nine -- music

A few housekeeping things. I'm sorry not to have written much about our stay in Yogyakarta -- it's been a combination of blogging and journalling for me thus far, and lately I have been journalling. Our group has finally started our blog... This blog is the project we will present once the school year begins and it chronicles our impressions of the day. Do read it! It'll give you an idea about what we're learning and share different perspectives from other students. 

In addition, I have uploaded a few of my pictures on photobucket. The internet connections can't handle all 500+ pictures I have taken thus far... So what's on photobucket is an assortment of pictures from Bali and some from Java (but not all my pictures from Bali or Java, sigh). I'll try to add more as I find time.

Okay. Today was really all about music, even though we returned to Yayasan Gaia, the street children education scholarship NGO and to the Ombudsmen office for interviews. In the morning, our very helpful guide Mas Bambang (spelling?) who is actually royalty from the nearby area of Solo, taught us some Javanese gammelan to the whole group. It was a very basic pattern he taught but it was a lot of fun to play the cool percussion instruments we always watch being played. (Actually, there's a gammelan group playing outside the hotel right now and I can hear it from the room I'm typing. It's kind of soothing, which is surprising with all those xylophone-like percussion instruments.)

Then, as we returned to the hotel later in the afternoon, we saw a bunch of people with cello cases mingling outside. My friend Ashley inquired what time they'd be playing/practicing... We ate dinner, had discussion, and could faintly hear the string players.  Of course, we had to investigate. We turned the corner to the other side of the hotel compound and went up the stairs. There was an awesome space up there with this full string orchestra playing Indonesian-composed music. It conjured up black and white films. Really, it was so beautiful in how they were in so much control of dynamic. Everyone seemed to play with feeling and it was really amazing.  They seemed pretty happy to see us there! We just sat up there and watched. 

At that point, we met a lady name Maria, who explained they were practicing for an event that would be at the hotel on Friday -- she encouraged us to attend and join the party afterwards. (We bothered Agustini a little bit and she agreed to let us come here and check it out.) At one point, when they were on break, we met two of them - Balung and Ari (I think?). Agustini later told me that Ari sent his regards to me which was kind of funny. Sorry, Ari! I have someone at home! Haha. Anyway, just being near such great, soulful music was really nice. We culminated the day with a nice swim, though now I feel dry and itchy.

Tomorrow we are visiting a Rotary project that involves farming methods and microfinance. Pretty exciting! Peace, love...!