“The habit for eating, ceremony, and wedding include costume, traditional food, and dance in my hometown “

My name is Shandy Apryani, and I’m Malay ethnic, I come from Pontianak - West Borneo,. Pontianak is capital city of West Borneo. Pontianak is ideal Capital City because the city closes by harbor, Airport, Bus Station and other facilities. The weather in Pontianak is very hot because Equators Line exact there, added by many strangers from any area in Indonesia. As long as 24 hours you will feel hot, even when was raining. Although many trees and forest but Pontianak still was hot, but don’t worry because it would not make your skin be dark. You can feel cool if you came forest area but just at 08.00 PM – 06.00 AM. Dray season longer that rain season and if it has happened, water will be difficult to find. People in the city wasn’t be confused about it because they have water source from Municipal Waterworks, but people that live in the village will use Kapuas river as their water source. Although dray season came, water in Kapuas river never dry.

If you visit Pontianak, you must taste Bubur Pedas. Bubur Pedas is traditional food from Sambas or Malay ethnic but because of Sambas and Pontianak still one Province , people from Sambas brought it to Pontianak and now, almost people of Pontianak can make it and consumption it, but the taste wasn’t same with Made in people of Sambas. Bubur pedas is nutritious food because the stuffs from vegetables, meat, chicken, shrimp, mushroom, etc. you can add other stuffs that you liked. Except bubur pedas, dodol or Lempok durian is traditional snack from Pontianak – Sambas also. Because durian very much in West Borneo ( Pontianak-Sambas ) so people initiative to make it became dodol. In order durian constant to eat for long time. To make dodol durian so easy, you just add many sugar, durian and little salt.

Except traditional food, that interesting of Pontianak is about culture, Malay ethnic has some traditional ceremony, namely “Bepepas” , is a ceremony that did if someone has just moved in new house. May be in other area they only meeting or gathering to read holy Qur’an, but in Pontianak – Sambas they not only read holy Qur’an but also struck (gently) some pandan leafs that has mixed with chalk water to people who made the ceremony, from head to toe . People believe that ritual can repel evil creatures that exist in the new home. Another ceremony is “ Betangas “ , a ritual that must done by people who want to get married. In modern era betangas same with sauna, but that distinguishes them is betangas use traditional ingredients as pandan leaf, serai leaf, lemon etc. the traditional ingredients can make our body expelled aromatic, the body felt fresh, burn fat also. The aromatic in your body can hold out for three days, it means no matter if you not take a bath. Malay ethnic believe if bride and groom took a bath in wedding day, then will be raining and the wedding will be a mess. Moreover, when the bride and groom will continue wedding party, they must walk on foot from groom’s house to bride’s house, name of the ritual is “Bearak” and when had came, they thrown yellow rice by reception in bride’s house. Purpose did the ritual is as form of sincerity parents to release their children married. Bride and groom wore traditional costume of Malay ethnic ( Pontianak-Sambas ) colored yellow with a touch of royal models and long hat worn by the man, crown worn by the women. They must use “ Inai or pacar “ or in word of Indian named Mahendi, a accessory that drew in their palm of hand and made by plants named “ Inai or Pacar “ also, the purpose is to show that users had marriage.

For traditional costume of Malay ethnic ( Sambas ) named “ kain songket sambas “ worn by women and “ baju telok belangak “ worn by man. Long time ago the traditional costume only worn by King’s family but now, society can wear it. But because the price expensive, just some people wore it in formal party. And kinds of traditional dance in West Borneo is Zapin and tanda’ sambas by Malay ethnic, monong, pingan, jonggan by Dayak ethnic . you can see the performance only in certain event.

So, if you want to visit west-borneo, you must visit Pontianak- Sambas and taste the traditional food, and witness the culture and don’t forget to visit the tourism places also, every region has their own cultural, we should be proud and keep the heritages of our ancestors, then the successor generation of people we ought to keep and preserve it all.