Aquaria's monthly blog

Welcome to our July 2020 Blog 

The world is in chaos *
So much doubt, fear, confusion.
We have free will, we make choices. Did you know that?
Have faith in trust, shared knowledge and unconditional support.

The Aquaria Office Team have been busy sending out Newsletters to all of our recent guests.

We’ve had some teething problems as we are working from a distance,

but we hope that it’s all in process now.   

If you havn’t yet received yours, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

I am overwhelmed and so grateful by the support we have received from the Appeal we launched in June .. We have received enough to be able to support staff for one or two months, or to give them food parcels.  The staff have chosen food parcels, and the first ones went out on 1 July.   In return for the support we have received, we have sent out our first month’s recipe with some news, to all donators. Krisna, one of our chefs, is the cook as well as the model for this year’s recipes, and Yuni is the recipe gatherer and photographer. I hope you will love Krisna’s welcoming face & Yuni’s photos as much as I do. Working via Whatsapp with these two has given me so much pleasure, and kept me going thru this dark time. Most of our guests from the Facebook Appeal have requested to be included in The Aquaria VIP Membership Club. This has proved a huge success, and I am so pleased to give a little piece of Aquaria back in return for the donations. Each month for 6 months, Aquaria VIP members will receive another recipe from “A Taste of Aquaria” cook book, together with news, and poems, and photos, for a one-off donation of AUD$50.00
This month we sent out over 70 recipes for our well-loved Pumpkin soup, and we want to thank all those supporters from the bottom of our hearts.

Situation Update:
The situation…… in Bali, remains the same….

The streets are getting busier in Candi Dasa and down South, as though this is the new normal…Yet there hasn’t been an all clear yet!. Unfortunately, as I predicted, infections have risen, as the Indonesians enter or return to Bali after Idul Futri…. I feel that Bali would have remained a safer place if the borders had been controlled from Indonesia, as previously Bali had recorded minimal infection and death, proving that prayer is a powerful tool. It seems that Bali staff from the cruise ships are now being put into quarantine, and are not infecting their home villages.. One of our guests from Carolia Charity reported that her sponsor boy, on returning early from his cruise ship, was made to go into quarantine twice, due to a mix-up: the local village did not trust that the Denpasar government had already quarantined him! We hear that most village elders have taken matters into their own hands, and also have a curfew at 7pm at night, to stop social gatherings.

Aquaria family/staff remain safe and well, although we have heard of infection in a village nearby. Staff remain vigilant, using masks and washing hands….but it is getting harder to ensure safe distancing.        However, Bali government is still predicting that it will open borders for tourists in July! and probably to the Chinese first.
The Aquaria staff want to work. Although I tried to keep them home and safe for the first month or so, during March/ April, it seems they are happier if they have something to do, but they are missing our guests. I think they felt more frustrated and stressed staying at home. They are still working in separate teams, on alternate days. They are busy doing some upgrading and maintenance. It would be a good idea to do some major projects and upgrades, as we have the time without guests, but it is not economic because the money we have is needed for the staff, and to pay the fixed costs at Aquaria. …

 People have been asking how they can support us. ….how they can help…. And this is why I came up with the appeal. The appeal is in our June Blog on the website. 

I hear that many of our staff are supporting their extended families.  Their brothers and sisters who have no jobs, and no income.  Ketut's small salary as well as providing for his own family and parents is also helping to support his 2 brothers (drivers with no tourists, no income, no security)   and their 7 children. Sadly,  I cannot support them all. The local government have given out 10kg of rice for each family, as a one-off aid.   It's better than nothing, of course, but most families use 1 kg  rice per day.   But  the Ministry of Tourism has sent out boxes of staple foods (to a value of $7.00) to all our staff (& probably to all hospitality workers). We assume it is a one-off, however the staff are very grateful for this.  If this is a one-off, then Aquaria will continue with this idea for staff, using the donations we have been given.

If you would like to Donate to support the Aquaria family…….and you don’t know how, then please contact us This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Every time you make a donation we will send one of our favourite recipes to you.
We’d love to send you a copy of our book. Our digital cook book “A Taste of Aquaria” is almost ready… but still in process, as Yuni is busy with VIP memberships at the moment. A hard copy of the book will be available for purchase at the hotel in 2021.

Honorary Members This month: we thank Duncan and Kaye Pratt for their special kindness.
This month's winner of the digital copy of our cook book “ A Taste of Aquaria “ with thanks for their kindness: Susie & Leo Van Der Leit
If you too would like a copy of the digital cook book “A Taste of Aquaria “, it will be  available  soon and can be purchased for a donation of :: $40.00.

We don’t have on line e-commerce, but you can donate via PayPal, from our website.

With thanks for your kindness, Jeni & the Aquaria Family.

In NZ we have moved to level 1, as we had no infections for 28 days, however, on 18 June it was announced that 2 people from uk were allowed in for compassionate reasons, and now they have  Covid19, and  have already been in contact  with 300 people. This is a disaster. No control in quarantine, as we expected, and were promised.   We wait in anticipation, whether we will need to go back into Lock Down again.  We had hoped that the borders would soon open between NZ and Australia, however, this now looks doubtful. 

“Change is a door that can only be opened from the inside” (Tom Peters)
Make choices that mean something
Don’t waste your talents
Fulfil your potential
Be aware, time is short.

 
*THE WORLD IS IN CHAOS –is one of my “poems” at the end of the cook book, but looking at the current situation I now see it might have been better placed at the beginning!? We are all overwhelmed with the confusion caused by Covid 19, the havoc created by some governments and presidents, & appalled by the riots in USA that have spread around the world, due to racism.

THE WORLD IS IN CHAOS –

a “poem” by Jeni Durrant May 2018 from

the Mindful Travellers collection (Poems that don’t rhyme are called blanks)
As I knew,
As I was told
People are coming,
Confused
Need a safe place.
Need to be heard,
Neutral ground,
Peace, no demands.
It’s happening again,
The world is in chaos,
They are searching
Needing balance,
Looking for a path,
Looking for a door,
Looking for the key.
We are the key,
We are the balance.
We are not judging,
We are undemanding
We wish to share our passion.
We are compassion.
We are a safe haven

.