2016
The Lull Before the Storm
26 October 2016
Woken at 5 am to my last leisurely (well, relatively speaking) day before it all starts happening tomorrow. Excited of course and slightly trepidacious about how I will survive the long day tomorrow when all the events I am personally involved in are on, one after another. It will be a day starting at 8am and not finishing until after the opening of the Black Armada exhibition ends at 8.30 - and even then some hardy souls might suggest dinner! No afternoon nap time scheduled anywhere. Have thought over in my head what I might say in my segment of the panel discussion on the works of the Indonesian writers I have translated for the festival over the years, but have no idea how it will come out. Similarly I have prepared questions for my interview with Ian, but it will all depend on Ian's responses whether these questions will work. Trying not to be nervous!
Our Jazz is going to be a star at the book festival too! A letter came home from school yesterday that five kids in Jasmin's class have been selected to perform a little play at a book launch at Casa Luna at 4 pm on Saturday. Jazz is very excited - Josh and I too. I have to be there, though one of my writers has his book launch on at the same time. I and everyone else will be pulled several ways every hour of each day, with all four main program parallel sessions, plus fringe events, films and book launches clashing.
It’s been a very pleasant last few days catching up with friends as, one after the other, they have rocked into town. Have talked my head off over coffees, lunches and dinners with Pam, Jeffrey and Ian and spouses - often at Kamasan again of course- (Pam's husband, Roger is determined to eat there, lunch and dinner, every day until he has worked his way through the entire menu! The food – Javanese - really is that good.) All of them are my regular festival companions who share my love of Indonesia and this remarkable festival. I see from FB that other friends, Deirdre and Fabia, have arrived - will no doubt see them tomorrow in the throng.
Last meeting (for me) at ARMA yesterday morning - Jeffrey and I both went to meet the Australian Consulate reps to discuss catering with the museum and look at the exhibition space. The Consulate brought three dozen Australian wines! Thanks, you Aussie taxpayers out there. I really just went along for the ride. Jeffrey can handle it all now on behalf of ANMN, and last night Anthony Liem who is mounting the exhibition, arrived to set it all up. Tonight Dr Stephen Gapps, ANMN's director of exhibitions comes (It is he who I have been signing docs for!)
Fancy cocktail party do last night for writers and media (and lowly translators) - wangled Jeffrey an invitation as my "handbag" so he could experience the glorious setting of Amandari Hotel - and maybe meet the odd celeb or two- but no one there more interesting than ourselves! Lionel Shriver certainly did not turn up!
I did get to meet a former Open High School student from ten or so years ago, Madeleine Dickie, taught by my friend Karen but I knew her too. A keen surfer, she was up in Indonesia as soon as she finished school. Karen and I met up with her here in Bali one time back in 2010. Karen has kept up with Madeleine’s life and career all these years and has often shared her remarkable writings with me. And now she is the winner of a big literary award in Western Australia for her novel Troppo, set in the surfing community of Sumatra, and getting invited to the UWRF! Lovely to see her again!
Virtually no nibbles at Amandari, though they did not stint on the drinks (I mostly only drink soft drinks these days). So, ravenous after the event, Jeffrey and I stopped at a new night market that has recently sprung up near the end of the Fly Cafe road that we'd passed on the bike earlier. A proper Muslim Javanese night market, the scene of most of my meals on all my early travels throughout Indonesia, but till now non-existent in posh tourist Ubud. When such a market opened in downtown Ubud some 15 years ago the restaurant cartel had it promptly closed down - did not want the tourists having cheaper eating options! This one is quite far out of town though, and so far has been allowed to operate! Fabulous inexpensive food cooked on the spot at a variety of stalls. Nasi goreng for a dollar and delicious martabak terang bulan – ‘full moon” pancakes - like a huge crumpet with melting chocolate sprinkles - yum. Jeffrey had catfish and sambal. Very nostalgic dining experience, perched on tiny stools and eating off plastic plates as we chatted to the stall holders - homesick Javanese who have come here to try to earn a living, one plate of nasi goreng at a time. Will go back there! And it will be just the ticket for paying guests who will be staying in Josh's granny flat in the future.
Virtually no nibbles at Amandari, though they did not stint on the drinks (I mostly only drink soft drinks these days). So, ravenous after the event, Jeffrey and I stopped at a new night market that has recently sprung up near the end of the Fly Cafe road that we'd passed on the bike earlier. A proper Muslim Javanese night market, the scene of most of my meals on all my early travels throughout Indonesia, but till now non-existent in posh tourist Ubud. When such a market opened in downtown Ubud some 15 years ago the restaurant cartel had it promptly closed down - did not want the tourists having cheaper eating options! This one is quite far out of town though, and so far has been allowed to operate! Fabulous inexpensive food cooked on the spot at a variety of stalls. Nasi goreng for a dollar and delicious martabak terang bulan – ‘full moon” pancakes - like a huge crumpet with melting chocolate sprinkles - yum. Jeffrey had catfish and sambal. Very nostalgic dining experience, perched on tiny stools and eating off plastic plates as we chatted to the stall holders - homesick Javanese who have come here to try to earn a living, one plate of nasi goreng at a time. Will go back there! And it will be just the ticket for paying guests who will be staying in Josh's granny flat in the future.