1. The Artwork
Indonesia is overflowing with artwork--from city-sponsored statues to graffiti. These works make Indonesia an extremely colorful and photogenic country
2. The Scenery
Every day, I wake up to beautiful mountains, dotted with red roofs and chiseled with rice paddies. At dawn and dusk everything turns a pinky-orange color that enhances the pastel-painted houses and black-and-white-checkered curbs. At night, Bandung lights up like a bowl full of fireflies.
3. The Indonesian Attitude
Indonesia has a very relaxed, upbeat, friendly attitude. If someone on the street offers help they genuinely want to help you. Instead of saying "yes" or "no" people say "already" and "not yet." It's a welcome change from American pessimism, especially in an area like Detroit.
4. J. Co
The Donut shop from heaven. Nowhere in the US have I tasted donuts as good as these fluffy, creamy ones with shiny liquid frosting. If you ever go to southeast Asia, I highly reccomend trying a donut or two.
5. Motorcycles
At first, I saw these as scary oppertunities to get buried in a foreign country, but now I see them as a fast, fun, fuel-efficient alternative to cars. Unfortunately, motorcycles just aren't as practical in the US where cars don't know how to handle having them around.
6. The Weather
85 degrees year-round, need I say more?
7. The Opportunities
Indonesia is the new land of opportunity. It's got a rapidly growing economy and the place just stinks of hope (and durian). For a native English speaker, it is incredibly easy to get a job, and for a tourist or resident, its an easy place to have fun.
8. The Malls
At the risk of sounding like a mall-rat in front of friends who have heard my rants about malls, I'd like to say I will genuinely miss the malls here. US malls are out of my price range, and have food courts that specialize in giving you food poisoning.Their only redeeming quality is the massage chairs in Brookstone. Malls in Indonesia, however, are more like streets taken inside. Most of them have little independent stores specializing in cool Korean clothing for less than 10 dollars per piece. They also have food courts worth skipping school to sample! Many a day I have left school craving a Belgian Waffle (or J. Co) from Bandung Indah Plaza. Last, There seems to be a different mall for each type of person: Paris Van Java for rich people, Bandung Electronic center for techies, Ciwalk for outdoors people, Bandung Trade Center for cheap, fashionable people, and Yogya Lucky Square for homesick Exchange Students from Detroit looking for a place in Indonesia as deserted as their hometown.
9. Indomie
Think Instant noodles are gross? I did too...until I tried Indomie. From beggars to Presiden Yudhoyono, everyone loves this snack that costs 15 cents a pack. They come several different flavors, all delicious. Good enough that I once ate a pack so fast it went up my nose.
10. Frozen Yogurt
By now you can tell I like food, but you might ask why I will miss something I can get in the US? Because Indonesian Frozen Yogurt is different--heavily fermented and sour. It's a refreshing break from sweet ice cream.
11. The Animals
Stray cats, geckos, monkeys, bats, frogs...it's great to live in an area with so many easy-to-catch animals that don't bite much. Each stray cat has its own personality, each gecko and frog has a funny story attached, and monkeys and bats are just cool :)
12. The Prices
Lunch: 50 cents
Clothing: <20 dollars
Phone bill: 2.50 dollars a month
All the fun you can get from shopping, eating and calling friends: priceless
The Friends
There are a lot of people here I will miss. You know who you are. I may not be able to take them home, but I will definitely take home all the memories I made with them :) (yes very cheesy)
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Sundanese Weddings
A small, quiet wedding is not something known to Indonesians. Weddings are a packed, glittering, and colorful. In Sunda, West Java, The Bride dresses in a Kebaya (a tight sheer-shirt covered in appliqués), and an elaborate headdress made of jewels. Everyone in the wedding party wears a batik sarungs. The Bride and groom walk out under an umbrella and sit at the front along with their parents. The parents then feed their children as a the last act as parents before they give up their children to their spouses. Next, an old, wise man leads the ceremony, and out comes a procession of fairies, peacocks, and warriors to help the new couple. The ceremony ends with photographs and the reception starts with guests lining up to thank and shake hands with the bride, groom and parents.
Sometimes, Western elements are added to the ceremony: the bride tosses a bouquet, a band plays "Fly me to the Moon" and of course there is a big, white wedding cake. At one ceremony, I was one of these western additions. One of my friends and his family were hired as the entertainment and they invited me along. When I arrived, I was shuffled into the dressing room where women in peacock and fairy costumes dressed me in a kebaya and the wedding singer did my hair. A little while later, I found myself sitting on a small stage singing in Sundanese. Some how they had convinced a girl known for her off-key, incomplete rendition of "the Star-spangled Banner" to sing in a language she knew 5 phrases in.
Later, the actual ceremony began. Our old, wise man was about 13 years old, yet his bent-over, wide stance and arm behind his back made him a believeable 70. By the end of the ceremony, I found my self getting a photo with the whole wedding party.
Sometimes, Western elements are added to the ceremony: the bride tosses a bouquet, a band plays "Fly me to the Moon" and of course there is a big, white wedding cake. At one ceremony, I was one of these western additions. One of my friends and his family were hired as the entertainment and they invited me along. When I arrived, I was shuffled into the dressing room where women in peacock and fairy costumes dressed me in a kebaya and the wedding singer did my hair. A little while later, I found myself sitting on a small stage singing in Sundanese. Some how they had convinced a girl known for her off-key, incomplete rendition of "the Star-spangled Banner" to sing in a language she knew 5 phrases in.
Later, the actual ceremony began. Our old, wise man was about 13 years old, yet his bent-over, wide stance and arm behind his back made him a believeable 70. By the end of the ceremony, I found my self getting a photo with the whole wedding party.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Eliza Gets Lost: the Remake
When I first arrived in Indonesia, the thought of getting lost scared the crap out of me.... especially the thought of getting lost in a big crowded city where I not only didn't know the language, but didn't even know how to cross the street without getting hit by a car. Now the sensation is at worst, annoyance, and at best, adventure.This Tuesday I, once again, took the wrong Angkot.
School ended early that day for one reason or another, and left me with three hours to spare before my driver could pick me up. Impatient, I took on a mission: get home on my own--by Angkot! While I knew the route to my old house down to each pot hole in the torn-up roads of Antapani neighborhood, I had yet to take Angkot to my new house. For the most part, I'd traded the bumps and heat of the Angkot clown-cars for comfort and conversation of my new host family's air-conditioned SUV manned by our driver, Pak Anto. I'd learned the route from Ricarda's family a few weeks before when we planned to visit my neighborhood (long story short we didn't really feel like taking Angkot, so when we found a free taxi we took the opportunity)--take the cream-colored Antapani-Ciroyom Angkot until you hit Istana Plaza (one of Bandung's many malls), then get on to the light-blue Stasion Sarijadi.
Everything goes as planned with Antapani--I get on, ride until I see a Sarijadi angkot, then yell "KIRI!!!" to stop it....except I didn't stop at Istana Plaza. Instead I stop at a fork in the road not knowing that some of the Sarijadi Angkots are going one way, and some are going the other. Inadvertently, I take the wrong direction. I end up in a strange neighborhood with a traditional-style market. On one side, I see people crowding to buy fruit, toys and t-shirts, on the other side I see one of the weirder things I've seen since I've lived in Indonesia: A wall of hair...or rather, hair extensions. The last time I'd seen a site like that was in an equally scary and crowded discount store in Texas.
Eventually, I make it to the Angkot station where I see at least 40 parked buses and at least 10 gawking Indonesians. I guess bules don't make to the Angkot station very often haha. There I changed buses to one going the right direction, where after 15 minutes, I found myself at my original intersection going the right direction. For 4000 Rupiah (approx. 40 cents), it was an adventure.
School ended early that day for one reason or another, and left me with three hours to spare before my driver could pick me up. Impatient, I took on a mission: get home on my own--by Angkot! While I knew the route to my old house down to each pot hole in the torn-up roads of Antapani neighborhood, I had yet to take Angkot to my new house. For the most part, I'd traded the bumps and heat of the Angkot clown-cars for comfort and conversation of my new host family's air-conditioned SUV manned by our driver, Pak Anto. I'd learned the route from Ricarda's family a few weeks before when we planned to visit my neighborhood (long story short we didn't really feel like taking Angkot, so when we found a free taxi we took the opportunity)--take the cream-colored Antapani-Ciroyom Angkot until you hit Istana Plaza (one of Bandung's many malls), then get on to the light-blue Stasion Sarijadi.
Everything goes as planned with Antapani--I get on, ride until I see a Sarijadi angkot, then yell "KIRI!!!" to stop it....except I didn't stop at Istana Plaza. Instead I stop at a fork in the road not knowing that some of the Sarijadi Angkots are going one way, and some are going the other. Inadvertently, I take the wrong direction. I end up in a strange neighborhood with a traditional-style market. On one side, I see people crowding to buy fruit, toys and t-shirts, on the other side I see one of the weirder things I've seen since I've lived in Indonesia: A wall of hair...or rather, hair extensions. The last time I'd seen a site like that was in an equally scary and crowded discount store in Texas.
Eventually, I make it to the Angkot station where I see at least 40 parked buses and at least 10 gawking Indonesians. I guess bules don't make to the Angkot station very often haha. There I changed buses to one going the right direction, where after 15 minutes, I found myself at my original intersection going the right direction. For 4000 Rupiah (approx. 40 cents), it was an adventure.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Serious Stuff
Over these seven months I've been highlighting nothing but the best of an exchange year. However, like any exchange student I've talked to, I have had problems. Sometimes, I feel exchange programs aren't completely honest with future exchange students when it comes to these problems: I've often heard volunteers pigeonhole exchange students, rolling their eyes at mistakes or weaknesses of "bad" exchange students. Problems just arise for some exchange students regardless of how hard they try to be a good exchange student. They certainly did for me:
A few months ago I changed host families, ending a long string of unfortunate events: I broke up with my boyfriend, had a friend in the US die, got horrible, month-long insomnia and food poisoning out the wazoo, and lost a disturbing amount of weight. A lot of this was linked to or made worse by my mismatched placement. They were nice, but too busy and too shy. When I was homesick or grieving, they didn't really know what to do. We ended up with communication issues, I didn't feel like part of the family, but most of all I didn't feel like I was learning. Anyway, I'd like to give some advice about how to avoid problems like mine:
Understand the nature of the relationship: A host family is most like a dating relationship
1. You can't get rid of your real family, but you can break up with your host family. It may sound bad, but when you are in a bad host family you can and should get out of it for the sake of your experience. Don't worry about too much about offending them, just treat them as you would a boyfriend or girlfriend that just isn't right for you.
2. You didn't grow up with yout host fanily, you have to learn to bond with them, just like a boyfriend/girlfriend. If you don't find anything in common, you will just have to break up. It reminds me of a stereotypical reason to end a dating relationship: We just didn't have much in common.
3. Don't treat your host family like your roommates; roommates are friends, but host families and boyfriends/girlfriends are more. As a result, both host family relationships and dating relationships require a lot more effort than roommate relationships.
As a result, a the ideal relationship with a host family should follow a similar pattern: intrigue (usually when you first read about your placement) romance (when you first arrive until about 1 to 3 months in. Both parties exchange gifts and are on their best behavior for the other because they want to get along. Hopefully, a little bonding occurs) problems (around one to three months you start noticing annoying things) solutions after working through what issues you have, you get to know your host family better and vise versa. You have bonded completely, congrats on your new family).Unfortunately, mine didn't quite go that way: the intrigue and the problems were there, but the romance was pained and the solutions never really worked.
Exchange Students
1. When your exchange program interviews you, mention that you would like to be placed in a family thats not too busy and would like to travel/sightsee with you. Why? A busy family won't have the time to talk with you and teach you about their culture. You'll find yourself alone, waiting for someone to get home, but ultimately resorting to reading, watching TV or going on Facebook. However, a family that really wants to take you travelling/sightseeing is one that will make time to teach you about the country, and in a hands-on way. For me (and I think a lot of other people), homesickness comes from boredom, so how can you get too homesick if you are zipping through your host country? A family like this is especially good for a program like AFS that doesn't plan much travelling. Not to mention, long road trips are a great way to bond, swap stories, make up songs, and laugh at the dog riding a motorcycle you passed a few minutes ago. (ok well the last one might only apply to Indonesia haha)
2. Spend as little time in your room as possible. While I disagree with AFS's guidelines on the computer (an hour a week) because most exchange students have important things to do on the computer (including socializing and planning with students in your host country), I still think its important to not ignore your host family. You should take all activities (including computer work) to the living room.
3. Skype your home country when your host family is asleep but please don't wake them up. Because Skype is private, make sure you go on at a time that you aren't ignoring your family. I wake up at 4 am to Skype the US...my American friends now have some not-too-flattering, half-asleep Skype screen shots of me, but its worth it if its means I'm not ditching my host family during our weekly Glee-watching session.
4. Tell your family about everything you are doing. If you are reading a book, tell them about it. If you are crocheting a blanket, tell them about it. If you have crouching-over diarrhea and food poisoning, tell them about it (hopefully they won't feed you charcoal pills like they did me haha). Its a great way for your host family to get to know you when you may not have much in common at first. This is also a good way to use Facebook to your advantage--show them pictures of your home country and compare. Afraid to use your native language, but still don't know what to say in your host language? Just ask what the thing you are doing is called in your host language. For example, next time you are out and about and get food poisoning, ask your family "How do I say 'I think I have Salmonella and need to find a bathroom now' in your language?" It's certainly a conversation starter.
5. Thoroughly research exchange programs before choosing one. Stalk a returnee! Its easy to find former exchange students via facebook (just go to any program's facebook page and see who joined), and most will be willing to add you if you send them a message explaining that you are planning on studying abroad. Ask them about how their chapter runs, any problems they ran into, how their program handled it, and any else unique to their program. Be aware that in some programs you stay with one family for a year (AFS) and in some you change families (rotary club). Get information to decide which is best for you. You'll find a lot of strange information out this way that you won't through the program, like that Rotary Club Indonesia doesn't really check out their host families before placing students, that AFS Bandung is run by busy college students or that AFS Japan is very strict. Not to mention, you'll make friends worldwide who might let you crash with them if you ever travel to their home country.
Host families
1. Take your exchange student everywhere. take them travelling, take them around town, take them grocery shopping, take them to work (don't take them with you to the bathroom though). Any place is better than leaving them home alone.
2.Never say "it's okay, just use English" At the beginning it will be difficult to communicate, but if you start off in English, it will be very difficult to switch to your native language later. ALWAYS start with your native language. If they don't understand, speak slower, clearer and use over-the-top gestures, if that doesn't work, rephrase what you just said and keep using gestures. Still not working? Use bigger gestures, pictures and rephrase yourself again. Only use English as a last resort and never tell your exchange student its okay to use their native language or English (unless, of course, you live in an English-speaking country)
3. Talk as much as possible Often, exchange students can understand more than they can speak, especially if people talk directly to them. So, its best if you start the conversation rather than waiting for them to start it. Talk about anything: what you are doing, what your plans are, your hometown, your first boyfriend, your most embarrassing experience, your summer working at Disney World, your parents' life as rice farmers, your favorite type of toilet, the number of times you bathe in a week....the list goes on. Ask them about their home country to get them speaking. Another reason I say to take your exchange student everywhere is because you can point out culture in progress rather than describing it from the house. The more discussion topics you can think of, the better.
A few months ago I changed host families, ending a long string of unfortunate events: I broke up with my boyfriend, had a friend in the US die, got horrible, month-long insomnia and food poisoning out the wazoo, and lost a disturbing amount of weight. A lot of this was linked to or made worse by my mismatched placement. They were nice, but too busy and too shy. When I was homesick or grieving, they didn't really know what to do. We ended up with communication issues, I didn't feel like part of the family, but most of all I didn't feel like I was learning. Anyway, I'd like to give some advice about how to avoid problems like mine:
Understand the nature of the relationship: A host family is most like a dating relationship
1. You can't get rid of your real family, but you can break up with your host family. It may sound bad, but when you are in a bad host family you can and should get out of it for the sake of your experience. Don't worry about too much about offending them, just treat them as you would a boyfriend or girlfriend that just isn't right for you.
2. You didn't grow up with yout host fanily, you have to learn to bond with them, just like a boyfriend/girlfriend. If you don't find anything in common, you will just have to break up. It reminds me of a stereotypical reason to end a dating relationship: We just didn't have much in common.
3. Don't treat your host family like your roommates; roommates are friends, but host families and boyfriends/girlfriends are more. As a result, both host family relationships and dating relationships require a lot more effort than roommate relationships.
As a result, a the ideal relationship with a host family should follow a similar pattern: intrigue (usually when you first read about your placement) romance (when you first arrive until about 1 to 3 months in. Both parties exchange gifts and are on their best behavior for the other because they want to get along. Hopefully, a little bonding occurs) problems (around one to three months you start noticing annoying things) solutions after working through what issues you have, you get to know your host family better and vise versa. You have bonded completely, congrats on your new family).Unfortunately, mine didn't quite go that way: the intrigue and the problems were there, but the romance was pained and the solutions never really worked.
Exchange Students
1. When your exchange program interviews you, mention that you would like to be placed in a family thats not too busy and would like to travel/sightsee with you. Why? A busy family won't have the time to talk with you and teach you about their culture. You'll find yourself alone, waiting for someone to get home, but ultimately resorting to reading, watching TV or going on Facebook. However, a family that really wants to take you travelling/sightseeing is one that will make time to teach you about the country, and in a hands-on way. For me (and I think a lot of other people), homesickness comes from boredom, so how can you get too homesick if you are zipping through your host country? A family like this is especially good for a program like AFS that doesn't plan much travelling. Not to mention, long road trips are a great way to bond, swap stories, make up songs, and laugh at the dog riding a motorcycle you passed a few minutes ago. (ok well the last one might only apply to Indonesia haha)
2. Spend as little time in your room as possible. While I disagree with AFS's guidelines on the computer (an hour a week) because most exchange students have important things to do on the computer (including socializing and planning with students in your host country), I still think its important to not ignore your host family. You should take all activities (including computer work) to the living room.
3. Skype your home country when your host family is asleep but please don't wake them up. Because Skype is private, make sure you go on at a time that you aren't ignoring your family. I wake up at 4 am to Skype the US...my American friends now have some not-too-flattering, half-asleep Skype screen shots of me, but its worth it if its means I'm not ditching my host family during our weekly Glee-watching session.
4. Tell your family about everything you are doing. If you are reading a book, tell them about it. If you are crocheting a blanket, tell them about it. If you have crouching-over diarrhea and food poisoning, tell them about it (hopefully they won't feed you charcoal pills like they did me haha). Its a great way for your host family to get to know you when you may not have much in common at first. This is also a good way to use Facebook to your advantage--show them pictures of your home country and compare. Afraid to use your native language, but still don't know what to say in your host language? Just ask what the thing you are doing is called in your host language. For example, next time you are out and about and get food poisoning, ask your family "How do I say 'I think I have Salmonella and need to find a bathroom now' in your language?" It's certainly a conversation starter.
5. Thoroughly research exchange programs before choosing one. Stalk a returnee! Its easy to find former exchange students via facebook (just go to any program's facebook page and see who joined), and most will be willing to add you if you send them a message explaining that you are planning on studying abroad. Ask them about how their chapter runs, any problems they ran into, how their program handled it, and any else unique to their program. Be aware that in some programs you stay with one family for a year (AFS) and in some you change families (rotary club). Get information to decide which is best for you. You'll find a lot of strange information out this way that you won't through the program, like that Rotary Club Indonesia doesn't really check out their host families before placing students, that AFS Bandung is run by busy college students or that AFS Japan is very strict. Not to mention, you'll make friends worldwide who might let you crash with them if you ever travel to their home country.
Host families
1. Take your exchange student everywhere. take them travelling, take them around town, take them grocery shopping, take them to work (don't take them with you to the bathroom though). Any place is better than leaving them home alone.
2.Never say "it's okay, just use English" At the beginning it will be difficult to communicate, but if you start off in English, it will be very difficult to switch to your native language later. ALWAYS start with your native language. If they don't understand, speak slower, clearer and use over-the-top gestures, if that doesn't work, rephrase what you just said and keep using gestures. Still not working? Use bigger gestures, pictures and rephrase yourself again. Only use English as a last resort and never tell your exchange student its okay to use their native language or English (unless, of course, you live in an English-speaking country)
3. Talk as much as possible Often, exchange students can understand more than they can speak, especially if people talk directly to them. So, its best if you start the conversation rather than waiting for them to start it. Talk about anything: what you are doing, what your plans are, your hometown, your first boyfriend, your most embarrassing experience, your summer working at Disney World, your parents' life as rice farmers, your favorite type of toilet, the number of times you bathe in a week....the list goes on. Ask them about their home country to get them speaking. Another reason I say to take your exchange student everywhere is because you can point out culture in progress rather than describing it from the house. The more discussion topics you can think of, the better.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Annoying Questions
I know its been a very long time since I last posted, so I thought I'd start off with a funny post about the most annoying questions Indonesians ask.
1. Can I take a photo with you?
If you are white and live in Indonesia, you hear this a lot. Indonesians love to take photos. Indonesians love to interact with exotic, white foreigners. Naturally Indonesians want combine these two loves by documenting every close encounter of the Bule kind with their cameras. Imagine all the harassment of celebrity without all that pesky fame. Some days you just feel like pretending you don't speak English or Indonesian. Next time I think I will try "je ne comprend pas."
2. Where have you been in Bandung?
This question is annoyingly open-ended. I've lived in Indonesia for other six months, do they really expect me to rattle off every place I've been? Usually I just answer banyak tempat (many places) or say I've been to Tangkuban Perahu (Bandung's nearest active volcano, one of the main tourist attractions) and all of Bandung's many malls.
3. What is your favorite food in Indonesia?/What Indonesian food have you tried?
The main reason I find these questions annoying is just because I hear them whenever I meet someone knew and in every interview. It doesn't matter what setting or occasion, someone will ask that. Its usually the third question an Indonesian asks you when you meet them (right after "Where are you from?" and "How long have you been here?"). The latter question especially bothers me because its also extremely open-ended and even a little insulting: after 6 months do they assume I've only had enough Indonesian food to put on short list? I eat it everyday >:(
4. How about.....?
I've discovered a big flaw in the way Indonesians are taught English: Teachers don't distinguish that "how about...." is a follow up question and not a leading one. As a result, I'm stuck puzzling the meanings of like "How about the USA?" or "How about your mother?" HELP ME! WHAT ABOUT THEM?! I REALLY DON'T KNOW!
5. Why do like Indonesia?
Indonesians are generally up-beat, optimistic people, but occasionally you'll get a pessimistic one. These are the people who ask me this rare follow up question to "why did you choose to come to Indonesia?" There is a lot to love about this country and its frustrating to have to explain it all to someone who has experienced it all their life. Indonesia may be crowded, dirty and smelly (and a bit corrupt), but its still beautiful, has great weather, tons to do, and low crime. I wish I could say the same for Detroit...
6. Aren't you afraid of terrorists?
Ugh. Just ugh. This question, along with its buddy, "What do you think of Muslims in Indonesia," just pisses me off (sorry, that's very unprofessional for me to say). The reason Indonesians ask is because the Indian movie, My Name is Khan, is very popular here. Its a good movie, but causes some problems for an Indonesian audience made up mostly of people who haven't lived the US. Indonesians often ask me if the US is "really like My Name is Khan" and I think thats where they get the stereotype that Americans are anti-muslim. Anyway, NOT ALL AMERICANS HATE MUSLIMS! I will admit there are a few who do, but they represent a small segment of Americans, not the majority. I'd also just like to say that thinking all/most Americans hate Muslims because a small portion do is just as bad as thinking that all Muslims are terrorists because a small portion of them are.
7. Are you going to Church on Sunday?
I'm not Christian. I'm not Muslim. I'm not atheist. I'm agnostic. This one is not so much annoying as it is awkward and confusing. Indonesia is a deeply religious country, and to many Indonesians, not having a religion is just not in their paradigm*. Usually this question leads to a frustrating, broken conversation about how I don't pray, I'm not looking for a religion and neither believe in a God nor believe God doesn't exist. I just don't have the vocabulary yet to explain these things in my second language.
8. Are there beggars in the US?
Unfortunately, the US does not have all the answers and its not the pristine country its sometimes made out to be. There are people just as poor in the US as the beggars of Indonesia. I guess the only reason this question bothers me is because it shows how much Indonesians put the US on a pedestal. I wish they could see the US in a more realistic light.
9. Do you have a boyfriend?
You know this question doesn't lead anywhere nice. One of the "joys" of being a white girl in Indonesia is this question on a twice-weekly basis.
Do you have a boyfriend in Indonesia?
*facepalms* Why should this matter? I have a boyfriend and even though he lives in the US, I refuse to cheat on him in Indonesia.
Anyway. After my rant, I figure I should lighten the mood a little with some a question I wish more people would ask:
What is your favorite word in Indonesian?
Instead of the open-ended "What do you know in Bahasa," I'd love to hear this alternative.. My favorite word means "butterflies." The word for "butterfly" (singular) in Indonesian is kupu-kupu. The way you pluralize words in Indonesian is to repeat them. Can you see where this is going? The word for "butterflies" (plural) is Kupu-kupu-kupu-kupu. can you say that word 5 times without loosing count?
*Sometimes when I tell people I don't have a religion they ask me "then how do you pray?"
1. Can I take a photo with you?
If you are white and live in Indonesia, you hear this a lot. Indonesians love to take photos. Indonesians love to interact with exotic, white foreigners. Naturally Indonesians want combine these two loves by documenting every close encounter of the Bule kind with their cameras. Imagine all the harassment of celebrity without all that pesky fame. Some days you just feel like pretending you don't speak English or Indonesian. Next time I think I will try "je ne comprend pas."
2. Where have you been in Bandung?
This question is annoyingly open-ended. I've lived in Indonesia for other six months, do they really expect me to rattle off every place I've been? Usually I just answer banyak tempat (many places) or say I've been to Tangkuban Perahu (Bandung's nearest active volcano, one of the main tourist attractions) and all of Bandung's many malls.
3. What is your favorite food in Indonesia?/What Indonesian food have you tried?
The main reason I find these questions annoying is just because I hear them whenever I meet someone knew and in every interview. It doesn't matter what setting or occasion, someone will ask that. Its usually the third question an Indonesian asks you when you meet them (right after "Where are you from?" and "How long have you been here?"). The latter question especially bothers me because its also extremely open-ended and even a little insulting: after 6 months do they assume I've only had enough Indonesian food to put on short list? I eat it everyday >:(
4. How about.....?
I've discovered a big flaw in the way Indonesians are taught English: Teachers don't distinguish that "how about...." is a follow up question and not a leading one. As a result, I'm stuck puzzling the meanings of like "How about the USA?" or "How about your mother?" HELP ME! WHAT ABOUT THEM?! I REALLY DON'T KNOW!
5. Why do like Indonesia?
Indonesians are generally up-beat, optimistic people, but occasionally you'll get a pessimistic one. These are the people who ask me this rare follow up question to "why did you choose to come to Indonesia?" There is a lot to love about this country and its frustrating to have to explain it all to someone who has experienced it all their life. Indonesia may be crowded, dirty and smelly (and a bit corrupt), but its still beautiful, has great weather, tons to do, and low crime. I wish I could say the same for Detroit...
6. Aren't you afraid of terrorists?
Ugh. Just ugh. This question, along with its buddy, "What do you think of Muslims in Indonesia," just pisses me off (sorry, that's very unprofessional for me to say). The reason Indonesians ask is because the Indian movie, My Name is Khan, is very popular here. Its a good movie, but causes some problems for an Indonesian audience made up mostly of people who haven't lived the US. Indonesians often ask me if the US is "really like My Name is Khan" and I think thats where they get the stereotype that Americans are anti-muslim. Anyway, NOT ALL AMERICANS HATE MUSLIMS! I will admit there are a few who do, but they represent a small segment of Americans, not the majority. I'd also just like to say that thinking all/most Americans hate Muslims because a small portion do is just as bad as thinking that all Muslims are terrorists because a small portion of them are.
7. Are you going to Church on Sunday?
I'm not Christian. I'm not Muslim. I'm not atheist. I'm agnostic. This one is not so much annoying as it is awkward and confusing. Indonesia is a deeply religious country, and to many Indonesians, not having a religion is just not in their paradigm*. Usually this question leads to a frustrating, broken conversation about how I don't pray, I'm not looking for a religion and neither believe in a God nor believe God doesn't exist. I just don't have the vocabulary yet to explain these things in my second language.
8. Are there beggars in the US?
Unfortunately, the US does not have all the answers and its not the pristine country its sometimes made out to be. There are people just as poor in the US as the beggars of Indonesia. I guess the only reason this question bothers me is because it shows how much Indonesians put the US on a pedestal. I wish they could see the US in a more realistic light.
9. Do you have a boyfriend?
You know this question doesn't lead anywhere nice. One of the "joys" of being a white girl in Indonesia is this question on a twice-weekly basis.
Do you have a boyfriend in Indonesia?
*facepalms* Why should this matter? I have a boyfriend and even though he lives in the US, I refuse to cheat on him in Indonesia.
Anyway. After my rant, I figure I should lighten the mood a little with some a question I wish more people would ask:
What is your favorite word in Indonesian?
Instead of the open-ended "What do you know in Bahasa," I'd love to hear this alternative.. My favorite word means "butterflies." The word for "butterfly" (singular) in Indonesian is kupu-kupu. The way you pluralize words in Indonesian is to repeat them. Can you see where this is going? The word for "butterflies" (plural) is Kupu-kupu-kupu-kupu. can you say that word 5 times without loosing count?
*Sometimes when I tell people I don't have a religion they ask me "then how do you pray?"
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
American Christmas--The Indonesian Way
I've never been the biggest fan of Christmas: I liked the presents, the cookies, the seasonal chocolate and the clay-mation specials from the 1960's. Other than that, Christmas traditions just turn me into a Hum Bug: sparkling snow reminds me of the unbearable cold and dangerous driving; my neighbors’ elaborate light displays scream ‘tacky fire-hazard’ not ‘whimsical beauty’; Starbucks’ covers of traditional Christmas songs (that start playing around Halloween) put me in more of a fighting spirit than a buying spirit; and due to a few unwanted and unexpected visits from the town Santa Clause as a Child, Santa scares me a little bit*. Last year, you would have heard the Kink’s satirical “Father Christmas” blasting as you drove by my undecorated, tree-less house on Christmas morning.
Foolish me, I thought I could escape all that in Indonesia. Java may be overwhelmingly Muslim, but its malls subscribe to a religion of shopping. As soon as the "Christmas Season" started, (thank god it doesn't start until December here) I heard cheesy Christmas music in every grocery store, lights and wreaths popped up in every mall, I even saw a few cardboard Santas in the factory outlets. Some of you may think Bandung does this to attract Christian tourists...except Bandung doesn't get much foreign tourism. This all seemed to be for the less-than-10% of the population that is Christian, and maybe even to get a few Muslims to buy stuff anyway.
Unfortunately, I put up with all the things I hated about Christmas (except the snow of course), but this year I missed out on the things I really liked. I shipped my presents, but missed the excitement of their reveal. I had no oven to bake cookies or pie. I didn't even watch my '60s Christmas Specials (until my boyfriend sent them to me in January. Thanks Troy!)! My Christmas festivities included sleeping until 3 pm, then watching movies all day.
AFS threw a Christmas party complete with dinner and a chicken-shaped hat. It was pretty fun, but not enough to make up for my poor planning and distance. Future exchange students: If you want a Christmas like you have at home, I suggest you plan it before you come. Even if you are a bit of a scrooge like me, just bring a few little things from home to share with your host country. It’s better that way.
*I never believed in Santa, but I still visited the town Santa each year. I never really enjoyed sitting on some strange mans lap, so this particular year I decided not to see him. Santa had different ideas. I was eating at a restaurant across the street from his seasonal hut when Santa went on break. Of Course, he spots the cute little girl across the street and decides to pay her a special visit. My family watched as he crossed the street, entered the restaurant and made me tell him what I wanted for Christmas. I think I told him I wanted metal detector, but what I really wanted for Christmas was not to be stalked by Santa. Oh well.
Foolish me, I thought I could escape all that in Indonesia. Java may be overwhelmingly Muslim, but its malls subscribe to a religion of shopping. As soon as the "Christmas Season" started, (thank god it doesn't start until December here) I heard cheesy Christmas music in every grocery store, lights and wreaths popped up in every mall, I even saw a few cardboard Santas in the factory outlets. Some of you may think Bandung does this to attract Christian tourists...except Bandung doesn't get much foreign tourism. This all seemed to be for the less-than-10% of the population that is Christian, and maybe even to get a few Muslims to buy stuff anyway.
Unfortunately, I put up with all the things I hated about Christmas (except the snow of course), but this year I missed out on the things I really liked. I shipped my presents, but missed the excitement of their reveal. I had no oven to bake cookies or pie. I didn't even watch my '60s Christmas Specials (until my boyfriend sent them to me in January. Thanks Troy!)! My Christmas festivities included sleeping until 3 pm, then watching movies all day.
AFS threw a Christmas party complete with dinner and a chicken-shaped hat. It was pretty fun, but not enough to make up for my poor planning and distance. Future exchange students: If you want a Christmas like you have at home, I suggest you plan it before you come. Even if you are a bit of a scrooge like me, just bring a few little things from home to share with your host country. It’s better that way.
*I never believed in Santa, but I still visited the town Santa each year. I never really enjoyed sitting on some strange mans lap, so this particular year I decided not to see him. Santa had different ideas. I was eating at a restaurant across the street from his seasonal hut when Santa went on break. Of Course, he spots the cute little girl across the street and decides to pay her a special visit. My family watched as he crossed the street, entered the restaurant and made me tell him what I wanted for Christmas. I think I told him I wanted metal detector, but what I really wanted for Christmas was not to be stalked by Santa. Oh well.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Idul Adha: It's No Petting Zoo
A few months back, I was skyping my good friend and informant on Islamic culture, Zohaib. Zohaib, who lived in both Pakistan and the US, gives me some of the best advice on cultural difference. Today's warning: The second Eid. Zohaib warns me of a strange and sometimes vomit-inducing holiday where animals are slaughtered on the street and in mosques. "I don't know how it is in Indonesia," Zohaib warns, "but it makes a lot of foreigners sick in Pakistan." Curious, I asked a few Indonesian friends and they confirmed what Zohaib told me. "Makes foreigners sick! It makes me sick! Too much blood," one friend mentioned. I guess its a good thing I don't have an uneasy stomach.
As the day approached, livestock pins popped up every few miles. A lot of times children were looking at the animals with their parents, which made them seem like petting zoos--petting zoos with an ending fit for Ted Nugent.
Then came the day--I was surprised at how little blood I actually saw (The fact I woke up around 2 pm, after the sacrifice had happened, might have had something to do with it) I ended up going over to my friend Agung's house to make sate (the national dish) from the meat slaughtered that morning. At fist, I was given the job of cutting the meat into grillable cubes. Clumsy me, I knocked over a piece of liver into a bag on the floor and Agung's mom had to fish it out. While Agung's mom had washed the meat earlier, no one washed it after. I'm pretty sure this is a cultural difference and not me not realizing I was supposed to wash something (I hope at least haha). Next, I put the flavored cubes onto skewers. This, I was able to do without a hitch.
Then came the Grilling. If you are American, you've probably been to a few summer barbeques. Remember that large charcoal grill? You or one of your parents would light it, close the top until the charcoal glows red, then watch your steak, ribs, or tin-foiled veggies until they are done. Indonesian grilling is a bit more labor intensive: you crouch over tiny floor grills and fan the charcoal until it turns red. When I mean fan, I MEAN FAN: you vigorously flap around whatever piece of plywood or cardboard you have at your disposal and you don't stop until you think its done, realize its not, and then start fanning again. That process is a whole lot more exhausting compared to the American grills with lids that do the same thing. Next, you put the raw sate on, cook it until it's brown on the outside, cover it in more sauce and repeat. After an hour or so of preparing this meal, you finally get to eat it! It was a quite tasty treat and I was able to make some new friends even if it gave me horrible food poisoning the next day.
As the day approached, livestock pins popped up every few miles. A lot of times children were looking at the animals with their parents, which made them seem like petting zoos--petting zoos with an ending fit for Ted Nugent.
Then came the day--I was surprised at how little blood I actually saw (The fact I woke up around 2 pm, after the sacrifice had happened, might have had something to do with it) I ended up going over to my friend Agung's house to make sate (the national dish) from the meat slaughtered that morning. At fist, I was given the job of cutting the meat into grillable cubes. Clumsy me, I knocked over a piece of liver into a bag on the floor and Agung's mom had to fish it out. While Agung's mom had washed the meat earlier, no one washed it after. I'm pretty sure this is a cultural difference and not me not realizing I was supposed to wash something (I hope at least haha). Next, I put the flavored cubes onto skewers. This, I was able to do without a hitch.
Then came the Grilling. If you are American, you've probably been to a few summer barbeques. Remember that large charcoal grill? You or one of your parents would light it, close the top until the charcoal glows red, then watch your steak, ribs, or tin-foiled veggies until they are done. Indonesian grilling is a bit more labor intensive: you crouch over tiny floor grills and fan the charcoal until it turns red. When I mean fan, I MEAN FAN: you vigorously flap around whatever piece of plywood or cardboard you have at your disposal and you don't stop until you think its done, realize its not, and then start fanning again. That process is a whole lot more exhausting compared to the American grills with lids that do the same thing. Next, you put the raw sate on, cook it until it's brown on the outside, cover it in more sauce and repeat. After an hour or so of preparing this meal, you finally get to eat it! It was a quite tasty treat and I was able to make some new friends even if it gave me horrible food poisoning the next day.
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