Fun Facts about Minangkabau’s

I was planning to use my mom’s old photo wedding where she was wearing the traditional Minangkabau wedding outfit but decided against it because a) I’m just tad lazy to rummage all of the old photo albums that is stored in the store room just to find 1 photo, meh! b) well..err, just read the (a) part again.

As I am of a minang descent and are still learning and adapting to this culture that still enthralls me ( i mean, what’s up with the horn-rimmed roofs?), why don’t I rejoice in my own heritage and what better place for you to catch a glimpse of the everyday life of a minangkabau teenager than this humble progressing blog?. So, I have pretty much came up with the facts that made Minangkabau’s a unique ethnic.

So, here goes nothing~

Fun Facts about the Minangkabau’s

• The Minangkabau’s can what people called to be a girl power nation. They believed that they are descendents of Bundo Kanduang, a mythical queen who is the ruler of Minangkabau’s people. Minangkabau’s can be considered a feminist nation which can make Germaine Greer proud as The Minangs are the world’s largest matrilineal society and most Minang women are known to be fierce and independent which many feminists aspired to be.
• Minangkabau’s people is an avid fan of the bulls especially their horns. I mean, come on people, just look at our house.  Considering our fascinations to horns and bulls, this also reflects the women’s characteristic. We, Minangkabau women are caring, gentle and supportive to our family, providing emotional needs for them but if push comes to shove, we can be fierce, competitive, determined and independent.
• As the Minangkabau’s are generally a matrilineal society, you’re probably wondering what happen to the male ones? Well, as males don’t have any rights on the properties and beneficiaries, most male Minangkabau’s end up wandering to many parts of the Malay archipelago, becoming scholars or merchants. These are encouraged at an early age as a source of wisdom so that they can run the family unit or government well. As the Minangkabau’s like to wander to many parts of the Malay archipelago, many of us has set up our own little community in the cities ( kind off like the Chinatowns in the US but smaller and less distinct) which can be found in Masjid India in KL where the Minang values is distinct in the restaurants there where you can found a Minang restaurant by looking at the word Minang or Nasi Padang on their signboard and menu. In Malaysia, one of the states ( Negeri Sembilan) are populated by people of Minang descent where their ancestors had followed Raja Melewar who migrated to Negeri Sembilan from Sumatera Barat ( West Sumatra).
• We Minangkabau’s are a hot and spicy loving people. To us, Hot Spicy Food = Tasty foods. The more spicier and hotter the food is, the tastier it feels to our taste buds. Minang food are widely known locally and internationally and are a favourites among the locals here in Malaysia such as the Beef Rendang, Sayur Lodeh and Dendeng Balado. The formers are staple foods of Hari Raya season ( Eid).
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• Last but not least ( well, its actually not the last but I’ve already feeling tired as I am writing this at 2 o’clock in the morning, yawn~so..on with it). the Minangkabau’s are known for their shrewdness and money-mindedness as they contain the majority of Malay entrepreneurs in all kinds of category- food, textiles, handicrafts,etc. The Minangkabau’s are relatively one of the most successful ethnics in Indonesia, successful in diverse kinds of industry – Education, Entertainment, Businesses, politics, etc. For Example, the first Malaysian/Asian to go to the moon is a Minangkabau while Tuanku Abdul Rahman, the first Yang Di-pertuan Agong of the federation of Malaya was a Minangkabau and same goes to Bunga Citra Lestari, a famous Indonesian Pop Singer/ Actress.