Preserving Betawi Culture With Abang, None Jakarta

Jakarta Globe, Fanny Octavianus, Nov 27, 2014

Members of Teater Abang None, a theater company established under the Abang
 and None of Jakarta Union, staged the annual ‘Indonesia Menari’ event on Car-Free
 Day in front of the Grand Indonesia mall in Central Jakarta. (Photos courtesy
of Teater Abang None)

More than 140 members of Teater Abang None livened Jakarta’s Car-Free Day last Sunday with the “Indonesia Menari” or “Indonesia Dances” event in front of the Grand Indonesia mall in Jakarta.

The young participants performed the organization’s signature dance, Nandak Ondel-Ondel, (Ondel-Ondel Dance)to entertain hundreds of residents.

“We are so proud to be a part of this project. This moment is priceless; when you see hundreds people joining a flash mob, dancing to traditional songs and doing traditional dancing,” said “Indonesia Menari” participant, Devi.

The annual event was initiated by Galeri Indonesia Kaya and Djarum Foundation in 2011 with the same vision as the Abang and None of Jakarta Union (Ianta): to preserve Betawi art and culture.

Contributing to this cause, Teater Abang None  — which was established by actress and model Maudy Koesnaedi — stages plays that bring the folklore of Betawi to life.

“This is our way of preserving our [Betawi] culture,” said Maudy.

The theater company has created and performed a number of productions, including “Cinta Dasima” (“Dasima’s Love,” 2009), “Si Doel” (“Doel,” 2010), “Soekma Djaja” (2013), “Topeng Betawi” (“Betawi Masl,” 2013), and “Lenggak Lenggok Jakarta”(“The Sway of Jakarta,” 2014).

Each production attracted a sizeable audience throughout their respective runs, but most importantly, they were successful in educating the public about Jakarta’s culture, such as the city’s dialect, songs, dances and martial arts.

Teater Abang None also aims to launch the entertainment careers of traditional Betawi artists by placing them in the national entertainment spotlight.

Under Ianta and specifically the Abang and None (Betawi for “big brother” and ‘Miss” respectively) beauty pageant, Jakarta’s younger generation can help in preserving traditions that date back hundreds of years to colonial Batavia (the name given to Jakarta by the Dutch East Indies in 1619). Even after their tenure is over, the crowned winners often choose to continue and stay faithful to the cause.

Former radio host and television personality Indra Bekti praises the organization, saying it has the has the ability to have a positive impact on Jakarta and its multi-ethnic population.

The organization’s social projects have played a prominent role in raising awareness about various issues currently plaguing Jakarta. In October, the contestants of the Abang None South Jakarta pageant established “Jakarta Clean,” a campaign encouraging residents to keep the streets of the capital city free of rubbish.

The group has also been actively involved in providing aid — in the form of clothing, food and medicine — to victims of natural disasters, including those hit hard by the annual floods of Jakarta during the rainy season.

None Jakarta 1995 winner Fifi Aleyda Yahya expressed the immense sense of pride she feels for having been apart of the organization’s social outreach programs, saying its activities have influenced others to create non-profit relief efforts that have vastly helped the underprivileged residence of Jakarta.

Ianta’s next social project is to establish a scholarship program for the poor in an effort to provide greater access to education for both children and young adults who are unable to afford schooling. The foundation says it sees education as the most effective tool for narrowing the massive gap between the rich and the poor in Jakarta.

One of its most recent endeavours, the brainchild of 2014 None Jakarta and Young Tourism Ambassador Vina Andani Muliana, aims to create and implement a system for sustainable farming in low-income residential areas of Jakarta that would involve the entire community.

“People can then choose to either sell or consume the harvest. We hope to give these communities the means to be economically independent through their own efforts and hard work,” Vina said.

Ianta chairman Rizkie Maulana Putra is optimistic that the future Abang and Nones of Jakarta will continue to be a positive influence on the city.

“Every year, we select 180 of Jakarta’s most promising youths to be a part of our organization. Each of them are then trained to serve as Jakarta’s Tourism Ambassador. These young men and women come from different educational and cultural backgrounds to serve for the betterment of Jakarta,” Rizkie said.

Jakarta Planning to Build Sister City Relationship with Jerusalem

Jakarta Globe, Lenny Tristia Tambun, January 03, 2013

Jakarta governor Joko Widodo. (JG Photo/Safir Makki).

              

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In a symbolic gesture of camaraderie, the Jakarta administration announced on Thursday that it plans to form a sister city partnership with Jerusalem in the near future.

Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo said that his government will solidify the partnership plan in various areas, though it will mainly focus on staff exchange between Jakarta and Jerusalem.

“I met with the Palestinian Ambassador, [since] we have a partnership with Palestine. We want to speak more concretely about what will be implemented soon,” Joko said at City Hall on Thursday.

At the meeting, the Jakarta administration and its Palestinian counterpart agreed to increase capacity building and implement an exchange program in order for the two to learn from each other's strengths and weaknesses.

“Yes, we [will] send people [to Palestine]. We [will] have an exchange program to learn, for instance, about fire safety, democracy, urban planning and public works,” the governor said.

Joko added that he will follow-up the plan with concrete action.

“The [Palestinian] ambassador wanted a solid partnership and we will follow-up. [We] don’t want it to be only on paper,” Joko explained.

“I told the ambassador that it will be implemented after my 100 days in the office. I want to concentrate more on [my] 100 days of work,” Joko said, referring to the 100 days since he took office in October of last year.

The Palestinian Ambassador to Indonesia, Fariz N. Mehdawi, noted that Jakarta is a big city and faces great developmental challenges ahead.

“Of course I support Jokowi to succeed in his mission — he has challenges. But I’m certain he will live up to his promise and not disappoint … I hope the best for him,” Fariz said, referring the Jakarta governor by his nickname.

The most important thing, Fariz added, is to discuss the future relationship between Palestine and Indonesia.

According to Fariz, Palestine now is undergoing capacity building training in which more than 500 Palestinians are coming to visit Indonesia — most of them to Jakarta — to receive instruction. The participants will meet Joko and other regional heads, along with Jakarta Fire Agency and Disaster Mitigation Agency officials.

“Experts will discuss how to run partnership programs between the two capital cities,” he said.

Keeping The Spirit Of Betawi Culture Alive

Jakarta Globe, Ade Mardiyati, June 23, 2012

Cultural researcher and author Abdul Chaer says young people should
not be  blamed for lacking awareness of Betawi language and culture.
(JG Photo/Ade Mardiyati)

                

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At 71, Betawi researcher and author Abdul Chaer still persists in his quest to put together the pieces of the nearly-extinct language and culture of his ethnic group.

Apart from publishing books about Indonesian culture, Bang (big brother) Chaer, as he is known by many, has also written a book on Betawi language and culture. He said he feels the need to “document it, because it will be replaced by a new language.”

The book, which will be published in the near future, includes Betawi idioms, jokes and folklore.

“A lot of young Betawi people don’t know the meanings or haven’t even heard of some of the words that we, the older generation, know and still use. For example, words like ‘teisi’ which means teaspoon, or ‘sundung’ which refers to the yoke one uses to carry grass,” said Chaer, who teaches Indonesian language at universities.

“But [the younger generation] can’t be blamed for not knowing a lot of words in Betawi because they live in the present Jakarta, where people from different ethnic groups and nations come and live, and contribute to the creation of an informal Indonesian dialect, which is widely used,” he added.

Chaer said that it is possible that the Betawi language might disappear in the future, but that small things, like prefixes, suffixes, and pronouns, such as elo (you) and gue (me), would remain and be combined with words in Indonesian and other languages.

“But this should not be seen as a threat [to the Betawi language]. This is reality. A lot of native languages are replaced with new ones because they no longer have speakers,” he said. “That is why I believe documenting Betawi words can, at least, prolong their existence.”

Growing up in an educated and devoted Muslim family, Chaer seems like the unlikely defender of a language that is known to include words that are often considered offensive or rude.

“For words to be considered offensive or rude, it depends on the surrounding society,” he said. “Among the Betawis, words such as bini [wife] is a normal word, but that might not be same for other cultures.”

Chaer was born and has lived in Jakarta all of his life, making him an eyewitness to the city’s evolution.

“A long time ago, long before Jalan Sudirman was built to connect Menteng and Kebayoran, sometime in 1948 or 1949, the area was a kampung [village]. People had farmlands and harvested various fruits. And on what used to be my grandfather’s land, a huge bank building [now] stands,” he said. “In the areas where the Betawis live, you can’t really find the native people. They are gone. Everything has changed.”

Since 1975, Chaer has published 30 books, including dictionaries and other linguistic materials for university students.

On a huge wooden shelf in his living room, Chaer has neatly organized all of the books he has written. They sit next to his extensive collection of works written by other writers.

Many of his books have been used as academic references by foreign students and researchers overseas, mainly in the Netherlands and in the United Kingdom.

“I remember in February 1977, I attended an event at the University of London. A student recognized my name as I was writing it down on the guest book and she asked if I was the same guy who wrote the Jakarta dialect dictionary published a few months earlier. She told me she had used it for her Malay literature studies. I was so happy and proud when she told me that,” he said. “Later on, more and more people said similar things, telling me they have read or used my books as references. It just feels so good every time someone tells me such a thing.”

Chaer said when he writes a book, or gathers words, stories, jokes or legends, he does not think about whether they will sell well after they are published.

“What is more important to me is the fact that I can have a place to transfer all of the things in my head and finish the projects,” he said. “It makes me feel happy and content every time a new book of mine comes out. I hardly think about how many are sold. Although, of course, it would be better if I sell a lot of books so I can earn more, but really, I am happy enough to finally see [the final product].”

In his twilight years, Chaer said he was happy to be kept occupied with writing more books and teaching.

At his quiet home in East Jakarta, he often receives students who need tutorials for their thesis. His wife, Hafsah Oya, said that when students come to visit, the house becomes lively.

“We are happy to have them here,” said Hafsah.

Despite the dozens of books he has written and published, Chaer said he does not think he has done enough, and that drives him to keep learning.

“There are still a lot of things I want to do. My inspirations come from many places — people in the streets, government regulations, the news and much more,” he said.

For his decades of hard work and devotion to preserving Betawi language and culture, the father of two has gained recognition, including from Jakarta governor Fauzi Bowo last year. In 2002 he was granted the “Etnikom Award” from a radio association that covers South Sumatra, Banten, Jakarta and West Java.

“But don’t call me budayawan [cultural observer]” he said. “There is still a lot to do to deserve that title.”

A Message of Hope From a Colonial-Era Massacre

Jakarta Globe, May 10, 2011

A total of 70 actors, mainly from the Mister and Miss Jakarta Association
(IANTA), staged a play about a massacre of ethnic Chinese by the Dutch
on Oct. 9, 1740. (Antara Photo)

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Theater-goers were treated to a story of love, tragedy and comedy over the weekend — not to mention a particularly good-looking cast to watch on stage.

Based on a true story from Jakarta’s history, the musical theater production “Sangkala 9/10” was staged by the Mister and Miss Jakarta Association (IANTA) at Taman Ismail Marzuki’s Teater Jakarta from Friday to Sunday.

A cast of 70 actors, most alumni of Mister and Miss Jakarta contests, put on five shows over the weekend to an estimated 5,000 audience members.

A number of big names were also involved in the production, including former Mister Jakarta and TV personality Indra Bekti, radio host Iwet Ramadhan and actor Teuku Zacky.

Producer Maudy Koesnaedi, who is also a former Miss Jakarta, said the show aimed to highlight a story from Jakarta’s past to point a way forward for the future.

Based on true events that took place in Batavia, as Jakarta was once known, the play told the tragic story of a massacre carried out by the Dutch at nightfall on Oct. 9, 1740 — giving the show its title, “sangkala,” or “twilight,” and “9/10,” the date of the massacre.

Thousands of Chinese, mostly working in the city as businesspeople, were killed by the Dutch colonists, who also attempted to influence the local Betawi people to help them eradicate the Chinese from the city.

However, their attempts were destined to fail, as the Betawi people decided to work together with the Chinese and fight back against the Dutch.

Amid the conflict in the play, a love story blossomed between two young people: Said, a Betawi man, and Lily, an ethnic Chinese woman. Their heroic efforts to unite their love, along with the two ethnic groups, served as the center point for the show.

Director Adjie Nur Ahmad said the story had been chosen because it reflected contemporary problems faced by the country.

“We have seen how Indonesians today are easily manipulated in the name of difference,” Adjie said, adding that this had led to many bloody conflicts in the country.

“What we are supposed to do is fight wrongdoing and support what is right, not the other way around,” he said.

To illustrate the moral of the story, the play was given the tagline “Berbeda Bukan Berarti Tak Perlu Dibela” (“Being Different Doesn’t Mean They Shouldn’t Be Defended”).

Maudy, the producer, said that she especially hoped the younger people in the audience had grasped the core message of the play.

“Instead of going to the mall every weekend, we believe theater could be a perfect alternative form of entertainment for the young,” she said. “Through this show, we would like to present a different side of the Betawi people.”

TV personality Indra, who played a Betawi character named Kosim, said he learned so much from the production — including a few basic moves of “silat,” Indonesia’s traditional martial art.

“I think this is a great theater production, I’m having so much fun,” Indra said.

Unlike his job on TV, which allows for a lot of improvisation, the theater role posed the challenge of a set script.

“I had to keep reminding myself that I needed to follow the script and all the rules,” he laughed.

Drawing a bigger crowd than both of IANTA’s previous performances, “Cinta Dasima” (“Dasima’s Love”) in 2009 and last year’s “Doel,” “Sangkala 9/10” was judged a success by Maudy.

Maudy also expressed hope that, after three productions, IANTA would continue to build on its success.

“We hope this can be a long-term project and that we can produce more shows in the future,” she said.

Jakarta to increase Betawi cultural village size

Irawaty Wardany, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 08/11/2010 2:20 PM

The Jakarta administration said Wednesday it would increase the size of Betawi cultural Village in Situ Babakan, South Jakarta.

“We have prepared a master plan for the village and will acquire 3.2 hectares of land this year,” said Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo on Wednesday.

Betawi cultural village management coordinator Agus Asenie said the Jakarta administration had prepared Rp 27 billion (US$3 million) for the land acquisition.

“We want the village to represent the culture and the life and tradition of Betawi people,: said Fauzi.

Head of the Betawi Consultative Body Nahrowi Ramli said he was glad with the administration plan to preserve the Betawi culture.

He expected the program would be sustainable so that people could see the richness of Betawi culture in the village.

Related Article:

Jakarta administration plans to build Betawi arts center

A Wayang Master and His Puppets

Jakarta Globe, Ade Mardiyati, January 31, 2010

Among Tizar Purbaya’s golek Betawi collection are former President Sukarno, left, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, right, and the kuntilanak witch (above Sukarno). (JG Photos/Ade Mardiyati)

Tizar Purbaya, one of the country’s most celebrated puppeteers, is not the kind of man who separates his home and work lives.

One peek inside his house is proof of both his dedication to and his immersion in his art. The puppet master owns more than 7,000 wayang from across the archipelago, and row upon row of the puppets line every nook and cranny of his two-story home in Sunter, North Jakarta.

In the room where he receives visitors, a dazzling array of puppets is arranged neatly — almost from floor to ceiling — based on characters, origin and the region where they come from. The 60-year-old puppeteer says his passion for wayang was infused in him by the countless number of performances he attended, as well as the regular wayang broadcasts he listened to on the radio, while growing up in West Java

“I was lucky that when I was a kid, there was no TV or outside culture to distract me,” the father of four says. “When watching a performance, I used to sit on the wooden box near the dalang [puppet master] where the puppets were stored, just so that I would be able to help him get the wayang in and out of the box.”

Born to Sundanese and Betawi parents, Tizar was adventurous from an early age.

“I even went to Jakarta to catch a live show [on my own],” Tizar recalls. “I was about 7 years old at the time. I was a free boy. I could go wherever I wanted to and no one would look for me.”

Tizar developed a passion for wayang and nurtured his hunger to learn more about the craft. Not satisfied with just watching the shows and collecting puppets, he craved the experience of being a dalang himself. But it was not until 1974, when he was in his mid-20s, that he got his chance. His first performances were in shows based on classical Sundanese wayang stories.

Four years later, Tizar started a business selling wayang. He produced puppets with his assistants and sold them at Pasar Seni, an art market in Ancol, North Jakarta.

“Pasar Seni was really good back then. A lot of people went there, including tourists from foreign countries,” he says. “Now, it looks like a cemetery. There are only a few kiosks there that are still holding on.”

Ricky Purbaya, Tizar’s 29-year-old son, says that many foreigners who had gone to Pasar Seni before are now disappointed with the state of the market.

“There was this old Dutch couple who said, ‘It was really good when we visited the market when were young,’ ” Ricky recalls.

With the market’s decline, Tizar decided to start selling his wayang from home. Famously, he doesn’t limit himself to producing puppets in the classic style, but also produces customized puppets based on orders from individual clients. Some clients send Tizar photos of themselves and the master then crafts puppets based on the photographs. In his early days of making puppets, many of his clients were foreigners, and Tizar long ago lost track of the number of puppets he has made, but remains modest about his skills.

“People like them. I have made a lot of them up to now,” he says simply.

When he took orders in those early days, Tizar never intended to use custom-made puppets in his performances. It was not until 1998 — when Indonesia was in the grip of financial and political turmoil and many of his foreign clients fled without claiming their made-to-order puppets — that he decided to incorporate these puppets into his shows.

“There were a lot,” Tizar recalls. “I didn’t know what to do with these bule puppets.”

He could not stand to just let the strange-looking, mostly fair-skinned puppets sit to one side, abandoned. “I remembered I had always dreamed about doing something for Jakarta. I wanted it to have its own version of puppets. The Javanese have theirs, the Sundanese theirs. The Betawi didn’t [at that time],” he said.

It did not take long for the idea of creating a puppet style to represent Jakarta natives to take hold, and golek Betawi — “golek” being Sundanese for puppet — was born.

“At the Betawi puppet shows, I perform stories based on the Dutch colonial era and I use the bule puppets I have as Dutch soldiers,” Tizar explains.

Among his puppets fashioned after real people are former US President George HW Bush and his wife, Barbara, which he used in a performance during Bush’s visit to Jakarta in 1994. “We even made a puppet of the president’s dog and it was also included in the five-minute performance,” Ricky says. “The president loved it.”

But Tizar’s favorite creations are the puppets he made during his first few years as a dalang because they can do special things. “My puppets can smoke, eat noodles and vomit,” Tizar laughs.

Inspired by puppets used in Japanese bunraku , that country’s traditional puppet theater, Tizar learned new techniques. He began to master the art of creating puppets that could blink their eyes and move their mouths.

He was so successful that his puppets progressively advanced from the original techniques he found in bunraku. When he performed in Japan, the audience was amazed, he says. “A professor who also makes bunraku puppets was part of the audience,” Tizar says. “He asked me a lot of questions, such as how could the puppet’s nose grow longer, or how they could puff on cigarettes.”

Tizar’s golek Betawi have become such a hit that he has been invited to perform all over Indonesia and abroad. One secret, Tizar says, is that he often tells stories built on current events.

“As long as you know the basics of the story, with all the characters, you can change the setting to today,” he says.

As long as the essence of the legend is intact, anything can be incorporated. “Take, for example, when [Islamic group] Muhammadiyah asked me to perform. I used a story about raids over so-called wrongdoings, you know like the ones [by hard-line Muslim group] FPI, but the main character was Si Jampang [a legendary Betawi character said to have lived during the colonial era].”

Does he touch on today’s really hot issues, such as the Corruption Eradication Commission’s problems or the Bank Century bailout? No, Tizar says, but he has been asked to. “How can I tell a story whose truth is still unknown? Like Antasari [Azhar], we still don’t know whether he is involved or not. I don’t want to judge in my stories,” he says, referring to the former head of the anticorruption body. “One thing for sure is that I don’t want to become famous on [the back of] people’s sorrows.”

The only thing Tizar wants now is to see new Betawi puppeteers follow in his footsteps. The only person he sees as able to fulfill his wish at the moment is his son Ricky. “I did not create this for myself, this is for everyone,” he says.

Tizar says he would like to see the Jakarta administration set up a school where anyone can learn golek Betawi. “It’s too bad they haven’t thought about things like that,” he says. “It would be hard for me to do it myself. First, I’m too old to build a school. Then it wouldn’t be easy to secure a location for it and get the funding. I’m tired.”

Tizar also has harsh words for Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo, whom he says did not fulfill his promise to help preserve his art. In an encounter with the governor a month before the city’s anniversary last year, Tizar says Fauzi promised him some stages that he could use to perform on during the celebrations. “I remember he said: ‘I’ll have my people contact you’ when I gave him my business card, but nothing happened,” Tizar says.

“When I met him again on a different occasion, he asked about that and I told him what happened and he made another promise, but it was the same. Nothing happened. It was just lip service.”

Tizar says that the failure to preserve the country’s traditional arts can lead to problems, such as the claims other countries have made to Indonesia’s heritage. “And when it happens,” Tizar says, “people can only cry out loud.”

Christmas celebrations, the Indonesian way

ID Nugroho and Anissa S. Febrina, The Jakarta Post, Wed, 12/30/2009 11:01 AM

Celebrating Mother Earth: Young people from Ngandong hamlet, Argosoka, Dukun, Magelan perform a play titled Bumiku Ibuku or My Earth, My Mother, at the foot of Mount Merapi, to celebrate Christmas 2009 with an environmental message. JP/Suherdjoko

For any religious or cultural celebration turned universal, there’s sure to be a streak of local hue.

While most Christians tend to commemorate the birth of Jesus on Dec. 25, they celebrate Christmas in more diverse ways than we can imagine.

Santa no longer only sports a vivid red attire, spreading joy along with us humming “Jingle Bells” in English, and Christmas dinner means a different menu at tables across the country.

If you’re bored with the Western-style Santa, try finding a local one in Central Java’s Magelang. One that knocks on doors and speaks in polite Javanese. One that has forgone his white-trimmed costume and fake white beard, opting for a traditional striped lurik (an Indigenous Javanese handwoven fabric) and a real beard instead.

Living in a tropical country, this Santa doesn’t ride a sleigh pulled by Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, but pedals a rickshaw, followed by his elves also dressed in Javanese attire.

Meanwhile, Christmas Eve and Day masses take on a local feel in different churches.

In East Java’s Poh Sarang Church, the choir sings songs in Javanese along the pentatonic melody of a group of traditional musicians playing gamelan. Hours away from there, in the Maduranese-dominated Jember, the East Java Christian Church holds a service in Maduranese.

“We combine Bahasa Indonesia, Maduranese and Javanese in our church activities,” Sapto Wardoyo, the head of the church says. Not only that, this church also uses a special Maduranese Bible, which was translated in 1982 by Cicilia Jeanne d’Arc Hasaniah Waluyo.

In Bekasi’s Kampung Sawah, the congregation follows a service in Betawi and sings gospel songs in the same language. And guess what the local Christmas treat is? Yup, dodol. The sweet sticky cake made of glutinous rice replaces the Western style Christmas cakes or ginger bread.

Aside from church services, Santa and the Christmas tree, food has always been part of the celebration. And what’s on the dinner table depends on where you’re celebrating.

Betawi Christmas: Catholics wearing traditional Betawi clothes walk in a procession at the Christmas mass in the Betawi Church of Santo Servatius, in a kampung in East Java, on the Dec. 24. JP/P.J. Leo

“Celebrating Christmas in Ambon, my hometown, means attending the midnight mass on the 24th and then spending time until dawn with my extended family in the house of my mother’s older sister,” says housewife Monica Tinangon who comes from a mixed Ambon and Manado background.

“We chat, we sing and we have a lot of catching up to do on Christmas Eve as most of us live in different cities. And for the families who came all the way from Jakarta, it’ll be the wrong time to be wanting to rekindle with papeda [traditional porridge made of sago],” she explains.

“On Christmas day, we want something extraordinary on the table. Pork in soy sauce, pork rica, basically pork becomes the symbol of our celebration. The savory treats are then topped with cakes and tarts, an influence from the Dutch culture,” Monica goes on.

“Usually, there’ll be two separate buffet tables, one covered with pork dishes and another with halal food like grilled fish for our Muslim guests.”

After the night’s feast and hours of chat, families will go for a second mass the next morning and visit friends and relatives for the rest of the day.

“For us, Christmas is that night we spend together. Back as a family, after months of being busy with our own lives. Gifts are not important, so long as we’re together.”

But celebrating the traditional Christmas in Jakarta where she resides requires a bit of adjustment.

“If we don’t get to go back to Ambon, we decide to go for a simpler celebration. I go to the morning mass with my husband and children and cook simple food just in case guests are coming. No pork, just the cakes and klapertaart [coconut tart] remain.”

Just like Monica, Ronny Poluan who originates from Tomohon, North Sulawesi, has had to tone down his Christmas celebrations since living miles away from his extended family.

For the country: The Vokalista choir performs a play titled God is good to everyone at the Jakarta Convention Center, Jakarta, on Sunday, Dec. 27, in front of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, for the national Christmas celebration. JP/P.J. Leo

“The traditional Christmas dinner in my hometown usually involves canine meat. It’s not only the highlight of the feast, it has a deeper philosophical meaning as dogs are considered our soul guardians,” Ronny explained.

Canine meat dishes or known locally as RW – a short for rintek wuuk or soft fur, a term referring to dogs – originate from Manado and Minahasa local customs. Other customs didn’t survive the Spanish and Dutch introduction of Christianity, he added.

“Unlike the Batak, frankly speaking, we’ve sort of lost parts of our customs. Thus, the way we celebrate Christmas is not that different from the general way.”

Slightly further to the south, in East Nusa Tenggara’s Atambua, Mateus Guides agrees that whatever is served on the plate, togetherness is the main ingredient of Christmas celebrations. A table with a simple meal and beverages becomes the centerpiece of the living room in his wooden-walled and dirt-floored home. No sparkly Christmas tree with piles of gifts underneath.

Despite the humble setting, his relatives come from different parts of the province to spend a day or more there. Uniquely, if others like Monica and Ronny have a list of special dishes to serve, Mateus’ family makes a point of not serving certain foods on Christmas day, namely fish.

“No fish for Christmas,” he said, adding that it was an inherited belief he could not explain. The closest possible explanation for the custom is that fish comes from the sea, which represents a form of higher power and thus off limits for celebrations.

East and west, north and south, wherever and however one celebrates it and whatever becomes the highlight of the feast, Christmas – like perhaps any other religious celebration – boils down to being together and sharing joyous moments with family and friends.

Dancing in the streets for the good old days

Indah Setiawati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 12/05/2009 10:05 PM

The rain Saturday did not dampen the spirits of Menteng residents, who turned out in droves for the first-ever celebration of the elite historical area.

Semarak Menteng, a two-day festival organized by Sahabat Menteng and the Central Jakarta Municipality, featured a bazaar, Brazilian martial art form Capoeira, dancing, including breakdance, and a photo exhibition depicting the old and new Menteng.

For many senior citizens who lived in Menteng in their youth, the event was an opportunity for a reunion. At the reunion, former residents shared memories of Menteng as a friendly neighborhood.

“Menteng has changed,” resident Bandji Asaari, 64, told The Jakarta Post. “It used to be Menteng. Now it is Benteng [a fort].”

He said during his childhood, houses in Menteng were not surrounded by high walls and gates. Rather, the beautiful architecture of houses was visible.

“When children passed these beautiful houses, they were inspired to have the same,” he said.

Bandji said he mostly missed having warm, friendly neighbors, saying the current situation greatly differed from the past when residents knew each other.

The bazaar continues on Sunday and a parade of Betawi, India and Japanese culture, kung fu, a percussion band and decorative bicycles.

There will also be presentation of Menteng Senior Awards for residents who have made a contribution to the country, including Emil Salim and Rosihan Anwar.

Textile Museum desires more collections

Triwik Kurniasari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 01/15/2009 1:01 PM

Emma Agus Bisri, head of Sirih Nanas Foundation, felt relief after she handed over pieces from her Betawi collection to the Textile Museum in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta.

The foundation, which specializes in education and preserving Betawi culture, donated four old batik cloths and four sarongs, a kebaya encim (traditional Betawi blouse) called Karancang Betawi and a set of red crystal betel pots.

“It’s about preserving Betawi culture. I hope that visitors, especially art lovers, will enjoy their beauty,” Emma told The Jakarta Post, adding that she had inherited these artifacts from her ancestors.

Besides Emma, two other foundation members, Hamidah Thamsir and Maharani Kemal, each donated one sarong.

Emma said all collectibles are between 75 and 100 years old, each of them having a different pattern.

One of the batiks reportedly belonged to a Dutch batik painter, Van Zuylen, and dates back to the 1920s to the 1930s.

“I hope this [the collection] will encourage other Betawi cloth collectors to donate to the museum,” she said.

Built in the 19th century and formerly a French private residence the museum is located on Jl. KS Tubun. It has about 1,800 cloth pieces from around the archipelago. Most of them are batik.

Judi Knight-Achjadi, an honorary curator at the museum, also encourages donations. She has given dozens of woven cloth and sarongs to the museum. Head of the museum, Dyah Damayanti, welcomes this.

“We only had seven Betawi cloths before members of Sirih Nanas Foundation gave us their pieces,” Dyah said.

“I hope more collectors will come forward with donations. You don’t need to worry because we will take good care of the cloth. We have a laboratory which examines the artifacts’ condition.”