Foreign diplomats join in a day of traditional games

JAKARTA (JP): The usually quiet Suropati Park in Central Jakarta was full of life on Sunday when Jakarta-based foreign diplomats showed off their skills by competing in a variety of traditional Indonesian games.

Invited by host Governor Sutiyoso as part of the city's programs to celebrate Indonesia's 55th anniversary, the envoys, with their spouses and children, packed the park, which has been a site for students to stage rallies against Soeharto.

"I want the diplomats to witness and join our (Indonesian) feeling of togetherness. I also hope they'll feel like they are at home here," the governor said on the sidelines of the event.

The diplomats were from Afghanistan, China, Cuba, Colombia, Jordan, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestine, Peru and Vietnam.

According to organizers, other diplomats were absent even though invitations had been delivered to them.

The party began when Sutiyoso, Pakistani defense attache Col. Muzammil Hussain, Palestinian diplomat Taher Ibrahim Hamad and North Korean envoy Kim Pyong Hong took part in the krupuk (crackers) eating game. Without using their hands, participants competed to be the first to finish eating a cracker, which was dangling from a piece of string in front of them.

Taher was in the lead, eating his cracker quickly, but he failed to maintain his speed. Sutiyoso and Hussain managed to catch up and they shared in the victory.

The spectators, including reporters, cheered loudly in support of all contestants. They burst into laughter when some contestants attempted to cheat by grabbing the crackers, which were hard to secure with their mouths.

Failing to bite into his cracker, Kim hastily took it from the string and hid it in his front pocket. He then jokingly claimed he won by pointing to his pocket.

The diplomats and their families then participated in other races, including the wooden sandal and sack run, picking coins out of chocolate-smeared melons with their teeth, pricking water balloons with needles while blindfolded and orange dancing.

In the dancing game, participants and their partners are required to dance to music with an orange balanced between their foreheads.

Children were excited and eager to take part in all the games.

Prizes

Like all games, the winning envoys took home their prizes, which were unknown.

The organizers, chaired by Sutiyoso's youngest daughter Renny Yosnita, also set up two areca nut trees with trunks smeared in grease, perching several prizes, including a mountain bike, at the top.

The climbing game, locally known as the panjat pinang race, has been the most popular across the country for the August fiesta.

But the games were only participated in by locals.

A North Korean diplomat was highly doubtful that participants could accomplish the climb and was overheard saying to his friends: "I don't think they (the participants) can reach the top. It's impossible because the poles are very greasy."

To his surprise, one of the competing teams managed to reach the pole's top and grabbed all the prizes, including the bicycle.

Interviewed separately by The Jakarta Post at the venue, most diplomats hailed the event as a good way to celebrate Independence Day by involving foreign envoys like them.

"It's a very good way to commemorate the anniversary while at the same time we can have fun together," Hussain from Pakistan said.

"We also have similar activities in Pakistan to celebrate our national day. We allocate one week to celebrate our independence day, which is filled with many activities, from military parades to cultural shows," he added.

Taher from Palestine said Indonesians and Palestinians were brothers and had the same feeling about freedom.

"I'm here to share with my Indonesian brothers the celebration of their Independence Day," he said.

Cuban Ambassador Carlos Castillo said he did not feel unfamiliar about the games because some of them were also played in Cuba.

"The sack run is very popular back home and we also have the pole climb in Cuba. It's very interesting to learn that we have something in common," he said.

"This is my first time to visit the games. They were very funny," he added, after taking part in the orange-dance game, which he won.

Colombian ambassador Luis Fernando Angel also said the event was a funny one and full of joy.

The event ended at Sutiyoso's official residence, just across the park at Jl. Taman Suropati 1, with a luncheon. (nvn)