Saturday, November 19, 2005

Magic Transformation of a Balinese Goddess

In Barung, the Balinese dance drama, the hero Sadewa killed the evil witch Rangda. However, Rangda's servant, Kalika, obviously a powerful magician herself, could transform herself into a wild boar, bird, and even the slain Rangda herself in her fight against Sadewa.

Yesirree, in Balinese Hindu beliefs, magic transformation was frequently used to avoid adversity.

Flash forward to the future - 2005!

as expected Michelle Leslie,
Aussie model for underwear and lingerie,
sometimes only in body paint,
arrested for possession of 2 ecstasy pills in Bali,
an 18 months covert Muslim convert (revealed only after her arrest),
dressed piously in middle eastern burqa,

apologised to Indonesia and people,
claimed “mysterious” woman gave her pills,
claimed Indon minister’s sons with her on night of arrest,
smiled confidently in court before sentence read out,
her lawyers denied she has already been informed of the verdict,

sentenced to 3 months for illegal possession instead of the 15 years
initially announced, and
also on the mitigating grounds that the pills were brought for her,
by a “mysterious” woman who wouldn’t be found, but which story the Bali court unbelievably believe,
(Schapelle Corby, eat your heart out – they didn’t believe you story but they believe Michelle Leslie’s),

judges said some sweet encouraging words about her -
polite, remorseful blah blah blah,
will be deported tonight,

released from prison,
no longer dressed in burqa,
but in skin-tight jeans, a tight tank-top (wow),
thongs, designer sunglasses with heavy makeup,

two questions,
will she still be a Muslim when she arrives in Australia?
will her burqa transform to body paint?

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