We Called Foreigner 'Bule'

Some expatriate in Indonesia consider this word as an offensive word. But, for us it’s a neutral word. We don’t have any hiding agenda to call foreigner a bule. Moreover, Indonesia thinks Bule is cool. That’s why many of civilian will be excited to see foreigner and want to take a picture together (well, it won’t happen in bug city but, in smaller town where there’s not much foreigner, it’s an exciting experience for them).

But yes, it can be an insulted word in some situation. In some internet forum for expatriate in Indonesia, I read there’s one saying: ‘I have never considered it [bule] racist, but I can see why some people might use it in an offensive manner towards you.

And he gave an example: When he was through Blok M (name of place in Indonesia) late at night and a gang of young males standing in a dark corner shout out "BULE". But don’t you worry, bule is often be used as a appreciation: ‘some of my Indonesian friends just love bules, they admire bules and everything that bules do - and they still call them bule’.

[LI]

Tempe

Tempe (source)

I remembered a few years ago I’ve ever heard that there were some people from foreign country came to Indonesia specially just to learn how to make tempe. At that time I laughed at that news because I thought it was ‘silly’.

Do people in foreign countries not know what ‘tempe’ is? ‘Tempe’ is a food from soy-bean. The basic ingredient is the same as tofu and soy-sauce. If in foreign
countries they’re familiar with tofu and soy-sauce, why is there no tempe?

However, it turned out that several times I went abroad and spent some time living abroad, I’ve never found tempe in those countries. Except in an Indonesian restaurant, of course. But I was also very rare. Most of the menus in Indonesian restaurant in foreign countries are those which ingredients easy to get or easy to make or of the basic ingredient should be imported from Indonesia, it should be the one that could last pretty long such as ‘terasi’ (shrimp paste).

The making process of tempe needs to be in a particular temperature and humidity. After so, the tempe also need to be kept in a place with particular temperature and humidity that is easy to get in a tropical area such as Indonesia. Maybe that’s why tempe is very rare abroad, moreover in four-seasons countries because the weather and climate there are not suitable for the making process.

It’s a bit sorry for that because tempe is very delicious and high nutrition. Apparently this cheap and common food in Indonesia could also be a precious thing abroad. I don’t know I should be happy or sorry with this fact.

(FK)