Who’s imbibing in Indonesia?

I was told before I arrived in Jambi that drinking and smoking would not be permitted at Sumi’s house and that it was generally frowned upon.  That welcoming kind of set the tone for my social life and was only more reinforced when I first saw alcohol sold publicly- three weeks into living in Jambi- in warm, single beer cans, surrounded by a larger number of nonalcoholic beers.  I was still intrigued by this unexpected but welcomed site and became curious as to who drank those cans and where did they do it?

Well after months of casual and infrequent beers with Carolyn at a little shack by the Jambi river- the ambience of techno music, cockroaches, and trash floating by below your feet can not be exaggerated- my move in with Povi finally enlightened me to a crowd of Indonesians my age that drink casually and aren’t sketchy about it.  What is more interesting is the complexity and secrecy that is required for these young women, my roommate and a few of her friends, to indulge in behavior that doesn’t even come close to the debauchery that goes on in college dorms in America.  Well first off, these girls did not even start drinking until after college.  At that time “no one was really doing it” and they were just focusing on school.  Sounds like good people to me.  Today though, these young women get giddy over half a beer and make sure that none of the neighbors can see their mischievous behavior or the empty cans the next morning.  During the daytime these college graduates hold steady employment teaching English and at local NGOs as translators.  They also pray five times a day and don a jilbab when entering the professional and public spotlight.  But when our friend Jay comes over there is no trace of a veil and her pack of menthols comes out as quick as her laughs.

What amazes me is the double standards and effort that goes into keeping appearances here.  If anyone were to know about my friends evening rendezvous’ with their boyfriends or blatant lack of morals for drinking alcohol, the word would spread like wild fire and tarnish their images.  Boys will start smoking cigarettes at the age of 14 but women should never- not that I am for smoking.  I also don’t need to brag to say that my drinking tolerance- despite serious hibernation here- is still superior to these girlfriends.  From my position though, Saturday night drinking and dance parties on the roof feels so normal and liberating, and for them it seems equally liberating in something they have seen in American movies but know that their culture, at least outside of Jakarta, does not permit.  I hope not to become too much of an enabler here, but I enjoy watching these young women have a good time and I appreciate even more the freedom and independence I have grown up with and still think my morals are doing alright.