Gusrizal: Encouraging People-to-People Contact
Global collaboration and interaction no longer trade upon the power of government. Rather it shifts to people-to-people contact that goes...
Preserving the Mother Tongue
When I joined a community service program (KKN) prior to COVID-19 in 2020, in an outlandish area in West Sumatra,...
Internalising the Values of Prayers
Muslims throughout the globe on the 27th of Rajab of the Islamic calendar of Hijrah (18th February 2023) will commemorate...
Learning Love from the Philosophers
The 14th of February is celebrated as Valentine’s Day. Despite its pros and cons, it signals a sound message about...
Looking into the Minangkabau Press
The crucial role of the press in shaping the history of Minangkabau is undeniable. Appearing on the historical stage in...
New Year’s Resolution: The Journey Inside
Are we in need of a New Year’s resolution? Yes, because at the end of the year, we need something...
Chinese New Year and Acculturation
Just around the corner, the Chinese will commemorate their Chinese New Year globally. They believe the Chinese New Year symbolises...
Makan Bajamba, Minangnese Dining Tradition
Almost all regions have a communal dining tradition in Indonesia, including West Sumatra. For Minangnese people living in West Sumatra,...
Bakdi Soemanto Encourages Cultural Literacy
“At that time, very early in the morning on 11th October 2014….. I received a text from a friend of...
Basrizal Koto is an invigorating Indonesian entrepreneur
Known as Basko; he is a native of Pariaman, West Sumatra. Basko is considered to be Crazy Rich from Padang...
Book Review: Revitalising Bahasa Indonesia Abroad
Bahasa Indonesia has a great opportunity to be one of the world’s main languages following Indonesia’s large population and abundant...
Literature Instils Values in Students
In commemorating the Sanctity Day of Pancasila, students may wonder whether the state’s foundational ideology remains relevant to day-to-day life...
Bundo Kanduang and Entrepreneurship
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) chairwoman Megawati Sukarnoputri expressed her concern that the Minang people had changed a...
Grand Mosque of West Sumatra: The World’s Best Mosque Design in 2021
A non-profit organisation highlighting design and architectural work, the Abdullatif Al-Fozan Award, recently released a list of the best mosque...
Rendang and the Culture of Migration
Rendang is a meat dish from Minangkabau. It is cooked using a low-temperature cooking method that takes four to five...
Family Empowerment and Sexual Violence
— Content warning: discussion of crimes against children — The lecherous actions of Herry Wirawan, a teacher at the Manarul...
Love and Freedom
Love stories are one of the most popular stories that adorn the course of human civilization. They are as old...
Chinese New Year, a Path of Social Cohesion
It was not until last 2014 I really fathom what Chinese New Year was like until one of my Chinese-Indonesian...
Jeff Hadler: A Scholar with Heart
When Jeff Hadler passed away a few years ago, I was a bit dazed to know it. A friend of...
Usmar Ismail, the Father of Modern Indonesian Cinema
Usmar Ismail is known as the father of modern Indonesian cinema. He was born on 20th March 1921 in Bukittinggi,...
Literature and Immigrants
Having been elected the 45th president of the United States in 2017, Donald Trump sparked further controversy as he imposes...