Fade in Sade

[caption id="attachment_270008" align="alignright" width="300" caption="A front view of the main gate. Sade Village can be reached right from the main road, and there’s a parking lot for visitors’ cars. The local guide is ready to greet you on the gate."][/caption] It was awesome to visit the real life of Sasak in Lombok. I was there two weeks ago, casted here in Dusun Sade, a village of 150 Sasak houses with approximately 700 inhabitants living their life originally, farming and weaving. Sasak is original ethnic of Lombok. Most of them are muslims, though a few of them are Buddhists. They speak in Sasak language. But most of them speak Indonesian fluently, coz they can communicate with me well if I wanna buy their souvenirs. Sasaks generally still love marrying their own cousins. [caption id="attachment_270009" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Houses are built adapting to the relief of Lombok which is consisted of hills. There are only three large rooms inside, including living room which is functioned as bedroom at night."][/caption]

Their limited intercourse makes inter-cousin marriage are common among them. Lotta Sasak couples have babies with handicaps. But some of them assume that it’s not because of inter-cousin marriage, instead it’s coz of their fate.

Sasaks house are usually simple, but strong. Built from wood blocks which configurate large rooms. The doors are averagely short, as high as an adult’s head. They said they make the door that short to respect for the guest. (Which guest is respected, I don’t know. If the guest is Caucasian, it can hit the head.)

They clean house by bull’s faeces. Sasaks believe that wiping their floor by bull’s faeces can pure their house. *miauw!* Sasak build lumbung or a rice-barn to store their rice of their farms. [caption id="attachment_270013" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Usually the rooms of the house are spacious and there are just a few furnitures. Girls sleep in the top room or most inner room to prevent boys kidnap them to bring them away."][/caption] The rice-barn is built high, to prevent the rice from sink of flood. The space under the rice-barn is used to keep their bulls. [caption id="attachment_270014" align="alignright" width="224" caption="Sasak build lumbung or a rice-barn to store their rice of their farms. The rice-barn is built high, to prevent the rice from sink of flood. The space under the rice-barn is used to keep their bulls."][/caption] An house is averagely inhabited by three generations or four. A couple generally has four kids or five. Now I understand why they are so keen to marry their own cousins. If you’re a Sasak girl who wanna marry a Sasak boy, you must be able to weave. Coz Sasaks rule that a girl must be able to weave before they’re married. Isn’t it difficult? Coz me, until today, only can sew buttons and suture people’s wound. *click my tongue* [caption id="attachment_270016" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="A huge hall is built as a meeting venue for the whole inhabitants of the village."][/caption] By the way, in Sasak house, girl must always sleep in the most inner room. Coz if she sleeps in the living room, she can be kidnapped by a boy for marari (a.k marriage without the permission of her parents). Actually I can get it why a girl doesn’t mind to be casted away. [caption id="attachment_270018" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Sasaks are aware how precious the tourists are for their life. So a few house provides simple shops for souvenirs."][/caption] Maybe she’s not allowed to marry legally coz she can’t weave yet. :-p Actually getting into the village is uncharged. But there’s someone stands on the front gate for a guest book, and providing a box for angpao (reminds me of wedding party). Inside the village, some houses sell souvenirs such as weaving fabrics, wood carvings, and bead accessories. Price bargaining is acceptable.

If you wanna get here, please consult to your travel agent. But if you drive your own car, you just need to drive from Mataram to Kuta Beach, and in about an hour driving from Mataram you’ll find Sade Village at Rembitan. I spend my time here for 30-45 minutes, and I enjoy sightseeing for an ethnic which is unique enough to tell.

More comments are expected here. :-)

[caption id="attachment_270025" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Some Sasak ladies are still weaving and their ability is inherited by generations. But nowadays it’s not really easy to find young girls able to weave. The fabrics are usually used as table-cloth, sarong, or just shawl."][/caption]