| Hello again. Today I want to get into a few aspects of the Indonesian culture that may appear a little strange to you. Here it is customary to remove one’s shoes before entering someone’s house. Thus most people wear sandals which are easy to slip on and off. You will not see many carpets here; most of the floors are tiled. The poorer houses may just have cement or even earth. However, whether rich or poor, Indonesians are extremely hospitable and, when you visit them you will be sure to receive snacks and a drink (non-alcoholic). It is the custom not to immediately partake of the offerings when they are served but wait for a couple of minutes until your host gives you the signal to go ahead. It is also the custom when visiting to greet everyone in the house with a handshake. The exception to this is that some very religious women are not permitted to touch a man so it is better to wait for the women to make the first move in offering their hand. It is not the custom here to show signs of affection in public, even with relatives. Holding hands is OK but passionate kissing is not. Regardless of what you may have heard, the women do not walk a few paces behind their husbands and are not subdued. They do however tend to carry the packages when shopping. It is also not usual for a man to open a door for a woman but some do. Usually a woman stays at home and the husband goes out. Thus if you invite the neighbours for a party most of the people that turn up will be males. The children however wander unescorted to the houses of their neighbours where they are treated like family. Most people leave their doors open and it is not usual for visitors to make an appointment before arriving. Here people do not seem to live in fear like in some cities in the west. I have never seen a peephole in a door or multiple locks which are common there. Violent crime in the small towns is uncommon but there are a few motorcycles stolen. Thus it is common for people to keep their motorbikes inside the house. Indonesia is a mainly Moslem country but other religions are practiced and accepted. There are plenty of Hindus, Christians and Catholics here. The law states that only couples of the same religion may marry so if you fall in love with a girl of a different religion, one of you will have to convert. The girls are very conservative here and most of the ones following Islam remain virgins until they marry. It is not possible to obtain a “Mail Order Bride” here and the girls are definitely not for sale! It is unlikely that a girl will leave Indonesia with you unless she is married to you. Even then, she is likely to prefer you to take up residence here but, when married will cede to your wishes. The minimum legal age for marriage here is sixteen. There are two forms of marriage here, the first being a simple religious one and the second the formal type with legal certification. In the small villages it is unacceptable to live with a woman without at least the religious marriage. As of this writing, the government is considering banning religious only marriages. Traffic here drives on the left ala the UK so the steering wheel is on the right. Take care crossing the road as the traffic will probably be coming from the opposite direction to that which you are used to! You can use a foreign license to drive here. You will find that the traffic is somewhat undisciplined. There are no enforced speeding or parking regulations. The credo to drive here is “Expect the unexpected.” Petrol at this time costs about 48 cents a litre. Indonesians are extremely superstitious. You will notice that many houses have birds (usually doves) in cages hanging from the eaves of their houses. They believe that this keeps evil spirits away. They also believe in so-called paranormals...the Indonesian equivalent of witch doctors. These characters claim that the blood of a special all black chicken called Cemani will cure many diseases. The film and TV businesses here cater to the peoples’ beliefs and have found that any programmes with overly religious or magical content will be sure to find a ready market. Whenever Indonesians purchase a new car or motorcycle they perform a little ceremony called selamatan which they believe will keep them from harm on the roads. They are also of course, big believers in astrology.
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