Little impressions of Indonesia

1. Maybe because I am caucasian but people in Indonesia always smiled at me. Children ran to me calling me "bule", "bule". It means westerner I guess. Any time I was lost or I didn't know something people were helpful. Many young people speak English. I find it as a sign of respect toward each other that Indonesian call each other brother or sister. In public services like cafes or restaurants they call the waiters or waitresses something like "maaaaa" or "maaas".:) it means brother/sister and I think this is a very respectful way to call someone.

2. Indonesian culture is incredibly rich. I love WAYANG, I brought a lot of them to Europe, Samiaji and Arjuna are even at the moment looking at me from my shelves. Every time I look at them it brings me back to Yogyakarta. I can feel the fragnances there and the heat of summer. In Yogyakarta they still respect a lot the Sultan who is a simbolic figure of their society. The buddhist stupa Borobudur or the hindu temple Prambayan are breathtaking places. In Bali Ubud is an other special place for culture and art. From a designer point of view Indonesia and Indonesian culture is a golden mine.

3. Bali is a pearl within the country. They have their own Balinese religion which is a local version of hinduism with wonderful temples and traditions. And they still follow these traditions. The island is a bit touristy nowadays because of the lot of Australian tourists and some local people are very pushy when they try to sell you something. But if you ignore the "industry" you will be able to explore the incredible beauty of that place. Actually I am in love with Bali and with the entire country.

4.The food is very tasty. I love every type of AYAM (chicken) and in good restaurants they serve the food in a way that makes me feel like being a king. Their kitchen is very healthy, I always lose weight in Indonesia:) 

4. Girls are very moral. Its the shy Asian culture that they do not wear bikini, many of them are going to the ocean in shorts and t-shirts. As Indonesia is a muslim country many women are covering their hair and they act very modest and respectful. Of course this is very different from my experience in Europe, but I respect their culture. My favorite style there is when ladies are riding their motorbike looking beautiful and very modern in their helmet, wearing a simple slipper or sandal with a wonderful summer dress. That is very stylish and heartbreaking.:) My female Indonesian friends told me that they wish to have white skin like Europeans but this is the biggest mistake I have ever heard. They maybe do not know that European ladies are spending a lot of money to have tanned skin and Indonesian people (both man and women) are just beautiful with thier wonderful skin.  

5. From European perspective Indonesia is extremely cheap. To get there is expensive but as soon as you are there you will get everything for a very good price. This is true for the high level services, restaurants, taxies, hotels and other services, too. I hope that economically this country is facing a bright future because Indonesia is a paradise with a lot of potentials.