A Lesson in Etiquette

We've been attending classes on how to teach English as a foreign language and learning to speak Bahasa Indonesia; but, today was our first lesson in etiquette, cultural etiquette that is. I knew that Indonesia would be a far cry from the U.S. in all aspects of life, but I had no idea of the subtle complexities of these inter-cultural relations. Among other things, we were introduced to the "Culture Shock W" a love-hate relationship of ups and downs with Indonesia and it's people (in the shape of a W) that we will inevitably experience in our time abroad. I learned that it's okay to cry in public, which I feel may also be inevitable given the sharp downturns of the former W.

According to a poll cited in today's presentation, Americans are thought of as "serious and arrogant" by Indonesians. I can't hope to change this view toward all Americans but what I can hope for is the ability to accept the culture that I have been thrown into. What I most hope to leave this country with is the tidak apa-apa (no worries) attitude of the Indonesian people- the attitude of "relax, don't worry about it" that Americans so often voice, but do not live by. Indonesians on the other hand do live by these rules, putting family first and money second. (My fellow ETA's and I have begun to adapt to this lifestyle by showing up to everything about 10 minutes late- which is actually right on time here.) If I learned nothing else today, I hope to survive my experience on this simple advice: "learn to smile and learn to squat."