Indonesians celebrating Idul Fitri abroad
Indonesians celebrating Idul Fitri abroad
JAKARTA (JP): Being away from home is already hard for most
people. It becomes especially hard during holidays like Idul
Fitri, a time when families and friends get together.
How do people cope with being in a foreign country during such
an holiday like Idul Fitri? Three Indonesians who have
experienced the Moslem holy day abroad share their experience.
Ami Soerjadi, a house wife living in Hong Kong, said Ramadhan
and Idul Fitri are the best time for the Indonesian community in
Hong Kong to get close to each other. During Ramadhan, they
intensify their spiritual activities like Koran reciting and the
evening Tarawih prayers.
She said it is quite surprising that not only the Indonesian
consulate families actively engage in the religious activities
but also other Indonesians.
Many Indonesian women who are married to other non-Indonesians
are eager to join the Koran reciting group organized by the
consulate's Dharma Wanita, the civil servants' wives
organization.
"Living so far away from home, it is important for us to set
up close relations with other Indonesians. Every time we pray
together we feel that we are a big family," Ami said.
In Hong Kong, the Tarawih evening prayer is performed at the
consulate's mosque.
"In Indonesia, I rarely go to the mosque and I don't even know
my own neighbors," she admitted.
When Lebaran comes, most Indonesian families gather at the
consulate to celebrate.
"Sometimes, we miss our families in Indonesia and the busy
preparations to welcome the Idul Fitri Day," Ami said.
In Hong Kong, Indonesian families usually flock to an
Indonesian shop selling various Indonesian food and spices.
"But, we usually order ketupat directly from Indonesia
just to create the Idul Fitri atmosphere," Ami explained.
Although they live in a foreign country the essence of Idul
Fitri -- universal brotherhood and forgiveness -- are still felt,
she added.
Rini Soeryo, a former student in a small town in New York
State, said she spent two Idul Fitri holidays in the U.S., but
didn't fast because she had the flu and couldn't stand the cold.
"I was so sad the first time because it wasn't anything like
lebaran," said Rini.
No one buys new clothes and worse, "If there are lectures to
attend, Indonesian students don't go to Idul Fitri prayers. But I
was used to this the second time around."
She said it took four or five hours to get to the consulate in
Washington or New York to attend the Idul Fitri prayers.
"But there is an Islamic Center in New York State. It's
actually a building which followers of different religions take
turns using."
Rini spent Idul Fitri Day by having lunch with 30 other
Indonesians.
"We each brought our own dish. Last time I made fried eggs in
chili sauce (telur balado) and hot sauteed sausages," said Rini
who is from West Sumatra, where most foods are spicy. Ingredients
were easy to get at a store catering to Asians, she added.
But of course it is impossible to get the leaves to wrap the
ketupat (boiled rice). "We had unwrapped ketupat," said Rini.
She didn't send any gifts home to her parents, because would
have preferred for them to be hand delivered. "I just called home
like I do once a week."
Gilang Ramadhan, a drummer, recalls spending Ramadhan and Idul
Fitri in Los Angeles.
He was studying traditional percussion at Los Angeles City
College. "I fasted most of the time during Ramadhan in the years
between 1980 and 1982. In the summer sahur ends at about 3:30
a.m. and the breaking of the fast is at 9:30 p.m. so it was quite
an ordeal. I had to practice the drum for hours."
"At lunch, everybody thought I was sick because I didn't eat.
It was a temptation I had to endure," Gilang said.
When Idul Fitri rolled around, it was exciting because "we
prayed with famous figures like former boxing champion Muhammad
Ali and basketball star Kareem Abdul Jabbar." (raw/anr)