Notes from Stephen, Wan, Kweilin, and Li

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Ubud: Nyoman Sandi's mother passed; gamelan band contest

Nyoman Sandi's mother died at noon today. Nyoman Sandi is the owner of the bungalow where we're staying. His mother was 80 years old and had been sick for 10 years, he said. The atmosphere at his compound (where we live) seemed festive. We returned from Pondok Pekak this afternoon to find scooters overflowing the garage and people ambling about in traditional hats and sarongs. We thought someone was getting married or having a child, but Nyoman's son told us that his grandmother had died. "Last week?" asked Kweilin. "No, today at noon," the son responded. We were impressed that the community could mobilize itself within hours to prepare for a funeral. Nyoman and his family have been all smiles today, so I think the funeral really is a celebration. He told my dad, "My mother has left on a long journey."

Nyoman and his friends and relatives will hold the funeral tomorrow. He said that we can attend and take pictures.

We attended a gamelan band contest at the Art Center near Denpasar this evening. The contest consisted of two dueling gamelan bands. The bands sat on opposite sides of the stage and took turns playing songs. Their supporters sat behind them and cheered loudly, even standing up and shouting sometimes. The band members were all boys whose ages probably ranged from 12 to 17. Although they were young, the players had the flair of older, professional players I've seen. The drummers, for example, flipped their left hands in the air in unison to emphasize a beat. All members of the band extended their arms at the opposite side as if to cast a spell on the opposing band.

The outdoor theater was beautiful. Dancers emerged from what looked like the front of a temple. Palm trees surrounded the

I couldn't believe the crowd that this contest attracted. Every seat in the theater was taken and people were standing in the back. The audience must have been 3000, and 99% were locals. They loved the show. They interrupted the Master of Ceremonies with cheers as she announced the names of songs or dances or people. They cheered during songs and laughed at funny skits. The audience's exuberant response to this traditional art made me think of Peking Opera in its heyday.

I was happy to see such young people performing traditional music and dance. The average age of the performers was probably 12. These young people will keep Balinese tradition alive.

We found the youngest performer of the evening in the audience. During the dress rehearsal, a three-year-old girl danced to the gamelan music next to her father in the stands. She held her elbows high and flitted her eyes and twitched her fingers. She even responded to the music, dancing with more animation when the music got louder.

posted by Unknown at 4:08 AM