As with my work life in Korea, I participated in quite a few corporate dinner parties after being appointed to work at a large company in Jakarta in the late 1990s. Over time, I learned many cultural lessons: that it isn’t unusual to drink lukewarm beer with ice, for example, and that if employees’ food orders aren’t properly controlled, you may end up spending a lot of money just to be left with a lot of excess food—quite literally biting off more than you can chew. Such scenes were fairly similar to those in Korea and often unfolded in quaint upper-class restaurants in the Menteng area of Central Jakarta, where many ministerial residences were situated, or at modern restaurants in bustling South Jakarta.
However, buka puasa held during the fasting month of Ramadan in the 9th month of the Islamic calendar (March 22 to April 21 in 2023) was most impressive.
During Ramadan, buka puasa is when Muslims break their fast to eat their first meal of the day, alongside the sound of the adzan Maghrib (call to the Maghrib prayer, held at dusk). Accordingly, during this season, a corporate dinner might be viewed as something closer to a religious event than a business one.
Many office workers who want to enjoy buka puasa with their families will hear the adzan Maghrib while stuck on their crowded commute home from work. To mitigate this situation, companies or departments will make dinner reservations for their employees beforehand to match the time of prayer. Therefore, throughout the month, it is not uncommon to see people filling restaurants all over the city, waiting for adzan Maghrib with food already set on the table.
Breaking the fast with family, friends, or co-workers is called buka puasa bersama. Of course, as it is a Muslim observance, non-Muslims are not obligated to follow these rules. However, during the month-long fast of Ramadan, people of different nationalities and religions have new opportunities to respect one another and acknowledge their differences. Thus, people who do not practice Islam are often careful not to disturb those who are fasting. Buka puasa is an experience that demonstrates the extent to which people of different beliefs can interact harmoniously and with a sense of appreciation.
If you have lived in Indonesia for a long time, you might have a better understanding of why Indonesian Muslims eagerly await Ramadan and the long Eid al-Fitr festival that marks its conclusion, just as others might wait for Chuseok (the Korean autumn harvest festival) or Christmas. In the same vein, fasting further strengthens the sense of community among Muslims, making buka puasa bersama something akin to a daily festival. In such a culture, sharing the buka puasa with Muslim colleagues goes beyond the usual goal of corporate dinners—ostensibly to increase efficiency and feelings of fellowship—to include a deep respect for other religions and ways of life. Nowadays, I also eagerly await buka puasa bersama, the dinners held with those around me during the fasting month of Ramadan.
KOREA FOUNDATION
