many but a few, labels on my hunt this month!
I found that asking where garments were manufactured was usually met with uncertainty, but I soon realised if its produced here in Singapore, it will proudly say so on the label. If there’s no label at all, one has to assume it’s not made on the Little Red Dot.
One of my favourite ‘Made in Singapore’ finds was Max Tan. With a Comme des Garçons-esque style, Tan’s is a modern, easy-to-wear range (see pic). You can see his pieces at The Comma Store (thecommastore.com) which is a funky curated store in Orchard Gateway. Womb (womb.com.sg) is another locally-designed and manufactured label, which offers generally office wear with a twist. They have new stock once a month and there is definitely something there for everyone.
Not everything in B.S.Y.M (bysmshop.com) is made locally, but a good percentage of the collection is. The majority of the stock is free size which is a bit difficult for some of us, but it’s definitely worth taking a look to see what is in stock. They have three locations on the Island: Suntec City, Bugis Junction and Plaza Singapura.
I would be remiss not to mention Atelier Ong Shunmugam (ongshunmugam.com), who not only has a RTW range, but will also do custom designs. It’s by appointment only at Holland Village.
It’s not strictly always made here in Singapore, but for an opportunity to discover more local fashion, check out Tangs Department Store dedicated to Singaporean designers.
One thing I loved about my mission was discovering not only clothing and accessories, but also funky Singapore souvenirs to take home to my friends and family. For novelty gifts and Singapore memorabilia drop into Megafash (megaxstore.com) at Suntec City or Naiise (naiise.com) at Orchard Gateway. And a ‘must’ purchase for this month is Singapore – Lost Guides from Books Actually (booksactually.com); it’s a fantastic guide
to have in your bookcase as a go-to for loads of great new discoveries of this fascinating country.
Familiarity with fashion in Singapore takes time. It’s a unique shopping experience and yes, at times frustrating, but the variety is definitely there to be discovered. There are numerous opportunities for Made-To-Measure wardrobe additions here of course and hopefully you’ll take a look at some home-grown labels to buy straight off the rack.
Happy Shopping! Love Beck XX

Beck Dahl is a stylist and fashion lover living with her family here in Singapore.

Tribes & Tribulations

Apr 24 2018

Tatyana Kildisheva goes in search of adventure in West Papua.

Tribes in West Papua travel article in ANZA Magazine April issue — Photography by Tatyana Kildisheva

Surely you’ve been to Indonesia. Most likely it was a Bali visit, or temple-hunting in Yogyakarta, or maybe a paradise island beach resort? However, there is another part of Indonesia, which is not often visited by tourists: West Papua. The island, which became Indonesian territory in the late ‘60s, still has ongoing conflict between its indigenous population and the Indonesian government and its settlers. Because of this in-fighting, it’s important that you get a trusted guide if visiting the region – but don’t let that put you off exploring this part of the world.
I have always wanted to visit Papua to see the indigenous tribes and to climb Mount Trikora (the second highest peak in Australasia), but it took a while to find partners adventurous enough to embark on this challenging journey. Eventually we succeeded and our small expedition included myself, my partner John and our fearless friends, Susanne and Thomas.
Looking at the map, Papua appeared to be only a stone’s throw from Singapore – in fact there were no international direct routes. Four flights and 30 hours after leaving Singapore, our small propeller plane landed in Wamena, the largest town in Baliem Valley.
Knowing close to nothing about Papua before going there, we quickly absorbed information from our Indonesian guide Nanang Link Sunarko (who had lived in Wamena for 16 years), and from simply observing the people and our surroundings.
There are over 300 indigenous Papuan ethnic groups living in the valley (the most prominent of which are the Dani, Lani and Yali), and every August they stop their tribal wars and get together in Wamena for a festival.
While there are quite a few problems with the local population including violence, substance abuse and high rates of HIV, watching the tribal festival unfold was quite a spectacle. There was dancing, never-seen-before musical instruments, concerts, singing, and mock warfare. Villagers showed up in their tribal attire, adorned with conch and bead necklaces, plant fibre skirts, animal tusks and teeth, bird feathers, and koteka (penis gourds). Their faces and bodies were daubed with paint, and they were carrying spears, bows and arrows. Needless to say it all looked super exotic to us and was huge fun to photograph.

After two days of the festival, we left Wamena and trekked through the mountains, staying with locals in their wooden huts with roofs made from long grass. We witnessed traditional ways of living off the land, like cultivating sweet potatoes and raising pigs. We saw the way a huge meal was prepared for the whole village with the pork and potatoes cooked in a hole in the ground. The ditch was laid with sizzling hot rocks, covered with grass, then layers of potatoes, pork and edible grass with more hot rocks on top. After a couple of hours the rocks were removed and the meal was ready for everyone to dig into. There was no need for cutlery and plates; it was just our hands and leaves.
As we spent further time in the villages, we learned a few facts about life in Papua. For example, money was not so widely used in the region; pigs were a much stronger currency. Men practiced polygamy; the more pigs they owned, the more wives they had. Some men never marry because they do not have any pigs. We met quite a few ladies who were missing parts of their fingers due to a custom to cut them off when a family member died to show grief. Many of the older women were missing most of their fingertips, which made for quite a shocking sight.
The next few days we spent walking to Mount Trikora. We climbed up and down quite a few hills and vertical terraces on the way, struggling with the terrain as there were no paths cut through. Very few tourists visit the area and there was absolutely no one around. Our permit, obtained from the authorities in August, was the first one issued that year. According to our Indonesian guide, on average about 30 people visit the mountain annually. If you try to do any research, there is literally no information on a Mount Trikora climbing route – hence why it’s so very important to have a knowledgeable guide, as it’s pretty easy to lose your way up there.
It was pretty warm during the day but very cold, windy and dark at night as we reached over 3,000 metres. It was super helpful to have hiking sticks, gloves, strong hiking boots and protective gaiters – put those on your must-buy lists – as we walked through the bush and, at times dropping down into wet parts of a swamp. The area was very quiet; there were no wild animals or even birds in those desolate highlands.

The mountain itself was a massive vertical face and very eerie looking as we scrambled over rocks and traversed its long ridges. The formations were very sharp; the bottom of my boots had numerous cuts from climbing over the piercing rocks. We even stumbled upon a propeller plane wreck; the last remnants of a crash that happened over 20 years ago. We never found out what exactly happened or how many people died. There was very little left from the plane, most of the debris blown by the winds and washed off by rain.
We spent the night before reaching the summit at the highest camp on Trikora, pitching our tents at 4,150 metres above sea level. The next morning we started out at 4am to reach the top of the mountain, climbing the final peaks, scrambling up and down the ridges. The climb didn’t require much special equipment but it was challenging with vertical cliffs, loose rocks and sharp boulders. It was best to hold on tight and not look down!
Despite the cutting wind and icy cold the views were amazing. The scenery was like the backdrop of a sci-fi movie. There were no signs of any life as far as our eyes could see. Only grey spikes of rocks under our feet and very dry land with thick brush and tall dead trees at the foot of the mountain.
We got very lucky with the weather at the top as it was sunny and bright, and gave us unobstructed views of the valleys. However, when we were trekking back down, the weather suddenly changed and it became cloudy and foggy. Visibility worsened and it took a while to reach the camp for the night. We were extremely happy and relieved to make it back in time before the darkness and cold set in.
The trek to the mountain and back took five days. Each night we passed out in our freezing tents, exhausted from the challenging physical activities of the day. All our porters, who took care of our gear and food, were Papuan and didn’t outwardly seem so affected. They were singing during our breaks from trekking and some painted their faces with berry juices and decorated their hair with flowers they found along the way.
For most of them it was their first trip to Mount Trikora and I hope they found it as adventurous as we did.

ANZA Soccer’s Super Finals

Apr 23 2018

ANZA Soccer closes its season with a thrilling finals day says Anita Neville.

The end of the 2017/18 ANZA Soccer season finally arrived on Saturday 21 April with an action-packed day of footy, food and fun. 900 plus kids in 10 age group categories played for silverware and pride in a variety of Cup and Plate finals to wrap up the season.

For our U4-5 age group, the focus is on fun and learning basic ball handling skills – as displayed by the “little-ies” in their end of season games.
The U6s saw their numbers significantly increase over the year which bodes well for U7s teams next season. We were especially pleased to welcome more girls into this age group which should allow us to establish a Matildas team next year. The U6s Lynx team were overall winners.

U7s Tigers took home the Cup in this year’s fiercely contested U7s competition. And in the last of our Junior competitions, the U8s competed for the 2017/18 Plate and Cup with the Sailors and Flyers respectively taking home trophies. Sailors also took home the Cup in the U9s competition.

For the first time a Matildas team won the U10s League and were voted the Foreman FairPlay Award Winners for their age group. ANZA’s Matildas are increasingly strong and the dedicated programme for supporting girls is delivering results in club and overseas competitions, such as their success in Bangkok earlier this year.

Gordons took out the U10s Cup with Sailors picking up this year’s Plate for the age group.
There was a good spread of winners across U11s with Saliors topping the League, Gordons winning the Plate and Vikings just pipping the Matildas in a penalty shoot out for the Cup. The latter was further proof that our girls teams are going from strength to strength.
The U12s Gunners team repeated their U11s League win, topping this year’s competition with a side virtually unchanged from last year. Sailors and Vikings picked up the Plate and Cup respectively to wrap up the U12s competition.

U14s League Winners the Flyers, joined the Sailors in the Plate and the Gunners as Cup winners as the spoils were divided across half the competition teams. The Gunners, who were fifth in the League, won a thrilling Cup final against the Warriors in a penalty shoot out.
Lastly, the U17s Flyers picked up the Cup to close out ANZA Soccer’s official 2017/18 season.

Apart from great football on the pitch, there was lots to keep parents, kids and siblings entertained too. From Allied Pickfords-sponsored popcorn and delicious gelato courtesy of Jamie’s Italian (that was so popular, they served 1,400 scoops that day!), to face-painting and balloon-making, there was lots going on pitch-side. A great addition this year was the Light Painting photobooth from Vivid Snaps – watch out for those great pictures on the ANZA Singapore Facebook page soon.

Thank you also to the team sponsors: Expat Dental, World Wide Technology, Asian Tigers Mobility, City Osteopathy & Physiotherapy, Ego and Jamie’s Italian.

Thank you to Australia’s Deputy High Commissioner to Singapore, Ms Kate Duff, and New Zealand’s Deputy High Commissioner to Singapore, Ms Laura Grey for attending and conducting some of the presentations.

Congratulations to all the teams, players, coaches and team coordinators on a successful 2017/18 season. Thanks too to our sponsors who help make ANZA Soccer possible. Look out for a full report in the June issue of ANZA Magazine and register now for the 2018/19 season.

Friendly Opportunities

Apr 23 2018

ANZA Netball shows its commitment to competitive and fun sport.

The parents and players asked for it, and ANZA Netball delivered. On February 10, our 2008 age group of keen netball players were lucky enough to participate in two tournaments, one on Malaysian soil and another here at home. Two friendly round-robin tournaments were put together to provide additional competitive opportunities as requested by our members.

For the first time, our 2008 girls had the chance to travel to Marlborough College’s campus in Malaysia. We sent two teams across and they played in a round-robin format against the College’s top team.

Despite an extra early morning departure from Singapore at 6am, the girls were very excited to travel together as a team, and with their parents, on the bus that ANZA provided. Many of the girls, now well-seasoned at crossing the border to Malaysia, were also excited for another stamp in their passports.

We were warmly welcomed by Marlborough’s Sports Director Alistair Halls and given the privilege of playing in the school’s brand new, state-of-the-art multipurpose facility, which was very impressive for both visiting players and supportive parents.

The girls represented ANZA with pride and demonstrated the true ANZA spirit by having a great time with their friends, playing a game they love. Although the girls weren’t playing in their usual teams, they showed true sportsmanship by coming together quickly. Under the guidance of their fabulous Coaches Nic, Mel, Alex and Zoe, they competed fiercely against a strong Marlborough side.

Kristina Ucchino, a member of the team, shared her thoughts on the day: “It was a fun experience. I liked that we had a new team to play against to challenge ourselves and to learn new skills. On the bus, we got to know our teammates better and talk about netball. I made some new friends and we had lots of fun.”

Meanwhile, on the same day, the remaining 2008 age group were at our home base at Tanglin Trust School for a friendly with Centaurs. It was another great opportunity for the girls to play against a strong club, and to gain more experience.

With Centaurs numbers low due to CNY holidays, once again ANZA showed true sportsmanship by rotating players to play a mixed team with Centaurs. This ensured that the girls got maximum game time in the round-robin tournament. The coaches were most impressed with how all the girls stepped up.

A huge thanks to ANZA Netball for supporting our age group, and especially all our wonderful coaches and parents for volunteering to make these events a success for our girls.

ANZA Netball offers coaching and competition for girls aged six and upwards. For more info, email [email protected].

Cycling for Cycles

Apr 22 2018

ANZA Cycling Member Liesbeth Kanis shares the story behind the bicycle fundraiser helping to stop malaria in its tracks.

Cambodia has been battling drug resistant malaria for several decades. Luckily, the number of malaria cases has significantly declined in the last six years. The decline in these mortality and prevalence rates are related to the increased usage of bed-nets and greater knowledge on malaria prevention – largely as a result of the crucial work undertaken by Village Malaria Workers (VMWs). They play an instrumental role in conducting the rapid diagnostic tests and dispensing medication to malaria patients in malaria-endemic villages, in both high and low burden areas.

Cycling for Cycles is a bicycle fundraiser in support of these VMWs who are working tirelessly in the region. Initiated by Soroptimist International Singapore (SIS) together with clubs in Melbourne and Sydney, this fund-raising initiative is also supported by the ANZA Cycling community.

Aware that many of the volunteers do not have means of transport and often find themselves having to walk to the homes of malaria patients and to the district health centres for the monthly malaria meeting, the Soroptimist clubs decided to embark on the Cycling for Cycles project, realising that bicycles would be critical in helping the VMWs conduct their work more efficiently.

Although 75-80% of VMWs are women – they tend to have more time since they stay in the village and look after the children while their husbands are away either working on the farm or engaging in forest activities – the majority of the affected and treated patients are men. The VMWs thus play a critical role in the village community and in securing the stable livelihoods of the families affected.

The work as a VMW also enables women to take on an active role in their community and provides them with responsibility and an outreach function, often challenging and softening gender stereotypes and roles.

ANZA Cycling has joined the Cycling for Cycles project and is helping to raise funds to provide nearly 170 VMWs in Battambang Province, Cambodia with bicycles.

JOIN US TO SUPPORT THE CAUSE…

ANZA Cycling hosts Club Breakfast the first Saturday of each month at Dimbulah Coffee – where breakfast is on the club for all members and first time joiners. This year, ANZA Cycling has pledged to promote a charitable cause that is close to us, each quarter. On Club Breakfast days in April, we will be asking that while the club covers breakfast, each member digs into their pockets to support the cause. Come and try a ride, enjoy a Club Breakfast and help raise funds for Cycling for Cycles. Exact dates and further information will be posted on the Facebook ANZA Cycling group (@AnzaCycling).

Interested in coming out for a ride? ANZA Cycling runs a Newcomers’ Ride on the first Saturday of each month. [email protected]

Back in the Swing

Apr 21 2018

The 2018 ANZA Cricket season returns to speed says Clive Tilbrook.

ANZA Cricket has been back in full swing for the past month, playing up at the Dempsey fields. The bowling and fielding has been of a good standard, which we hope to keep up throughout the season.
As with last year we are training under lights at the nets at the Singapore Cricket Club on Monday evenings, and have had strong turnouts throughout the beginning of the year. It has been heartening to see all of the new guys down at the Club too.
This year we have three League teams. The ANZA Bushrangers lead the Club in Division 3 under the captaincy of Ash Perrott again. ANZA Champs and ANZA Diggers are both in Division 6 with skippers, Ian Gibb and Graeme Gardiner returning to their roles. As usual, ANZA will put in teams in the Dennis Amar Sixes in June, and a Masters team for that competition later in the year. Our social side, the ANZA Dream Team have also been playing – check here for further details on being involved.
Our grounds have been organised with our League teams’ home games at the Singapore Cricket Club’s Dempsey fields. I would like to thank them for their support in this.
Josh Ghosh organised the kit this season – and was on it back in January, way ahead of schedule. The early order was required as our supplier also handles some of the Indian IPL teams, and we needed to get in before them!
We are delighted that Hero’s Bar is sponsoring the Club again, and we’ve already had a few functions to celebrate the fact and to support our sponsor.
Finally, anyone interested in a game is welcome to come down to the nets or contact us here.

ANZA Cricket fields four teams from Division 2 through 5 of the Singapore Cricket Association. Training is on Sundays. [email protected]

7 Tips to de-clutter and maximise the space in your home

Apr 19 2018

Sponsored Content

We all enjoy the freedom and peace of mind that comes with having a neat, ordered home that reflects our style and tastes. With the increasing popularity of shows on maximising homes spaces, people are spending more time creating the perfect space inside their homes. While colour schemes, unique pieces, decoration styles and renovation tips are frequently touched on subjects, ideas on how to de-clutter your home can be difficult to find.

As de-cluttering your home is often the first step to accomplish before a renovation or remodel, below are seven tips to declutter and maximise space in homes.

Spring clean

The first and most crucial step to de-cluttering your home is sorting through your belongings and deciding what to keep, what to throw out, what to sell and what can be donated to a local shelter or second-hand store. Over the years, it’s easy to accumulate much more than you need, and this adds to the clutter in your home.

Designate

A simple way to control the clutter that comes into your home is by designating spots around the home for different things. For example, a rustic metal tray on an entryway table creates the ideal spot for incoming mail.

Keep clear

A simple and effective way to keep your home looking neat and tidy is by ensuring the benches and countertops are left clear. The addition of toasters, portable ovens and kettles can make your countertop look busy and cluttered.

The office

If you have a home office or study, you’ll know that it’s very easy for the space to become chaotic and messy in a short amount of time. Try sorting through all of your paperwork, and clearing off your table. Add a bookshelf for your books and a filing cabinet for your documents. These simple additions can clear huge amounts of space.

Box it up

When your closet is overflowing with clothes, try packing away your next season clothes into boxes and store them in another closet or upper shelf.

Repetition

The only way to ensure your house remains uncluttered is to keep on top of it. Spend an hour a week sorting, packing away and neatening items in your home to ensure clutter doesn’t take over again.

Create space with Storage Racks

The ideal way to add storage space to your home is to get a couple of strong multi tiered storage racks for your rooms. Whether it’s a storeroom, service yard , kitchen or study room in need of a in need of extra storage, storage racks will add value to your home and declutter your space.

Find quality boltless storage rack for homes and offices in Singapore today.

www.storageracksg.com

Cover Competition!

Apr 18 2018

ANZA Magazine needs YOU! Or at least the ANZA kids who love getting creative!

Open to all ANZA members 16 and under, we’re looking for one lucky winner of our June Cover Competition – could that be you?!

Our June issue of the ANZA Magazine is all about the kids – what the community can do for them, what they love about living in Singapore, and what to check out through their eyes. And we’re looking for a design for the front cover – whether it’s a drawing, a photograph, a collage, a graphic work, we just want the kids to get creative and showcase their skills!

The lucky winner will then see their cover on thousands of copies of the ANZA Magazine throughout the island and delivered to the doors of ANZA members. How cool is that?

So, how to get started? You can either download the mock up file of the cover to draw and paint on directly here, or if the artist is creating digitally, you can see the dimensions and requirements below.

NEED TO KNOW:

A digital file needs to be 300dpi .jpeg, minimum dimensions: 230mm x 230mm and emailed to [email protected].
A hard-copy (e.g. the downloaded cover printed) needs to be submitted to the ANZA office (47A Kampong Bahru Road, 169361) so we can scan the design and ensure the quality for the cover.
The design can be digital, a photograph, a drawing, a painting – or a mixture of it all!
An artist can submit as many designs as they wish!
Along with the artwork, we’ll need full name, age and a reason behind the design!

Submit your ANZA Magazine cover idea by Friday 11 May to [email protected] and we’ll be in touch if you’re a winner or runner-up!

Good luck!

Terms & Conditions
By submitting artwork and entering this competition, the entrant accepts the following T&Cs.

The competition is open to anyone aged 16 and under as of 01 June 2018.
The competition is open to ANZA MEMBERS ONLY.
All artwork entered remains 100% copyright of the artist, although ANZA reserves the right to use the image in internal and external promotion including social media.
All artwork must be 100% original copyright owned by the artist and not use any third-party material.
All artwork submitted must not violate any law or regulation, be defamatory or misleading.
The Editor’s decision is final.
The competition opens Wednesday 18 April and closes Friday 11 May. We cannot guarantee consideration for late entries.
Final decision and announcement of the winners will be announced on Friday 11 May.

Penang Palate

Apr 18 2018

TUCKERBOX COLUMNIST: Raelene Tan shares her love of the ‘Pearl of the Orient’.

Free Range Chicken Kapitan – Golden Sands

Penang, the ‘Pearl of the Orient’, an island off the north-west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, is just a one hour flight from Singapore.

HISTORY
Malaysia’s second largest city, Penang’s capital George Town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008. It is a sister city with Adelaide, South Australia.
The betel-nut tree (Malay, pinang) gave the island its name. Also known as areca-nut palm, it is the State emblem, featuring on Penang’s flag.
With a long-held reputation for good hawker fare, visits are keenly anticipated. Malay, Chinese, Indian, Nonya and Eurasian tastes abound. Gurney Drive, along George Town’s esplanade, is particularly popular for its hawker stalls. After admiring historic buildings, steel-rod sculptures and unique wall murals, this is the place to stop to appreciate well-known delicacies.

SETTLING IN
During a recent family visit, Golden Sands Resort was our choice of accommodation, as it has been on previous occasions. With its Cool Zone Kids Club and Adventure Zone, this family-friendly resort, situated on Batu Feringgi (‘foreigner’s rock’) Beach, has three swimming-pools nestled in its lush tropical gardens and a host of activities for young and old alike. Connected by a nature-path lined with exotic plants to its sister property Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa makes it ideal for a wide choice of amenities.

SPICY NOTES
Penang and nutmeg go hand-in-hand for this writer. Whether fresh, dried or juiced, the fragrant taste is a must-have. Dried shredded nutmeg sprinkled over yoghurt is a favourite breakfast item. Drinking freshly produced nutmeg juice made each day special during our stay. Herbs and spices are part-and-parcel of life in Penang, readily available and highlighted in many signature dishes. Cloves, cinnamon and coriander come to mind, as well as bay leaves, basil, ginger, star anise, pepper and ginger, to name but a few.

TASTES A-PLENTY
The island’s culinary gems include Penang assam laksa (rice-noodles in spicy soup), roti canai (Indian pancake served with curry or sugar), pasembur (Indian vegetable salad with spicy sauce), chicken curry kapitan (mild Nonya curry), Penang char kuay teow (fried rice-noodles) and satay.
At Golden Sands’ Garden Cafe we enjoyed Indian curries, Chinese noodles and Malay kueh (cakes). Next-door at Rasa Sayang’s Spice Market Café seafood, poultry and vegetables are enhanced by subtle additions of spices. At both places, ‘rooted in nature’ cooking uses sustainably farmed fish, locally sourced organic fruit and vegetables, free-range poultry and beef, with spices and herbs grown in their garden, even honey from their own beehive. Such dishes include grilled king prawns, citrus mesclun salad with chicken, grilled baby sea bass, plus fish and chips. Nasi lemak (coconut-rice with a spicy condiment, fish, egg and vegetable) and hokkien mee (noodles) can also be enjoyed. Sedap (delicious)!
I hope you visit and enjoy Penang’s precious gems as much as I.

Born in Adelaide, Raelene Tan is an etiquette consultant and food and travel writer. She has authored four books and has been a regular guest on radio and television.

Deep Thought

Apr 18 2018

WANDERING YOGI COLUMNIST: Lee Carsley visits a silent retreat for some deep reflection – but not all meditation paths need to delve so deep.

I am two hours from the Bali seaside, surrounded by lush jungle on the slopes of Mount Batukaru. Local villagers believe this sacred mountain welcomes back their souls after their death; it is a place of contemplation.
I am here for Vispassna. It is a silent retreat where meditation is key – up to seven hours a day, with one super-long-sit of three hours. There is limited food consumption (usually only one meal a day), no reading, no writing, no talking, and no recognition of others. It’s often touted as the ‘supreme’ meditation practice and heralds life-changing views – if you can stick it out… which is tough.
It’s not so tough here though. I mean you’re allowed to speak – provided you are prepared to walk 500 metres up to the guardhouse and wait there for some equally word-starved guest to join you. There’s no power in the bungalows or single-room dormitories (men and women are separated), but there are charger spaces at the Ashram (food hall) where you can give your devices some electrical juice for a US$1per day.
There is a walking labyrinth of ever-decreasing circles where you can chant mantras; a sacred water site for contemplation and a massive yoga octagon for guided yoga and meditation practice morning and night. There is even a crying bench tucked away, overlooking the river – which gets some use from me. Suffice to say, it’s intense – and obviously not for everyone.
At my check-in at the guardhouse on Day One, I was asked “what is Vispassna?” – by a woman who had been at the retreat for 10 days already… it seemed enlightenment wasn’t going to come easy and my tests started ASAP.
It was rice-harvesting season. Every morning, my bungalow with its superb view of the fields, was greeted with the sounds of scythes swishing through the rice, chatter of the workers, the occasional song. It was a reminder that peace is not always silence.
It was also cremation season. In Hindu tradition, cremation frees the spirit for reincarnation. In Bali, communities decide the date for a group cremation as many cannot afford the individual expense. This season requires the cutting down of special wood – with a chainsaw. There’s a party, with music, speeches, fireworks, lasting well into the night. Every night.
It was a reminder of my most sacred duty in meditation: to practice karma so my soul may be liberated.
And there were the night frogs and insects which seemed noisier than NYE in New York. Being kept awake was only a reminder of the importance of breath in calming the mind, body and soul – and remembering to take ear plugs.
Each day, these challenges came and went – I still remained in silence.
Then on Day Six, our regular guide turned up with a nagi, an Indian instrument that looks like an accordion. He was happy; the retreat owner had given permission to practice meditation with Kirtan, a call-and-response practice of devotional singing.
I surrendered to sound – and came out of Vispassna.
Yet, not all meditation paths have to be this deep. Like other people at this retreat, you can choose the depth of your silence.

MEDITATION TIPS:
If you can’t commit to a regular meditation practice (at least 20 minutes, three times a week) you may be better off with a massage. Irregular meditation has an instant feel good effect; which wears off rather quickly without ongoing mind-training.
Not all meditation practice offers the same outcomes – speak to experts who will tell you the difference.
Do not meditate if you are experiencing clinical depression, or some form of personality disorder as it can make it worse.

And remember, the path is both wide and deep. Seek which suits you.

Lee Carsley is the ANZA Wandering Yoga founder teacher, and Yoga Alliance CE trainer. When not teaching yoga to students and other teachers, she also leads meditation workshops and bespoke yoga retreats. Be the light, show the light, and travel light.

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ANZAAustralian and New Zealand Association

ANZAAustralian and New Zealand Association

Home Grown Talent

Tribes & Tribulations

ANZA Soccer’s Super Finals

Friendly Opportunities

Cycling for Cycles

Back in the Swing

7 Tips to de-clutter and maximise the space in your home

Cover Competition!

Penang Palate

Deep Thought