28 days around Java and Bali

So, following the chronological sequence of events, in the course of my journey across Java and Bali, I was on a train, motorcycle, bus, ferry, and a boat. I managed to surprise myself and pack 28 days of my life into two pieces of luggage (school backpack and a purse).

I got lost twice, cheated by a taxi driver - twice, and was constantly being stared at "thanks" to my Bule (Caucasian) look. What I learned during my travel experience is that we tend to overestimate the power of the English language which can actually be pretty useless. Anyway, I will use it to share my thoughts here cause there is simply no other option at that moment. Of course, learning Bahasa Indonesia proves to be not that difficult and above all - making the effort to learn it conveys respect to the Indonesians. Almost every Indonesian I spoke to was astonished and delighted with the fact that a foreigner is making the effort to master their mother language.

Food

Food plays the most integral role in the life of every Indonesian, regardless of location, occupation, or state of mind. Food is being prepared in various formats, offered and consumed literally everywhere and at all the time. If you ask the Indonesians, snack time is all the time. What is more, every second home in the neighbourhood is equipped with and sells the most populat foods, beverages, and home necessities; home-store is the Eastern equivalent of vending machines, meeting the demand for convenience. Snacks, cereals, coffee, tea, shampoo, detergent - everything is sold in small plastic sachets for one or two occasions, making it more affordable to the poor.

By default everything in Indonesia is fried and/or sugary. Whatever the earth, forest, or sea has to offer, like shrimp, mango, coco it gets fried and turned into chips. Vitamins are officially and ceremonially sentenced to death in unremarkable quantities of oil.

 

 

Culture

The two islands, Java and Bali, introduced me to two completely distinct, yet peacefully coexisting, ethnic and religious groups - Javanese Muslims and Balinese Hindu. People say Java is the gateway to Muslim Indonesia and offers the best introduction to the culture. Javanese people are genuinely humble, shy, well-behaved, modest, friendly and considerate. In a group setting they never raise a voice, never ever interrupt, rather, wait for the speaker to finish their thought and only then do they take the turn.

This kind of humbleness can be tricky at times. Never expect a local person to approach you and straightforwardly share with you something is bothering them. That goes against the cultural norm. So, if on the surface everything looks still, there could be sharks swimming underneath. The key to open discussion about a problem is the presence of a third party in the role of a mediator which gives the Indonesian confidence due to the objective viewpoint he/she presents. On the other hand, by postponing the disclosure of the problem, people grant themselves the time to reflect and assess the seriousness of the problem without magnifying it out of proportion.

Whereas Americans are universally recognized for being excellent companions over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, Indonesians outperform in close relationships. One can always have an intriguing, warm conversation with an American but it rarely goes any further; it seldomly reaches "Close Friends" status. Americans would never dare to mind your own business and they would certainly hold respect for anyone unwilling to intrude upon their privacy. Indonesians, on the other hand, always initiate a conversation with the mere objective of building a close friendship and enjoying its fruits. It used to take me up to a month since first meet up to add as facebook friends my American classmates. It takes me one visit to the store or 10 minute chat on the bus to have someone ask me for my facebook, here in Indonesia. Friend of a friend automatically becomes my friend.

On average, young people leave things unplanned and open and therefore feel comfortable with any end situation; hardly ever making the extra effort to change it. 

Later, my life in the village allowed me to get personally acquainted with the main charactersitcs depicted in the authentic Indonesian, namely his urge for mutual cooperation, or Gotong Royong.

Villagers helping with the preparation for the wedding of my host's daughter

Perception of Beauty
White is equivalent to beautiful and every product, regardless of its purpose, promises to make your complexion fairer. The media brainwashes even young kids, 'educating' them on the fact that they belong to an inferior race due to their dark skin color. I have had children as young as 10 years old tell me they wish they were white.

 

Religion

In every Muslim family house or or office, there is a calendar that lists all Muslim holidays.

 

 

 

In every Balinese home or workplace, regardless of religion, there is a Hindu calendar listing all the ceremonies and holidays.

 

 

If, in addition, you live in a small Javanese village you could also have a local calendar, featuring regular annual activities taking place in the village. Important to mention is the fact that there are in total 6 officially recognized religions in Indonesia: Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Catholicism, and Kong Hu Cu. What is more, one is legally required to choose one of them to be listed on his/her ID card. Answer such as "atheism" should not exist in the mindset of the Indonesian citizen. 

My entirely personal opinion (and hope noone gets offended) is that Hindu traditions are mainly built on superstition and defined by culture. The daily life of the Hindu is filled with ceremonies and rituals, meant to please the gods, respect the devil, and secure happiness and prosperity. Twice a day an offering is placed inside the temple of the Balinese house, on the street, in your car or on your motorcycle.

 

 

Ceremonies are performed in temples and in the streets, certain clothes are worn for the sake of warding off the bad spirits. Strangely or not, Balinese Hindu have a day for celebrating chairs, another one - for celebrating and commemorating steel. The Blackout day, or the Day of Silence, is Bali New Year when electricity is totally turned off, all flights to local airports cancelled and the population pauses for a moment to thank for all that the gods have bestowed upon them. Local people stay silent, fast, and meditate. 

 

Daily Life

What pretty much forms a great part of the identity of the Indonesian citizen, still less than his/her religious affiliation, is his/her motorcycle. Everyone, at a certain moment in their life, has had or/and still has and uses as a means for transportation their motorcycle. The motorcycle plays an indispensable role in the life of the average person.

 

 

 

Also, by default, Muslim men are heavy smokers. The price of a pack of cigarettes is approximately 1 Euro. For compariosn, for the same price you can get - a small bottle of water, liquid soap, and a pack of 18 tea bags. Every second commercial on TV is a cigarette commercial and due to law regulations companies cannot directly show the cigarettes but can freely portrey smoking as the way to making you look handsome, securing you the most beautiful girlfriend and so forth. Marlboro's slogan reads: "Don't be a maybe. Be Marlboro" and branded billboards are virtually everywhere. As if smoking made you independent and determined.

 

Vitamin C is for Indonesia what paracetamol is for England. Pharmacy, grocery store, mini market, gas station shelves are filled with Vitamin C products in all forms and packigings. And one would wonder why when there are plenty of fruits all year round.

 

 

 

 

 

The typical Indonesian family lives in a house (versus apartment) and the average house is usually on one floor only. Rooms rarely have windows and are usually organized in a row, one next to the other.

 

 

Consistent with the code of most Eastern cultures, children remain in their parents' home untill marriage. Parents play an integral role in determining the course of their children's life path. Parents are most likely to affect their children's marriage and/or education status and reluctant to accept any arguments against.

 

I feel extremely happy for having the opportunity to go through the combination of work camp, travelling, and real project experience – each one of the three helps me immerse myself in a unique way into the local culture and community. I am glad it is finally time to move on to the third stage of my stay in Indonesia. After so much travelling there was a moment when I felt and looked more of a tourist than a volunteer on a mission. I was enjoying myself like never before and sometimes I used to find myself on the verge of forgetting the primary reason for my trip to Indonesia – mainly to assist teaching English in the local primary school at Semoya.