THE INDONESIA CULTURE ISABELLA MULLAN

THE CHILDREN OF THE INDONESIAN CULTURE

Children learn from an early age how to help around the home. In rural areas they may work on farms when they are not at school. In the cities they may try to find a job, such as selling clothes at the market.

THE CUSTOMS, TRADITIONS AND PRACTICES WHICH MAKE THIS COMMUNITY UNIQUE. The traditions of the Indonesian community is to follow in the foot path of the family. Whether it be to continue the family farm or whether it be to follow the religion. Girls learn to dance and they perform with a group of other girls whether they are older or younger. The males go and help in the markets with there fathers and they learn.

THE VILLAGES OF THE INDONESIAN CULTURE Most people who live in villages rely on farming or fishing to provide their food and perhaps a little extra money. Some people farm on plantations with crops like rubber and coffee which are sold for export. Others grow crops for food. The most common crop is rice, which is the main food eaten in Indonesia.

THE EDUCATION While the adults are working during the day the children who are old enough will go to school. All Indonesian children are expected to attend school for at least six years Indonesia has the fourth largest education system in the world yet a lot of the family's cannot afford to send all of there children to school, or they will go for a couple of years and then they would leave early to stay home and help jobs around the farm/ house.

THE RESPONSIBILITY'S Being apart of the Indonesian culture and community has plenty of responsibility's. Some of these include helping around the house, doing jobs such as feeding the animals or going to collect water. The Indonesian culture is a big family and they each have responsibility's of collecting money to pay for there family and so on.

WOULD I BE ATTRACTED TO JOIN THIS COMMUNITY? I think that it would be an amazing opportunity to join this community. I think that it would be a life experience and it would make me think of all the things that I am actually grateful for. I've been over to bali before and I saw the different parts of Indonesia, there was the wealthy area and then there was the poor area. Seeing children running around n the street with bear feet and scraged clothes made me think that we are very lucky here in Australia. I think that 9i would like to join the community but it would only be for a sort period of time.

DO YOU THINK THAT THE COMMUNITY WILL LAST? Yes certainly, there will always be more and more. I think that over time it would get more crowded, but I think that as the years tick over they are improving the living conditions a lot more.

EVENTS TAKEN PLACE WITH THE CULTURE Waisak Day - this is a Buddhist festival held in May that celebrates Buddha's birth, death and gaining of wisdom. Celebrations are held at Borobudur Temple near Yogyakarta on the island of Java. Galungan - this is an important festival on Bali. The day it is celebrated changes depending on the Hindu calendar. This festival honours ancestors and people travel home to their families to make offerings and pay respects. Nyepi - this day is the Balinese New Year. It is also based on the Hindu calendar and is very different from New Year celebrations in Australia. Before Nyepi, the Balinese people take statues of the gods out and clean them. They hold special ceremonies to cast out bad spirits and then on the day of Nyepi they do nothing. The word Nyepi literally means silence and everything in Bali closes, the people stay home and the whole island is quiet. Ramadan - this is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and during this month Muslims do not eat or drink while there is sunlight. This is a time to focus on prayer and faith. In the evening families have small meals and visit friends. It is the holiest time of year for Muslims. Id al-Fitr - this is the feast that immediately follows Ramadan. Muslims enjoy food together and ask each other for forgiveness for any wrongs that they have done during the year. This festival lasts for three days and many people travel to be home with their families for it. Easter - this is the same festival that is celebrated by Christian people around the world. It remembers the death and resurrection of Jesus. Christmas - this is also the same festival celebrated by Christians everywhere. This is to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

REFERNCES /NSW/5/Lifestyles/Traditional-community-life/Indonesia-understanding-our- nearest-neighbours/HSIE/