I was most kindly invited to the wedding of Yansen and Asisia, close friends of Christine, the Secretary here at Dhyana Pura College, and known to many staff of the College. Jaya Pramono (Secretary of the Dhyana Pura Foundation), his wife Purwi, daughter Gianna, and Mother In Law (MIL) most kindly took me with them. It was a long but sceneic drive from Dalung to Blimbingsari in Western Bali where the wedding was held. Along the way we passed several squads of girls marching in the opposite direction, probably in a practice or competition associated with the coming Independence Day celebrations.
We arrived at the Christian town of Blimbingsari and I was struck by the contrast in appearance with the surrounding towns. The houses were in much better state of repair, the grounds were neat and tidy, and the street was devoid of the masses of litter which accumulates elsewhere. The offerings left in front of houses (and refreshed frequently) to appease the gods cause a great deal of litter in the town, and much of that stuff is just swept to the edge of the “footpath” or into the gutter (if it exists). The Christian town was almost spotless. In the early 20th century the Dutch discouraged evangelism for three main reasons: to maintain the unique Balinese culture; to prevent further religious tensions as additional religious communities were established; and to limit the threat to Dutch control (after all, the Balinese Christians might have had the nerve to think the Dutch were their brothers, not their masters). In 1939 the Protestant and Catholic groups of believers were “encouraged” to relocate to wild West Bali and establish their own villages.. It was expected that the harsh conditions would defeat the new settlers, but after a struggle the villages survived and are now models in the area.
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| My new formal batik shirt. It fits well but the double lining does make it rather hot. |
Hundreds of Christians were in attendance and parking was at a premium. Fortunately Jaya’s family had connections (MIL was born there) and we parked at the house of a relative. I changed into my formal batik shirt and we walked the short distance to the church and reception area. I was completely unprepared for the scene – the church was on a small rise behind a field of tables, and row upon row of chairs. There were 5 or 6 large canopies marking the food serving areas. Colourful foam sign boards announced that this was the wedding of Yansen and Asisia. We had just settled onto our seats when I was taken off to the church by a family member (I could tell from his shirt pattern). The bridal couple and parents were splendidly attired and family members were easily spotted. The male family members wore shirts of slightly varying styles but all from a particular material, and the females wore blouses made of a golden fabric. It was spectacular. The bride and groom, dressed in traditional regalia wore “crown-like” headdress, and the groom carried a mock golden sword. On the steps down from the church two men held traditional umbrellas and 6 girls waited to spread flower petals. I had a couple of photos taken with the family by the photographer, so I hope I see the images. Inside the church I briefly met a woman from Canberra now on her second UnitingWorld placement in Bali.
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| Jansen and Asisia leave the church with attendants |
As the bridal party came down the steps they were showered with petals. To the sound of applause, music and singing they made their way to a stage in front of a building on the opposite side of a field spread with tables, and took their places on couches – parents of the groom, then the groom with his bride to his left, then her parents. In the church I met her father and he was pleased to hear I was from Hope Valley, as he had been there and knew Rev Dean Brooks.
I moved between tables during the evening as one group or another invited me. At one stage I sat with the current Bishop of GKPB, at another time I sat with Synod members.
The majority of the wedding service with the vows and presentation of the certificate took place on the stage before the assembled families and friends. I guessed “hundreds” but was reliably informed that there would have been more than a thousand people there. There were prayers and songs; an offering was collected to the sound of gamelan music played by about 20 women dressed in red costumes; a small choral group sang; and about a dozen men played tunes on a collection of amazing and unusual bamboo “xylophones” (for want of a better description). Men stood behind to play the smaller, higher tuned instruments and perched on the larger instruments to play them. The bride and groom sang popular love songs to each other. Later in the evening a group of men and children played music on “kitchen utensils” – children tapped glasses with spoons; they scraped rasps; a man played the “drum kit” on a collection of basins, plates and bottles; a large plastic container of about 20L supplied the base notes. It was amazing. This group won from several other such groups in a novel competition between parishes.
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| The percussion player is really "on top of his instrument". |
As we lined up to receive delicious local dishes, several rounds of fireworks were fired, and some flares were lit. It was an amazing and colourful evening, and I was honoured and privileged to have been invited to take part. The drive home was a bit of an anti-climax, as the road was even more congested than on the trip out. Several large trucks carrying pre-cast concrete beams were crawling along and each had a tail of banked up vehicles. Vehicles weaved in and out, trying to pass, and cutting in to line as they encountered oncoming traffic. It was rather dangerous, but the Balinese drivers showed far more patience and tolerance of others than drivers at home. All the while motor bikes weaved their way through the traffic, passing on either side, and often taking terrible risks. Eventually we made it back to the college at about 10:30. It had been a long day, but a fascinating one.
My best wishes to the bride and groom for a long and blessed life together.
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| Jaya, Gianna and Purwi Pramono, with Purwi's mother. They kindly took me to the wedding. |
Special thanks to: Jaya and Purwi Pramono for taking me; Christine Suyasa for kindly arranging my invitation; and to the family and guests who invited me to their tables and made me feel so welcome.
You can see many more photos by opening the Picasa Album "Wedding at Blimbingsari" in the Blog entries in the "Archives" section at right of screen.
Paul in Bali
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