HOW TO EAT IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES

Every country in all over the world has different ways about how to eat. The reason is because each country has their own culture. Also, it is influenced by the habitual or the tradition of each country that still life since long ago. Beside it, it is also because what people eat in different countries are different. In addition, the time when people eat in different countries are not same. Therefore, in this essay I will prove that every country has different ways to eat.

In Indonesia, becoming it’s habit that people eat three times a day. They eat in the morning, afternoon and evening. On the contrary, In the united State, people usually eat four times such as; breakfast, lunch, supper and dinner. Indonesian people always eat rice three times a day and it is become the main food but in the united state does not like that. Adding menu beside the main menu (rice), Indonesian people also eat vegetable, meat, fish, salty fish, tofu, and tempe. Tofu, tempe and vegetable are also the foods that always eaten by Indonesian people to be friend of rice when we eat. However, the united state’s people more often eat bread as the main menu and they add the other foods like cheese, butter etc. The way to eat between both countries is also different.

Most people Indonesia, when they eat food such as in the morning, afternoon, evening, they do not use knife to cut the fish of meat that have already cooked. In the United States, using knife in eating food is has already been their tradition to cut fish and meat that have already cooked, even when they eat bread, they also use it to put on the cheese or butter and it happens till since long ago on their culture. In addition, in some provinces in Indonesia, such as in central and West Java, people eat use their hand directly without spoon and fork. They say that it will be more delicious and my self also do that because I am from Central Java. I do that when I eat foods without soup or water of vegetable. In cooking food, Each country also has difference. The United State’s people take a long time to prepare their dinner but Indonesian’s people take a long time to prepare their lunch.

Each state has its unique geographical features and agricultural products relating to the food. These influence both the ingredients that go into a recipe and the way food is prepared. This unique addition to your U.S. Geography program will allow you to experience a different meal from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Learn about the dairy and beef industries in Wisconsin, then use this resource to help you cook a dinner of garlic cheese rolls and ribs and sauerkraut. Study about the rise of farming in California during the Great Depression, then enjoy a dinner of fresh fruits and vegetables. How to eat in the U.S.A. includes a full meal of recipes from each state. In some cases, there is a salad, main dish and dessert. In other cases, main dish, vegetable and bread. Some states include bonus recipes for breakfast foods and snacks. Recipes are easy to follow and, though they aren’t written at a child’s level, you should feel free to include your children in the preparation of these dishes. This provides life skills and is a source of bonding and pride for your children.

In Mexico, Many Mexicans eat frijoles (beans) that are boiled, mashed, and then fried and refried in lard. Poorer Mexicans may eat frijoles every day, often using a folded tortilla to spoon up the beans. Rice is also boiled and then fried. Other popular foods include atole (a thick, soupy corn-meal dish) and tamales (corn meal steamed in corn husks or banana leaves, and usually mixed with pork or chicken). Most Mexicans like their foods highly seasoned with hot chili pepper or other strong peppers. Turkey is a popular holiday dish. It is often served with mole, a sauce made of chocolate, chili, sesame seed, and spices. The poorer families of Mexico eat little meat because they cannot afford it. They may vary their basic diet of corn and beans with fruit, honey, onions, tomatoes, squash, or sweet potatoes. Favorite fruits include avocados, bananas, mangoes, oranges, and papayas. The fruit and leaves of the prickly pear, a type of cactus, are boiled, fried, or stewed. Wealthier Mexicans have a more balanced diet. So, it is no doubt that communities in Mexico have their own culture in their food to eat that differs from other country.

Every country has its own culture about anything including about how to eat I can conclude that each country has different ways in eating, also have the differences about their food and the time they eat because they have their own tradition or culture that influence them to do it. My suggestion, although each people in every country has their own habit in eating that id different from us, we must respect and appreciate them in order that we understand to each other and can live with them peacefully.

References

www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/diet.fitness/08/31/cl.worldly.advice/index.html - 59k -

www.geomatters.com/products/details.asp?ID=252 - 19k

The Relation between Democracy and Culture

The relation between democracy and culture

Democracy is an administration from common people with the high power
on them and directly to be done by the representative who they choose
through general election. It is an indicator of the politic
development in a country now. It occupies vital position relating to
the power division in a country (generally for concept and principle
of three trias politica with the power of country that it is obtained
from common people and it must also be used for common people's
prosperity. Democracy concept becomes a key word on politic science in
every country's culture. Beside it, this gives the different effect of
each country's culture such as about community's prosperity of this
country that only gives big prosperity to a group of people but many
common people still live very poor. Therefore, it has relation to the
culture of each country especially in how communities can live
prosperously or not.

Many people say that democracy is the requirement for the economic
development but the important thing is all people must the wisdoms to
support economic development in order that community's prosperity can
be reached. The relation between democracy and prosperity still
becomes debating in not only Indonesia but also in the other
countries. The fact about Indonesia's democracy is it makes the far
differences between high people group and low people group. It means
that common people will always live poor although there is a democracy
in it as long as the explicit hokum is not applied in whatever people
level.

In another country, such as in the bargaining of democracy that United
States gives to Iraq has already taken suffering for people there till
now. United States asks to Iraq to use democracy and it has already
caused war so that there are many victims in this country. What a
terrible, democracy become a forcing for a country which won't follow
the United States' asking that it has strong power and admits as the
most democracy country.

India and Filipina are countries' democracy but the fact, they are not
prosperous. The communities also live in suffering there. On the
contrary, there is a country which does not use democracy such as
Saudi Arabia, it can be prosperous indeed because it applies the
explicit hokum. How a terrible they are, the countries that use
democracy are not prosperous indeed. Therefore, it needs an explicit
hokum that is really done of each country that uses democracy for all
people level.

Finally, I conclude that democracy of each country does not guarantee
if a country that use democracy will make their all communities live
prosperously. My suggestion, I wish high people groups, who lead the
country which applies democracy, they will really aware and care of
common people. I also hope they really hear what common people say and
then do fair action.

Bilinguallism's Goal

Now, I will tell my ideas about the story written by Barbara Mujica that entitles Bilingualism’s Goal. According my idea, I agree if the children or people learn or study not only a language but also the other languages like English that most people use in the world because it becomes international language. Such as in this story that in Spain, the children use Spanish when they are at home but when they are at the school, they have to use English. It means that having bilingualism is a good way in order that we can speak not only with the people who have the same ethnic but also we can speak with the other ethnics. Also, people can express their idea using formal language like English because in the offices, campus, school people have to use formal language that can be understood by many people. The children who only speak using a language, they will feel alienated and they will be silent and withdrawn. With bilingualism, we will get many friends in the other ethnic. I think we will get the better in sciences, arts, the better position in politics or the other better jobs. We will not be disparaged by other people but we will respected and appreciated by them. We can also overcome the inferior feeling. Another, our knowledge will be wide and we will get much information from other cities, countries etc. Other example, in Indonesia my self uses Javanese when I am at home or when I speak to my family, my relatives, my same ethnic friends and we uses it in informal situation. However, we use Indonesia when we are at the campus, offices etc or when we speak with other ethnics. It means that Indonesia language is a unifier and formal language that people use in Indonesia.

LORO JONGGRANG

The event that happened to the statue of Loro Jonggrang in Prambanan Empire is just myth story. It was impossible if a princess or a person can changes into the statue. It is not reality but it is just an author’s imagination. Long ago, when I was still a child, I guessed that it was true but now I don’t think like that anymore because I have known that it is just myth story or imagination story that written by an author.

Actually, Prambanan temple was built in Mataram Hindu period that was lead by the Sovereign Rakai Pikatan in ninth century. It is located in Prambanan Village, Sleman Regency. All the temples and the statue of Loro Jonggrang really were built by people in that century. Therefore, the temples were not built by supernatural creatures and the statue of Loro Jonggrang was not a princess who was cursed to become this statue. At the end, now, we may not believe this myth story or the other myth stories in order that our way of thinking is not influenced by unreal things because it is not fact but only people’s result of imagination that can not be proved in real life.

Now, I will tell the myth story about Loro Jonggrang. Loro Jonggrang was a princess in Prambanan Empire. She was a daughter of the King whose name the Sovereign Baka in Prambanan Empire. The Sovereign Baka was a king who has great power. Nevertheless, he could be defeated by the King Pengging who is helped by Bandawasa. He used great power of his weapon in war in helping King Pengging opposed King Baka. Bandawasa weapon’s name was Bandung so that he became popular with the name of Bandung Bandawasa. Because of that, he became a King in Prambanan Empire.after that, he wanted Loro Jonggrang to be his wife but she didn’t easily receive his love. The Chief Minister gave advice to her in order that physically, she received his love but he had to build 1000 temples and two wells that were very deep and he had to finish this work for a night. He received what she asked. He, his followers, King Pengging, and supernatural creatures began to build the temples and the wells. What amazed it is, when it was at four o’clock AM, they could almost finished to build temples and the wells.

After that, one of Loro Jonggrang’s delegates reported to her that they have almost finished building the temples and the wells. They only needed to build a temple again. Knowing it, all people in empire were confused because the princess would become Bandawasa’s wife who has killed her father. Then, the chief minister woke up the young girls in around Prambanan Empire to go to lesung (the tools to pound the paddy) and as if they pounded the paddy. Besides it, each lesung was spread fragrant flowers.

Supernatural creatures who did their duties listened the sound of lesung and then immediately they stopped their works and left that place because they thought that it has been morning. Now, only a temple that has not been finished yet and the wells have also almost finished. It meant that the requirement that princess Loro Jonggrang asked has not fulfilled yet by him. After he had known about Loro Jonggrang ang the chief minister’s cunning, he was very furious and he cursed the young girls in around prambanan that they would not get husband before their age were old. On the other hand, he cursed Loro Jonggrang to become statue. Until now, this statue is in the big temple because the statue is Princess Loro Jonggrang. So, basing on this myth story, we call those temples as Loro Jonggrang Temple. Finally, we must always remember that this myth story is just unreal story so we may not believe with it.

My opinion about the story Of My Friend Hector and My Achilles Heel

After I have read the story about Of My Friend Hector and My Achilles Heel, I could find that this story is about prejudice and stupidity that ever the writer did. The concise story Of My Friend Hector and My Achilles Heel is about a person who had prejudice about his friend whose name Hector. However, his prejudice was wrong. Long ago, Michael and hector are close and good friends in the same apartments. After a year, Hector and his family had to move to another place so that he could not see Hector again. After several years, Michel could study in the special class that is for intellectually gifted children but hector was not. When Michel finished his study in college, he worked as a reporter.

One day, he saw hector wearing a knitted watch cap. He knew him like that at times. Then, he has prejudice that Hector was a longshoreman who working on the docks. Some days later he always pretended that he didn’t see hector when he met him. He thought that Hector got strange and unfair fate because he was not an intellectually gifted adult. His prejudice was not unreasonable opinion and he had this prejudice before he knew and gained the facts about him. It appears his prejudice was wrong. Actually, Hector was an actor. He never guessed that person who always he though as a longshoreman was an actor. He knew it after he read the drama section in the newspaper. Knowing about it, he regretted and wanted to ask forgiveness to him about his prejudice. However, he has not done it yet because he thought how exactly someone apologizes for thoughts that were never expressed.

The next, it means I can say that prejudices are opinions or feeling before the facts are known or without knowledge and reasons. It can be a favorable opinions and preconceived opinions or attitude. We can also say that prejudice is an unfair and unreasonable opinion or feeling, especially when it is formed without enough thought or knowledge. In most cases, these opinions are founded on suspicion, intolerance, and the irrational hatred of other races, religions, creeds, or nationalities etc. Prejudice can be true or wrong but it is often negative and aimed to other people. From the story Of My Friend Hector and My Achilles Heel, this story tells that Michael’s prejudice was wrong because what he guessed and thought about his childhood friend was wrong. Therefore, you can be a person who always has prejudice about something or someone if you don’t have enough knowledge or evidence to form your opinion. Then, people can tend to be a sheep and follow other people views.

An example about prejudice: Many people have prejudice that people who is poor and have low education can not have big salary or can not be a successful and rich person. However, I don’t agree and believe with this prejudice. There’s a fact that ever happens with my neighbor. Most my neighbors think that a person who has low education will not get big salary and will not be a successful and rich person.

Now, I will tell you about my neighbor whose name Astono who is just a poor people and only graduated from Elementary School but now his fate changes. He can be a successful and rich person. Actually, long ago, I also ever thought that it was an impossible that a poor person who has low education like only graduating from Elementary School can be such people like that. The story is Astono who was a poor people and graduated from Elemetary School worked as an employee in North Jakarta. He set, repaired the doors and the mirrors and kept them to be durable in bank offices, big shops like Ramayana, Matahari, Carefour and other big shops and offices in this country. After having much money, he decided to be an employer and he asks for his brother and neighbors to be his employees. Then he looked for orders to Jakarta, Bekasi, Bogor in other cities but who do the works are his employees. He treats his employee like his partners so that all of his employees like him. Now, he has been a successful and rich person. Before knowing it, my neighbor and I always think that he will not be rich person and will always be an employee who has small or little salary because of his low education.

Although he was only poor person who only graduated from Elementary School, he is a successful employer now. He can be a successful employer because he can communicate and socialize well with his costumers or clients and other people so that he gets many of costumers or clients. Good personality and performance are also had by him. Besides it, he has high dedication and spirit to live and to try hard reaching what he wants.

When I knew about the facts from my brother about him, what a surprise I was. I have never thought like that he would be a rich man. All of my neighbors says that now he can buy a big house in North Jakarta and a Kijang car. When Lebaran, some days ago, he went home to his small village by a Kijang car that was his own car. He divided an amount of money to his neighbors and also he divided many expensive foods to them. It appears that a poor person who has low education such as only graduating from Elementary School can be more successful and richer person. Indeed, he can be richer than my other neighbor who has higher education than him. This fact really happens on my neighbor. Now, I aware that everybody can get successful and rich person as long as he or she always tries hard to get it although he or she is just poor people or people who have low education.

In brief, a person who is poor and has low education can also be a successful and rich person who has big salary. Finally, we may not have prejudice to the other people before knowing and gaining facts about them.

Be careful with A handsome Man You Have Recently Introduced! (Stereotypes)

Most people think that a handsome boy is certainly a kind person. Even, although they have recently introduced to him, they think and believe like it. They have opinion like it from his out appearance or performance. Their opinion is only from seeing him in the first sight. Whereas, what they think can be wrong because everybody has their own characteristics. To prove that not all handsome boys are kind persons, there are some real events that ever happened relating to this opinion.

It happened to my beloved brother who long ago always thought and believed that a handsome boy is a kind person certainly although he has recently introduced to him. Some years ago in the evening, after he got money from his job as a salesman of book, he wanted to prayed in mosque in Ibnu Khaldun University. Before he did it, he entrusted her bag to a handsome acquaintance boy who sat behind him and has just now introduced to him. Then, he prayed magrib. Finishing his pray, what a shock he was, there was no his bag anymore. It appeared, a handsome boy who he thought as a kind person has already went away and brought away his bag which contained of much money about three millions rupiah and data about his costumers’ debts. Whereas, he wanted to pay his lecture with that money. After that, he wept and really repented that event.

My self also ever had an experience about it. Four years ago, I was new comer in Bogor. I wanted to stay in Bogor because I wanted to work in this city. After I had been in it for 4 months, I didn’t get job yet. One day, when I went out around my boarding house, I got an acquaintance who was also a handsome boy. Then, he stopped by at my house and offered me a job as an administrator in PT. Inti Bogor. From seeing his out appearance, I thought that he was a kind person. I believed whatever he talked to me including a job that he offered to me. Even, he asked me to pay two hundreds thousands rupiah to get that job position and then I also pay it. After that, he never came to my boarding house anymore after he brought my money. Some days later, my brother looked for where PT. Inti but there was no it in Bogor. In fact, a handsome boy who I thought as a kind person was only deceiver. After that event, I will not fully believe with a handsome boy who just now introduces to me and whatever he says before I know the facts about him clearly and exactly.

Also, there is one of my friends who really believe about it. One day, when she was inside the bus from Solo to Yogyakarta, a handsome boy who sat beside her introduced to her. In her mind she said what a happy she was, she got an acquaintance boy who was very handsome, had good and neat performance. When arriving at the bus terminal in Klaten, the girl went to toilet and she entrusted her bag which contained of gold necklaces and bracelets. Unfortunately, when was back to the bus, he was not there. The bus stayed at that terminal for long enough time to wait for him but he didn’t appear to be back on it. He has gone and brought her bag which contained of worth things. She really regretted that she has entrusted her bag to him. What she thought about him was wrong. In fact, he was not a kind person in spite of being handsome because he brought away her worth things which she put on her bag. Indeed, he was a pickpocket or thief. She cried and wept but crying and weeping will can not make her worth things back anymore.

In conclusion, I conclude that people who have good faces and bodies will not always show that those people are kind persons. It means that we may not guess about people only from their physical appearance or from our first sight to them because it can not often be true opinion about them. Therefore, when we have just now introduced to a handsome boy, we can not fully believe that he is a kind person. In addition, we must be careful with not only a handsome boy but also all people who we have recently introduced in order that the bad things which is unwanted does not befall us and we will not get in trouble. Finally, it is no doubt anymore that we can not think a handsome boy who has recently introduced to us as a kind person before we gain many facts about him in order that we can not get problems.

THE MOSLEM NEW YEAR

The Moslem (Hijriyah) New Year is always celebrated by Moslems on 1 Muharram each year. We can also call it the Islamic New Year. Hijriyah year is taken from Prophet Muhammad’s migration from Mecca to Madinah. Muhammad’s migration (Hijrah) is Allah’s optional. It has already become Allah’s determination and hokum (Al Quran, Al Ahzab: 38 & 62). Propher Muhammad’s Hijrah is determined as the beginning of Islamic tarikh (Hijriyah year) because His Hijrah has great meaning of the development of Islamic religious proselytizing. Also, after he had moved to Madinah, the Islamic religious proselytizing began to reach the brilliance. Before Hijrah, Islamic people was a community who is oppressed and tortured by non Moslems. After Hijrah, Moslems have the powerful position and have been been formed Islamic country which has regulation, the leader, and law. Therefore, it is hoped, that event will be reminded by Moslems in every year about how his and his friends making sacrifice in upholding Islam. In Addition, Cyril Glasse explained that the calculation of hijriyah year bases the month calculation of the beginning of appearing the moon light. The calculation is started when the sun sets on the last day before Muharram.

The Islamic calendar was introduced by the close companion of the Prophet, Umar Bin Khatab. During his leadership of the Moslems community, in approximately 632 A.D., he consulted with advisors in order to come to a decision regarding the various dating systems used at that time. It was agreed that the most appropriate reference point for the Islamic Calendar was the Hijrah, since it was important turning point for the Moslems community. After 16 years of the emigration event from Mecca to Madinah (formerly known as Yastrib), Umar Bin Khatab perpetuated this event as the name of Islamic calendar, including miracle that reinforce the mission of attribute of a messenger of Allah as the porter of mercy for the entire world. (rahmatan lil ‘alamin, Al Anbiya: 107). On the other word, years are counted since Hijrah, which is when the Prophet Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Madinah (approximately July 622 A.D.), all Moslems also decide it as Islamic calendar and 1 Muharram is decided as the beginning of the Islamic New Year. Also, after that emigration event, the Moslem community is able to organize and establish the first real Moslem with social, political, and economic independence. Life in Madinah allowed the Moslems to mature and strengthen, and people developed an entire society based on Islamic principles.

Actually, Hijrah as Allah’s optional never end. It is expressed by Muhammad Al-Khatib through the story of someone who comes to Prophet Muhammad and said, ” Prophet Muhammad, I have recently visited a group of people who opine that Hijrah has already ended. Prophet Muhammad answered, “Actually, hijrah will never end so that there is no stopping of repent and forswear until the sun rise from the west.

In celebrating the Islamic New Year, 1 Muharram 1429 that exactly coincides with January 10, 2008, it is full of ritual and cultural nuances. The various programs are hold according to the tradition or the program that is hold in contemporary styles nowadays. Moslems generally celebrate the Islamic New Year that is different from non Moslems who celebrate their new year. We have our own style to welcome it such as doing muasabah, reciting and study Al Quran together, doing Tahajud pray and zikir together etc.

My own small village (Klaten) also has tradition when celebrating it. The community in my village celebrates it by reciting Al Quran (pengajian) and zikir together in mosque after Isak pray. Before doing it, after Isak exactly, the community walks around on the edge of my village by bringing torch that the fire light made from bamboo while they may not speak anything when do it, but they read zikir in the heart. I my self always participated to this program when I was still live there. Beside it, in the night of Islamic New Year, some of people in my village or the villages around my village, especially youngsters usually go to Parangtritis beach to welcome it. However, I never follow to go to this beach in the night of Islamic New year because I will be better to celebrate it with all my family and neighbors by zikir in mosque and then we eat together.

Many Moslems celebrate the hijriyah New Year by doing something with fun and wastefully because they welcome it only by making their selves happy and satisfied but they never care with the other people especially poor people. What a pity, they do not have the changing in every hijriyah new year, they still have the bad attitude and behavior. Let alone, having more piousness is never wanted by them. Whereas, their age decreases every second, minutes, hour, day etc.

When people meet the changing of year, they wish much of hope. The New Year is wished giving us the improvement and luck. Because of that, we must do introspection of all what we have already done. We must evaluate and consider them. We must choose all of the good deeds that we remain to defend and increase the amount of it. On the contrary, we must leave all the useless acts either for ourselves or people around us. Human who never does introspection is the same as wild animal that released from the snare. He will run so fast and jump strongly without paying attention if that will endanger him again. This human will behave without thinking and considering that he will be fallen in the same place and mourn his behavior repeatedly. What a pity, if every year, he must fall and fall again in the same problem.

All in all, my conclusion and suggestion in relation to the reality are as a Moslem, we are better to welcome the Hijriyah New Year by doing and improving deeds in the previous years. Hopefully, we are always be the servant of Allah who obey His commands by doing all the obligations and go far from all of the prohibitions. Allah commanded that human is His servant who has duty to do religious service. If in the previous year, we still often do various lack, we must improve our selves for perfection. Therefore, let’s fill our life by doing many good deeds, study hard, do religious diligently, work sincerely, socialize to the other people and create something etc. The human age decreases day by day so that we must make useful of our rest live as good as possible because we do not know when we die, human’s death is Allah’s secret and there is a good aphorism: the hand of clock will never change the direction. The important point is we must change our pattern of mind in order to be able to live basing on the Al Quran and Hadist. Therefore, we must improve self continually forever as long as we are still given chance to live in this world.

References

Departemen Agama RI, 2002, Al Quran dan terjemahannya, Jakarta: CV. Pustaka Agung Harapan.

www.kompas.com/kompas-cetak/0402/21/opini/869440.htm

www.pesanternvirtual.com/indexx.option=com_content&task=view&id=952&itemid=11