"In Bali, there's Ida Ayu Dewi. 23. Speaks Indonesian Balinese. She's a contortionist and a dancer. Performs the Barong, the Legong Jobog. It's all quite exquisite."
I am obsessed about this scene in "Grenade", for the sole reason that there being a lone Indonesian Immune in a plurbed world amuses and intrigues me so much. Obviously, Indonesia is not often mentioned or featured on Western/American TV, so to see a reference on my new favourite show is surprising in a very good way.
When I heard Zosia tell Carol about Dewi, my reaction was, "Of course she's from Bali." And I don't mean it in a bad way or anything lol it's just a very obvious choice, given that most non-Indonesians likely have Bali as top of mind whenever the country is concerned. I quite like the details that Zosia's description includes, and to Karolina Wydra's credit her pronunciation of the names of the dances is surprisingly okay for a non-native speaker (the way she pronounces Dewi's name, on the other hand, is pretty fucking dogshit 💔 still leaves a lot to be desired but that could always be improved...just saying 🙂↕️).
One thing that slightly bothers me though is the fact that Dewi is referred to as one of the non-English speakers. Given Bali's popularity as a tourist destination for foreigners (it's where Australians come to play, after all), it's veeerrryyyyy unlikely that a Balinese person in their 20s does not speak English. Chances are a rando you might encounter off the street on that island speaks perfectly passable English. I'm not sure why they made that choice for her, and I do want to know the reasoning (though it's highly likely a lack of research on their part lol) but for now I headcanon that she simply pretends to not speak English because she finds it hard to deal with the Others around her...which I suppose kind of makes sense *shrugs*.
On the topic of language, allow me to yap a bit about how Indonesian and Balinese are two entirely different languages and therefore 'speaks Indonesian Balinese' is just very awkward phrasing. Again, probably a lack of research, but it's still jarring. On top of Indonesian—a standardised form of Malay—as our official language and lingua franca, there are over 700 regional languages in Indonesia, which make up approximately 10% of the world's total languages. Most Indonesians are bilingual by default, with people speaking at least one regional language alongside Indonesian. I consider Javanese to be my first language, which I grew up speaking at home, and I only started properly learning Indonesian in school and even when I speak Indonesian I have a rather pronounced Javanese accent. It's pretty common for a lot of Indonesians, especially in places where regional languages are widely spoken and used alongside Indonesian—including Bali. If Dewi didn't speak English (which, like I said above, is highly unlikely), the correct phrasing would be that she speaks Indonesian and Balinese. It's only a word, but believe me when I say it makes a lot of difference 😬
I told a Balinese friend of mine about Pluribus having a Balinese character, and their response to Dewi's name was, "Basic. Common." 🙂↕️ I couldn't disagree either, and we did have a good chuckle about it. Dewi, meaning 'goddess', is a very common Indonesian feminine name, and I'm not surprised that an American TV show decided to pick that name for a character that's only been mentioned once in the entire series so far lol. Her full name, however, can potentially explain several layers about her character that could be further explored. The Balinese naming system is pretty complex, and unique for its use of birth order naming. As Bali has a caste system (though nowhere as rigid as other similar systems such as in, say, India), you can easily tell which caste a Balinese person belongs to simply by their name. 'Ida Ayu' is a prefix commonly used by Balinese women from the Brahmin caste—the highest-ranking social class traditionally associated with aristocrats, spiritual leaders, and intellectuals. Thus, it's likely that she's a spiritual person, especially with Balinese Hinduism being a major element of their culture.
That being said, I keep thinking about how religion would play a role in a Joined world, especially in places where it has a deeper significance than most Western people are accustomed to—something I also mentioned in my previous meta post about Abdul Kareem Alsharei, the Yemeni Immune. Indonesia, including Bali in particular, is definitely one of those places where religion is regarded with great importance. One of the most important holidays in Balinese Hinduism is the Day of Silence, observed at the start of the Balinese calendar—which actually happens to take place on this very day (19 March) this year! The holiday is dedicated to self-reflection, fasting, and meditation, and during the whole day those who observe it are discouraged from worldly activities such as work, travel, and leisure, with restrictions on the use of fire and other sources of lighting. Virtually all activities on the island come to a halt every year on the Day of Silence, with the airport being closed for the entire day and visitors required to remain indoors. With how packed Bali usually is, the stark difference on the Day of Silence is always noticeable...
...which brings the question, how would this important holiday be perceived by Dewi, the only person on the island (and in the whole country) Immune to the Joining, when every day is pretty much a day of silence in a Joined world? We have seen on the show that the Others restrict the use of artificial lighting and electricity for efficiency, and how would that affect the significance of a holiday where one of the major attributes is restriction on fire and lighting? Would the Others in Bali even acknowledge the holiday at all, if only to make Dewi feel happier? More broadly speaking, what would happen to places and peoples where certain belief systems play a great significance in a world where all unique beliefs and cultures are effectively erased and reduced to merely a database of memories for humanity?
As always, so many questions and possible answers, and this is only one of the things that make Pluribus so great. If season 2 will address more of the other Immune, including the ones who haven't appeared on the show, I will be a very happy woman. In the meantime, I shall continue (at least mentally) exploring the Immune, especially Abdul Kareem and Dewi with whom I share key aspects of identity, and amusing myself at the thought of the only person in Bali Immune to the Joining suddenly finding the island void of annoying and insufferable tourists who treat rental scooters like killing machines, only to deal with uncanny smiles from all over the island 🙂↔️
To Dewi, my exquisite Barong and Legong Jobog dancer, wherever you are and whatever you are doing, rahajeng Rahina Nyepi. Dumogi jagat ayem tentrem lan rahayu ❤️
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