Galungan

On the 12th of May the so called cermony for Galungan started and which ends with Kuningan 10 days later. Galungan and Kuningan take place every 210 days according to the so called Pawukon calendender.

The legend says that ....Long time ago the horrible King Mayadenawa reigned over Bali. He was terrible, cruel and had forbidden the balinese to celebrate their gods and ancestors.

God Indra felt pity for the balinese and decided to go down to earth with his soldier and rescue them.

King Mayadenawa had great power and managed to poison the spring and there for many Balinese fell sick. Luckily Indra found out and was able to create a new spring which also had the power to cure the Balinese. It is said to be the Tampaksiring spring. Then, King Mayadenawa, hoping to evade Indra's troops, turned into a chicken (manuk), a vegetable (timbul), a palm leaf (busung), snail (susuh) and a angel (bidadari). Every single place on the island where he changed appearance kept the name of it > Desa Manuykya, Desa Timbal, Desa Blusung, Desa Penyusuhan...Having failed to fool them he finally turned into a stone.

Indra discovered him one more time and pierced the stone with magic arrow. He managed to kill King Mayadenawa, whose blood ran down the mountain and formed the river Pekerisan.

Indra cursed the river, predicting that if it was used the irrigate the rice, the grain would grow wonderfully but once cropped the rice would be covered with blood and have a smell.

Since that time, the Balinese invite the Gods and the ancestors to come dowm and celebrate Indra's victory with us every 210 days during Galungan and Kuningan.

For us we went to Negara to celebrate Galungan with Bruce family.We all got dressed and my Dad were dressed in a traditional outfit for the first time. He got especially excited when he got the so called Udeng on his head. The two petals infront representing the positive and negative. The right one, the positive, is slightly higher as it represent the positive.Then he got the first sarong, which he wraped around his hips. After that he got another shorter sarong, which is called saput. The Saput is always made of nicer fabric than the Sarong. At the times of the kings, the Balinese used it to cover the torso in front of important people.

We started with a cermony at the family tempel.

After that we went to the village temples. There are always 3 main temples in each village; Pura Desa, Pura Dalam and Pura Puseh.

My dad sat down next to Agung, which gave him the elbow every time he did something wrong.

After that the priest called my dad and told him to come and sit with him who became best buddies...

1965

Just read this one if you want to know a little bite of Indonesia..

Yesterday we went to Negara (West Bali) to cut more wood and check the fram work of the house.

When we arrived to Negara we stoped at the "Tempel by the bride".

This is what we do every time as far as I remember. I did it 11 years ago and I do it now, but I had no idé why we did it. I never asked why and I always assumed that we just stoped at a "normal" tempel and put some offerings.

Yesterday I asked " Why".

I found out that there had been alot of people who had died in this area after the Ku De Ta 1965. Because these people had not received the hindu cremation it was important that you paid respect and attention to these souls, so they did not cause any damage. Bruce explained that it was especially imortant if you were travelling with young children.

Bruce continued talking about the 1965 Ku De Ta and the years that followed and what was behind it.

This is what Bruce explained to me...
In 1945 Indonesia claimed independence after a few years of Japanese occupancy.

The Dutch did not accept the independence and tried to get back their control of their colony.

Sukarno (First president ) and the people behind independence fought for another 4 years.

The communist party in Indonesia played a major part in Indonesia´s independence.

Suharto (The bad man and president after Sukarno) fought under KNIL, which was the army under the Dutch and who fought for continuation of Dutch power.

In 1949 17 aug, Sukarno officially announced Indonesia (again) as a independent country.

This time the Dutch did not try to fight back.

Sukarno became the first president of Indonesia and Hatta the vice president.

Suharto was one of the top generals in the army.

During these years the Cold war went on between America and Soviet union.America was affraid that countries would turn against them and become communist.And...Soviet Union vice versa.

In 1965, 7 generals of the army was killed. Everything was blaimed on the communist party.

an insider....

Alot of people belive that it was actually Suharto that killed the 7 generals and blaimed it on the communist to cause chaos in the country. Alot of people also belive that Suharto had alot if support from the FBI to create a anti-communist goverment. The truth is hard to prove, because most documents have been burned by the pro- Suharto - goverment

So, after the 7 generals got killed...

Suharto went to the president Sukarno and said:

-Give me the power to control this situation

Suharto with the help of the army took control of the country and absolutly started a man slaught of the people. Suharto was so affraid of people that would stand up to hime, so he made sure anyone with education or successful business was killed.

Thousand and thousands of people were killed. Hard to estimate the number, but some of the people died around the area of the " temple by the bridge".
For me it was hard to understand how a army could just start killing people and noone would react or try to interfear.

So Bruce turned to me and said...

Imagine this ...and than he did the broadcast version of Suharto in aug 1965

- Laaadddiieesss and Geeeeeeentlemen, 7 general of the army were killed to day by the communist.

You have the support of the National party to kill all communist around you during one week.

-You see, says Bruce, People got brainwashed and started believing every word Suharto said. Based on fear, jealosy, suspiciouness, anger people started to kill other people. Whole families was killed because they were accused of being communist.

After 1965 Suharto and the army started the so called Liquidation.

Anyone who was a threat to Suharto and his people would be accused of being communist and got killed.

Sukarno ( the first president) was taken off all his power as a president.

Bruce told me that Sukarno was forced to stay in his house & his children was not aloud to attend high school or university. All this because Suharto was affraid for future revolutions against him.

Interesting that later on it would be Megawato (Sukarnos daughter ) that would stand up against the regime of Suharto.

Suharto got more and more power and in 1968 became the " assistant president". Him, his party (Golkar) and the army ruled Indonesia for the next 31 years.

Bruce explained that during these years people were so scared. You would not trust anyone.

he explained that you would not even have a conversation like this in fear that someone would inform the army.

So back to the tempel..

From now on I know that every time we pass and stop by the tempel we stop becasue we want to honor the people that died in the 1965 Ku De Ta in Negara.

After the tempel we went to check how the framing of the house was getting along.

Bruce started giving instructions and I got alot my usually questions from the frame builders.

-Married? No Husband???

- Children ?

- Alone?? Alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After that we went to Wayans house to cut the 3 extra trees that he had given us.

I have no idé how many pieces of wood we carried on our heads, left shoulder, right shoulder...

All I know is that when Ibu Wayan came with Te I was in heaven.

After 3 trees, Wayan tells us that we can have one more tree.

So this tree was cut, felt to the ground, cut in to big pieces, processed in to long perfect wood pieces and back on my head, left shoulder and right shoulder.

It kind of felt like I was doing Shirshasana (head stand) for 6 hours.

...All I remember when I came home is that I slowly moved my sore body to the bed and put my head on the pillow I was gone...

FULL MOON

Yesterday was the Full moon in Bali.

We went to Wana Giri to put offerings on the land.

When Full moon fall on a wednesday it is called Budha Kembang, which means flowers.
According to balinese belief>
This is the time when you should put seads in the ground and you will have beautiful flowers in your garden.
It is also the time when you should start a business and you will have great success.
The day is dedicated to Dewi RATH, which is in charge of the flowers.
They say she is beautiful and make sure humans are happy. She especially take care of women.

2 days ago we spent the whole day working on the land.

Agung (Bruce son) was probably the one working hardest.
He was promised a puppie if he was helping out. The boy would not stop.

Wayan (Bruce brother ) went around the foundation with pen and paper and made notes.
In the end of the day Wayan told us that he would cut tree of his Bayar trees to us. This we will use for the ceiling of the house.
You get very humble towards a man that hardly can pays his bills and are willing to give up an income just to see the project go on.

That day we managed to finish the foundation. In the end we were all standing looking over the jungel and just was listening to the peace and quiet of Wana Giri.

The men from Wana Giri will now have some days off and focus on the Odalan for Pura Desa (The village temple).

Odalan is the temple festival which is held once every Balinese year. (6 months)
Every tempel has their own Odalan.

I heard that one ma tried to count all the temple in Bali.
He stoped when he reached 11000.

So, MORE than 11 000 temple cermonies are held every balinese year.

Very hard to belive when a tourist say he missed a cermony during his stay in Bali.
You wonder if he actually has been in Bali.

TUMPEK Pengarah

Yesterday we had the Cermony for plantation

In Balinese we call it Tumpek Pengarah or Tumpek Bubuh.

It is a cermony when you just pay a little bite extra attention on the plants and flowers.

This day Wayan (Bruce wife) went to diffrent trees and plants and put a small offering to show gratefulness. (see picture)

Agung started playing with Komang and Ayu.

They decided to make a Ogoh Ogoh doll with wood and small pieces of bamboo. (see picture)

When they were done they ran around and made noices as you do during NYEPI (balinese new year).

The whole day we worked on the land.

The men from Wana Giri worked on the foundation.

and Bruce, Wayan and me were carrying rocks.

Once the first pile was done Bruce said...-ok, come here...just one more pile of rocks....

The typical comments from Bruce and which you hear about trimillion time a day are

-step by step and pelan pelan (slowly )

So that in mind, I tried not to see the big pile and just the "small" rock that JUST had to be thrown over the edge, 2 m above my head.

My hands were so sore and full with blisters. When I came home I was so tired, dirty and amazingly happy.

There is something magic with this land. You just spend a few hours and you become happy.

All your worries and stress are way gone.

little KAIKO PUTU

After spending the day in the mountains we decided to visit new born baby girl Kaiko Putu.

Laba laba (Spider) , one of my old local guide, just had his first baby.

To show respect and make him and his family happy we went to the hospital to see the little wonder.

There was this half Balinese -Japanese girl sleeping wraped in a sheet.

She was stunning!!

Unfortnately Laba Laba was not there. He was at the family house to barry the placenta.

According to Balinese belief you have to barry the Placenta infront of the house door to protect the baby from evil spirits.

If it is a girl, you put it on the right hand side. If it is a boy vice versa.

The placenta is put in a coco nut shell.

Inside you put 33 chinese coin (which symbolize the Trinoty), Flowers ( show gratefulness towards the Gods), Piece of pandanus ( which will with the sharpness protect the baby from evil spirits), skin of the bamboo tree, the balinese alphabet (dasa aksa) on palm leaf (lontar), Onk Kara (Symbol of god).

Some of the placenta is dried and kept in a small box, that you hang around the babies neck. (see picture of little boy)

Some of the placenta is kept for medical reason. You will dry it and once the baby is sick you mix it with water.

It might sound strange..............BUT who are we to judge

Kaiko has loads of cermonies infront of her..

On is when the belly buttom falls of.

After 42 days there is another cermony. This time is for Kaiko´s mother. She will now be able to go to the tempel.

After 105 days (3 months) Kaiko´s hair will be cut and put on the soil infront of the tempel.

After 210 days (6 months) you will have a cermony to protect Kaiko from the 6 evil temtations

I don´t know all 6, but they are inline with laziness, anger, jealousy, drunkness, materialistic jealousy...

Dog soap Opera

This is my morning..

I wake up with a Asha pushing my feet and making the strangest sounds..

Not sure what she i saying, but something in line with - Get up!!! NOOOOWWWW!!!!

After opening the gate Asha runs out to her friends. Then the soap opera for dogs starts.

There is drama every morning!

Wise Bob (my neighbours dog) is the leader. Trying despertely have control of the street and the other dogs. No other dog is aloud on his territory.

Little Goldie (the naughty ) is Bob's pain in the ass. Usually gets beaten up atleast once a day by Bob. Has no id'e where his territory is. Crazzy in love with Asha. Will do anything to sniff the Asha smell. Unfortnately is Goldie not that strong and usually gets beaten by Asha aswell. Girl power!

Blackie with the hazel eyes. She always stands on the same spot. She does not bark. She only wiggle her tail and watch over the tinny ones as they run in front of her. It looks like she has this grand-mother smile and just enjoy her view.

Big Goldie (Goldie's dad) and the most handsome Golden you ever seen. Such a nice dog. Unfortnately more interested in food that in bitches.

Before we had Ying- Yang. He was a mix of a sausage-dog and Dalmatine. He had red eyes and half of his body was white and black. Unfortnately Ying Yang disapeared.

His buddy is the evil dog. He has absolutly black eye and stare at you like a Zombie.

His companionship is this little small annoying barking Bali dog, who is affraid of everything and everybody.

And than we have Asha...
Has no id'e that she is a lady. Has been brought up with Goldie that quite early showed what a man-dog does. Probably one of the few bitches that hump your leg.


We used to have more dogs on the streets, but they were killed by the " killing -dog -people " in Bali.
In Bali, If a dog has no collar or owner there are men who come and kill these dogs.

On of them was Chubby. He was just the most kind dog you ever met. All he wanted was a little bite affection och love. Asha used to jump on his back, bit his ears, pull his tail and Chubby just looked at her with these big brown eyes.

The other one was the Clown. His body was way to small for his skin. When he ran his whole body was wobbeling.

There are organizations in Bali that doing such a great to stop this cruelty. One of them is BAWA.
They trying there best with not much money to find owners for the streetdogs and especially steralize the dogs.

Contrast

After returning another of my neighbours newly chewed shoe from Asha to my quite upet neighbour.

I closed the door and sat on the edge of my balcony and watch the beautiful evening with the sounds from the "animal kingdom" in my garden.



In the Banjar " community" there was a cermony. Not sure what it was for, but the Legian was decorated with colorful entrances to the Banjar hall and beautiful offerings.



From far away you could hear an old lady chanting. Her chanting was so powerful.

Hard to put words on it.



After a while the rest of the crowd started chanting with her.



even more powerful!



Suddenly the old lady's beautiful voice full of vibrating energy & transforming vibes changed to a band that were playing HARD ROCK from the 80's.



And to tip it up...they started playing EUROPE and the "Final count down"

I thought Europe nicely was packed in a musicbox, sealed, wrapped up, packed in an even bigger box and stamped with "Do not open".

The memories of Europa are a bunch of young boys with teased hair in Mullet-style.
How could they?
and more important
How could WE?

The Final count down defently brougt back memories with me in teased hair, scary make up and doing the moves on the dance floor.