Things I Like About Indonesia

Hi, I'm Silvana. I was amazed at Korea and its best things as described by my dear friend Jiyoung. She actually mentioned 7 things instead of 6 ha ha. And so I will also mention 6 things (plus one) that I like about my home country Indonesia :)

1. The Religious National Holidays

There are 6 official religions in  Indonesia Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Each of this religion has its celebration and festive and officially it becomes the national holiday. To me it is great. It shows how the government respect diversity in terms of religious rituals and activities although majority of the country is Muslim. The national holidays also promote unity among the citizens. We're diverse but we are one, we have our own religions but we celebrate is as one nation :)
Here's list of the religious national holidays. I do not post the date since it is changing every year because the Muslim used the Islamic calendar, Christian with its Gregorian calendar, Buddhist with its own calendar etc. The country used the Gregoriam Calendar, so in every new year what I do is check the religious holidays which date will be different with the previous year :P

Islam
Birth of the Prophet Muhammad
Ascencion of Prohet Muhammad
Eid-al-Fitr (The biggest festive. It is also the longest national holiday celebrate by the whole nation)
Feast of the Sacrifice
Islamic New Year (also Javanese New Year)
Birth of the Prophet

Confucianism
Chinese New Year

Hinduism
Day of Silence

Christianity and Catholicism
Good Friday
Ascension Day
Christmas

Buddhism
Buddha's birthday


2. The People
People are friendly (in their own way). Even in big cities people tend to be selfish and cold but still you can find nice Indonesians every where. They will ask you many questions and its considered to be normal and it's a friendly way to say hi here in Indonesia. People might also look at you head to toe not because they feel insecure but they just want to know more about you, yes Indonesians tend to be the want-to-know type of people but hey that's how people become closer to you :) They will happily show you everything and tell you everything. It is also part of the courtesy :P As I said, Indonesian are friendly in their own way, so don't misunderstood.

Indonesian physically different in an area to another.Indonesia is the fourth largest country in population with more than 250 individuals. Its ethnic composition is characterized by a wide variety as the country contains hundreds of different ethnic groups and cultures. People in the west part of Indonesia usually shorter compare to those in the east part of Indonesia. I have tan skin and straight hair while some in the eastern part have curly hair and darker tan skin just like the Brazilian. Those inhabit Papua, the most eastern part of Indonesia look like the Aborigines. Some look like Chinese.

Top left: Indonesia President a Javanese; Top right A Papua singer - Papua is the most eastern island next to Papua New Guinea; Bottom right - a Manado man who looks like Chinese; Bottom left - An Ambonese singer

Indonesian are happy people! According to a research by Research Company Ipsos, on their early 2014 survey, Indonesia is on the first rank among other worldwide countries as the happiest country. Indonesia with 55% is way up above India on the second place 41%, Mexico 38%, Brazil 33%, South Africa United States 26%, and Canada 24%. Age, education, and social-economy are few factors among others that determined the survey.

Yes life is hard but Indonesian can still find their simple happiness in every way. In the past people believe that having more children means happier life. Surrounded by many children and relatives wouldn't give them headache, i think it will be totally the opposite in Korea, isn't it? Ha ha Even now many young couples have at least two children, and having 3 children is pretty common.


3. Nature's Beauty
Indonesia has a big and wide area. It is an archipelago with thousands islands. I live in East Java Province, part of Java island and nature scattered around the province where I live is just pretty. There are beautiful beaches, mountains and volcanoes, waterfalls, caves, underwater world, jungles, historical sites, temples, anything you name it we have it. I don't think I can even go to each of the natural beauties in my country from east to west. Here are some of the places I want to go, I've been to only one of them, Mount Bromo which is located in the province where I live.

Clockwise: Raja Ampat in Papua - Eastern Indonesia; Mount Bromo in East Java; Sibolangit Waterfall - 2 colors waterfall
in Sibolangit North Sumatera; Danau Keimutu - 3 colors lake Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT); Bunaken Sea Park - North Sulawesi; Wae Rebo -  Higland traditional village in Flores (NTT)

4. Great Warung
Warung is  street food small "restaurant". There are many great food sold at great street warung. Don't ask about hygiene but you can judge a clean and hygiene ones by looking at the warung staging and tables. Clean tables you can expect hygiene food :). Warung sells any kind of food and usually the food depends on where the seller comes from.

Warung can be easily found along the street, from a permanent building to the semi / non permanent one

A warung seller waiting for her regular customers

Variety of food, just point your finger and you can have the menu with your rice. Some warung only sells one or less than 5 menu  

Even the humble president enjoys eating food from warung :)

5. Tasty Food
I love Indonesian food. One of famous Indonesian food called Rendang is one of world's best food according too CNN Travel. This super yummy spicy (not hot) meet dish. Other Indonesian food is super yummy. We Indonesian use whatever scattered in the neighborhood and the skillful hands of our mothers changed the ingredients into nice food. From plants in the bushes into weird fruit and tubes plant under the ground can be eaten. Indonesian famous food and also my favorites are the following.

Clockwise: meat dish CNN bets food - Rendang; meatball; nasi goreng - fried rice; sate ayam - chicken in skewers; soto ayam- yellow chicken soup; gado-gado - typical Indonesian salad with peanut sauce.

6. Batik
Batik is a technique of wax-dying on a piece of fabric. It;s like painting with wax on a cloth and then dyeing it with colors then a beautiful Each area in Indonesia has its own pattern and the pattern of course symbolize something. Java is the most popular area where various type of batik pattern can be found. In October 2009, batik was designated as Masterpice of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Batik can be wear for formal or informal occasion. Wearing batik is like wearing a piece of art for me. More and more young people loves batik as the government also campaign about this batik loving movement. School students wear batik and few schools even ask their students to make their own batik and they wear it as their uniform. So the students wear different handmade batik clothes as their school uniforms.

Few batik patterns

A batik maker