All this is true Ariel, but for my area of interest history is only one aspect, and it is not particularly reliable for the areas I have an interest in. Much of the so-called "history" for Jawa, Bali, & Indonesia in general is not a true reflection of reality.
I do believe that it is necessary to get a really good understanding of society, and this should ideally include grass roots & a couple of levels above that, so rural village, urban poor, educated middle class, elites. I have been very fortunate in that I have been able to associate closely with people from all these levels of society over a forty year period.
With language I am also fortunate, because every day I use Javanese (ngoko), Bahasa Indonesia, and a couple of Javanese dialects. This use is not artificial, without it I would go hungry.
Living in Jawa/Bali society has been something I have been able to do for around 3 months every year since 1982.
Collection as such can encompass many variations, it is only when pure collection moves past the physical object that the deeper understandings become necessary.
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