At the entrance to universities, conferences, or schools, dancing and music ceremonies greet guests. These pictures are from a local high school where a banner with my name (of course) hung outside, student dancers and musicians met me, and they even threw rice as we entered over the threshold.
Entire assemblies of people are gathered to pay respect to guests. Microphones and emcees appear to formalize the meeting. One visit this week involved over 200 students, the Vice Mayor, and entire administrative and instructional staff of the Islamic boarding school.
Adding to the special welcome are the interest in a foreign visitor. You are a VIP by virtue of the visit (and this sometimes feels like a lot to live up to with any integrity). This gracious and well-meaning attention is sometimes a bit bewildering to an American not of the Hollywood sort. A funny recent encounter at the airport left me grinning and feeling more like a movie star than a government official.
Because of the timing of my flight and Friday prayers, I ended up at the airport quite early. Actually, I was content to sit in the air-conditioned lounge with my computer and to catch up on some work. As soon as my hosts departed, I sunk back into the chair, opened my laptop and mobile phone and started away. After three days of busy activities, I welcomed the opportunity to retract, contemplate, and wipe some to-do items off of my list. However, the airport staff had something else in mind. Seeing I was alone, a wholly unacceptable state, the two women and man working in the lounge room swooped in to ask questions, nevermind that to another eye I might have appeared engrossed in a task.
We exchanged pleasantries. Even with my floundering Indonesian language skills, they were not deterred. "Where are you from?" "Where are you going?" "Where do you live?" "Do you have a husband?" "Do you have children?" "How long have you been in Indonesia?"
It ended where every good exchange ends... with a photo. The two women insisted that we take a picture together (with my camera). I have these memories of being a special visitor to the Bima airport.
What I thought of as time to soothe the introverted side of my extroverted nature turned into a lively parade of characters. A police commander came in and sat with me to repeat the same series. Someone from the mayor's office appeared and sat with me. Another guy from the airport appeared with coffee and questions.
Yes, even in your grubby travel clothes or your grumpiest mood, Indonesia greets you with a smile and humbles you with its hospitality and warmth.
1 comment:
thanks so much for writing in incredible perspective about Bima. As native Bima who raise and born in that beautiful place, I strongly believe now that my place is not only notorious by fighting and combating each other, its also famous by its hospitality and warmth greets.
Thank you for remembering me trough your writing.
Muhammad syukri
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