[nasional_list] [ppiindia] Stereotypes: Maids, tycoons and photo freaks
- From: "Ambon" <sea@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <"Undisclosed-Recipient:;"@freelists.org>
- Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2006 23:03:43 +0100
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Stereotypes: Maids, tycoons and photo freaks
It was just 10 minutes before my flight to Singapore took off, when I realized
the departure gate was at the end of the hall. I walked as fast as I could,
before running like a crazy woman as an airport ground officer shouted and
waved at me to hurry up.
Indonesians tolerate being late. But some of the Philippine Airline crew stared
at me. This is international territory lady, and being late is unacceptable
once you leave your country!
Half the plane was full of domestic workers from Indonesia. I happened to sit
next to one of them. A girl named Narsih. She was so confused and didn't know
how to fill in the immigration card. She didn't understand a single English
word on that card. She was very young, around 18, and had just graduated from
high school.
She told me that she was from one of the remote villages in Gunung Kidul, an
arid area in Central Java. She was so timid, because she said this was her
first time away from her village -- and straight to Singapore!
I couldn't imagine what she would be facing -- I hear there are many cases of
employees abusing Indonesian domestic workers in foreign countries. How would
Narsih defend herself if that happened? I felt sorry for her, but it was no use
giving her my hotel address since I was only going to stay in Singapore for two
days.
The plane arrived on time. At the arrival gate, a woman holding a sign with
"Indonesia" written on it, waved to every woman coming out the gate.
"Indonesia! This way!"
It was obvious that she was from an employment agency and signaling to
Indonesian domestic workers. Two gorgeous Indonesian women in front of me
expressed surprise at the sign being waved at them, but then giggled and teased
each other, having been taken for domestic workers.
So was I. As a woman, my instinct was to wonder whether something was wrong
with the way I dressed. And, as an Indonesian, I felt hurt, realizing that this
is how the world views Indonesian women. The reality also hit me, that while
these young women are heroes to their families and contribute to state revenue,
they are not treated with respect in foreign countries.
I went to the bathroom. It was very clean, but one of the cubicles was out of
order. Soon, a few women wearing saris entered the bathroom. They tried to open
the cubicle door. Politely, I told them it was out of order.
"Where are you from?" one of them asked me. "Indonesia," I told them. "Aaahh
... you are working here!" -- and without hesitation bombarded me with
complaints. Stunned, I again wondered whether my appearance was giving people
the wrong impression. Did I look so miserable that these women thought I was a
cleaner?
Of course, many of the cleaners in Singapore are Indonesian or Malay. Once
again, I was reminded of how Indonesian women are perceived.
At a five-star hotel, where I would share a room with my best friend, I waited
in the lobby for her. When I changed money at the reception desk, all the staff
seemed impressed that I was from Indonesia. They gathered around, treated me
with respect and started to talk in Indonesian.
"Here we can speak four languages: English, Hindi, Malay and Mandarin. Malay
and Bahasa Indonesia are not so different. A lot of Indonesian tourists have
stayed here -- even during the economic crisis."
Oh, here it is! They thought I was one of them, a big-spending Indonesian
tourist! I was a domestic worker or a cleaner not so long ago -- now, at this
top hotel, they think I'm fabulously wealthy!
On the last day of my trip, I traveled by taxi. I used a taxi because the fare
would come to no more than S$2 (Rp 12,000) it was such a short distance. Again,
a friendly taxi driver asked me where I was from.
"Indonesia? "Aaahh -- there are a lot of Indonesian tourists here. They are
very rich -- they like shopping. You must be rich too..." He laughed. I
grinned, not knowing whether I should feel flattered or insulted for being seen
as a rich woman from a country where at least 30 percent of the population live
below the poverty line.
Finally I arrived at a wonderful place where the statue of the former colonial
ruler Raffles stands. I asked a European man to take a picture of me. And he
said, "You must be from Indonesia". "How do you know?" I asked him. "I know,"
he smiled. And for the umpteenth time since I arrived at the airport, I cast my
eyes down at my T-shirt, wondering whether I was sloppily or stylishly dressed.
This time, I was wondering how the European man had known straight away I was
an Indonesian.
Oh, what a country Indonesia is!
-- Kuntarini Rahsilawati
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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