The unexpected turn-out of inter-ethnicity encounter we all want to see and experience
A recent YouTube video gained significant public attention as it featured a young, vigorous student of Papua showed up delivering food for another youth of different ethnicity in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The sudden encounter was seen as unexpected and yet wound up with a warm and friendly reception from both youngsters.
No pretensions showed, let alone hostility, as both seemed to develop ties instead expeditiously as though they were a real family regardless of their different ethnicity.
At first, Evan, the owner of this YouTube channel called Hobby Makan, just wanted to share some of his fortunes he made from the platform with an online food deliverer. Having ordered more pizzas than he needed, he planned to share half of them with the man delivering.
Breaking up bewilderment
A little confusion happened as he figured out that the man might not understand how the app for the food delivery worked as he seemed not moving to deliver the food. But to his surprise, the deliverer showed up before his flat with all pizzas ordered. Evan went a little bit puzzled as he figured that the deliverer was a young Papuan.
However, a warm and friendly conversation broke up the bewilderment. Michael, the young Papuan ojol or ojek online (literally means online motorbike taxi driver), joined the discussion with a little hesitation in the beginning. Still, as time went on, he seemed to feel more and more comfortable conversing with Evan, who is a Malay.
A little tip for Michael’s friendly and hospitable service eased up further the conversation. This went on to both sharing their stories. Evan was doing charity, and Michael was trying to make ends as a ‘perantauan’ student on a tight budget. Perantauan is an Indonesian word for those who are away from their homes or kampongs for reasons like working or studying.
After some good conversation going on, suddenly, Michael took off his helmet, and both young men went to hug each other. One can see how both felt that warm family-like reception showing up from them.
Michael admitted that some people in Pontianak have both good and bad receptions towards him as a Papuan, but he ensured that he worked hard on adapting himself to the situation.
What Michael saw during the encounter with Evan was surely the former receiving. Evan showed a not just good, but family-like welcome. Both called each other ‘abang,’ which showed them that they respect each other too. The encounter and conversation of both show nothing but humility and honesty.
Unpretentious kinship
Evan seemed to feel that he found the right man to help. Michael could not hide that he was cheered as he was well-received by Evan and his team. He thanked Evan and his Tim Asik, Evan’s channel’s supporters, for the help as he was short on allowances, especially during this pandemic.
This new, yet unpretentious friendship, if not family, shows that not all the disintegrating info you hear and read on the news about Papua may not represent what happens in reality. There are, of course, some bad people who never understand the value of diversity, but there are a lot more people that believe that diversity is invaluable.
You may have heard the news about several Papuan youths who are beaten and detained by the Indonesian government, and some not-so-good stories about the past relationship between Papua and Jakarta. Yes, those need to be fixed, and we believe people are struggling to find justice for such situations.
However, what happened to Evan and Michael is also a daily occurrence in Indonesia. There have been enormous initiatives that connect people, especially youths of different ethnicities, across Indonesia. For some people, strengthening the friendship or family ties of those different groups of people will serve them the same urgency to uplift each other’s situations.
There have been many schools across Indonesia that receive Papuan youths and provide them with the best reception. And the same thing also happens in Papua where one can see that many schools there have diverse students where both native Papuans and non-Papuans learn and study together.
Online positive vibes
With the Evan and Michael video, comes so many warm and cheering comments. All are sending positive vibes of how both interact as though they have met further early on.
Evan Hobby Makan:
Love all of you from the east 😊
Barizzy Wan:
Michael (is) our college friend from the east. Thank you, Evan, for helping our brothers who are struggling when away from home. Hopefully (what you’re doing) is always blessed
Henri Bambang Suratno:
Is the name of the ojol Maikel (or Michael) Asso? He was a friend of mine who used to go to school in Jember (a city in East Java) and now he is studying in Pontianak. He is a great person. Never give up Maikel Asso! Greetings from Kalisat, Jember
niko lasatira:
I am from Ambon. Thanks for the people who love the East (of Indonesia, because of or sisterhood and brotherhood. Don’t look at our status (means ethnicity) 🖤. Thanks for the cool team
donny kbarek:
Respect for bro Evan and his cool team. Lord Jesus bless you. I also used to be like Michael, leaving home for college. So, I can feel it when he says he doesn’t eat all day and only drinks water. But God is good. There must be a helping angel to help us. Michael, you got an angel that God told her to help that day, (that was) pace Evan and his Tim Asik.
On YouTube, you can find that both Papuans and non-Papuans love each other’s cultures. In some of the late Didi Kempot’s videos, a very well-known Javanese singer and songwriter, one can scroll through the comment section and find that some Papuan youths are showing their warm reception towards the songs.
They say even though they may not understand the lyrics, they can enjoy the songs that, to some extent, become their favorite.
A comment on Tatu song by Didi Kempot reads:
* _DJ-ARDILES_ * N-DJ-C:
I am Papuan, I salute and respect the songs from Om (uncle) Didi Kempot. 😊👍👍 Because everyone can accept Om Didi Kempot’s songs, I like dangdut songs and Javanese language because I listen to Om Didi Kempot’s songs. 2 years ago, when in Taiwan, the song (titled) suket teki really touched me and became an inspiration and passion for me personally. And now 2020 the song Tatu is my favorite song, every day I always sing this song. Because sometimes I cry because I can feel and hear this song, it really touches my heart and makes speechless. We are Papuans, very much in love with Om Didi Kempot’s works.
Greetings from me in Papua 😊🙏
For many videos of Papuan songs, one can also see that many Indonesian of non-Papuan ethnicity are commenting with also joyful reception. On a song titled Tatinggal Di Papua, by a well-known female Papuan singer, Nowela Mikhelia, one comment reads as follows.
Mery Kristiani:
I am not a native of Papua, but I was born in Papua. I miss eating papeda (traditional food of Papua). I miss eating Papeda. I miss bathing at the beach. I miss Papua so much! (Watching Nowela’s video) got my tears to fall straight💔😥
There may be differences among our arguments in seeing the complex and dynamic relationships and stories between Papua and Indonesia. But one can see that there are, of course, the good and the not so good sides of the stories. You can focus on whichever side you want, but we believe that the good one could give you stronger hopes that things are bettering both for Papua and Indonesia. (*)
