Just like last year, the first family holiday for me this year is back to Indo to spend the Chinese New Year with family. 

It’s a month ago now, these are what I can still recall.

Medanese are the worst to deal with

Strange isn’t it, that’s the first random thing that came to mind!

After leaving home for study at 11, when people ask me, ‘Which part of Indonesia are you from?’  I said ‘Medan’, out of convenience.  But I’m really from a fishing village called Tanjung Leidong (go google it, it didn’t even appear years ago when I first googled it.  The earliest Google Map photos were probably posted by me!).  ‘Medan’ gives an easy reference to the region I came from without having to explain about a fishing village no one knows.  

But I actually haven’t even resided in Medan and don’t identify with it in any real way.  In fact, I used to despise it (sorry Medanese friends! :p), looking my nose down on any association with Medan even as the Medanese also looked down on us villagers.  They call us ‘hai ka’ people (=country sea side i.e., uncultured?) and laughed at our Hokkien (a spoken dialect), only to find out later it’s their Hokkien that’s mutated from the original Taiwanese Hokkien.  

So growing up, I thought to myself, ‘Seriously, what good thing can come out of Medan?’  The centre for the most materialistic and showy, full of miserable pretentious living.  I was repulsed by the meaninglessness of people’s parading (especially the women), and the lostness characterised by arrogance, pride and elitism based on nothing (worthwhile).

Of course, there’re exceptions (such as one auntie whose family cares for us), but in general it’s a place I cringed at.  But that’s only because I experienced only the unpleasant side of the city.  

However, it remains the reputation is not a good one indeed.  On this trip alone, I’ve heard from 3 different people about Medan, all negative.  

‘I dislike dealing with especially those aunties, with their cheapskate haggling.  One time I gave something without charge as a goodwill, she said ‘Ah, is there a free gift too?’  It’s already free, what other gift you want?  And I told her you keep bargaining all the time, next time I will mark up my price before I sell it to you and she said, ‘Don’t be like that lah!”  

‘We’re from Medan too, but to be honest, my family (company) loathes doing business with Medanese customers, utterly ridiculous and unreasonably demanding.  Here (Jakarta) it’s good, generally pleasant and quite hassle-free.  In fact, we’ve now closed the branch in Medan, we’d rather not deal with them at all.’

‘From all I’ve heard, Medanese has the worst reputation, everyone hates to do business with them.’

Myth, History and Tradition

While setting up for the Chinese New Year, Mom told me about certain dates that’s celebrated by the Hokkien communities because they symbolize some points in their history.  So that’s why, e.g., on this date, Hokkiens do and eat this and that. 

That’s traditions based on history.  There are many others based on myths though.  Commemoration of past events is understandable, but insistence on tradition based on myths is baffling, especially when conflict arises relating to it.  If it’s based on myth, who cares?  Just anyhow do it.  

That’s true, so almost anything goes.  I was asked to arrange food on the altar table, so I did it methodically.  Someone commented, ‘people don’t put this here, it’s usually on the side.’  I said, ‘But this is so they (the ancestors) eat the mains first then dessert later.’ 

What I said was really nonsense, but they agreed it’s logical.   

Maids Problem

As with every trip, one issue everyone seems to be dealing with continually is the issue with maids. 

Leave without notice, attitude problem, sloppy work, keep asking for leave, wasteful, lying, help themselves with your food without permission, forgetfulness, complaints, pitting one against the other.

Yet, for all these constant issues of trust and competency, most households still assign their child to their care.  A little strange?   

Whatever Happens to Baywalk?

Go to Baywalk if you visit Jakarta!  It’s my favorite mall of all, it’s spacious, has good ambiance, lovely view and rather quiet (may be because it’s losing business?).  Yes, actually it IS dying, I’m afraid it’ll close down soon, go help their business!  

I think I must have gone there almost every other day.  I don’t understand why it is not doing well.  Good location with great sea view (which is rare in Jakarta) and pretty garden at the basement, there’s even apartments on top of the mall!  But no crowd..

I heard it’s because of earlier rumors about the reclaimed land it’s standing on being unstable, so it had a bad start and people just don’t go there.  I hope it’ll still be there when I go back.  Reminds me a few years back there’s a claypot chicken restaurant I loved so much but not sure if it’s due to location or otherwise, we’re almost always the only customers each time I went.  One day, I was told it’s closed down.  But why, it’s so delicious!  ‘Because you’re their only customer and you’ve returned to Melbourne!’ 

Remnants

Back to my question on ‘What good can come out of Medan?’  It turns out to be surprising.  A few years ago I met some really good people there, and found very YUMMY food too.  Even in the most unlikely place, there’s beauty.  

This time in Jakarta, I went to visit Covenant City Church and saw a great potential.  Remnants are kept by God in places I don’t expect.  I shouldn’t be surprised, if the same God who has promised in the Old Testament of his mercy in keeping a remnant for himself will at this time of history continue to do so.  He keeps bringing about transformation through the power of the gospel by people answering to the call of the time and places where they are.  I thought that’s an encouraging glimpse.