Interesting Terms
Cidomo
Horse drawn cidomos (pronounced 'chidomo') are a fun and easy way to get around Mataram city in Lombok. They are rarely found outside of the capital city as the rest of Lombok is notoriously hilly and would be too difficult for the horse. Cidomos are a much cheaper option than taxis which is why their drivers rarely take home much in the way of pay at the end of the day.
Paud
The word paud comes from an acronym of the term 'Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini' or Early Childhood Education. The term paud covers foundational education classes - everything from singing and drawing through to basic spelling and health awareness - from birth to six years of age. In Indonesia, kindergartens are, strictly speaking, a subset of the different kinds of paud. In practise, kindergartens are usually privately run and much more expensive than primary school and so are often not accessible to less well-off families. The term paud is usually used to refer to low-cost, less formal early childhood education centres, set up by organisations like Annisa to give all children a chance to access early education.
Salam
In Indonesia to salam someone older than you often refers to holding the back of their right hand to your forehead or mouth as a greeting and sign of respect. It is an affectionate gesture, for example, a child (no matter how old they are) will often salam their parents on grandparents. Alternatively, to salam someone can also refer to shaking their hand.
