Jakarta terror and other things Indonesian

Friday 17th July 2009 - Jakarta!

Second visit to Jakarta in nine months. Who would have thought it would turn out like this. That's just it isn't it? One never knows how close one can get into the thick of things. A meter-deep crater says it all.

Jakarta reacted appropriately. I mentioned to concerned friends that this a huge city and the ripple effect is non palpable. Life goes on as usual. Breaking news is detailed and the general population seems level-headed about the whole incident. By Day 2 the news hype was back to normal.

It seemed preordained to be a bummer. It got progressively worse when an aggressive Indonesian immigration officer started to get picky about my passport not having any empty page for him to stamp. As it turned out, I had checked before travelling and there was one empty page and a half available.

By then my partner was summoned forward. The officious man was going on about infringement of International immigration laws in strained English. He refused to reciprocate when spoken to in Bahasa Indonesia and proceeded to advise taking the next flight back! Be warned frequent travellers out there.

Upon requesting to speak to his supervisor, I was ushered to a nearby interview room. You know what they say, "Never go unaccompanied to a police station. . ." Well queasiness set in big time but fears were preconceived. I was asked the duration of stay and reason for visit. Satisfied with my answers, he advised renewal of my passport on returning home. My passport was finally stamped in an overcrowded page, leaving the blank page empty. Very considerate, I should say.

In the next counter, a distinguished member of our group was asked up front by a young immigration officer "to leave some spare rupiahs for him" seeing as how he was a flush international golfer. Meanwhile the corridors are plastered with anti corruption posters of the new administration.

One can't help feeling that there is a shift these days in Indonesian hospitality. Malaysian - Indonesian relations are not at its best with recent issues facing the Indonesian domestic help industry, namely cases of maid abuse and less than optimum regulatory policies.

The other current issue of a marriage gone bad between Manohara, of Indonesian-American parentage, and a certain Malaysian State Royal has led to bipartisan reactions. The media coverage on both sides of the Straits of Malacca add fuel to fire. In the markets of Tanah Abang, a popular local shopping district in Jakarta, Manohara T-shirts are on sale for 50,000 Indonesian Rupiah or RM 20.

Our tour guide, Surya, was a refreshing change. Instead of the usual golf or gender biased jokes, this pleasant Chinese Christian Indonesian, told the true story of Indonesia in an unaffected style. No Surya is in blue jeans, watching on as MJ does his thing.

He introduced Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as the first President Elect to be affectionately know by all Indonesians as SBY (es-bey-yeh). A first where the respectful term of Bapak is dropped for a VVIP. Man of the people? He gave an emphatic no nonsense address after the incident and was visibly moved. Impressive leadership role that has been missing in these parts for a while.

Our guide then went on to inform the group that Indonesia was not an Islamic state but secular, and respected all religions. When asked if the Kartu Tanda Penduduk Republik Indonesia (KTP) or identity card stated race, the answer was an emphatic no. Only religion is recorded. As for halal food - this is not stated categorically nor is it required by law, however it is ingrained in the Indonesian culture to slaughter following Muslim practices. This take caused a certain amount of anxiety amongst the group as the belief system was being challenged.

Not withstanding that this picture was taken in a Jakarta hotel lobby, and this image brings about an uneasy deja vu feeling, it shouldn't. These are just a couple of satisfied golfers who had successfully organised a 36-strong three day friendly golf tournament in Jakarta, and were about to check out of the hotel.

Oil painting techniques - work in progress

Back to the drawing board - session 3 on the kechak painting.

The background done . . . darkened with Payne's grey and burnt umber to give definition to arms and body form to make them pop.

Depth perception is achieved by glazing (linseed oil and burnt umber applied smoothly) over selected areas. This makes foreground subjects jump out if that is the aim. Selection of areas to glaze has to be logical and depends on perspective.

The check pattern of sarongs are highlighted to add form and movement.

Whilst drawing ability is important to create a nice painting, rendering with paints to bring out lines, shape and form can be a major saving grace.

Passive momentum implies all forms flowing in one direction. Hence the two figures at the far right were added as mirror images for effect.

Adding white to colour enables coverage as opposed to translucency.

When mixing, more oil preserves the life span of the painting as there will be less cracking. Turpentine causes drying.

It turned out that this was a good choice for exploring the right brain . . . but it is still work in progress.

The Anatomy of Yoga

A weekend of intense body engagement and awareness topped with heavy duty applied anatomy and physiology is the way to go sometimes. Refreshing and certainly interactive. Set in the woody environs of KLPAC, it was as organic as it gets in the heart of KL and well suited for the three-day Functional Anatomy & Yoga Physiology Workshop organised jointly by Yoga in Asia (Singapore) & Yogasana (Hong Kong).Whilst yoga practice and theory were being conducted in Studio 5 over the weekend, this performing arts center transformed to a hive of activity as young people rehearsed musicals, drama, song and dance with the familiar figures of Joe Hasham and Faridah Merican spending long hours providing mentorship to their young proteges. What is yogic practice? Who am I? These are the questions Yogi Michel Besnard asks at the beginning of the workshop. A Frenchman, originating from Normandy, but has since travelled far afield learning and teaching Astanga Vinyasa Yoga, now resides in Hong Kong and is the founder of Yogasana.

The practice is more about the what and the how rather than the why. The need for goal-setting is essential, as in all things important in life, from asanas to pranayama or yoga breathing.

Physiotherapist, Michelle Lam of Hong Kong, gave a thorough review of human skeletal anatomy and its physiology with the aid of 'John', and participants became active models in the learning of how poses affect the body and vice versa. For example, trikonasana or triangle pose , is abduction and internal and external rotation at the each of the hip joints, lateral flexion of trunk, abduction of arms at shoulder joints and rotation of neck. This translates to precise positioning, identification of joints and muscles involved, identification of limitations and recommendations for improvement.

Comparative skeletal markings highlight the body's asymmetry in common conditions like scoliosis and joint dysfunction. Note the imbalance in hips and buttocks and spine of scapula in the adho mukha svanasana or downward facing dog pose above. The use of blocks and backward traction of the hips further engages the muscles of the legs which corrects the misalignment.

Hanumanasana or split), is demonstrated here without (above) the use of props namely blocks, blankets, straps, bolsters etc which are used to improve alignment of varying body structures and help to prevent injury.

Victor Ch'ng, the founder of Yoga in Asia (Singapore), finds improved alignment with the use of blocks.

Sacro-Iliac Joint dysfucntion is a painful, chronic condition that limits movement. Michelle demonstrates how over-working a pose or poorly informed intructors can cause or worsen this condition.

More technical jargon like the Q angle, that ranges from 10 to 20 degrees, indicates hip flexibility. The downside of this is, the more flexible the hips the more proned to injuries.

Urdhva dhanurasana or upward bow pose is an important part of back bends. Although the three can get into the pose, they exhibit 3 different postures due to indivudual problems of compression, tension, proportion or strength.

A sound yoga teacher is one who understand the students' limitations and can facilitate better attainment of the pose. In this case, eka padaparivitta upavisthasanan or seated twist can aggrevate a SI joint dysfunction. Rather than twist at the shoulders which will damage the SI joint, a lifting action of the side of the chest and opening of the sternum will better achieve the goal.

The hips are a major joint with potential problems. Michel demonstrates the range of hip flexion which can improve with time and correct practice.

Inversions are an important part of yoga practice,yielding many benefits to the body and organs. Sarvangasana or shoulder stand, stimulates and rejuvenates the entire body, massages the thyroid, strengthens the shoulder, back and leg muscles. This pose can be done with the support of a wall if strength is an issue. Keeping knees bent is another option. A strap can be used to keep elbows drawn inwards and improves stability and strength.

If balance is an issue, wall support can be used to an advantage.

An energised and better informed group of new found friends at the end of the workshop with their teachers.

Koh Samui Delights

Eat Sense at Chaweng Beach

Sixth Senses Hideaway

The crooked bridge

Koh Tao turquoise waters

Koh Tao coral reefs

Koh Tao view point Local talent.....& bare-faced Mona lisa.... Koh Samui Ink
Hammock and its shadow Coconuts and the Gulf of Siam

Landing in Koh Samui . . .

The Firefly flight from Subang Airport to Koh Samui was a pleasant surprise. The 72-seater prop plane was a smooth ride although the landing got a bit hairy when the plane seemed to be careening in a wavy path in an attempt to stop!

Less impressive was Subang Airport and its new facilities. Food outlets located at the far-end were easily missed as many shop lots were unoccupied. Avoid the kopitiam like the plague! Service is non-existent mainly because they haven't got a clue what they are doing. Irate customers waiting for their orders were frantic about missing their flight. A better bet would be the mamak shop and their predictable quick service.

Airport personnel had a less than attentive demeanour. One could even read the boarding pass up-side down. A travel pack asam boi (preserved tamarind seeds) garnered some interest from the carry-on luggage scanner.

The daily flight to Koh Samui is quite scenic, capturing aerial views of the Malaysian main range and the coastline of the Gulf of Siam.The Isle of Samui, one of many in the Samui Archipelago, welcomed visitors with a resort-like Airport complete with native thatched roofs and luscious greenery.Deluged by transport operators, the Marriott Group won hands down with their offer of free hotel transportation if one agreed to spend 90 minutes listening to their Luxury Villa Timeshare proposal and even threw in a couple of free games of golf. Some golfers I know were extremely happy to receive this bonus.
Reminiscent of sleepy Langkawi, Koh Samui is refreshingly less commercial than Phuket or Pataya. However this is also reflected in the efficiency and service, or rather the lack thereof, of hotel staff; understated and lackadaisical? Best take on the local pace to reduce stress levels.

The Gulf of Siam under the scorching sun, invites to gleaming sandy beaches and transparent turquoise seas. It is pointless to resist.