This April, ETA Kyra Ghosh attended an incredibly interesting and violent theatre performance at her school, SMAK St. Ignatius Loyola Labuan Bajo. In order to prepare for the performance, not only did a group of high school students travel 14 hours to perform, but Kyra’s school also spent almost a week building an elaborate set for the highly anticipated “Tungku Haram.”

On the night of the performance, community members, priests, the headmaster, and government officers gathered in chairs and on the ground to watch the almost 4-hour performance. Although Kyra is quite happy and proud of the level of her Indonesian at this point in time, she had a difficult time understanding the performance and was lucky to have a friend with her to explain some context and help translate certain parts. The performance was supposedly commentary on human trafficking, however it also contained other political messages. It was likely the most divisive event she had witnessed in her time here. For this reason, she felt lucky to join and bear witness to this artistic political endeavor.

Kyra Ghosh is currently teaching at SMAK St. Ignatius Loyola, Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara