2017
Past the Finishing Line
1 November 2017
All over now and friends are on their way home and Cathy and I are learning how to do absolutely nothing in a rural retreat owned by friends of mine, over the coming Galungan holiday, but more of that later
What a wonderful few days the festival was, despite the volcano menace. The threat has just been downgraded to level 3 by the chief volcanologist now that the frequency and intensity of the seismic activity has lessened. They are saying Bali has lost $28 million dollars in tourist revenue in the last 38 days- but as was made evident in some discussion sessions on Bali issues, this revenue is hardly being spent on infrastructure for the Balinese, like water security, medical care, plastic reduction, pollution controls. Paradise needs to be nurtured, not just exploited.
Started Sunday with the wonderfully named Fuschia Dunlop talking on her encyclopedic knowledge of Chinese cuisine and China itself after living and studying there so long. I had wanted to hear Jung Chang of Wild Swans fame but the two swapped session times and I had the anthology launch at the new time. Fuchsia tells us that texture and its feel in the mouth is very important in Chinese cuisine and how she persevered for years to enjoy the rubbery sea cucumber and slithery rubber band texture of geese intestines. Jesus! Why would you bother?
Loved the annual run down on Indonesian political issues by a panel of journalists from the region - one gets a far wider perspective than just from our own media. “Beyond the Front Page” with Andreas Harsono, representing Indonesia again. Earlier he was at a table with the panel before the session and invited me to join them as I passed - got to talk to several big names, though not aware of this till they were introduced later on stage, including the Australian-born BBC reporter Rebecca Henschke based in Jakarta. They dealt with the Rohingya crisis, the next Presidential election here in 2019, and also talked about Sean Davidson, an Aussie on the run having escaped from Kerobokan Jail (in for an immigration offense but has a drug dealer past.) He is in constant touch by sms with the Oz journalist on the panel, demanding a 3 million fee for his story. However the journalist is doing well just reporting the hilarious sms exchange which he read to us from his phone. The guy sounds like he thinks he is invincible.
Then an interlude - a special event lunch at Casa Luna on the theme of “Setting Sail for the Spice Island” with Ian Burnet as the main speaker, but also photo images from a guy working on the Banda Project. Lovely food but not spectacular, with a spice theme, though actually no nutmeg flavored dishes! And not very spicy hot. It was my treat for Cathy’s birthday which I had missed while she was in Bhutan. Shared a table with Ian’s wife, Yusra and the lovely Angela whom I was delighted to spend some more time with.
What a wonderful few days the festival was, despite the volcano menace. The threat has just been downgraded to level 3 by the chief volcanologist now that the frequency and intensity of the seismic activity has lessened. They are saying Bali has lost $28 million dollars in tourist revenue in the last 38 days- but as was made evident in some discussion sessions on Bali issues, this revenue is hardly being spent on infrastructure for the Balinese, like water security, medical care, plastic reduction, pollution controls. Paradise needs to be nurtured, not just exploited.
Started Sunday with the wonderfully named Fuschia Dunlop talking on her encyclopedic knowledge of Chinese cuisine and China itself after living and studying there so long. I had wanted to hear Jung Chang of Wild Swans fame but the two swapped session times and I had the anthology launch at the new time. Fuchsia tells us that texture and its feel in the mouth is very important in Chinese cuisine and how she persevered for years to enjoy the rubbery sea cucumber and slithery rubber band texture of geese intestines. Jesus! Why would you bother?
Loved the annual run down on Indonesian political issues by a panel of journalists from the region - one gets a far wider perspective than just from our own media. “Beyond the Front Page” with Andreas Harsono, representing Indonesia again. Earlier he was at a table with the panel before the session and invited me to join them as I passed - got to talk to several big names, though not aware of this till they were introduced later on stage, including the Australian-born BBC reporter Rebecca Henschke based in Jakarta. They dealt with the Rohingya crisis, the next Presidential election here in 2019, and also talked about Sean Davidson, an Aussie on the run having escaped from Kerobokan Jail (in for an immigration offense but has a drug dealer past.) He is in constant touch by sms with the Oz journalist on the panel, demanding a 3 million fee for his story. However the journalist is doing well just reporting the hilarious sms exchange which he read to us from his phone. The guy sounds like he thinks he is invincible.
Then an interlude - a special event lunch at Casa Luna on the theme of “Setting Sail for the Spice Island” with Ian Burnet as the main speaker, but also photo images from a guy working on the Banda Project. Lovely food but not spectacular, with a spice theme, though actually no nutmeg flavored dishes! And not very spicy hot. It was my treat for Cathy’s birthday which I had missed while she was in Bhutan. Shared a table with Ian’s wife, Yusra and the lovely Angela whom I was delighted to spend some more time with.
Dashed out of the lunch back up to Neka. Could not pass on the chance to hear Ian Rankin and Jock Serong on crime writing again, although I heard them speak at Sydney and Byron festivals respectively. Both are great raconteurs and explain their place in the genre very cleverly, especially as Jock does not see his political thriller “On the Java Ridge” as a crime novel. He says he likes to sell himself high to publishers by claiming to write literary fiction, but when they offer him buckets of money to be a crime writer he is happy to let his book be categorised in the crime genre! Who wouldn’t?
Took an hour off at home for a rest before the final event for me, the 30th anniversary of the founding of Lontar, the publisher I mainly translate for. Some wonderful readings by some of the Lontar writers there, one in translation by Pam Allen, in honor of Lontar’s new omnibus anthologies of short stories and poetry. There was a commemorative cake and happy birthday singing, then wine and nibbles. For me it was a chance to say goodbye properly to some special festival friends, Pam, Michael Vatikiotis.
Took an hour off at home for a rest before the final event for me, the 30th anniversary of the founding of Lontar, the publisher I mainly translate for. Some wonderful readings by some of the Lontar writers there, one in translation by Pam Allen, in honor of Lontar’s new omnibus anthologies of short stories and poetry. There was a commemorative cake and happy birthday singing, then wine and nibbles. For me it was a chance to say goodbye properly to some special festival friends, Pam, Michael Vatikiotis.
But the lovely surprise for me, in attendance from Jakarta, was an old friend of mine who also did Indonesian Studies at Sydney Uni in the 60s, Isla Winarto. She grew up in Jakarta and Sydney - her father was Indonesian, her mother Australian. Isla lived in Indonesia after she married - and divorced. Indonesian law says she could not take the children back to Australia so she stayed on here and had a fabulous career with US Aid and later IDP. Must be 50 years since I last saw her.
A farewell get together over dinner with Ian and Yusra, Jeffrey and Anna and Lidwien and her husband Rene, newly arrived from Amsterdam. (Last saw him when I stayed with them in France four years ago. I see Lidwien here quite often.) We ate at the Sunday night buffet at Rumah Roda above Threads of Life - simple food served on banana leaves, tastier than the Casa Luna feast! Washed down with icy Bintang! Came to $7.50 each. A fitting end to our very companionable time with these wonderful friends.
And now here we are transported out of Ubud to Umajati Retreat. We are staying in a very old Javanese teak house to ourselves, with super luxury bathrooms and exquisite woven and antique decor, rattan furniture. It is exactly what I needed after the recent exertions. Cathy is in photographers heaven and has wandered every inch of the place. I had paid Jean and William a visit here last time I was in Bali and Jean personally showed me over the place, their dye workshop and dye plant garden then. This time I have only staggered the ten metres to the pool and back. And had not one, but two naps. Just being here is magic. I have learnt the true meaning of the word “retreat”.
About to meet William and Jean for a G and T then have dinner with them. They have been working today.
About to meet William and Jean for a G and T then have dinner with them. They have been working today.
My copy of "Faithful” has just been delivered to me. The subtitle is not my translation! 515 pages in the English version to the 600 in the Indonesian.
Sacred Herons and Galungan preparations
Still indulging in the blissful serenity of Umajati Retreat. Stirred myself to join Cathy to go into the village yesterday evening as Petulu is where the herons come to roost. We walked the length of the village main street (its only street) and watched the beautiful white and apricot-coloured birds as they came into settle in the trees lining it. The village has tried to tempt the birds to roost in a nearby forest, by removing a lot of the trees along the road, but they are not interested. Needless to say the road is awash with guano! One pays $2 to enter the village as a “tourist tax” but the place does not seem to have benefited much from the communal income. Recent legend has it that these birds are the reincarnated souls of the many Balinese in the area killed in the post 1965 anti-communist massacres. A terrible time of madness in Bali! (and many other parts of Indonesia, leaving a million dead for whom justice has still not been received).
Today is the Galungan festival always when the ancestors and gods are invited to come back onto the household shrines and every entrance way has a bamboo penjor erected. The village is a delight to walk through beneath these marvelous decorations, all made of natural materials. I somehow manage to be here in Bali at this time which falls every 210 days in the Balinese calendar.
In a surprise move Josh and Jazz have suddenly returned to Sydney! Rather than wait till after Xmas they decided to go now. Josh has been sorting and packing up the house gradually and getting rid of excess clothing, etc. to the evacuees, so there was not much left to do. I just have to empty the fridge before Cathy and I leave Thursday night. I changed my ticket to come back a day earlier with her.
It will be a wrench for me to farewell the beautiful rice fields and the house that has been my Bali home for years now. The house will be re-let by the owner for the remaining 3.5 years of Josh’s contract which will give Josh an income until he gets permanent work. Petra has bought the car and Rama will get the motorbike. You can imagine there was a lot to arrange in a matter of days once Josh made the sudden decision to go! The owner will take the cat, and the dogs will go with the house as watchdogs - they are strays which come and go between other homes in the street, but have attached themselves to Josh.
Jazz has already started the enrollment process at Paddington Public School where she went for 6 months in Year 2. Will start there next week. Both appear to be happy to be back in Sydney with family and friends. Jazz was out trick-or-treating with Zak for Halloween last night, and has reconnected with her friend Bronte from when she was in Sydney in July/Aug. She was at her Bali school Halloween party the night she left too. Very fondly and sadly farewelled by all her teachers who obviously loved her, Josh said
Our time here at Umajati has been very special. The most restful - and beautiful- environment I have ever been in. Did very little but swim and read. And take long afternoon naps! Spent the evenings over G and Ts with Jean and William on our verandah - I really value their company and gentle world view. Will not see them so often now! But I will be coming back for the Writers Festival next year - and to Umajati. It has only cost Cathy and me $250 each for the two days in this beautiful luxury house, all meals, driver to and from Ubud too. With a very generous discount. Makasih, ya, Jean and William!
Off with them to visit the Darta family at Rumah Roda for Galungan lunch today (They own the fabulous little Balinese place where we had our farewell dinner on Sunday - have known them as long as I’ve known J and W. They are their Bali family.
It will be a wrench for me to farewell the beautiful rice fields and the house that has been my Bali home for years now. The house will be re-let by the owner for the remaining 3.5 years of Josh’s contract which will give Josh an income until he gets permanent work. Petra has bought the car and Rama will get the motorbike. You can imagine there was a lot to arrange in a matter of days once Josh made the sudden decision to go! The owner will take the cat, and the dogs will go with the house as watchdogs - they are strays which come and go between other homes in the street, but have attached themselves to Josh.
Jazz has already started the enrollment process at Paddington Public School where she went for 6 months in Year 2. Will start there next week. Both appear to be happy to be back in Sydney with family and friends. Jazz was out trick-or-treating with Zak for Halloween last night, and has reconnected with her friend Bronte from when she was in Sydney in July/Aug. She was at her Bali school Halloween party the night she left too. Very fondly and sadly farewelled by all her teachers who obviously loved her, Josh said
Our time here at Umajati has been very special. The most restful - and beautiful- environment I have ever been in. Did very little but swim and read. And take long afternoon naps! Spent the evenings over G and Ts with Jean and William on our verandah - I really value their company and gentle world view. Will not see them so often now! But I will be coming back for the Writers Festival next year - and to Umajati. It has only cost Cathy and me $250 each for the two days in this beautiful luxury house, all meals, driver to and from Ubud too. With a very generous discount. Makasih, ya, Jean and William!
Off with them to visit the Darta family at Rumah Roda for Galungan lunch today (They own the fabulous little Balinese place where we had our farewell dinner on Sunday - have known them as long as I’ve known J and W. They are their Bali family.