'As, soo desu ka' - All Aboard the Wangnin Train

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can . . .

On Stage continues its program of international live performance of dance and music with a one-night presentation of Wangnin Bunmei at The Oriental Theatre in Legian at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, December 1, 2006.

Portrayed as "vibrant, crazy, offbeat and utterly unpredictable" - Wangnin Bunmei is one of Japan's leading contemporary dance troupes.

The dance performance scheduled for Bali will present a style of modern dance rarely seen locally that draws on the dancers' years of training in differing styles of dance ranging from jazz to Butoh. Choosing to either embrace or reject their training, the dancers provide an improvisational and spontaneous performance accompanied by musicians, similarly disinclined to be governed by any rules.

Truth in Advertising

Frankly, it's impossible to predict what the audience might expect in the Bali performance. Be certain that you're in store for a fresh and different performance, promising to be both lighthearted and joyous, as the dancers take their audience aboard the Wangnin Bunmei or Wangnin Train.

Be warned and read the conditions of carriage on your tickets: The Wangnin Train is not a real train. Only the people who believe in it can ride on it and its destination is in another world. Because nobody really ever returns from a journey on this train; nobody really knows where it goes!

All Aboard!

An excellent introduction to Japanese dance and culture on several levels, the program is considered suitable for all ages, celebrating spontaneity on stage.

This train departs ay 5:30 p.m. on Friday, December 1, 2006 at The Oriental Theatre, just off Jalan Nakula in Legian.

Presented by On Stage

The single evening's performance of Wangnin Bunmei is presented by On Stage - a Bali-based organization that endeavors to celebrate the diversity of the universal human spirit via the regular cultural events in the form of dance, theatre, film and art exhibitions.

Source: www.balidiscovery.com

Blitz Megaplex with nine auditoriums

Bandung has been chosen as the first location for a new network of cinemas called Blitz Megaplex.

Boasting nine screens, Blitz Megaplex, launched its operation in Bandung last month with its first screening at Paris van Java Mall on Jl. Sukajadi.

The network management said that they would screen not only Hollywood box office hits but also non-Hollywood films such as Indonesian and Indian films.

"Let the public decide. We will not offer them only Hollywood films," Wendy Soeweno, Blitz marketing director, said.

The nine auditoriums have a capacity of between 250 to 350 seats each. While waiting for the film to start, the viewers can enjoy other facilities such as billiards, restaurants or the Internet center.

Blitz will expand its network of cinemas at Grand Indonesia in Jakarta with 11 auditoriums, with a total capacity of 3,200 seats.

Source: www.thejakartapost.com

Qatar Airways Set to Start Bali Operations in March 2007.

To celebrate 10 years of continuous operations Qatar Airways used the occasion of the World Travel Mart (WTM) in London this month to announce the addition of seven new destinations in 2007, bringing to 77 the total number of cities served by the Airline.

From Europe and Africa to Asia and, for the first time, North America, Qatar Airways will add seven key cities to its route network over the next 12 months. And the airline also confirmed it will take delivery of the first of 20 Boeing 777s next year to operate long haul routes from the carrier's Doha hub.

New Service to Bali

Nigeria's commercial centre of Lagos joins Qatar Airways' network from January 3, followed six days later by Dar Es Salaam, capital of Tanzania.

Qatar Airways will begin flying to the tropical island of Bali from the start of the Summer 2007 season in March, supporting its existing Indonesian operation where the airline already serves the capital, Jakarta.

And Vietnam is also on the horizon when Ho Chi Minh City is set to become yet another destination in Qatar Airways' Asian portfolio next March.

And, for the first time, a Qatar Airways aircraft will land in the United States with daily scheduled flights from Doha to New York, scheduled to begin in Summer 2007.

The US route will be operated non-stop with Qatar Airways' new state-of-the-art Airbus A340-600 aircraft, featuring a unique onboard First Class lounge. The airline was recently the launch customer of the High Gross Weight version of the aircraft, which is currently operating on the Doha " London Heathrow route.

In addition; Qatar Airways will fly to a new point in Northern Europe and, for the first time, in Eastern Europe, in the second half of 2007. Details of the two new European destinations are being finalized.

Addressing a press conference at World Travel Market in London, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said 2007 would be a milestone year for the Doha-based airline.

"Back in 1994, Qatar Airways launched operations with just a handful of regional routes with a handful of aircraft," he said.

"The airline was re-launched in 1997 and, almost 10 years on, Qatar Airways now flies an international network covering 70 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Indian subcontinent and Far East.

Our fleet has grown sharply to 51 aircraft and we have simply gone from strength to strength carrying more than six million passengers a year representing annual growth averaging 35 per cent. We are well on target to more than double our fleet size to 110 aircraft by 2015."

Added Al Baker: "Our fleet, our destinations and our global network have grown with unprecedented proportions, which is simply the envy of our peers in the aviation industry."

Al Baker also announced that the airline planned to acquire 20 Boeing 777s with deliveries beginning at the end of 2007. With options for a further 20 Boeing 777s, these new aircraft " a mix of Extended Range, Long Range and Freighters " will be the backbone of Qatar Airways' long-haul, wide-body fleet and used on new routes across North America and Australasia.

Source: www.balidiscovery.com