Endearing Westerners

Endearing Westerners

In 1991, I happened to be overseas for a while. Around a dozen
of my friends back home were given my address, and I kept in
touch with some of them, both Indonesians and foreigners. Imagine
my surprise when on the same week as Idul Fitri a greeting card
arrived from an American friend in Bandung. Underneath the
regular printed message, she had written: "Eat your heart out! We
have been having delicious ketupat and gulai over here!" Ketupat
are traditional Indonesian packets of steamed rice, while gulai
is lamb stew). I was touched, pleased, and amused by getting a
card from this unexpected source. She was not a Moslem but lived
among Islamic people in Bandung. Her card showed sensitivity and
thoughtfulness to an Indonesian friend.

At a hotel dinner reception some time ago, I was standing in
line, empty plate in hand, along with other guests near the roast
beef stand. The attendant was slicing pieces of meat with his
knife and placing them on guests' plates. When I got to the
table, a westerner two steps behind me got served first. To the
westerner's credit, he said to the hotel employee: "This
gentleman was in front, you know," and demonstratively exchanged
his plate of roast beef for my still-empty plate. The attendant
meekly nodded, and even added an extra slice for me. What a
shame. At the next stand, I said to the westerner: "Thanks for
the gesture." To the attendant, I had said emphatically and
pointedly: "Terima kasih sekali, ya! (Thanks a lot, OK?!)" after
the somewhat forced extra helping.

My final account involves an Englishman now residing in
Indonesia after living some years in Hong Kong. He stayed with
his family for a time in a Jakarta hotel while waiting for a more
permanent place to live. While having a chat with him one night,
we discussed a mutual friend we knew still living in Hong Kong.
Acting on an urge, I said I would write the person a postcard and
bought one from the hotel drugstore. Rejoining my friend, I
jotted down a few lines to our friend and addressed it (as is my
habit): "Hong Kong, B.C.C." My English friend said: "You don't
have to write 'British Crown Colony'. Hong Kong belongs to China
just as Jakarta belongs to Indonesians." To me, this was a very
sympathetic statement revealing a principled character.

It is these types of Westerners that endear themselves to
Indonesian hearts.

FARID BASKORO

Jakarta