63 years and running - Indonesian independence day is celebrated with traditional games. My favorite, eel racing, is a relay that involves picking little eels out of water and landing them safely in a bucket.
Kerry and I both beat this little boy in the eel race, and then we went up Jln. Chiampelas to do some victory shopping. We met some more merry makers along the way who were happy to have their foto taken by some cewek bule... (white chicks)
I suppose I should explain Bule (say it BOO-lay). The word really means albino, but it's slang used for all foreigners.
Later in the day, some of us ventured just down the street to join the festivities at a school for the blind.
Indo vs. Bule lady tug-of-war ended the way most things end here... with a photo session
Most impressive blind-person game was definitely climb-the-greased-bamboo-pole-and-get-a-prize. This is played all over Indonesia (and I know it has a real name) by seeing kids too. I love it because it's a team work game. The guys literally climb on top of each other to get one person to the top.
In the background, you can see the other pole, with prizes around the top. Lots of spectators look on and cheer as they go and it's nearly heartbreaking when a group is so close, and in the last reach, they all slide down and land in a pile.
Kevin made friends with a little guy wearing a Goofy hat
And Lizzy met a blind man, whose family kept taking pictures of him with his new bule friend. Yes, that's ironic.
And that's independence day
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