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)