There are indeed lots of movies I have watched; either Indonesian or foreign ones.Yet, I seldom put up movies on my reviews if they do not leave any impressions to me at all.

"The Painted Veil" is one of the most endearing romance movies ever. It is based on the novel of Somerset Maugham. Taking a set mostly in Shanghai and a remote area in China with the cholera oubreak in 1920s, a spouse encounters some marital conflicts, which lead them into a great romance through a journey that touches your humanity side. The storyline is actually a bit typical in my country ( a lot of romance Indonesian movies have this kind of storyline.). I am in love with the musical background too. I think the piano solo really gives emotional feelings to the movie. With a little bit of flasback, I was a bit in tears already when the movie just started. And I was more in tears at the end:-(. I'd say "The Painted Veil" also displays some cultural background of Chinese in the earlier time around 1920s ( or maybe the culture I saw in the movie is still firmly believed by the Chinese).

I just don't feel satisfied with the ending! but in some points the ending is also very relieving; the loyalty is finaly there in her heart and mind!.( if you are lost, then you've got to see "The Painted Veil", then you might know what I mean by "Loyalty" here.)

Here are some of my favorite quotes taken from the movie:
Walter Fane : I knew when I married you that you were selfish and spoiled. But I loved you. I knew you only married me to get as far away from your mother as possible. And I hoped that one day... there'd be something more. I was wrong. You don't have it in you.

Kitty Fane: If a man hasn't what's necessary to make a woman love him then it's *his* fault not hers.

Walter Fane: Either way. Tomorrow morning we are to leave for Mei-tan-fu, or I shall file my petition.

Kitty Fane: Walter, you can't be serious about taking me into the middle of a cholera epidemic.

Walter Fane: Do you think that I'm not?

Kitty Fane: My God. That's what you want isn't it? Do you really think Charlie will let you do this?

Walter Fane: I don't think Charlie has very much to say about it.

Kitty Fane: Everything you said is true. Everything. I married you even though I didn't love you. But you knew that. Aren't you as much to blame for what's happened as I?


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Charlie Townsend: Women are always under the impression that men love them more that they really do.
Kitty Fane: I wouldn't delude myself for a second that you were in love with me.
Charlie Townsend: Now there you're wrong.

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Kitty Fane: For God's sake, Walter, will you stop punishing me? Do you absolutely despise me?
Walter Fane: No. I despise myself.
Kitty Fane: Why?
Walter Fane: For allowing myself to love you once.

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Kitty Fane: It's raining cats and dogs.
Kitty Fane: I said it's raining cats and dogs.
Walter Fane: Yes, I heard you.
Kitty Fane: You might have answered.
Walter Fane: I suppose I'm not used to speaking unless I've something to say.
Kitty Fane: If people only spoke when they had something to say, the human race would soon lose the power of speech
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Walter Fane: Do you like flowers?
Kitty Fane: Not particularly, no. Well, I mean yes, but we don't really have them around the house. Mother says, "Why purchase something you can grow for free?" Then, we don't really grow them either. It does silly really. To put all that effort into something that's just going to die.

Note from me about this line " I think this really shows the ending is."

My favorite scene is when Kitty wanted her husband to pass the salt. It does really shows Kitty's characters

Happy Watching, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.

Lu2Ar

Dedicated to my country!

Have you ever watched shadow puppet? ( wayang kulit) rod puppets ? ( wayang Golek) or wayang wong (wayang performed by human being)? What do you think? boring? interesting?old-fashioned? or how?.

Wayang is an Indonesian term of theatre.UNESCO designated Wayang Kulit, a shadow puppet theater and the best known of the Indonesian wayang, as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity on 7 November 2003.

Wayang kulit performances are usually accompanied by gamelan, a set of Javanese instruments. The puppets used in wayang kulit themselves are played by a person called "dalang". This "dalang" plays important role in the show. When "dalang" begins to perform the show, he has already arranged the puppets based on the stories drawn from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, so that the "dalang" does not need to bother himself choosing which puppet(s) come next on the cotton screen cast in oil lamp * note : nowadays, they do not use oil lamps for the lights, yet they use more modern colored lights and other innovations.* The way "dalang" tells stories in Wayang kulit  is actually not that serious nowadays, I happened to watch the show on TV even only a little bit, yet the show was funny sometimes. If the story tells about fighting between two characters, the "dalang" does some acrobatic things to the puppet(s) telling the audiences that the puppets were fighting.

Sometimes ago, I watched a show on TV, and it was about an Australian man who decided to become "dalang" and changed the name become "Ki Gaura Mancacaritadipura.". He has lived in Indonesia for 30 years, and has held an Indonesian citizenship for more than 30 years. Ki Gaura has performed Wayang Kulit shows many times. Having colaborated with Ki Manteb Sudharsono, a senior "dalang" of wayang kulit in Indonesia, Ki Gaura now becomes one of the most "dalang"s of wayang kulit in Indonesia. "note; "Ki" is the term used for "dalang" wayang kulit who has been perfoming wayang kulit for some times and has ever performed a 24-hour-non-stop show of Wayang Kulit. ( pertunjukan wayang semalam suntuk)". As it has been mentioned above, Javanese Gamelan accompanies the show of wayang kulit, and in the show there are also numbers of women singers called "sinden" who dress up in Javanese attire. Again, we should be proud and perhaps learn to be like Elizabeth Karen Sekararum, a woman born in the USA and now has been one of the most famous sinden. She speaks perfect Javanese and her Javanese accent is totally clear. Colaborating with Ki Gaura, Elizabeth Karen Sekararum has done many performances. " It is the sitting of "sila" that I like the most when becoming Sinden." she says.

In the show I watched, there was also the most famous person ( I am not sure how he is called in East Java). He is originally from West Java, where Wayang Golek - Rod puppets is a popular puppetry show. Asep Sunandar Sunarya has performed many rod puppets show. Rod puppets and Shadow puppets are easy to differentiate. I ever watched his performance and his performances are always funny. What happens if both rod puppets and shadow puppets perform together?? It becomes such a hillarious show ( to those who understand either Sundanese or Javanese or both of the tribal languages.) Of course, the colaboration does not exist in a real life which means that there has never been a real show of puppet that combines between two different kinds of puppets. This only is possible to happen in a talk show!.

Note for my Indonesian friends;

mereka saja mau lho bela-belain jadi dalang dan sinden.Melestarikan budaya kita, terkadang banyak dari kita yang lupa dan tidak tahu budaya sendiri. Nggak harus jadi sinden dan dalang sih, saya juga nggak bisa kalo jadi sinden, tapi yang penting setidaknya kita tahu tentang,misalnya wayang, kalau misal Anda dari Jawa (Barat, Timur, Tengah) Kalau dari daerah lain gimana? nggak ada wayang kan? jangan2 ada cuma kita yang di Jawa aja nggak tahu? hayo? ya monggo diperkenalkan budayanya ya,  yok silahkan introduce your tribes!! supaya yang lain kita semua bisa saling belajar. Ayo Rek!!!

Some snapshots!!!

 

Ki Gaura "colaborated" with Asep Sunarya.

 Ki Manteb and Asep

 

 

 

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayang

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamelan

http://minyos.its.rmit.edu.au/%7Edwa/WayangKulit.html

http://www.yogyes.com/en/yogyakarta-cultural-performance/wayang-kulit-show/

Lu2Ar

RAMAYANA BALLET

Malioboro, Sultan's Palace ( keraton Jogja) are all identical to Jogja.

Hanum         : Oh, yes I have been to Jogja

Brandstoetter: Oh where have you been?

Hanum         : Malioboro, Sultan's palace, and two must-see temples - Hindu and Buddhist temples.

Brandstoetter : Hmm, have you seen Ramayana Ballet?

Hanum : What's that?

Okay, the conversation above is just an illustration of a person who has been in Jogja, but has never seen Ramayana Ballet.

If you think Jogja is only Prambanan and Borobudur temples then you might need to go back to Prambanan once again. This is not only a temple;I'd say the greatest temple and the most beautiful one, but this is where Ramayana Ballet is performed every Tuesday and Wednesday night.

Ramayana Ballet, a story adopted from India but performed in a Javanese dancing with a great Karawitan playing ( karawitan - a musical performance with a set of Javanese musical instruments called gamelan.) is worth seeing. The story of Rama Shinta performed beautifully with the background of Prambanan Temple that is seen clearly as some lights are located near the temple.

Entering the main entrance you will be welcomed by a friendly usher wearing a complete Javanese attire who will make sure that you find your seats. Some seats are available; VIP seats ( sofa seats), and special ( stone with cushions seats). I'd say sitting on a stone with cushion seat is more comfortable than sitting on a sofa. Entering the Prambanan area, there is a box filled with booklets about Ramayana Story provided in 6 different languages such as; English, Indonesian, French, Deutsch, Dutch, Spanish and Italian. But, do not expect too much with the foreign languages as some languages are not grammatically written.

Taking pictures is allowed during the performance. Only that each camera is charged Rp. 2000. I guess this is okay as this is a part of a maintenance of the temple too. As you might  know that the temple has been severly damaged because of the earthquake. I guess 2000 IDR means nothing compared to having this temple forever. So, I do not really complain too much about paying this and that.

During the performance, many foreigners use this moment to take some photos. According to many people, the performance is really great. The last time I went there, it got long applause.

After the performance, you are given 5 minutes to take some photos with the dancers. We used the chance though, but we did not get the chance to take some photos with Sita, the Princess.

There is even a ten-minute coffee break, then you can exchange your coupons with soft drinks depending on the price of the tickets you buy.  Near the coffee break area, which is outdoor, you can enjoy the karawitan playing. You can enjoy your ten-minutes break ( sorry I forgot to take some photos) while listening karawitan.

Some people I met said that after having watched the performance, they are in love with Gamelan. Many of them decide to buy CDs of gamelan or Karawitan ( sinden version). If you want to buy some gamelan CDs, a CD store in Malioboro Plaza is the right place. The thing I regret is that I did not even buy the gamelan CDs!! aarrrghh!!!

These are some of my suggestions if you want to go there to see Ramayana Ballet / after watching it;

1. Read the booklet before watching it.

2. Take special seats is not a bad idea at all.

3. Find information about when and what time it is played. ( it is usually at 7:30 PM)

4. Arrive there 45 minutes before as you can see the preparation of Ramayana Ballet plus have dinner nearby.

5. It is more beautiful if you see the performance during the full moon.

6. To make your memory of Jogja last, buy gamelan Cds.

This is what I can write about Ramayana Ballet. May this information be useful for your trip to Jogja. Should you need any information, PM me! I will be your online tour-guide exploring the beauty of Jogja.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prambanan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sita

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majapahit_Empire

Lu2ar

Beberapa hari yang lalu saya berbicara tentang "Gamelan Jawa" dengan "teman dekat" saya. Asyik juga, sehingga saya akhirnya ingat waktu saya di SMU Trimurti Surabaya, saya memutuskan mengambil "Karawitan- seni bermain gamelan" daripada menari. Bermain gamelan mengasyikan tetapi Anda harus memperlakukannya dengan hati2 sekali kata guru saya Pak Mardi yg jahatnya minta ampun ( disiplin mungkin kata yang tepat)"kamu tahu gamelan itu bagaimana buatnya? itu susah.. jadi main jangan asal, pake perasaan." Saya ingat sekali kami sering memainkan "Landrang Kebo Giro" ( Lagu pengiring jika ada "manten" - pernikahan) Lagu sambutan untuk penganten datang. Saya memutuskan untuk meletakkan link disini sebagai perkenalan budaya gamelan dan karena saya juga ingat guru saya dan juga pengalaman saya bermain gamelan. Ini link edisi budaya ( West and East)
Lu2Ar