zaterdag 16 januari 2010

On the road














The next interviews were planned with Dien Bonimbie (who goes by the name of Ibu Tiny) and the sisters Irene and Helena Artz. Ibu Tiny lives in the 'wilayah' of Senen in the heart of Jakarta. Contrary to her brothers and sisters who all left for The Netherlands after Indonesia gained independence, she was never informed about the temporary procedure to request a travel visa. When she finally did apply, it was too late to leave the country. For the past 50 years, she's been an Indonesian citizen and has converted to islam. Her children have to scrape by, but all support their mother who turns 80 this year. Ibu Tiny proudly posed for the photographer with her authentic Dutch
Singer sewing machine.

























Irene and Helena Artz are granddaughters of Gerrit Artz who was the last African soldier straight from Africa living in Purworejo. In 1950, Irene opted to become an Indonesian citizen because her father chose to stay in the new republic. Helena, who was underaged at the time, automatically became a 'warga negara' through her father's choice. The sisters, who grew up as privileged Dutch girls in a big house with three cars and a 'dokar', have fallen on hard times ever since. As second rate citizens, they have been living in poverty. Because Indo-African (which equals the Dutch nationality) is not a popular ethnicity in Indonesia, they prefer to call themselves 'Javanese'. Irene described their lives concisely: "In the old days we used to have baboes, now we've become baboes ourselves".

DICTIONARY

wilayah - district
warga negara - Indonesian citizen
dokar - small carriage pulled by two horses
baboe - housemaid


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