Eat Pray Love in Ubud

EAT, PRAY, LOVE
SIT, WATCH, YAWN.


The film is a chick flick on hormones.

Regarded by its fans as a Bible for the modern woman, Eat Pray Love is beloved by many. This means the usual built-in audience theory applies (ala Harry Potter and LOTR), with the enormous box office appeal of Hollywood darling Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman/Closer) thrown in to up the ante.

All chick-flicks need some decent eye candy to please the masses and the box office, and Spanish hottie and Oscar-winner Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men/Before Night Falls) leads that charge, with some much welcomed back-up from James Franco (Pineapple Express/Milk) and Billy Crudup (Almost Famous/Watchmen).

So the story for the uninitiated few, and a true one no less, sees journalist Elizabeth Gilbert (Julia Roberts) chucking in her New York marriage and life for a year in Rome, India and Bali, in order to "find herself". Enough said. Nothing else actually happens, which is infuriating for the rest of us hoping for some kind of plot.



From a cinematic perspective, the one clever move these filmmakers made was getting the budget to shoot on location. We start off in New York City before an emotional epiphany or two leads us on to a trip to Italy to eat, India to pray, and finally Bali, for some love. The highlight of the movie are the gorgeous locations. Photography is superb and the Indonesian tourism authorities should take a leaf or two on how to promote Indonesia.

Gilbert encounters all sorts of characters on her journeys, the most resonant of which is Richard from Texas, who she befriends in an Indian ashram. The main reason Richard becomes the most memorable is because of the class actor who plays him – Oscar-nominee Richard Jenkins (North Country/The Visitor). He becomes the dramatic centre-piece for this somewhat lacklustre movie, and a definite highlight.

Gilbert finally arrives in Bali, and its here she meets Felipe, and where the “love” chapter of this story unfolds. Bardem has an air of gentle resignation about him in the role. It's one he could play in his sleep and you sense he might be doing exactly that. The Indonesian actors were marvelous with charm and impeccable comic timing.

While Eat Pray Love was a little too indulgent and bland for me, it's far from offensive and certainly pretty. For those who loved the book (I did not), I suspect this lengthy adaptation may mostly deliver. It will also work on some level as a postcard travelogue, with some gorgeous destinations captured in their big screen glory.

Biography of Elizabeth Gilbert.



Elizabeth attended New York University, where she studied political science by day and worked on her short stories by night. After college, she spent several years traveling around the country, working in bars, diners and ranches, collecting experiences to transform into fiction. She also worked as a journalist for such publications as Spin, GQ and The New York Times Magazine. She was a three-time finalist for The National Magazine work, and an article she wrote in GQ about her experiences bartending on the Lower East Side eventually became the basis for the movie COYOTE UGLY.

In 2000, Elizabeth published her first novel, STERN MEN (a story of brutal territory wars between two remote fishing islands off the coast of Maine) which was a New York Times Notable Book. In 2002, Elizabeth published THE LAST AMERICAN MAN - the true story of the modern day woodsman Eustace Conway. This book, her first work of non-fiction, was a finalist for both the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award.

Elizabeth is best known, however for her 2006 memoir EAT PRAY LOVE, which chronicled her journey alone around the world, looking for solace after a difficult divorce. The book was an international bestseller, translated into over thirty languages, with over 7 million copies sold worldwide. The book became so popular that, in 2008, Time Magazine named Elizabeth as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Monkey Forest - Demonstration Of The Harmonious CoExistence Of Humans And Nature

The Sacred Monkey Forest of Padangtegal is owned by the village of Padangtegal. Village members serve on the Sacred Monkey Forest's governing council (The Padangtegal Wenara Wana Foundation). The Padangtegal Wenara Wana Foundation has historically strived to develop and implement management objectives that will both maintain the sacred integrity of the monkey forest and promote the monkey forest as a sacred site that is open to visitors from around the world.



The Monkey



The monkeys within the Sacred Monkey Forest of Padangtegal are commonly called long-tailed macaques. Their scientific name is Macaca fascicuiaris. Macaques are found throughout Southeast Asia and many species of macaques live successfully in areas that are heavily utilized by humans. On Bali, there are Balinese long-tailed macaque troops (populations) that live in areas where they have little to no contact with humans and troops that come into contact with humans on a regular basis. However, despite the fact that many species of macaques thrive in areas that are heavily utilized by humans, there is evidence that the viability of Balinese long-tailed macaques (the ability of macaques to continue to thrive) may be dependent upon the conservation of Bali's forested areas.

Within long-tailed macaque societies, females are typically born into and remain with a single troop for life. In contrast, adult and sub-adult males may migrate between troops (young adult males typically leave their natal troop between the ages of 4 to 8 years). In order for a migrating adult or sub-adult male to be accepted into a new troop, migrating males must align themselves with a troops' females and be accepted by those females. Therefore, long-tailed macaque societies or troops are made up of 'matrilines' ('matri' is a root word that means 'mother').

Monkey And Culture Relation



Within Balinese Hinduism, monkeys can be the embodiment of both positive and negative forces. The dual nature of monkeys is especially reflected in the Ramayana (a very popular Indian epic poem). Within the Ramayana, Sita (the beloved bride of Rama) is abducted by Rawana (an evil king). Rama (an incarnation of Dewa Wisnu) calls upon Sugriwa (king of the monkeys) and Hanuman (Sugriwa's General) to help him retrieve Sita. However, within the Ramayana, there are also antagonist monkeys like Subali that attempt to assist Rawana. In the end, Hanuman, along with his monkey army, defeats Rawana's evil forces and helps Rama to retrieve Sita.



The Temple

The Monkey Forest of Padangtegal represents a sacred Balinese Hindu site. In trying to understand Balinese Hinduism it is important to keep in mind that Balinese Hinduism is unlike Hinduism practiced in other parts of the world today. Balinese Hinduism combines aspects of Animism, Ancestor Worship, Buddhism, and Hinduism.

Pura Puseh, Pura Desa, and Pura Dalem



Today, most Balinese villages have 3 major pura (temple) sites. Pura Puseh (temples of origin) tend to be located towards the kaja (upstream) end of villages, are associated with the God Wisnu, and are dedicated to remembering the founders of villages. Dewa Wisnu is also known as 'the sustainer of life' because he has the ability to incarnate as an avatar (God-Man), move freely between the heaven of the Gods and the Earth of humans, and he often appears to save the world by realigning it to the divine.

Pura Desa (village temples) tend to be located in the middle of villages, are associated with the God Brahma, and are places where community councils meet to pray and govern. Dewa Brahma is also known as 'the creator' because he is a reflection of the creative consciousness upon which both artistic creativity (which is a very important part of Balinese villages) and creation itself are founded. Pura Dalem (temples of the dead) tend to be located towards the kelod (downstream) end of villages, are associated with the God Siwa, and have graveyards. Dewa Siwa is also known as 'the destroyer' because his spiritual function is to destroy negativity in the world. Dewa Siwa prepares dead people for reincarnation by judging whether or not a person's karma (actions) have been bad or good. Dewa Siwa destroys negativity by punishing people who behaved badly. The Sacred Monkey Forest is the location of Padangtegal's Pura Dalem.

The Forest

The presence of sacred forest is a demonstration of the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature. In Bali, sanctuaries such as the Monkey Forest are usually in sacred village areas, often surrounded by temples. These cultural sanctuaries are not only an important part of Balinese heritage, but also an important part of everyday live. Temple festivals are regularly held for the villagers and the gods in such areas.

A Balinese temple is more than just a collection of pagodas and pavilions. The area enclosed by temple walls and the forest area surrounding it is sacred. These temples and the forest are essential for renewing contact with the spiritual world. The activities associated with these areas are essential in maintaining harmony between humans, nature and the cosmos. Not only are ancestral spirits and gods given offerings and prayers, but also the spirits of trees and statues in the Monkey Forest are given offerings and prayers by the Pemangku and local villagers. The Sacred Monkey Forest, in conjunction with Udayana Univeristy in Denpasar have identified 115 separate species of trees.

EVENTS AND RITUAL

Yadnya



The three basic fundamentals of Hindu Dharma (religious duty or observance) are Yadnya (ceremony), Tatwa (philosophy) and Susila (moral behavior). These interact to form Balinese culture. There are too many ceremonies and rituals in Balinese life to describe all in a short introduction; the following is a brief overview of the basics.

There are five types of ceremony in Bali or Panca Yadnya (Panca : five and Yadnya : 'holy sacrifice with a pure heart'), as follows :

• Dewa Yadnya : Holy sacrifice to the Gods and Goddesses as manifestations of the Supreme Being.
• Pitra Yadnya : Holy sacrifice to our ancestors who gave us guidance in life and the opportunity to be born.
• Manusa Yadnya : Holy sacrifice to protect our lives and those of future generations.
• Rsi Yadnya : Holy sacrifice to the priests who guide us on our spiritual journey.
• Bhuta Yadnya : Holy sacrifice to any other beings (visible an invisible) to ensure the harmony and unity of nature.

Kahyangan Tiga : a set of three major temples present in every village, including:

• Pura Desa : The temple to worship Brahma (God as Creator).
• Pura Puseh : The temple to worship Wisnu (God as Preserve).
• Pura Dalem : The temple to worship Siwa (God as Destroyer).

ARTS AND CULTURE

The village of Padangtegal is not only the home of the Sacred Monkey Forest, it is also known for its tradition and history of talented artisans. Some of its most famous painters or 'Lukisan' of today are still alive from the Pita Maha and Karsa Maha schools made famous in Bali during the 1930’s. Its builders or 'Undangi' are not only architects, but are experts in the spiritual aspects of Balinese own version of feng shui. Its wood carvers or 'Tukang Ukir' are experts in creating the most intricate details for elaborate reliefs. Its sculptors or 'Pematung' are experts with all kinds of wooden statues. Padangtegal is also full of talented musicians as well as dancers.

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