As an overseas Chinese, I treasure the importance to preserve one’s identity and one’s language in a minority environment. I thus have great empathy for Sir David. (David Tang Wing-cheung’s Cantonese is a rich and subtle language that must be preserved”, August 23)
I want to relate the adoption of Mandarin in South East Asia. My parents, like the overwhelming majority of their generation, received Chinese education in Mandarin at about the turn of 1960s, still converse to each other in Mandarin, never mind that they are both Fujianese.
Many Indonesian Chinese who migrated to Hong Kong, most of whom left Indonesia between 1950s-1960s, still proudly speak Mandarin among them.
These show how readily the South East Asian Chinese accept Mandarin as their own common language despite their different vernacular.
After the Second World War, the South East Asian Chinese educationist and the community had the foresight to install Mandarin as the unifying language.
The major resistance to Mandarin is among the Cantonese peoples in pockets of area where they form the majority. The often cited evidence of Cantonese sophistication is that the Tang Dynasty's poem is best read out in Cantonese.
What is ironic is that there is very sizable number of non-Cantonese in Hong Kong and their second generations are all converted into Cantonese speaking. Isn't Cantonese imposed on these non-Cantonese?
Understandably, this was a deliberate British colonial “divide and rule” policy to promote Cantonese primacy in the school.
It didn’t help that, the former Chief Executive, Mr. C.W Tung introduced the disastrous mother tongue policy by assuming that the mother tongue was Cantonese and worst by promoting Cantonese in post-handover as keeping the "2 systems" in the "one country".
What I find most amusing is that even the recent arrivals from the Mainland are rushing to be Cantonized. When applying for their identity card, they happily swap their name from Pinyin to Cantonese spelling. Abandoning Pinyin spelling supposedly makes them Hong Kongers. Maybe they are not aware that the local are adopting English names such as David as their own.Many locals, with memory of constant turmoil and persecution in the Mainland, have their own skepticism of anything Mainland and these include Mandarin that is seen as imposed top-down.
However, it is still either very clannish or very colonial for Sir David to claim that Hong Kong would fare better politically if we continue to use a language which the northerners did not understand.
The word "northerner" is very segregationist last heard in the era of American Confederacy but I could find myself amused with the word as yet another Sir David's demonstration of caricature with great sense of humor.
Our children started to learn Mandarin half-heartedly only after the handover; and our shopkeepers half-competently only after the SARs.
We should promote Mandarin as the main medium of instruction whilst teaching Chinese in school. This is a historical decision Hong Kong cannot wait.
Cantonese as a vernacular, like the Taiwanese, will always be around, alive and kicking.
Showing posts with label Indonesia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indonesia. Show all posts
Monday, August 23, 2010
Mandarin and Cantonization - Unedited Reply to David Tang
Being a member of Overseas Chinese Diaspora, I treasure how important to preserve one’s identity and one’s mother tongue in a minority environment. I thus have great empathy for Sir David. (David Tang Wing-cheung’s Cantonese is a rich and subtle language that must be preserved”, August 23)
Let me be clear, I am not in favor of suppressing Cantonese but I do take the stance to promote the use of Mandarin for the Chinese anywhere anytime.
I want to discuss about the spread of Mandarin usage outside the Mainland China by relating my family experience in the South East Asia. My parents received Chinese education in Mandarin at about the turn of 1960s, they still converse to each other in Mandarin, never mind that they are both Fukienise (Fujianese in Pinyin) by descent.
As a young child growing up in repressive environment in the 1980s, my generation was constantly reminded to speak more Mandarin and less vernacular when we went to school. This was true for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, the three former British colony in South east Asia.
Even the Indonesian Chinese who migrated to Hong Kong, most of whom left Indonesia between 1950s-1960s, Mandarin is still proudly spoken among them perhaps with an accent Sir David would perhaps regard as insufficiently good.
These show how readily the South East Asian Chinese accept Mandarin as their own common language. A big credit to all the pioneers and successive generation of Chinese educationist who have the foresight to install Mandarin as the unifying spoken language for the Chinese Diaspora. It was done without any political pressure from Beijing at all and with the consensus of all the major tribes of Chinese.The major resistance to Mandarin are perhaps among the Cantonese peoples. I am increasingly affirmed of my view that there is a sort of Cantonese-centrism in pocket where the Cantonese descent forms the majority. It is also very ironic that many prominent Cantonese would rather speak English than Mandarin.
I know this may be controversial. My own experience has been that the Cantonese speaking peoples tend to impose their own as the "lingua franca". This is true from Vancouver to Kuala Lumpur, not to mention Hong Kong.Cantonese speaking peoples instinctively regard Cantonese as more sophisticated than Mandarin or other vernacular which may be true. The often cited evidence is that the Tang Dynasty's poem is best read out in Cantonese than in Mandarin. The Cantonization phenomena in Kuala Lumpur, I believe, is largely attributed to the rise of Hong Kong pop music and TVB popular dramas from the late 1970s. The reasons are rooted in the perceived Cantonese superiority and the popularity of its pop culture.
Many of the Chinese who lived in Hong Kong today are not originally Cantonese. According to the local Fukien (Fujian in Pinyin) organization, there is more than a million Fujianese in Hong Kong. If we add up the more frequently encountered waves of immigrants or refugees from Chiu-chow (Chaozhou in Pinyin), Shanghainese and Hakka (many of whom are actually native in the New Territory), the non-Cantonese number is definitely very substantial in Hong Kong.However, their second generation are all converted into Cantonese speaking. This in large part is due to the British colonial policy in teaching the Chinese in Cantonese. There is only one school that teaches Mandarin uninterrupted from the 1950s until today. Such is the miserable state of Mandarin in Hong Kong.Upon the handover, the former Chief Executive, Mr. C.W Tung advocated and implemented the mother tongue language policy which was right but he got it wrong in that the mother tongue was presumed to be Cantonese. Mr Tung hails from Zhejiang.That's ironic and unfortunate for Hong Kong.
There were indeed many great scholars such as Professor Qian Mu (钱穆) who came to Hong Kong and set up the predecessor of what is now the Chinese University during those difficult years in 1950s . Yet Mandarin didn't stay as the mainstream.What I find most amusing is that even the latest arrivals from the Mainland are rushing to be Cantonized, at least in their name. When applying for their identity card, they happily swap their name from Pinyin to Cantonese spelling. Abandoning Pinyin spelling supposedly make them Hong Kongers. Maybe they are not aware that the local Hong Konger are adopting English names such as David as their own.Of course the social political backdrop between Hong Kong and Overseas Chinese Diaspora are very different. Retaining Cantonese in post-handover is seen as keeping the "2 systems" in the "one country". Prior to the handover, the local Hong Kongers with memory of constant turmoil and persecution in the Mainland from the Great Leap Forward to the Cultural Revolution and Tiananmen Incident, have their own reservation of anything Mainland and these surely include Mandarin that is seen as imposed top-down.
What is the state of Mandarin today?
Only after the handover that the children are beginning to learn Mandarin; and only after the SARs that the shopkeepers are beginning to speak Mandarin of an acceptable standard to the Mainland visitors.
I think it is either very clannish or very colonial for Sir David to claim that Hong Kong would fare better politically if we continue to use a language which the northerners did not understand. The word "northerner" is very segregationist last heard in the era of American Confederacy but I could find myself amused with the word as yet another Sir David's demonstration of caricature with great sense of humor.
The promotion of Mandarin in Hong Kong at least in the school as the main medium of instruction whilst teaching Chinese doesn’t deprive the cultural value of Cantonese. Cantonese as a vernacular like the Taiwanese will always be around, alive and kicking.
Let me be clear, I am not in favor of suppressing Cantonese but I do take the stance to promote the use of Mandarin for the Chinese anywhere anytime.
I want to discuss about the spread of Mandarin usage outside the Mainland China by relating my family experience in the South East Asia. My parents received Chinese education in Mandarin at about the turn of 1960s, they still converse to each other in Mandarin, never mind that they are both Fukienise (Fujianese in Pinyin) by descent.
As a young child growing up in repressive environment in the 1980s, my generation was constantly reminded to speak more Mandarin and less vernacular when we went to school. This was true for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, the three former British colony in South east Asia.
Even the Indonesian Chinese who migrated to Hong Kong, most of whom left Indonesia between 1950s-1960s, Mandarin is still proudly spoken among them perhaps with an accent Sir David would perhaps regard as insufficiently good.
These show how readily the South East Asian Chinese accept Mandarin as their own common language. A big credit to all the pioneers and successive generation of Chinese educationist who have the foresight to install Mandarin as the unifying spoken language for the Chinese Diaspora. It was done without any political pressure from Beijing at all and with the consensus of all the major tribes of Chinese.The major resistance to Mandarin are perhaps among the Cantonese peoples. I am increasingly affirmed of my view that there is a sort of Cantonese-centrism in pocket where the Cantonese descent forms the majority. It is also very ironic that many prominent Cantonese would rather speak English than Mandarin.
I know this may be controversial. My own experience has been that the Cantonese speaking peoples tend to impose their own as the "lingua franca". This is true from Vancouver to Kuala Lumpur, not to mention Hong Kong.Cantonese speaking peoples instinctively regard Cantonese as more sophisticated than Mandarin or other vernacular which may be true. The often cited evidence is that the Tang Dynasty's poem is best read out in Cantonese than in Mandarin. The Cantonization phenomena in Kuala Lumpur, I believe, is largely attributed to the rise of Hong Kong pop music and TVB popular dramas from the late 1970s. The reasons are rooted in the perceived Cantonese superiority and the popularity of its pop culture.
Many of the Chinese who lived in Hong Kong today are not originally Cantonese. According to the local Fukien (Fujian in Pinyin) organization, there is more than a million Fujianese in Hong Kong. If we add up the more frequently encountered waves of immigrants or refugees from Chiu-chow (Chaozhou in Pinyin), Shanghainese and Hakka (many of whom are actually native in the New Territory), the non-Cantonese number is definitely very substantial in Hong Kong.However, their second generation are all converted into Cantonese speaking. This in large part is due to the British colonial policy in teaching the Chinese in Cantonese. There is only one school that teaches Mandarin uninterrupted from the 1950s until today. Such is the miserable state of Mandarin in Hong Kong.Upon the handover, the former Chief Executive, Mr. C.W Tung advocated and implemented the mother tongue language policy which was right but he got it wrong in that the mother tongue was presumed to be Cantonese. Mr Tung hails from Zhejiang.That's ironic and unfortunate for Hong Kong.
There were indeed many great scholars such as Professor Qian Mu (钱穆) who came to Hong Kong and set up the predecessor of what is now the Chinese University during those difficult years in 1950s . Yet Mandarin didn't stay as the mainstream.What I find most amusing is that even the latest arrivals from the Mainland are rushing to be Cantonized, at least in their name. When applying for their identity card, they happily swap their name from Pinyin to Cantonese spelling. Abandoning Pinyin spelling supposedly make them Hong Kongers. Maybe they are not aware that the local Hong Konger are adopting English names such as David as their own.Of course the social political backdrop between Hong Kong and Overseas Chinese Diaspora are very different. Retaining Cantonese in post-handover is seen as keeping the "2 systems" in the "one country". Prior to the handover, the local Hong Kongers with memory of constant turmoil and persecution in the Mainland from the Great Leap Forward to the Cultural Revolution and Tiananmen Incident, have their own reservation of anything Mainland and these surely include Mandarin that is seen as imposed top-down.
What is the state of Mandarin today?
Only after the handover that the children are beginning to learn Mandarin; and only after the SARs that the shopkeepers are beginning to speak Mandarin of an acceptable standard to the Mainland visitors.
I think it is either very clannish or very colonial for Sir David to claim that Hong Kong would fare better politically if we continue to use a language which the northerners did not understand. The word "northerner" is very segregationist last heard in the era of American Confederacy but I could find myself amused with the word as yet another Sir David's demonstration of caricature with great sense of humor.
The promotion of Mandarin in Hong Kong at least in the school as the main medium of instruction whilst teaching Chinese doesn’t deprive the cultural value of Cantonese. Cantonese as a vernacular like the Taiwanese will always be around, alive and kicking.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
ASEAN's Generation Gap - Stuck With Our Parent's Leaders?
Just a short post reflecting on a web-chat I had with my good friend Nasri about the developments in Thailand. I was reflecting that although I liked him PM Abhisit's political life is - sadly - numbered because historically in Thailand when protests turn violent, that crosses the line that makes the status quo unteneble. My thesis is that either the palace will step in, or there would be a deal for the opposition to step in, or the Prime Minister would be removed in a face-saving deal that preserves the interests of the powers-that-be. My friend's view is that would be a shame because his colleagues in the foreign ministry who have dealt with Abhisit up-close found him "damn impressive...and he was a breath of fresh air for ASEAN". I was struck by that second point.
The leaders of ASEAN are increasingly disconnected with the demography of ASEAN nations. In 2000, the median age in ASEAN was 23.9 years old, meaning 50% of the population was below the age of 23.9. This ranges from a little less than 18 years in Cambodia and East Timor to Singapore which at median age of 34.5 had the "oldest" population. The rest of the original ASEAN 6: Malaysia is 23.3, Brunei is 25.7, Indonesia 24.6, Thailand 27.5, Vietnam 23.1 and the Philippines 20.9.
On the otherhand, in terms of age (and probably in world view and outlook) ASEAN leaders are invariably one - or even two - generations removed from the majority of their population. Thailand's Abhisit is by far the youngest at 44. The Sultan of Brunei is 63. Singapore's PM Lee Hsien Loong is 57. Malaysia's new PM Najib is 55. Indonesia's President Yodhuyono is 59. President Gloria M.Arroyo is 62.
In terms of the gap between median age (2000 figures) and the age of the leaders of the original ASEAN 6, the lowest is Thailand at 16.5 years and the highest is Philippines at 41 years. The rest from lowest to highest: Singapore about 22.5, Malaysia is about 32, Indonesia is around 34 and Brunei around 37.
Using the rule of thumb of 25 years for every "generation", ASEAN leaders are therefore approximately 1.5 generations older than their people as a whole. Perhaps this is not a topic to apply any logic, but I would consider any gap beyond one-generation older than the median age to risk a fundamental disconnect with the rest of the population; both in life-experience, priorities but more fundamentally in their respective risk-horizons.
Granted that it would make sense for people in national leadership to have sufficient experience and gravitas to leaven even the best minds and talents; and granted that Asian societies have a reverence for seniority; and granted that it takes years in any system to reach the top - be it in government, business or in society as a whole; but to be more than a whole generation older than the average age of the entire population could not be a very healthy sign for any society. What more for societies that managed to compress (and are still compressing) perhaps a century of change into one or two generations.
One could correctly argue that changes are only superficial. Beneath the glitter on the surfact, the people themselves have not changed as much: that age-old conflicts, dramas and demons still unresolved and would therefore need to be managed by those who knows them best. These people may not know much about the internet or finance but they "know" nationalism, racial politics and exercise of power.
Nonetheless, I would still conclude that those skills while useful are backward looking and do not move society forward. Their people will be looking - nay, they will demand leadership and new ideas both of themselves as well as to define their common purpose. And more and more, those in their 20s and 30s will not simply inherit their parent's leaders. Within the next 10 years, I see this realignment between generations (and also between the old power elites and the new power structures) to be a relentless and continuing challenge for every ASEAN country.
Ironically, Abhitsit not withstanding his age happens to be with the old power structures. His predictament unfortunately is due not to his age, politics or policies - its simply one of timing. His Democratic Party is well-respected but often a pawn at the mercy of other more powerful political forces/personalities in Thailand in need for a "legitimate" face. This time is probably no different.
My personal dealings with Abhisit was limited to little more than showing him the bathroom. In 2003, I helped organize a small conference in Kuala Lumpur where Abhisit was invited to speak. And because he was on a flying visit from Bangkok to speak at the conference, I asked Firdaus one of the helpers at the conference to personally see to his journey from KLIA to the Mandarin Oriental and back to the airport. He spoke - not to memorably - and as he was leaving for the airport, Firdaus asked if he minded taking the LRT and the KLIA express to the airport because it had been raining cats and dogs and when that happens the KL traffic became unmoving. Being a polite and unaffected politician, he quickly agreed. And then he asked me to show him where the bathroom was and so I did. Not to be outdone by this anecdote, Nasri says he had a similar bathroom directing experience - his with the former Japanese PM Mori.
The leaders of ASEAN are increasingly disconnected with the demography of ASEAN nations. In 2000, the median age in ASEAN was 23.9 years old, meaning 50% of the population was below the age of 23.9. This ranges from a little less than 18 years in Cambodia and East Timor to Singapore which at median age of 34.5 had the "oldest" population. The rest of the original ASEAN 6: Malaysia is 23.3, Brunei is 25.7, Indonesia 24.6, Thailand 27.5, Vietnam 23.1 and the Philippines 20.9.
On the otherhand, in terms of age (and probably in world view and outlook) ASEAN leaders are invariably one - or even two - generations removed from the majority of their population. Thailand's Abhisit is by far the youngest at 44. The Sultan of Brunei is 63. Singapore's PM Lee Hsien Loong is 57. Malaysia's new PM Najib is 55. Indonesia's President Yodhuyono is 59. President Gloria M.Arroyo is 62.
In terms of the gap between median age (2000 figures) and the age of the leaders of the original ASEAN 6, the lowest is Thailand at 16.5 years and the highest is Philippines at 41 years. The rest from lowest to highest: Singapore about 22.5, Malaysia is about 32, Indonesia is around 34 and Brunei around 37.
Using the rule of thumb of 25 years for every "generation", ASEAN leaders are therefore approximately 1.5 generations older than their people as a whole. Perhaps this is not a topic to apply any logic, but I would consider any gap beyond one-generation older than the median age to risk a fundamental disconnect with the rest of the population; both in life-experience, priorities but more fundamentally in their respective risk-horizons.
Granted that it would make sense for people in national leadership to have sufficient experience and gravitas to leaven even the best minds and talents; and granted that Asian societies have a reverence for seniority; and granted that it takes years in any system to reach the top - be it in government, business or in society as a whole; but to be more than a whole generation older than the average age of the entire population could not be a very healthy sign for any society. What more for societies that managed to compress (and are still compressing) perhaps a century of change into one or two generations.
One could correctly argue that changes are only superficial. Beneath the glitter on the surfact, the people themselves have not changed as much: that age-old conflicts, dramas and demons still unresolved and would therefore need to be managed by those who knows them best. These people may not know much about the internet or finance but they "know" nationalism, racial politics and exercise of power.
Nonetheless, I would still conclude that those skills while useful are backward looking and do not move society forward. Their people will be looking - nay, they will demand leadership and new ideas both of themselves as well as to define their common purpose. And more and more, those in their 20s and 30s will not simply inherit their parent's leaders. Within the next 10 years, I see this realignment between generations (and also between the old power elites and the new power structures) to be a relentless and continuing challenge for every ASEAN country.
Ironically, Abhitsit not withstanding his age happens to be with the old power structures. His predictament unfortunately is due not to his age, politics or policies - its simply one of timing. His Democratic Party is well-respected but often a pawn at the mercy of other more powerful political forces/personalities in Thailand in need for a "legitimate" face. This time is probably no different.
My personal dealings with Abhisit was limited to little more than showing him the bathroom. In 2003, I helped organize a small conference in Kuala Lumpur where Abhisit was invited to speak. And because he was on a flying visit from Bangkok to speak at the conference, I asked Firdaus one of the helpers at the conference to personally see to his journey from KLIA to the Mandarin Oriental and back to the airport. He spoke - not to memorably - and as he was leaving for the airport, Firdaus asked if he minded taking the LRT and the KLIA express to the airport because it had been raining cats and dogs and when that happens the KL traffic became unmoving. Being a polite and unaffected politician, he quickly agreed. And then he asked me to show him where the bathroom was and so I did. Not to be outdone by this anecdote, Nasri says he had a similar bathroom directing experience - his with the former Japanese PM Mori.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Post Racial Society and Race Discrimination Law
Obama is often described as a post-racial President (elect). What matter more however is a post-racial society.
In that respect, many parts of America especially the traditional blue states have reached, if not close to, that status.
Prejudice takes a long time to eradicate. America history can testify to that. America took more than a century from the Civil War to the Civil Right movement to remedy its once racially exploitative and divisive society.
The issue is not how long it takes but rather whether it is done to eradicate racism which is arguably one of the men's greatest threat with maximum hatred with a minimum of reason.
Hitherto, the choice of public policy dealing with a society comprising of different races have been either one of assimilation/integration, accommodation, discrimination, segregation or outright inaction. All decent countries have abandoned the wide variety in favor of accommodation with equality.
My attention is drawn to two pieces of racial discrimination legislation recently passed in Asia.
One was passed by my city, Hong Kong, on July 10, 2008. The Post-handover Hong Kong doesn't practise any institutionalized racism however it must be admitted that just like all other societies there are sections of the Hong Kong society that are still possessing racial prejudice. The complaints are often related to employment and education opportunity available to the ethnic minority in Hong Kong. There are also complaint related to the provision of goods and service.
The Race Discrimination Ordinance is enacted to outlaw any discrimination, harassment, victimization and vilification on the ground of race in the areas of , among other, employment, education, provision of goods, facilities, services and premises, election and appointment to public bodies, membership and access to clubs.
The significance of this legislation in the context of Hong Kong is that we are talking of a society that is 95% Chinese that recognize the evil of racism.
The other one which is more interesting comes from Indonesia.
The law passed on October 28, 2008 treats racial discrimination as serious crime. The Anti-Discrimination Act imposes imprisonment as minimum sentence to deter people from committing racial discrimination. For leaders of public institution found guilty of adopting discriminatory policies, the law introduces a jail term one-third more severe than usually meted out.
This is a rare achievement by a country that was besieged with bloody race riot with reported mass killing and rape as recently as in 1997. Success can actually come quickly with enlightened leaders.
Eradicating racism through legislation doesn't necessarily guarantee its success but legislation is always useful to define the parameter of acceptable behaviour. Enforced by early childhood education and concerted civic education and publicity, the new and the reborn generations of the society can surely rid of racism. The issue is for the society concerned to take the first step in that direction.
Sadly, many SEA countries, Brunei, Myanmar, Malaysia and Singapore included have not ratified the International Convention on All Forms of Racial Discrimination. If this baby step is not taken, these societies is surely in need of treatment.
Hopefully with Indonesia making giant strides in human right, these neighboring countries can quickly learn the meaning of equal right for all, special privilege for none.
In that respect, many parts of America especially the traditional blue states have reached, if not close to, that status.
Prejudice takes a long time to eradicate. America history can testify to that. America took more than a century from the Civil War to the Civil Right movement to remedy its once racially exploitative and divisive society.
The issue is not how long it takes but rather whether it is done to eradicate racism which is arguably one of the men's greatest threat with maximum hatred with a minimum of reason.
Hitherto, the choice of public policy dealing with a society comprising of different races have been either one of assimilation/integration, accommodation, discrimination, segregation or outright inaction. All decent countries have abandoned the wide variety in favor of accommodation with equality.
My attention is drawn to two pieces of racial discrimination legislation recently passed in Asia.
One was passed by my city, Hong Kong, on July 10, 2008. The Post-handover Hong Kong doesn't practise any institutionalized racism however it must be admitted that just like all other societies there are sections of the Hong Kong society that are still possessing racial prejudice. The complaints are often related to employment and education opportunity available to the ethnic minority in Hong Kong. There are also complaint related to the provision of goods and service.
The Race Discrimination Ordinance is enacted to outlaw any discrimination, harassment, victimization and vilification on the ground of race in the areas of , among other, employment, education, provision of goods, facilities, services and premises, election and appointment to public bodies, membership and access to clubs.
The significance of this legislation in the context of Hong Kong is that we are talking of a society that is 95% Chinese that recognize the evil of racism.
The other one which is more interesting comes from Indonesia.
The law passed on October 28, 2008 treats racial discrimination as serious crime. The Anti-Discrimination Act imposes imprisonment as minimum sentence to deter people from committing racial discrimination. For leaders of public institution found guilty of adopting discriminatory policies, the law introduces a jail term one-third more severe than usually meted out.
This is a rare achievement by a country that was besieged with bloody race riot with reported mass killing and rape as recently as in 1997. Success can actually come quickly with enlightened leaders.
Eradicating racism through legislation doesn't necessarily guarantee its success but legislation is always useful to define the parameter of acceptable behaviour. Enforced by early childhood education and concerted civic education and publicity, the new and the reborn generations of the society can surely rid of racism. The issue is for the society concerned to take the first step in that direction.
Sadly, many SEA countries, Brunei, Myanmar, Malaysia and Singapore included have not ratified the International Convention on All Forms of Racial Discrimination. If this baby step is not taken, these societies is surely in need of treatment.
Hopefully with Indonesia making giant strides in human right, these neighboring countries can quickly learn the meaning of equal right for all, special privilege for none.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Bali - A Travelogue
Bali Island, an island famed for her culture and nature, has mesmerized generation of travelers (as early as 1900s) with mystery and scenery.
I finally made the first visit not long ago with my wife and the elder son.
At Ubud Alila, we are housed at a villa built in the mid-air nestling on top of the Ayung river valley. The valley is deep enough to be blocked by the thick growth of plants and trees that the river is not visible from our balcony. We can only overhear the sound of river flowing without seeing it.
My son watches the squirrels climbing from trees to trees. As a spider was weaving its web, he sung the Incy Wincy Spider. Within the reach by a stretch of hand from the balcony, I introduced my son to a ripe jackfruit overhanging from the tree standing imposingly on the slope.
Moving inside the villa, a resident frog was seen hopping next to the bath tub encircled by a rectangular indoor pond with a short elevated pavement above it connecting the bedroom to the changing room. The pond is the home to some resident goldfishes.
At night it is the sound of insect accompanied by the starry night. When the sun rise, it is the turn of the roosters performing the orchestra of cock-a-doodle-doo in a foggy morning.
I grew up in a small town. All of these were free and not novel to me. Yet it is now a paid (from daddy's pocket) Discovery Channel goes live to the two and a half year old.
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The terraced paddy field, the volcano (Mount Batur), the beaches have all made it to the postcard depicting an idyllic and peaceful destination to relieve us temporarily from our trapping in an ever-flatter world.
Here in Bali, the farmer are still slogging, as the buffalos are still ploughing, the paddy field. The scarecrow is sprouted everywhere to deter the suspicious bird. The Balinese ducks are quacking away in herd.
The Balinese folks dress in their ritual gear are always busy attending the temple ceremony. Colorfully decorated temples with the distinctively Balinese Meru (pagoda) made of palm leaves dotted the skyline.
The most awesome of all temples is the Pura Bersakih, the so-called Mother Temple of Bali. Stood above the temples complex, one could enjoy the panoramic view of a distant skyline, as far as the sea, highlighted by the solemn Balinese Meru.
One can sense the religious seriousness and ritual purity among the Balinese Hindu still make up more than 80% of population. The fruits and flowers are carefully and conically arranged into an offering basket. The women walking gracefully to the temple ceremony had the offering carried on on their heads. The men mostly dressed in white are biking their way carrying the older folks if not their younger one.
Time has not changed.
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The beneficiary of a localized form of Hinduism in an archipelago that have largely converted to Islam, Bali always fascinate travelers like me who regards vacation not just as an escapade but also of learning.
It shocks and puzzles me when I read of the act of "puputan" by the Balinese rulers and subjects launching suicidal charges against the deadly fire of the merciless Dutch troop.
What left was a massacre.
It still shock and puzzles me when I read of the jumping off the cliff by the Balinese dress in their ritual plain white during the anti-Communist purge in 1965-66.
What left was a bloodbath.
Have these spirits rested? Maybe not and maybe never ever.
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I just read of a traveler story on a spiritual tax that one holiday home builder has to pay to the village head to build a villa house in Bali. The plot of land is encumbered to the existing right of the spiritual residents. The construction of of infinity pool will have to be scrapped and relocate elsewhere for it might violate the spiritual occupants. This makes an interesting topic on land law.
At our friend's wedding at a palatial resort at Uluwatu hanging on top of a magnificent cliff with an awesome view of Indian ocean, a village elder dressed in the ritual white was introduced to me as the rain stopper. He had earlier prayed and made offering to keep the rain away from spoiling the wedding party.
Unscientific he maybe, there was no rain that evening.
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Traveling on the small roads criss-crossing the island, one cannot fail to notice the flags of political parties displayed from the villages to towns. There are always hung by a tall bamboo pole.
If the number of flags flown is the poll for the election next year, Bali favors the red flag of the PDI (of ex President Magawati) over the blue flag of DP (SBY, abbreviation of a mouthful of President Susilo Bambang Yodhoyono) and then the yellow flag of Golkar.
Being a tourist paradise for many Westeners and supposedly an infidel island, Islamic terrorists have unkindly planted two bombs in 2002 and 2005 that have taken several hundred lives and crippled the tourism industry.
Recovery in tourism takes as much as time as the memory takes to fade, according to my taxi driver, Chalik.
He is still haunted by the 2002 bombing incident. He was chartered by a Middle Eastern honeymoon couple on Oct .12, the day when the bomb went off in Kuta. The couple had wanted to go to the famous Kuta strip that night but he turned it down as he had had a long day chauffeuring them.
Being a Hindu, he thanked his lucky star for surviving unscratched. Predictably he chose to stay home and didn't go to work on the recent Oct 12.
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Staying three nights at Oberoi in the comfort of modern trapping and connectivity, I had the privy to the CNN news which was denied to me at Ubud.
Where is the escape after all, you may ask?
As the CNN brings more breaking news, I contrast that with the story from the epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana and wonder what have we changed in the millenniums in between that have passed?
Isn't the same obsession for power, for control?
Isn't the same innermost inclination for peace, and for love?
I finally made the first visit not long ago with my wife and the elder son.
At Ubud Alila, we are housed at a villa built in the mid-air nestling on top of the Ayung river valley. The valley is deep enough to be blocked by the thick growth of plants and trees that the river is not visible from our balcony. We can only overhear the sound of river flowing without seeing it.
My son watches the squirrels climbing from trees to trees. As a spider was weaving its web, he sung the Incy Wincy Spider. Within the reach by a stretch of hand from the balcony, I introduced my son to a ripe jackfruit overhanging from the tree standing imposingly on the slope.
Moving inside the villa, a resident frog was seen hopping next to the bath tub encircled by a rectangular indoor pond with a short elevated pavement above it connecting the bedroom to the changing room. The pond is the home to some resident goldfishes.
At night it is the sound of insect accompanied by the starry night. When the sun rise, it is the turn of the roosters performing the orchestra of cock-a-doodle-doo in a foggy morning.
I grew up in a small town. All of these were free and not novel to me. Yet it is now a paid (from daddy's pocket) Discovery Channel goes live to the two and a half year old.
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The terraced paddy field, the volcano (Mount Batur), the beaches have all made it to the postcard depicting an idyllic and peaceful destination to relieve us temporarily from our trapping in an ever-flatter world.
Here in Bali, the farmer are still slogging, as the buffalos are still ploughing, the paddy field. The scarecrow is sprouted everywhere to deter the suspicious bird. The Balinese ducks are quacking away in herd.
The Balinese folks dress in their ritual gear are always busy attending the temple ceremony. Colorfully decorated temples with the distinctively Balinese Meru (pagoda) made of palm leaves dotted the skyline.
The most awesome of all temples is the Pura Bersakih, the so-called Mother Temple of Bali. Stood above the temples complex, one could enjoy the panoramic view of a distant skyline, as far as the sea, highlighted by the solemn Balinese Meru.
One can sense the religious seriousness and ritual purity among the Balinese Hindu still make up more than 80% of population. The fruits and flowers are carefully and conically arranged into an offering basket. The women walking gracefully to the temple ceremony had the offering carried on on their heads. The men mostly dressed in white are biking their way carrying the older folks if not their younger one.
Time has not changed.
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The beneficiary of a localized form of Hinduism in an archipelago that have largely converted to Islam, Bali always fascinate travelers like me who regards vacation not just as an escapade but also of learning.
It shocks and puzzles me when I read of the act of "puputan" by the Balinese rulers and subjects launching suicidal charges against the deadly fire of the merciless Dutch troop.
What left was a massacre.
It still shock and puzzles me when I read of the jumping off the cliff by the Balinese dress in their ritual plain white during the anti-Communist purge in 1965-66.
What left was a bloodbath.
Have these spirits rested? Maybe not and maybe never ever.
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I just read of a traveler story on a spiritual tax that one holiday home builder has to pay to the village head to build a villa house in Bali. The plot of land is encumbered to the existing right of the spiritual residents. The construction of of infinity pool will have to be scrapped and relocate elsewhere for it might violate the spiritual occupants. This makes an interesting topic on land law.
At our friend's wedding at a palatial resort at Uluwatu hanging on top of a magnificent cliff with an awesome view of Indian ocean, a village elder dressed in the ritual white was introduced to me as the rain stopper. He had earlier prayed and made offering to keep the rain away from spoiling the wedding party.
Unscientific he maybe, there was no rain that evening.
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Traveling on the small roads criss-crossing the island, one cannot fail to notice the flags of political parties displayed from the villages to towns. There are always hung by a tall bamboo pole.
If the number of flags flown is the poll for the election next year, Bali favors the red flag of the PDI (of ex President Magawati) over the blue flag of DP (SBY, abbreviation of a mouthful of President Susilo Bambang Yodhoyono) and then the yellow flag of Golkar.
Being a tourist paradise for many Westeners and supposedly an infidel island, Islamic terrorists have unkindly planted two bombs in 2002 and 2005 that have taken several hundred lives and crippled the tourism industry.
Recovery in tourism takes as much as time as the memory takes to fade, according to my taxi driver, Chalik.
He is still haunted by the 2002 bombing incident. He was chartered by a Middle Eastern honeymoon couple on Oct .12, the day when the bomb went off in Kuta. The couple had wanted to go to the famous Kuta strip that night but he turned it down as he had had a long day chauffeuring them.
Being a Hindu, he thanked his lucky star for surviving unscratched. Predictably he chose to stay home and didn't go to work on the recent Oct 12.
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Staying three nights at Oberoi in the comfort of modern trapping and connectivity, I had the privy to the CNN news which was denied to me at Ubud.
Where is the escape after all, you may ask?
As the CNN brings more breaking news, I contrast that with the story from the epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana and wonder what have we changed in the millenniums in between that have passed?
Isn't the same obsession for power, for control?
Isn't the same innermost inclination for peace, and for love?
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