Harmony of Ubud . 4.

Harmony of Ubud . 4 



The next morning while Pan Dabreg is putting water in the rice-fields, west side of the village, someone approaches him.

He doesn't know that person , sure, he must come from the village far away from here, he thinks. After nodding respectfully, that person asks him : " Excuse me Bapak, do you know where Ubud corner is ? " Pan Dabreg wipes his sweat with palm of his hand. That person is younger than him.

His clothing fancy, moustache a little thick , his face round. " Beg your pardon . Oh , you mean Ubud, or the corner busy twirling his moustache. " Ah , i know Bapak , ' says Pan Dabreg. " Bapak , just bamboo group, turn to the right. There you will find the corner. Many bemos park there. Also have market stalls. That is the corner of Ubud," answer Pan Dabreg. " Thank you for that , " after nodding, that person hurries to south direction. Pan Dabreg looks thoughtful. Not so long after come a group of people, who also ask the same question. Ubud corner.

Pan Dabreg gives them a similer answer. One of them after hearing Pan Dabreg's reply, whispers to his friend. His friend looks worried and then speak softly : " Oh , we are too late. They came first ! We must chase them , so not only they can take it!" Even though only speaking softly, Pan Dabreg can still hear them . They go in a hurry to the south direction. The wind's sting is too hot. After cleaning his hoe, he goes back home. Already it is time for lunch. " Wait a moment, Bapane, not cooked yet ', says his to chock cage, takes his cock out, and washes it with clean suprised. That tourist seems confused. Almost at the same time they nod and smile. " Aa..........dimana...aa....perempatan......aaa ubud ? " It seems like the tourist can only speak a little Indonesian , but Pan Dabreg's Engl ish also little. Pan Dabreg predicts that tourist is lost . Confused, so enters someone's house to ask. Luckily that house is Pan Dabreg's . Men Dabreg then also gives directions to the tourist . " Yes, yes. You go straight, two bamboo bridges and bamboo- bamboo. You turn right, and you in corner Ubud" he says. That tourist seems to understand and then nods. Men Dabreg is proud of her husband.

For the first time she realizes he can speak in tourist language. Pan Dabreg invites the tourist to come inside the house. " Drink , drink ? " he asks. The tourist nods. " Memene, two coffees!" Men Dabreg soon jumps to the kitchen . Not so long she comes back with two glasses of coffee. The tourist offers a Dunhill cigarette to Pan Dabreg. Pan Dabreg shakes his head, unusual for him to smoke white cigarettes. He ussually smokes kretek cigarettes. If not Djarum filter cigarettes, maybe M.P.R " Not, not, " he says " I not smoke English!" Maybe he means, " no,no! I don't smoke white cigarettes!" After finishing coffee, the tourist smiles largely. She puts on her dark glasses, and then goes. She is in a hurry.


Pan Dabreg perplexed. There is a growing question in his heart. Why are so many people asking about Ubudcorner? They are stupid people! Isn't it if they go to Ubud they pass that corner ? Strange ! Strange ! " What is happening Bapane ? Why are you talking to youselft ? Is it that you talk to your cock ? " Pan Dabrge nervous. The question from his wife makes him realize. " I'm not talking to the cock. Memene, I'm still thinking!" explains Pan Dabreg . " After the tourist left you mumbled, " says hiswife while smiling. And then she says again : " That tourist before, like Barbara. But Barbara speaks good Indonesian . That tourist beautiful. " " The question for me is why a lot of people are asking about ubud corner , " says Pan Dabreg , his face cloudy . " That is normal for people to ask that " ..." Ya, but strange, why they always ask about the corner ? Why not Ubud?" ..." Oh , maybe you heard wrong, " saysMen Dabreg seriously. ..." Ooooh, i feel not, touching his cheek " Even i am old, my hearing good enough! I believe somethingis happening in Ubud!"


And than Pan Dabreg mumbles to himselft : ' I don't believe it , in the rice-fields, in the house , always asking about corner of Ubud!" The forehead of his wife wrinkles, does not know what the husband is thinking about. " Bapane, " she says ..." corner of ubud is large. Many people have different activities. There are pushbike repair, shop, warungs, wantilan and also bemos . Something they even use for welcoming important government guest, " " strange! Strange !" whispers Pan Dabreg many times. That night Pan Dabreg talks in his sleep again : " Strange! Strange! Tourist! Corner of Ubud!" The following day Pan Dabreg is quiet. Often he clenches his hand and shakes it to the sky. After back from ubud, usually he will stamp his foot on the ground, Looks like he is angry or tied the problem he cannot be free from . When their son and daughter come home, Men Dabreg tells them about the recent behaviour of Pan dabreg . They just smile, Even joke to her !" Mek - mek, Daddy is already old. Let him be free to do what he wants, " says the first .The other child also adds more. " Daddy works too hard. etter he has a lot of rest . " But the young one works in cassette shop in Kuta Beach has different opimion. " The changing is normal Mek . You must understand .

Maybe Daddy has the third puberty ! " " Waht is puberty ? " asks Men Dabreg . " The puberty time is time od fire. Daddy must stay far away from petrol or kerosene. Because Daddy holds the fire, it is dangerous to go near him ." ..I don't know what you talk about!" Men Dabreg still doest not understand. " Don't go near to him ! Memek can be burned.He......he....ha...ha....ha....!" Ketut, the young one laughes, the older smiles. Men Dabreg sulks. " You just joke with old people !" Men Dabreg's children laugh, they are really close to their parents. To their mother they call Memek .

There is nothing so beautiful as calling their mother in their mother language. Pan Dabreg smiles when he hears them talking about him. It is difficult to know what that smile means. After the children leave, Pan Dabreg again become quiet . When he finishes work in the rice-fields, he goes straight away to Ubud. Sometimes taking his cock. Often he takes his cow there while yelling loudly. Back home when evening or night time. The people in Ubud are astonished.



Thank you .....................


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Saiban - Ubud Simplest Offerings

Saiban - Ubud Simplest Offerings
Balinese in ubud, always put small pieces of leaves around their houses. On top they will put a little rice, salt and chili sauce.


It's called by Saiban because every day offerings to the spirits before we eat. And in this way we also give our thanks to the God that we still have food to eat.


When we make the Saiban offerings we appeal to the spirits to protect our compound. We will therefore put these offerings at every corner of cooking takes place, sharpening stone, mortar,pestle, broom, well, book cupboards, television, radio and of course in front of the gate leading into the compound.


When i go to eat in a warung, temple or a friend's place, i will always take a bit of the rice that i will eat and put it next to me for the spirit before i eat. It is usually the duty of the mother of the compound to perform these duties. However if she is not well she may deligate this task to her daughter.


If they are both having their periods at the same time, however and they are not allowed to make these offeirngs, hunsbands or sons are allowed to take over. Remember , before we make these offering we are not allowed to eat.

Harmony of ubud .3.

Relaxing beside of  Rijasa Swimming pool.

Harmony of Ubud . 3


He likes to eat betel-nut more than cigarettes. His lips look red because of the betel - nut. " How about the beautiful dream and the reality dream?" asks a youth wearing sarong. " That time was war time. When the night time was very quiet here. You were not born then. "..." One of my friends was chased by the enemy troops. He ran into the jungle. Because frightened, he ran to a person's house. He went inside and fell down unconscious !" .."In his unconciousness he dreamed beautifully, of being i heaven with all the angels. " ..." When concious he was more astonished. A beautiful girl was smiling at him. That girl was the one who saved him and looked after him. "


" A couple of years after independence Day, I saw my friend with the beautiful woman and two children. Actually thay had married, " says Wayan. " Where they now ? " asks Pan Dabreg........" Oh, he become General in Jakarta. Comes back home when Galungan Day, " explains Wayan. " You know Wayan , " says Pan Dabreg to his friend Wayan. " In the world there are many wars and hunger. in Lebanon, Afganistan, Iraq and Iran. " Wayan is quiet. The other listeners are silent waiting for his words to continue.


" People now more superior than before!" Pan Dabreg stops a moment to swallow his spit, then continues. " If big war happens the world will be detroyed!" ..." Right, replies Wayan. " Before, wars only used kris, sward or guns. Now they use bombs!" ..." Yes , yesterday, I looked at television, " adds someone who was in the warung yesterday. " What did your see?" asks a youth wearing sarong. " France exploded nuclear bombs in the Pacific. The smoke rolled up like mushroom, tall in the sky !".." Wah, the world situation is dangerous!" Sighs Wayan. "No - one will be safe."


" Therefore , everybody who is still young must marry quickly!" Pan Dabreg retorts. He points to the listeners one by one, including the girl who works in the warung. That girl is timid. " lho ? we are not old enough to be married! The government advise us to join Family Planning. If marry at young age, that means disagree with Family Planning. " says the youth wearing jeans, his hair wavy. In his hand he holds a packet of legong dance tickets. " ah , come on. As long as you don't make a child first, doestn't matter ! " answers Pan Dabreg. "Don't you be outsrtipped by nuclear war. When you still make love, even if there are one thousand nuclear explosions, you will not be hurt!"


" Suddenly dead!" Wayan replies. All of them burst out laughing. " The dead are nice dead! Die when you make love !" Pan Dabreg doesn't want to lose. Again the people in the warung laugh loudly Some people passing stop momentarily. " That is good idea!" The youth wearing jeans opens his mouth again. " Beginning tomorrow, we are married, O.K ?" He points to the girl in warung . That girl roars with laughter. " if we marry, " says the youth again. "We celebrate here, in the corner of Ubud. We close the coner for one week!" All eyes look at the girl.Feeling the people looking at her, the girl stops laughing. She hides her face under the table.


" and then, where will the traffic pass,?" flashes a person. " We'll make new bridge on top of it" says the youth, his finger pointing up. " Stiff.....eh shit ! Your fantasy too far-out !" says the youth with sarong. " First, sell ten thousand of your Legong dance tickets! After, you can marry this girl!" snaps the other . " How can i sell ten thousand Legong dance tickets to the tourist every day ? Even if five tickets sold that is lucky for me !" the youth wearing jeans answers. " Right, right, " says Pan Dabreg, " now everybody sells Legong dance tickets. Not like before. Many tourist and few sellers. "


" How about you, Wayan, I mean with your paintings ? " asks Pan Dabreg. The people become quiet . Talking about the economic situation makes them wrinkle their foreheads. " the person like me depends on the art shops. If the art shops and galleries don't want to buy them, i will be hungry!" " Aren't your paintings good ? You have high technique. Even more, you are famous . Why don't you open your own gallery?" asks Pan Dabreg. " I don't have capital, also i don't speak english! Surely i will lose in competition with them ! Even more, the tourist believe the taxi drivers more than the artist!" Wayan starts to be sad about himselft.


" Have you had bad experience ?" asks the youth with sarong. " Often. In front of my eyes, my paintings have been sold twenty time more than my price. The art shop owner doest not give me money. He said that is my fate ! The buyer didn't know that the artist was in front of him. " " That is business!" says Pan Dabreg . " You can put your paintings in my son's shop monkey Forest Street ! The price up to you. He doesn't make any profit from it. He will be happy to help you. He knows the sadness of artist because he is an artist. "


" Thank you for that, " says Wayan....." And think many artist the same fate. They sell their paintings cheaply to the gallery. Gallery or art shop will sell it for an expensive price. Better to make artist's co-operative. Sell their own art to the buyer!" Pan dabreg becomes enthusiastic. " Ya, i will try that. In my village there are a lot of artist, If more than twenty artist are in one group, we will make co-operative organisation !" Wayan agrees with Pan Dabreg's idea. His eyes glitter, full of hope. Soon after, the conversation finishes. They leave the warung . Some Legong dance ticket sellers start to do business in the streets. They offer ticket to passing tourists. That night, while Pan Dabreg sleeps, he talks again: " Nuclear, nuclear! Co-operative, co-operative ! Legong dance ! Legong dance ! Hey Wayan, don't sell your painting cheaply!" His wife perplexed.

Harmony of Ubud . 3

Harmony of Ubud .3.The next afternoon , Pan Dabreg is seen in the warung in Ubud corner. Wayan sits beside him. Some people come and sit, making the warung full.


Wayan looks thoughful. Suddenly he opens the conversation : " Follow the old men, dream and reality is connected. Drawn together. " " For example ? " questions Pan Dabreg. People in the warung start to concentrate on them. " Once someone had very terrible dreams ! So enormous her dreams. When she woke up , what happened' Wayan tries fishing for answer. The people are too lazy to guess.


" When she woke up, became crazy!" wayan's voice trembles. All the listeners change their faces, trembeling a bit. " Again someone dreamed of going by plane. That plane exploded in the sky, destroyed in the shreds. Wayan rests a moment. "when he woke up, that man was stil howling in sickness. Screaming. Luckily his wife soon came, so he was knew it was only a dream. " The people in the warung sit looking dumbfounded. Wayan takes something from his small bag hanging on his hip, some betel-nut leaves. He adds little bit of lime and plant to the leaves, rolls and put in his mouth. Chewing slowly.