A few weekends ago I visited my host mother's family in Kulonprogo, which is a village about an hour west of Tamantirto. This was my first 'road trip' on a motorcycle, and was quite enjoyable even though it started to rain about half way there. Once in Kulonprogo we sat on the porch and chatted while eating fresh durian, then in the afternoon went out for some terapi ikan (fish therapy). At the terapi ikan place there were three small pools of minnow-sized fish where you could dip your legs, or hand/arms too if you wanted, and the fish would come and bite your skin. It hurt a bit more than I expected, so it was hard to resist the urge to jerk and twitch (which you weren't supposed to do- I think it stresses out the fish). After awhile I got used to the sensation and it felt more like a bad case of pins and needles for the next hour or so. I resorted to laying my feet flat on the bottom of the pool so that the fish couldn't get underneath and bite between my toes, which tickled a lot. Everyone said that terapi ikan is very healthy for you, but the following night no one in my host family could sleep well, so I'm not convinced yet. I suppose it was a pleasant experience- mostly because it's out of the ordinary for me- though I did start bleeding at one point because a group of fish kept going at a mosquito bite. I'd certainly do it again if I got the chance. No pain, no gain.
Terapi ikan
There was also a Javanese holiday in January called Bekakak. I went with my host father to Batu Gamping, where the main event was held, and the streets on the way there were packed with spectators and vendors. This holiday occurs once every year, and the date always changes because it is based on the Javanese calendar. The main event consists of a mock wedding; there are two dolls made of rice that represent the bride and groom, and each one has it's throat cut (the dolls are filled with a red sugar syrup to look like blood). The 'blood' is then collected in a bowl and someone drinks it I think, though I didn't see that part. After the mock sacrifice the dolls were taken apart, along with a mountain of fruit that lead the procession, and the pieces thrown out to the crowd surrounding Batu Gamping. For the first time in awhile I was glad to be six inches taller than most everyone around me- I caught a banana, some green beans, chillies, and even a piece of the dolls (which was a big deal). Right after the ceremony ended it started to poor rain, so I returned home soaked and shivering but content with my winnings.
The 'wedding procession' on it's way to the sacrifice (where all the flags are in the very back of the picture). There was a marching band, soldiers on horseback, and of course a lot of spectators.
The fruit tower being carried up Batu Gamping.
This past week at school we had Monday off because of the Chinese New Year, or Imlek as it's called here. My host family isn't Chinese so we didn't celebrate, but did take advantage of the holiday to take a trip to the beach. We went to Pantai Baru, and it was so windy that day that we technically weren't allowed to get close to the water because the waves were too high, but I did go get my feet wet before we left.
The beaches around Yogya are generally dangerous, so swimming isn't allowed. You can't really tell from this picture, but all the beaches I've been to near Yogya are very steep, and so the water gets deep fast and it creates a nasty undertow. I don't mind not swimming at the beach- Indonesians don't use swimsuits and getting soaked and sandy with regular clothes on isn't that fun (especially if you have to hand wash them afterward)- so I'm content with just dipping my feet in and enjoying the view.
Last Wednesday I left for my first real Rotary trip to Pangandaran, a beach area outside of Bandung. We went body rafting in Green Canyon (which was fun and so beautiful, though we weren't allowed to bring cameras), and visited Pantai Pangandaran and Pantai Batu Hiu. The trip went by fast; we all arrived late on Wednesday night and had to leave after lunch on Friday, but I still managed to get a little bit of a tan.
Thursday morning all the exchange students went to the beach to watch the sunrise (we technically missed it since no one wanted to wake up at 5 am). Still beautiful, though.
What I'm most proud of from the last three weeks is my progress at school. All of my classes now (except for sophomore tari gagah) are working on dances that use a painfully slow tempo. This is nice for tari alus and putri, which have smooth, graceful styles (it looks sophisticated and serious with the slow tempo, I like it) but makes a tough workout out of my freshman tari gagah lesson. You have to keep one leg and both your arms held out at a 90 degree angle (for correct tari gagah form), and if dancing to a normal tempo this isn't so bad because you often switch legs/switch positions, but when it's slowed way down and you have to hold each position for a long time, the six minute routine takes forever. All my muscles burn by the end. My favorite lesson is still tari putri. In my sophomore class we're learning tari srimpi, which uses four dancers. I've been able to memorize the routine so far, and we're about ten minutes in, but the complete dance is a half hour long. I'm excited to finish it all and see how I do. We have our first mid-way test on this dance next Wednesday (everyone will wear a jarik and kebaya of the same color); I hope it goes well.
As for other upcoming events, there is an Imlek celebration led by one of the Rotarians from Yogya Tugu the first week of February. He asked me to perform, so I've been perfecting tari persembahan as well as practicing traditional Javanese singing for the event. I feel pretty good about the dance, but I'm nervous about the song. In America, the only singing I ever did was either in the shower or alone in my car, and so performing in front of a large crowd in Javanese is quite the step up for me. Needless to say, I'm intimidated. Ideally, traditional songs are supposed to sung in sort of a nasally, slippery way (similar to what Indian music sounds like to an American), and I have a long way to go before I can make my voice sound like that (if it's even possible). I've memorized all the words so far, so at least I have that going for me. I will certainly let you know how it goes- wish me luck.
Now for my latest food update. This one was the most shocking so far in my time in Indonesia I think, mostly because I wasn't aware (similar to the fish brain before). I stopped at a small warung makan (small food shop) with my host father on the way home from school one day and we ordered tongseng, which is chopped up meat served in soy sauce with spices and cabbage (and rice; this should go without saying). It was okay, not my favorite, mostly because the cuts of meat aren't up to my picky American standard. Later that night I was sitting in the living room with my host family and Ibu Haryo asks me if I knew what type of tongseng I ate that afternoon. "Kambing?" I reply (goat?). Nope, she said: dog meat. I couldn't help it- I clapped a hand over my mouth and let out a squeal in English (Oh my gosh!). Just the other evening I was talking with my host father Pak Haryo about when he visited Japan, and I had asked "Don't they eat dog there? Did you try it?" and so this was a little twisted joke of his- no one told me that they eat dog in Indonesia, too. I decided I would eat it again if I had to; it's just meat. Everyone in my host family has eaten it before, and my host brother is pursuing a veterinary degree to take care of pets, so I figure it's okay. Whew, quite the surprise.
That's about all that's been going on lately. I have a small confession to make before I sign off (it doesn't sound as bad as eating man's best friend though)- I took my first sack of clothes to the laundry shop next to my house last week. Over three kilos of laundry (washed and ironed) was 6900 rupiah- exactly 75 cents. Tempting, yes? I still wash all my underclothes myself, so I'm not losing the wholesome experience of domestic labor. Just gaining a longer afternoon nap :)
That's all for now! Happy Chinese New Year! (And sometime in the next few weeks give your dog an extra treat for me, to help my conscience...)
No comments:
Post a Comment