Across the archipelago of Indonesia wedding rituals vary from island to island and dependant on the religion of the future wedded couple. In western society, man meets woman, they go out and do the usual (work it out for yourself!), become engaged and finally marry. In the case of my wife and I tying the knot it was rather frustrating from a westerners point of view. Take into consideration that this was during the period of the Soeharto regime when Bhuddism was not a recognised religion in Indonesia. Yes, you guessed it, my wife was a Bhuddist and, to complicate things even further, she was Indonesian born of Chinese descent. Not only that, my wife was from a very old Chinese lineage and therefore strict adherence to marital rituals had to be observed. As a westerner and a fairly laid-back guy, I respected this ‘process’. For our first year of courting we were chaperoned and I can still recall quite clearly sitting I the parlor at my wife’s parents place and having to have a member of the family present.
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Along with the endorsement of 2008 as Visit Indonesia Year, a line-up of programs has been arranged to give visitors a closer encounter with the country’s magnificent culture. Here are some of the highlights to come in the next few months:
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At first too shy to approach the prince directly, Princess Kadambari Was persuaded to honor her guest. She stretched out her hand. She placed the betel leaf in his. She offered the leaf as though she offered her heart. Banabhatta (A.D. 7) Kadambari
Last week I told you a tale about daluman, that “ominous green leafy drink that is revered by the Balinese”. But as the world, including Ubud, falls into a heap of ill health (have you noticed how many people are getting sick these days?), maybe it’s time to start getting into some serious tonics to ward off those “evil spirits” that wreak havoc with our lovely bodies. Or are the evil spirits simply ourselves? Enter daun sirih, or what is otherwise known as betel leaf. Heart-shaped and as glossy as a polished green apple, the betel leaf is surrounded by myths and magic. Its use can be traced as far back as 2,000 years and it is even described in the most ancient books of Sri Lanka. A native of India and south-east Asia, it traveled the high seas in those old sea-faring days, venturing as far as Madagascar and East Africa. And what an impact it made.
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In Indonesia, the media should be cautious when covering four topics — suku, agama, ras, antar golongan (ethnicity, religion, race and the relationship between groups), better known as the acronym SARA — to avoid any legal consequences. But in a new talk show on ANTV, guests must refrain from talking about weight, or else the host, Wimar Witoelar, may become angry. The host of the half-hour-long show Perspektif Wimar (Wimar’s Perspective) was recently offended when he thought his co-host, Cathy Sharon, commented on his large body size.
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Indonesian seas and jungles harbour a realm of species unique to the archipelago. There are even places on these islands where man has not yet put down his foot and embarked on a journey of discovery. We are always hearing about new species being discovered in these isolated areas. Recently, scientists discovered a fish that crawls instead of swimming and has forward-looking eyes like humans could be part of an entirely unknown family of fishes. The creature sighted in Indonesian waters off Ambon Island has tan-and peach-coloured zebra-stripping. It uses its leg-like pectoral fins to burrow into cracks and crevices of coral reefs in search of food. According to scientists, the recently discovered relative of the anglerfish will have to undergo DNA scrutiny to verify that it is unique.
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While Raden Ajeng Kartini is known as a heroine of women’s emancipation, other national heroines were freedom fighters, such as Cut Nyak Dien of Aceh. In Maluku, a brave young woman took up arms along with her male peers against colonizers of the Dutch era. She was Martha Christina Tiahahu. Christina was born in Abubu village, Nusalaut Island, on Jan. 24, 1800. At the age of 17, she joined the guerrilla unit commanded by her father, Kapitan Paulus Tiahahu, in the resistance movement on Nusalaut Island. Their unit also backed Kapitan Pattimura, who led the People’s Army on Saparua Island in the Waisisil War against the Dutch.
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Halmahera fairy birds — Wallace’s Standardwing Bird of Paradise, Semioptera Wallacei — danced beautifully in the sky above White Land Hill on Halmahera Island, North Maluku, that morning before sunrise. With dark green feathers and silky white wings, the endemic birds of North Maluku were flying low through the forest while singing their morning song. Since their discovery by English adventurer Alfred Russel Wallace in the 19th century, fairy birds have long been dubbed as the most beautiful bird on the remote island of Halmahera (a haven for native flora and fauna), and one of the most famous birds in Indonesia. According to a survey conducted by Birdlife Indonesia, between 1994 and 1995, the population of Wallace’s Standardwing Birds of Paradise stood at between 75 and 124 and was distributed throughout Aketajawe National Park in Central Halmahera, Lolobata National Park in East Halmahera, Tidore city and White Land Hill in Sindangoli, around a five-hour ride from Aketajawe.
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A nautical journey tracing historical spice trade sites in North Maluku will plow ahead despite increasing tension in the province. North Maluku provincial assistant Hartoyo Kaliman said the trip, which is part of Visit Indonesia Year 2008, would contribute to peace building in the area. Hartoyo said the six-day expedition, which kicked off Sunday, would serve as a promotional gimmick for the province, which is currently facing mounting tension over the October 2007 gubernatorial election.
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The Indonesian consulate general in Sydney and national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia will jointly organize a tourism promotion event called “Discover Indonesia” for Australian tourism operators and mass media. Intended to support the Visit Indonesia 2008 program, the promotional event would be held for two weeks starting late July 2008. Representatives of 20 Australian travel bureaus and a number of newspaper and television reporters would be invited to take part in the program.
They would be given the opportunity to visit and see some of Indonesia`s eco-tourism potentials outside Bali, especially on Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Papua islands. Garuda would among other things fly them to the Bunaken marine park in North Sulawesi, the centre for orangutan protection in Kalimantan, and Toba Lake in North Sumatra.
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Life’s threads are drawn from tales of the past; its rituals and religions woven into the fabric of culture and lands. Across Indonesia, this weaving of life’s threads is a link to history, and the stories of lives embedded in textiles. For centuries, women across the archipelago have been the storytellers of their cultures, daily writing across the warp and weft of their backstrap looms the cloth of bridal dowries, infant swaddling garments and shrouds for the dead. Before the advent of tourism, these textile heirlooms were handed down from mother to daughter — their motifs, colors and weaving forms, different in each region, copied and learned by osmosis over generations. However a late 20th Century shift from a bartering to monetary economy threatened to break this tradition.
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