Batiks and Javanese dancing at the mall

Much of Friday was spent getting oriented to simple things: the different food, setting up internet access, downloading Skype. I also spent way too much time looking at batiks, which take up the entire fourth floor of the neighbouring shopping centre. While there a peculiar thing happened: the gentle, repetitive gamelan music of the batik section was suddenly overpowered by a loud shrieking and crashing on the floor above. I went to explore. And bumped into two exquisitely-costumed classical Javanese dancers telling their story in precise gestures and expressions. At the top of the escalator. The sound I had heard was recorded Javanese classical singing, accompanied by gamelan, and amplified. It was music that demanded you pay attention. I found it unsettling to watch these highly-skilled dancers performing in the household goods section. But this was not a feeling anyone else seemed to share. After the performance the organizers graciously invited us tourists to have our photos taken with the dancers, asked us where we were from, praised NGOs and told us they did this every Friday afternoon. One way of keeping traditional Javanese culture alive. Certainly they made sure of reaching a new audience every week. I can't wait to hear this music live.