Lebaran

Tonight I fixed a cup of cappuccino, applied a good amount of mosquito repellent and headed for the veranda to experience something that no camera, or video can accurately describe...

Come with me to 30th of August, 2011 in Jakarta, Indonesia.  A country of over 17,000 islands where tonight Muslims all over are celebrating the end of fasting... Lebaran.  It gets dark early here, the streets are lined with Indonesia's Red and White flags, and my neighbors have began their feasting.  Fireworks started going off around 6pm, sounding like the 4th of July at home.  But something is different in the air here... something that makes this celebration different from the US.  The fireworks here are going off with shouts of acclamation and with the Adhan, the Muslim's call to prayer, as its background music.  The city of Jakarta comes alive at night, but on this night - more so than any other night.

So, tonight, with no camera in hand - I sit and listen, watch, and appreciate a culture, totally different than my own, celebrate the beliefs they hold so dear.  Tonight, they celebrate Lebaran! 

Well, those of you who know me well, know me well enough to know that I can't just sit by and watch anything happen... and not be a part of it. So....

After enjoying 1/2 cup of my cappuccino and not being satisfied with my experience (not feeling the full effects), I got up, put on my capris, OSU t-shirt, and my Chung Shi tennis shoes and ventured out to see how my neighborhood celebrated Lebaran.

Meena and I walk often at night and we see people out and about, but tonight, this night, the streets were full.  Filled with people of all ages.... children of all ages, shooting fireworks in the street, neighbors out visiting and laughing with each other, other people just sitting to the side to enjoy the night.

I walked past the market and found they had built a bon fire right on the street. (Try that in Oklahoma) The sounds of Adhan were getting louder as I approached the mosque.  The street was filled in front of the mosque.  Cars, motorcycles, and bicycles lined the street, as well as people.  The Muslims were inside giving their daily prayers while others crowded in the doorway, sidewalk, and street.  There was a certain feeling in the air tonight.  Even though this was a Muslim celebration, I couldn't help but feel the presence of my Lord walking with me... experiencing with me.... opening my eyes to my temporary home.  The sky was beautiful, the people were beautiful, the fireworks were beautiful, exciting, and calming at the same time.

I walked past a large home on my journey around the neighborhood.  There was an older man sitting by the entrance.  He was holding sparklers and talking to a couple of the children who were outside with him.  From the number of child sized flip flops sitting by the door, I expected several children to come running from the house at any moment answering his calls into the house.

I did some visiting, myself, on this night.  My fellow teacher, Jo, lives several blocks away.  I called out to her as I was walking by her house.  She invited me inside, but I declined.  I was hot, sweaty, and was wearing my tennis shoes, making it too hard to take my shoes off before entering her home.  So, we stood outside and talked about the night and our upcoming luncheon invitation to Ms. Meera's home on Thursday.  Finally, I wished her well and continued on my journey back home.

Aside from the meager accommodations (comparing to my home in the USA),  the smells in the air, the language barrier.... I like Jakarta! And I hope, through my blogs, you will come to like Jakarta, too!

That's all for now, till we meet again....