Selamat Idul Fitri

We're headed off to Kalimantan for a week because the city (and most of the country) is shut down for the end of Ramadan holiday. We get two days off for the holiday and then are forced to take three more "mandatory vacation days," a concept that would never fly back in the States.

We're going to spend the week exploring the canals and river villages around the South Kalimantan capital, Banjarmasin. We're leaving for the airport momentarily and returning next weekend.

For those of you celebrating other, more Jewish holidays, we wish you a happy new year!

Ramadan's Shofar

You learn something new every day. On my way to the wholesale clothing market last weekend, I was stuck in horrible traffic (nothing new there) and, as I gazed out the window, I realized that the street was lined with drums, made mostly of brightly painted oil drums. Turns out I was not simply stuck on drum street (shops tend to be grouped like that, so to stumble on the drum area actually seemed normal) - these are special holiday drums, bedug.
Bedug are large drums used in mosques to mark the end of the long day of fasting. The shofar of Ramadan, so to speak. Traditionally this is a wooden drum with one or both sides covered with goat or cow hides which come from the slaughtered animals on Idul Adha. Today they still use the hides, but the drums are made from almost anything that can be made into a drum.As it turns out, I was actually near the goat market, which, out of convenience, becomes drum row this time of year. I think we might have to buy one of the drums… would not want those poor little goats to go to waste, would we?

Goodbyes, Puasa and Mudik

To kick of Ramadan, a couple weekends ago we headed back to the Canadian bungalows in hills outside Jakarta. There is not much to tell - we ate a lot of cheese, drank a lot of wine and Howie declared the weekend a success since he did not wear shoes until we got dressed to go back to Jakarta. This picture of our friend Gilles bringing us Bloody Maries by the pool basically sums the weekend up.This past weekend we staying in Jakarta for yet another goodbye party. This time for our friend Manoah, who is moving to Singapore. We know we will see him a lot, but this was a good excuse to get a lot of people together and have a good time (Manoah's specialty.) The night started with 30 people at an Italian restaurant and then we moved on to a karaoke place where about 10 more people joined. This was our first non-China karaoke experience and, to be honest, I am bummed it took us this long to participate. It was the double VIP room (VV.II.PP?), there were about 5 mics and the drinks were flowing. Everyone was singing and dancing and it was a great time. The songs ranged for fabulous 80s to the traditional and dangdut (a mix of Indonesian/ Malay folk, Arabic and Indian music which is as fun as it sounds.) Check out Howie's awesome new shirt as well - it was floral and stretchy!

In the midst of all this, it is Ramadan, which I have to say I really enjoy. Every day, the sunset call to prayer rings out thru radios in the office and half the office goes running into the kitchen. The break-fast of choice is a drink called kolak, which is a (sickly) sweet drink with bananas and sweet potatoes and various other bits. Howie loves it, I personally cannot think of anything I would less like to eat after starving all day. From there they move on to the savory or, actually anything they can get their hands on. Dates are also common Ramadan food and I had a field day with my friend Trish at the market the other day where there is just stand after stand of dates from all around the world.

But more than just watching people enjoy eating so much, I love the vibe in the air. There is a togetherness in the Ramadan puasa (fast) that I find unmatched in any other holiday. While it is only Muslims who are expected to fast, many people who are not Muslim fast in solidarity. The day starts with a "Selemat Berpuasa" (Happy Fasting!) and ends with a "Selamat Buka Puasa" (technically happy opening of the fast, which, I know, is confusing.)

For those of us who do eat, there is a solidarity around that too. Like smokers, we are confined to small areas where people hope no one is looking. There are curtains closed in all the restaurants, despite the "open" signs and, my personal favorite, is the serving of alcohol in tea and coffee cups. As if they are fooling anyone. And, no matter your religion, all day people talk about fasting, who is fasting, what time it over, what they are going to eat, and where they are going for the long Lebaran holiday that concludes Ramadan.

Mudik, the special word for traveling home for the holiday, is like the Thanksgiving trek home. There are no tickets anywhere anymore, buses, trains and planes are all booked out. The malls are packed with people buying special clothing for the holiday and anyone who gets you alone for more than 5 minutes asks where you are headed for the holiday. I love it. Even if we missed the boat and have no tickets anywhere for the holiday... but I will not get into that and ruin the holiday spirit.