Rachael Oakes-Ash Jan 9 2015 at 4:00 PM

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Manis sees dead people. The Balinese shaman princess spoke to her first departed spirits when she was a child, or so she tells me as we float on mercury waters in search of dolphins in the north of Bali.

The fisherman guiding the carved-out wooden boat, wide enough for one person and long enough for three, has cut the engine so we float in silence. We are the only vessel on the horizon, the waters are still and the last moments of the day are dipping behind the silhouette of active volcanoes mountsBatur and Gunung Agung in the distance.

Then Manis sings. A low lullaby that bounces off the water and evaporates on the wind, carried away by the spirits that she speaks of.

Manis is also a yoga teacher, bending guests of Spa Village Resort Tembok in an effort to release urban stress within Western bodies that descend upon the remote resort in search of relief.

This is old Bali, the one that long-time Bali devotees reminisce about, accessed by a two-to-three-hour journey with a private driver from Denpasar airport through the island centre, past Ubud's terraced paddies and high into the hills of Mt Batur and the holy crater lake. It is here in the boat-only accessed Trunyan Cemetery that many of Bali's deceased lie, perhaps the spirits of which Manis speaks.

An hour's descent from Mt Batur towards the north-east coast ends at the village of Tejakula, which creeps from the foothills to the shores. Fifteen minutes along the coast to the east you'll find Spa Village Resort Tembok.

You won't find street hawkers, beach clubs or doof-doof muzak pumping from speakers here. The beach on which the resort rests is volcanic black sand and is shared with a fishing village to the west and undeveloped coconut fields to the east. Footprints are few and are washed away at high tide as the water reaches the resort edge.

Guests who make the trek to Tembok are greeted with a foot cleanse in the open-pavilion check-in.

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Spa Village Resort Tembok: Healing the mind and body in the old Bali

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FORT MYERS, FL (PRWEB) January 08, 2015

White Sands Treatment Center, Fort Myers' modern multi-tier specialized care facility will hold their grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, January 9th 2015 at 3:00 PM.

Following the welcoming from the Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce, attendees will enjoy speeches from influential community partners, local government leaders and recovery advocates such as Leslie Robinson, founder of Street Chicks in Recovery, Fort Myers Mayor Randall Henderson, and Police Chief Baker. White Sands is pleased to announce their keynote speaker for the event, Relapse Prevention Therapy pioneer Terence Gorski. A leader and revolutionary in the fields of addiction, behavioral health and social services, Gorski has spent 35 years improving methods of preventing addiction relapse.

The White Sands Treatment Center is one of the few addiction rehabilitation centers in the United States that offers residential treatment, medical detox, intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programs, as well as sober living aftercare. White Sands Treatment Center is a project that has been almost five years in the making, says Bob Gannon, Chief Operating Officer. We sought out the best possible location for a facility of this nature and found that peaceful Fort Myers was the ideal community and environment for individuals to get their life back.

Additionally, White Sands CEO James Rustemian will be speaking about the value of White Sands philosophy and mission statement. Attendees of the event will see that White Sands has captured the integral components of a successful recovery: staff integrity, a quality designed facility and cutting-edge technology.

Alternative therapy programs such as Equine Assisted Therapy, biofeedback, and group counseling on the tranquil beaches are just a few features that make White Sands unique. Attendees will notice the many fountains, gazebos and relaxing passages where patients can stop and reflect on what brought them there and envision a better future, says Gannon. The setting of White Sands was strategically designed to promote healing, and we are excited to share that.

We are proud to be able to bring our vision of recovery to those struggling with chemical dependency, mental illness or both, says Rustemian. We are committed to improving the quality of life for all those affected by the disease of addiction and the grand opening marks an exciting new beginning that I am thrilled to be a part of it.

Roughly 23.5 million Americans are addicted to drugs and alcohol, and only one in 10 addicts receive the rehabilitation treatment they need. In the past, relapse rates of those who sought treatment were disheartening; however, with new models of treatment, specialty programs, relapse prevention and recognition from the government on the need more accessible treatment, the future is promising.

About White Sands Treatment Center

White Sands Treatment Center was founded on the belief that both chemical and mental illness are progressive and chronic ailments that, if left untreated, can lead to incapacity or fatal illness. Located on 4 acres of land in the quiet beach town of Fort Myers, White Sands is a JCAHO accredited treatment center that offers those suffering from addiction a place to recover. With a majority of the staff coming from a background in behavioral or addiction health, everyone understands the battle of rehabilitation.

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White Sands Treatment Center Welcomes Fort Myers' Mayor Randall Henderson and the Community to Celebrate the Grand ...

Maybe its the childlike nature coming out in adult gardeners, or maybe its the joyful expectation of spending more quality time with children or grandchildren. Whatever the reason, so-called fairy gardens are a hot trend in the gardening community these days.

Hidden under shrubs or stately trees in botanical landscapes and private gardens or displayed at garden centers or on tabletops in homes, fairy gardens are providing an escape into a miniature world.

Fairy gardens consist of small-scale structures, tiny accessories, and diminutive plants that offer a fun way to create little landscapes that reflect the atmosphere and charming beauty of life-size natural settings. Ideally, the minigardens are set in small, somewhat secluded parts of a garden, giving visitors the feeling that they have happened upon a magical place.

But just as many fairy gardens are planted in containers and proudly displayed on tabletops, windowsills, patios, or porches.

These gardens can be as large or as small as you wish, filled with fairy figurines, furniture, gazebos, bridges, food accouterments such as cupcakes or hamburgers, beach umbrellas, and more.

Gardeners who lean toward formal gardens might create something akin to the Kensington Palace Gardens in London or the gardens at Frances Palace of Versailles. Traditionalists might choose a woodland setting; others might opt for a house surrounded by floral abundance. In truth, except for cultural requirements for plants, rules are few when it comes to designing a fairy garden.

The popularity of fairy gardening has spawned a flourishing industry in accessories. Numerous catalogs, online sources, and garden centers offer everything from the tiniest flip-flops, cups, and saucers to arbors, gazebos, and ornate fences. You can find tiny chicken and duck figurines as well as campers, tents, and hammocks even tiny potted plants, barbecues, and lounge chairs. Or you can make many such items yourself. Use rocks for tables and chairs; make teapots and birdhouses from acorns, or trellises and fences from twigs.

But what really makes the fairy gardens shine are the plants. Just as in any garden setting, select plants whose needs align with your intended site: shade plants for low-light areas, sun plants for areas that get plenty of daylight. Additionally, the idea is to choose plants that are on the same scale as your accessories. That means small, slow-growing plants. Here are a few good choices: babys tears (Soleirolia), mosses (Sagina subulata), and woolly or elfin thyme for lawns; creeping fig (Ficus pumila), miniature ivies, and red-stem pilea (Pilea glauca) to climb arbors; and miniature daisy (Bellium minutum), herons bill (Erodium sps.), and Mexican heather (Cuphea hyssopifolia) for a dash of colorful blooms.

Youll also find good options among dwarf houseplants such as miniature African violets, succulents, and even slow-growing palms. Small-leafed basil, rosemary, and boxwood can be trimmed to resemble trees and shrubs, while dwarf and mini-conifers are ideal for the outdoor gardens.

If you are eager to flex your creative horticultural muscles without the labor-intensive work of preparing and caring for a large garden, fairy gardens may be for you.

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Heres a big botanical trend thats tiny

TIME Living Travel These Are the Worlds Most-Visited Castles Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany GL Archive / Alamy From Paris to Beijing, these historic castles and palaces draw millions of visitors for a glimpse of the lifestyles of the rich and famous

Imagine a castle: it probably looks a lot like Germanys Neuschwanstein Castle, the turreted inspiration for Walt Disneys Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Each year, more than 1.5 million travelers are inspired to make the steep walk or catch a horse-drawn carriage to reach this castle perched on a rocky outcropping in the Bavarian countryside.

People have always been interested in celebrities and powerful people and their homes, says Cordula Mauss, PR officer for the Bavarian Administration of State-Owned Palaces. Immediately after the death of Ludwig II in 1886, the first tourists came and wanted to see what their king had built as his private residence.

While castles, palaces, and chteaux naturally pique such curiosity, not all have Neuschwansteins European fairy-tale looks. Some of the worlds most-visited castles, found across Asia, feature red exteriors, pagodas, and gates.

Consider Bangkoks gold-spired Grand Palace, where Thai kings lived for 150 years, and where 8 million annual visitors now traipse through ornate rooms, manicured gardens, and temples, including one that houses a revered Buddha carved from a single block of jade.

Other longtime royal residences have been repurposed as museums. St. Petersburgs riverfront Winter Palace, for instance, is the sixth-most-visited castle, thanks to the appeal of masterworks by Titian and da Vinci along with lavish restored interiors, where Catherine the Great once held court.

Americas closest approximation is Californias Hearst Castle, though it fell short of our top 20 list with only 750,000 annual visitors. And while Windsor Castle squeaked in at No. 19, Buckingham Palace didnt make the grade (567,613 annual visitors), nor did Romanias Bran Castle (542,000) or a single Irish castle. Irelands most visited, Blarney Castle, welcomed 365,000 in 2013.

That said, there can be a downside to having too many visitorsthese are delicate, historic structures that have existed for hundreds of years, and some, like Neuschwanstein, limit the daily entries. But its hard to stem curiosity when it comes to the lives of the blue-blooded.

As Mauss puts it: Who didnt want to be a prince or a princess or at least a knight when he or she was a child?

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These Are the Worlds Most-Visited Castles

Those who attended the two-day Rhythm and Alps music festival in the Cardrona Valley went home yesterday morning having dodged at least one bullet.

No-one was very likely to have a case of sunburn from their time camping, drinking and listening to music, as the sun emerged properly only as patrons left the festival grounds on Robrosa Station.

The festival attracted a crowd of about 5000, about half last year's.

However, a passing parade of heavy rain showers, strong southerly winds and cold temperatures did not seem to affect the good mood of those spoken to by the Otago Daily Times.

Hannah Cleaver, of Auckland, said the weather was ''pretty average'' but she had enjoyed the festival, lamenting only the lack of a countdown to midnight.

Abbey Holloway, of Christchurch, said she was ''absolutely saturated'' on New Year's Eve and had a ''freezing'' night in her tent, but the rain did stop before midnight and she had a really good time.

Rory Hill, of Queenstown, said he did not suffer from the cold and the festival ''couldn't have been much better''.

Edward Williams, of Christchurch, was attending the festival for the second time and considered it ran more smoothly than last time. With a smaller crowd, it was ''a little bit less hectic but still heaps of fun''.

Kyle Howard, from Vancouver, said on New Year's Eve there were gazebos flying across the campsite in the wind.

''Everyone was still in high spirits, ready to face the elements, so it was very nice.''

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Weather fails to dent high spirits

Miami, Florida (PRWEB) January 01, 2015

Alumicenter, Inc is announcing that they are beginning the New Year with the ability to offer architects, general contractors, builders and home and business owners the Equinox Louvered Roof system. This roof system is ideal for coverings for patios, decks, spas, swimming pools, outdoor kitchens, BBQ areas, gazebos,courtyards, entryways and anywhere else where sun, light and weather control is desired. What is very important is that the Equinox Louvered Roof has been site-specific engineered for this particular area of the state.

Unlike the manual roll-out shades one might see on older homes and patios, Alumicenter Inc stresses that this is an adjustable roof that transforms from a solid covering to an open garden trellis or pergola style covering giving light, ventilation and views of the sky above. With the touch of a solar-powered button, Equinox gives complete flexibility of light and weather control needs for any outdoor living area year round.

Alumicenter Project Manager, Juan Cohen, said Equinox is truly an exciting product and one that has been needed in the South Florida area for years. Once installed it costs virtually nothing to operate because of the built-in solar power unit. It is so easy to use that it is appropriate for older citizens as well as those with physical disabilities. The roof is rain-sensored.

The Equinox Louvered Roof system will not compete with building designs. Whether blueprints or plans call for gable or pitched roof, bay windows or doors, or an angled roof or walls, a system can be engineered to suit the unique design. Applications Design possibilities are endless with multiple colors, materials, finishes and styles. These include aluminum, steel, wood, stucco and paint.

Cohen also said, This is a system that has to been seen to fully appreciate. It does not look like a cheap extension but rather an original piece of the design plan.

Those who want to see the Equinox Louvered Roof being offered by Alumicenter, Inc. should visit http://alumcenter.net/louvered-roof/

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Revolutionary energy-efficient adjustable patio roof is now available to homes and commercial buildings in Miami-Dade ...

Camp staff and police have been blamed for inflaming the massive New Year's Eve riot in Gisborne which ended in 63 arrests and 83 people being injured.

The large-scale disorder broke out across two campgrounds being used for the BW Summer Festival.

Police battled with the drunken mobs for three hours.

Officers were pelted with cans and other objects, vehicles were overturned, fights broke out, and several fires were lit.

"It was pure luck that someone didn't lose their life," said Tairawhiti area commander Inspector Sam Aberahama.

Videos have started to emerge that show the extent of the carnage.

Beer cans and other missiles are seen being thrown between groups across two campsites.

Festival goers can be seen sheltering under air mattresses to protect themselves.

One eyewitness took to online social forum Reddit to hit out at camp staff and police for their role in the escalating drama.

The poster, Heavy--Metal--Viking said small fires started getting lit at around 4pm and were dealt with by staff.

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63 arrests at New Year's Eve riot

Also featuring a 14-piece funk band, an all-vinyl soul and funk party and a subversive out-of-town punk band.

8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31, at Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., Seattle; $20 (206-709-9442 or http://www.neumos.com). With Pillar Point, Manatee Commune, k o m o n o, Customs DJs

Seattle electro-pop quartet Beat Connection has a lot to look forward to in 2015, namely the release of its still-untitled second LP. The group is set to debut songs from that album at this show; promising local producer K o m o n o, who recently remixed BCsingle Another Go Round, is among the reasons to get there early.

(Grandstand Media & Management)

8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31, at The Tractor Tavern, 5231 Ballard Ave. N.W., Seattle; $25 (206-789-3599 or http://www.tractortavern.com). With Gazebos, Corey J. Brewer

Compared to contemporaries like Fleet Foxes or The Head and The Heart, theres a foreboding undercurrent to The Cave Singers stripped-down folk music. Last year saw the rather unheralded release of fourth album Naomi, a brighter, higher-fidelity album produced by Phil Ek (Built to Spill, The Shins).

8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31, at Showbox SoDo, 1700 First Ave. S., Seattle; $30$35 (360-652-0444 or http://www.showboxpresents.com). With Two Story Zori, Lions Ambition

The four members of Californias Common Kings hail from various parts of the South PacificHawaii, Samoa, Fiji and Tonga. The groups music is fittingly worldly and diverse, flitting between hook-minded pop rock, modern R&B and rootsy reggae.

8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31, at Highline, 210 Broadway Ave E., Seattle; $20$25 (206-328-7837 or http://www.highlineseattle.com). With FANG, The Derelicts

Its a testament to how much Sub Pop has changed that its now releasing records by Shabazz Palaces and Washed Out rather than records like 1990s Blood Guts & Py by Chicago punk hellraisers The Dwarves. The band is known for its inspired live shows, crude lyrical themes and unprintable-in-the-Seattle-Times album art.

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Your New Year's Eve in Seattle music: Shabazz Palaces, Beat Connection and more