Utak-Atik Gatuk: Javanese Word Playing

You can put a new meaning of certain expression with your own thought by making another interpretation of that expression.

It’s all based on the word/expression you’re trying to dig its meaning.

It has no research basis, but it often works, at least for the ‘founder’.

Let’s take the word ‘INDONESIA’.

In (English preposition)

Do (English verb)

Ne (=No)

Sia (sia-sia = useless, in vain)

“If you do a good thing, someday you’ll get the benefits of it”.

👌

Indonesia and Outdonesia: His Joke is Kinda True (to Some Extent)

We found ‘cultural shock’ among foreign nations, even the neighboring countries such as Malaysia and the Philippines, when they visited Indonesia.

“Indonesia is kinda ‘alien’ among countries in the world”.

Let’s skip opinion of good or bad, and here are some examples:

We love spicy food.

We love Durian which is the most expensive fruit here.

We eat rice in breakfast and entire meals in the day for entire life.

We are not too strict/serious even in work environment.

To smile at strangers is okay and there is no any connotation about it but happy, pleased, respect or such.

We have variety of languages, ethnics, religions, races.

Scooter are abundant in streets.

Street food are abundant in streets.

We ‘waste time’ with random chatting in coffee shops or similar occasions.

We come late in scheduled gatherings.

We mix cheese and sweet milk.

Many of us ask for taking photograph with foreign tourists.

What else? 😅

When Non Muslims Teach Muslims

In Indonesia, generally speaking relation between Muslims and Non-Muslims is smooth. It’s no problem if you are a follower of any religion other than Islam which is the religion of majority.

So talking about other religion is okay, as long as no offensive remark is included.

Interestingly, sometimes non Muslims give interesting inputs to Muslims. Let’s take two examples:

Ahok AKA Basuki Tjahaya Purnama, Christian, ex governor of Jakarta:

About chicken, he urged Muslims to fix their way of slaughtering chickens so as to make the chicken’s meat free from left blood, which is not only unhealthy, but also religiously not allowed to consume.

He even explained how Prophet Muhammad taught his people to slaughter cattles with proper way.

Too bad, Ahok’s suggestion didn’t work. (Raw) chicken meats are still filled with blood. That’s quite disappointing.

Bule Barbie AKA Daria Gartman, Christian, entertainer from Germany.

She said she is interested in Islam and still learning about it.

In daily conversation, she likes to use Islamic expressions such as “Alhamdulillah” or “In Sya Allah”, or “Bismillahirrahmanirrahim” etc.

What surprising is, she feels ‘energy’ within those expressions.

This kind of teaching of hers is special, even we hardly find it from preachers. 👍