RUBBLE

I have to say that in my first four days in India, walking and riding around in two large cities, the word that comes to mind is RUBBLE. There seem to be piles of debris everywhere!! Sometimes it is brick and concrete, sometimes it is garbage. Therefore, it is amazing to me how NORMAL it seems to be that children and adults walk around barefoot in these circumstances.The rare sidewalks are very irregular and full of holes; most people walk in the street. Since there isn't literal interpretation of LINES and STOP LIGHTS, it is quite a challenge to cross 4 lanes of traffic (well, as I said, not LITERALLY lanes). In Chennai I watched an elderly gentleman with a staff wearing a short cloth and no shoes try to cross the street. I could tell he was very frightened - that is what drew my attention. No white canes for poor blind people in India I guess. By the time I realized he was blind, he had made it across one "lane" and was stuck, not knowing if he should go forward or not. I watched about 7 Indian people, men and women, walk around him and beside him without noticing his plight. I just couldn't take it anymore, so I walked him across (I wove him through is more like it).

Another disturbing incident that I witnessed was two elderly widows having a cat fight at the entrance of a Hindu temple in Chennai. There were three widows begging, two in front and one behind them. All of a sudden one of the women in front started clawing and pushing and shoving the woman in the rear. A few minutes later, we drove past and I noted that the one that lost the fight (the one in the rear) had moved away from the other two and was being comforted by someone. I imagine hunger makes one competitive. I felt very sad to see women that age have to scramble so desperately to stay alive.

In the food department, we're finally distinguishing a chapati from a dosa. We haven't been proficient at eating with our hands since we were toddlers, so we are still learning to bunch up the food with our fingers, give a twist & lift of the wrist, and get it into our mouths without dropping most of it.
Off to study yoga at an ashram near Trivandrum for a week! The first month of our trip has left me achy (lots of different beds), so I'm looking forward to it!

Bangkok tuk-tuk ride

The Jardims, on their first day in Bangkok, fell for almost every tuk-tuk ploy laid out in print in the Lonely Planet (should have read it first)!
Here they are:
A young man with a Tourist Police badge informs us:
Royal Palace is closed today until 4 pm!!! Let me help you go to some other very interesting places such as....
and then proceeds to mark up our map. He says only take yellow (gov't controlled) tuk-tuks! He calls one over and bargains the guy down from 50 to 40 Bahts for us (so far we think this guy is on our side...)
We tell him where we want to go and he nods and off we go zipping this way and that thru traffic (tuk-tuk is glorified motorcycle with a covered seat on the rear wheel). We arrive at an amazing structure with no other tourists although we are pretty sure it isn't where we asked to go. We DO go to see the white Buddha, and the only other person there is Andy - a guy from Singapore who lives in England and used to work in Silicone valley. he explains about how the tuk-tuks get free gas for going to export shops, so we shouldn't be upset about getting taken to a shop.
Sure enough, next stop was the Sapphire Jewelry Co.. Then the next stop was Chin Jewelry Co.(picture below is of our tuk-tuk in front of the Chin Jewelry Co.)  Then the NEXT stop was - guess what???? A tailor! After a brief hard sell from an Indian immigrant, Philip managed to get away without a $25 custom made shirt. Finally, with my patience running thin, we made it to .a large temple complex which was fascinating - LOTS and LOTS of Buddha statues from different cultures, time periods and  poses. When we emerged our tuk-tuk was nowhere to be found. He had dumped us!! We had taken so long in the temple that his shift was up. But also, he did not mind giving up our 40 Baht because he made 300 Baht worth of free gas at the export shops!!
We were approached by the only taxi driver parked in front of the temple who offered to take us to the skytrain for a set fee. We bargained him down and were relieved to get into his air conditioned cab. When we got back to the hotel we read in the the LP: Do not get into a taxi that quotes a flat rate price instead of using the meter.

Amazingly, we weren't upset at all. It is possible that we may have been conned out of $3. However, we had a great, if unexpected, day whizzing around Bangkok. And the next day - when we were faced with the more official-looking scammers, I held up three fingers and said "yesterday 3 export!" and they immediately backed off.

Tomorrow we head for India - wish us luck!

Royal Cremation in Ubud

In the morning we rode our rented scooter up to the central area of UBUD to scope out the situation. three members of the Royal Sukawati family were being cremated and we did not want to miss it. The private ceremony started in the morning at the Royal Palace, but the procession from home to cemetery is public, and a royal cremation draws a huge crowd. First we went to the cemetery to see what that looked like. There was a large open area in front where the cremation would take place later on. A 30 foot stairway/ramp made of bamboo was sitting there unattended. It is for transporting the body from the height of the bier down to the cremation platform. To the right was a large BALE (meeting  house with roof and floor, no walls) which housed the tallest, most elaborate offerings I'd seen. On the left was a raised grassy area with very small stone tombstones. Behind all this was a maze of temples.

At the King's Palace a crowd of 50% foreigners, 50% Balinese was gathering. WE found a cafe with an outdoor area overlooking the street half way between the King's Palace where the procession would begin and the cemetery where it would end. Luckily, they actually let us keep a table from 11:30- 2 pm!! I drank my tea REALLY SLOWLY.
After waiting for over an hour we began to see groups of men dressed in identical sarongs heading this way and that. Later I found out that these groups that carry the bier and replaced every now and then, so I guess they were heading to their posts.
Finally, there was a commotion, but it was the fire truck spraying the street. Everyone who wanted alleviation from the blistering heat jumped into the spray. Also, it was a way to cool down the street for the bier bearers.

 We heard drums and gamelan before we saw the 3 bulls approaching. Each paper mache, elaboratedly, lovingly painted and adorned bull was on a bamboo grid supported by the uniformed men, followed by musicians. One man dressed in white was riding each bull - they looked like children because the bulls were so large.

After that came the family carrying wreaths and large framed photos of the deceased. The women of the deceased were all wearing their hair in the same chignon-like fashion. They all had on maroon temple blouses, a kind of lacy, long sleeve top with long pointed ends in front.

Soon an even greater concatenation erupted. First the tallest 'BADE' (funeral bier) with 9 levels appeared borne by many,many carriers. On the bade was a gamelan player and a family member dressed in white with a udeng on his head (Balinese scarf made into a kind of band or hat for men only- actually, all Balinese men were wearing udengs). After the second bade, the street filled up with people following the procession to the cemetery. At the cemetery, there were many Balinese selling water, snacks, and sarongs because of the tourists. (Traditional cremations did not have people selling to tourists!) 

First the bodies were transferred from the funeral bier via the stairway to the bull platform. The backs of the bulls were opened and the bodies were placed inside in a ceremonial fashion by the male family members. Then female relatives dressed in maroon gathered at the bull platform with offerings on their heads and handed them up to the male relatives who put them into the inside of the bulls with the bodies of the deceased.

Traditionally, people were cremated using wood, but nowadays gas is used. We watched the workers hook up the gas pipes to the gas tanks and the firemen got in position just in case the flame got out of control. Last minute offerings were stuffed in as the pyre of black bulls representing the caste of the deceased were lit. Then in addition to the blistering heat of the day, was added the blistering heat of a pyre. Unfortunately, the air filled with dark smoke and MOST people stepped back (except a few distraught family members and a few foreigners wanting that unique, upclose photo. In the old days only wood, paper and glue were burnt, but now they use styrofoam. The fumes made me sick and I had to leave as they were lighting the bier (more styrofoam).

Balinese tell me that after the ceremonial period (which actually lasts several days), they do not feel grief any more. By the time the procession makes it to the ocean to spread the ashes, they are over it. They know they will follow soon enough (and the family is obliged to spend a fortune saying goodbye). Their religion encourages them to let go and they also believe that the fire speeds the deceased way to reincarnation.

 I'm sure a Balinese would do a ritual purification differently, but I needed to wash off the smoke and ashes, so afterwards I jumped in the pool at the hotel.

Bali Collage

This collage shows our visit to Tenganan, the ethnic village which specializes in double Ikat weaving. They do not intermarry with other Balinese and live a communal life. The festival in which you see the unmarried girls dressed in finery is the celebration of the first month of the year. the men are preparing raw pork, separating out the blood from the meat. The older women are preparing the rest of the meal. The older men are playing the gamelan under the thatched roof. Where are the young men? Watching...
Also you can see pictures of the "elephant cave" shrine which was uncovered by an archeologist. Inside there are nitches for meditation  (you might recognize the meditator) and also altars. The three black rounded stones are Lingam. Our friend told us it was the lingam and the yoni, but they all looked like lingams to me!!! Lastly, the cremation ceremony pics are from the traffic jam caused by the intersection (must confuse the spirit at all intersections).

Pre-Cremation excitement

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The three people being cremated are Brahmans and therefore their funeral biers will be accompanied by these ENORMOUS bulls.

Tomorrow is the big day. Everyone is invited. Three members of the Sukawati royal family have passed on. Lonely Planet says the last time there was a royal funeral 100,000 people showed up, so we are a little concerned about crowds.

We got a taste of what it might be like on a smaller scale because the day before yesterday was also an auspicious day for cremation according to the Balinese calendar (35 days per mo.) and we saw at least 5 in various stages of the ritual as we drove around the island. The picture above was the closest we got to one. There was a major traffic jam. Cars weren't budging. We got a glimpse of gold and heard the gamelan, so our driver told us it was a cremation ceremony and to get out of the car to get closer. The tower on which the body is resting is carried through the streets by many, many men. At each intersection they pass on their way to the cemetery, they run back and forth in erratic patterns in order to confuse the spirit of the dead person to keep it from finding its way back. Note the very large demon whose face is everywhere. It is a good demon to scare away the bad demons. It is above the doorway of every temple.The cemetery is for burning, not burying. Burying is a temporary act while waiting for an auspicious cremation day or until you have enough money to afford a cremation which as you can tell from the preparations, is much more expensive than a burial! Anyway, cremation is preferred because then the spirit will reincarnate immediately.
Right now water is falling from the sky in torrents - wonder how that will affect the cremation ceremony...

Today we rented a motor bike - $5/day!! And I can report that Philip stayed on the left and was steady at intersections (luckily we did not face any roundabouts). One thing I have NOT taken a picture of is the bumper to bumper traffic in this little piece of Eden.

Tenganan first month festival

All unmarried girls in village wave their scarves in sync to the gamelan music

The protection of Ganesha

 6:40 am

I peer over the edge of my hotel balcony in UBUD and at this hour of the morning there is one young employee walking across the grass. He is carrying a flower and approaches the statue of Ganesha in the middle of the lawn. He puts it over the left ear of Ganesha. Like most Ganesha statues in Bali, this one is wearing a yellow and white sarong (you can buy special sarongs for statues). This statue of the elephant/man god also has a very bright red umbrella with long tassles to protect him from the rain and the sun. In the grass at the base of the statue are a number of 3"x3" offering baskets. Offering baskets are made from  coconut leaves and in side are several layers of petals and moss. There is a specific meaning for each element. Balinese are very careful to tell me that the representations of God are not GOD; they are a vehicle for communicating with God, who is beyond understanding, beyond conceptualizing.
Yesterday we hired Made Aryana, a driver recommended by Cynthia Leslie-Bole (THANKS, Cynthia!) and he took us to a community of "ethnic" Balinese. They live in a very large compound and everything is shared. They do not intermarry with other Balinese. The good side is that they have some original crafts and celebrations and beliefs; the bad side is the inevitable genetic defects from too much intermarrying.
Made Aryana explained  that there are three areas that must be attended to equally and regularly:
Relationship with God, Relationship amongst humans, and relationship with Nature. Every six months, therefore, farmers do a celebration to honor the plants that they grow and that feed them.

Coffee and sweets with Gede and Mangde's uncle and family. We stopped in on our way back from the north coast. They live in the mountains.Their 17 year old had died 7 months ago in a motorcycle accident - a very common story here in Bali where there are many, many more motorcycles than cars.

Suranadi Temple in Lombok

While we were on Lombok we visited this temple, surrounded by a lush jungle. We had a guide which we really did not want at first, but then realized we probably would have gotten lost in the jungle without him!!The monkeys were all at the temple though, not in the jungle. Most were distant but one kept pretending to charge me, like he was about to jump up on me - I was pretty sure it was a bluff!
Note Philip's wet shirt: he has a new technique - the wets the shirt and then puts it on, that way it cools him down and he doesn't sweat so much.
Time to go!!

Our Chinese New Year

Remember that we are one day ahead of you, so today, February 3rd, is a holilday in Bali.I asked our resident scholar if there were a lot of Chinese in Bali and did not think there were. However, the town is festooned with red lanterns (I have been wanting one of those red lanterns since my China trip). Here the signs say Gung Xi Fa Chi or something like that. I guess it is Mandarin whereas our SF signs must be in Cantonese (Gung Hay Fa Choi).
Before breakfast Puji gave me a "snack" of rice porridge with a sweet syrup. It came in the usual banana leaf container in which it had been steamed. The only nod to modernity were the staples holding it together. I didn't get a picture of one of those yet. Then breakfast was served. I offered to say a Christian grace before the snack and Gede (Hundu) and Lia (Muslim) were happy to listen in. Everyone here is very  dutiful about praying before eating. Since this is an interreligious center, I thought I could expose them to some Christian prayer the way they are exposing me to theirs.
After breakfast I taught an English class. I used Visual Thinking Strategies which means i found a few pieces of art and asked the students the following three questions: What is going on in this picture? What do you see that makes you say that? What more can we find? It went fast and I discovered the pronunciation difficulties for Indonesians: it is hard for them to distinguish between a P and an F AND  making the TH sound... well, it is "under construction." May be done by the time I leave.
The clouds were threatening all day but at 3:30 pm we headed to the river on a lovely narrow beaten path through the ferns, bamboo, banana, cows,  and the occasional garbage dump. Sad to see garbage strewn amongst such beauty. The river was down a long moss covered stairway (= slippery). It was a rushing, gray river and there were LOTS of people washing clothes and themselves. The women we went with did their wash (yes, soap in the water). The youngest member of the Ashram, Wayan, who is 14 but looks about 10 went upstream and took a bath, vigorously scrubbing arm and let. Many people were naked - an old woman, boys and young men. But, everyone was starring at US. I don't feel as self conscious as Philip does, but everyone NOTICES us, at every moment. They are very friendly about it, so that is just the way it goes when you go WAY out of your way to go to a really different place.
I can't load pictures right now because I am not on my own computer, but have many to share, like of Gede (the dancer in previous pictures)  making offerings and decorations all day while having a verbal "fast." In other words he was having a day with no speech.
Will upload pics next time, when I hope to be in a nice hotel with good internet in the town of UBUD. Hope my family conference on skype actually works!! Love to all!
And remember: Senyum!! (SMILE).