After we were refused entry to the Yadnya Kasada Festival, we searched for alternative activities, since we could not enter the festival boundaries. The local guide asked permission for us to attend the Reception Night, where East Java governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa, the first woman governor in Java, would be attending. She was being inaugurated […]
Indonesia 15 – Bali 7 – Galungan Day
Galungan is a Balinese holiday celebrating the victory of dharma over adharma or the triumph of good over evil. Praying at the temple is the climax of Galungan Day. The people put on their finest traditional clothes and go to the temple with their families to pray and bring offerings to share. Early in the […]
Indonesia 14 – Bali 6 – Galungan Day Prep
Galungan marks the beginning of the most important religious Hinud holiday that recurs every 210 days in Bali. It is like Christmas, where families come together to celebrate. The spirits of the people who have died and been cremated return to visit their former home, and the family has a responsibility to welcome them through […]
Indonesia 13 – Bali 5 – More Karya Agung Temple Ceremony
An Odalan or temple ceremony usually lasts for three days, but larger ones, which occur every 5, 10, 30 or 100 years, can last for 11 days or longer. This is one of the larger celebrations that occurs every 30 years, called Karya Agung, or “Great Ritual,” and was held at the Pura Puseh Temple at Tulikup […]
Indonesia 12 – Bali 4 – Karya Agung Temple Ceremony
Bali is known as the land of a thousand puras or temples. The reality is there are up to 20,000, since every family also has their own private temple. The Karya Agung temple celebration is a significant event at the 30 year point, in which they ask the gods to come down and join them. […]
Indonesia 3 – Borneo 3 – Festival Budaya Isen Mulang
The Grand Finale of the 2022 Festival Budaya Isen Mulang (FBIM) was the dance competition, with ten regencies (similar to Provinces or States) entering their top teams. We were told to expect traditional dances, but these are not like any traditional dances we have ever seen before! Each dance group were the winners from their […]
Indonesia 2 – Borneo 2 – Festival Budaya Isen Mulang
The Festival Budaya Isen Mulang (FBIM) has been held annually since 1993. It showcases the Dayak tribe culture and traditions with 16 competitions in 2022, that include traditional arts, dance, music, food and various sports. In the Dayak language, it means “Never Back Down.” One of the competitions was Indonesian martial arts, which focuses on […]
Indonesia 1 – Borneo 1 – Fire football!
We started off our Indonesia tour with a trip to Central Kalimantan, Borneo. Central Kalimantan is one of five provinces on the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo, which is the third largest island in the world. This was the week for the biggest festival of the year, called Budaya Isen Mulang located in […]
Living in Ecuador as an Expat (video)
We have begun to get settled into Honolulu, and establishing our routines here. One of my personal routines is membership into the Eyes of Hawaii camera club here. At the request of members, I have created a couple of narrated slide shows. The most recent slide show, that will be shown in August, when we […]
Festivals of Ecuador (Video)
We have begun to get settled into Honolulu, and establishing our routines here. One of my personal routines is membership into the Eyes of Hawaii camera club here. At the request of members, I have created a couple of narrated slide shows. The most recent slide show, that will be shown at the end of […]
