| Hello everyone. Today I want to continue to touch on some other cultural differences between Indonesia and the West. As I mentioned before, it is well known that Indonesia is a mainly Muslim country. However it is very moderate and other religions are practiced here without major problems. On the other hand it should be pointed out that here, unlike the West; religion plays a big part in public life. You will hear the call to prayer five times a day. In fact you will be unable to avoid hearing it as it is broadcast through a large amplifier and speakers! The Indonesian government is also influenced by religious groups, some of them quite fanatical. You may have seen on television in your country a recent religious confrontation between an ultra religious group and a more moderate one. Until recently, fanatics seemed to be allowed to harass people without any interference from the authorities but recently the government has been taking action against them. I should point out that the trouble makers are a very small minority here and their antics are few and far between. The biggest religious festival here is of course Ramadhan which takes place in October. For a whole month, Muslims must refrain from eating and drinking from dawn until dusk. Obviously you won’t see many restaurants open during this period! It is traditional during this festival and for the week following it, for families to travel out of town, with the result that the major roads are extremely crowded and dangerous. At the same time, all the trains, planes, coaches and boats are packed to capacity. You will also find out that prices of virtually everything are elevated during this period. The people here save up all year for Ramadhan (Idhul Fitri) and the stores are very busy and crowded. Not long after that there is another Ramadhan called Idhul Adha. On this occasion, lasting only a single day, people donate cows and goats to be sacrificed and the meat given away to the poor. Indonesians are extremely polite. It is extremely likely that total strangers will come up to you to chat and will invite you to visit them. It is the custom when visiting someone’s home to greet every person there when arriving and leaving. Just remember that some very religious women are not allowed to shake the hand of a man. Whenever you visit someone here, you can guarantee that you will be offered refreshments. It doesn’t matter how poor the family is, the culture demands this. Most people leave their doors open and the neighbours come and go as they please. You are unlikely to see any peepholes or multiple door locks here. You will see little children playing outside unescorted, without their parents worrying where they are. Some women here wear the “Sakinah” which is the robe that covers their entire body except for a slit in front of their eyes but it is not very common. My husband says that he sees more women in the UK wearing these than he does here. Many do however wear headscarves when they are out of their homes. Being a very moderate country, no pressure is placed on them so you will also see many others wearing similar clothing to that which you see in the West. Indonesians are extremely approachable and constantly smiling. They are happy to assist you if you need something. They do tend to ask some personal questions like “How old are you?”...Are you married?”...”Do you have children?”...”Where are you from?”...Where are you going? ... Apart from in the hotels, you are not likely to see a Western-type toilet here. Nobody used toilet tissue but instead wash with water. Thus you will see water tanks and scoops. In actual fact, once you get used to it, it is much more hygienic than using paper. You should be aware that only the left hand is used for toiletry here, the right hand is used for eating. That is why in some countries like Saudi Arabia, the punishment for stealing is cutting off the perpetrator’s right hand. Thus the offender is ostracized as nobody will eat with him. They do not do that here. Talking about using the hand for eating, many people here do not use cutlery to eat with so don’t be surprised to see people using their hand...the right one of course! The water tank and scoop is also used for washing as not many people have showers or hot water. Many very poor people do not even have bathrooms at all and have to use the rivers. You will also not see fitted kitchens like you are used to. Many families cook outdoors on a wood or kerosene stove although the government is trying to convert them to using natural gas. I have never seen a gas or electric oven here and few families have AC or refrigerators. Thus fresh milk is uncommon and so are frozen foods. Talking about food, here generally speaking the food is extremely healthy. The chicken that you eat was probably running around a few hours earlier not flash frozen and stored for years like in some countries. There is an abundance of fresh fruit available including many tropical varieties. Soy beans are used in many ways here from tofu to drinks. Not many people eat bread here although it is readily available. I have never seen butter here. Muslims, like Jews cannot eat pork so you are unlikely to see much of that here. Actually there is a similar system in place here like the Jewish people’s “Kosher” which is known here as “Halal.” In the West, just about everyone who goes away on vacation heads for the beach to get a tan. Here, not many people go to the beach at all as they do not wish to become any darker than they are. Some do go in the evening for a cool swim. Even though the sun is shining most of the times and temperatures reach the middle thirties, you will see people on motorbikes all dressed up in coats and gloves as though they were in Alaska, in order to prevent the sun from burning them! A strict Muslim does not drink any alcohol. However it is available in some of the stores. In the small towns you will not find many bars or night clubs and I have never laid my eyes on anyone who is drunk. If you wish to stay at a hotel with a woman, it is likely that you will be asked to show your wedding certificate as it is not permitted for unmarried couples to sleep together. Yes, some people do, obviously and sometimes the police will raid a hotel and arrest any couple who cannot prove that they are married. This is usually restricted to the smaller hotels and they don’t seem to bother the tourist type establishments. When Muslim couples marry here, they have a choice of two ceremonies. The first is a solely religious one which would not be accepted out of Indonesia and can be ended very simply. The other one is the full legal ceremony complete with wedding certificates. It is customary to wear tradition clothing and the bride is very heavily made up. Very often the street where the wedding takes place is blocked to traffic and huge speakers are installed the sound of which can be heard from many blocks away! The bride and groom have to sit on a decorated platform for several hours, greeting their invited guests. See you next time. |