Playing with the Padang children

The first place we go to is called Kota Pauh, in Sungai Limau sub-district.  It is located up in the hills about forty minutes away from the town of Pariaman.  We drive up narrow winding roads surrounded by jungle (well, so it looks to me), the vegetation lush and green.  Along the way there are houses damaged or destroyed.  We pass the debris of a collapsed mosque.  Eventually I spy children ahead of us, veering off in droves to the side.  Aha, we must have reached our destination.  We arrive to about 200 children seated on the steps of a mosque. This mosque too has been damaged.

The troupe consists of Dan Roberts, Dedi  (and Renny Antoni, photographer) – all of Hidung Merah Circus – and then myself.  Dan, Dedi and I will perform together as a clown trio. We came up with a scenario for a show, brainstorming and practicing the day before, that we will improvise on in the moment.  The show is about an hour and afterwards we do a workshop for another hour with the kids.

To give you an idea of the show:  I barge in on the scene as an American tourist with big camera and  map looking for Bali and the beach and instead finding myself in the jungle of Sumatra – tigers and elephants and orangutans, oh my!  Various silly antics ensue...  Dan pokes fun at my being a foreigner, a bule as it’s called (and the joke, of course, is that he is a bule too), and translates for me, incorrectly of course, making it as if I'm saying wacky things, which the kids find hilarious.  Normally we wouldn’t use much language, relying solely on physical humor, but since Dan speaks Indonesian, he and Dedi can make funny jokes with the kids!  It’s great to have Dedi on board making for a multi-cultural show, with funny foreigners as well as homegrown ‘baduts’ (clowns).  As a musician, Dedi brings in a musical element, playing songs on guitar, that we accompany with ukulele and tambourine – or, alternatively, goof off to and mess him up.  Dedi plays a couple of popular Indonesian songs and it’s amazing:  all the kids know all the lyrics and sing along at the top of their lungs!  It’s awesome!  We were asked to incorporate some much needed social messages, and that is how I end up pooping on stage.  Well, not really, of course.  Dan tells me to go use the toilet.  You can’t just go anywhere!  Afterwards, I’m hungry so I say let’s eat!  Well, wait a minute, you have to go wash your hands first.  Right, kids?  All the children yell, “yeah, wash your hands, wash your hands!”  Hygiene and sanitation are actual issues for these populations.  We also play with the theme of friendship and working together.  After poking fun at each other and making things difficult, we come to the conclusion that things will work much better if we do it together.  Let’s be friends!  So we juggle together and play music together.  And have lots of fun!  And the kids do too.  The show is a big hit.  The kids are so great, they’re so excited and it’s so wonderful to hear their laughter and see their smiling faces.

Thanks to Renny we have some great shots to share with you of our show and workshops! (To be posted shortly.)

After the first show, we cut some of the acrobatic partner moves, because this is a conservative Muslim area and men and women are not supposed to touch.  Our funny handshake is ok.  Climbing on top of each other, no.

The contradictions of Indonesia exist here, too.  Some girls wear head-covering (“jilbabs”) and others don’t.  One little girl was wearing a t-shirt that said “I love sexy.”  And as our ending song, we sing and dance to a song all the kids know and which they sing-yell at the top of their lungs -- it's called "Sexy", one of the biggest pop hits in Indonesia.

                                      [az]

All photos Renny Antoni, except where noted "az."