The Aftermath

It was a late night for Mia and Jeff, meetings and press conferences to deal with the fallout from the tent collapse.  Miraculously no one was killed.  

The tent has been sealed off for an investigation.  Most of the damage is over the stage area as you can see in the photo.  Not wholly surprising as that section also supports the lighting and rigging trusses in addition to the roof.

Some of the air conditioning units were knocked to the ground.  I'd hate to have been standing next to one of them.

You can see that the roof is no longer as level as it once was.

This is where the rear of the tent meets the dressing area.  The rear of the tent used to be flush with the dressing tent; you can see that it has pulled away, and more on the near side than on the far side.

That's a lighting truss, basically at eye level . . . when it should be about 40 feet up.  That's a whole mess of metal in a place it doesn't belong.  If this all came down 5 minutes earlier when our cast was on stage, it would have been a catastrophe.

Back at the hotel: the show must go on.  We're going to move to the China tent and break up the show schedule so that we each do two shows per day in the one remaining tent.  This will certainly be interesting . . . and of course, much more work.  One big question is how much of our gear has been destroyed?

July 3rd, 2010: Part Two

Now when I say it was raining hard, I mean this was a pounding rain.  We got inches in minutes, and backstage we had to scramble to lash the sides closed to stop the water that was spraying in around the A/C units and through any other opening available.  Your proverbial torrential downpour.

We got some towels to dry the wings, and the finale went as smoothly as the rest of the show.  When the house lights came up, the crowd was slow to leave.  Most of the audience was not in much of a hurry to exit the shelter of the tent and enter a driving rain.  At this point, from some combination of wind and rain we lost the generators.  The lights went out and even though it would have been dusk outside, because of the heavy clouds it was very dark in the tent.  It might as well have been midnight.

Now, whenever I'm traveling I like to carry two things with me:  my LED headlamp and an LED flashlight which I use to find critters at night (with great success, see e.g. last week's toad).  I made my way out onto stage with my flashlight to help direct the audience.  Mia was coming the other way from the sound booth at the rear of the house, heading for the dressing area after calling the show from the booth (more on Mia's job in another post).  "Looks like you finally get to put that thing to work!" she said as we crossed paths.

At this point we still had over 1,000 people still inside the tent.  I was standing at the front of the stage using my flashlight to help people find the exit safely.  Jeremie (the Diabolo act, very good) came out to check out the situation.  I shook hands with the local promoter and said hello to one of the media people.

It's eerie how Hollywood gets disaster movie cliches so totally right.  They must have good consultants, because what happened next was EXACTLY like being in a movie.  From overhead came the sound of metal failing . . . snapping and popping sounds, followed immediately by the sound of eight or nine hundred people screaming.  I turned my light up and saw movement as the tent began to collapse.  I tried to dodge a piece of truss that swung down from the ceiling but was knocked to the floor.

Sidi (pronounced C-D, one of our lighting techs, and more on him later) pulled me out from under the metal and I got to my feet.  My flashlight was gone.  My jaw was numb and I wasn't sure it was in the right place, but the only thing I could think about was Mia.  I ran backstage and hoped nothing else would fall on me.  Mia was in the dressing area and so was the cast.  A couple of people had grabbed Mia and wouldn't let her run into the main tent after me (and god bless 'em, because it wasn't safe).  I was very relieved to see she was OK - unfortunately I was a bit of a bloody mess, so it took a few minutes to assure everyone that I was all right.

The dressing area you saw in other previous post is actually a separate, smaller structure attached to the main tent.  This one had not collapsed and if I recall correctly still had lights, or we got the lights back on in there.  Someone gave me ice for my face.  My lower lip was torn at the right corner, and the left side of my jaw was swelling up.

More sounds of collapse, plus some deafening thunderclaps made it clear we had to get the hell out of there.  Mia led the group back to the hotel on foot.  There was a rumor that the tent had been hit by lightning, and it was still raining like Noah's flood.  Speaking of which, we had to cross through a calf deep torrent of rain water mixed with overflow from the sewer to escape.  There were also hundreds of other people around and the scene was utter chaos.

It's a long slog back to the hotel in the rain, and there are tons of people making the trek by foot, car, scooter.  Everyone is trying to get away from the scene.  From the hotel, me, Mia, Weego and Freny (our local liaison/translator are headed for the hospital.  When Mia went upstairs to get our passports and wallets, I demanded that Weego snap a quick photo for posterity.

I have to say, this was the best emergency room experience I have ever had.  We were attended to quickly, the people were nice, and the guy that stitched me up was terrific.  I hardly felt a thing, even the needle for the anesthetic and the tetanus shot were done gently.  It was 6 stitches altogether, 4 outside and 2 inside.  From everybody's reactions I had been expecting much worse.  The first thing I had done after finding Mia was a quick tooth inventory - all there.   Now the x-ray came back clear: jaw intact.

There was another guy there from the audience with a gash to his lower back.  I heard there were two more people, a cleaner and an audience member, with more serious head injuries, but they must have gone to another hospital.  We were very relieved to see that the hospital was not full of injuries.

I was sent home with some pain killers, an anti-inflammatory, a topical anti-inflammatory and some anti-biotics.  The local organizers made sure that the hospital bill was paid for, so it turns out we didn't need to bring our wallets, etc. after all.  The doctor was good enough to take a picture with me:

I have to say I feel unbelievably lucky.  Six inches the other way and I would have been done for.  I think I came within a whisker of breaking my jaw and my right forearm - I'm actually shocked they held the way I was hit.  I managed to get out of there with all my bones and joints intact - nothing but cuts and bruises.  Lucky Ducky!  Good thing I have an adamantium skeleton.

Needless to say, the second show was cancelled - tomorrow, we survey the physical damage to our venue.  And just in case you've been skimming, the final takeaway is Mia and I are both totally fine!
(NOTE:  I have a couple of pictures to go with this post that I'll have to add later - the connection here in Nusa Lembogan is too slow - yeah - we're on vacation now and loving it - it's July 15)

July 3rd, 2010: Part One

I'm going to break this post into two parts, because the tone shifts dramatically about halfway through.

Saturday!  Friday was opening day, but today is the day we should see our first big crowds -  the weekend is upon us.   There is a lot going on in the park today.  Multiple events are being staged.

There are rows of motorbikes on either side of this sidewalk for as far as you can see.  Too many to count, and once again a picture simply doesn't do it justice.

The entrance to the tent, where nearly 2,000 people will line up to fill our first show.  We have some VIPs in the front row:  the Suharto family.  General Suharto was Indonesia's second president and ruled the country for 32 years.  While Suharto died in 2008, his family is still probably the most wealthy, prominent and powerful in Indonesia.

Backstage
Weego getting ready for the show surrounded by his custom designed costumes and assorted props.

Some of the dancers getting their game face on.  From left: Sam, Lara and Bianca.  In the far left mirror that might be a partial reflection of Laura.

Andrei (German Wheel) and Mario (Mime) are about to do makeup.  Beyond Andrei is the secret cave where the Garzas paint themselves silver.

Showtime
We have a packed house, with nearly 2,000 people on the risers.  The generators are finally cooperating and the air conditioning is on full blast.  After countless hours of tweaking, Mia and Ferry have finally gotten the lighting plots just right.

The show is firing on all cylinders.  The first day there were a few minor blips - but today every performer is right on the mark.  The audience is delighted.  For the trapeze act, Jeff and I and several of the local crew have to physically pull up Ivan and Carly (iCarly?) with a rope and then bring Ivan back down at the end.  The first couple of times were a little rough due to communication issues and general confusion.  Today we finally got it perfect.  The sound engineer has hit every cue.  The follow spots have found their groove.

Audience, cast, crew . . . everyone was in a terrific mood because we were putting on a hell of a show.  The Garzas are the anchoring act of the show (the last act before the grand finale where the entire cast comes out for their bows in a choreographed dance number).  They are a family act that does a truly impressive "living statue" hand-to-hand performance painted head to toe in silver.  The father, Everardo Sr. is a quiet slab of a man with an enormous upper body, and he works with his son and daughter Elizabeth.  The Garzas completed their act to thunderous applause and cheers from the house.

As the full cast launched into the finale number and curtain call, it began to rain outside.  Hard.

Stay tuned for Part Two.

Opening Day & More On The Cyclowns

Mia and I left the US on June 23rd and today is the first day the festival will be open to the public.  A few shots from early in the day as we get prepared.

I was running back and forth today and at one point hitched a ride with some of the Cyclowns.  That's Piero on the left.

People are filtering in for the festival.  There are various attractions and stalls with food and drinks.

Following the dragons, making noise, and presumably cleaning up the occasional dragon poop.

The bouncy house is apparently a universal truth for children the world over.  It occurs to me now that one of my earliest memories is of getting a fat lip in one of these things as a toddler.

Between shows, I caught some of our crew outside while having some coffee.  That's Omar, Bimo, Adif, Yasin, Freny, Nico and Hamdi.

Yasin and I switched places so me and my coffee could take a picture with the gang.

Late that night we grabbed dinner at the hotel and discovered the Cyclowns had taken over the stage for an impromptu jam session.  I wish I got closer for a better picture.  They are fun bunch to watch.  Yes, she is playing a guitar around the fiddle player.

And there was much rejoicing.  From left, Lara, Bianca, Jeff, Mia, a partially beer-obscured Weego, and Samantha enjoy the Cyclowning.

Thus ended July 2nd . . . smiles all around.  July 3rd . . . well, we'll get to that soon.  Cliffhanger post!

Product Endorsement

I searched in vain for Gold Bond and finally gave up.  A worker in one of the stores offered to help.  i said forget, I've looked everywhere and I can't find it.  When she persisted I somehow explained what I needed and she directed me to this.  The local equivalent, with much snappier packaging.  In muggy weather, this stuff saves lives.  Feel the tingle!

Dress Rehearsal and Opening Gala

July 1st was a big day.  Dress rehearsal at 10:00am, which was attended by several hundred orphans as a charity event.  A generator blowout and fire at the Shanghai tent led to some serious electrical issues for us:  most of the show went on without air conditioning, and we had some lighting problems backstage as well.  Now you might think that air conditioning is a luxury and not a big deal, and you would be wrong.

It is hotter and more humid inside than outside in the absence of A/C due to the greenhouse effect of the sun baking the tent.  But even more importantly, the lights onstage kick some serious heat.  The performers on stage are doing some strenuous activity, and for many of the acts a firm grip is important.  We improvised a tube to bring air conditioning through the rigging truss for the flying acts and generally to help cool off center stage.  But with the generator out, everyone is sweating profusely.

The Gala
The Governor of Jakarta, executives from our sponsors and the local organizer attended a Gala ceremony tonight with local celebrity announcers and select performances from Cirque Le Masque and from China Shanghai Circus.  At the tent gusts were greeted by couples in traditional dress.  I had a nice conversation with these two.  Later I met another of the women who studied near Chicago.  Everybody has been very friendly.

I ran into our follow spot operator Adif and his friend outside.

With the Shanghai Circus management and their translator Ayu.

A traditional dance number.

The Governor came to kick off the First Annual Indonesian International Circus Festival.

And so did the news media.

From left to right, the performers who entertained the Gala guests: Andrei (German Wheel), Samantha, Bianca, Lara (dancers) the Chinese hand-to-hand and flying acts, Elisabeth (dancer) Weego (Weego) Rachel, Laura, and Danny (cube juggling).

There were nothing but blue skies ahead!

(Todd, Greg and Anthony you might recognize that phrase from Dermot's AP Press essay).

Security

Security is a big deal here.  I mentioned there was a small army of workers putting the festival sites together.  There is also a small army of private security, Jakarta Polisi (state police), and well, Army here to provide security.  And for good reason:  in 2009, the Ritz Carlton and Marriott hotels in Jakarta were bombed.

Our hotel has constant security out front.  Every vehicle that pulls up to the hotel is stopped by two guards who give a cursory inspection and use a long handled mirror to inspect the undercarriage.  Taufik (below) is one of the guards.  At the door, there are typically two more guards and a walk through detector.

Just outside the fence of the festival is a police barracks.  Sometimes you'll see 30-40 of them doing drills.  We've had to walk through their space quite a bit but they've been friendly.

Every day, 30 minutes before each show we get a security sweep.  Several guards come through checking for explosives with a visual inspection, wands, and a sniffing dog.

Anyway, it's good to know that people are looking out for us.

Random Notes

Walking back to the venue.  I'm always struck by this view.

One of the main contributors to the smog, besides motorized transport, is the practice of burning landscaping debris and litter.  Some days it can irritate your throat.  These are just grass clippings, but I've smelled burning plastic as well - that can't be good.

The entrance to our tent.  Mia is talking to some of our crew, from left Atot, Bimo, and the two follow spot operators Adif and Rinto.  Bimo is terrific.  A very mellow personality, he has a vintage Rolling Stones shirt for every day of the week.  I would not believe anyone could rock a flannel in 90 degree heat, but he pulls it off.  Bimo's brother studied in the state of Washington.  Coincidence?  I think not.

Circus swag has started popping up.

They have set up giant air conditioners on platforms around the venue to keep the tent cool.  But with all of this equipment - lights, sound, air conditioning, etc.  Electric is not yet reliable.  Today, the air conditioning is out, and Weego's face can give you an idea of the temperature in the tent.

And what better way to cool off than with an iced coffee. I've already mentioned that the coffee here is to die for.  Just head and shoulders above what I'm used to at home - and we buy good coffee!  I grabbed an iced coffee from a store nearby and was tickled by this handle that they slipped onto my cup.  Not necessary, but nifty.

On To The Embassy

Traveling on a work visa is a little bit different than tourism.  Mia had to do a lot of paperwork before we even left the US, and had our passports stamped with a pretty nifty visa at the Indonesian Consulate.  (Fortunately for Mia the consulate is right in NYC; for the Chinese manager Kate, the nearest consulate was a 2 hour flight from her home.)

Once in Jakarta we had to assemble all of the passports from the group and turn them over to the government for paperwork.  Step two was for all of us to pile onto a bus and get our pictures taken and sign documents at Immigration.  A good opportunity to take some pictures from the bus!

I've noted before that traffic can be treacherous.  For the main arteries, there are pedestrian bridges with ramps that you need to use to cross the highway.

Even with all the pictures, I'm not sure you can truly fathom how many motorcycles and mopeds there are here.  There are swarms of them.  I keep expecting to see traffic accidents, but somehow they manage to share the road.  Also, they drive on the left, British style here.  I would be a nervous wreck if I had to drive here.  I don't even like to drive in Manhattan!

Another statue in my honor.  This is getting embarrassing.

This is a really cool statue/fountain featuring a chariot drawn by horses . . . some of the horses are solid and others are sort of mesh, giving them a skeletal/ethereal appearance.  I found out this is the Arjuna Wijaya Statue, and it was originally sculpted in ceramic before later being recast in bronze.  Click on the first link for a much better picture at Wikipedia.

We also passed the Indonesian National Monument, which like the Washington monument in DC you can ascend internally.  For some reason I can't get that photo to upload, but frankly it wasn't a good shot anyway.  Better to click through on the link.

My battery ran out shortly after.  We did pass through Batavia, the old Dutch colonial part of the city.  Those wily Dutch decided to recreate Amsterdam in Jakarta, digging a number of canals which are still there today, though not exactly swimmable waters.  I'll bet there are some enormous catfish in the bottom of those canals.

Pictures, fingerprints, paperwork, then back on the bus and back to work.  We won't get our travel documents back for a few days.  Kind of a weird feeling as usually you guard your passport with your life while traveling.  But this is standard procedure on for work visa travelers.

AT&T International Service: A Waste Of Time And Money

There are nearly infinite reasons to hate AT&T.  Add to the pile that the AT&T international plan (calling and data) was absolutely useless for us in Jakarta.  I finally cancelled the plan today and we picked up disposable phones to communicate locally.  No email, but at least talk and text let us communicate.  Our AT&T smartphones (BB and iPhone) might as well have been paperweights here.

Most people can simply take out their SIM card and replace it with a local one.  Not AT&T customers!  A tip:  take the money you spend on locking your phones and otherwise putting up walls around your service and instead, use those funds improve your service . . . like every other mobile carrier has been doing for the last several years.  AT&T has slid from 1st to last among major US carriers in recent years . . . and now they get a thumbs down on international service too.  Judging by the T-shirt, I can only assume the person pictured below is another AT&T customer who shares my sentiments.

Today I picked up a cheap Nokia from this shop (below) in a mall packed with little electronics and communications equipment stores.  There were also of course many stalls packed with pirated movies, music and games (see above).  Geek heaven!

 

Catching Up

OK, so I'm going to cheat a bit here.  I'm going to back-date a few posts to catch us up to speed on the action.  (It's July 3rd now, but I'm dating the posts as of when I took the photos.)  We have been very busy, and I can only post from the hotel room . . . which we're not in very often.  On with pictures!

The tent is nearing completion.  Lots of things to work out:  placement for props, wings, ramps and stairs for the stage, marking out stage positions, preparing the backstage area, firing up the A/C, sound systems, and lighting.  Lighting cues are tremendously important and will keep Mia very busy over the next couple of days.  Because we have day and night shows, some tweaks have to be made to compensate for the difference in sunlight/darkness outside.  My flash makes the tent look darker than it actually is in the tent at mid-day.

Two thousand seats to be placed and (hopefully) filled with delighted audiences.  The black curtains will eventually line the whole tent to help block out sunlight, but enough light still gets in that we can't do one bit with glow-in-the-dark props for the day show.  Too bad, as I really like that piece.  The day crowd gets an alternate segment that the dancers have already rehearsed.

The sound booth.  Lilik is our local sound engineer.  Every act and every transition has music that has to be timed just right.

On the third, outdoor stage is a European group called Cyclown Circus.  Today they had a photo session in our tent.  Really interesting cats and I will have more on them later.  They travel around the world mixing stunts with music, comedy and street performance - and they typically travel around on giant bicycles.  I have never met a group like this before.  Do check out their website.

There is a small army of people . . . actually a fairly large army of people . . . putting this gigantic space into shape for the festival.  The China tent is equal in size to ours, plus a large outside stage of Cyclown and musical performances, plus scores of booths for food, games, and other performances.  And they say an army marches on its stomach.  There are a host of little catering tents like this one set up where the workers get hot meals and traditional Indonesian style coffee (like what I know as Turkish coffee with the coffee "mud" at the bottom of the cup).

I had to make a run out to get dinner for one of the performers who missed lunch and would also not be able to get back to the hotel for dinner.  Moped ride!  That is the China tent in the distance.

While we were at the restaurant it started raining.  Unfortunately my battery died . . . try to imagine me in the next picture with dinner in one hand and an umbrella in the other keeping me and Omar dry.  What I wouldn't give to have that shot.