The day of Eid is celebrated amongst family and friends. They would visit each other and ask for forgiveness for past mistakes so they can start fresh and turn over a new leaf. The normal greetings on Eid is “Selamat Idul Fitri, mohon maaf lahir dan batin” which basically means “Happy Eid al-Fitr, please forgive my (physical and emotional) mistakes”.

Eid is also marked by the special meal which normally consists of ketupat (rice cake cooked in coconut leaves), opor ayam (chicken in coconut milk), gulai kambing (lamb curry), sambal goreng daging (minced meat in spicy sauce), and so on. It varies between families, but one thing is for sure: the ketupat will always be there.

This year’s Eid al-Fitr (or locally known as Idul Fitri) falls on Sunday, 20 September 2009. This is the first time in many years that the actual celebration falls one day earlier than predicted and printed by various companies in their annual calendar. The Indonesian were ready to celebrate it nevertheless.

The team of Indonesia To Go would like to wish you a very happy Eid al-Fitr, may the spirit of peace and forgiveness remain with you and your dearest ones throughout your whole life.

What do you love about Indonesia and what would you like to see change?

I will update this post frequently and add more of your tweets and comments.
You can answer on this blog or reply to me on Twitter.

Here are a few of the replies I have received so far:

@janeinjava What I love most about Indonesia is that the people are so friendly. I hate the corruption!

@irenzzz i love the culture, the history, the old town n old building

@jenjenne definitely food! and culture ;D lesser criminals? it sucks! definitely not helping out in promoting our country good image

@swyuda Love the spicy food, wouldn’t trade it for the world, hope the public infrastructure improve, especially mass transportation

@alisyahsamosir I love the fact that we have so many culture and being united because of that re:What do you love about Indonesia

@amara173 I love Indo because Indo is amazingly beautiful!!! I’d like to see more improved transportation system and to be more clean!

@treespotter oh, that’s the other thing to improve. INSANE IMMIGRATION POLICIES.

@janeinjava I would like to see the healthcare system improve and the public education system.

@sharindrari what I would like to see improve: law enforcement. seriously. top of the list.

@alveta o education.. indonesians need to appreciate what they have.
love: diversity. improve: public facilities.

@anditweet : love Indonesia’s diverse culture and natural beauties,I just wish the govt makes a REAL effort to market it #indonesiaunite

On Indonesia Unite – Indonesia Bersatu on Facebook I have received the following comments:

diminish corruption will gain wealth, prosper and well attain of how our tax done

because i think the most critical problem in our country is only corruption, human resources and how or do our economics better…

corruption in our country tend peoples or Human Resource more lazy, less work because money come well and all infrastructures get low standard because of corruption going on

We encourage everyone from Indonesia to leave a comment!

Thank you very much!

Mike Dammann and the Indonesia To Go Team!

You can also join the ongoing discussion on Facebook:

What are the things that you love about your country.
What would you change if you were in the government?

What do you think would be the step by step solutions to make Indonesia the place that you would want to present to the rest of the world?

Post #2
Roy Maroe wroteon July 24, 2009 at 5:15am
diminish corruption will gain wealth, prosper and well attain of how our tax done

because i think the most critical problem in our country is only corruption, human resources and how or do our economics better…

corruption in our country tend peoples or Human Resource more lazy, less work because money come well and all infrastructures get low standard because of corruption going on

Post #3
You wroteon July 24, 2009 at 5:33am
Thank you, I will add this comment and others on an upcoming blog post.

Keep them coming!

Post #4
Marc Bourdeau (Montreal, QC) wrote9 hours ago
I agree with the corruption, it is a major problem in Indonesia. But what people need to remember, corruption isn’t only at the government, but also to the majority of citizens.

For instance, when you get arrested by the police, are you one of the person that will bribe the police so you can go do your business? Small things like that, makes you as guilty as the police who request the money.

As long as discipline won’t be a part of citizens’ life in here, corruption will still be. People need to start doing something positives, to show to the rest, that some DO care about a healthy & sane country.

Nobody’s perfect, we all know that, but it all start by how you educate your kids, having your kids away in school even on Saturdays, decrease the time with family. My point here, school is the right place to make a difference, it should be Monday – Friday, morning until 4PM, Saturday and Sunday should be simply for spending time with your family.

I do not blame the kids here, i blame the parents who do not take time to educate their children, so at the end, they end-up blowing themselves in hotels because the one who educates him wasn’t a father or mother, left alone, free to do whatever he wants. Of course, depends if the parents are as much responsible for those acts, by not having the right education in the past too.

Take no offense to what i said please, all Indonesian know that discipline is a matter here, but you/they just prefer to follow the rest, which is much easier.

Post #5
Roy Maroe wrote6 hours ago
i know sir or Marc is ok? first of all, i’m sorry about my english! so i need some of you little bit understand, i’m going to describe few of my opinion in bad or good things going on in here…

as you may know, indo-gov has gotten ecomic impact in 97 until now is gotten worsened, from govern officers until lowest citizenz in here were unstable by one of so i called a BIG problem is corruption, corruption it self made kind of trigger an pyramid act like these

from govern officer got money from our tax, yes? but sadly maybe 40% or 60% of it got decrease by it when the below govern officer got it’s like only 40% and decrease more when gotten by departments who in charge on our poverty, security maybe our infrastructure (police dept, general labor, etc)

because of these pyramid trigger our departments feels like (low budget for buying secure appliances for the citizen secures and confortness) and for our city got impact in (less standard because the budget has been cut off 20% until 30% like building road layers it’s more like 70% max of the potency and that’s not all)

and for our human resources as you describes an police got bribery, yes that’s the humiliating part of our life in here….lives in here like live in the forest full of ferocious animal who is the strongest and smartest lives good and the “stupidest” animal got live worse as word in our is (the rich got richest and the poor got poorer) because of our live such unstable in here and because of that many peoples ad i say not only from gov officer but in the loooowest citizens get access how to corrupt for himself….me also corrupt for myself poverty! the Indonesians sadly got position “evil circle” because whenever we do it’s same, it’s endless! i think the main problem is from the government, the govern both president, main officer and below it must act wisely to get out from these endless humiliating, and for school! i think you have good point but you don’t see in my view in here, have you already saw our school (the school of “rich people standard” may different from the people who have less money) we have low curriculum standard in asian here for poor peoples, they only have maybe 30% or at least 60% of their potency in school, half of their potent is made from outside and that’s is society (society in here 70% are unfair-we live in unfair society) how do you think we can manage our generation when outside family they got much bigger then they have (in here family form their children to survive from outside harsh world in only 30% or 80% for rich family because they have good live and for poor people? they only have jungle in there and struggle to survive with only 30% guided how to survive)

most of our citizens tend to think for themselves and for their importance ego
because of the strongest and smartest will live

how or can you live like us? is there maybe a psychiatrist to treat us?

do you know the one of most well payed job in Indonesia is psychiatrist and the doctor? because we all in our deepest mind, we all Indonesia are crazy

i hope you understand about my English word……..my english writing it’s baddddddd…..

Post #6
Marc Bourdeau (Montreal, QC) wrote3 hours ago
Assalamu’alaikum
@Roy:
Hi Roy, Marc is fine, and every level of english is fine, you made your point, and i’m sure we all got the idea behind your thoughts.

I’ve been in Indonesia for quite long now, in 1998 (4 months), I was here when Soeharto went down, i knew in which position was Indonesia during those dark times. 1999 (2 months), i was here too when Habibi went down. Then in 2001, 2 weeks after the WTC crashes, I got here, since then never went home again. I am what we can say, an Indonesian Resident now, and I saw many many things like all of you did. I’ve learn Indonesian language, your culture, married a local, which i have 2 kids now. So i love this country now like it is mine.

Take note, that, corruption happens all over the world, even the biggest countries in the world, the difference with Indonesia, is that, it is open, everybody knows, and ONLY since SBY got the power, we were able to see real changes, KPK is doing their job fine, at least, what we know of.

Since my wife work alot with business man/woman, investors etc, I saw many darksides of the people, eveybody want a piece of everything, which always end with nothing, or no deal at all. (to not bring to much, the Monorail was one of them). My wife had the investor for it, all money was ready, 650 millions US. The mororail group decided to reject the audit demand from the investor, so the investor went back home with his money. That shows how dark people are. Since my wife and partner want to do clean work, it just impossible to get it through, UNLESS you pay money.

And for education, as a Teacher, I’ve been in many schools around Jakarta, rather rich or poor, and you might be surprise how an expensive school might not be has good as a free school. The teachers make the difference, I’ve worked in expensive schools that ask me to cheat on marks, so they can get a good name, how bad do you think this is?

Education is the key, putting more money in it would help, as for the topic title, I think the actual President, is doing his best to bring what Indonesians NEED, not what they WANT, a big difference here. We all want to be rich, all wan to have this and that, cheap gaz, cheap education, cheap food. In a world crisis like we are now. People should start accepting what their government’s doing for them, at least your President. Indonesia voted at 61% for him, that is showing how much Indonesian that can vote, trust him, and should continue to trust him, because he is your leader.

May peace be upon you, all of you who cares about your country!

Post #7
Roy Maroe wrote2 hours ago
i like you Marc, you impress me! my bad to saying things like that to you, umm, it’s hard to thing that i’m doing this by myself, i cannot do much you know marc! it’s like you want do something for your country but none or at least you are a minority opinion….it’s like you’re alone and everybody else doing by themself! for me, my goal in my life only make more money with good ways, doing lotta works to enchance my experience and maybe make a living also get a family…..live in jakarta which people doesn’t mind with everything and only think by them self, go work and after that go home, met with family and after that go sleep, in here we only have time to release stress and maybe think like a normal person it’s only at the night or when we get free day (don’t know how to spelled in English but Indonesia is “libur”)

we have many problems in here but yes your opinion about expensive school is maybe not good as free school or in indonesia is “sekolah umum”
we have unfair and untreated kids in here and they all being strayed for not being school or get what should they do, as you may see many of these childrens are doing “pengemis” kind of people live in the street and make living by others donations

yes2, if you put more efforts, peoples willing to help and money in education i think few of the minority peoples will help the humanitarian in indonesia

but lets face it, still with our words and acts spreads away! many of our important person don’t doing their role both in government and as citizens structures

sometimes i think that maybe Soeharto must rule again with all their might, ahh i miss that days!…today a thousand hundred or a million can’t assure our needs but if you..live in that day! any way….i think SBY can be strong as Soehato in many ways, but without proper help from below to us, i tell you……these unstable will be going on until I HAVE A MONEY to go outside and live out there…i’ve being dreaming to live in Japan because of what i learn of it, Japan or anything else that my country is great to discover, i’m had it with live in big city…i have to travel to open my mind and to socialize with other country…many peoples in indonesia has already live out there because of many problems, one of it is…..indonesian proggress is like turtles, how can you learn or be something when others has already near finish?

any way Marc, as indonesian! i maybe proud of my country, but when you look at it….with less that you have, you unable or less to change people in indonesia….i think the priority to help my country is make MORE money, gather peoples where are willing to help each other and hope that you’re doing good things with all that money….as for now! i’m only a normal person with a few hundred on my wallet and millions for my futures, if i’m willing to help each other it means i have to be more than this….

i hopeeee you don’t give wrong impression about me! for a wrong words i take please understand it….

any way we could be friends, i like about your thinking! i hope there are many of you and maybe, we get more proggress about building indonesian person and city also….

i’m happy (in this time when i wrote this word for you i cannot stop smile for my self)

i’m sure with few or maybe many of you can tribute good things for each other, i’m also want to change people, i choose my path to help others in my country with the act of my doing, i hope all that my doing will end well…i’m doing without want give back for my doing, i’m doing good things because it should….

You can also see my latest posts on Twitter here and I will retweet all of the best tweets:follllow me on Twitter

Wherever you are we will be sending the t-shirt to you with these prices (not including shipping):

1-5 pieces = US$12.95 each

6-10 pieces = US$11.25 each

10-15 pieces = US$9.55 each

over 15 pieces = US$8.25 each

You can now pre-order the Indonesia Unite t-shirts. They are still in production but will be available for distribution starting Monday, July 27th, 2009.

Please note that shipping fee will depend on your delivery address.

To order, use the contact form below. In the message box tell us:

- What size you would like to order (small or large)
- How many you would like to order
- Your delivery address

As soon as we have your delivery address we will contact you via email to let you know how much the shipping will cost.

The people behind Mighty Eagle Foundation are mainly Christians from the new church JKI Mt. Tziyon which is located in Bekasi. There are still only a few people in this church but by God’s grace they have shown great compassionate acts to the poorest community in Bekasi for the past year.

The Christians in Indonesia have received what they call as prophecies by great church leaders of the world from different countries. It is said that Indonesia will arise and become a great blessing to the nations and open one of the many paths “from the ends of the earth back to Jerusalem” as prophecied in the Book of Isaiah.

Charismatic churches have held great events to share blessings with the communities through city-wide events such as ‘Semarang Berbagi Bahagia’ (Sharing Joy with Semarang) and ‘Bekasi Berbagi Bahagia’ (Sharing Joy with Bekasi). These events were held last year and were filled with games, parades and showering people with gifts and free food.

Indonesia maybe poor compared to so many developed countries but they are wonderfully passionate givers.

Free Rice and Oil

Around 700 Indonesian Red Cross (Palang Merah Indonesia or PMI) volunteers together with World Ocean Conference delegates crowded a beautiful Mokupa Beach at Manado on 15 May. Hand in hand with local government representatives and community, they planted 2,000 mangrove trees along the coast. They also cleaned up Mokupa from trashes which pollute the beach.

Story by Cici Riesmasari

Read complete article