👋 Hi Changemakers! COVID-19 cases in Indonesia are rising, but so is our curiosity and positive mindset. 

In the meantime, here is your virtual one-way ticket to the Cultures of Our World, so strap on your seatbelts as we are ready to take off ! 🎟✈️  

🌍 She loves me, She loves me not? 

You may know Paris as the city of love, and French as the most romantic language in the world. Ironically, they don’t say I love you enough! Surprised? Me too. 

Romance expert and freelance writer - Lily Heise, made some very interesting observations living in Paris. 

Without saying Je T'aime (I love you), the French seem to have learned to show it instead! Giving compliments, Opening the doors for the ladies, public display of affections, and calling their children and loved ones with pet names such as ma puce (my flea), mon chou (my cabbage) or ma mignonne(my cutie).   

Why? Turns out, the French don’t have a verb to express sentimental emotions for people. “Aimer” is the verb which translates to both “like” and “love” for expressing any feelings from food, flowers, or sports.  Instead, the appropriate term to express these feelings is “passion.” 💐♥️

🌎 “Paisa Vasool” 

In business and economics, we have learned to get the most value out of our money. In India, the cultural concept “Paisa Vasool” is not about how much we pay for something, but instead how much we get out of it.

According to Dr Ritu Birla - associate professor focusing on the exchange between humans at the University of Toronto, “Paisa Vasool” is a “lens into network and ties in Indian society. From Buy-one-get-one offers, to asking additional questions on a doctor’s appointment, generosity is the key. “Barkat” (blessing or abundance in Urdu), is the term used to describe this.

Being one of the most densely populated countries in the world, it is easy to feel lonely and anonymous. Ironically, this is also where personal relationships have and connections have become a part of their currency. 👥💸

🌎 5 Gender Society

The Bugis is Sulawesi’s Indonesia’s largest ethnic group! 

"The Bugis have words for five genders," Anthropologist Sharyn Graham Davis from Monash University Australia explained. These 5 genders are a map that translates 5 ways of being in the world. 👧👦

1. Makkunrai - follows the Western concept of women

2. Oroani - follows the Western concept of men

3. Calabai - born with male bodies but take on traditionally female gender roles such as wearing dresses, makeup, and growing their hair long. 

4. Calalai - born with female bodies but take on traditionally male gender roles. Calalai’s characteristics may include wearing trousers, smoking cigarettes, having a short haircut, and working manual jobs. 

Bissu - usually occupy a shaman-like role in Bugi’s religion and are perceived as intermediaries between the world and the spiritual realm. It is believed that when Bissu descended from heaven, they did not split into becoming a male or female like most people. 

Interesting, right? 💭

🌎 Singapore’s Kampung 🇸🇬

The Merlion, high-rise buildings and Marina Bay Sands are the typical things that came to mind upon the mention of Singapore. Being one of the most rapidly changing countries from an agricultural to an industrial economy in 1980, Singapore’s modern life and skyscrapers came to life. Little did we know that Singapore’s last surviving village - Lorong Buangkok still stands.

With the uniqueness it offers in a densely populated country, Lorong Buangkok became a real-life time capsule for Singaporeans. "You need to leave something behind that reminds our young of how this country came about. We came from these humble huts." Nassim - one of the Kampoeng’s residents said. When there was a proposal to replace the country’s jewel with a highway, many Singaporeans voiced their objections and even proposed to include Lorong Buangkok to be included in the Unesco World Heritage Site. 

The small village of 25 households have now grown used to the steady stream of curious visitors as Lorong Buangkok remains one of Singapore’s treasures.🚕🌆

Thank you for flying with Permias Nasional. ✈️  

We hope to see you soon on #OneWorldManyCultures - a campaign dedicated to promote equality and diversity sponsored by A Better World Foundation. By completing this challenge, you will unlock a $5 donation for Permias Nasional’s future cultural activities. Let us continue to make our world a better place! 💙