Christmas Indonesia
Christmas is the time of the year I truly miss being in America. If only I could leave for that one week of Christmas each year and maybe a few days for Thanksgiving. Indonesia does not have much of Christmas. The most I have is the staff at our local supermarket was wearing red Christmas clothing like Santa’s elves. The store was selling a few small plastic trees. But there are not any Christmas light decorations to be seen around the town of Jepara or most of Indonesia for that matter. No white Christmas unless a volcano spits out some white ash. Temperature runs about average year round 90 degrees Fahrenheit and very humid. There is nothing else like being in America around Christmas time. Santa Clause does not make it here. I think it is too hot for him.
Indonesia in general does not celebrate any of the US holidays. Being mostly Islam they have their own which is not the same. The Muslims also do not believe in drinking alcohol so it is kept very low key, they still drink it. I wanted to start my own little celebrations, but I just never have gotten around to it. The spirit is not there when you have to do it all alone. Occasionally the expat community here will get together for something or other. We had an American ex-marine working as security at the power plant for the last couple of years. He made a big thing out of 4th of July. But I think he is out of the country now. Last I heard he got drunk and started shooting at some girl, missed her but having a gun in Indonesia does not go over very well. I did see some frozen turkeys at a super market in Semarang a few months back.
One of the biggest parts of making the holidays happen and a big part of it is all the special foods. I can find or make almost all the foods I love/remember for the holidays except three, yellow squash, cranberry sauce and turnip greens. I have never seen any of these vegetables available here in the markets.
Yellow Squash – never liked it that much but when you do not have it at all you miss it.
Cranberry Sauce – Hated it but I always had just a little around my Turkey and dressing at Thanksgiving time.
Turnip Greens – hated them too but my dad ate them almost every day when I was growing up. My mom said we had to eat greens and black eye peas on New Year’s Day because it had something to do with money.
I can make apple pies but not like mom could. I never got the trick of making a good flaky crust down, no patience I guess. I miss the apple pies most. I especially like the Mrs. Smith brand you can buy in the frozen food section. I was planning to get one for Thanksgiving but never made it back to the store yet.
My favorite food of all is macaroni and cheese and I can always find cheddar even here in Indonesia. I am a pretty good cook and every so often I cook up one very tasty mac and cheese pie – with lots of cheese. I have a standing order to all friends and family outside of Indonesia that when they come here they have to bring lots of cheese.
We have a few American Restaurants nearby, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Papa Ron’s Pizza.
Well that is enough about my “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. Have a Merry, Merry Christmas and some extra New Year cheer for me living in Indonesia now for sixteen years.