Causes of widow

I am working as a volunteer for the American Studies Center in Medan, North Sumatra. Since the center's activities focus on American studies, especially American culture, its is the only center established in cooperation between USU (Sumatra Utara University) and American Government, after the Medan-based American Consulate was closed.

A few days ago a friend from Florida visited the Center. She is an American working as a nurse in a hospital in Florida. Several minutes after she was seated, a group of students (around 15 of them) came in. They were students of the School of Letters majoring in English. They were led by Mrs. Chadijah, the Chief of the Center. The students were introduced to my friend. Soon a various questions covering different aspects of life in the U.S. in general and in Florida in particular poured in. She answered all the questions in her specific style -- humorous and with slimes. She also questioned the students about Indonesia.

Some time after this question and answer session, she told the audience that she was a widow. Her husband -- a doctor -- died of cancer. I did not know why she suddenly wanted to know about widows in this country. I had to speak out. A widow (janda in Indonesian), like in the West, is a woman whose husband has died. But in Indonesia janda can also have other meanings. A widow can be a woman who is divorced or a woman whose husband has left her without a formal divorce.

M. ALI PAWIRO

Medan, North Sumatra