Servitude

You can tell from their look, the Indonesian Chinese, even though they converse in Bahasa Indonesia. Many of them wear a tan and bear the mark of cross marriages. Those that appear at a destination with their chauffeur usually have an air like that of a lord with his carriage footman. Sometimes it is not the master's manners but the servant who bears that air of servitude that makes their relationship apparent.

My husband and I sauntered into a restaurant at Mundok, Bali for lunch It is a beautiful place with thick bamboo columns adorned with heavy wooden tables and chairs. One dines whilst looking at the mountain ranges in the near distance. As we went in well past lunch time there were only 2 Caucasian girls who also left shortly. Presently one guy whom I presumed to be an Indonesian Chinese entered with his driver. He ordered his food after looking at the menu whilst his driver sat at the other end of the same long table. I was surprised that the waiter later brought in 2 sets of food. It appeared that the guy had ordered food for his driver without consulting him. A while later a tall and hot blonde haired girl walked in and sat at a table next to the guy's. The guy struck a conversation and eventually moved over to eat at her table. I observed the driver all this while. He remained seated at the same place after his meal, impassively staring into space or probably day dreaming whilst the master continued to flirt.

When an Indonesian Chinese family vacations in Bali at say a big hotel, you see an entourage with maids in tow carrying the babies and minding the toddlers. Others who owned villas probably bring along their male servants, who knows. There is something in their mannerism towards their indigenous Indonesian servants that reminds one of feudal serfdom of the past. I don't think they ill treat their servants but there seems to be a condescending attitude in their behaviour towards them. Perhaps it is a reflection of the roles in their society; whilst the Chinese drives the economy the indigenous people makes up the workforce. So much such that even the drivers whom we engage to drive us around during our many stays in Bali usually have that submissive mannerism.

On one occasion during our recent Bali trip I observed how one young China National couple was almost exasperated with their driver who refused to order from the menu when they stopped over for lunch. In the end the woman ordered some set meal for the driver and I could hear her repeatedly telling him "Eat, Eat" almost as an instruction in her high pitched Chinese ascent. I myself was disappointed when after attending a lesson on Balinese cooking at a local home, the chef and her husband (who was our trekking guide the day before) refused to sit down with us to eat the meal which we all cooked together.

Have years of colonial serfdom been replaced by bondage to those with means to buy one's labour?