A Feminist is Born: Raden Adjeng Kartini

Java floods the senses. It is heat and spice and history. It is trade and religion and turbulence. Deep cultural roots, firmly staked belief systems, and long years of colonial and civil strife envelope the land in a patch-work cloud of contradictions.

But every April 21^st, on the day of her birth, one woman rises above this cloud. A self-educated pioneer of feminism, she is a nationally recognized hero. Her name was Raden Adjeng Kartini, and once a year the nation of Indonesia celebrates her day: Kartini Day.

Portrait of Raden Ajeng Kartini (from the Tropenmuseum collection)

Welcome to the World

Before coming to Indonesia, I thought I was a pretty community oriented person. But, as with their fruit and dancing, the Javanese bring community to a whole new level.

Idul Adha: The Feast of the Sacrifice

Disclaimer: This post is about animal sacrifice. While I have not included anything particularly shocking, there are pictures in this post of raw meat and animals about to meet their ultimate demise.

This post also contains information about Islam. In no way do I claim to be an expert on any type of theology or religion, especially not Islam. If I have written anything that you believe to be untrue, please correct me in the comments. I would love to learn more! Happy reading.

You think about a lot of things when you witness the slaughter of a sacrificial cow. Like how strange it is that humans are the only predators on Earth who buy an animal in advance, kill it, package its meat, and store it until they decide to cook it and eat it – how we don’t have claws or razor sharp teeth, but are so frighteningly smart that we don’t need them. It also strikes you that the world is a much harsher place for our four-legged brethren than many Americans like to believe. 

Eid Mubarak

This past week followers of Islam across the World celebrated one of their biggest holidays: Eid al-Fitr, or as it is known here in Indonesia, Idul Fitri.

Idul Fitri marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, and is a time to ask forgiveness for the sins of the past year and to feast together with family and friends. Eid refers to a variety of Islamic festivals, and during a day of Eid, Muslims are forbidden from fasting. It is a day to celebrate and to come together as a community. Indonesian Muslims greet their neighbors and relations with, “Eid Mubarak” (Blessed Eid) and “Mohon maaf lahir dan batin” (I ask forgiveness for transgressions both seen and unseen.)

Ramadan ends in fireworks, drums, large gatherings of people, and lots and lots of food. Tables are set with jars of snacks and sweets, and families travel from house to house of neighbors and relatives to eat, celebrate, and forgive. Children, much to their delight, are given pocket-money by older adults in the family. The celebration of Idul Fitri technically lasts two days, but families will often travel to visit relatives further afield, or coworkers will gather during the following week.

Table set with sweets and snacks to share with family and neighbors.

Tape (tah-pay) or fermented rice. Comes in white or purple- sweet and delicious!

In fact, so many people travel during Idul Fitri in Indonesia that it is known as one of the largest temporary human migrations in the World. Called either “mudik” or “pulang kampung” (return to the village), families return home to where they or their parents were born. I wondered about the amount of road repair going on in the months leading up to Idul Fitri. I thought it was a nice gesture from the government to do a little infrastructural improvement before the holiday. When, however, I was invited to “mudik” with my counterpart teacher and her family to her inlaw’s home in Tulungagung, I saw first-hand that this was not simply a kind gesture. With the number of cars and motorbikes on the road (and the often poor state of those roads), and people returning to their home-villages in droves, it is absolutely necessary. And I thought Christmas traffic was bad!

Enjoying Tulungagung City Square with my counterpart teacher and her family. They were kind enough to adopt me into their family for the holiday!

But getting an opportunity to take part in this “migration” was truly a treat. I was invited with warmth and welcome into so many homes. I have shaken more hands than I can count, impressed many an Indonesian with my ability to speak even just a few mispronounced words of Javanese, and eaten more cookies and tape (not the sticky adhesive, but traditional fermented rice) than I probably should have. I was graciously given a glimpse into family life here on the island of Java during one of the most special holidays of the year. I was, once again, welcomed with open arms and open hearts. I never cease to be amazed by the incredible hospitality I have found here.

Extended family in Tulungagung.

And we ended it all with a trip to the beach, which, if you have read my earlier posts, you know I always love!

At the beach!

After exhausting ourselves in the waves, we stopped from some smoked fish on the way home.

If you know me well, you know that Christmas is one of my absolute favorite things in the world. I love the story and significance, the lights, the music, the wrapping paper, the cookies, the Starbucks special cups and Christmas flavors, but, most of all, the time spent with family. Getting to see the cultural equivalent here in Indonesia of families and neighbors eating and celebrating together was an experience beyond worth, and one that I will hold close to my heart forever.

One last picture of my counterpart’s husband and children playing in the ocean – the cutest!

Whether you are in the midst of summer vacation, work, or – like here in Indonesia – finishing up the festivities of Eid al-Fitr, I wish you all the best and “mohon maaf lahir dan batin!”