Jogjakarta, Indonesia- July 10, 2001
Just general notes, actually I'm still in Bandung as I write this, but I'm on the bus to Jogjakarta this evening. So the observations and such are still based entirely on Bandung and Jakarta.
Well, I've spent four nights in Bandung. Yesterday I spent the day at the train station trying to get out of town. I had absolutely no luck, everything was full, and I'd have to wait another day or two. After two or three hours of waiting in lines and trying, i decided to go to the backpacker budget hostel area. I was hoping they might have door-to-door hostels tickets to another city, but they confirmed same thing, absolutely everything was booked, it was horrible week for travelling because most students are finished with school and going back to their hometowns. So another night in Bandung.
I stayed in the hostel last night, and quite a change from the air-conditioned tv $10-15 a night rooms i've been staying in the last week. The hostel was great, and I met a ton of travelers and the indonesians were playing acoustic guitars, and we were all drinking and talking and just having fun. I was kind of disappointed in myself that I hadn't come to the budget hostels sooner. The cold shower in the morning wasn't so great, but had a great evening. I forgot how much I missed the travel hostels and the great conversation they provide.
Other observations about Indonesia is how friendly the people are. Being in Bandung was completely different than Jakarta. People are so friendly and warm here. So many people just say hello, and the women flirt, and the people are helpful. It seemed a little different in Jakarta where people seemed to want something, maybe they wanted me to buy something or eat at a certain place. But here in Bandung, people just say hello and try to help just because they are friendly. Even when I was lost, they would give directions and not want any money from me (which is completely different than most 3rd world countries where people expect some kind of financial compensation for just about everything).
Some other things I've been comparing in great detail is my experiences here related to my experiences in Korea. First off, the language communication barrier seems to much less. Koreans spend their lives in English schools and studying grammar and vocabulary, but still struggle with speaking. Most of this because of the complex differences in grammar between the two languages. But here in Indonesia, it seems like that barrier is significantly less. I am easily understood, and they also can understand the same kind of humor. Indonesisans seem to have a natural grasp at languages, most having never studied formally before, they just pick it up. Part of this is because Indonesia is a country of many many languages. The national Bahasa Indonesian language is the united second language of the country, while most people also have a first language within their cultural group of Javanese or Sundanese or wherever their origins are from. So English is just another language, and seems to be everywhere, on tv, in movies, in the streets, in people's normal conversation.
Another thing I wanted to say about Indonesia is the muslim thing. Indonesia is a muslim country, but you hardly notice it at all. I mean there are the calls to prayer at certain times of the day with the siren bells ringing. There are also plenty of women with the veils that cover their heads. But there are also jut as many, if not more women who don't cover their heads. Even the women who do cover their heads, are just as likely to be wearing lots of makeup, lipstick, tight jeans, and everything else. Of course, there are all kinds, but it kind of seems as if most everything goes. If you want to be muslim you can, if you don't want to be, you don't have to be. It all seems optional. Also, there are plenty of people of different religions including Christianity and Buddhism and you name it, and the government accepts them all. So perhaps that is one reason explain its vast differences and its vast acceptances of everything.
Another thing I've noticed is the accepting nature of the people. One of the big ones, if they find it quite normal for foreign men to be interested in dating or marrying Indonesian women. Its quite a contrast from Korea, where they usually are quite shocked and surprised that you are interested in Korean women. Often they are so protective of their own race that they seem a little disturbed at the fact that a foreigner would even consider such a bold move to date outside his/her race. These kinds of thoughts don't really exist in Indonesia, and I've found that most Indonesian men assume you have an interest in women, and are happy to tell plenty of stories of how some foreigner came to Indonesia and met the love of his life here, and how pretty the girl was!
The last thing I wanted to mention was that of Indonesian President Wahid. In Indonesia, they are having impeachments sessions beginning on August 1st. Everything in Indonesia seems quite calm and mellow at the moment. But everyone seems a bit cautious about the proceedings next month. Wahid has threatened a State of Emergency at that time and plans to have an extremely strong restistance against impeachment, which could put the entire country up in arms. They are advising foreigners, expats, and anyone who can to either avoid Indonesia or get out of Indonesia at that time. All seems quite calm and normal at the moment though.
Next Journal Entry:
July 13, 2001
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