From: Kadek Krishna Adidharma
To: PT. Wijaya Tribwana Int'l
Sent: Monday, March 06, 2006 10:28 AM
Subject: Re: Chronological Exchange on HB Cover

• removing all email addresses & links
• editing spelling mistakes (except when the stranger is putting on her persona)
• correcting colour scheme: blue for li'l boy blue Rio and red for las-vicious lala
• removing a bit more 'business' related stuff

Dear Sarah,

Have seen the Hello Bali cover. 

It's another nightmare for us the Balinese to see the cover after the last month's. 

How come they used the umbrella for the fake wedding. Do they know that in Balinese Hindu tradition that kind of umbrella is used only in the temple (for the gods). Very insulting. I would suggest you have a consultant who knows a bit about Bali and who has sensitivity of local culture as well, although the magazine is for westerners' consumption. I feel ashamed of  the Balinese  holding the umbrellas. Just for  a couple of bucks they were willing to be slaves. Poor Bali!

Regards, 

Putu Semiada

Editor - Wijaya Words

From: Sarah-Jane Scrase

Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2006 12:14 PM

Subject: Re: HELLO BALI COVER

Dear Putu,

Thank you for taking the time to send your below comments, that have been duly noted. It is a shot by Rio Helmi who is a respected photographer. I shall pass your comment to him.

My kindest regards,
Sarah-Jane Scrase,

 ---------------------------------------------------------------

Sarah-Jane Scrase wrote:

Dear Made,

Thank you for your below comments - your input is appreciated, and duly
noted.

Kindest regards,
Sarah-Jane Scrase,

On Feb 12, 2006, at 10:50 AM, Made Wijaya wrote:

Sarah, this is your third cover in a row that is wholesomely
unBalinese. But this last one is cultural prostitution. I can't have
my column in a magazine that repeatedly does this!!

Yours in disgust (have you learnt nothing reading my columns)
  
Made

From: Made Wijaya

To: Sarah-Jane Scrase

Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2006 1:25 PM

Subject: Re: Cover-up.

Dear Sarah and Alistair,

I just feel that our paths in Bali are diverging so seriously – you dragging it down into cheap commercialism and cultural prostitution, although you are trying hard and you probably have bad advice. You just don't get it  – and that The Stranger just doesn't belong there any more.

 As for our book together: lets discuss when the dust has settles.

 Sarah, you might like to mention that this (next edition) column is the stranger's last "due to technical difficulties" or " because The Stranger is taking a lengthy break to peruse other interests ". You have been a very kind and courteous editor. Thanks.

I would like to add that Sarah is probably doing the right kind of mag for the new post-Yak white supremascist pudenda-waving  readership out there and that The Stranger is the odd one out. If not just the odd one.  

I hope to now start an Indonesian-language  magazine – like  a Balinese Private Eye – to represent the other side, the Balinese' Bali .

Selamat Tinggal. 

Good Bye,  and good luck,

The Stranger

From: PT. Wijaya Tribwana Int'l

To: Made Wijaya

Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2006 5:12 PM

Subject: Re: HELLO BALI COVER

Dh,

FYI., Rio Helmi telpon saya hari ini sehubungan dengan kritik saya terhadap cover Hello Bali (FYI, foto itu diambil oleh Rio Helmi). 

Dia bilang itu bukan pelecehan. Saya tentu saja menentangnya dan kami berdebat panjang.

Terimakasih atas dukungan Pak Made.

Hs,

PSS

From: Made Wijaya

To: Rio Helmi

Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2006 4:14 PM

Subject: Re: HELLO BALI COVER

(Remember Rio once called The Poleng, the magazine of record for the broad Bali-loving diaspora, a "rag" and that he needs to do some work on Indokrupuk-Bule Aga conflict resolutions. Remember also that Rio is a part time fashion photographer and has on occasion seen fit to drape the odd umbel-umbelan 'yoooo'ooo) 

Dear PSS, I think ‘pelecehan’ is a bit too strong a word. It is just dumb beyond belief to put fake ceremonies at touristic venues --Tirta Uluwatu  Wedding Complex...whose very name is disrespectful of the true TIRTA ULUWATU, one of the holiest in the land-- on the cover of magazines proporting to be the official magazine of the Bali Tourism Board.

Are photographs of real ceremonies too real?? Too Hindu.?? Unpalatable to the un-cultured tourists and white supremacist real estate developers  who are trying to rebrand Bali as a New Asian Ibiza ?? AND swamp the island with trade mags with barflies on the covers.( nothing the matter with barflies but are photographs of them all slouched over batik pooves in immodest poses truly representational of the ugly buildings inside??)

Is Rio not aware of the conspiracy to take shrines out of New Asian architecture (" too representational"), and offerings out of almost every shrine in a New Asian Bali Real Estate advertisement (" impolite to non-believers???")???

Did Rio not notice when the real Balinese MELIS ceremony figures were taken out of the Sanur Beach Hotel

I have not seen any Rio photos featuring fake ceremonies...nor have I seen any of his fabulous ceremonial photos on the Hello Bali ( a crying shame) just offensively named eateries viewed through champagne glasses (empty…the most offensive bit...Hello Bali Cover, Dec 2005), Pudendas in the Mist ( HB cover Jan 2006).

I did not put Putu Semiada up to his comment ( I was in India at the time). He has his gold medal Hottie Cum Laude from UGM (political science) and is a traditional village Balinese with opinions. He is exactly the sort of Balinese HB should employ to give an objective opinion.

Keep up the fight Putu,

Your biggest fan,

Made Wijaya

From: Rio Helmi

To: Made Wijaya

Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2006 11:06 PM

Subject: Re: HELLO BALI COVER

Dear Bli Made, upholder of the faith, defender of the silly,

Just our cup of tea, with a little storm brewing in it. All I really wanted to say to PSS was "how about saving your bullets for the real offenses". After all I don't go after you for your little snippets in the Poleng. Do we really want to go to war over the pretty questionable enstatement of umbrellas as holy? On the other hand who indeed says anything about images of the Buddha being used in the most inappropriate ways? I don't even accept the paper bags at Bali Buddha because they have a Buddha image on them. Now that is a sacred symbol, like the cross or the image Sang Hyang Widhi. Imagine Sang Hyang Widhi statues in bathrooms - now that would get me upset!

So precious, PSS:
"tentu saja saya menentangnya" - sounds so heroic. It was a pretty mild conversation actually, not too long at all,  all in very civilized tone, especially  in view of his statements:

"How come they used the umbrella for the fake wedding. Do they know that in Balinese Hindu tradition that kind of umbrella is used only in the temple (for the gods) Very insulting." Gee where was  PSS when the rajas and princesses were using umbrellas? I must let them know its very insulting. How about having a go at all the government seminars where you see umbrellas used all the time - it couldn't be just because they are festive! perhaps it might come as a shock to PSS that the umbrella per se is a bit of an import to Bali from China and India. I do recognize the umbrella is used to show respect to figures of importance - deities, vips etc but the umbrellas themselves are not the object of worship, nor are they exclusive to that use - get it straight. Poor Bali? Beh, buin pesuang tim gabungan tramtrib primordial - 'cen pecalang-pecalangé? Oraihin ye pang ng"I would suggest you have a consultant who knows a bit about Bali and have sensitivity of local culture as well, although the magazine is for westerners consume. I feel ashamed of  the Balinese  holding the umbrellas. Just for  a couple of bucks they were willing to be slaves. Poor Bali!"  abe kelewang nasné jawe-jawe totonan.... Selamet, selamet dadi pahlawan...  Beh, ada turis puk: "You like Bali? Yes, we know Bali mos' biutipul place in de world. "

So what's next, is all brocade going to become holy because it is an accessory to ceremony? And what about Oakleys?  And what are we going to do about the coca-cola bottles used for the libations in caru and such? Will they have to take down the ads?

Or we could always ban all things foreign in Bali which would leave us pretty much with plain cloth (no cotton, no patola inspired design), no Honda Bebeks, (no need to worry about fighting cocks - the bird flu will take care of that) not even horses as the Portuguese brought them in, no glass in the windows, and no quite a few other things. Balinese culture is
woven with so many foreign influences (India, China, Java, Melayu etc) it is hard to tell which is really Balinese in origin. Even the most xenophobic of local fanatics use foreign cars. But then again if Bali keeps these foreign objects and they might be used in ceremonies, well heaven forbid they might have some other mundane use. 

Somehow it just isn't on the same scale as cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad...

Now to be perfectly clear the wedding at Tirtha wasn't a Balinese wedding at all, there was just a moment when the bride gets ushered in with umbrellas. Their weddings happen in a
chapel with a real minister, and are real weddings. Nor did I shoot that shot for the cover of the magazine, it was simply part of a brochure shoot showing the property and what their standard product is. I guess Tirtha must have given it to Hello Bali. And yes I agree the previous cover of Hello Bali wasn't that tasteful.

In relation to which I do admire how much energy you have left to devote to the patrol of the media, after all we do all receive your elaborately styled  photographs of yourself draped (not really) in various delicate women's underwear (porno kah itu?) flanked by Balinese Satpams in what some might consider a rather unfeeling parody of the real sufferings of the prisoners of Abu Ghraib, and not to mention the national garb of Indonesian women seen in various stranger  publications featuring yourself in drag. That took some energy and organizing.

Wonderful that either you are so tolerant of the  righteous PSS, or PSS so tolerant of you (the word orthodox doesn't come to mind). Oh please,  Putu, of course I know you are "not a slave for a few  bucks",  that wouldn't do for an UGM intelek. Even if we all have to make a living, and  I am sure you didn't take the shots of Made in the loo with the two guards. Haram for such a principled man.

No real desire to lance you or Putu, so let's come to an agreement: I won't scratch your face if you won't scratch mine. Your serve.
in friendship (and a long one at that!!)

Rio
cc:
-the  Kesatuan Kultur Kepaon ,
-The Singaporean Horticultural Society,
-Cross-Culture-Clubs of Bombay-Bali-Sydney,
-Dame Edna Everage

----- Original Message -----

To: Made Wijaya

To: Rio Helmi

Sent: Friday, February 17, 2006 1:10 AM

Subject: Re: HELLO BALI COVER

OH I didn't know it was your photo which as you say is perfectly all right for a trumped up wedding ala Balinaise at the Chapel of Love ....and aren't they wicked not asking you for permission to use it in Hello Bali (rather typical)...but it sends the wrong message to the public -- i.e. that " the Balinese only do it for tourists". The point is not the use of the umbrella or its sacredness but that the editors of Hello Bali would have to choose a fake ceremony instead of the real thing for all the hypothetical REASONS (TOO REAL, Hindu, SPOOKY) I gave.

To refute some of your points (se imbedded below): 

Rio Helmi wrote:

Dear Bli Made, upholder of the faith, defender of the silly,

Just our cup of tea, with a little storm brewing in it. All I really wanted to say to
PSS was "how about saving your bullets for the real offenses". After all I don't
go after you for your little snippets in the Poleng.AND WHAT LITTLE SNIPPETS WOULD THESE BE PLEASE, IN MY AWARD-WINNING SATIRICAL MAG WITH ITS CIRCULATION OF 200  Do we really want to go to war
over the pretty questionable enstatement of umbrellas as holy? On the other hand
who indeed says anything about images of the Buddha being used in the most
inappropriate ways? PLEASE! I AM THE PRESIENT OF SINGHALESE TEA BARONS AGAINST BUDDAHS BAR INTERNATIONAL; THE POLENG HAS A REGULAR ”OFFENCES AGAINST BUDDAHISM SECTION" I don't even accept the paper bags at Bali Buddha BUT YOU SHOULDN'T BE SHOPPING THERE!!! Because
they have a Buddha image on them. Now that is a sacred symbol, like the cross or
the image Sang Hyang Widhi. Imagine Sang Hyang Widhi statues in bathrooms - HELLOOO!! BEEN TO NGURAH RAI LATELY?? EVERY URINOIR HAS A SACRED JEPUN FLOWER WHICH I KNOW FOR A ACT INFIDELS AIM AT
now that would get me upset!

So precious, PSS:
"tentu saja saya menentangnya" - sounds so heroic. BUT HE IS A HERO, TAKING YU ON.HE DOESN't BLINK MOST OF THE TIME. I THINK HE FELT THAT YOU WERE DESERTING YOUR POST AS CULTURAL CZAR OF THE HILL TRIBES (I HAVEN'T ASKED HIM) It was a pretty mild conversation actually, not too long at all, WELL I AM RELIEVED all in very civilized tone, BUT HE IS VERY CIVILIZED especially  in view of his statements:

"How come they used the umbrella for the fake wedding. Do they know that in Balinese Hindu tradition that kind of umbrella is used only in the temple (for the gods) Very insulting." Gee where was  PSS when the rajas and princesses were using umbrellas? I must let them know it’s very insulting. How about having a go at all the government seminars
where you see umbrellas used all the time - it couldn't be just because they are festive! Perhaps it might come as a shock to PSS that the umbrella per se is a bit of an import to Bali from China and India. I do recognize the umbrella is used to show respect to figures of
importance - deities, vips etc but the umbrellas themselves are not the object of worship, nor are they exclusive to that use - get it straight. "I would suggest you have a consultant who knows a bit about Bali and have sensitivity of local culture as well, although the magazine is for westerners consume. I feel ashamed of  the Balinese  holding the umbrellas. Just for  a couple of bucks they were willing to be slaves. Poor Bali!"  Poor Bali? Beh, buin pesuang tim gabungan tramtrib primordial - 'cen pecalang-pecalangé? Oraihin ye pang ngabe kelewang nasné jawe-jawe totonan.... Selamet, selamet dadi pahlawan...  Beh, ada turis puk: "You like Bali? Yes, we know Bali mos' biutipul place in de world. "YOU KNOW YOU SHOULD WRITE Again.  YOU HAVE A WONDEFUL GIFT FOR PARODY. AND IT VENTS YOUR WARRIOR SELF.

So what's next, is all brocade going to become holy because it is an accessory to ceremony? And what about Oakleys?  And what are we going to do about the coca-cola bottles used for the libations in caru and such? Will they have to take down the ads? NONE OF THIS PERTINENT REALLY. THE CONTEXT IS, FOR ME ANYWAY, THE COVER IS SO BROCHURE ART AND FAUX AND SENDS THE WRONG MESSAGE ABOUT THE REAL BALI. ONCE AGAIN, WHY NOT CHOSE ONE OF YOUR STUNNING UPACARA PHOTOS?? WHY POPULARIZE A FAKE CEREMONY -- COME ON, IT IS FAKE ( LA GARLAND WAS THE FIRST TO DO THIS FAKE RAJA THING FOR MONEY)

Or we could always ban all things foreign in Bali which would leave us pretty much with plain cloth (no cotton, no patola inspired design), no Honda Bebeks, (no need to worry about fighting cocks - the bird flu will take care of that) not even horses as the Portuguese brought them in, no glass in the windows, and no quite a few other things. Balinese culture is
woven with so many foreign influences (India, China, Java, Melayu etc) it is hard to tell which is really Balinese in origin. Even the most xenophobic of local fanatics use foreign cars. But then again if Bali keeps these foreign objects and they might be used in ceremonies, well heaven forbid they might have some other mundane use. IS YOUR ARGUMENT THAT Bali SHOULD ADOPT FAUX CEREMONIES AS A WAY OF LIFE Because TACKY FOREIGNERS INTRODUCED THEM. ONE REALLY HAS TO DRW THE LINE SOMEWHERE IN RELIGOUS PRACTISES, TO KEEP THE SANCTITY, NON?? AS OUR MOSLEMS BROTHERS ARE SHOWING US THIS WEEK. AND AS YOU SAY, QUITE RUGHTLY, ABOUT THE ABUSE OF BUDDAHIST IMAGERY. 

Somehow it just isn't on the same scale as cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad...

Now to be perfectly clear the wedding at Tirtha wasn't a Balinese wedding at all, there was just a moment when the bride gets ushered in with umbrellas. HEY, THER'E ALL IN TEMPLE DRESS, ENGAGING IN A PED ALLA WALI (NEW PIZZA AT THE BUDDHA BAR??) WITH OFFERINGS AND A PRIEST I RECALL. GHASTLY JAPANESE DAGANG  - SURABAYA CHINESE ( BUDDAHISTS I BELIEVE OR POSSIBLY CHRISTIANS) ...I FEEL ASHAMED I DID THEIR GARDEN AND FAKE PALACE COURT And TEMPLE BUILDINGS  Their weddings happen in a
chapel with a real minister, and are real weddings. YES. RL WEDDINGS WITH FAKE PROCESSIONS UNFIT FOR PUBLISHING IN BALI TOURISM BOARD COVERS AS THE REAL THING Nor did I shoot that shot for the cover
of the magazine, it was simply part of a brochure shoot showing the property and what their standard product is. I guess Tirtha must have given it to Hello Bali. And yes I agree the previous cover of Hello Bali wasn't that tasteful.

In relation to which I do admire how much energy you have LEFT?? FROM THE TIME SPENT AS INTERNATIONAL FACE OF GLUTTON FREE?? to devote to the patrol of the media, THANKYOU after all we do all receive your elaborately styled  photographs of yourself draped (not really) in various delicate women's underwear DARLING, YOU'RE LUCKY TO BE ON MY XMAS CARD LIST YOU INAN PAHIT BE NE. HA flanked by Balinese Satpams in what some might consider a rather unfeeling parody of the real sufferings of the prisoners of Abu Ghraib,LISTEN YOU SELF RIGHTEOUS MIRTHLESS HEART THROB: THERE IS A PLACE FOR SATIRE AT YULE TIME( its a Christian thing)      and not to mention the national garb of Indonesian women seen in various stranger  publications featuring yourself in drag THE KEBAYA WITH PATIO SLACKES AND SCHERRER CLOCHE YOU BIG HOMOPHOBE. That took some energy and organizing THANKYOU. SOME OF US DO MORE THAN CLICK A METAL BOX FOR OUR ART, AND THAT TOO ( TEE HEE).

Wonderful that either you are so tolerant of the  righteous PSS, or PSS so tolerant of you (the word orthodox doesn't come to mind). Oh please,  Putu, of course I know you are "not a slave for a few  bucks",  that wouldn't do for an UGM intelek. Even if we all have to make a living, and  I am sure you didn't take the shots of Made in the loo with the two THREE guards. Haram for such a principled man. JE REGRET RIEN

No real desire to lance you or Putu, so let's come to an agreement: I won't scratch your face if you won't scratch mine. Your serve.  IT’S WAR!!!

in friendship (and a long one at that!!) LEARN TO LOVE YOUR ENEMIES

Rio

LOVE YOUR WORK,  

YOUR LOVE SLAVE,  

MRS SANTA

cc:
-the  Kesatuan Kultur Kepaon ,
-The Singaporean Horticultural Society,
-Cross-Culture-Clubs of Bombay-Bali-Sydney,
-Dame Edna EverageI'll DO THE FUNNY CCs: YOU DO THE SUNDAY SERMONS

From: Rio Helmi
To: Made Wijaya

Sent: Friday, February 17, 2006 9:33 AM

Subject: Re: HELLO BALI COVER

Have to say, it does puzzle me that they used it for a cover, granted. But then
again I haven't really come to expect that much from that particular magazine
full stop.

Like I said, lets not  start a war amongst friends. It will lead to regrets on all sides,
trust me. There are other much more important issues out there that need dealing
with.

Cheers,

R
ps: wouldn't dare to usurp your role