Marcia Lang. (Spouse of Jay Jackson)

Transcription

1 80 Marcia Lang (Spouse of Jay Jackson) CARE USA India (67-70); Colombia (70-73); HQ (73-74); Sri Lanka (74-78); Costa Rica (78-80); Honduras (80-85); Indonesia (85-88); Egypt (88-91); Guatemala (91-96) VI. INDONESIA We never imagined the delights that awaited us in the fascinating land of Indonesia. Jakarta was our new home. It is the capital, a bustling crowded metropolis teeming with beggars and a new transport system, the Becak. It was like a rickshaw, propelled by a strong man who scurried through the mazes of the city, pulling his passengers for a mere pittance. Here I stood up for my rights and politely demanded language training. Classes were offered to my husband, not me. After all, I was the spouse who dealt with non-english speaking staff, shopped in the local markets, and conducted all household business. Bahasa is a very phonetic language that was easy to learn. Terimah kasi is thank you and tida appa appa means it doesn t matter. Fortunately, I had one on one instruction with excellent teachers. With applied concentration it was easy to learn and provided me with a sense of security and freedom in the intriguing metropolis. Before accepting the assignment, my husband and I weighed the pros and cons and decided we were ready for a new adventure. We had no idea what it would be like to live in Indonesia, but decided to accept the challenge. At first I found the early morning Call to Prayer, to be my most difficult challenge. The mezzuin stood atop a pillar in the mosque and repeated his deep chanting seven times a day. Like our church bells, it was lulling to us after a month and no longer awakened me. I became involved with the American Women s club primarily to make friends. The group specialized in tours of the National Museum. Since I was learning the language I wanted to dig deeper into studying the culture. The club was associated with Ganesha, the Hindu God in manifestation as an elephant, who is the protector of learning. Ganesha was the name of our organization. Therefore, we were responsible for providing a variety of tours at the Museum. Perhaps it was rare in an Islamic society, but this Hindu element in the form of an elephant has always survived. Puppets intrigued me because I loved them as a child. They brought fascinating tales to life. It was a pleasure to introduce them to the public and give lectures at the National Museum on the stories told through the art of puppetry. Travelling through the city and country to attend performances was entrancing. The shadow puppets captivated me. Performances started at sundown and lasted through the evening until dawn. This was a

2 clever mechanism to teach an illiterate population about cultural mores and traditions. People were enthralled and didn t tire during the marathon performance. In the past, performances were originally enacted by the head of a family to obtain advice from ancestral spirits. Over time the spirits emerged in various forms of shadows. It was riveting to watch the characters come to life behind a taut sheet strung across a stage. A spotlight would shine on the sheet from above to cast shadows of distinct forms from the intricately-carved puppets made from buffalo hides. The Dalang (master puppeteer) carefully enacted all of the parts in the sacred dramas. He is considered to be an honored member of society because he is a spiritual teacher, storyteller and dramatist. The puppets themselves and their shadows play a distinct role; they provide the Javanese people with an avenue for mystical meditation. It is not just a show but represents an abstract world in which the invisible becomes visible and something that cannot be adequately expressed in words becomes comprehensible. Most stories simply revolve around the enactment of good over evil and the participants quickly identify with their favorite characters. It is said that the puppets suggest ancestors and the characters are a link between the living and the dead who can avert calamities. During the performance the puppets are stored in a wooden chest to the left of the Dalang. As the show progresses the puppeteer retrieves the puppet from the box, then quickly performs the story. He is quite dexterous as two puppets must perform at once. The Guningang, the elaborately-carved, lacy Tree of Life, is a critical puppet as it starts and ends every performance. Intricate stories are found within the tree and no show can be performed without it. Throughout the performance music is provided by the gamelan. Perhaps this was one of the reasons I loved the theater and acting. So many parts were waiting to be portrayed. It wasn t long before I joined Jakarta Players, a theatre group with members from around the world. We started the year with Greater Tuna and I played the characters of Didi Snavely and Pearl Burris. Someone miraculously appeared who had acted before so he coached me at home. It worked well as I learned many excellent techniques for voice modulation and character development; I made my voice tremble with conviction and could waddle like an older woman. The cast and crew loved to party so when the play finished we had the cast party at the Petroleum Club. What a delightful way to make new friends. Later in the year, we put on CABARET which I produced but also played a bit part in, Go to Hell Kitty. I could never carry a tune but Kitty didn t sing. It was thought she was deranged so I was wrapped in a strait jacket, a memorable costume. Our wardrobe mistress made me a luscious blue hat that induced a curtain call no way could I be left out of the fun! When returning to America I always enjoyed attending the plays Jakarta Players had performed. In my opinion, our productions were superior and I mentally put my friends from Indonesia in the role being portrayed. For example, Greater Tuna is a play I have seen many times in America yet the Radio Announcers could never quite reach the degree of humor of Jakarta Players version. Page 2

3 Throughout the year we held makeup workshops, special birthday parties and Christmas celebrations. There was never a dull moment. One of my favorite productions was A Single Thing In Common by William Brown. I played the lead, Joyce, a woman desperate to win back her husband by seducing the other men at hand. We took this play on the road to the Surabaya Hilton, the second largest city on Java, which was a feather in our caps because we only performed shows locally in Jakarta. Our transportation was provided by Garuda Airlines. Going-away parties were memorable, especially when the theme was The Sinking of the Titanic. I designed costumes for Jay and me from hair dressing salon capes which were adorned with crosses hanging around our necks. We were obviously among the few survivors! The prize celebration was the marriage of dear friends Laura Chirnside and Charles Schuster who were participants in many of the plays. We had a mock wedding and I was the matron of honor, dressed in a shimmering gold lame skirt and tight black sweater dripping with gold baubles. All of the spouses played complementary parts like ring bearer, ushers, and the best man. Randy attended Jakarta International School (JIS) for Middle School and many of his teachers were members of the Jakarta Players. It was the melding of two creative worlds. One afternoon I went in search of a new dog. We had given away our impossible Apollo before leaving Honduras, so we craved a replacement. Randy, Jay -- I visited a pet shop today and found an adorable Tibetan spaniel. Let s visit there tomorrow. The next day we returned and brought home a precious black and white dog. She looks like an Oreo cookie. Let s call her, Oreo, I suggested. Shortly after getting Oreo we went to the beach with Randy s good friend Nigel and our little puppy earned a medal. She bounded through the surf and waves and tore after ferocious dogs twice her size. When Oreo matured we mated her with the dog next door. A successful event as she gave birth to four beautiful pups. She immediately buried them in the ground as a protective mom would do! It took us a long time to convince her otherwise. One of the pups we gave to my Bridge partner, Martha. My Bridge skills were enhanced playing at the American Club with a cordial group of women. No matter where I lived I could find a challenging game. Bali, an entrancing Hindu island in this enchanting nation, is found deep within its shores. Our Honduran friends, the Staches came for a visit to compare the sparkling water and divine snorkelling to that of their own island paradise. We took a Hovercraft over to the 1,000 islands, off the north coast of Jakarta to discover their treasures and found thousands of delicate starfish as well as enormous monitor lizards. The unusual sea life was exceptional. We discovered giant bamboo furniture that eventually graced our front foyer, but it was the colorful floral paintings, adorned with birds, that caught our attention. We admired a regal cockatoo perched on giant bamboo amid luscious lavender orchids. Page 3

4 The textiles from Bali are luscious and colorful depending on the region. Festive cloths used for adornment were woven in silk interspersed with silver and golden threads. I accompanied my husband for a journey to Sulawesi, home of the Tana Toraja, where the buffalo is highly revered. An animistic society it is known for animal sacrifices. An amazing replica of this idol adorns my dining room wall. His ivory eyes stare across the room to the Batak warriors of Sumatra. Randy s international school was one of a kind architecturally, with its numerous pagodas. It was a delight to visit especially when I went to watch Randy train for the swim team or play on the volleyball squad. After travelling the world for twenty-five astounding years, I rank Indonesia as my favorite country because it offered so many diverse opportunities throughout the archipelago. Add this country to your bucket list. We were grateful for this rich cultural experience. Years later I was privileged to encourage my church to sponsor a Muslim family from Bosnia. I owe my own experiences to other religions for my exceptional years in Indonesia. I became very close with this family and was both mother and grandmother to this family with triplets. Page 4

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