Happy Eidul Fitri!

The fasting month culminates at Eidul Fitri. A fast breaking fiesta.
It’s time to celebrate the victory, joy, family reunion and thanksgiving to God.

Happy Eidul Fitri 1 Syawal 1429H
Minal Aidin Wal Faidzin
Please forgive me for all the mistakes I have ever done

Lumpia Goreng (Egg Rolls)

Filling:
1cup diced chicken
½ cup diced fresh shrimp
2 green onions, chopped
¼ cup slivered carrots
1tbsp. sweet soy sauce
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
3 inside leaves cabbage, shredded
1 cup bean sprouts, cleaned
Wrapper (may be bought at asian supermarket)

Preparation:

Fry chicken in oil until light brown.
Add shrimp, garlic, green onions.
Saute until all looks light brown.
Add carrots, saute until crips.
Add cabbage, soy sauce, salt and bean sprouts.
Stir for a few minutes. Set aside.

Place 1 tablespoon filling on center of each wrapper.
Roll wrapper around filling, tucking in sides.
Deep-fry until golden brown. Do not fry too manya t a time as oil will cool and lumpa become soggy.
Drain on paper towels. Serve while hot.
Lumpia may be made and frozen before frying.

Street Food Vendors

Kaki lima, that’s how we called it. The traditional convenience foods in Indonesia which served from the colourful cart with two wheels and three legs. So it looks like the cart has five legs. This cart pushed in every town and kampung, usually by men to provide cheap foods.

Usually early in the morning you will hear they bang on the edge of the plate, Ting..Ting…Ting… The Bubur ayam (chicken porridge) or Bubur Kacang Hijau (mung bean porridge) is ready for breakfast! Later in the afternoon, the bakso men strolls down and beating on a small wooden gong. Tok! Tok! Bakso is small balls of pounded meat. Served with noodle and hot soup. At night, you might hear a high, sustained whistle of the putu man’s steamer. He sells a divine confection of steamed green rice flour, tapioca, melted sugar and shredded coconut. Yummy..! And don’t miss this sharp Tay! Tay! Satay! of sate man, he will grill shreds of seasoned meats right in front of you. Hmm smells good…

Each kali lima men has their own unique way to let people know that they are passing by. They provided memories of sights and sounds of life in Indonesia.

Ramadhan

This week is the third week of Ramadhan ~ the holy month of fasting observed all over the world by Muslims.

And so around 2:00am groups of young men will circle their neighborhoods! They are beating on drums, and banging spoons on a pan! It is time to wake up and begin your day! And just incase you have fallen back to sleep, the penjaga or neighborhood watchman makes his rounds banging a stick on the metal fence post to remind you it is time to get up!

The women are up and cooking, and the family is anxiously waiting so that everyone can a share a meal together before the first light of dawn breaks over the sky. From sun-up to sun-down men and women alike fast from eating, drinking, smoking and other earthly pleasures in an act of obedience and submission to Allah. They are learning to suppress these desires in order to increase their spiritual piety and find favor with Allah.

The fast is broken at sunset and usually begins by eating dates, if the family can afford to buy them. Cool drinks, and sweet snacks are served as well. Extended family members gather to break the fast together with specially cooked foods! And so it will go on like this, day after day until the month is complete 29 or 30 days later.

Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, and is an obligation for all devout Muslims. Every adult and youth (those who have reached the age of puberty) are expected to fast with exceptions given to children, women who are pregnant or nursing, travelers and those who are sick. For more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan

Three Great Place to Dine in Bali

When you’re in Bali, don’t forget to dine at
THREE GREAT RESTAURANTS

Heaven in the heart of Kuta
POPPIES
For thirty years the world has come to Poppies Restaurant,

where you can dine out beneath a canopy of flower,

amidst pool and waterfall,

savouring the delights of fresh seafood and

exquisite Indonesia and international cuisine.
Call (62-361) 751059 for reservation.
Location : Poppies Lane I, Kuta
Web: www.poppiesbali.com

Hillside haven
STRABERRY HILL
In the cool of the mountains,

a warm welcome awaits you visit the lake at Bedugul.
Stop for lunch or just drinks, beside Bali’s only real log fire.
Location : opposite Bedugul’s southermost turnoff to Lake Bratan

Streetside serendipity
KOPI POT Café & Bar
Watch the world go by from its garden terrace or

new Lone Palm Bar whilts enjoying continental or

Indonesian specialities and out outrageous homemade cakes and desserts.
Call (62-361) 752614 for a reservation.
Location : Jalan Legian, North Kuta

Appropriate Hand and Body Gesture

• Only the right hand is used for giving and receiving things. The left hand is considered unclean as it is used for private sanitary functions. It is rude and insulting to use your left hand to hand someone something, especially food and money.
• Don’t point the sole of your feet at someone, either by putting them on the table or crossing your legs. In social situations, it is best to keep both feet on the ground.
• Putting your hands on your hips is a sign of anger and considered an offensive or threatening gesture.
• Never touch an Indonesian of the opposite sex even if you think you are close friends. This act would be easily misconstrued by others.

Place of interest

As for recreation, there no shortage of options. Nature walks, hoseback riding, diving, surfing - even buggy jumping and white water rafting - await the adventurous here.

Bali Barat National Park
Bali’s largest nature reserve encompasses 70,000 hectares of rainforest and 7,000 hectares of coral reefs and is home to many rare species of fauna.

Batur Caldera
The enormous crater basin of Batur is a spectacular sight. Dominating its centre is Mt.Batur, a brooding, blackened cone that erupted four times last century. Six small villages eke out an exixtence within walss of the caldera, peopled by a simple mountain folk known as Bali Aga (original Balinese).

Bedugul
The cool highland resort of Bedugul on the shores of Lake Bratan has become a popular retreat for tourists and residents alike.

Besakih
Bali’s “Mother Temple” is a sprawling complex of shrines and pavillons set high on the slopes of sacred Mt.Agung.

Goa Gajah
The ancient hermitahe of Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave) near Bedulu is one of Bali’s most intriguing archeological sites, comprising a man-made grotto, elaborate stone carving and Buddist stupas.

Kerta Gosa
The Kerta Gosa Hall of Justice is a small pavilion adorned with fantastic ceiling murals. In the 18th century it was Bali’s highest court of law.

Kuta
Kuta Bay, with its long stretch of white sand and brilliant sunset, has attracted swarns of visitors since its rediscovery by sufers and sun worshippers in the 1970’s.

Lovina Beach
Lovina is an 8km strip of black sand on Bali’s northern coast, reowned for its serenity and a local school of dolphins.

Nusa Dua
The beautifully landscaped beach resort of Nusa Dua is home to no less than 15 five-star resort hotels, the 18-hole Bali Golf & Country Club and excllent shopping facilities.

Nusa Lembongan
A small island off Bali’s southeast coast, Nusa Lembongan is popular for its white sand beaches and quiet pace of life. Several cruise operators offer daytrip from Benoa Harbour.

Sangeh Monkey Forest
Populated by a large troupe of monkeys, this thick stand of nutmeg trees os believed by legend to have fallen out the sky during a mythic battle between the gods, carrying with it a battalion of Wisnu’s monkey army.

Sanur
The resort area of Sanur has grown up arounf Bali’s largest traditional village and today boasts excellent facilities for the international visitor.

Tanah Lot
Tanah Lot (Earth from the Sea) is a stunning 15th century sactuary located on Bali’s south coast, built atop a rocky mound that a high tide is completely surrounded by water.

Tulamben
Some of Bali’s most interesting diving is found at Tulamben, where the shallow wreck of WWII US cargo ship is now festooned with colorful corals and schools of tropical fish.

Uluwatu
Perched on a limestone cliff 70 meters above Indian ocean, this 11th century temple is one of Bali’s holiest sites.

What makes Bali so popular?

Every square inch of Bali offers a fresh, unique and unforgettable image. Everywhere you look in Bali there is something interesting to see.

These are some reasons that Bali is such a popular place for a holiday:
- The countryside is beautiful wherever you look. The mountains are spectacular. The rice terraces are wonderful.
- The climate is mild. The daytime temperature is always in the high twenties and the nights are cooler, but never cold.
- All types of food can be found here, from authentic hot and spicy Balinese food to pizzas, hamburgers and caviars.
- Bali has many beaches. Some has golden sands, other have black volcanic sand. There are surf beaches, calm seas and coral reef.
- Bali is a natural haven for flora and fauna.
- Bali is not a very expensive place to visit for an overseas holiday.

After the bomb in 2004, Bali is changing. Some are good, some are not. But their culture is alive and thriving. It is remain a great place for a holiday.

Kopi Luwak: The Exotic Coffee

Coffee from civet waste??! Yikes!
Have you heard Kopi Luwak? I have, but not lucky enough to taste it!

“Kopi” is the Indonesian word for coffee. And “Luwak” is a local name of the Asian Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus). This kind of civet eat raw coffee berries as one of their normal diet. After passed through their digestive tract, the beans will be proccess to be coffee Luwak.

The civets eat the berries, but the beans inside pass through their system undigested. The enzyme in the stomach of the civet add flavor to the coffee by breaking down the protein that give the coffee its bitter taste. The beans are defecated still covered in some inner layers of the berry. The beans are washed, and given only a light roast so as to not destroy the complex flavors that develop through the process.

In early days the local natives gather up the limited amount of the Luwak processed parchment coffee, remove the parchment shell, and ultimately ship it to the coffee broker. Wild civet are hard to find nowadays. So now they captured civets, fed them raw berries, collect the waste produced then proccess it. But no need to worry, kopi luwak undergoes sterilization process to get rid of viruses, bacteria, molds and mildews before packaging. So it is safe and hygiene. It's only your mind that sends you a wrong message and prevent you from tasting and savoring the unique aromatic taste and distinguishable its roasting smell.

Anyway, do you know what the most expensive coffee in the world? Yup! You’re right.
Kopi Luwak. Kopi Luwak is the most expensive coffee in the world, selling for between $120 and $600 USD per pound. One small cafe, in Queensland, Australia has Kopi Luwak coffee on the menu at $48.00 USD per cup.

What makes kopi luwak worth the exorbitant price according to coffee connoiseur Chris Rubin?
The aroma is rich and strong, and the coffee is incredibly full bodied, almost syrupy. It's thick with a hint of chocolate, and lingers on the tongue with a long, clean aftertaste. It's definitely one of the most interesting and unusual cups I've ever had.

Kopi Luwak is special… like no other coffee.

It is an exoctic coffee….

All Await to Visit

Do you know where Ambon is?
Ambon is the capital city of province of Maluku ~ an area in Eastern Indonesia. Ambon known as “Ambon Manise” means “Beautiful Ambon” referring not only to the beauty of the city itself but also to the beauty of the Islands that represents the beauty of the whole Maluku archipelago, which consist of 1,422 islands..


Local government hold regular event such as Ambon Bay Festival to attract more tourists both foreign and domestic, and to preserve local tradition as well. Ambon has beautiful beaches and natural beauty art and culture. Some most visited beaches are Narsepa in Salahutu, Hunimua on the Hitu peninsula and Namhatu in Latulahat village in the southern part of Ambon. Collecting shells, swimming, snorkeling, or simply sunbathing are some of the exciting experiences you can get there. Pintu Kota (the gate of the city) is another place of interest. Pintu Kota lies between the villages Airlow and seri on the south coast of Ambon island. A huge rock stretching out to the sea with a hole at its bottom which looks like a gate where through it we can see the coast line and the Banda sea. It is an ideal place for snorkeling and diving.

Rare decorative bird Cockatoo and Nuri can be found in Maluku’s forests. Marsupials in Maluku are evidence of the geographical connection to the Australasian continent. The Baruna fish in the Banda Sea Marine Park is an example of Maluku’s sea marvels. Other interesting sea garden inhabitants include pearl oysters, shrimps, seaweeds, and beautiful corals of all colours.

Ambon is full of history. Spices. Dutch. Portuguese. Culture. Conflicts. Arts. Buildings are silents witnesses. Most tourist visit the Dutch fortress Benteng Amsterdam built by the Portuguse. The fortress has a small museum. Another remarkable building are Masjid Tua Wapauwe, and the Immanuel Church (gereja Hila).

Temate weaving, Palited handicraft, Bacan stone jewelry, Bamboo handicrafts, Artificial shields, Runut bags ( made from coconut tissue that covers the young leaves of a coconut tree), Pottery and Clove artifacts are some of well known handicrafts from Maluku.

Get some of those unique, artistic and exotic articles, take it home with you as souvenirs. And also as a sweet reminder of Ambon ~ another part of Indonesia awaits to visit.

Songket - The Beautiful Cloth

Songket is a beautiful cloth that is unique to Palembang, South Sumatera. It is made from threads that have been dyed in various colors and woven on a simple weaving loom, using the technique learned from Indian traders. The most popular colors are red and purple and after completion the cloth is traditionally used in wedding ceremonies. Due to use of woven gold thread, in the archives of Indonesian traditional textiles, Songket from Palembang, have been recognized as a luxurious textile.

How to store Songket:
1. Roll songket using a tube lined with acid free paper in between. First, lay the songket in a flat surface. Smooth it. Then place the tube parallel to the warp threads. Interleaved each layer with acid free paper or washed cotton cloth. Roll gently with the right side inward.
2. Then wrap the songket in a plastic bag. Store in a standing position.
3. Never dry cleaned the songket. Only storage them in a dark and clean place, with enough breathing space.
4. Avoid folding Songket for too long. The gold thread may break and causes the Songket to have permanent folding effect.

Coincidentally, in our neighborhood there is a small house where songket is made. As I enter the house, I see the weaving looms are all very neatly arranged with about 18 women each weaving a piece of cloth. The women sit on the floor on a cushion or mat with their legs straight out in front of them under the weaving loom....for hours each day. It takes several weeks of work to make one piece of cloth that is about 3 feet wide by 7 feet long. The weavers are usually paid between $20 and $30 for their labor depending on the pattern and quality of their work.

Most of the women that weave songket come from small villages and travel by bus to get to the city. After they finish a piece of cloth and receive their pay, they usually return to their village to visit with their families and their children....staying only about a week before returning to the songket factory.

Independence Day!

Today, August 17, is Indonesia’s 63rd Independence Day. Everybody is expected to display the flag in his resident, office, or bussiness place. Flag sellers are sprout everywhere during this time. Big size, medium size, normal size and small size to be attached at your car are easy to find.

In the morning students assemble at schools to salute the flag and sing the national anthem. Goverment officer are expected to assemble at their office to salute the flag and sing the national anthem as well.

At noon everybody takes part at their neighboor activities. Every neighborhood has a full day of activity. Usually every family asked to contribute some money to help with the celebration weeks before. They start the day with games for young kids – since they don’t have to assemble at schools. Sport competition such as badminton, futsal, volley usually had started two weeks before.

One of the favourite game in this special event is “Makan Kerupuk”. (Krupuk: dried, mildly spiced wafers made of shrimp and tapioca flour, which when deeprinsed fried swell to many times their original size). The krupuk is hanging from the ceiling, bar or anything so it would be daggling right in front of your mouth. The objective is to finished the krupuk as fast as you can without using your hands. "Tarik Tambang (Tug War)" is another enjoyable game played by children, women and men.

And the finale is "The Panjat Pinang (Climbing the palm tree)". The objective is to climb up to the top and get the prizes which hung around it. The prizes might be anything from a set of keys to a new motorcycle to towels and plastic buckets. Sounds easy huh? But the palm tree is greased up all the way through… Make it harder and tough enough to be conquered. The challenge of the game makes cooperation and strategy an essential requirement of success. It is impossible to climb up the 5 to 8 meter slippery pole on your own. The only way to reach the top is to team up and create a human pyramid around the base of the pole.

Organ Tunggal

While out riding around our city, we often see signs advertising "Organ Tunggal". An "organ" is a musical instrument similar to a keyboard and the word "tunggal" means single or the one and only. It is an electric keyboard that plays the drums, the trumpet, the violin, the guitar and other instruments and its harmonious melodies sound like a full band playing!

Organ Tunggal is a small business that is often run out of someone's home.....a place where you can come and rent an organ, an organ player and someone to sing.....all for one price ~ a package deal! Usually these musicians are hired to liven up a celebration such as a wedding, a birthday party, the celebration of a circumcision and other official events.

When the Organ Tunggal band begins to perform, neighbors and friends within the community often come and watch for free! They will sing and dance along with the music! When those in the community really like the performers, they will slip money into their hands ~ usually between Rp 1000 to Rp 10,000 (US 10 cents to US $1.00)! The Organ Tunggal performers are usually hired to perform for 3-4 hours, but sometimes they work as long as 6 hours....from dusk until dawn.

One of our neighbors, Mr. I happens to own an Organ Tunggal business. According to Mr. I, those playing the organ and singing must drink beer before they perform so that they can play well. When there is not enough beer, they drink whiskey and when the whiskey runs out they will take an ecstasy pill. It is the responsibility of the person who hires the performers to supply the beer and whiskey. It is sad.

Not only are the Organ Tunggal performers drinking, but often the neighbors and friends that come for the event begin to drink as well. Almost always 1-2 people end up in the hospital after an event like this because so many people are drunk which leads to heated discussions, bad words being exchanged and fights where knives are drawn and people are stabbed. How sad.

"Itsy Bitsy Spider..."

We entered the school gate and found bunches of student were staring at us. Well, I wasn’t the one they were staring at, but a dear friend from USA. “Bule (white people)! Bule (white people)!” they all cried. All chattering, giggling and squeling with joy over having English speaker come to their school. Little did they know, but we were also going to learn a new song!

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
and the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again

Thirty five students were excitedly moving their hands in animated motions and trying their best to also learn all the new words at the same time! Some of them were writing this new song franctically in their notebook.

It wasn't hard to teach the children, BUT it was challenging to manage all the children who wanted so desperately to be a part of the class. All the children wanted to follow the English speaker from class to class.....They kept standing in front of the door, they even sneaked to the back of the classroom. Their nice English teacher lady have no heart to prevent them from doing so. She understood everybody was excited and wanted to learn right from the native speaker.

English is one of the subjects students should take. Most of them even take an English course outside the school. In big cities is not hard to find English speakers to practice with or learn from. But in many places, remote areas, rural schools, access to fluent English speakers is limited.

One time, I took some English speakers to a local university here, in South Sumatera. One student who took major in English said “Being in a same room with native speakers, converse with them and even shake their hands is like a dream comes true!”

English speakers are needed. You might want to help them through teaching English on volunter vacation. Experience the different culture and make a big different in the young learners’ life..
"Good bye Mister!" they said proudly…

Terong Balado (Eggplant With Red Chilli Sauce)

Want to try to cook Terong Balado?
Below is the recipe taken from Periplus.

Ingredients:
1 kg ( 2 lb) eggplant (aubergine), cut in half lengthwise
3 tablespoons ( 50ml) cooking oil.

Spice paste
2 tablespoons oil
50 g ( 1 ½ oz) shallot, sliced
100 g ( 3oz) red chilli
1 teaspoon salt
1 big or 2 small tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2-3 tablespoon water optional.

Preparations:
1. Heat oil in a pan and fry eggplant until golden brown. Drain on paper towel, then set aside discard oil.
2. To make the spice paste, blend the oil shallot, chillies and salt unil smooth sauté the chilli paste for 5 minutes then add tomatoes and sauté until soft. Add lime juice to taste.
If spice paste becomes too dry add a little water.
3. Coat the eggplant generously with the sambal. Serve with hot cooked rice. Serves 4

Preparation time : 10 mins
Cooking time : 15 mins

You may also use hard boiled egg instead of eggplant.
Enjoy!!

Pedas! Pedas! Sambal Pedas!

Aahh.. pedas! Pedas! Hot! Hot! Says a friend as she tries Terong Sambal Balado (fried eggplant in red chilli sauce). I can’t help laughing. She has been here a couple months and growing to love sambal. Sambal [SAHM-bahl] plays an important role in Indonesian dishes. Meal is not complete without the presents of sambal. Basically sambal is a condiment – a simple mixture of chillies, salt and a pinch of sugar. There are multitute variations of sambal. Depends on what ingredients you add into, and what kind of dish to accompany to. In fact there are more than 100 different sambals each with a different taste.

Every part of Indonesia has their own variety of sambal.
South Sumatera is known for their Sambal Tempoyak (Durian Sambal). Bali is known for their Sambal Matah (Raw Shallot & Lemongrass sambal). While Lombok is famous for their Sambal Taliwang. Which is made from naga jolokia pepper grown specially in Lombok, garlic and Lombok shrimp paste. A kilogram of naga jolokia pepper is extracted, ground and pressed . This is mixed with ground garlic and shrimp paste, then cooked with vegetable oil.

I practically put sambal on everything. Even on pizza, spaghetti, taco, chicken casserole, club sandwich,… you name it. Sambal paste ABC brand goes great with those. (You will find this in many Asian restaurants).
Sambal.
Something I can’t live without :)

Javanese Wedding Ceremony

Hello friends, how was your week? Hope you had a good one! :)

Last week we went to Jakarta for my cousin’s wedding. The bride and the bridegroom are Javaness, so there was a traditional ceremony followed by the receptions at night. The ceremony was started with gamelan – the traditional music from Java. Then the bride and the bridegroom walked slowly from opposite direction approching each other. When they were about 2 meter facing each other, they started throwing each other with small bundels of leaves with lime inside. People believe that this will keep bad spirits away. Or to prove that the bride or the bridegroom whom they will be married to is not a ghost or someone who pretends to be the one. This meeting ceremony that took place in front of the garden gate called as “Panggih”.

Traditional Javanese wedding ceremony couldn’t be done without the role of Pamaesan. She is responsible to dress up the bride and the bridegroom properly. She also should leads the ritual ceremonies.

Photo below shows the Pamaesan helping the mother of the bride covers the couple’s shoulders with some kind of cloth, during the Sindur Binayang ceremony. Then the father of the bride led the couple walked to the wedding chairs while holding the corners of the cloth. It simbolized the father shows the ways of happiness. While the mother of the bride who walked behind the couple, gave a moral support.

The following ritual was Wiji Dadi. The bridegroom crashed a chicken egg with his right foot. Then the bride washed his feet using water mixed with several kinds of flower ( I think seven kinds of flowers). It showed that the bridegroom is ready to be a father – a head of the family , and the bride should submit and serve him faithfully.

The King and The Queen of the day!

Dressed in a special dress for the special day. Wearing golden and shiny jewelries.

Rubber Time - Jam Karet

Time has a different dimention here. Indonesian live a flowing life like a gentle river carring everything along. No stressed caused by time or schedule. Indonesian live in rubber time - jam karet.
When someone said he will come to your house at 10 o’clock, it means “about 10 o’clock or approximately”. If they attempt to be punctual, they will state jam 10 pas atau jam 10 tepat - 10 o’clock sharp.

The rubberish form would strech from minutes to hours!
But for them in business circle, high social status and educated people, punctuality is something important. If you are late for an appointment, they will think you are unorganized and irresponsible.

Well, each culture has their own approach to time. Indonesian life is not driven by time. Harmonious interaction with other people is important. Being polite is important. Most of the things done in a spontaneous, flexible way. You need to slow down and develop interpersonal skills once you live in Indonesia. They are highly valued.

Do you find this is interesting?

Indonesia Raya - The National Anthem

Indonesia Raya is the national anthem of Republik Indonesia. The composer is W.R.Supratman. This song was introduced the first time in a national youth conference on 28 October 1928 in Batavia (now known as Jakarta). It was chosen as the national anthem when Indonesia proclaimed its independence at 17 August 1945.

Indonesian Lyrics
Indonesia, tanah airku, tanah tumpah darahku.
Di sanalah aku berdiri, jadi pandu ibuku.
Indonesia, kebangsaanku, bangsa dan tanah airku.
Marilah kita berseru, “Indonesia bersatu!”
Hiduplah tanahku,
hiduplah neg’riku,
Bangsaku, rakyatku, semuanya.
Bangunlah jiwanya, bangunlah badannya
Untuk Indonesia Raya!

CHORUS:
Indonesia Raya, merdeka, merdeka
Tanahku, neg’riku yang kucinta.
Indonesia Raya, merdeka, merdeka
Hiduplah Indonesia Raya! (*2)

English Lyrics
Indonesia my native land, the land where I shed my blood.
There I stand, being a soldier of my mother.
(Note: “mother” here refers to ibu pertiwi which means ‘motherland’)
Indonesia my nationality, my nation and my country.
Let us exclaim “United Indonesia!”
Live my land, live my state, My nation, my people, all.
Build its spirit, build its bodies For Great Indonesia!

CHORUS:
Great Indonesia, independent and free,
My land, my country, which I love.
(probably equivalent to English’s Long live my land)
Great Indonesia, independent and free,
Live Great Indonesia! (*2)

Ethymology

The name Indonesia derives from the Latin Indus, meaning “India”, and the Greek nesos, meaning “island”.The name dates to the 18th century, far predating the formation of independent Indonesia.In 1850, George Earl, an English ethnologist, proposed the terms Indunesians — and, his preference, Malayunesians — for the inhabitants of the “Indian Archipelago or Malayan Archipelago”. In the same publication, a student of Earl’s, James Richardson Logan, used Indonesia as a synonym for Indian Archipelago.However, Dutch academics writing in East Indies publications were reluctant to use Indonesia. Instead, they used the terms Malay Archipelago (Maleische Archipel); the Netherlands East Indies (Nederlandsch Oost Indië), popularly Indië; the East (de Oost); and even Insulinde.From 1900, the name Indonesia became more common in academic circles outside the Netherlands, and Indonesian nationalist groups adopted it for political expression. Adolf Bastian, of the University of Berlin, popularized the name through his book Indonesien oder die Inseln des Malayischen Archipels, 1884–1894. The first Indonesian scholar to use the name was Suwardi Suryaningrat (Ki Hajar Dewantara), when he established a press bureau in the Netherlands with the name Indonesisch Pers-bureau in 1913.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesia