nasikimchi: July 2015

Indonesia is the biggest Muslim country in the world. Unlike other country with Muslim majority I can say that Indonesia is more moderate. And don’t be mistaken Indonesia is not an Islam country, it means that the law applied is the national law which is derived from the Dutch law since in the past Indonesia was under Dutch colonialism. It is also a democratic country and the right of having a religion is protected under a national law. But…being an atheist or having no religion is a big NO here, everyone must have one religion.

When you arrived at the airport you might see a different situation especially when it is your first time to a Muslim majority country. Many women wear veil to cover their heads and they also wear clothes which cover their whole body. I myself as a Muslim also wear veil. And the women do not wear big black veil like what you might have seen on TV in other countries. Muslim women in Indonesia wear more colorful and I can say more fashionable Muslim clothes.

Jilbab is commonly used term refer to the hair covering fabric for women. Hijab is actually the perfect term for that. And the fashionable Muslim women with hijab is called Hijaber. I am most comfortably wear bergo or the instant hijab. The price is vary from $2 for the low quality to more than $25 for the high quality one.

Muslim women wear hijab and they also cover their body with loose clothes to show modesty. Women’s hair and body shape are considered to attract men’s lust so that’s why they cover it and just show it to their husband, father, or uncles from their father’s side.

Hijab is wear for daily situation. Your first question for me might be why do I wear hijab? I started wearing hijab last year and I did it because of my faith and I believe by wearing it as means of fulfilling His commandment for modesty. It’s my personal choice and it’s my devotion to God. Other Muslim women wear the hijab as a means of visibly expressing their Muslim identity. Some Muslim women wear the hijab to declare their Islamic identity and provide witness of their faith. Unfortunately this association has also occasionally resulted in the violent assaults of Muslim women wearing hijab.

The scarf look hair cover is called pashmina. This rectangle fabric is colorful with variety type of pattern. Lately more and more tutorial on wearing pashmina and hijab are on YouTube, Instagram, or other social media. The tutors have become like a celebrity too, they get many followers and views.

I am not good at wearing pashmina. I prefer jilbab bergo! It is an instant hijab, you just wear it through your head and voila!

Indonesia is a hot tropical country in dry season, so do I feel uncomfortable wearing hijab in such weather? Surprisingly it’s not that hot. I think it is also depend on the hijab fabric material. So far I feel just good and do not have any problem with the weather. But yes I have problem with my hair. Since it’s more humid so I am facing hair loss and dandruff. Thus, on TV there are many products offer special shampoo for Muslim women with veils. And they show no single hair view on the advertisement. Isn't it amazing? The advertisements say that even in hot day women in hijab can still maintain their beautiful smooth hair by using the product :)

Nowadays more and more Indonesian female celebrities are wearing hijab. And to my surprise too, they get more advertisements and soap opera to shoot. Here are some of famous Indonesian celebrities now in hijab.

Clockwise: Mairini Zumarnis; Dewi Sandra; Zaskia Adya Mecca; Inne Koesherawati

So now when you visit Indonesia and you look at many women wear hijab, don't be surprised :)

Did you know that Indonesia is the third largest motorcyclist in the world? Every year around 8 million motorcycles are sold around the country. The street is flooded by motorcycle and once an African friend said I'm not Indonesian since I cannot ride one. real Indonesian does ride motorcycle!

Top motorcycle brands are Honda and Yamaha. The two Japanese motorcycle manufacturers predicted that in 2017 there will be at least 10 million motorcycles produce by that year. In Indonesia someone should be at least 17 years old to ride motorcycle though the fact is many students less than 17 ride their motorcycles to school or somewhere near their neighborhood which is definitely against the law and dangerous.

How much does a motorcycle cost. Well the brand new Honda and Yamaha is about 13 - 15 million rupiah or $974 - $1,123 and of course it can be paid by installment. WIth only $70 or less down payment, people can get the motorcycles delivered to their home the following day and the installment can be arranged up to 3 years with interest and insurance. Each month installment is around $55. So basically motorcycle price is affordable. Even in one family can have 2 to 3 motorcycles. This is why the number of motorcyclist in Indonesia is quite a lot.

How do Indonesians ride their motorcycles? Sometimes solo and even 3 to 4 people can be on a motorcycle - this is actually against the law too. A policeman can give a ticket to these people. Even in dry season or in rainy season they motorcyclist cover almost all over their body. They wear face mask, gloves, and sometimes sunglasses with helmet. The hot weather makes Indonesians cover their body with jacket - sometimes a leather jacket. In rainy season too, a thick and thin jacket under a raincoat is used. Motorcycle has become a very common vehicle and many creative ideas has come from this 2 wheels machine ride.