INDONESIAN HERITAGE SOCIETY
EVENING LECTURE SERIES
February - March 2008
February 12: William Wongso
INDONESIA'S CULINARY TRADITIONS: EXPLORING MYTHS AND TRUTHS
Indonesia's cuisine is as diversified as its cultures
and ethnicities. William Wongso, renowned restaurateur,
food consultant, food critic, and host of the television
series "Cooking Adventures with William," will
provide fascinating insights into the influences that
have produced traditional Indonesian food. Mr. Wongso
is an expert on Indonesian cuisine with its many ethnic
variations, and his mission is to enhance its quality
by adding new dimensions while maintaining the essence
of tantalizing Indonesian flavors. He will surprise you
by sharing common myths and little-known stories behind
well-known Indonesian dishes. You will leave this lecture,
which begins with a food tasting, with a much greater
appreciation and deeper understanding of the diversity
and distinctions of Indonesian cuisine.
February 19: Tom Conners
THE TENGGER JAVANESE: REMOTE RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY
Since at least the early 14th century, the Tengger have
lived in relative isolation on the slopes of Mounts Bromo
and Semeru in East Java. The wave of Islamization that
passed through Java in the 15th century bypassed these
remote and inaccessible highlands. To this day, many Tengger
Javanese practice their traditional syncretic religion,
referred to broadly as "Hindu Javanese." They
also maintain their traditional cultural practices, and
engage in small-scale commercial farming in the rich volcanic
soil on impossibly steep slopes. Dr. Conners of the Max
Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Jakarta
Field Station will give an overview of the history of
the Tengger and their religion, culture, farming, and
daily life. Then, drawing on his fieldwork, he will focus
on the challenges the Tengger face in modern times, looking
closely at the religious changes that have taken place
in one village, Ngadas, where today—through an unusual
series of events—the population largely follows Maitreyana
Buddhism, in addition to Balinese Hinduism, Javanese Islam,
and Protestant Christian practices.
February 26: Frances Seymour
INDONESIAN FORESTS: MONEY GROWING ON TREES
The newly-appreciated link between forests and climate
change has focused the world's attention on deforestation
in Indonesia. Frances Seymour, Director General of the
Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) based
in Bogor, will outline the many values of Indonesia's
forests in addition to carbon storage. She will also describe
the underlying causes that are leading to degradation
and conversion to other uses. Her presentation will provide
an early interpretation of the results of the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change Conference held recently
in Bali regarding proposals for the international community
to provide financial compensation to Indonesia for protecting
its forests, and the challenges and opportunities that
lie ahead.
March 4: Tamera Phillips
GOLD: SYMBOL AND CEREMONY
Gold—a symbol of power, wealth, beauty, and eternity--has
mesmerized humans throughout history. This element appears
with the symbol "Au" in the periodic table,
meaning "aurum" or "shining down."
In religion, it represents both utmost piety and utmost
evil. It is seen as a symbol of marriage, birth, death
and even rebirth. Gold objects including jewelry, religious
statues, and ceremonial pieces have been discovered at
ancient archeological sites in Indonesia. Today, gold
is still used in modern production of jewelry, crowns,
and ritual or ceremonial objects. Join active Indonesian
Heritage Society member, Museum Nasional tour guide, and
distinguished traveler, Tamera Phillips, on an armchair
tour of ancient and modern Indonesia to learn about the
rich mysteries that surround this precious metal. Where
is the gold mined? Who made these beautiful statues and
jewelry? Where and how were they found in Indonesia?
March 11: Erik Meijaard and Paul Hartman
THE ORANGUTAN: OUR VANISHING RELATIVE
The orangutan, which shares 97 percent of the genetic
make-up of humans, has fascinated us throughout the ages.
Unfortunately, this keen interest has borne few positive
effects on the orangutan's conservation status. Dr. Erik
Meijaard, co-author of Our Vanishing Relative: The Status
of Wild Orangutans at the Close of the Twentieth Century,
and Paul Hartman, Director of USAID's Orangutan Conservation
Services Program will present the history of human-orangutan
relations, as well as an overview of the ape's natural
history. Against this background, they will provide the
latest data on distribution of the orangutan in Borneo
and Sumatra with comments on how ongoing deforestation,
fires, and hunting continue to reduce numbers surviving
in the wild. They also will discuss how USAID's orangutan
program addresses orangutan conservation strategically
by engaging the business community as an integral part
of a broad solution.
March 18: Ki Umartopo
WAYANG KULIT: UNLOCKING ITS MYSTERIES
Our finale for the 2007-2008 Evening Lectures Series
will be a very special performance that offers the opportunity
to understand some of the mysteries behind one of the
most sophisticated forms of Indonesian drama—wayang kulit
or traditional shadow puppetry. In 2003, UNESCO designated
wayang kulit a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage
of Humanity. While a traditional performance usually lasts
all night, we will be treated to a brief excerpt from
a traditional story by dalang Ki Umartopo. This well-known
dalang (puppeteer) who comes to us from Solo, the center
of wayang kulit, will describe the story's plot and characters
in English prior to joining his gamelan orchestra on stage
to perform in Javanese.
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