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 Smile..The Circus Comes to Town by pangtidor The guest will be the king for the host in Indonesia. The travel warnings and terrorists' attacks may lead you to the misinterpretation on how the Indonesians will react toward the Westerners. In fact, you will see many Indonesians welcome you with their generousity. Domestic tourists and the tourists from surrounding countries could be seen as local people here. The 'White and Black' people could be seen as circus comes to town when you visit a smaller cities in Indonesia. You will be greeted all along the way, so just smile and say hello. The White/Caucasians will be called as BULE (boo-lay) and the Black/Africans will be called as NEGRO or AFRICA. DON'T BE OFFENDED !!! That is the way of local people to address you, dont misinterpret it as an intimidation. By seeing their face full of smile by saying your 'pet name', you will know that it is not the way to intimidate you.:-)
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Every country has their own way to respect others accordingly, depend on their own culture. When you travel to Indonesia, knowing the ethics of local people could be helpful to enjoy your time more. The most important thing is RESPECT THE ELDERS. When somebody is much older than you (like your parents’ ages), you should not call him/her by their name. Call him with PAK (pack) or BAPAK (bah-pack) before his name. For a lady, call her BU (boo) or IBU (ee-boo) before her name. A bow, a smile, raising your hand, or saying hi/hello will be appropriate when somebody greets you. Shaking hands will be ok in all the places. For the relatives or close friends, a hug is ok. Kissing each other cheeks will be accepted among the female. Male don’t suppose to do to the female when you don’t know each other. In the big cities, it will be ok. In most of areas, for the casual occasion you may address the female as MBAK (mm-bag) and male as MAS (mass), or you may call them by their own name. Use your right hand for giving/getting something to/from others and for shaking hands. In most of the areas, touching somebody’s head (the stranger) is considered as disrespectful. Always say thank you for your appreciation. It is TERIMA KASIH (tah-ree-ma kah-seeh) in INDONESIA.
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 The woman with the pigs by tere1 In Bali you should never take a photo of the locals without asking them permission. Many people don't like it and it happened to me. I tried to take a photo of a woman who was walking in the street with some little pigs on her head. She turned around, not letting me take a shot of her face. My guide then explained me that many people believe that if you take their photos you can take away their souls. It's a religious thing. So don't make the same mistake I did. I was able though to get this pic of her from behind. Leave a Comment
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 Doing batik by tere1 The Batik of Bali provides another venue of showing the artistic excellence of the Balinese people. Their beautiful designs, inspired by religious mythologies to everyday encounters, spread throughout the world. Originally stimulated by Javanese motifs, dominated by mythological characters, contemporary batik artists have also experienced artistic development that parallels that of paintings. The Ikat and Double Ikat are two amazing techniques that the Balinese have perfected. The village of Tenganan is well known for its superb double ikat work. A good piece of double ikat may take months to complete, and it usually belongs to the family heirloom. You can find pieces of batik anywhere in Bali and you can also visit these textile manufacturers and watch them working. Leave a Comment
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by Pierre_Rouss Sumatra and Kalimantan are at least 97% Muslim. That brings with it all muslim cultural related tips : they pray a few times a day, don't use your left hand to give or receive something, no pork, etc... Fondest memories : Being awaken at 5 AM in the morning by prayers sung through loud speakers for EVERYBODY to ear and listen to. Same thing late in the evening while relaxing on a patio. Leave a Comment
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by Sharrie Yes - Ya No - Tidak Thank you - Terima Kasih Please - Silahkan/Tolong Sorry - Maaf Excuse Me - Maaf I don't understand - Saya tidak mengerti Do you speak English? - Apakah anda bisa bicara bahasa Inggeris? How are you? - Apa Kabar? Good morning - Selamat pagi Good afternoon - Selamat siang Good night - Selamat malam Good bye - Selamat tinggal Leave a Comment
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ONE THING THAT SEEMS TO BE A CUSTOM IS ENTERING INTO THE WILD AND CRAZY TRAFFIC DRIVING ANTICS OF JAKARTA!!! : ) IF YOU DRIVE SAFELY YOU MIGHT GET HIT..?? !!! Leave a Comment
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by sandravdp The main religion is Hinduism at Bali Island, most other Indonesian islands are muslim islands. One thing you will see everytime of this religion are the offers for the gods on the streets (little flowerbaskets) and the drawing / puppet etc. of the good God Barong. Leave a Comment
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by sandravdp The people from Indonesian are very kind. They are polite and sometimes will try to speak your language. On Bali most people are Hindus. They offer flowers in tiny baskets they plant on the sidewalk. Don't step on it! When greeting, never offer your lefthand, they think it's your dirtyhand. The hand that wipes your behind. Indonesian try to sell you their things. Never buy their food at takeaways it has been lying there for ages. Also watch out buying other things. Most labelthings are fake (a rolex watch is not real e.g.) When invited you can visit a dance or funeral. Dress properly. They like you to wear a long dress and a hat. Leave a Comment
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Due to Indonesia being a largely Muslim country dress should remain modest outside of Bali. Many female travellers come straight from Thailand and continue to wear revealing clothing and then wonder why they are being stared at by men. To avoid unwanted attention, particularly in remote areas women should have their shoulders covered. Simple t-shirt will do, avoid strappy tops and tops that show off cleavage. Moreover, just show that you respect the local culture by covering up a bit. Leave a Comment
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