Speaking of the spreading of viruses, the Stump and the female colleague were accosted in the Pondok Indah Mall (It’s an amusement to come and watch the Kaya Baru..Newly Rich flaunt themselves) when we were accosted by Indonesia’s version of the three witches.
Where are you from?
Where do you live?
Etc etc ..until our colleague was hit with the usual highly personal but inevitable ..
What religion are you?
Upon being told the answer followed the outrageous..
Why are you not wearing the Jilbab ??
To the Stump’s eternal pleasure and outright laughter..
Colleague replied
“Because I am an Indonesian with adat (customs/traditions) not an Arab Pembantu (Maid/Servant)”
Unfortunately any pretence of civil conversation kinda declined thereafter. Where the @@@@ do these morons get the idea they have right to pry and push into others lives??
Still, after recently reviewing an old picture book of traditional Jakarta and Indonesia, one can certainly see where the current virus has certainly ripped the heart from Indonesian traditional dress and mores and replaced it with the drab and colourless dress of distant and irrelevant desert tribes. Funny you would think the vibrancy of colours and traditions would have meant the smothering of a culture would have gone the other way but there you have it. I guess the question, is will the patient ever recover and reclaim her identity? Prognosis does not seem good.
None So Blind
On other matters, did anyone notice the safe return of the Maid from Palestine, who was not paid for five years and made to work in appalling conditions? Yet, a large section of the Indonesian population still honestly believes that these people consider them equals. Does the term “Untermensch” ring any bells people?
A Timely Intervention
The Stump owes Desi Anwar and Jakartass a vote of thanks for adding yet another emotion evoked when the name Elvis is mentioned. Although in this case, the emotion is not one associated with Music but rather the need to burst out with a grand,gut wrenching belly laugh. Seems our local Elvis the plonker has decided that clocks lead to ruination of youth! Check this quote out.."Usually, around 300,000 people gather at the clock every New Year's Eve to witness the clock strike 12, marking the change of year. Youngsters express their happiness by hugging their mates, and even kissing"... Ah those fiends, those children of the corn!
As scary as it may be to get into the minds of dodos of this magnitude, one can only assume, Elvis the galah has decided the Clock Tower in Bukittinggi (High Hill?) Central Square was a ring leader in leading the local populace away from the ranting of the resident joy Nazis. Therefore, on New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day the clock face was draped in a monumental version of the Chadar.
Mmmm, the Stump wonders how far is from clock faces giving offence and the Taliban blowing up statues thousands of years old and world heritage listed. Certainly the debased logic (?) seems linked..It’s enough to make the original Elvis turn to drugs and binge eating! You really have to follow the links, read this and laugh (although if you are Indonesian, cry might be a more understandable option).
Stay tuned for the next piece of lunacy..the pace is picking up
No comments:
Post a Comment