Author: openjargon

• Gabi Bondor and Zoltan Kaman moved from New York City to Bali seven years ago with their teenage sons.
• During the pandemic, they built a six-bedroom eclectic home for their family.
• Now, they're becoming empty-nesters and selling the Canggu villa for $1.895 million.

Seven years ago, Gabi Bondor and Zoltan Kaman packed up their lives and moved from New York City to Bali with their two teenage sons in tow.

It was an idea sparked by a conversation with a friend over coffee on a cold winter morning.

The friend had mentioned his plans to enroll his daughters in the Green School, which is made from eco-friendly bamboo buildings and is known for its sustainability-focused pre-kindergarten through high school curriculum. It's also located in Ubud, over 10,000 miles from New York, near the center of the Indonesian island.

"And while we had traveled to places like India, Vietnam, and China, we'd never been to Indonesia before. So I said, 'Bali, that sounds very warm. Tell me more,'" Bondor told Business Insider.

When they got home, they started researching what life in Bali was like.

"I looked at the school, and it was the opposite of what was happening to my children in high school in New York. When the kids got home that day, I said, 'Guys, we're going to Bali for spring break,'" Bondor said.

The spring break visit came and went, and the couple decided they wanted to experience what it was like to live on the island for longer.

They ended up selling their kids the idea of a yearlong sabbatical in Bali as a break from stressful city life and a chance to see the rest of Asia.

"We told them, 'One suitcase each. Everything else goes into storage because we'd be back in a year,'" Bondor added. "Although they were allowed to bring their Xbox in their carry-on."

But after their year in Bali passed, the couple realized they didn't want to leave. They made a trip back to the US to clear out their storage and have no plans to move back.

The friend who introduced them to Bali didn't make the move in the end, she added.

Building in Bali

Like many expats, the couple rented a few different homes in Bali before finally building their own house during the pandemic.

"When COVID-19 came, land prices were a lot more affordable than what it is today, so we decided that we were going to purchase a plot somewhere where we could create a space for our family," Bondor said.

Part of the reason they chose to build instead of buying an off-plan property or continuing to rent was so that they could ensure the quality of the build, Kaman, the cofounder of a digital payment app, told BI.

"We always had some issue or another with the homes — the pump, the AC — and the landlords don't always care," Kaman said. "We thought, 'Why don't we build something ourselves so at least we can control and make sure that everything is working the way we need?'"

Additionally, they had experience renovating their homes during their time in the US. It helped that they also had a great team of builders — recommended by a friend — to rely on too.

"We love the process," Bondor said. "We enjoy it. I think we're a great team. If he is down or pissed, I pick him up, and vice versa."

They knew they wanted to stay near Canggu which is known for its beaches and bustling food scene.

"We lived in the neighborhood and we had always scouted around. Many people like the rice field views, while others like the beach views. We are social people — we like our coffee shops," Bondor said.

When the couple first saw the plot, located at the end of a narrow street that branches off from the main road, they fell in love immediately.

"It was so quiet and peaceful. There was nothing, except for basically seven big mango trees and thick vegetation. It was like a mini jungle," Kaman said.

The plot was about 8,200 square feet. Since foreigners aren't allowed to own land in Bali, the piece of land they have is on a 30-year lease.

The entire construction process took slightly over a year to complete, and the couple lived in a rented home nearby so they could always be on-site.

The biggest challenge they faced was having to work through Bali's rainy season, which typically runs from November to March.

"We started digging a pool when it was the rainy season, and we were just digging mud," Bondor said. "For weeks and weeks, you didn't see the digger come out of the soil — it felt like we weren't getting anywhere."

A cozy, eclectic home

The couple's six-bedroom home sits in a cul-de-sac, next to a rice field that's been repurposed into a plot to grow cucumbers.

The two-story building — which comes with an accessory dwelling unit that the couple calls "the teenager pad" — has a red and gray exterior that stands out in contrast to the surrounding greenery.

Those who step beyond the gate are greeted by a long walkway flanked by two koi ponds that lead to the main building.

"I like to say that it has a lot of European charm, like Paris with New York dancing a tango kind of thing. I really wanted to incorporate a lot of Balinese elements as well," Bondor said.

The furniture is handmade in Indonesia, and even the terracotta tiles on the building's exterior were crafted by a local family, she added.

Most importantly, it's a house that they designed with their own living habits in mind.

"I think everything, from the kitchen layout to the lighting, is based on the way we live our everyday life," Bondor said.

Becoming empty nesters

But the couple has decided it's time to say goodbye to their house — they're putting the villa on the market for $1.895 million.

Their oldest son is already studying abroad, and the youngest will start college soon. The couple plans to downsize to a smaller place.

"He just graduated last weekend. It's really hit us hard that he's leaving very soon and we're going to have this big, empty house to ourselves," Kaman said.

Moreover, as empty-nesters, they plan to travel a bit more now that they have the freedom to, and a house of this size can't be left empty in tropical weather for too long.

"It's not four seasons, it's always a lot of rain. The sun is always strong. It wears materials out," Bondor said. "We have animals. If one little gecko dies here and nobody cleans for a day or two, the ants will come."

"This house needs a lot of care and maintenance. So if you're not here for months, this is not going to work," Kaman added.

However, Bali will always be their home base.

The slower pace of life on the island lets them stop and appreciate the little things in their day, like being able to work out in the mornings or have a nice lunch together.

That aside, Bali is a melting pot of different cultures, and its people never fail to inspire them.

"There's a very unique expat community that comes to Bali and I think our friends have very similar mindsets that we do," Bondor said.

The couple has one tip for those who want to build a house in Bali: Don't cut corners.

"Do it the right way, and always respect your team," Bondor said. "Don't use cheap materials because this weather is going to wear everything out. If your roof is not done well, this rain is going to find its way in."

Kaman added that it might not be wise for anyone without any prior experience to take on such an ambitious project.

"If they don't have experience building houses, don't start with Bali," he said. "Just pick the right contractors."

Have you recently built or renovated your dream home? If you've got a story to share, get in touch with me at agoh@businessinsider.com.

• Voters across the European Union are voting in a new European Parliament in elections this week.
• Early results reveal a surge in support for far-right parties.
• Nationalist and populist figures now have an advantage in France, Italy, Austria, and Belgium.

Early results for the European Union's parliamentary elections reveal a surge in support for far-right and nationalist parties, according to multiple reports.

The EU elections, held in 27 countries from June 6-9, showed especially strong support for anti-immigrant, nationalist figures in France and Germany — two of the continent's largest powers often regarded as drivers behind the experiment of pooled sovereignty, The New York Times reported.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday announced he would dissolve France's National Assembly (the lower house of the French Parliament) after the country's far-right party, the National Rally, led by French lawyer Marine Le Pen, handily defeated Macron's Renew Party, per The Wall Street Journal.

The dissolution of the assembly is a high-stakes gamble that will result in new elections being held between June 30 and July 7. It could result in Macron's Renew Party losing additional seats to rivals in the anti-immigrant National Rally.

"This is a serious, weighty decision, but above all it's an act of trust," The Journal reported Macron said of his decision. "Confidence in you, confidence in the ability of the French people to make the right choice for themselves and for future generations."

The Associated Press reported that Alternative for Germany (AfD) — considered a "suspected" extremist group by German authorities — also surged in support. AfD overtook Germany's Social Democratic party, which has been the leading party in the country since Olaf Scholz was elected chancellor in 2021.

According to AP, AfD received 16.5% of the vote, up from 11% in 2019, compared to a combined 30% for the three parties in Germany's governing coalition.

Polls also show populist politicians have an advantage in Italy, Belgium, and Austria, the outlet reported.

AP noted that since the 2019 European Parliament elections, far-right politicians have led in Hungary, Italy, and Slovakia and are part of ruling coalitions in Sweden, Finland, and the Netherlands. The parties have gained support in large part due to anti-immigration and anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment, as well as policies focused on nationalism and identity, The Times reported.

If early results are confirmed, this year's elections would strengthen the right's power across the European Union and offer a stunning rebuke to Europe's political establishment. Should more far-right parties gain power, it would become harder for the parliament to pass laws across the EU and likely impact negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, as much of the EU's far-right has a pro-Russia stance, pushing for a peace deal between the countries on Russia's terms, per The Times.

Firmer figures from this year's elections are expected late Sunday night.

Representatives for the European Parliament did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

• Arizona Republicans are turning to ballot measures to get some of their top priorities on the books.
• Controversial immigration and voter signature measures are set to appear before voters in November.
• The ballot measures could turbocharge turnout in a state already knee-deep in ideological battles.

The GOP-controlled Arizona legislature voted to approve a ballot measure last week that would empower state law enforcement officials to arrest and incarcerate individuals they suspect have entered the US illegally, while also permitting state judges to deport them.

Given the high-stakes nature of immigration policy in the United States, the measure is almost certain to encounter legal challenges should voters approve it in November.

It's one of several conservative-led measures set to appear on the November ballot as Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs — who opposed the move — lacks the veto power to block it.

That lack of veto power is essentially a loophole used to circumvent the governor, allowing GOP lawmakers to use their slim legislative majorities to get conservative proposals on the ballot.

These ballot measures are likely to have a major impact on the upcoming presidential election in a state where both major-party candidates are itching for a win.

Donald Trump defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Arizona in 2016, but President Joe Biden won it in 2020, buoyed by support from independents, Latino voters, and young voters.

The proliferation of ballot measures in Arizona — which could also include a measure establishing the "fundamental right" to an abortion up until the point of fetal viability — has the potential to turbocharge turnout in the state in November.

And it raises the stakes not only for the presidential candidates, but also for down-ballot lawmakers as Arizona is once again set to be a laboratory for the nation's ongoing ideological battles.

GOP lawmakers also placed on the ballot an amendment that would make it more difficult for citizen-led signature drives to succeed in getting measures on the ballot.

If approved by voters, the measure would put geographic restrictions on ballot petitions, which Republicans say is necessary to give rural voters a larger voice in a state dominated by populous Maricopa and Pima counties.

Arizona law says petitioners must collect signatures equal to 10% of the votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election in order to get a state statute on the ballot. For constitutional amendments, petitioners must collect signatures equal to 15% of the votes cast. There are no geographic guidelines on where the signatures must be collected.

But if passed by voters, the Republican-crafted ballot measure would create a signature distribution requirement to get a measure on the ballot, forcing petitioners to meet the aforementioned thresholds in each of Arizona's 30 legislative districts.

• Students, it seems, will always try to smoke in the bathroom.
• One Long Island school installed vape detectors in its middle school bathrooms to stop them.
• The devices detect THC and nicotine in the air and even alert administrators.

Schools are cracking down on students using weed vapes and e-cigarettes during the school day.

In New York, e-cigarettes have been banned from public and private schools since 2017, but that hasn't stopped crafty students who have apparently continued the age-old tradition of smoking in the bathroom.

Now, one Long Island school went as far as installing vape detectors in its bathrooms to sniff out nicotine and THC, CBS News reported.

At Lindenhurst Middle School, each student bathroom has two vape detectors, a development that was suggested by a student who was concerned about her friends becoming addicted to vaping, according to CBS. A spokesperson from the school did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

The devices, called FlySense, were developed by Soter Technologies "to detect vape and changes in air quality," according to the company's website.

When smoke is detected, the school principal gets an automatic email, and students caught vaping are connected to professional help, CBS reported.

It comes amid additional crackdowns on school behavior. Last week, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a bill that would ban smartphones in public schools. Though Hochul doesn't plan to formally file the bill until the next legislative session begins in 2025, the reception among New York students has been tepid at best.

"If there was, like, an emergency at school you wouldn't be able to contact your parents right away," Alaiya Martinez, a New York high school student, told WWNY.

Vape companies like Juul went from being incredibly popular among young people to being slammed by lawsuits accusing the company of marketing its addictive product to children. Juul ultimately paid a $462 million settlement. Vaping remains popular among young people, however, and other nicotine products — like Zyn pouches — have proven trendy as well.

• Fresno lost over $600,000 to a phishing scam in 2020.
• Officials failed to spot red flags on a contractor invoice, a jury found.
• Mayor Jerry Dyer said the city has since improved training and updated fraud prevention procedures.

The city of Fresno lost more than $600,000 to to a phishing scam in 2020. Now, a grand jury says that city officials should have noticed the scam before it cost taxpayer dollars.

City officials discovered the fraud after realizing an invoice from a contractor working on a section of the Fresno police station was fake, according to The Fresno Bee.

The contract included the real contractor's letterhead but an incorrect account number, according to the Bee. City officials did not publicly comment on the scam until reporting by the paper uncovered it in 2022.

A civil grand jury found on Thursday that the city failed to notice "conspicuous red flags" that should have tipped them off to the fraud, the Bee reported.

The jury found that the city's finance department followed policies that were "understood" through training but never written, according to the Bee. Employees were also supposed to get approval from another employee for large payments, but failed to do so when making the payments that resulted in the scam, the jury said.

"Phishing" attacks are carried out by criminals who usually send an email or some other message pretending to be a company or individual asking for credit card information, passwords, or other sensitive information. The goal of the scam is to trick users into sharing personal information so the scammer can gain access to their computer, company, or finances.

One study from Harvard Business School predicted that phishing scams could "increase drastically in quality and quantity over the coming years" with AI now able to automate the "entire phishing process."

Earlier this month, scammers targeted a tiny Idaho town, stealing more than $1 million from the town government through a similar scam. Criminals there tricked an employee into thinking that the city's payment information for a contractor needed to be updated.

Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer — who was not in office when the scam occurred — did not immediately return a request for comment from Business Insider on Sunday.

He told The Bee in a statement that the city has already met many of the jury's recommendations following the case, including implementing new training.

"I am appreciative of the Civil Grand Jury's time and attention on such a relevant issue in our city and our nation," the statement said. "I am also pleased with the grand jury's confidence that internally updated procedures appear appropriate for preventing this type of fraud from happening again."