The ‘conversion’ of Sindhunata

On 1 September 2008 I wrote a blog about the change in self-perception of Gabriel Sindhunata. He considered himself as a participant of Javanese culture and we so also seen by many others. In July 2004 my wife an I made a sentimental journey to Indonesia with our two sons, their partners and one mother-in-law. We saw the places where we had lived in the 1980s in Jakarta and Yogyakarta. Without any appointment we also went to the bungalow used by Sindhunata for writing in Kaliurang. He has a garden of meditation in that place, with a combination of statues, a lady 'perhaps Mary', a quite big Semar. But Sindhyunata also ordered a statue of Petruk, 'because all perople here are simple, poor people. They can better identify with Petruk, the servant who is not always perfect and wise, but has a good deal of dedication. People can better identify with Petruk than with Semar. For the inauguration there were all kind of Petruk: the taxi driver, the journalist, the cowboy, plaiyng a new kind of theatre. Our company arrived at this occasion: cultural values shown under guidance of a Catholic priest, a Jesuit.