Jam Karet: An Indonesian concept of time

New Year is often a great time to reflect back and plan ahead. But the concept of time required for this kind of reflection varies in different cultures. A few weeks ago, a friend and I had a lengthy conversation about how we Indonesians perceive time. It wasn’t long until the concept of “jam karet” (pronounced /ˈd͡ʒam ˈka.rɛt/) got mentioned.

The Indonesian term “jam karet,” loosely translated as “rubber time,” illustrates our perception of time that embraces flexibility and elasticity. If someone agrees to meet you at 5 p.m., it does not always mean that you will actually meet at 5 o’clock sharp, unlike in some cultures where punctuality is the expected norm and you need to arrive at 4:50 for a 5 p.m. meeting. Instead, the meeting will most likely occur sometime between 5 and 5:30 p.m. That said, business meetings and professional events have a very different cultural context and expectations that are less tolerant of vagaries.

Jam karet suggests not only flexibility but also uncertainty related to time. It portrays time in unforeseen events, major like a flood or minor like a rush-hour traffic jam, where time can be shrunk into minutes or seconds or stretched and expanded into hours or days. Indonesians can use the word “kemarin” (yesterday) to indicate an event that occurred not necessarily one day before but at an unspecified time in the past. Similarly, the word “besok” (tomorrow) can be interpreted as the actual tomorrow or some time in the future like next week or in two months’ time. If you need to know the exact time, then it is always best to confirm directly with the other person. Otherwise, be prepared to just go with the flow.

There is a kind of fluidity in the way Indonesians perceive time where it flows differently depending on the particular situation. Before you reflect upon the past year and list up your new year resolutions for the coming year, consider your own perception of time. How specific or “rubbery” is your concept of yesterday, today and tomorrow?

Japanese Translation: cultureflipper.com/blog/jam-karet-an-indonesian-concept-of-time-ja
Korean Translation: cultureflipper.com/blog/jam-karet-an-indonesian-concept-of-time-ko