Galungan and Going North

We got up at 3:30 this morning to climb a volcano and watch the sunrise from the top.  My brain isn’t functioning, but I have to start writing things down cause my journal has gotten so far behind my life and I’m going to have a really bad headache if I don’t start remembering the past week soon.

Someone thought it would be a good idea for us to take herbal sleeping supplements before trying to sleep, but I think they had the reverse effect on me cause I just laid there in our squeaky cradle of a bed, rolled against Marissa because of the inward slant, atop the nasty exposed mattress that the sheet didn’t fit, thinking for hours.  Maybe I slept one hour…I don’t even know.  We had quite a time trying to get anyone to sleep anyway because the wall was flaking off on my head, Becca had some sort of hysterical laughing attack on the toilet, there was mysterious “blood” on the sheets, this awful Indonesian radio was blaring from another room, and we might as well have been trying to sleep in the middle of a dog pound. 

I was so glad when the hiking guide finally banged on our door to take us up Mt. Batur, but somewhere between 3:30 and 8 the grumpiness and exhaustion started to kick in.  The view was incredible.  We could see the island’s biggest volcano across a glittering lake, and Lombok off in the distance from the top.  And when we got started, there were so many stars in the sky that it looked like a big black tray of sprinkled salt.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many so close together before.  Our guides (they’re mandatory) were obnoxious and trying way too hard to force conversation about girlfriends and relationships at 4 a.m. though, so they put a little damper on the trip.  They also really enjoyed holding your hand and literally leading you up for minutes at a time.  I think if hiking guides are going to be mandatory they should come with an on/off switch.

I had a little nap, but now we’re back in Bedulu, and it’s my little brother’s Balinese birthday (different from the day he was actually born), so we just made fish satay and fresh fish on this make-shift, outdoor grill.  I was hoping I would finally get to see the kitchen, but no such luck.  It was fun to help with though.  Birthdays mean a grilled feast instead of just rice and tempeh or something…and the real treat for the kids is just getting to help cook.  We even had Coke at dinner!  I think that was the sugar substitute for cake. 

I’ve gotten to spend more festivity time with my fam lately, not only because of the bday but because of Galungan.  I finally spent one entire day around the compound, which I realized that with school and stuff, I hadn’t yet done.  I felt more like a real Balinese and a real part of the family than I have yet… feelings that have come in little spurts but haven’t stuck (and probably never will, especially with the language). You can see pictures that my Bapak started taking here:

http://galuhprabaningrum.blogspot.com/

Bahaha.  Oh Bapak.  I think his new blog is his outlet for the journalism he once did but can’t do now due to his lack of computer.  I only wish I could tell you all just what it says..

Anyway, for Galungan, we all got up early and had coffee before changing into our pakaian adat.  My little sister and I matched in our newly made, sheer, purple, flowery kebayas complete with glitter dots.  It’s funny—I would think that shirt is hanusly ugly in America, but our traditional clothing taste must have come with the cultural adaptation.  I’ve been wanting a sheer kebaya because it’s kind of risque and beautiful when you can see the strapless through it.  (The Balinese aren’t as conservative as I thought..)

I spent almost all day in my sarong without getting that uncomfortable!  And I actually ate the same thing for all 3 meals.  It’s supposed to be a big pig slaughtering and feasting day, but luckily (for me) my family doesn’t have enough money for all of that, so we got some special ordered chicken instead.  That didn’t keep me from having to hear the little piggies all over town squealing at about 4 a.m. though!  That’s what time the slaughterers get to work. 

Most of the food has to be given as an offering before you can enjoy it.  It’s kind of like Easter for the kids in a strange way.  We spent a long time praying in the family temple, and I watched Ibu scatter trays of fruits and flowers and little cakes all about.  Then, once mealtime came, she would tell the kids which offerings we could eat, and off they’d run to bring the trays back and quickly scope out which treats they want.  My family actually did most of the rituals the day before Galungan, which I didn’t really understand, but apparently it works out somehow.

The pervasive family traditions here make me want to hold on so tightly to what un-commercialized and home-focused holiday moments we still have.  Like Thanksgiving dinner…I’m upset I’m missing that one this year :(  The fact that it’s really just a span of days for preparing and then one for indulging and being with family makes it such a treat.  Mom, I feel like when I get home, I want us to cook every meal…you think we can do that??

Sometimes it’s the down-time I spend with my siblings that can be the most enlightening.  They’re so easily entertained, and they get along SO well.  It would be interesting to do a study on Balinese child-rearing.  Somehow the kids rarely, rarely seem to need discipline.  I don’t think I’ve seen my siblings fight one time, and day in and day out they’re playing games with each other for hours and hours.  They all love taking naps with Ibu and Bapak on the open pavilion, and Ibu just patiently strokes their hair for as long as they want to sleep.  One thing our teachers told us was that the Balinese don’t tend to comfort children when they get upset.  I haven’t witnessed it with my family here (because they haven’t gotten upset), but there was a time during my stay in the village when the little girl was sobbing and sobbing after hitting her head on the floor, and Ibu just looked at her and tried to stifle laughter while the little girl crawled on her lap in an attempt to cling on.  Ibu was almost void of movement, letting the little girl to look to her for comfort but offering no sign of comfort in return.  Maybe the kids aren’t dramatic because they know it won’t bring attention?  I just don’t know..

 On our excursion this week, we spent a lot of time learning about religion.  We were in the north of Bali, which is the area where the island’s small population of religious minorities is located.  I think Bali is like 95% Hindu, but there are Muslims, Buddhists, Confucians, and even a few Christians as well.  We met with a group of Indonesian students at a University in Singaraja and spent the day visiting different places of worship and talking about faith.

The people here are incredibly open to minority religions, which was a little surprising to me given what an incredibly religious people the Hindus of Bali are.  Their religion, though, seems more like a well-practiced spirituality.  In North Bali, the different beliefs seem never to be a topic of tension—rarely even a topic of discussion, for that matter.  A few complications come into play when marriage between faiths is considered, but I think the only people for whom love can’t always be the determinant are Hindus in the highest caste. The non-Hindus attend the cremation ceremonies for those they are close to, and on Hindu holidays like Galungan, the Hindus stop by both their Hindu and non-Hindu neighbors houses to offer little gifts of coffee and fruit. 

The only concepts you can’t seem to find any sign of here are atheism, agnosticism, or even just a time of indecision.  This is where I wish a language barrier didn’t exist.  It’s so interesting to me—these beliefs play into daily life from the time a child is born, so wouldn’t you think, at some point in the endless span of rituals, the youth might wake up and think, “Wait…is all this stuff I’m spending so much time on really serving a purpose??”  It’s was an interesting conversation given our SIT group compared to the group of Indonesians, because I think over half of us would say that, even if we can identify with a religion, we don’t currently practice anything too specific.  For the Indonesians though, there’s never a question of “hmmm what am I?”

I might spend some time with that during my ISP…trying to get people to tell me what they really feel is being fulfilled by these pervasive religious practices.  Was there ever a time they doubted?  Do the rituals ever seem to lose a sense of purpose?  What’s really going through your mind each morning when you wake up knowing you need to give an offering?  I just need help with language!  And people who want to open up!

Openness as far as actions are considered hasn’t been hard to find at all.  Even in the only Hindu communities, they are always willing to let outsiders observe or participate, and always (at least so far) without any attempts at proselytizing.  If you have questions, they answer gladly, but I don’t think my family has once asked me what I believe.  It’s nice.  It makes their pervasive rituals seem not so much a special, “you must study this to benefit from it” kind of thing, but much more of  “this is what we choose to do to contribute our little share to the contentment of the world”.  It’s like simply opening yourself to it opens it to you…and “it” isn’t necessarily identified as Hindu or non-Hindu.  “It” is just a special way of showing gratitude, and asking for health, security, fulfillment…and they seem to recognize that the need for all of that must exist within every creature (even the plants!) in this world.  

One night in Lovina we spent some time in a Buddhist monastery up on a hilltop.  With the views of the mountains from every side and countless little coves and outdoor inlets within which to pray, I don’t know that one could find a single spot that didn’t feel peaceful. It was like the atmosphere enveloped you.  I was surprised just walking around by how easy it seemed to imagine how one could just retreat there and give everything up.  I know I don’t have the mindset to do that, but I swear the place could have made anyone think for at least a minute that being a monk might be a good idea..   

Ahh what else did we do? I’m having trouble remembering.

Oh! We went out on those little wooden boats that look like water-walking bugs at 5:30 morning to look at dolphins.  It was a weird mix of enjoying ourselves but also feeling guilty and invasive because we (and all the other tourists) were like an army that turned and chased every time a dolphin fin popped up.  We wanted to see them, but we wanted to leave them alone too.  The boat I was in sort of separated from the rest of the pack near the end and we were lucky enough to see a little dolphin jump up and twirl around…twice!  It was like he was just discovering he could do it..and only willing to try because most of the tourists had moved away.

We also visited a little Muslim fishing village on the edge of town.  We danced with all the kids there while the local musicians played some instruments I don’t know the names for.  The kids were so happy! And they got attached to us so quickly.  If only we hadn’t already been exhausted when we got there and dripping in sweat after one song of dancing, I think we all would have been content to hang out with the kids all day. 

What else…we got into a discussion about gays and lesbians in Bali, and we sang more American music with the students, and I’ve got some more funny stories, but I don’t think I can write anything else right now.

It’s gotten really hot here for some reason.  And my hair has adapted this weird straw-y texture.  It’s had some rough times because I stopped trying to use conditioner when I got here, but I don’t know where this new texture is coming from.  I’ve decided that one of the strangest things when I get home will be to step into a shower.  Even places with a showerhead here never, ever separate the area from the rest of the bathroom.  That’s why all the bathrooms feel so damp and sticky and hairy and start to smell bad..

K it’s Monday now and I have to go finish my batik!  We’re going to Denpasar (the capital) for 3 days on Wednesday.  I’ll update again sometime next week! 

 :)