The Full Yogyakarta Experience: Part 1: Introduction [Fucai]

I have decided to break my entire Immersion Programme Experience up into a series of blog posts as I will not be doing justice to the trip by condensing everything into a single entry [and I can procrastinate more in posting my entries]! Anyway, if you are reading this, you probably are one of the following person:

1. You happen to come across this blog by chance
2. You are an Indonesian Language Instructor @ NUS [Hi Ibu!]
3. You are a student who is keen to participate in the next programme! [Silakan Ikut!]

I shall assume that you are person number 3. I had deliberately titled my posts the 'Full' Yogyakarta experience for a series of reasons.

Traditional Market: Something you will not see in tour packages!

Firstly, students are able to join the excursion portion of the trip if they are unable to make it for the entire immersion programme [or if they just want to have the 'touristy' part of the whole thing]. In this sense, not everyone that has joined this programme via indirect means have experienced the real deal.

Secondly, I've been on a 1.5 month long summer programme to Korea University a year ago. I've had a blast of a time there. But one thing is for sure, no other holiday  summer programmes can give you a higher level of exposure to local culture and lifestyle as this programme.

Our accommodation in Yogyakarta is that of a home-stay arrangement, we stay in the homes of Indonesian families and experience the Indonesian lifestyle as closely as possible. With the exception of Choon Yen, all of us did not have Internet access and heated-water at our home-stay. You will definitely learn to appreciate the simple things in Singapore that you had taken for granted! Yes, there is a set of 'inconveniences', but isn't this the point of an immersion programme? To experience life in a foreign place as close to reality as possible!

Don't be deceived by the bathtub! I had to bathe using the pail and the scoop. The showerhead was not working!

In addition to that, I felt really refreshed interacting with the Indonesians. It was a break away from Singapore's society, away from the ultra-competitive environment and the mood of negativity that has mysteriously gripped Singapore [Maybe that's just General Elections hangover?]. I felt that I was in a place of peace during my 3 weeks in Yogyakarta. This is THE place to let loose and relax.

Fucai

Tambah sebagai teman...lagi...lagi...lagi...lagi...

Back home... to internet

I've finally returned to Singapore and first things first, I have a long 'i-miss-you-honey-bunch' session with my facebook account. What? No access to Facebook when in Indonesia? Hadn't I brought my trusty netbook with me precisely for that very purpose- to maintain my connectivity to billions and billions of gigabytes? Of course! But how was I to foresee that Sanata Dharma was going to throw a wet blanket over my virtual dreams of internet usage by blocking Facebook and Youtube before 2pm? And did I mention that more often than not, our break was between the hours of 1200 and 1400? Brilliant! 

Anyway, that is not the point of this blog entry that Ibu Indri has repeatedly reminded me to type, with the  persistence of a loan shark owed tonnes of money, wielding bright red paint and some marker pens(O$P$, yo!). The subject of this blog entry is the extension of Indonesian friendliness into cyberspace, and how it is at odds with my Singaporean unfriendliness. So I must go back to my pengalaman Facebook. 

The hidden perils of FB

Because of my sparkling personality and lovable nature, several new Indonesian friends I've made during the course of my one month stay in Indonesia added me on Facebook. As I look back, I think I am able to say with confidence that this was indeed the start of my virtual troubles. And perhaps, I should have known.

Several days later, I find that strange Indonesians I have never met are starting to add me on Facebook. Do imagine me frowning at this point, because I am. Upon closer inspection, I find that most are friends of my friends. However, the important point here is... who are these people?! I have never even shared the same breathing space as these people so why in the world are they adding me on Facebook, and in doing so, falsely claiming to know me? 

Frustrated with more questions than answers, I turned to Facebook. 

Status update 1
Dhava ลักษมี Psince i came back from indonesia random people from goodness knows where have been adding me on fb... WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE???!!! AM I BEING STALKED???10 Juni jam 21:45 ·  · Musawwadah Mukhtar your number of friends is too small compared to average Indonesian, sometimes I feel bad to refuse :DMusawwadah Mukhtar jika kamu menolak, dia berkata,"ih, Dhava sombong deh, tidak mau berteman." :-) 

Status update 2Dhava ลักษมี P
Question of the day: Kenapa orang Indonesia mau berteman dengan semua orang?11 Juni jam 20:40 ·  · Indrianti Iin Karena kami baik hati dan tidak sombong ^_^

Interesting. Apparently Indonesians are so fond of Facebook and making new friends, they like to go around adding anyone and everyone to their exponentially growing list. 

Something scary

Unbeknownst to me, Indonesian societal norms had successfully extended its octopus like arms into the virtual world and trapped the unsuspecting me so that now I too have to abide by them and be friendly or be blacklisted as 'sombong' for the rest of my life.  Perhaps I should be flattered that someone out there actually wants to be friends with my cold hearted Singaporean self. 

And what happened, then? Well, in Whoville they say - that the Singaporean's small heart grew three sizes that day. And then - the true meaning of Indonesian hospitality came through, and the Singaporean found the strength of *ten* Singaporeans, plus two! -Taken and corrupted from 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas'

- Post written(or rather, painstakingly typed) by Dhava yang rindu Indonesia and its quirky people dari Singapura, bukan India. Sigh...

My Yogyakarta Experience: The Water Heater That Is Really a Gas Stove

The video (below) shows the water heater that I used for bathing at my homestay family’s (my other friends didn’t enjoy warm bathing water except on the excursion but that’s beside the point – they would have their own experiences to share about bathing daily with a huge tub of water and a scoop).

So, the title of the video should have given you clear ideas about the workings of this particular water heater – it works like a gas stove. When I turn on the hot water tap sufficiently, the heater will perform its fire-spewing ability and heat up the water before letting it come through the shower head!





WHICH WAS REALLY SCARY, I must say. The first day I used it, I thought something exploded! I was still shocked by it on the second day. And mildly disturbed in the days after. After all, fire-spewing isn’t something I’m used to back in Singapore.

When I posted this on Facebook, my friend asked if I tried cooking an egg with it? Ridiculous really (how was I supposed to do that?!) but hilarious for her to come up with such a suggestion.

On hindsight, I’m glad I didn’t do stupid things with it because I suspect it’s antique material after reading the eldest son’s comment on my video on Facebook,

“Hahahahahaha,,I think you would not find that kind of water heater anymore in Singapore (^^) I can’t even remember when my mom bought it XP”

The process of bathing was arduous because with a stove-like heater, the temperature keeps increasing (that’s how stoves work!). I took very very long to bathe each time because halfway through I would have to readjust the water temperature until it becomes comfortably warm and not scorching hot (actually that would have been sufficient for me to cook an egg really...).

Sometimes I can smell the gas which is mildly disturbing, because in Singapore if I smell that I usually think of 3 things: someone wants to commit suicide, someone forgot to switch off the stove or there is gas leak somewhere somehow – and then *suffocates* *explodes* *OMG*.

Scary thoughts really. At least I got my warm/hot/scorching hot bathing water...

Khoo Choon Yen :)

After reading Choon Yen’s post on her experiences, I think mine just pales in comparison. I shall try to attempt to make this post a little more interesting by adding photos along the way :) But still, after teasing her for almost the entire trip, her post on the ‘memeluk’ incident still brings a smile to my face :)

The 3 weeks in Indonesia made me appreciate Singapore more. Safety, comfort, internet connectivity and even hot water for bathing that we take for granted in Singapore were missing for most of the time in Yogyakarta. However, the absence of all these things could not compare to what I received throughout the trip. It was not just a 3 week stay in Indonesia to learn Bahasa Indonesia, but 21 days of experiencing their culture, interacting with Indonesians and also learning their way of life.

I had a chance to stay with an Indonesian family and it was a pleasure to stay with them! Every morning I had sandwiches or fried rice together with an egg (either hard-boiled or fried) and a cup of fruit juice for breakfast. In addition, my homestay mother gave me bread to eat during breaks so that I will not get hungry.

The room which I stayed in for 3 weeks! 

Lunch was usually settled at one of the warungs (stalls) near school and they usually cost only about $1.50 for a meal. 

Soto, one of the favourite dishes of the group! 

Dinner was always delicious, with a variety of authentic Indonesian dishes, often flavoured with different spices. 

Satay, tempe and rice for dinner!

Of course, there were many interesting things that happened during the 3 weeks in Yogyakarta. Being taught in NUS that kemarin means yesterday and besok means tomorrow, we did not find out the other meanings of these 2 words until we interacted with the teachers in Sanata Dharma. For example, they asked us things like ‘Bagaimana gamelan kemarin?’, and in our minds, we were thinking ‘Did we had gamelan yesterday?’ or ‘I thought we didn’t have any cultural classes yesterday’ and I even tried to tell them ‘Bukan. Kami tidak ada gamelan kemarin.’, when all they wanted to ask was how was the activity the other day.

Another interesting thing was that we saw the words ‘nasi kucing’ on the menu of one of the warungs near school and we thought that just like how chicken rice is nasi ayam, ‘nasi kucing’ would then mean ‘cat rice’. We were kind of disgusted but also interested to find out how ‘cat rice’ would be like. However, a check with the teachers easily solved the question we had. ‘Nasi kucing’, unlike nasi ayam, is actually rice that is served in very small portions together with some side dishes.  

The closing ceremony for our programme was yet another highlight. The teachers showed us their talents in singing, playing the guitar and also dancing while we performed a simple song presentation >_< But the fun only started after the closing ceremony, when the teachers started their own ‘karaoke session’! One teacher was playing the guitar, while the others were singing and dancing to the songs. While they were all having fun, dancing and singing enthusiastically, we were sitting at one side, amazed at them but yet too embarrassed to join them. 

Teachers dancing and singing to the guitar's melody

They seemed to be so carefree, simply enjoying the act of dancing and singing, something that I guess, many Singaporeans aren’t capable of.

Photo with the teachers (sadly, Stacy went back to Singapore earlier  for her internship:( ) 

 It was a truly wonderful experience learning Bahasa Indonesia at Universitas Sanata Dharma with the fun-loving teachers and also with my homestay family!


zhixin

A journey of discovery :)

The journey to discovering that…

49 hours of Indonesian Language and Culture Intensive Course

30 hours of Bahasa Indonesia classes

5 cultural activities (Jamu, Paes Jawa, Wayang, Batik, Gamelan)

3 social agency visits (Yayasan Sayap Ibu, Koran Kedaulatan Rakyat, SD Mangunan)

4 days of excursion around Yogyakarta/Solo (e.g. Borobodur, Prambanan, Kraton)

Having to communicate with the locals in Bahasa Indonesia on a daily basis, especially/even at ‘home’ with our homestay family, I dare say our mastery of the language became stronger (but with the lack of practice over the long summer break after we are back…hmm…). Lessons were conducted in small groups (3 students in each class after placement) and so we really had to speak more than what would have been expected of us back in Singapore. Adding on were the cultural activities, social agency visits and 4 days of excursion around Yogyakarta/Solo. Such was the extent of our immersion into the Indonesian culture that when I finally returned to Singapore 3 weeks later, I unwittingly replied in Bahasa Indonesia when queried by the Changi Airport staff.

On a personal note, my most unforgettable experience would have to be on THE motorbike.

First, some quick background details. Our group was warmly welcomed and heavily assisted by the Univesitas Sanata Dharma (USD) staff. Mbak Nana was the academic coordinator whereas for non-academic matters, Mas Guntur would render assistance to us, including homestay matters.

For me, my homestay was a stone throw away from USD, a mere 10 minutes if I take a leisure walk. The first morning, Mas Guntur arrived to pick me up in a van, with Fucai already waiting inside. The next morning, Mas Guntur walked me to school, making sure that I knew whether to turn left or right at junctions.

On the third morning (Friday morning), I didn’t quite know if I was supposed to walk to school on my own or wait patiently at home. So I decided to wait and shortly after, Mas Guntur arrived. So I bade goodbye to Mbak Nadia, the daughter of the homestay family and then proceeded outside with Mas Guntur. He then told me that our mode of transport that morning was his motorbike. I was taken aback, even though I once rode on a motorbike in a village in China, that was when I was 7 years old. Back then I had begged my mother to be on the same motorbike as me (I ended up sandwiched between the motorcyclist who was one of my China relatives and my mother). I have no other recollections of how I felt other than feeling relieved that my mother was with me (I was 7, in a strange land with a stranger offering a ride into the village, I had to be relieved.)

“Oh okay”, I said to Mas Guntur.

He asked if I was scared and if it was my first time taking a motorbike. I said I’m okay and informed him that it was my first time (I had completely forgot about the China experience at that point in time).

So I hopped on (without a helmet). Then he told me to move back because I was seated slightly too front and hence not giving him adequate space. So I moved back. He hopped on.

From that point in time till I alighted, he asked me at least another 2 times (or maybe 3) if I was scared. I replied that I felt alright. Which made me really puzzled – did he really need to ask me so many times, seriously?

The puzzle was solved by Ibu Indrianti and Cindy in the evening when we had dinner. Before dinner, Cindy moved house (due to exciting experiences which I shall leave her to share) and was accompanied by Ibu Indrianti and Mas Guntur. During the process, Mas Guntur revealed to them that I rode on his motorbike in the morning (which they already knew because I told them in the morning/afternoon) and added that something ‘special’ happened, which my dear friends and Ibu Indri would summarise it in one word, ‘memeluk’.

Before you search the dictionary for the meaning of ‘memeluk’ (root word: peluk), try the Pictionary way:

Congrats to those who understood Fucai’s artistic drawing. Anyway to those who are unable to appreciate Fucai’s artistic talent, this was what happened. Being a novice at riding motorbikes (and I certainly didn’t and still don’t observe motorcyclists and their passengers in Singapore), I didn’t know that there were grab rails at the back for the pillion passenger.

So I ensured my safety by “embracing” Mas Guntur from the back. (Yes ‘memeluk’ means hug.) WHICH I THOUGHT WAS PERFECTLY NORMAL because my impression was that EVERYONE ought to/should/will do that.

To my horror that evening, I realise that the action of ‘memeluk’ is only for pacar (boy/girlfriend) or at least only in the Singapore context (something that we agreed on because motorcyclists travel much faster in Singapore!). Dhava even stressed that in other Southeast Asian countries, pillion passengers ought to keep to themselves too.

So, that was why Mas Guntur asked repeatedly if I was scared...

Ironically I only got the chance to explain to Mas Guntur (that my action was based on ignorance) when I was a pillion passenger on his motorbike again, on the night of the Closing Ceremony hosted by USD for our group.  

This time round, I held on to the grab rails! In fact Cindy came over to make sure that I held on to them (the grab rails!) and not anywhere/anything/anyone else.

Mas Guntur replied to my explanation, saying that it was okay because I was ignorant of their practices [不知者无罪].

No surprise, I was teased endlessly by my friends (for about 2 weeks) until I declared proudly that night that the air was (finally) cleared. 

So I learnt the hard way (imagine being teased for 2 weeks endlessly) that Indonesians are still a conservative lot (which would explain Mas Guntur’s discomfort, or at least I speculate that he was uncomfortable otherwise he probably wouldn’t have brought up the issue with Ibu Indri and Cindy). But being friendly and kind-hearted people, they certainly didn’t nitpick at non-locals’ ignorance.

                I certainly enjoyed every moment I spent in Yogyakarta for its friendly and laid-back atmosphere, cheap food (though sometimes too salty, too sweet or too spicy for my liking – but I fell in love with Teh Manis!) and the company I had.

… I really love Indonesia J

Khoo Choon Yen