For many, Melbourne is considered the sporting capital of the world; where thousands flock to a range of events across the calendar year. 

In 2018, Melbourne was voted as Asia’s best Sports Tourism Destination, whilst the city was also named as the sports city of the decade in 2016.

After a lockdown interrupted 2020, which crippled Melbourne’s sporting offerings, crowds have started to return, with spectators present at a range of sports over the summer months. Yet despite the vast array of summer sports available, it’s the winter months which captivate the Southern sporting metropolis the most. The AFL is back, and excitement is building.

What is the AFL?

The AFL the highest level of Australian rules football, a unique game designed in the late 1850s to help keep cricketers fit during the winter months.

Whilst Tom Wills is often credited as the founder of the game, Australian rules football also has Indigenous roots, with many arguing it was inspired by the Indigenous game of Marngrook.

Unlike most football codes, the game is played on an oval, with each team fielding 18 players. Players kick the ball, with the aim of scoring a goal, worth six points, whilst a miss to either side of the goal yields one point.

Ten of the AFL’s 18 teams are from Victoria, meaning that the AFL is a major drawcard in Melbourne.

Limited crowds have returned to summer sports in Melbourne

What Happened Last Season?

The 2020 AFL season was significantly impacted by COVID-19, and the resulting restrictions. The season started without crowds, before being postponed after one round.

In light of the challenges, the season was shorter than usual, and required all ten Victorian teams to relocate interstate, as Victoria grappled with a second wave of the coronavirus. As crowds began to return in Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide, Melbournians remained locked down, and confined to watching their team from the comfort of the lounge room.

The Grand Final, which is typically held at the 100,000 capacity MCG, was relocated to the GABBA in Brisbane, with Richmond and Geelong, two Victorian teams, competing in the season’s decider. Richmond ultimately prevailed by 31 points.

The importance of Football in Melbourne

A 2005 study, conducted by Monash University’s Chris Baker, pondered the significance of sport and popular culture in contemporary Australia. Why does sport form such a key pillar of national identity?

Whilst Baker acknowledged that Australia’s mild climate may contribute to its sporting obsession, he posed that it held a deeper cultural value, as a mechanism to reveal Australian character. Such is the importance of Australia’s sporting culture, the AFL has organised games in China, in an effort to utilise the game as a vehicle to export Australian culture.

A sellout crowd watches on during the 2019 Grand Final

The cultural significance of sport is amplified in Melbourne’s connection with Australian rules football. The game began in Victoria, and incorporates both Indigenous and colonial Australia. Australian football is deeply entwined into Melbourne culture. From a passing interest, to a long held fanaticism, most people have a team. In many respects, it’s a mark of being a Melbournian. In a diverse city, with a vast array of cultural backgrounds, sport provides a common passion.

AFL and Indonesia

There are three Australian rules football teams in Indonesia; the Bali Geckos, Indonesia Garudas, and the Jakarta Bintangs. 

In Melbourne, AIYA Victoria members play local football for the Krakatoas, a club set up to bring together the Australian-Indonesian community in Melbourne.

“What do masks actually do? Do empty middle seats actually save lives?”

By: Fahry Slatter – AIYA National Blog Editor

Translated by Gabriella Pasya – AIYA National Translator

Graphic Design by Lita  – AIYA Graphic Design Officer, oversight by Vania Djunaidi – AIYA Communications Coordinator

Bahasa Indonesia version click here.

There appears to be a lot of confusion surrounding the effectiveness of masks and how they protect us. What’s just as dangerous as the spread of the coronavirus is the spread of misinformation, specifically on masks. People have started forming their own opinions and guesswork, relying on folk wisdom and wishful thinking. Some have even ditched the idea of wearing masks and will be quick to dogpile on the first person to even bring up the topic. However, decisions cannot be made based on wishful thinking, and vague folk wisdom, but instead facts and what we’ve learned from previous diseases. Let’s dive into the world of mask wearing.

To understand masks, we first need to understand two important tangents, and then combine the pieces together in order to make any sense out of it.

When you sneeze, cough, talk, or even just breathe, the process is similar to when you shoot a water gun. You’re releasing tiny saliva droplets/particles that are trying to escape the barrel of your mouth, into the air as it propels forwards towards a target.

Take a look at the person in the picture below. You can’t see this with the naked eye, but we can see that a simple sneeze can emit a lot more than you’d think. The visual process is similar to a water gun spraying water all over the place.

Visualization of a sneeze ejecta: Scharfman, B.E., Techet, A.H., Bush, J.W.M. et al. 

Your mouth is like the muzzle of a water gun containing the ammo that is your saliva, shot through a sneeze and these droplets of saliva want to escape and hit a target. However, it gets more complicated after that. Not long after the virus became international, news got out that the coronavirus is evidently “airborne transmitted” – and from here, the situation went from confusing to even more confusing, and in some cases people started forming their own definitions as to what this means.

Airborne transmission is like the tiny splashes of water that ricochets and goes everywhere when you hit something with your water gun. These tiny splashes of water (separate from the main big splash) spread outwards and will eventually land on a surface, causing everything nearby to be wet. This could be a doorknob, handrail, buttons on an elevator, or a person, etc. We come into contact with a lot of these everyday items, most of the time subconsciously, hence why scientists and medical professionals are pushing the old, timeless saying “Wash your hands”. 

Remember: It doesn’t have to be a sneeze – even talking or just breathing propels particles from your mouth. 

This is arguably the most misunderstood and important concept of the coronavirus and what many get wrong about it. Contrary to popular belief, the coronavirus is all about viral load. How sick you get, depends on how much of the virus you catch. Growing up, we were led to believe that you either get sick or get nothing, and how sick you get depends on how many Fish oil pills you swallow in the morning i.e. how good your immune system is – but for the coronavirus, research shows otherwise. Studies tell us that how bad your symptoms are depends on how much of the virus you catch.

In the words of scientists themselves, Source: Burgess et. al (2020)

When you catch the virus, 3 things can happen: You can either get serious to fatal symptoms, or you can get mild symptoms, or you can even get no symptoms at all (hence asymptomatic). Monica Gandhi, MD, found that how severe your symptoms are depends on how much of the virus you get, i.e. the viral load. If only a tiny fraction of the virus enters your body, you will most likely not have any symptoms, and the severity increases if you catch more of the virus.

In a 2020 study with hamsters, Masakai Imai et. al (2020) further proved this concept, and the experiment showed that hamsters who were injected with less of the virus showed less severe symptoms than those who had a larger viral load. We’ve learned this to be the case since the 2012 MERS virus, by scientists in the Middle East, so Viral Loads aren’t a breakthrough.

So, now we know that your mouth and breath shoot tiny droplets into the air that splash everywhere. We also know that the less virus you get, the less sick you get. 

Now it’s time to bring those two pieces of the puzzle together and make sense out of them. 

When you put on a mask, the momentum, distance and droplets that make it into the air changes.

Observe: (Left) The unmasked man breathing/talking. (Right) The masked man doing the exact same action, but this time with a mask. Source: M.Staymates/N.Hanacik (NIST)

The change is significant. You can see that your breath along with other particles (germs, bacteria and more importantly, viruses) are greatly reduced and only surrounds the orbit of your mouth. Masks block those airborne splashes of saliva/virus from propelling outwards. Putting on a mask is the equivalent to pumping less power into your water gun. You are greatly reducing the amount that is sprayed and moreover, the distance that it travels, so the splashes of water stay within your physical space.

You’re greatly limiting the momentum and also the distance that the airborne particles travel at. So, you also have a smaller splash and are less likely to hit people around you.

“I’m not sick and have no virus to breath out, should I still wear a mask?!”

“Even with a mask, the guy is still spewing a lot of germs!”

Let’s revisit the second piece of the puzzle: The less virus you get, the less sick you get. Eventually, some of the virus will escape your mask, as they are far too small and will slip past – even if you have a good mask, inevitably, some will escape.

If you are on the receiving end, wearing a mask will filter and block most of those droplets of saliva/virus from entering your mouth and nose, like as if it were a shield. You are thus, reducing the viral load you take, leading to less severe symptoms. So, if you are on the receiving end, masks still protect you. Not feeling sick, does not free you of the duties to put on a mask, even if you don’t have any virus to project.

Thus, you fire less virus out of your mouth with less power and distance, and you also get the filtering effect by wearing a mask, reducing your viral load. Now, assuming that everyone wears a mask, repeat this cycle with everyone on Earth and you can start to see how it could save lives. 

Empty middle seats and how…..it does very little

Simulation of how germs spread after a single cough in the cabin of an airplane, Yan Chen, PhD Purdue University.

If you apply this logic in vital areas that need masks the most such as elevators, airplanes, and other claustrophobic spaces, you can see how life changing wearing a mask can be. In the simulation above by Yan Chen, PhD, a single cough combined with the air movement caused by ACs, moving arms, people walking by, etc. can spread germs. 

But If you were to wear a mask, in the words of Yan Chen himself, it would greatly help(Yan Chen, Purdue University), again because you’re not firing your splashes of saliva to people when you sneeze/cough. Even if you do sneeze or cough, the people around you have that filtering effect so they’re reducing the amount of virus they receive.

Should you sneeze into your mask, on your hands, or on your elbows or just sneeze into the open air?

As disgusting as it may sound, the safest way to sneeze is to sneeze into your mask, though try to get it as far away from others as possible. Your own saliva can’t hurt you. It can be very tempting to pull your mask down and sneeze into your hands or on your elbows and prevent contaminating that beautiful mask of yours, but sneezing into it can potentially save a life.

Understanding masks is simple – what is difficult is combating misinformation and wishful thinking. Those anti maskers and people spreading their own unverified solution have most likely been misinformed. 

Wear a mask and potentially save a life.

Indonesian (original) version, click here.

Written by Dinda Ichsani – AIYA National Blog Editor
Translated by Lotte Troost – AIYA National Content Translator

Bubur (porridge) is one of the well-known traditional foods amongst Indonesian people, and it is often eaten for breakfast. Due to its popularity, this food can be found easily and is sold in almost any location, including restaurants, street vendors and mobile porridge makers. The most common types of Indonesian porridge are bubur ayam, bubur sumsum, and bubur kacang hijau. However, due to Indonesia’s culinary richness, it won’t be surprising if you have not yet tasted or even heard of bubur bassang, bubur barobbo, bubur gunting and other types of porridge. Certain types of porridge are famous throughout the country, while you can find other porridge varieties only in certain areas.  

Bubur is typically made from rice cooked in boiling water until it becomes soft. Some of the porridge is very liquid, and you can easily chew it. Apart from rice, the basic ingredients of Indonesian porridge also diversify, ranging from green beans, rice flour, black sticky rice and more. Porridge contains several ingredients and nutrients that are healthy to our body, such as carbohydrates, protein, vitamin, and fibre.

The history of porridge in Indonesian cuisine

Bubur has been part of traditional Indonesian cuisine since the Dutch colonial period. In a report by kompas.com, Murdijati Gardjito, a professor and food researcher at Gadjah Mada University, said that during the colonial period, porridge was eaten when the harvest was delayed or failed. People also consumed porridge during a rice crisis or when they didn’t have the means to buy enough rice. The local people mixed it with a lot of water to meet dietary needs, and it became a porridge. Besides, Javanese people interpret porridge as a symbol of equity because porridge can serve more people. 

“Bubur is four times richer in water than rice. A kilogram of rice can serve up to 15 people, but four litres of bubur can serve up to 40 people, especially when mixed with root vegetables,” Murdijati explained.

Indonesian porridge varieties

Before further discussion on whether we should stir porridge or not, it would be good to learn about the types of porridge in Indonesia first:

• Bubur ayam

This type of porridge has spread throughout Indonesia but first appeared on the island of Java. Bubur ayam consists of rice that is cooked until it becomes porridge. This porridge is served with yellow coconut milk and toppings such as shredded chicken, fried soybeans, sliced onion leaves, fried onions, fried dough slices, soy sauce, sweet soy sauce and crackers. The meal is usually also supplemented with gizzard liver satay, intestinal satay and quail egg satay.

Bubur ayam

• Bubur sumsum 

This porridge is often served during traditional Javanese ceremonies, especially weddings. So, it is said that this porridge originates from Central Java and East Java. Although originally from Java, this porridge has spread across the archipelago. This porridge has a very soft texture, so it suits all ages. The main ingredients for bubur sumsum are rice flour, coconut milk and brown sugar. Rice flour and coconut milk are cooked until it becomes thick, and it’s added with pandan leaves and salt to enrich the taste. You can serve the sumsum porridge either warm or cold.

Bubur sumsum

• Bubur mengguh

At first sight, this porridge looks like bubur ayam, but it’s different actually. You can only find this traditional food on the Island of Gods, Bali. The local people refer to it as bubuh. This type of porridge is prepared in the same way as bubur ayam since both are made from rice. However,  bubur mengguh is cooked with coconut milk and bay leaves and is served with spiced shredded chicken dipped in thick chicken sauce and served with vegetable urap. You can also add fried peanuts and fried onions.

Bubur mengguh

• Bubur bassang

This porridge originates from Makassar, South Sulawesi and is made with corn and thick coconut milk. The type of corn used is not the regular sweet corn, but pulut corn instead. The combination of sweetness and savory comes solely from the corn and coconut milk.

Bubur bassang

• Bubur gunting

Quite a unique name, isn’t it? This porridge is called gunting because the process of making this porridge requires some scissors or gunting. It is made from glutinous rice flour, pandan leaves, salt and coconut milk. This porridge originates from Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan.

Bubur gunting

• Bubur tinutuan/Bubur manado

As the name implies, this porridge originates from Manado, North Sulawesi. Bubur tinutuan is a mixture of rice, sweet potato, sweet corn, and vegetables such as young melinjo leaves, spinach, kale leaves, and basil leaves. The spices used are salt, lemongrass, green onions, and turmeric leaves. You can supplement bubur tinutuan with salted fish and sambal dabu-dabu.

Bubur tinutuan

• Bubur barobbo 

This porridge is a traditional food from South Sulawesi. Bubur barobbo is made from pulut corn mixed with various vegetables, sliced chicken or shrimp, and corn fritters. You only need some basic spices for this porridge, such as cinnamon, pepper, onion, garlic, nutmeg, tomato, and salt.

Bubur barobbo

In addition to the different types of porridge mentioned above, there are still many other types of traditional Indonesian porridge. Although all these types are known as porridge, their basic ingredients, taste, and appearance are definitely different. Indonesian cuisine is very unique and diverse, isn’t it! If you want to know more about the various traditional Indonesian porridges, the Ministry of Education and Culture’s National Agency for Language Development and Cultivation has summarized it very well!

The debate about stirred or unstirred porridge

Illustration. (credits: Udit – AIYA National Graphic Designer)

For today’s active internet users, “is the porridge stirred or not?” may sound familiar. This quote calls into question our preferences and how we eat porridge, generally bubur ayam or other rice-based porridge. For some people, porridge will be more delicious if eaten stirred, with the rice porridge mixed along with spices and toppings, so they can’t eat it separately. However, some people dislike their porridge to be stirred. They prefer to eat porridge with the rice porridge separated and with the additional ingredients and toppings on its top.

Unstirred porridge (left) VS Stirred porridge (right)

The debate about both ways of eating porridge is also related to science. As cited from the Idntimes article, stirred porridge is better than unstirred porridge. This is because all the ingredients are mixed evenly so our stomach can digest it easily. Though, eating unstirred porridge is not a bad thing either. The unstirred porridge is more pleasing to the eye than the stirred porridge. This opinion is in line with results of a joint study by the University of Oxford, University of Birmingham, and BI Norwegian Business School in the journal Flavor in 2014. This study reveals that that presenting food in an aesthetically pleasing manner can enhance the experience of a dish. In particular, the use of artistic (visual) influences can enhance a diner’s rating of the flavour of a dish.

Whether stirred or not, porridge has become part of many people’s lives. Its nutritional value is good, and the soft texture is also beneficial for some people. For example, people who just got braces, they could avoid moving their mouth and jaw too much. It can be difficult for them to chew, so eating porridge is one of the best food options. Moreover, porridge is also good for people who feel sick because they can easily digest the porridge, and chewing doesn’t require much energy. 

In conclusion, this difference of preference between porridge being stirred or not isn’t a matter of serious debate but is simply a matter of entertainment among the Indonesian people. Both have a million benefits for the body. No matter how you enjoy your porridge meal, always respect other people who eat it differently from yours! 

So… are you part of the stirred porridge team or the unstirred porridge team? Choose your fighter!

Bahasa Indonesia Version.

Article written by: Fahry Slatter – AIYA National Blog Editor

Artwork by Candra – AIYA Graphic Design Officer, oversight by Vania – AIYA Communications Coordinator

Translation by Adolf Ricardo – AIYA National Translator

What is happening in Jakarta that is making the government want to move to a new capital? It was supposed to be the most ambitious project in Indonesia. What happened? 

If you Google “Borneo”, you’ll find mostly pictures of thick, dense jungle and palm oil plantations. A map of Borneo reveals that it’s all green, virgin rainforests that would be idyllic for the setting of a Tarzan movie remake. However, Indonesian president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo looked at Borneo, then smiled, and with a grin on his face, hopped onto a plane straight for a little dot located in the island’s East.

Thus, this is why Indonesia is hoping to move its capital.

The ambitious plan to move the capital became a big deal, not just in Indonesia, but also to non-Indonesians who don’t even live in Indonesia. It wasn’t long until YouTubers started uploading explainers and provided theories and guesswork on why it’s moving.

There appears to be plenty of confusion as to why it’s happening and why on the island of Borneo of all places.

What is happening in Jakarta that is making the government want to move to a new capital?

To fully understand the problem with Jakarta, we first need to understand what city Jakarta was based off of: Amsterdam. Jakarta was built by the Dutch to make it look as close to home as possible, so Dutch merchants would feel like they never even left home.

Amsterdam 1875 Map (Left), modern Amsterdam (right) – Source: Maps of Europe

Take a look at the map of Amsterdam above. The first thing you’ll notice is that there is plenty of water around it. This bustling port city was the main hub of the Netherlands, the centre of business for the Dutch and it was built along the Amstel river because trade back then was all done by boats and was home to merchants, fishermen and politicians. The city was built around a dike meant to protect the mainland from the ZuidZee (South Sea). Amsterdam was also lucky because it had protection from Sphagnum that came the Oude-Rijn and Spaarne river, which formed clay and sand dunes that essentially protected it from the North sea.

Now take a look at the map of Jakarta.

Map of 1733 Jakarta/Batavia (left) vs modern Jakarta (right) – Source: Homann c.1733, Global Mapping Uk

Immediately, it can be seen that Jakarta is far larger and far denser. It is also important to note that when Jakarta was built, no dams or dikes were engineered. Although some parts of Northern Jakarta were similar to Amsterdam, it brought with it several problems.

Jakarta Old City (1775), source: Vue de la Ville maps

Jakarta is sinking

The northern part of Jakarta is mostly built on mangrove and swamplands. Some readers might be familiar with Muara Angke (Angke Mangrove). Soil engineering was not accounted for (which wasn’t a thing back then), the unforeseeable fate of climate change and how the local indigenous population lived. Groundwater pumps have caused the soil underneath to collapse in on itself, and without any proper aquifers, the ground is sinking, which lead to costly floods that cost human lives as well as monetary.

In fact, the very same problem happens in Amsterdam today. 11,350 km away the same problem is present. The Netherlands however, have dealt and anticipated this problem since the 16th century, and thus why there are plenty of dams and windmills in the Netherlands.

In 2014, Jakarta has built a seawall in hopes as part of damage control, but it was a little over 400 years too late.

The Great Jakarta Traffic Jam 0f 2015-2016

Jakarta has consistently ranked as the city with the worst traffic jam in 2015, 2016, and placing in the top 10 hereafter. Jakarta – as you may know- is not a very walk-able city. A car or motorbike is practically needed to get anywhere and current road and public transport infrastructure just can’t cope with the volume of traffic, says Yudhistira et. al (2016). Jakarta is just not a walk-able city and the civil infrastructure can’t keep up with the volume of growth and development.

Indonesia turns to Canberra for inspiration

This time, the soon to be capital will be modeled after a different city, one that’s closer to home: Canberra. You might be surprised to find a link between Australia’s capital, Canberra and the unnamed soon-to-be capital city in Indonesia. President Jokowi has made it clear that the new capital should be green and modern.

The map of Canberra reveals some interesting details. Firstly, there’s a lot of open green space. The landscaping had kept in mind the environment and current conditions. Canberra kept a balance and consistency between green area and urban spaces. Furthermore, the general architecture in Canberra sits comfortably with the surrounding area, making everything feel natural.

Borneo

There’s more than meets the eye in Borneo. It’s the 3rd largest island in the world, you can theoretically fit the entire UK and Norway, and borders 2 other countries: Malaysia and Brunei.

Map of Borneo – Source: Mortadelo (2005)

Remember that most of Borneo is green, which makes it an ideal location, as the government can start off with a fresh, clean slate to work with. The city expected to be the capital, Palangkaraya, sits by the South East part of Borneo, which is geographically the centre of Indonesia. 

The Banana Republic of Borneo

A banana republic is a term used to describe a country/state whose main economy comes from a single export and could destabilize should that export cease to exist.

The land of my fathers and mothers, now turned into Palm Oil plantations. Photo by Andrew Slatter (2008).

Currently, Borneo is renowned for its palm oil plantations and it is the state’s bread and butter. The only roads and infrastructure currently in Borneo have been built to support these plantations, which has brought plenty of controversy, specifically in the EU. The European Union states have decidedly placed an import ban on any products using palm oil. This could leave thousands of people unemployed, as Indonesia and Malaysia accounts for 85% of the entire world’s Palm Oil exports. A ban like this could deal double the damage to Borneo’s economy.

2 years later – Dreams/fantasies or a reality?

Due to current circumstances of the pandemic, talks about capital cities have gone very quiet. It has certainly caused a massive leak in Indonesia’s economy, and President Jokowi has to turn its attention to the coronavirus issue first. This has essentially made the situation a two steps forward, one step back. Moving the capital can cause a multiplier effect, as the massive construction and development can take a large chunk of the population out of unemployment, but right now it is uncertain when the plan is going ahead.

Indonesian (original) version, click here.

Researched and written by Dinda Amalia Ichsani – AIYA National Blog Editor
Translated by Lotte Troost – AIYA National Content Translator

“Neighbours by geography, and friends by choice”, is a quote that refers to the relationship between Australia and Indonesia. This close relationship between the two countries has been long-standing. As close relatives, the two countries share many similarities, spirit, and cooperation that go hand in hand as kinship foundations between Australia and Indonesia. But of course, historically these two countries have a different story. As a result, Australia’s and Indonesia’s conditions and population dynamics also differ, both spatially and temporally.

Birth or fertility, death or mortality, and population displacement or migration are three factors that influence the population growth rate. These three factors have a correlation with the population pyramid, population projection and demographic transition. The population pyramid is a graphic illustration that shows the population’s composition by age group and gender. The population projection is a calculation of the future population, based on the developmental direction of fertility, mortality and migration. Meanwhile, the demographic transition is a condition that illustrates changes in the demographic parameters.

The Situation in Australia

Changes in Australia’s population structure are characterized by a mixture of an increasing group of older adults and a relatively declining group of young people in relation to the total population. The population pyramid that develops year by year reflects this situation. It illustrates a shift from the 1925 pyramid that has a broader base, indicating a large group at the young age band, and a small top for the older adult age group, to a pyramid with a more uniform distribution of the young age group and productive age group in 2000. This pyramid eventually starts to take on the shape of a “coffin” by 2050, with all age groups being distributed relatively the same.  

Changing age structure of the Australian population, 1925-2045 (Sumber: Productivity Commission, 2005)

Right now, Australia appears to be in the fourth stage of the demographic transition model. This fourth stage characterizes low stability in which both birth rates and mortality rates show a downward trend. This situation means that Australia is experiencing a demographic transition towards an ageing population, with an increasing proportion of people in the oldest age group and a decreasing proportion of people in the youngest age group. At this stage in the demographic transition, the working-age population is growing more rapidly than the total population due to a continuous decline in the average number of children born to a woman and declining mortality rates in all age groups.

Birth Rate and Death Rate of Australia, 1950-2010 

Demographic transition of Australia, 1921-2051

Several factors have contributed to Australia’s ageing population. One factor is that families choose to have fewer children. Family planning programs, contraceptive education, and an increased female labour force also contribute to this factor. Secondly, mortality rates have declined with increased survival until old age. Due to scientific and medical findings, improved hygienic practices and knowledge about health’s importance, the mortality rate has declined. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2005), Australia’s mortality trend is mostly driven by a significant reduction in deaths from all major causes, including a reduction in infectious disease-related mortality of about 96%, an 80% reduction in respiratory diseases and 70% for vehicle accidents.

The situation in Indonesia

Indonesia’s population pyramid, based on data from the Population Census of 1971, 1980, 1990 and 2000, shows changes in the age structure of the Indonesian population. The 1971 and 1980 Indonesian population pyramids show a large proportion of the population at the young age band due to the many young people (0 – 14 years). Meanwhile, the 1990 and 2000 population pyramids show an increasing middle and upper part of the pyramid, while the lower part of the pyramid has decreased. This situation indicates that Indonesia has a growing adult and elderly population.

Indonesia’s population pyramid in 1971, 1980, 1990, dan 2000 (Source: Sensus penduduk)

The 2010 population pyramid shows a high number of young people again, being the largest population group. Meanwhile, the 2020 population pyramid seems to project a decline in the 0 – 4 age group due to a declining number of births. Then, in 2035, the population aged 0 – 14 years is expected to decrease significantly, meaning that the birth rate also reduces. With the population’s development, the middle part of the pyramid will swell, meaning that the productive age category will grow. The elderly population (> 65 years) will also increase significantly, indicating that the mortality rate will decrease.

Indonesia’s population pyramid in 2010, 2020, 2035 (Source: Heryanah, 2005)

Unlike Australia, Indonesia is now at the third stage of demographic transition. This third stage is also known as the late expanding stage because both the mortality rate and the birth rate are decreasing at a slower pace, resulting in population growth that starts to level off.

Crude Birth Rate trend (CBR), Crude Mortality Rate (CDR) and Population Growth Rate, 1990-2025

Indonesia’s declining birth rate results from its national family planning program campaign of two children being enough to achieve a happy and prosperous family. Besides, cheap contraceptives have become more widely available, and contraceptive services have been made available in rural areas. In the health sector, health programs have further improved with the development of Puskesmas services to connect people to cheap health care facilities, nutrition improvement programs for mothers, babies and toddlers, and vaccination of babies and their mothers to reduce infant mortality.

Along with the success of the family planning program in reducing fertility rates, there has been a decline in the population group aged 15 and younger. A continuous increasing working-age population also accompanies this shift. Life expectancy has also increased and supports the expansion of the working-age population. Besides, Indonesia’s declining mortality rate has partly occurred due to various antibiotic drugs and health interventions in developed countries.

When looking at Indonesia’s population projection, it is expected that Indonesia will experience a demographic bonus period during which the number of people in the productive age population (15 – 64 years) will dominate the non-productive age (under 15 years and over 64 years). This condition offers both opportunities and challenges for Indonesia. The demographic bonus may benefit Indonesia because Indonesia will have strong competitiveness and negotiating power. This bonus will encourage investors to spend their money in Indonesia, which will create job opportunities and various facility improvements. However, suppose the government and society fail to take advantage of the demographic bonus. In that case, the working-age population will only carry a burden on the country. An increasing working-age population that is not accompanied by an increased quality of human resources will only result in a high unemployment rate. Therefore, government and society must cooperate to take advantage of this condition. Eventually, this condition can become a catalyst for a better Indonesia in the future.

REFERENCES

Productivity Commission 2005, Economic Implications of an Ageing Australia, Research Report, Canberra. 

Ofori-Asenso, Richard et al. (2018). Measures of Population Ageing in Australia from 1950 to 2050. Population Aging, 11:367–385 

Heryanah. (2015). Ageing Population dan Bonus Demografi Kedua di Indonesia. Populasi, 23(2), 1-16.

Sumber : Pinterest

Indonesian version, click here

Written by Meylisa Sahan – AIYA National’s Blog Editor

Translated by Gabriella Pasya – AIYA National’s Translation Team

The Annual Australia – Indonesia Youth Association (AIYA) Congress has been held online from 30 – 31 January 2021. This event brings together all AIYA members from Australia and Indonesia. There were many things discussed in this meeting including several bilingual word terms that were packaged by the congress committee in a game called AIYA Trivia Night. All congress participants will be divided into several teams to answer the questions that have been provided.

There was one question that was quite intriguing when the AIYA Trivia game started, namely the term “buaya darat”. This term may be familiar to participants from Indonesia, but some Australian congress participants do not know the meaning of this word. Therefore, the AIYA National Blog Editor Team succeeded in summarizing various explanations about “buaya darat” starting from history, their context in everyday life, and whether “buaya darat” are actually a suitable symbol to describe a person’s level of loyalty? Let’s check it out!

“Really? Don’t you believe a word that he is saying. He’s buaya darat”

The word “buaya darat” is always associated with someone’s loyalty, especially men. Men who are labeled as “buaya darat” are those who are considered to love sweet and doting words but also like to break promises. Until now, there is no definite explanation regarding the origin of the term “buaya darat” used in the context of Indonesian communication, or simply as a parable. The term “buaya”– in english, crocodile- as an expression to describe a false, lying or fictitious thing has been around since the 14th century in a book called The Voyage and Travel by Sir John Madeville. The crocodile in this book is described as an animal that resembles a long-bodied snake that likes to soak in water at night and hide in caves during the day. Crocodiles are also said to kill humans and eat them while crying. From this came the term crocodile tears -in indonesian “air mata buaya”-, which means fake tears. There are also folktales about crocodiles who cheat or pretend to cry. This eventually became associated with the term “buaya darat” for male who like to deceive women with fake tears.

Samsudin Adlawi from Tempo Magazine in his writing entitled Binatang yang Memperkaya Bahasa – Animals that Enriched Language- explains that the term “buaya darat” has emerged since 1971. This history originates from Soronganyit around Jember, East Java, Indonesia. Long story short, in Soronganyit, there is a crocodile farm with a very tight schedule so that these crocodiles will be regulated when to be on land and when to be in the water. One day, a male crocodile disappeared and made the local residents in an uproar for fear that the crocodile would run away. Three months later, the missing male crocodile was found with a female crocodile who turned out to be not his legal partner. The female crocodile happened to be the same age as the male crocodile’s own child. The residents simultaneously cursed “Dasar Buaya!” Since then, when a man has an affair with a woman who is not his legal partner, he will be called a “buaya darat”.

In line with this, the term “buaya darat” finally began to be widely used as a nickname for men who were identified or proven to be seductive to women, easily expressed love for many women, did not take relationships seriously and liked to approach many women not for a genuine relationship. The international term for this is playboy!

Apart from the bad connotations, evidently in some history and culture of Indonesia, crocodiles have had an important meaning. Crocodiles appear as symbols in food, statues even to the philosophy of life of a certain tribe in Indonesia. For the Betawi people in Jakarta, the crocodile symbol is present as an important sign in the marriage process with Betawi customs. Crocodiles in the form of food are called “roti buaya” which is given as a gift from the groom to the bride. The Betawi Cultural Studies Center explained that Roti Buaya is a Betawi custom that must be done during weddings. This symbol of crocodile bread is defined as loyalty because crocodiles are loyal animals. Roti Buaya is made by baking. Roti Buaya used to have a hard texture and no taste but now it is different because of its soft texture and various flavors. In the past, Roti Buaya was hard because the philosophy was that the harder the bread was, the better. After making the offerings, Roti Buaya is not eaten but stored for a long time. It is a symbol of the loyalty of the husband and wife.

Meanwhile, the crocodile is also a symbol of the Dayak Lundayah tribe, which is known as a brave tribe. Referring to their past life, the Dayak Lundayah tribe used crocodiles as a symbol of themselves. The detik.com Tapal Batas team in their writing entitled Suku Dayak Lundayah dan Filosofi Buaya –the Dayak Lundayah Tribe and the Crocodile Philosophy- explains that there are several reasons that crocodiles are then used as a symbol of Lundayah, namely crocodiles are brave and alert animals, crocodiles are animals that live in two realms that reflect the local people who are capable to adapt and survive anywhere, loyal and have a calm nature. Crocodile statues can be found in the Dayak Lundayah area. 

Meanwhile, crocodiles are also closely related to the city of Surabaya. The name Surabaya, according to its etymology, comes from the words Sura or Suro and Baya or Boyo in Javanese. Suro is a type of shark, while boyo is the Javanese term for crocodile. According to myth, these two animals are the strongest animals that have also become symbols of the city of Surabaya to this day.

Then are crocodiles an unfaithful animal? Apparently not. Several studies have established crocodiles as one of the most loyal animals. As reported by Livescience.com, a 10-year study conducted by the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, proved that 70 percent of crocodiles always choose the same partner every time the mating season arrives. While they have many opportunities to choose a new partner. There are many crocodiles that were found for the first time to mate with their partners in 1997 and were still paired until 2005. Apart from that, the context of “buaya darat” as a figurative or parable is a form of how humans communicate and exchange symbols. The word and meaning of “buaya darat” can of course be shifted if it is related to the cultural context in which the word is found.

So, that was the discussion from the AIYA National Blog Team about “buaya darat”, history, context and symbols of crocodiles in various tribes and regions in Indonesia. Hopefully the information this time is useful for you. May we all be freed from the trap of “buaya darat” haha, it’s scary!

Sumber : Pinterest

Versi Bahasa Inggris, klik di sini

Ditulis oleh Meylisa Sahan – AIYA National’s Blog Editor 

Kongres tahunan Australia – Indonesia Youth Association (AIYA) telah digelar secara daring pada tanggal 30 – 31 Januari 2021. Acara ini mempertemukan seluruh anggota AIYA dari Australia maupun Indonesia. Ada banyak hal yang dibahas dalam pertemuan ini termasuk beberapa istilah kata dalam dua bahasa yang dikemas oleh panitia kongres dalam permainan yang disebut AIYA Trivia Night. Semua peserta kongres akan dibagi dalam beberapa tim untuk menjawab pertanyaan yang sudah disediakan.

Ada satu pertanyaan yang cukup menggelitik ketika permainan AIYA Trivia dimulai yaitu istilah “buaya darat”. Istilah ini mungkin sangat akrab dengan telinga peserta dari Indonesia, namun beberapa peserta kongres dari Australia belum mengetahui arti dari kata ini. Oleh karena itu Tim Blog Editor AIYA National berhasil merangkum berbagai penjelasan mengenai buaya darat mulai dari sejarah, konteksnya dalam kehidupan sehari-hari dan apakah sebenarnya buaya darat adalah simbol yang cocok untuk menggambarkan kadar setia seseorang? Let’s check it out!

“Sumpah? Lu jangan percaya deh sama omongannya. Dia tuh buaya darat”

Kata buaya darat selalu dikaitkan dengan kesetiaan seseorang khususnya laki-laki. Pria yang dicap buaya darat adalah mereka yang dianggap suka mengumbar kata manis dan kata cinta tapi suka pula ingkar janji. Sampai saat ini belum ada penjelasan yang pasti mengenai asal usul istilah buaya darat digunakan dalam konteks komunikasi orang Indonesia, atau sederhananya sebagai sebuah perumpamaan. Istilah buaya sebagai ungkapan untuk menjelaskan sebuah hal yang palsu, bohong atau fiktif ternyata sudah ada sejak abad ke-14 dalam sebuah buku yang berjudul The Voyage and Travel karya Sir John Madeville. Buaya dalam buku ini dideskripsikan sebagai seekor binatang yang menyerupai ular berbadan panjang yang suka berendam air pada malam hari dan bersembunyi di gua pada siang hari. Buaya juga dikisahkan suka membunuh manusia dan memakannya sambil menangis. Dari sinilah muncul istilah air mata buaya yang artinya air mata palsu. Beredar pula dongeng tentang buaya yang suka menipu atau pura-pura menangis. Hal ini akhirnya dikaitkan dengan istilah lelaki buaya darat yang suka menipu wanita dengan air mata palsu.

Samsudin Adlawi dari Majalah Tempo dalam tulisannya berjudul Binatang yang Memperkaya Bahasa menjelaskan istilah buaya darat muncul sejak tahun 1971. Sejarah ini berawal dari Soronganyit di sekitar Jember, Jawa Timur, Indonesia. Singkat kisah di Soronganyit terdapat sebuah tambak buaya yang jadwalnya sangat ketat sehingga kawanan buaya ini akan diatur kapan harus di darat dan kapan harus berada di dalam air. Suatu hari, seekor buaya jantan menghilang dan membuat warga sekitar gempar karena takut buaya tersebut kabur. Tiga bulan berselang, buaya jantan yang hilang tadi ditemukan bersama buaya betina yang ternyata bukan pasangan sahnya. Sang buaya betina ini ternyata seumuran anak buaya jantan itu sendiri. Warga pun serempak mengumpat “Dasar Buaya!”. Sejak saat itulah, ketika seorang laki-laki memiliki hubungan gelap dengan perempuan yang bukan pasangan sahnya ia akan dikatain “buaya darat”.

Sejalan dengan itu, istilah buaya darat akhirnya mulai digunakan secara luas sebagai julukan untuk laki-laki yang teridentifikasi atau terbukti suka merayu perempuan (gombal), mudah mengungkapkan cinta kepada banyak wanita, tidak serius menjalin hubungan dan suka mendekati banyak wanita bukan untuk sebuah hubungan yang serius. Istilah internasionalnya adalah playboy! 

Terlepas dari konotasi buruk, nyatanya dalam beberapa sejarah dan kebudayaan Indonesia hewan buaya memiliki arti yang penting. Buaya muncul sebagai simbol dalam makanan, patung hingga filosofi kehidupan suatu suku tertentu yang berada di Indonesia. Bagi orang Betawi di Jakarta, simbol buaya hadir sebagai salah satu tanda penting dalam proses pernikahan dengan adat Betawi. Buaya dalam bentuk makanan disebut roti buaya yang diberikan sebagai seserahan dari pengantin pria kepada pengantin wanita. Pusat Kajian Budaya Betawi menjelaskan Roti Buaya merupakan adat Betawi yang wajib dipakai saat pernikahan. Simbol dari roti buaya ini dimaknai dengan kesetiaan karena buaya merupakan hewan yang setia. Pembuatan roti buaya ini dengan cara dipanggang. Roti buaya dahulu teksturnya keras dan tidak ada rasanya tetapi sekarang berbeda karena teksturnya lembut dan beragam rasa. Dahulu roti buaya itu keras karena filosofinya semakin keras rotinya justru semakin baik. Setelah dijadikan seserahan, roti buaya tidak dimakan tetapi disimpan dalam waktu yang lama. Hal itu merupakan simbol kesetiaan pasangan suami dan istri.

Sementara itu, buaya juga menjadi lambang bagi suku Dayak Lundayah yang terkenal sebagai suku pemberani. Merujuk pada kehidupannya di masa lalu, suku Dayak Lundayah menjadikan buaya sebagai simbol diri mereka. Tim Tapal Batas detik.com dalam tulisannya berjudul Suku Dayak Lundayah dan Filosofi Buaya menjelaskan bahwa ada beberapa alasan buaya kemudian digunakan sebagai simbol Lundayah yaitu buaya adalah hewan yang pemberani dan sigap, buaya merupakan hewan yang hidup di dua alam yang mencerminkan masyarakat daerah ini yang mampu beradaptasi dan bertahan dimana saja, setia dan memiliki sifat yang tenang. Patung-patung buaya dapat ditemukan di kawasan daerah Dayak Lundayah.

Sementara itu buaya juga erat hubungannya dengan kota Surabaya. Nama Surabaya, sesuai dengan etimologinya berasal dari kata Sura atau Suro dan Baya atau Boyo dalam bahasa Jawa. Suro adalah jenis ikan hiu, sedangkan boyo adalah istilah bahasa jawa untuk buaya. Menurut mitos, dua hewan ini adalah binatang paling kuat yang juga menjadi simbol kota Surabaya sampai saat ini. 

Lalu apakah buaya adalah binatang yang tidak setia? Ternyata tidak. Beberapa penelitian menetapkan buaya sebagai salah satu binatang yang paling setia. Seperti yang dilansir dari Livescience.com, penelitian selama 10 tahun yang dilakukan oleh Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, membuktikan bahwa 70 persen buaya selalu memilih pasangan yang sama setiap kali musim kawin tiba. Sementara mereka punya banyak kesempatan untuk memilih pasangan baru. Ada banyak buaya yang ditemukan pertama kali kawin dengan pasangannya pada tahun 1997 dan masih berpasangan sampai tahun 2005. Terlepas dari itu, konteks buaya darat sebagai kiasan atau perumpamaan merupakan salah satu bentuk dari bagaimana manusia berkomunikasi dan bertukar simbol. Kata dan arti buaya darat tentu saja bisa bergeser jika dikaitkan dengan konteks budaya dimana kata itu ditemukan.

Nah, itu tadi pembahasan dari tim Blog Team AIYA National tentang buaya darat, sejarah, konteks dan simbol buaya di berbagai suku dan daerah di Indonesia. Semoga informasi kali ini bermanfaat untuk kalian. Semoga kita semua terbebaskan dari jeratan buaya darat yah haha serem!

Indonesian (original) version, click here.

Written by Galih Wisnu Brata  – 3rd Winner of AIYA Jakarta Writing Competition 
Translated by Lotte Troost – AIYA National Content Translator

Many people imagine a hero to be someone who fought against colonialism and stood up for independence. This assumption is certainly not wrong, since those who fought for independence are indeed regarded as heroes. They stood up for the people and the state at the expense of their valuable treasures and even their own life. 

In fact, being referred to as a hero is not just meant for those who struggled for independence. At its core, a hero has plenty of definitions. Those who struggled for the independence of the nation are known as national heroes. This title is considered a form of respect for the services and sacrifices given. There are also teachers who are recognized as heroes, without honours. Teachers never get tired of educating and teaching their students a great deal of knowledge. Moreover, teachers bear the burden of being considered a second parent.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical staff, including doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, have been considered heroes.  They work hard to support patients who have been tested positive. This mission requires them to continually wear protective clothing and equipment for a full day. Health care workers are separated from their families to accomplish a noble task.

Similarly, yet many other people may be referred to as a hero. For example, the firefighters who are prepared to help society. The police are also becoming heroes in the fight against various kinds of crimes.

The hero in my life

To me, a hero is someone who supports righteousness and who is willing to help anyone. This definition of a hero I have found in Harjo Dimulyo. He was not known for his great merits or accomplishments, but he was my late grandfather.

He has been my hero, even though few people knew him. He supported me when my father passed away and he cared for me without hesitation. My grandfather realized that he would never be able to replace my father’s position, but he played a huge role in the development of my life.

He always taught various life lessons so that his grandchildren could survive in any situation. My grandfather once said that as humans, we all have limitations, but we are also given the opportunity to learn many things, as simple as just cooking and cleaning up the environment. Those are the values he taught. His words were not merely words, but he also set an example for me.

He always provided good advice, and his children and grandchildren will always recall his messages. He always said that I should respect, be dedicated and not bother my parents and anyone else. Despite his limited religious knowledge, he always encouraged his children and grandchildren to remain passionate about studying religion. Even though he did not receive an education until college, he was always respected at every word he spoke. He was always capable of making a good first impression on each of his conversational partners. Many of his characteristics and behaviours have inspired those who surrounded him. He passed away to the Almighty, but the memory of his heroic value will always remain in the minds of those around him.

Anyone can be a hero

From his words, I also concluded that anyone can be a hero, at least for oneself, which means being courageous in saving oneself from all the wrong things. Each individual should be able to encourage oneself to avoid falling down. 

Once we have succeeded in becoming a hero to ourselves, we can try to become a hero to the people closest to us. You do not have to be pretentious. Just make it simple, yet constant kindness. For example, get used to throwing garbage where it should be and invite others around us to do the same. 

The purpose of becoming a hero is not to be hailed, but rather to try to spread kindness without ever thinking about rewards. All these actions can be initiated from within oneself and then be transferred to the nearest person. I believe that anyone can become a hero, without having to be known by many people.