A glass of coffee (rather than a cup of coffee) is standard welcome drink that you will get when you visiting a typical Balinese family. Presenting a glass of coffee to the visitor especially the male one is a standard gesture of Balinese hospitality and of course visitor rarely has any chance to avoid it. Although you can ask for a glass of tea as substitution but Balinese seldom ask for the substitution since it will put a trouble of preparing a glass of tea for the substitution to the host; Balinese mostly enjoy their inevitable welcome drink.

Balinese style of coffee is what westerner call black coffee and surely not for the faint of heart. Balinese rarely use instant coffee, they prepare their coffee by putting a tablespoon of finely ground roast coffee right into the glass, mix it with a generous amount of sugar and hot water. The result is more of a thick suspension rather than a solution, and is muddy and opaque. It has to be stirred occasionally to keep the coffee powder in suspension lest it will gather in the bottom of the glass creating a muddy black coffee deposit.

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Denpasar, 14^th September 2007

Dear Members and Friends of the “Walter Spies Society Germany”.

At exactly midnight, between the 4th and 5th of September, Dr. A.A. Made Djelantik, our Honorary President, passed away peacefully at Sanglah Hospital which he founded many years ago. Yesterday, the present director of the hospital, Prof. Dr. dr. A.A. Gede Sudewa Djelantik, informed me that very soon, ‘Rumah Sakit Sanglah’ in Denpasar will be renamed in his honor.

When he departed, a few family members and close friends were at his side.

Only days before, I brought a long-stemmed white orchid to his bedside together with a large reproduction of Walter Spies’ Scherzo for Brass instruments, a painting that he always loved. Below the picture, I wrote: “Dear Dr. Djelantik, you encouraged us to start the Walter Spies Society in Germany and then gave us your precious counsel. Thanks for all your support. We admire you and love you.”

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Name : Ayu Bulantrisna Djelantik

Address:
1) 2350 Wilbur Way, Auburn, Ca 95602 Ph 1-530-210 1910 Fax 1-530- 888 6833
2) PPR ITB no E-17 Bandung 40135 Indonesia
E-mail: btrisna at gmail.com

Born in Deventer Netherlands, 8 September 1947 as first daughter of Dr AA Made Djelantik and Astri H Zwart. Re- married to Tom Soejoto since March 2003. Children: Krishna (34 yrs), married with two daughters (7 yrs and 3 yrs) living in Jakarta; Bismo (30 yrs) single; Asmara (29 yrs), married with one son (2 yrs) living in Pau, France.

Education:
High School: SMAN Denpasar Bali, 1962-1965
Dokter (MD), 1975, Universitas Padjadjaran Bandung
ENT Specialist, 1985, Universitas Padjadjaran Bandung
Doctor Medizin ( S2/Dr Med), 1989 LM Universitat, Munich, Germany
Doctor in Medical Sciences (S3/PhD), 1996, Antwerp University, Belgium.

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Gamelan in Balinese life has many essential functions; the gamelan’s primary function is to assist in the myriad of ceremonies required during each 210-day cycle of the Balinese Pawukon cycle, as well as those involved with the lunar calendar. These activities range from private family observances such as weddings or the dedication to new buildings to massive, village-wide temple ceremonies. The musicians must be able to play at any hour or night or both, as demanded by the ceremony in progress. They may accompany a priest in his devotion, or they may accompany entertainments, such as temple dances. Tourism creates the secondary function of any gamelan that is entertaining Bali’s visitors. There is no such thing as professional musician in Bali. The gamelan players are rice farmers or village artisans or work at some sort of job – they are musician during their time off.

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The Balinese people are very open to sharing their unique cultural heritage and the spiritual wisdom they have nurtured over centuries. Visitors to Bali will be warmly welcomed to most temples and ceremonies. There are, however, certain codes of conduct that visitors should follow to offer respect for the Balinese and their culture.

When attending a temple ceremony, remember that it is not a party but a celebration to welcome the gods down to earth. Balinese always, no matter how many hardships they may face in their material life, put on their finest traditional clothing as a gesture of respect to both the worldly hosts of the event and the divine guests. Women wear a sarong, a long length of cloth wrapped from waist to ankles, a lacy blouse called a kebaya, and a sash tied around the waist. They will often tie up their hair in elaborate styles, and decorate it with fresh tropical flowers. If they own a piece of precious gold jewelry, they will wear it, and they will wear makeup and lipstick, for the Balinese gods delight in beauty. Men as well will be sure to dress respectfully, in a sarong, their best shirt or ceremonial jacket, a sash around the waist and an elaborately folded headdress (Udeng). The Balinese are thrilled to see visitors wearing Balinese ceremonial dress and deeply appreciate the respect it shows. So if you want to share the experience of attending a ceremony, ask a Balinese friend or someone in your hotel to help you find the correct clothing and show you how to wear it.

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