Since we became an expat in Abu Dhabi and living so far away from our home country, I don’t want my daughter becomes unfamiliar with our culture and tradition.
That’s why in the last holiday I brought her to “Setia Darma House of Mask and Puppet” in Ubud, Bali. It was really a unique museum, consisting of five traditional houses (two of Javanese Joglo, another two of Javanese Limasan and one Balinese Pavilion) that were used as display rooms of their collections. It feels like you are at home while looking to the collection. Also, eventhough there was no air conditioner in the museum, the atmospere was so fresh because the museum was located in the middle of paddy field, with a river in front of the museum.
What’s really interesting was to learn that some masks have philosophical meaning. Take Barong mask, for example, it was a lion-like creature and a character in the mythology of Bali. It symbolized the spirits and leaders of the good. This mask also used in religious ceremonies as a tribute to the God.
The museum itself has a mission to preserve Indonesia’s most colourful heritage collection. With total collection over 1,000 masks and over 4,000 puppets from all over the Indonesian archipelago, as well as China, Korea, Africa, America and Europe. It really was a good place for family trip because it served as a great educational exhibits for young generation to love the cultural heritage better.
Well, eventhough my baby weren’t reading any texts in the signage let alone noticed of what she was seeing, her eyes was so busy screened room by room. The variety of forms and colors of the masks and puppets were really attracted for her. In my opinion, it’s a way to stimulate the development of her brain.
After finished the trip to the mueseum, we went to Gianyar for lunch, I already made an appointment with my friend who owned Dharma Giri Restaurant. We ordered seafood and Spicy Smoked Chicken, the taste was awesome! I wanted to order it again. hiks 😢.
After a not-so-long discussion, Ko Andy and Ci Jujun suggested us to visit Kanto Lampo waterfall. It was not widely known among tourists yet. We got lost for almost 15 minutes on our way there. Thanks God, we finally found the place after asking directions to the local people.
After we parked the car, we took the stairs leading down to the narrow river. I stepped down the stairs while carrying baby deira. I’ve never been to a waterfall as good as this one that was also easy to reach, only few steps down from the parking lot.
There were two waterfalls there, a bigger one with a lot of water rushing down, and the smaller one where you could take a shower. For those who love photography, this place is highly recommended to visit.
Visit my husband site in http://www.cendiliyan.com for more pictures from this trip.
The daily life of an expat mom in Abu Dhabi 