Balinese Cuisine (Part 2)

 If you happen to visit Serangan Beach in Denpasar, Bali, here's a cuisine suggestion. You can tour an unused boat that has been transformed into a restaurant and is tied to a mangrove beach.

We ordered nila nyat nyat. It is a type of cooked fish served with a spicy soup on top. Veggies are also served with the main courses.

Nila nyat nyat is a culinary menu from Kintamani, a district in northern Bali. However, because the cooking process can be done anywhere, it can be found on the southern part of the island.

Nyat is a Balinese word that means "less." The term nyat nyat refers to the process of decreasing the concentration of water in the fish while it cooks. The cooking method is unique to Bali and can be used in other protein-based cuisines.

Bali has another distinct culinary technique: betutu. Betutu combines the procedures of boiling and grilling.

I tried a different kind of ayam betutu in Gilimanuk. The broth is more watery than the one I tried a few days earlier in Badung.

The spice is also hotter in the Ayam Betutu Men Tempeh. The eatery also serves a lot of fried nuts. I ate the rest as a snack during the drive across the Bali Strait and then left the island.  []

Balinese Cuisine (Part 1)

 Ayam Betutu is the beginning and the end of this story. It's a type of food that visitors to Bali simply must taste. 

In Gilimanuk and Badung, I had two tastes of them. Aside from Ayam Betutu, during those five days, I also enjoyed a variety of Balinese dishes.

Late August was a scorching month. I arrived with my team at noon, which was ideal for our first schedule item: lunch. We were taken to Ayam Betutu Khas Gilimanuk by our tour guide.

Situated approximately 2 km from I Gusti Ngurah Rai airport, the eatery presents a unique cuisine featuring chicken dishes. There will be four platters brought to you. Each plate has rice, fried nuts, spinach with a fresh sauce, and steamed chicken with broth.

A few hours later, I walked around two km from Legian Street to Kuta Highway. It was only my decision to add a sporting touch to the afternoon. You can drive or ride a bike, but getting stuck in traffic can cost you more than  you want to spend on dinner at Nasi Tempong Indra.

That was packed.  Fortunately, there was a long, solid table that could seat six people. However, our wait for the serving of our menu was rather lengthy.

We all placed an order for "Nasi Tempong Ayam Pedas," or spicy tempong chicken-rice. After I finished the rice, fried chicken, stewed eggplant and veggies. A sauce which is offered separately made my lips felt bold.

I'll tell you another gastronomic experience in the next post, one that comes from Buleleng as well as Gilimanuk, as I had promised. Stay hungry! []

Totok

 I went to Bali a few months ago. I had a very knowledgeable driver accompany me for several days. He goes by Totok.

I sat next to him and we had a music guessing game. It's interesting to note that certain songs relate to his experiences in life.

If we don't listen to Bali's indie grunge band, Navicula, our trip won't be complete. Through the car's speakers, "Saat Semua Semakin Cepat, Bali Berani Berhenti" was played.

Totok informed me about the band's vocalist, Robi. The grunge guy is now a farmer as well as a musician. A coffee plantation belongs to Robi. It must have felt alive when Robi performed a song about a coffee farm for the 2015 film Filosofi Kopi's original soundtrack.

At an intersection Totok proceeded to play Metropolutan, another song from Navicula. The title makes sense in light of his background.

In 2006, the man moved out of the "metropolutan" existence in Bekasi, West Java. He began his career on the island of God, in order to experience the tranquility.

In Bali, Totok supports himself by working as a tour guide while living with his hobby of riding on a motorcycle. One of his three Honda RX Kings was recently used to visit Lombok Island.

"100 km/h." I mention the title of a song. However, it turns out that I was referring to the incorrect song. It was The Brandals' Lingkar Labirin.

The Brandals, a self titled album published in 2003, featured both of these tracks. It was through a compilation album that Sony BMG Music Entertainment issued that I became acquainted with Lingkar Labirin.

I remember the tape so well that I am aware of a few significant bands from it. Superman Is Dead, Rocket Rockers, Purgatory, and The Brandals were some of the big names that participated in the album.

"Sampeyan referensinya banyak," Totok made me feel good even though I didn't win this song-guessing game. He said us farewell for the day with a promising "sampai jumpa di album berikutnya" in his Klaten accent. []

Sherina

Petualangan Sherina 2 dikemas sedemikian sederhana. Karakter protagonis-antagonis dipisahkan ke dalam spektrum yang hitam-putih. 

Dulu Kertarajasa, kini Syailendra. Kita bisa rasakan posisi mereka dalam kisah ini sejak kemunculan pertama. 

Meski bersegmentasi "semua umur" sekuel ini terasa lebih tepat ditujukan bagi penonton film pertama. Penonton yang berusia dewasa diajak menengok lagi masa anak-anak, saat Petualangan Sherina mempengaruhi gelagat anak tahun 2000an.

Saat itu saya masih SD. Begitu pula istri saya yang mengaku banyak terinspirasi gaya sherina: cokelat M & M's, bekal sekolah, you name it. Dua puluh tiga tahun kemudian, kami melihat Sherina yang sama, tampil dalam kemasan kisah serupa.

Sherina kecil dan dewasa harus menghadapi perbedaan realita dengan ekspektasi. Jika Sherina 2000 sedih dan gundah karena tak ingin pergi berpisah dengan temannya di Jakarta, maka Sherina 2023 digambarkan marah karena peliputan ke Davos batal. Sherina yang sudah jadi reporter televisi malah ditugaskan ke hutan Kalimantan.

Bandung dan Palangka Raya bagi Sherina kecil dan dewasa terasa sama saat dia melintasi rimbun pohon yang tampak serupa. Ia menatap ke luar jendela mobil dalam komposisi visual yang mirip.

Kejutan: Sherina kecil bertemu Sadam di Bandung, Sherina dewasa jumpa Sadam di Palangka Raya. Mereka kadang kompak, tapi beberapa kali juga beda pendapat saat menghadapi tokoh antagonis pemburu satwa liar.

Riri Riza dan Mira Lesmana, sebagai duet sutradara dan produser, kini menawarkan gagasan konflik pelestarian orang utan. Dua puluh tiga tahun lalu, isu yang mereka sodorkan berupa perebutan lahan. 

Saat pencaplokan wilayah masih relevan di saat ini, mungkin masalah pelestarian hewan juga akan tetap penting disampaikan di masa depan nanti. Mereka sedang menandai zaman.

Penanda era lain yang juga tampak sengaja disisipkan, terlihat ketika Sherina diminta segera pulang ke Jakarta untuk meliput konferensi pers Presiden Jokowi. Dua puluh tiga tahun dari sekarang, penonton film ini akan punya sebuah konteks menarik saat menilik lagi kondisi yang dihadirkan dalam jagat Petualangan Sherina 2. 

Di luar hal-hal simbolik itu, Petualangan Sherina 2 sesederhana surat cinta buat inner child kita. Sherina dan Sadam terlihat bersenang-senang dengan karir dan tantangan kerja di dalamnya. Hingga di usianya yang kepala tiga, mereka belum menikah dan itu nggak apa-apa. 

Dalam beberapa hal, film ke-25 rumah produksi Miles Film ini nampaknya ingin membuat generasi 2000an sumringah, serupa ekspresi Sherina ketika dihadiahi tas lama. []

Experiencing Vincent Van Gogh

Through certain style, painting becomes a way of expressing ones feeling. Vincent Van Gogh once said "Paintings have a life of their own that derives from the painter's soul." 

Now imagine, what if their soul's expression is extended. That's what exactly the aim of an exhibition titled Van Gogh Alive Jakarta.

I visited the exhibition on July 30, although the event is set to end on October 9 this year at Taman Anggrek shopping center, Jakarta. The capital becomes another city to host this exhibition which uses Sensory 4 technology.

An information panel stated that the technology promises us "a powerful and vibrant symphony of light, colour and sound". Through the technology, objects on the paintings are able to move. 

On The Starry Night, swirling clouds are moving. The move is slow enough for us to still enjoy the night scene from Vincent's asylum over the township of Saint-Rémy, France.

But before that, visitors can immerse themselves in some rooms where Vincent's paintings are transformed into numbers of art installations. Sunflowers and Bedroom In Arles are few of them.

In one particular room myriad number of plastic sunflowers are planted. There are mirrors on the wall which reflect the flowers to be seen as it is a garden.
Sunflowers' inspiration came from the gardens of Montmartre in Paris. "The sunflower is mine, in a way." Wrote Vincent to his brother.  

Another installation also lets visitor to get into Bedroom In Arles. Decorated in some 8 meter square area, the installation is originally inspired by the 72 cm x 90 cm painting.

A digital projection of Vincent's paintings become another highlight of the exhibition. As I entered the last exhibition room, japanese music was heard.

Inside, I can see a number of big screens. There are 37 screens that placed both vertically and horizontally which display projection of japanese style paintings—before showing Vincent's paintings. 

At the end of the 19th century some artists in Europe were inspired by the style. Van Gogh was among them.
The influence can be seen through Vincent's painting titled Almond Blossom. 

"There are hints of Japanese influence, suggesting that Vincent and Theo's collection of more than 400 Japanese wood block prints may have been a source of inspiration for this work." wrote exhibitor on one panel.

Out from Van Gogh Alive exhibition, I was also introduced to Theo Van Gogh—Vincent's little brother. Almond Blossom was made as Theo's wife gave birth to a boy named Vincent Willem van Gogh. This Vincent then handed all his uncle's collection to Netherland's government.

Theo himself, was Vincent's life supporter. He spared his earnings so that Vincent can still be able to draw. As a result, along Vincent's last 10 years of his life, the mentally ill painter has created 1.100 sketches and 930 paintings.

Aside from Theo, his wife Johanna Gezina Van Gogh-Bonger also took a distinctive role on making her brother in law's paintings become popular posthumously. Vincent died at the age of 37. 

On Van Gogh Alive Jakarta, his death was depicted by a painting titled Wheatfield with Crows. Sound of a gunshot was heard loudly at the end of video projection. Crows on the picture then seen flew immediately.

Wheatfield with Crows was painted on July 1890, week(s) before Vincent shot himself on July 27 in the same year and died three days after. Six month after that, Theo also passed away.

The tragic life of Vincent Van Gogh today meets its relevance. Mental health issue becomes mass concern. And this exhibition extends the experience of how art can be one's medium of expression. []

Pura

 

Dalam kolom Cari Angin yang terbit dalam sebuah edisi Koran Tempo, Putu Setia mengulas tentang toleransi. Ia menulis bahwa pembuatan aturan yang kaku untuk pendirian rumah ibadah justru memunculkan situasi intoleran, karena bias mayoritas.

Dalam esai yang sama, pendeta Hindu bernama Ida Pandita Mpu Jaya Prema Ananda  itu menyebut dua pura besar yang didirikan di daerah mayoritas muslim. Pertama, Pura Mandhara Giri Semeru Agung di Lumajang, Jawa Timur. Saya pernah ke sana saat dulu membuat liputan booming wisata pendakian ke gunung Semeru pasca populernya film 5cm.

Pura kedua yang ia sebut sebagai contoh bagus toleransi beragama, ada di kaki gunung Salak, Bogor. Sebagai warga kota hujan, saya merasa harus mengunjungi pura bernama Parahyangan Agung Jagatkartta itu.

Suatu pagi, saya bertolak dari pusat kota setelah solat subuh. Perlu waktu sekitar 45 menit menuju lokasi yang sudah ditandai di aplikasi Google Maps.

Perjalanan menuju titik setinggi 800 meter di atas permukaan laut itu melintasi kondisi jalan yang cukup nyaman untuk dilalui dengan mobil jenis sedan. Ada beberapa jalan rusak, tapi tidak sampai merusak kendaraan jika saat menyetir kita bisa menyesuaikan kecepatan.

Pura Parahyangan Agung Jagatkartta berdiri di atas lahan seluas 2,5 hektar. Untuk masuk, kita perlu memakai kain khusus. "Bisa beli di atas," kata Pak Sugeng, seorang petugas kebersihan.

Pak Sugeng dengan ramah menceritakan tentang kawasan pura. Katanya, dia bisa mengantar saya untuk menjelajahi titik lain di dekat situ.

Saya sebetulnya tertarik dengan ajakan Pak Sugeng untuk menambah dua jam kunjungan demi menjelajahi kawasan Ciapus itu. Sayangnya, saya sedang puasa dan akan butuh minum kalau ikuti ajakannya. Saat saya tanya kontak Pak Sugeng untuk lain kali janjian, dia bilang "nggak punya handphone, nggak bisa mencetnya".

Pada akhirnya, saya duduk-duduk saja di tangga dan pinggiran gerbang masuk sambil berjemur. Sempat pula saya jalan kaki ke arah ujung jalan. Ada tempat wisata Kampoeng Salaka kalau kita terus menerabas jalan.

Setelah puas menikmati suasana, saya bertolak pulang dan pamit ke Pak Sugeng. Katanya, kalau mau diantar ke tempat yang dia janjikan di lain hari, saya cukup datang sekitar jam 10 pagi. Dia janji mau memperlihatkan tempat petilasan Prabu Siliwangi. "Ada lima," katanya meyakinkan. []

Class Struggle

A philosopher once said that human history was moved by class struggle. It means that there is one dominant class who always try to dominate another subordinated class. On the other side, the latter one fights for their domination as well.

The idea can be found in some movie titles. Elysium (2013) explicitly confronts the rich and the poor in a futuristic context. Meanwhile Parasite (2019) depicts the fight in recent era.

Lately, I found another film that projects similar idea: The Womb (2022) or locally entitled Inang. At the glance it may seems mereley a horror movie. 

Inang tells the story of one poor women named Wulan, who found support to take care of her pregnancy. Then, she met a couple of rich family who provides her the needs. And unbeknownst of Wulan, the dangers are facing her.

The plot clearly place Wulan as protagonist and the couple on the opposite. As we follow the storyline, the antagonistic acts of both elders reveal some horrific premise—of which I cannot tell you more. 

Before we delve deeper on class struggle in the movie context, here's an interesting facts in regards to why the riches are tend to be vilaineous. The reason is that they have "privilege".

It was based on a research conducter by Paul K. Piff and his team from University of California. They show that there is a correlation between social class and ethics. The title of publication paper, cites its conclussion: higher social class predicts increased unethical behavior.

Another research conducted by Michael Krauss shows that the rich tends to look things from personal perspective. Exploitation to another social class (the poor) was emerged from disempathatetic behavior that was combined with provilege to access resources.

However in the movie, we cannot really examine how can the couple get the financial resource since the moviemaker behind The Womb, chose to only show them on some characteristics that was in-line with the storyline. In facing the ridiculous situation, we must suspend our disbelief. And in terms of film study, "suspension of disbelief" is important to enjoy the movie.

To that end, The Womb was implicitly implement the formula that had also been planted to some titles in Indonesian history of cinema. In Sri Asih (2022), the antagonistic rich real estate businessman exploits the poor slum area residents.

Both of them, introduces us to the theory of class struggle through the medium of film.

Beruntung

 

Bullet Train (2022) mengajak kita bersenang-senang dengan makna sial dan keberuntungan. Kita akan mengikuti kisah seorang pembunuh bayaran bernama Ladybug. 

Brad Pitt, memerankan tokoh utama yang hanya dikenal lewat kode khusus untuk menyebut seorang pembunuh bayaran. Di dalam kereta cepat (bullet train) Shinkansen, tanpa diduga Ladybug yang sudah tidak prima  karena faktor usia berjumpa dengan 4 pembunuh bayaran lain yang sialnya lebih pintar menjalankan tugas.

Yang menarik, kesialan itu ternyata beruntun. Ladybug harus berhadapan lagi dengan Lemon (Bryan Tyree Henry) dan Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) yang pernah menembaknya saat tugas Johanesburg.

Dia juga harus bersinggungan misi dengan pembunuh lain—The Wolf (Bad Bunny), The Hornet (Zazie Beetz), hingga White Death (Michael Shannon). Padahal tugasnya nampak mudah: cukup antarkan sebuah koper ke seseorang di stasiun ujung.

Film ini disutradarai David Leicht yang muncul pula sebagai cameo, Jeff Zufelt. Sineas asal AS ini dikenal pula sebagai stunt performer dan memulai debut penyutradaraannya pada tahun 2014 lewat film John Wick—meski menurut laman wikipedia, hanya Chad Stahelski yang disemati kredit atas film laga itu.

Leitch juga pernah mengarahkan film Kick Ass hingga Deadpool 2. Bagi yang sudah menyaksikan judul-judul tadi, tentu sudah punya gambaran pula tentang brutalitas adegan laga dan gaya humor yang juga muncul dalam Bullet Train.

Kisah lika-liku penugasan di Jepang ini, bermula dari novel berjudul "Maria Beetle" buatan Kotaro Isaka terbitan 2010. Maria Beetle sendiri diperankan aktris Sandra Bullock.

Semula, peran itu akan diisi Lady Gaga. Sialnya (atau untungnya?) penyanyi berjuluk Mother Monster itu punya jadwal syuting bersinggungan dengan film yang ia bintangi, House of Gucci (2021).

Perubahan atau penyesuaian peran juga ada di tokoh The Prince. Dalam film, ia diperankan Joey King dan memang berubah menjadi seorang perempuan. 

Dalam sebuah adegan, Sang Pangeran (yang ternyata perempuan) menjelaskan alasan julukannya sambil baca novel Shibumi gubahan Trevanian. Katanya, itu terkait keinginan sang ayah, White Death.

White Death sendiri, diceritakan berasal dari Rusia. Sebenarnya tidak ada masalah dengan penampilan aktor Michael Shannon saat memerankan sang antagonis.

Dia punya gaya khas memutar silinder revolver dengan sapuan lengan. Ikonik sekali. Hanya saja formula demonisasi Rusia oleh film produksi AS bagi saya terasa membosankan.

Kalau memang tokoh utama "diputihkan" dari yang semula berbangsa Jepang, idealnya para pembuat film Bullet Train punya imajinasi yang lebih fantastis lagi dong, selain menampilkan formula heroisme yang itu-itu lagi. []

Privasi

Dear david bermula dari Laras, seorang siswi berprestasi. Dia ketua OSIS, sumber kebanggaan sekolah, juara lomba kepenulisan.

Sebagai penulis, Laras punya saluran rahasia. Sebuah blog, ia isi fantasi romantik-erotik dengan objek teman sekelas bernama David.

Laras tentu berupaya mempertahankan citra baik yang selalu melekat dalam dirinya, demi terus mendapat keringanan biaya sekolah dan lancar mengejar cita-cita masuk UI. Sialnya, laras gagal logout dari komputer sekolah dan seseorang menyebarkan cerpen dari dalam akunnya. 

Peristiwa itu mengenalkan privasi kepada sasaran utama penonton ini, remaja. Apakah sikap sekolah berlebihan? Apa Laras sudah sebaiknya melindungi diri?

Dalam Dear David, kepala sekolah memimpin orkestra infiltrasi ke ruang privasi murid atas nama kondusivitas. Seorang siswa berbisik ke laras, "lo kan ketua osis, harusnya lo bisa berbuat lebih". Mereka memprotes perampasan ponsel.

Di luar film, negara juga masuk ke ranah privat warganya. Masih ingat skandal Aipda Ambarita? Dia merazia handphone sembarang orang demi konten, padahal salah.

Satu lagi yang lebih anyar: putusan MK tentang pernikahan beda agama. Pelapor uji materi undang-undang merasa dirugikan karena menurut sebuah pasal dalam peraturan yang lahir di tahun 1974, sepasang calon suami-istri harus punya agama yang sama saat menikah.

Editorial Majalah Tempo menilai, itu bentuk pengaturan berlebihan negara kepada warganya, karena sudah masuk ranah privat. Seperti dilaporkan oleh CNN Indonesia, dua dari sembilan hakim MK sendiri mengakui bahwa perlu ada perbaikan tentang aturan itu, dimulai dari pihak pemerintah dan DPR. 

Mengenal privasi, baru satu dari bahasan lain yang bisa kita baca atau renungkan dari film Dear David. Hal lainnya: bullying, pengaruh media sosial ke kehidupan nyata, kesehatan mental, inklusivitas dan (ehem) cinta segitiga. []

Autobiography

The award-winning film "Autobiography", is finally coming back home after concluding a series of screenings in more than 20 film festivals. The title refers to the life experiences of its 2022 Citra award-winning scriptwriter, Makbul Mubarak--who also direct the movie.

He said that the idea of "Autobiography" came from his childhood. His parents were civil servants, and the 31-year-old moviemaker lived in some circumstances where power was given naturally for symbols of nation. 

Some influential figures, trapped (or overuse) in the powerful situation. So much so that it led to violence. One question emerged inside Makbul's head as to where would power violation ends?

The answer, lies at the end of the movie. The final scene depicts Mubarak's take on which side he stands on. Or, if he chose the opposite side of the finale, I guess we still can read the whole movie as a precaution of the famous quotation by Lord Acton:

"Power tends to corrupt, absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Unfortunately, at some point the portrait of fictional story in Autobiography can easily be found in real life in Indonesia--a nation where militarism holds power for several decades. You might have experienced one. 

Makbul himself had experienced an uncomfortable story of how several influential figures can easily misuse their abilities. As he told Koran Tempo the January 22 edition, Mubarak shared his past story of being accused stealing from a shop. Unbeknownst, the authority took advantage of his powerless position and took money from the young man.

In the universe of "Autobiography", such power relation has special place to let the story rolls out. We will see Kevin Ardilova who plays as Rakib. He becoma a personification of ourselves--through some cinematography techniques (mise en scene). A Polish cinematographer beautifully arranged a myriad of eary shots and combined with works of Philippinos editor and French sound editor, then make viewers feel like it was truly terrifying to work for a powerful military retired general named Purnawinata who was played by Arswendi Bening Swara.

Purna was on his path toward residential election. As he was away from his family, the ex-war veteran chose Rakib taking role of being his caretaker. 

Rakib was treated as his long-awaited son by the father of three daughter. On the contrary, on the visit to jail, Purna said to Rakib's father that he felt satisfied with Rakib's service. The relationship was mutual as Rakib found an ideal father figure in Purna's attitude. Until one moment moves the story.

"Autobiography" was also shows us another issues that follows militarism. Natural exploitation was told as a background, delivered side by side with the negligence of one's source of life. On another part of the movie, impunity also can be seen. 

The movie also shed a light on another note that needs to be taken more seriously. Military power has its own strength and weakness that affects a wider part of society. []