Diversity

Torajan Home: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/toraja-architecture-charuhas-images.html

I know that there are pockets of great diversity in the United States, but many places don't seem all that diverse.  I have known mentally that Indonesia is diverse, especially when one considers that there are approximately 400-500 different people groups.  The post-colonial government has exercised phenomenal control, binding these diverse cultures together under one government and a single language.  When I give that some thought, it is a pretty incredible endeavor.   On Java you meet people from lots of different places, but they settle into life on Java pretty quickly and sometimes it is hard to separate them from the local Javanese.  Plus, the Javanese are the dominant people group so their culture prevails here.

This weekend I took the quickest trip ever to Sulawesi.  I am sad because my visit was so short and I really didn't get to see much of their rich deep culture.  I am also VERY sad because I forgot my camera (so I have snatched a picture of a native house from the internet).  My friend lives in the capital city of the island of Sulawesi (Makassar, also known as Ujung Pandang).  It feels so far away, but it really wasn't.  My first flight to east Java took 30 minutes.  My second flight to Sulawesi took a little over an hour.  Then I was there.

It was still an island obviously.  It was still jungle like, but it seemed drier.  I also was only in one place, but didn't notice a great elevation around me anywhere.  But as I hopped in a taxi and got started down the road, it just "felt" different. It is kind of hard to explain.  I could speak the taxi driver's language, but his accent was so different that he was a little hard to understand.  The people did not seem as friendly overall.  There weren't as many smiling faces.  The majority religion of Indonesia also had a very strong presence.  There are many covered women and a more serious feeling in that regard.  In that way it felt a little depressing and oppressed.

Then, suddenly, I ran smack into yet another culture.  My friend is from Toraja, which I heard is about 500km from the city of Makassar.  It has a very different culture.  They are animistic and have rituals with corpses and burial that are intriguing.  Photo blog here.  If you want to read more about Torajan culture, I found more information here.   Maybe one day we'll actually get a chance to travel to Toraja.  It was interesting to step into it for just a tiny glimpse--from an amazingly decorated wedding vehicle, to my friend's decorated home, to a Torajan Christian church, to their stunning wedding costumes and the gorgeous fabrics all the guests were wearing.  The Javanese have their own signature batik, but the Torajan colors and style are uniquely their own.  The language I heard was different and so were their dances and traditions.   I have been reminded of my appreciation for the diversity of this county and a sense of gratefulness for all the amazing people God has created--and for my small little part in this world.

My friend and her new husband, a native of Australia

(P.S.- Another interesting thing this trip did for me, is it gave me a greater appreciation for my island of Java too.  It was nice to visit Sulawesi, but I found out that Java is "home" and for all its frustrations, there are some things I deeply love.)