It's a pity some colonial empires didn't really try to work with the cultures they found. The British weren't bad, actually. Or at least not bad everywhere and all the time
The Dutch's quite good at this. Instead of forcing Dutch language and culture on Indonesians, they adopt Indonesian culture instead (traditional costumes, cuisine, etc.)
It's also partly elitism: only the children of the royalty and/or the rich and powerful got to have Dutch education in Jakarta, the capital city.
That's why Indonesia's pretty much the only non-English speaking country, sandwiched by English-speaking Malaysia, Philippines and the like. The only ones who can speak Dutch are a select few from two generations ago.
Oh, and the majority of Indonesians are Muslim, of course. Only those with Dutch education gets exposure to the Protestant religion.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2006-01-17 12:37 pm (UTC)The Dutch's quite good at this. Instead of forcing Dutch language and culture on Indonesians, they adopt Indonesian culture instead (traditional costumes, cuisine, etc.)
It's also partly elitism: only the children of the royalty and/or the rich and powerful got to have Dutch education in Jakarta, the capital city.
That's why Indonesia's pretty much the only non-English speaking country, sandwiched by English-speaking Malaysia, Philippines and the like. The only ones who can speak Dutch are a select few from two generations ago.
Oh, and the majority of Indonesians are Muslim, of course. Only those with Dutch education gets exposure to the Protestant religion.