Greeting poses a problem

Greeting poses a problem

In 1985, I had a journalist friend from Norway visiting me
while he was writing an article on Islam in Indonesia for a
magazine. When the report was published, he sent me a copy of the
magazine. I noticed that the article began with "Hello Mister!"
as a way of showing how he had been warmly welcomed by the
villagers.

Eleven years later, I have found that the greeting makes some
foreigners (at least Mr. Gliwitzki and Mr. Law) think as though
we come from a different planet. In their view, in "planet"
Indonesia, "Hello Mister!" is an extraordinarily sarcastic
greeting and a smile mostly imparts a negative connotation which
deserves to be ignored.

Perhaps Mr. Law is right: We are in a different social zone.
In Indonesia, where most inhabitants are Moslems, to deliver a
greeting is considered a good deed. But is it so different?
I've been to some European countries and was many times greeted
by the local people, which made me feel pleased.

You don't have to act like an Indonesian while you are in
Indonesia. But isn't a simple greeting or a smile a universal
language? Ignoring it only shows how conceited you are and your
dislike of making contact with others. "Never talk to strangers"
is not one of the things we learn in kindergarten here.

Mr. Parker is absolutely right about how pleased the
Indonesians are if you return their greetings, not to mention if
you greet them first. A return "hello" or a smile will tell them
that you appreciate their effort of being friendly.

Some foreigners may mind the word "mister". But most
Indonesians are not bothered about whether it is the right word
to be used in a greeting or not. The word has become so famous
that it will be the first thing that comes to their minds when
they meet foreigners. Why don't we consider it as "Indonesian
English". We can't say to them: "You must not say 'Hello Mister!'
You should say: 'Good morning, Sir!" unless we are in an English
class.

It is clear that staying for a long time in a certain place is
not enough to understand its people, as long as one does not try
to enjoy being a part of that place.

ABDUSSYUKUR

Bandung, West Java