Comments on: What Makes You An Indonesian?

By: stugod

stugod — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 08:15:49 +0000

Hi harry I am only going to comment on the aspect of would the British call here British.
Yes of course they would the term British was coined to encompass any one that lived in one the 4 territories England Ireland Scotland and Wales and Any one that comes to reside here from whatever culture.
Of course there are still some die-hards that call themselves English or Irish or whatever, But this also applies to immigrants who would call themselves Pakistani or Indians etc.
This being said we are in the melting pot and that will never change.
Anyway I like it but as with any society comprised of so many different cultures it brings it’s own challenges.
Viva la difference as the french say.
stugod´s last [type] ..Welcome to the 3d world of turbocad

By: Marc

Marc — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:27:14 +0000

Bagus sekali, pesannya, terima kasih.
Nama saya Marc. Saya orang Italia yang lahir dan berkembang di Perancis. Saya sekarang tinggal di Kanada tetapi saya tidak senang dengan kebudayaan Amerika Utara / Inggris, juga tidak suka lingkungan kota Toronto. Sebetulnya bukan kepunyaan pasport sebuah negeri yang menyebabkan orang menjadi warganegara negeri itu. Saya punya pasport Kanada tetapi saya tidak menganggap diri sebagai orang kanada, bahkan merasa malu karena kebudayaan Amerika Utara yang jelek itu tidak saya terima. Untuk menghilangkan diri dari lingkungan itu, saya selalu pergi ke toko-toko Cina (saya berbahasa Cantonese), bahkan pergi ke gereja orang Indonesia. Sebetulnya saya ingin pindah ke Indonesia tetapi untuk tinggal untuk selama-lamanya, caranya saya belum tahu. Saya harap menemukan teman yang bisa membantu…

By: mare

mare — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:51:46 +0000

ehhmmm being indonesian is …
maybe mix a large amount of ignorance,religious self esteem , proud, don’t be so easy saying you’re sorry ( well maybe once a year ), ignorance ( i said that twice ) and there you’re indonesian
.-= mare´s last blog ..can cartoon educate people? =-.

By: Finally Woken

Finally Woken — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:44:10 +0000

Wulan: true. My friends have passed their passion about Indonesia to their children, so even though their children never live in Indonesia, they like “kerupuk” and can sing national anthem. Now how can we argue that they are NOT Indonesians?

Syd Bourne (are you a brother or sister of Jason Bourne?): I guess some people, instead of realising that the world is getting “smaller”, choose to live inside their own boxes and don’t relate to reality.

Maureenat: exactly my point. This twitter lady, as far as I know, albeit really smart, has not yet experienced living abroad, so she sees Indonesia from one point and one point only. The longer I read her posts the more I am worried about the state of Indonesia in general. I hope she doesn’t represent most of the citizens who think we – those who live abroad – are ‘traitors’ and not worthy. And yes of course, be my guest to link me in your site.

By: Maureenat

Maureenat — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:54:28 +0000

Interesting topic and very well written.
I for one think that this lady on twitter needs to open up her horizon a little further before making such a strong statement. For me, being Indonesian and spending a few years abroad opens up my knowledge and educated me more about how the government of the country I stayed at works. Like it or not, there will be comparison between the two countries. In short, without trying to sound snobbish, we who has the opportunity to live abroad ‘have seen better’ than those who didn’t know better so for us to voice our opinion and critics in hoping the government would change for the better is not a crime or let alone be labeled as non-Indonesian anymore (no matter what our passport says). Does it make us less Indonesian than the one who never travel or live abroad? I don’t think so! I would still bleed red and white if you cut me open LOL.

Btw, do you mind if I link your site on mine? Thanks.

By: Syd Bourne

Syd Bourne — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:50:34 +0000

The way people arrange themselves seems to be like those rings in tree trunks, that can be used to tell the age of a tree. Or like the Russian dolls that fit inside each other.
First there is “ME”, then 2nd ring “Family”, then there is maybe school or suburb, or kota, or football club, or state, or religion (in no particular order), then country, but after that thers only “Earth Man”. But its how we fit in this world. So patriotism has a real use – its like the ouitermost layer of our upbringing.
But in Indonesia, its getting a bit out of adjustment with sweeping for Malaysians and hot heads wanting to go to war over Ambalat.
To me it means the culture that I wwas brought up with. A place I always feel comfortable and ät home”. However there are other places I feel comfortable and warm, too….. incuding Indonesia

By: Wulan Aquariyanti

Wulan Aquariyanti — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:24:13 +0000

Agree with you, mba.. We can't stop being one and it's just like the gravity we take for granted. But besides blood and ancestry, nationalism is also matter. We're not gonna feel we're Indonesian if we never been taught about Indonesia -its culture, beauty, and even its food taste and all of its imperfections-. Simply, the deep feeling we have for Indonesia completes our blood as Indonesian. .-= Wulan Aquariyanti´s last blog ..Date =-.

By: Finally Woken

Finally Woken — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 10:39:03 +0000

Concerned Indonesian: I think she just sees what she sees and the rest of the world doesn’t matter or must follow her thoughts, and if they don’t agree, they’re either not worthy to be Indonesians or are simply stupid. It’s rather dangerous way of thinking, don’t you agree?

Katadia: I wasn’t trying to raise an argument, I was trying to get people engaged in a more meaningful discussion, and – as ulterior motive – to find out what actually Indonesians think about those who live abroad. So no need to post the twitter message here;)

Fab Mom: I wasn’t talking about technicality about nationality, nor about what your passport tells you who you are. It is more about our origin. I was thinking about the conversations that I am normally in, like when my husband’s grandmother or father introduces me as their granddaughter/daughter (not granddaughter or daughter-in-law), people always look puzzled and in their eyes I could see question (i.e. but she’s not white. Is she adopted? Ah she must be married to your (grand)son). Other people will ask me “Where do you come from?” which basically asks where I am originally from, not about whether I hold British citizenship or not. I agree totally with you that only we know how ‘Indonesian’ we are in our heart. However, do Indonesians who live in Indonesia think about us the same way? The twitter lady doesn’t think so, apparently

Parvita: I actually wonder how many people who think like this Indonesian lady, that Indonesians who live abroad should do more, should give more, before they are allowed to claim to be Indonesians or criticising the government.

Rob: absolutely, so why there’s Indonesian think that since we live outside Indonesia we are not fully Indonesians? And moreover, how many of them thinking like that?

By: Rob

Rob — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 11:58:22 +0000

Criticism is not treason!

Perhaps it is a case of you can take the Indonesian out of Indonesia but you cannot take Indonesia out of the Indonesian.

My advice (not that you want it), don’t sweat the little things and this woman and her views are little
.-= Rob´s last blog .."Scandalous" Advertising… =-.

By: parvita

parvita — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 00:25:23 +0000

You know, the purest love that I have is probably towards my country. Yes, I rant about the government, the people, the politics, etc., but I just can’t stop loving Indonesia. This is the place I will always call home. When there is a tsunami, earthquake, bomb, my heart breaks, my mood swings down. When I travel too long, I miss Indonesia so bad.

Indonesia is always home to me, no matter my passport, my hair color, where I live. I have cried for Indonesia, my heart bloomed when I saw the flag raised underwater in Bunaken on the Independence day. I guess that women is just…not thinking?
.-= parvita´s last blog ..Blogging: need the time to listen to my mind =-.