Taboo to youOne of my legal team holidayed with her daughter on Bunaken island, North Sulawesi over Xmas, and flew back to Jakarta with Adam Air. The plane's next journey was its last and they're still looking for it.
In the midst of all this doom and gloom, a little balance is required, a wry smile or two, which is why I offer you the following.
Expert in all things Indonesian that I am, I've been asked if 'taboo' is an Indonesian word. The quick answer, found in my Webster's Big and Too Heavy To Put In Your Pocket Dictionary and
confirmed by googling is that it's a Polynesian word,
tabu, which, yes, is also in
bahasa Indonesia. This is presumably because it has made its way through Irian Jaya (Papua) into Java; I suspect it made its way into English through our empiric victories.
Maybe
this news item can illustrate the meaning of the word. After all, making fun of Muslims is not considered
kosher, or perhaps I should say
halal.
Over a thousand Turks spent the first day of the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha in emergency wards on Sunday after stabbing themselves or suffering other injuries while sacrificing startled animals.
At least 1,413 people - referred to as "amateur butchers" by the Turkish media - were treated at hospitals across the country, most suffering cuts to their hands and legs, the Anatolia news agency reported.
Four people were severely injured, crushed under the weight of large animals that fell on top of them, the agency reported. Another person was hurt when a crane used to lift an animal tumbled onto him.
Unfortunately (?) I haven't found similar news emanating from Indonesia.
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