2022
Day 4, The carnival is over!
2 November 2022
It is all over now and most people have headed home. I’m still absorbing what has entered my brain space - and my heart - over these last few days. An overwhelming experience involving all the senses - Bali, books, friends, food, ideas, heat and humidity, bird sounds and motorbikes!
The temple festival taking place over the same four days is also over and Ubud is returning to “normal” (actually there is nothing normal about this place.) The traffic jams are not so acute now that there are no more temple processions. (I had to get a motor bike to the festival site one day as no shuttles could get through. Jane too - a real adventure for her, but the way I always used to get around with Josh). The rain held off all four days - amazing!
To start off as usual, with breakfast, this vision in pink. A flower arrangement for the Lotus Cafe being prepared right by my breakfast table. This has got to be one of my prize shots!
The temple festival taking place over the same four days is also over and Ubud is returning to “normal” (actually there is nothing normal about this place.) The traffic jams are not so acute now that there are no more temple processions. (I had to get a motor bike to the festival site one day as no shuttles could get through. Jane too - a real adventure for her, but the way I always used to get around with Josh). The rain held off all four days - amazing!
To start off as usual, with breakfast, this vision in pink. A flower arrangement for the Lotus Cafe being prepared right by my breakfast table. This has got to be one of my prize shots!
And this exquisite arrangement was my breakfast - called pitaya - the main ingredient, the deep purple dragon fruit. Tasted as delicious as it looks!
But the session that tore our heartstrings on Day 4 was the Bali Bombing anniversary one - the personal stories of Ni Luh who lost her husband, Sari Club head waiter, and searched in vain for his body, and Pak Haji Bambang, a Muslim policeman who that terrible night held 25 victims of the blast as they died in his arms. The emotion was palpable as they recounted the events of that night as if it were yesterday, not 20 years ago. Both appeared as characters in the recent STAN mini-series on the bombing. Their anguished stories told yesterday were brilliantly interpreted by a young Indonesian Chris who, without notes, and with equivalent emotion to the speakers’, repeated every word of what they had said in perfect English, even when they had kept speaking for five to ten minutes before pausing. I have never heard anyone with that level of interpreting skills. He should be a highly-paid UN interpreter! Had a chat with him after to congratulate him. I was in total awe of his abilities. Deborah Cassrells of The Australian reported stories from Australian families she had interviewed for this anniversary too, but what she had to say was overwhelmed by the two Indonesians - the moderator, Janet de Neefe, did not control the session as perhaps she should have, but there was no way one could interrupt, I guess.
Chris, the long-haired interpreter at the end - the hero of this festival to me. (With a video screen behind.)
Chris, the long-haired interpreter at the end - the hero of this festival to me. (With a video screen behind.)
Powerful session with investigative journalists Andreas Harsono (HRW) and Drew Ambrose of Al Jazeera - a dicey job they do, researching highly dangerous stories on human rights. We have to honour their courage. The latest HRW report from Indonesia is on government enforcement of wearing the hijab in Indonesian schools and for public servants in many provinces and regencies, even for non-Muslims. Not the Indonesia I knew when I first came here in the late 1960s. Can be very dangerous for breaking the story on child prostitution in parts of Asia too, as Drew described. It is a wonder Andreas survived the Soeharto era as an independent journalist.
A session on the president, Jokowi was a total write-off. Rather than being an assessment of his presidency it was a political promotion of the current regime by an Indonesian from the state electricity commission who’d written a book on the president, and another official from Jakarta. Michael Vatikiotis, the moderator, tried in vain to get the speakers to say something useful. The only truly boring session at the whole festival. We are assuming there was Government pressure to have this guy’s book included in the program.
I was glad to escape this session early and get to the Lontar 35th anniversary public event in a nearby cafe. A lovely affair, with John the publisher, Pam the translator and Diana Darling the editor, all contributing to an overview of the mission and work of Lontar in putting out there hundreds of translated works of Indonesian literature spanning the 20th and 21st centuries. Old mate Vern turned up! Now in a state of advanced Parkinson’s, he is still showing an interest. Good to see him, albeit briefly.
I was glad to escape this session early and get to the Lontar 35th anniversary public event in a nearby cafe. A lovely affair, with John the publisher, Pam the translator and Diana Darling the editor, all contributing to an overview of the mission and work of Lontar in putting out there hundreds of translated works of Indonesian literature spanning the 20th and 21st centuries. Old mate Vern turned up! Now in a state of advanced Parkinson’s, he is still showing an interest. Good to see him, albeit briefly.
And as if this were not enough pleasure for one day, we had a memorable evening to celebrate the end of the festival with our little group of Indolitclub friends - an invitation by Melinda and Viv to their luxury villa just north of Ubud. A swim followed by a dinner beautifully prepared and served by the villa staff - fabulous camaraderie among the six of us round the table, with bamboo xylophones in the background. A magic Ubud night. Thanks Viv and Mel.
So, another fabulous festival is over. Have had a couple of days more in Ubud since, meeting up with more expat friends of Josh’s and mine, and a special evening with Jasmin’s mother and sisters at their home outside Ubud. Jazz will be home with them for the Xmas holidays.
Now in Legian as I finally finish this, closer to the airport for our last night - fly out tomorrow night and home Friday morning. What a time we’ve had! And I’m still in one piece albeit with a few more creaks and groans. And it still hasn’t rained!
Now in Legian as I finally finish this, closer to the airport for our last night - fly out tomorrow night and home Friday morning. What a time we’ve had! And I’m still in one piece albeit with a few more creaks and groans. And it still hasn’t rained!