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