A visit to Central Java wouldn't be complete
without a wander around the grounds of Borobudur. We tried to arrive in time to view sunrise
over the temple but were just a few minutes shy of making that happen. One
thing that has not changed in the last three years is the number of school
children waiting to accost you in hopes of completing their English assignments and the persistance of of people wanting to take your picture. Just try to walk
around a historical site with the intention of enjoying it's splendor because
chances are, you won't make it more than five feet before you are approached
with a "hey mister, mister, MISTER!" (even if you are a lady). What
follows is a generalized compilation of the personal experiences of myself and
friends during various visits to Borobudur. I give you:
The Stages of Viewing a Historical Site in
Indonesia as a Foreigner
You've just arrived in Indonesia and you are
excited to see your first temple. You've read about Borobudur and have seen
pictures of the headless Buddhas and the mountainous surrounding countryside.
You are excited to view such a piece of history! After buying your ticket at
the "international" box office, which shamelessly charges you, as a
foreigner, a substantial amount more than a local, you are snugly wrapped in a
sarong and walk through the powerless metal detector (safety first). You walk
down the path towards history. You know that as soon as you turn the corner,
you will see the temple emerge from behind the trees. This is also the spot
where the path of the international ticket holders merges with the local ticket
holders.
"What cute little kids!" you think to
yourself as you make eye contact. "How cool would it be to go on a field
trip here as a child," you think as the kids in matching uniforms
earnestly wave at you, neglecting to see the camera phone clutched in their
tiny little hand. You move on past the kids and catch a glimpse of Borobudur in
the early morning light and think "how lovely!" before you pull out
your camera to capture the moment. You are so engrossed in the beauty
surrounding you, you have yet to notice the small crowd that has gathered in
your shadow.
Suddenly, you hear a shrill giggle. You turn around
to glimpse clipboards disappearing in the sea of tourists that has now
descended on the site. You continue walking and you once again hear the laugh
followed by "mister...mister"! This time you're quicker and you turn
to see a small mob of children. Amidst the overzealous giggling, the leader of
the group emerges and asks if you can answer a question. "Sure, why
not?" you think to yourself, "They're just so darn cute!"
Further giggling ensues and five minutes pass. The pressing English question
has yet to be asked. You try to get the question out of them but are unsuccessful.
In the interest of accomplishing all that you had on your plate for the day,
you say "nice to meet you," and move on, still surrounded by giggling
and perplexed as to what just happened.
It is not long before you notice a small commotion
off to your left as you are circling the monument as instructed by the
informational poster as you entered. You are more aware this time as a sizeable
group of teenagers approaches you. "Mister, mister, photo photo!" you
hear. Because you are still jetlagged, you do not get out of dodge quick enough
before the group surrounds you with their Blackberries, asking for your phone
number and snapping photos. This will not be a quick event because everyone has
to have their picture individually and hair has to be just perfect, which may
result in multiple exposures per person. By the time they leave, unwillingly,
you look like a hurricane just blew through. Nevertheless, you are still
determined to make it to the top of the temple to catch the view!
 |
| The group photo, after each person has had their individual photo on a Blackberry. |
This time, you are more cautious as you make your
way though the crowd. You put on your sunglasses to ensure no further unwanted
attention. Unfortunately, your sunglasses are not as effective as Harry
Potter's invisibility cloak and you notice a person on the level above you
snapping a shot on their phone. You think to yourself "how rude, he didn't
even ask!" but your reflexes aren't quick enough and he shoots a few more
before you can take cover.
By this point you are beginning to feel defeat and
dehydration under the blazing sun. In search of refreshment, you make your way
to the bottom and see a small stand selling (bottled) drinks.
"Relief!" You rush forward to grab the last bottle of aqua dingin and
while you're reaching for your wallet, you notice the peddler's phone slowly
creeping up from behind the counter. You're learning from your experiences and
this time, you slyly nudge the bottle in his way, which prevents another
unsolicited snapshot.
You're tired and exhausted so you decide it's time
to rest back at your hotel and begin to make the journey back to the parking
lot. The people walking down the stairs are going slowly, one step at a time.
You're focused on making your way through the crowd and neglect to see what is
waiting for you at the bottom. "Mister, mister, may I ask you a question?".
You give in because you have no energy left with which to resist. This time,
the questions are asked in due time and you go on your way.
After returning to your hotel, showering the volcanic ash off, and
taking an extended siesta, you are excited to get on Facebook to upload your
photos and make your friends back home jealous because they are not in a place as exciting and exotic as you. You pull out your laptop and get on
Facebook to see 20 new friend requests. You're feeling excited because, who doesn't
love a new friend? Maybe it's that cool backpacking couple you met at dinner
last night, or your surf instructor from last week. Then, you start to
investigate. As you read down the list, you notice that something looks
familiar....YOU are in half of the profile pictures! You immediately make your
profile exclusively private and vow that next time you are in such a situation,
you will only use the elementary Spanish that you picked up growing up in
Texas.
