2015
Treated myself to a more leisurely day today
1 November 2015
Even so I was away from home for twelve hours! Skipped the first session and arrived for the second in time to have a coffee beforehand. Then in the middle of the day I skipped another and went swimming with Josh. Bliss to be moving again after two days of solid sitting, and to get cool and refreshed for the afternoon to come. Even had time for a quick nasi Padang lunch with Josh on the way back to the festival.
A later afternoon film session was pretty relaxing - actually too relaxing - over an hour of digitalised archival b and w clips from the early 1930s made by musicologist, Colin McPhee of music being played and dances being danced or taught- except they were silent films! Quite fascinating to see Bali so long ago but where were the recordings McPhee made of the actual music? Or could they not have played a bit of an alternative sound track? The session went on for 1.5 hours but we skipped out after an hour and had a beer and kretek with Pak Jun and Stephen who has been organising the interpreters, and the owner of the venue. Caught up on a bit of behind-the-scenes festival gossip.
Then dinner at elegant Terazo with Ian Burnet and his wife Yusra. Ian has recently arrived back after leading two Ombak Putih sailing trips in the eastern part of the archipelago. Was wonderful to hear his stories. Alas, he had an accident while staying in Banda between the two trips, striking his head and lifting his scalp, but nevertheless soldiered on with the second trip. Heard tales from Yusra who was a friend of Sukarno's children in their youth in Jakarta back in 1965!! But best of all the six of us were able to share festival stories as there was never any time if we should happen to run into each other, which was rare. I had lost Maritsa and Julie for two whole days!
First up was a punch in the guts- East Timor war crimes with the brave and eloquent Galuh Wandita. An Indonesian herself, she is still fighting all these years later for justice, or at the very least physical and medical support for the East Timorese victims of Indonesian occupation, especially the women. Her book about the violence perpetrated on women in '65, in Timor, Aceh, Maluku and in Myanmar, has taken 20 years to collect evidence for and was launched at the festival. Her launch and sessions were not banned!! Did not have the evil number 65 in the title. The book is called "Enduring Impunity" - a reference to the fact that, having got away with the mass violence of 1965, some parts of Indonesian society feel they can go on getting away with more and more violence ever since. In Timor for example, against their own citizens of their annexed 27th province and in Aceh. I cannot bring myself to purchase the book as I know I will not be able to read it. And her justice organisation is also working constantly to reunite families with the 4000 East Timorese children kidnapped by the Indonesian military and taken to Indonesia between 1975 and 1999. Only 14 of them have recently been able to reunite with their families for a week, but can' t even speak Tetun any more or remember the names of their relatives. Galuh was very emotional when she talked about the reunions and when she tried to describe just one woman's terrible story. We all cried with her. A truly remarkable woman. Her father was one of Indonesia's founding fathers along with Soekarno.
A later afternoon film session was pretty relaxing - actually too relaxing - over an hour of digitalised archival b and w clips from the early 1930s made by musicologist, Colin McPhee of music being played and dances being danced or taught- except they were silent films! Quite fascinating to see Bali so long ago but where were the recordings McPhee made of the actual music? Or could they not have played a bit of an alternative sound track? The session went on for 1.5 hours but we skipped out after an hour and had a beer and kretek with Pak Jun and Stephen who has been organising the interpreters, and the owner of the venue. Caught up on a bit of behind-the-scenes festival gossip.
Then dinner at elegant Terazo with Ian Burnet and his wife Yusra. Ian has recently arrived back after leading two Ombak Putih sailing trips in the eastern part of the archipelago. Was wonderful to hear his stories. Alas, he had an accident while staying in Banda between the two trips, striking his head and lifting his scalp, but nevertheless soldiered on with the second trip. Heard tales from Yusra who was a friend of Sukarno's children in their youth in Jakarta back in 1965!! But best of all the six of us were able to share festival stories as there was never any time if we should happen to run into each other, which was rare. I had lost Maritsa and Julie for two whole days!
First up was a punch in the guts- East Timor war crimes with the brave and eloquent Galuh Wandita. An Indonesian herself, she is still fighting all these years later for justice, or at the very least physical and medical support for the East Timorese victims of Indonesian occupation, especially the women. Her book about the violence perpetrated on women in '65, in Timor, Aceh, Maluku and in Myanmar, has taken 20 years to collect evidence for and was launched at the festival. Her launch and sessions were not banned!! Did not have the evil number 65 in the title. The book is called "Enduring Impunity" - a reference to the fact that, having got away with the mass violence of 1965, some parts of Indonesian society feel they can go on getting away with more and more violence ever since. In Timor for example, against their own citizens of their annexed 27th province and in Aceh. I cannot bring myself to purchase the book as I know I will not be able to read it. And her justice organisation is also working constantly to reunite families with the 4000 East Timorese children kidnapped by the Indonesian military and taken to Indonesia between 1975 and 1999. Only 14 of them have recently been able to reunite with their families for a week, but can' t even speak Tetun any more or remember the names of their relatives. Galuh was very emotional when she talked about the reunions and when she tried to describe just one woman's terrible story. We all cried with her. A truly remarkable woman. Her father was one of Indonesia's founding fathers along with Soekarno.
Another 15 minutes with Angus between sessions - frustratingly short time to catch up on all the years he has lived and worked in Jakarta. He really is as tall as I remembered him. I barely come up to his armpit!
Nigerian, Chigozie Obioma up next. I didn't finish reading his short listed Man-Booker "The Fisherman" before I left. But got a taste of his extraordinary writing - and now here in Ubud, a long way from home, is the young man himself. Expresses himself so charmingly and eloquently too. One member of the audience gleefully pointed out that had he won the prize he would have had to cancel his trip to Bali, so we were very lucky. He did his tertiary studies in Cyprus and later mentioned he is reading literature in Turkish now, so he must have been in Turkish Cyprus???
Death penalty session entitled "Final Call"- another grim hour and a quarter but the speakers including two Australians, Bridget Delany from the Mercy Campaign and an international lawyer, Patrick Burgess. Also Todung Mulya Lubis again, the local human rights advocate. He described in detail his last visit with Chan and Sukumaran - was not allowed to go with them as they left for the execution site. Devastated he tweeted to the world "I failed, I lost". He has promised them he will fight to end the death penalty in Indonesia. Of course the discussion covered Indonesians on death row and how poorly the justice system serves them. He tried to give us some insights into the President, Jokowi's personal views on the death penalty but he keeps them to himself apparently. Shoring up his failing popular support was Jokowi's main motivation to go ahead with the executions.
Light relief followed! Threads of Life - The Story of Cloth. William had a trove of textile treasures which he pulled out one by one and described in loving detail- the symbolism of the patterns, the weaving and dyeing techniques, their use in ceremonies and the general cultural traditions of the communities that wove them. One longed to own each and every piece. (William is the tallest person in the whole of Ubud.)
Death penalty session entitled "Final Call"- another grim hour and a quarter but the speakers including two Australians, Bridget Delany from the Mercy Campaign and an international lawyer, Patrick Burgess. Also Todung Mulya Lubis again, the local human rights advocate. He described in detail his last visit with Chan and Sukumaran - was not allowed to go with them as they left for the execution site. Devastated he tweeted to the world "I failed, I lost". He has promised them he will fight to end the death penalty in Indonesia. Of course the discussion covered Indonesians on death row and how poorly the justice system serves them. He tried to give us some insights into the President, Jokowi's personal views on the death penalty but he keeps them to himself apparently. Shoring up his failing popular support was Jokowi's main motivation to go ahead with the executions.
Light relief followed! Threads of Life - The Story of Cloth. William had a trove of textile treasures which he pulled out one by one and described in loving detail- the symbolism of the patterns, the weaving and dyeing techniques, their use in ceremonies and the general cultural traditions of the communities that wove them. One longed to own each and every piece. (William is the tallest person in the whole of Ubud.)
There was an attempt to defy the ‘65 ban on Friday. A group of people met in a cafe over a private lunch (nothing to do with the festival) to discuss one of the books whose launch had been banned. Eight Intel agents turned up. Probably tipped off as it was surely a publicity stunt. CNN Indonesia was there to publicise it! Anyway the participants politely invited Intel in - and explained to them "This is a lunch not a launch", a distinction no doubt lost on those unlikely to have any English! There is a big police presence around each venue and no doubt some Intel plants in the audience. Speakers often jokingly greet them. But I have not spotted any likely candidates. And the regional Chief of Police comes everyday and Pak Jun has to meet him! All a bit heavy! Still the general public is mostly unaware of the tensions that must be felt by all the organisers.
It is now the morning of Day 4. I can't send this till I get home tonight. The electricity supply in the main house cut out in the middle of the night, hence no wi-fi. Water merely a drizzle as the pump is not working either. In the old days in Bali at least you could rely on the well for water and candles for light! But we do like our wi-fi and hot water. More serious to me though, we have run out of milk for my morning cuppa! Josh will do some shopping when he drops me off in a while.
P.S. I have come home in the middle of the day for a rest. Go back this afternoon for a whole session with the Rev. Tutu.
It is now the morning of Day 4. I can't send this till I get home tonight. The electricity supply in the main house cut out in the middle of the night, hence no wi-fi. Water merely a drizzle as the pump is not working either. In the old days in Bali at least you could rely on the well for water and candles for light! But we do like our wi-fi and hot water. More serious to me though, we have run out of milk for my morning cuppa! Josh will do some shopping when he drops me off in a while.
P.S. I have come home in the middle of the day for a rest. Go back this afternoon for a whole session with the Rev. Tutu.