Kecak - Balinese Fire Dance

After using the internet cafe with the very friendly, chatty girl, I crossed the street to the Dirty Duck Diner. It was early, only 5:00, but I was starving and I saw people were still going in. I imagined it was quite a scene at lunchtime and also later for dinner, and I wanted to avoid the scene. My friend Yaari told me rich Indonesians go there, and the girl at the internet cafe told me they don't treat her very well because she looks like she can't afford it (she looked fine to me with her beautiful sarong and her t-shirt that said "It's Very Hot!" (at first I thought it said, "I'm Very Hot!")

The place was nice, not a diner at all, but a collection of eating areas, some tables and some areas that were set up on platforms with pillows and low tables. I don't know why foreigners choose those places to sit if they can't sit with their legs crossed. I saw one guy climb up on the platform with his flip flops on and walk on the pillows with them! What an idiot! I saw others lounging like they were out of some Rubens painting waiting to be fed grapes. Seriously, if you can't cross your legs and sit like a real Asian would, then sit at a table!

I was happy to sit at a table. I ordered the crispy duck, because why else would I go to the Dirty Duck Diner?

It was as was promised. Crispy. Supposedly the duck is marinated for 36 hours with special herbs and spices, but really it was so crispy, I couldn't taste much. Most of the meat was crispy and dried out as well. I dipped it in this delicious fresh tomato sambal (spicy sauce) after I realized I would not be covering up any subtle flavors. I would say my $2.00 nasi campur was just as good even if the atmosphere was not as fancy. But the DDD seems like a nice place to go for a little splurge, or maybe if I meet a nice Indonesian person who I want to treat for a special meal.

As far as being treated specially, I was not. Maybe like the girl at the internet cafe, they looked at me as if I were a peasant (well, I kind of am at heart), or maybe because it was a bad time and they were getting ready for dinner, or maybe they don't treat anyone special and the girl at the internet cafe has high expectations since Balinese seem to treat everyone like royalty.

Aside from the oafish foreigners would could not sit cross-legged, I also saw what I guess were some rich Indonesians. Big cameras seem to be in these days. I mean, REALLY big, National Geographic type cameras. I don't understand them. I saw them a lot when I was in Europe. Tourists in their three-quarter length shorts with Tevas (standard tourist garb) and these big cameras hanging around their necks. Nothing like trying to stick out like a sore thumb. The Malaysian guy in my Thai cooking class also had a really big camera, which he used incessantly.

At the DDD, there were several people, they are always men, walking around with these big cameras taking pictures of every flower, statue, or anything else that caught their eye. One guy went back to join his girlfriend who was taking a picture of something with her i-phone! It would be interesting to do a study to look at gender differences in terms of the use of photographic devices. I must have missed the memo that real men have big cameras.

Anyway, from there, I returned to my hotel, read a little and finally decided to take a walk. As I was leaving, I met the older Indonesian guy with really bad teeth who seems to be the manager or big boss at my hotel. I didn't like him at first because when I went to check out the room the nice young guy at the desk gave me my special deal of $40 per night. Then this guy came along and kind of made it seem like that was a problem, but, he was going to give me this special favor. But he insisted I leave 400,000 rupiah as a deposit. It sounds like a lot of money, but it is just $40. I didn't know why he wanted cash and not just my credit card, since they could charge my credit card whatever they wanted if I didn't show.

He was insisting they would return the 400,000 rp when I left, but I told him it would not do me any good since I would be leaving the country and could not spend it. The guy behind the desk understood this, but this older guy was a little slow to get it. Finally he said if I pay for a week on my credit card when I return he would return my cash deposit.

Yesterday as I was leaving to go to the internet cafe, he asked me if I could pay for four nights. He told me that the owner was upset that he gave me a deal of $40 per night because in high season they raise the rates (high season does not really start until December 20th). I told him I could pay for a week. He said he just wanted me to pay for four nights. I think it was because he told the owner (his cousin) that I had already paid for four nights. It all seems very complicated to me, but that is what I did. I paid for four nights. And I told him anytime he wanted me to pay again, I could. As long as I am using my credit card, I can pay anytime they want!

So, last night after returning from the DDD and resting, I was leaving and ran into this older guy. I have to get his name, since he seems like he will be a recurring character. He asked me where I was going, I said, "jalan jalan" - which I remember from my first trip to Indonesia is the appropriate response - it means "walking walking", and that is what I was going to do. Walk. Since I was in a new neighborhood with more going on, I wanted to see what was up on a Saturday evening.

I asked him where he was going and he told me his studio. He told me he is a painter. I think a lot of people are painters here, or dancers, or artists of some sort. We chatted a bit and then he invited me to a cremation! It seemed like quite an invitation and I am not sure how serious he was. I know in some cultures people invite others to do things but don't really mean it. I hesitated a bit because I knew I would feel slightly out of place and really stick out like a sore thumb, but also I knew it was an amazing opportunity. I pointed to my shorts and t-shirt and said, "can I go like this?" and he said, "of course". So we will see. The cremation is today and according to Lonely Planet is the most lavish and expensive of the Balinese rights of passage. The body is carried around in some sort of towering carriage, and tossed about and turned around so as to confuse it, allowing the spirit to break free until the body is finally burned. It must be something to see!

I knew I was going to pass this place that had dance performances and I knew that Saturday night was the Kecak - Balinese Fire Dance, and I knew I wanted to see it (I had seen it in a movie, something like Powaqaatsi or one of those type films), but I didn't know I would see it last night.

As I walked up the street away from my hotel, I noticed everything was very dark. A few places had these weird lights. Others had candles. Apparently the power was out. I felt guilty about leaving my air-con on. I thought I was going for a short walk and wanted my room cool when I returned. I guess my hotel was operating on a generator.

As I passed the dance place in the dark, I could see the shadows of men, white teeth glaring, with these little white spots on their temples that seemed to glow in the dark. One of them asked me if I was going. "To what?" I asked, but I already knew. Within minutes he had sold me a ticket to the fire dance and I was seated on a plastic chair in the front row looking at a very fancy tower that had little flames all over it.

At exactly 7 p.m. the dance started. A little toddler who had been fussing and crying suddenly sat spellbound (he eventually fell asleep) as the men came out, all wearing sarongs with flowers in their hair, white spots on their temples, hands raised and fingers moving about wildly like they were typing on some imaginary keyboard in the sky. They were grunting and making funny noises, but all moving in unison. They sat cross-legged on the ground and began moving from side to side in unison. Moving their shoulders together. Their heads all moved at the same time. And all the while they were making this funny noise kekakekakekakekakekakeka. It was amazing. I felt an intense feeling of joy wash over me. I am not sure why. I felt like smiling, laughing, but I didn't think it would be appropriate. It wasn't that I thought it was funny, but it was so much fun! I've seen Indonesian dance performances before and enjoyed them, but this felt really magical. I felt like I had wandered into the deep jungle and stumbled across some strange unknown culture and was witnessing one of the most sacred of rituals.

The performance was an hour and 15 minutes. During that time the men chanted most of the time. At times, different demons and beautiful maidens came out and did things around the fire. I was focused on the men and the kekakekakekakekakekakeka and the woo woo woo woo woo woo and the other sounds that were interwoven with the kekakekakekakekakekakeka. It was amazing.

Afterwards, I ran into Philip, the guy from my old guest house. He was there with Ketut, one of the many guys who work there. At first I thought Ketut was Made, the guy who takes care of my room at Artini. I'm ashamed to say but so many of these young Indonesian guys look the same to me. I recognized Ketut by the Alaska t-shirt he wore every day, but he wasn't wearing it. And Made wears pink Croc-type shoes. I'm not saying they all look alike, but they are very similar in size, coloring, hair, eyes, etc., and it is kind of hard when I am meeting so many people in such a short time.

And so I may have said it before, but I will say it again. I am loving Ubud. I now feel like I am in the right place and I think the next month will be filled with all kinds of exciting adventures. Between cremations and dance performances and massages and healings and shamans and cooking classes and just sitting by the pool, I think I will find plenty to keep me occupied for the next month!