CISCA VAN DER ZWAAN has been busy with a new activity in the past two years. Every summer, she organizes a batik course at Hortus Botanicus, a botanical garden in the Dutch city of Leiden, where she works as a city guide. Her courses are very popular. “We only accept 10 participants for the course,” she told Tempo three weeks ago.

During the course in July, the participants were enthusiastically drawing batik designs: flowers, plants