Leonard Lueras
Meet Leonard Lueras. The surfing ‘newspaper man’ who washed up on Bali’s shores from the 1970s in addition to fell in love with Gods’ country.
I was born into a hispanic-latino family from the very old American city of Albuquerque, Nuevo Mejico (brand-new Mexico) from the United States of America although in later years I lived a lot of my childhood in addition to early teens in California in addition to Hawaii. I attended in addition to graduated coming from a modest private university in San Diego, California, although the longest part of my American life – about 23 years – was spent living in addition to working from the State of Hawaii. For most of those years I was a reporter for The Honolulu Advertiser, the major newspaper in Hawaii (in addition to the oldest American newspaper west of the American Rocky Mountains).
How long have you been living on Bali in addition to how did you wash up on these shores?
I first came to Bali during the late summer of 1970. At in which time I was an avid surfer in addition to so I came to This specific island to look for what I had been told were quite not bad surfing waves.
Just before coming here – then by Pan American Airways in addition to Thai International flights (coming from Saigon to Bangkok in addition to Jakarta) — in addition to later overland by train in addition to bus to Jogjakarta in addition to Surabaya to Bali — I had been temporarily based in Saigon in South Vietnam as a war reporter for my Honolulu newspaper which had established one of the earliest Vietnam War news bureaus in Saigon. After writing in addition to photographing war in Vietnam for a while I had time for a break/holiday so (based on friends’ tips) I flew to Bali that has a surfboard to check out waveriding conditions here. Once I got here I did indeed find – on This specific then remote in addition to little-visited island – a lot of actually not bad surfing situations in addition to a remarkably alive in addition to living culture.
At in which time I quickly became quite fond of the island of Bali, so during later years I could return to Bali every time I had a chance to breakaway coming from Hawaii in addition to some other places to hang out in “Gods’ Country”.
the item was always fun to be here as a visitor/tourist, although a actually great break came in late 1983/early 1984 when a Singapore-based publishing house called Times Editions commissioned me to write a book about the island of Bali. in which “coffee table book” – Bali, The Ultimate Island – is usually still in print although from the initial stages of writing the item This specific writing project not only allowed me to move to Bali, in addition to to actually make a living while being here, although, more importantly, the item paid for me to spend more than a year-in addition to-a-half working on a beautiful in addition to exotic island which already had me in its spell.
Your villa compound here in Sanur is usually beautiful in addition to I hear you have a well-known photographer moving into the neighbourhood – how did in which come about?
Thanks for the kampung compliment. Yes, our compound is usually a beautiful place – located in an area of Sanur in which used to be a bit desolate in addition to non-inhabited by foreigners. These days, however, our neighbourhood has become a very trendy area populated by many trendy people who live in eccentric villas. Our particular compound – Taman Mertasari – includes me in addition to two some other publishers (one English, one French), a garment designer/producer (American), me (yet another American) in addition to, yes, an internationally-renowned photographer. The photographer, who just recently joined our compound, is usually a longtime friend named Sebastiao Salgado. He is usually a remarkable Brazilian gentleman who is usually based in Paris in addition to we are delighted to have him, his eyes, in addition to his wife Lelia as brand-new members of Taman Mertasari.
You’re known (among some other things) for being a writer, photographer in addition to a publisher – which of these three do you want people to know you best for in addition to why?
Probably the best way to describe me could be to call me a “media freak”, although the description I most prefer for myself is usually to be referred to as a “newspaperman”. My early career training in addition to subsequent life’s work was largely spent in “not bad old days” newspapering when covering news for a daily newspaper was probably the most fun in addition to interesting job from the entire world. in which profession took me all over Hawaii in addition to the entire world for many fascinating years although I had to give up my roving journalistic career from the early 1980s when I became one particular parent in addition to had to devote a large amount of my time to raising two children by myself. the item was at in which time in which I began seriously writing books instead of filing day-to-day correspondent dispatches.
You’re quite the dude in addition to the shades are a part of your persona – has This specific always been the case? What brand do you wear?
I have always said in which you can never have too many pairs of sunglasses, baseball caps or cool tropical shirts – in addition to especially so from the tropics. As my Hawaiian friends used to say, “I wanna be comfortable, not hot, brah”. I’ve liked all sorts of sunglasses through the years, although in recent years I have become a devoted Oakley sunglasses fan (something to do with the look in addition to lenses).
Where did your love for photography stem coming from?
I have been quite avidly involved in photography since high school days in California, although photography later became a very important part of my life once I commenced working as an international newspaper correspondent from the early 1970s. In those days the item was rare in which a newspaper could afford to send both a reporter in addition to a photographer on an assignment together so I could have to personally take photographs to accompany my writings. I didn’t mind doing in which, though, because I have always enjoyed shooting pictures. I find writing to be hard in addition to disciplined work although photography has always been for me a pleasant diversion in addition to a form of visual meditation.
What’s been the most memorable photo you’ve taken in Bali?
Wow, in which’s a difficult question to answer because Bali is usually so rich in imagery, whether regarding people, places or things. although some of the most arresting images I recall shooting are scenes at grand Balinese ceremonies back from the 1970s in addition to early 1980s. Then there was still a feeling of “Old Bali” in which I don’t see too often these days.
What camera do you work with these days?
from the not bad old film days I mostly used Leica rangefinder cameras, although these days – given “the digital revolution” in addition to the recent “death of film” – I use Canon digital cameras. I am particularly fond of a modest Canon digital camera I have called the G-10.
What’s your latest published work?
Yikes, during the past year-in addition to-a-half I have released three brand-new books – one a limited edition book about U.S. President Barack Obama’s childhood in Indonesia in addition to Hawaii, one about Batam in addition to the Riau Islands, in addition to another about those spacey Balinese “Day of Silence” effigies called ogoh-ogoh. The ogoh-ogoh book is usually one of the largest “coffee table books” ever produced about a Balinese subject in addition to is usually filled that has a lot of stunning in addition to lurid images of ogoh-ogoh taken by some 33 Balinese in addition to foreign photographers.
Can you tell me a bit about the Obama album you created especially for President Obama’s visit to Indonesia last year? in addition to why were you asked to make in which?
in which book, made for the Obama family (Barack, Michelle, Malia in addition to Sasha Obama), was commissioned by President Obama’s Javanese relatives in Indonesia. They wanted to do something very personal in addition to special to honour the occasion of Obama’s first formal State Visit to Indonesia. Being an American in addition to mostly coming from Hawaii (Obama’s birthplace, in addition to the birthplace of my two children) I was pleased in addition to proud to do something like in which for my remarkable president. This specific limited edition album-book includes very rare in addition to never before published photographs of Obama as a young child in Indonesia in addition to Hawaii, in addition to recently the U.S. Library of Congress even procured a copy to place into their rare books collection.
You have a very unique car – can you tell me more about the item? What inspired you to modify the item with wood? in addition to what do people’s expressions say as you drive by them from the item?
My car is usually a 1970 long wheel-base Land Rover in which has been painted English pillar box red in addition to has been beautifully trimmed by Indonesian carpenters-craftsmen with local teak wood. the item is usually what 1960s surfers used to call a “woodie”, meaning a vintage vehicle trimmed in wood. I have driven the item three times coming from Bali to Jakarta in addition to back in addition to people actually seem to like the item because they always want to take photographs of the item in addition to are always asking me if I could like to sell the item to them. I have a lot of fun with This specific car in addition to the item (“The Red Rover”) has become more of a friend to me than my car.
Sounds like a lot of fun. So as an expat who’s lived in Bali for a while at This specific point, how do you feel about the rapid modifications in which are happening on the island in terms of development?
Some things are for the better in addition to some things are for the worse. The first few times I came to Bali there was no electricity, no telephones in addition to mostly funky pot-holed roads. There were also very few places where you could get a decent meal, although despite those drawbacks Bali was extremely charming. I miss those days – when you could enjoy a meal of two lobsters in Kuta for about one dollar – although I also enjoy many of the things in which “progress” has brought to the island. “Progress” can be a drag although the item is usually also fun these days to have Internet access in addition to to have international newspapers in addition to croissants delivered to my home from the morning.
What can expats in addition to visitors do on the island to live harmoniously with its culture, its people in addition to its nature?
Do what you can do to preserve the environment in addition to Bali’s amazing living culture. Modern Bali things like traffic, plastic in addition to advertising billboards are becoming actually boring, so do what you can to influence local people to expunge in addition to avoid these things.
If you had to be stranded on a deserted island for a month, what three things could you bring with you in addition to why?
I could bring a lot of beer, a hot Javanese woman I love, in addition to all of the books I’ve been wanting to read (although have not yet read).
Great answer. in addition to what has been your greatest achievement to date?
My greatest achievement in life has been to raise two beautiful in addition to loving children (a son, Lorca, in addition to a daughter, Asia) by myself.
in addition to finally, what three words best sum up your personality, Leonard?
Love, truth, beauty.
Thank you Leonard! If you’d like to get in touch with the dude, email him at leonardinbali@gmail.com.
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Leonard Lueras
Leonard Lueras