It has been like 2 days since I arrived in this place but I already picked up the accent. Now, I can speak Bahasa Indonesia with papuan accent. This is what happens when you often switch places with different accents and somehow are a very fluid person.

When you’re a wanderer like I do, attempting to blend in is the most great skill to have. It doesn’t make you stand out like a sore thumb and despite you looking different, people will appreciate you for earnestly trying to mingle.

Today, I want to share some cultural insights that I learned which are quite different from mine.

Kakak, Mama and Pace are how people address each other here….

Kakak is the equivalent of brother/sister but it can be used when you’re greeting strangers or you want to buy something. You can simply say “ kakak, I want to buy something”.

Mama is how people refer to older females respectfully & the same goes with Pace, but it is for older male to call them respectfully.

Almost everyone wears Noken in some type of fashion.

Noken is the fashion around here. It is a handmade bag made by weaving threads and sometimes fiber roots. This is a needlework that is part of their identity as well as cultural heritage.

There are many sizes and patterns that you can find on the market. It also costs $4-5 for the nylon made Noken. As for the actual roots, they can cost up to $20.

These days, I go everywhere with Noken and it is just enough to carry my wallet and phone.

Many people here chew areca nut or known as Pinang

Across the street of Jayapura, you can find “Mama” selling a bundle of pinang and bettle leaves. The people here chew them together.

I have been told that if you want to make a deal with the locals,you can offer them Pinang and it shows respect and a way for diplomacy. If you see red stains across the street in Papua, that is the stain of areca nuts. The stain sticks and is very hard to remove.

So, if you think those are blood, nope. That is the areca nut stain.

Not all papuan are christian, some of them are muslim…

But the christian culture is very strong around here and christmas is a big celebration and anticipated in the area. However, in recent years there are many big mosques, especially in bigger cities. So, it’s a very diverse place

And obviously there are many political issues here that make this place one of those places that you have to thread carefully. There are some things you shouldn’t really talk about openly and as for the rest, the people are so friendly especially the older women in the community. It’s always a pleasant experience talking to them and the kids here, they look at you with fascination especially if you look different.

Football is the sport around here...

The locals are die hard fans and they're proud of their football team. Bonus point if you also watch it with them.

So, all you have to do is wave, introduce yourself nicely and that’s about it.

I know it’s hard to say that I’ve only been here for 2 days but that is my impression so far of the people around here. With my current work, I get to be exposed to more locals and it’s always interesting to converse with them. For them, we’re also unique on our own as we come from Java and for us, they are equally unique and lively people to chat around with.

Never have I expected that they even have Starbucks and I am writing it from a comfortable chair and AC of Starbucks. I told everyone at work that basically as long as there’s some type of Starbucks, specialty coffee somewhere and AC, I will be good.

Coming from Java, they might feel like I’d have a hard time fitting in or not liking the environment much. However, for me that’s been to places where I look different, not knowing the language either, I am not as fussy nor picky about a lot of things. It’s just that I am very picky about coffee 😂and the best part? My coffee this time is paid for them and I won’t have to worry about it all.

In fact, if I have the chance to, I’d love to explore even further to the borders. I heard it’s another interesting place to be and I want to see it too. Still, this journey continues and more things to discover soon.