SERVANT(housekeeper)
I think it is common, if one family has a servant for housekeeping in Indonesia. The fact that we have high population and it could low our GDP. So, only few people have high quality of life, and the other have low quality of life. Peoples who have low quality of life will work anything that support him to survive, one of them is become servant.
2 SEASON
One of the nice thing in Indonesia is, there is only two season in a year. We call it “kemarau” season (dry season) and “dingin” season (rainy season). There are no fall, winter, spring, etc.
So, we don’t experience extreme condition, such as when winter temperature fall below 00 C and when summer it rise more than 35 0 C. In here, Indonesia, daily temperature range is between around 21-33 0 C whatever our season is.
BUREAUCRACY
Ketela umbi : Have you take your ID-card? It has been a mount since you go to local office
Ketela akar : well, it hasn’t finished yet
Ketela umbi : What take it so long?
Ketela akar : hmm, you know, bureaucracy!!
The actual meaning of bureaucracy has been distorted. Don’t be surprise, in Indonesia, commonly, the word bureaucracy has pejorative meaning.
PREMAN
In indonesia, term preman refer to bad guy or criminal.
Many people tell me that term “preman” is come from word “freeman”. That’s mean preman is man that don’t want be bound by any kind of rule. They chose to live free, just do what they like.
Explanation above is theoretically correct. But in practical, preman is just bad person that collect money that doesn’t belong to them. They operate at many places, such as traditional market, terminal, even in our neighborhood. Well, the money that is given to preman is called “uang keamanan” (security money).
PEACE, OFFICER!
In Indonesia sometimes peace doesn’t refer to positive thing. For example if we are stopped by police because of speeding or we break any kind of law in the road. Then if we say “damai di tempat” (peace at this place), it means we make deal with officer that he doesn’t have to fine us, but we must pay amount of money to the officer. Or in other word the “peace” stuff means we buy the law.
TERMINAL
Terminal is place where bus or angkot stop.
Usually route of bus is from terminal to other terminal. As I know, usually there is traditional market near terminal.
What I see from terminal is so scary, so crowded, so hot, so dirty. Wow, so scary because many stories tell me that we have to careful of thief at there. So crowded because there are a lot of bus which park there improperly .So hot because, I don’t know weather is just so hot in there. So dirty, it is really dirty, people in there just ignore the existence of word “trash can”.
someone please change this condition!
TRASH
I just don’t understand why I often saw many people in Indonesia throw trash anywhere they like. I don’t think they fell guilty about throw trash anywhere. Their faces don’t show emotion of guilty or regretful.
Well, not all Indonesian are like that, many people are responsible and discipline anyway. I believe the reason of case above is about rule and regulation. There is no strict rule and regulation about throwing trash anywhere. Even there is written regulation about that, the enforcement cannot be done continuously. I think this is fundamental reason of case above.
If this condition cannot be stop, it will become culture of Indonesia people. Other country will think that Indonesia is dirty or not clean country. Well, it is reasonable, to change this habit for better life of our next generation.
I hope future will be better
ULEKAN and COBEK
Wow, I think this is very old and traditional tool that is still used today.
You can see picture above, that is what “ulekan” look like.
The function of “ulekan” is same like today blender. It mix all ingredients to single one complete spice. Instead of forced by electricity, “ulekan” forced by hand or our muscle. So the act of using “ulekan” is very tired
“Ulekan” itself consist of two main part. First part is rock shaped like bowl so-called “cobek” . This part is where all ingredients take place. Second part is rock to mix all ingredients or “ulekan” it self. So to using “ulekan” first we place all ingredients to first rock then we use second rock to mix or blend by press ingredients to first rock.
Don’t be surprise, if we blend onion or chili by “ulekan”, we will cry. I have tried that once, and it is really happening to me. I believe there is gas that comes from onion when we blend it by “ulekan”. This gas is responsible for makes us cry. So there is no something sad about blend onion by “ulekan”, that is just respond our eyes to gas of onion.
Old people told me that taste of food which mix by “ulekan” is more delicious than use by today blender.
Well, if you want to know about that, just leave blender and use “ulekan”
PIRACY
Believe it or not ?
The price of software windows home edition is below 1.0 US$.
Believe it !!!
because it is not legal, it is pirated windows
It is quiet common in Indonesia to buy software with very cheap price. Because pirated software is very easy to obtain. Well, there is many pirated stuff in Indonesia such as software, dvd movie, music dvd, etc.
The good side is, cost of learning something is greatly reduced. For instance, if I want to learn about photoshop, I can afford pirated photoshop or just borrow photoshop CD from my friend, and easily install in my computer without buy the real of photoshop software. From this fact, there are many peoples who master computer without have to go to formal school. This condition really helps to reduce numbers of jobless in Indonesia
The negative side (some people say positive side) is all entertainment with very cheap price. This is really become paradise with full entertainment. But, if we can’t control our self, we will spend too much time for entertainment. Sometime it makes us lazy, and for me it makes me to watch movie all day.
Just beware,
To control our self, because
We don’t just consume pirated stuff, but also pirated stuff consumes us.
PHOTOCOPY
In, Indonesia
Do you know a lot of college text book have price below 10 US$ ?
VERY, SO, REALLY, cheap
The price of international book is too high for Indonesia people. It would be impossible to afford such high price book. So, instead buy from publisher they photocopy/duplicate the book. There are many photocopy vendors which provide service to duplicate the book.
