Published via Ecency

Tonight our village is truly lively.
On August 17th, we celebrated the 81st Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia.

In the morning, the atmosphere in the field was solemn. The flag-raising ceremony for the Red and White went smoothly.
School children, fathers, and mothers all wore neat uniforms.
The villagers also performed various arts and cultural creations.
As the flag was raised and the national anthem Indonesia Raya played, I got goosebumps. It reminded us of the struggle of our national heroes who sacrificed their lives long ago.

But the highlight was at night.
In villages all across Indonesia, so many competitions were held to celebrate Independence Day.

At 7:30 PM, the village street was immediately packed with people.
The colorful lights had been set up the day before. Red and white pennants were flying, and villagers came in droves.

There were all kinds of competitions: sack races, cracker-eating contests, and tug-of-war. The laughter and cheers from the crowd never stopped.

But the one everyone was waiting for, the one that caused the most excitement, was the greased pole climbing competition. This year was different. The participants weren’t children, they were waria.

The slippery pole had been coated in oil. At the very top, various prizes were hanging: clothes, pants, all the way to irons and basic food packages.

What made it unique was that the committee "hired" the waria for this competition. The rate was around $150 - $200 per group of 4 people, for one climb.
They say these performers are professionals and are often hired for events in different parts of Indonesia.
And it was true. In just about 1 hour, one by one of them made it to the top.

Their performance was both funny and entertaining.
Some slipped and fell, then climbed right back up while dancing and waving to the crowd.
The crowd got even louder. Kids were screaming, the mothers were laughing, and even the fathers were standing on top of their motorcycles just to get a better view.

Every time someone managed to grab a prize from the top, the cheers from the crowd erupted even louder.
The prizes were given straight to those who succeeded.
Their faces lit up with joy, while they kept up the funny antics to entertain everyone around them.

This greased pole competition is proof that independence is not just about ceremonies.
It’s also about togetherness, laughter, and bringing joy to one another.
Tonight, our village truly felt the real spirit of the 17th.