Indonesia
“We Fast for 19 Hours Here!”
Fasting is a mandatory for moslem. Alriz Nauvathan Akbar (8) is trying to live it, despite living not in Indonesia where the majority is moslem. In the warm chat via e-mail, Alriz told how fasting in Europe is quite exciting for a third grade student like him.
How long have you been staying in Germany, Alriz?
About two years. I moved here in 2012 following dad who works in Oberhausen, a city in Northern Germany.
Was that the first time you went abroad?
Hehehe, it’s not. I went to Germany when two years old and stayed for one year in Stuttgart, Southern Germany. Other than Germany, I’ve also been to Italy, France and Austria.
Before Germany, where did you live?
Yogyakarta, Indonesia. I went to Condong Catur Public Elementary School.
How was it when you arrived in Germany?
Wow, i remember it well. It was winter. It was very cold and the snow was thick. But i like playing with the snow. I got to slide using cart or make some snowman.
It’s so different living there and in Yogyakarta?
At first i had hard times of making friends at school because i didn’t speak Germany. But it improved after a while, and now i have many friends. When it comes to meal, it’s difficult to find restaurant that sells Indonesian food. I love chicken roasted, meatball and Indonesian cakes. So i need to adjust with German food because i stay at school until afternoon and we have lunch there, not at home. My favorite menus at school are cheese paste, turkey soup, cheese bread and noodle.
Your bahasa is still good?
I speak Germany everyday with teachers and friends at school. Sometimes i missed out some Indonesian words. So it’s kind mixed up, for example, “Mama, i want hahnchen (chicken).”
Are you fasting today?
I sure am! But only half day, hehehe. My sister is already strong enough for a full fast to 10 PM.
10 in the evening?! Is that when you break?!
Yes, this year Ramadan is overlapping with summer here. Taken into total it’s 19 hours or five hours longer than fasting in Indonesia. In summer, the noon is much longer than the evening. We have sahur at around 3 AM and the sun sets at around 10 PM.
What do you do during the fasting?
Mom makes a Ramadan logbook for me and my sister. It has things we must do everyday. For example, reciting Al Quran, watching videos of prophets and others. If i get bored at home, i go to the nearby spielplatz (playground). It has many optional games; climbings, slidings, swinging, or playing with sand.
What do you do when ngabuburit (waiting for the break)?
I play stroller and sister play inline-skate. Sometimes i invite friends home. We don’t have bedug or adzan here. But we get to look at the schedule of imsak and break to find out.
What are your break menu there?
I most prefer lychee ice and coconut essence. Sometimes mom makes cendol or kolak pisang. We also have cherry, banana and kurma. We have rice or other main course after Maghrib pray.
Is there mosques that have Tarawih?
Well, there are quite a lot of Turks and Arabs mosques. In Ramadan, they also have break and Tarawih.
How was Lebaran last year there?
We had Lebaran in Bonn, a major city that used to be the capital of Germany, not far from our home at Mülheim a.d. Ruhr. There we silaturrahmi with many Indonesian who live nearby Bonn. There’s also many Indonesian food. Yummy!
Which one do you prefer, Ramadan in Germany or Indonesia?
Both have its perk, but it’s merrier in Indonesia. There are people who go around the neighborhood to wake people up, “Sahuuurr!! Sahuurrr…!!” Not to mention the TV program in Ramadan. And before the break, the streets are crowd with people selling food and cakes.
Any plan of coming home this year?
Insha Allah next year. For now, we are having Lebaran in Germany again.
BIOFACT
Name: Alriz Nauvathan Akbar
Birth: September 7 2006
School: 3rd grade at Gemeinschaftsgrundschule Mülheim a.d. Ruhr Germany
Parents: Dr -Ing Syawaluddin Akbar – dr Eka Sari Astuti SpA
Siblings: Adinda Zahrin Naura
Address: Mülheim a.d. Ruhr 45476 Germany
HAFIDA INDRAWATI
PHOTOS: SYAWALUDDIN AKBAR
