a column by I Wayan Juniartha
Translated by Putu Semiada
R I C E
One of the local drinking club members asks what ‘nasionalisme’ (nationalism) means today?
He also asks what its difference from ‘nasi pulen’ (yummy white rice), ‘nasi goreng’ (fried rice), ‘nasi pecel’ (white rice with peanut sauce vegetables) is.
“’You can eat ‘nasi pulen’ but you can’t eat ‘nasionalisme’. ‘Nasi goreng’ can make you ‘full’ but ‘nasioanalisme’ only makes you hungry,” says I Madé Gombalisasi (I Madé Bullshit).
Only ‘nasi sela’ (rice mixed with sweet potato) is similar with ‘nasionalisme’ which make problem for your stomach and keeps you farting,” he further says.
I Madé is an educated Balinese. He was born in Bali. He enjoyed playing in the rice field when he was a kid and studied in the pre-school in the banjar (community hall). When he finished his pre-school, he continued his study in some different places. He spent his Elementary School in Java, Junior High School in Australia, Senior High School in Japan. He went to university in USA, got his doctoral degree in England and worked in Geneva.
I Madé s does not believe in national sovereignty anymore. According to him, it’s a global era. The countries have no power anymore. It is the multinational corporations that control the power.
“Which do you think is more ‘powerful’, the USA as a country or ‘McDonald and KFC? he asks.
You know, McDonald and KFC now exist everywhere. The ‘war’ today needs no countries or armies, but multinational corporations instead. And the ‘weapons’ are not guns nor canons, but money and products. They don’t conquer your land, but they ‘conquer’ your ‘stomach’ and attitude.
“It’s like time bomb. Just wait until you see the Balinese use fried chicken from KFC and McDonald for offerings to the gods. That’s the time when our gods are ‘conquered’ by them,” I Madé keeps talking.
The members of the local drinking club are just nodding to what Made says. Nobody dares to interrupt. They know who they are. They know that they didn’t even finish their elementary school. In addition, they know that I Madé has just returned from overseas so they think why not give him a chance to talk as he wants to.
“We are busy discussing about nationalism, raising flag ceremony, sharp bamboos (used to fight against Dutch during its occupation), fight until the death for your own country. But how do you think you can fight ‘globalisation’ just using ‘sharp bamboo?” I Madé criticizes his friends.
You may raise your our flag as high as you can. But what if the fabric you use for the flag is made in China, the ropes are made in Taiwan, the flag pole is made from imported iron. Under this circumstance, can you still call your self as nationalist?
“If you really want fight for your country, you should really make yourself smart, hard-working, and you should dare to leave your home to work overseas, for instance, otherwise you will be only victims of consumerism, and you will be ‘conquered ’” I Madé keeps lecturing while his saliva splashing like rain.
They all are just nodding. Nobody moves. The head of ‘banjar’ was going to invite I Madé to the palm toddy warung, to ask him to buy some food bazaar coupons for fund-raising. He might think that I Madé would buy 100 hundred coupons as he has a lot of money. The fund will be used to buy a flag and prizes for competitions during the Independence Day celebration in the village.
Now they are looking at one another. Nobody dares to ask I Madé to buy some coupons as they are McDonald and KFCs.
It seems that our implementation of nationalism spirit is limited to only ‘marching competition’, tug of war game, climbing palm tree, and raising flag ceremony. In other more important aspects of our life, we ‘love’, ‘enjoy’ and ‘ask for being conquered’ (by other countries/multinational corporations).
