Yesterday marks Day 5 of my 10 month adventure and I’ve already encountered what I anticipate will be my biggest challenge here in Indonesia: cultural misunderstandings and miscommucation. I’ve noticed, in my current teaching program and during my trip last year, that many things end up lost in translation…literally. Considering that my Bahasa Indonesia abilities are limited to a few key phrases, including berapa harganya (how much is it?) and saya pedangang (I’m a teacher), though, I find it difficult to be upset when words don’t translate as I intend. Just as I struggle to learn Bahasa (and juggle Arabic and Spanish as well), so Indonesians struggle with three (or more languages) themselves. Bahasa Indonesia, although the official state language of Indonesia, is not the only language spoken by Indonesians. Many people speak local languages, like Javanese and Sundanese on Java, Balinese on Bali, and so forth. In addition to that, some people attempt to learn English, which I’m finding is a more difficult language than I, a native speaker, realized. As I prepare to teach English to my students, I need to keep in mind the fact that English is a difficult language with sentence structure far different than that to which my students are accustomed.
Still, the miscommunications/misunderstandings complicate matters. For example, yesterday morning hotel housekeepers accidentally took some of my clothes away, assuming I wanted them washed (which I didn’t, especially at $1.50 or so an item). Even though I immediately requested that the items be returned unwashed, I ended up getting them late last night, soaking wet. I now have a laundry bill to pay. Last night, I spent 40 minutes attempting to explain to sales clerks at a Jakarta mall what I was looking for in one of Jakarta’s largest department stores. Even in Indonesia’s most-populated city in which many English-speaking ex-pats live, there are many here who do not speak English.
Lack of lingual understanding also frustrates me in that I am unable to respond to people’s friendly inquiries as they attempt to learn more about me and why I’m here in Indonesia. I’d love to be able to share more than a basic where I’m from and what I’m doing in Indonesia. I want to ask about Ramadan here, inquire as to where people have been and what their goals and dreams are. I want to learn more about the culture and the people, and find out what they think of America. However, I’m obstructed by my inability to communicate in Bahasa Indonesia.
At the same time, however, I’m discovering ways of communicating without words. A smile says a thousand words here in Indonesia, filling the linguistic gap I continually encounter as I explore Indonesia. People eye me curiously, wondering why a bule (foreigner) would wander around the cramped, narrow back streets of Jakarta’s most populated residential areas. I’ve noticed that people eagerly attempt to use the limited English vocabulary they know in order to engage me in conversation. As we, Indonesians and American bule, struggle to use the other’s language to communicate, we catch each other’s eyes and smile, and in that simple act, express what we’ve been trying to say for several minutes. “I don’t understand Indonesian,” I wince as I offer an apologetic smile, “but I want to learn about life here in spite of that.” “We don’t know the words to say, but we’re interested in learning more about you and why you’re wandering down our street,” they seem to reply. In that moment, there is a second of mutual understanding. We don’t understand each other, but we both acknowledge that the other is attempting to communicate. That in itself is sufficient for now…until I learn a bit more Bahasa.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Eat Pray Love
So I've read Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat Pray Love" a couple times and I must confess, I'm quite a fan of the book, although I think she gives a very...tourist perspective of Bali. That's fine by me, though; after all, she WAS a tourist. haha
Anyway, I'm eager for the release of the film based on the book (with Julia Roberts cast as Ms. Gilbert) next week, mostly because I'm hoping that the publicity will help Bali rejuvinate its tourist industry. Ever since the nightclub bombings in Kuta, Bali's tourism has been a bit shakey. Last summer, people told me that tourism was picking up again, but even years after the attack occurred, the region still suffers with the scars of terrorism. Maybe "Eat Pray Love" can bring people to Bali again.
On a final note...did I mention my group stayed with Gilbert's medicine man, Ketut Liyer, last summer? Thank you Agustini and Charlie - that was truly an incredible experience.
Go see the film. Then go to Bali.
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810105588/info
Anyway, I'm eager for the release of the film based on the book (with Julia Roberts cast as Ms. Gilbert) next week, mostly because I'm hoping that the publicity will help Bali rejuvinate its tourist industry. Ever since the nightclub bombings in Kuta, Bali's tourism has been a bit shakey. Last summer, people told me that tourism was picking up again, but even years after the attack occurred, the region still suffers with the scars of terrorism. Maybe "Eat Pray Love" can bring people to Bali again.
On a final note...did I mention my group stayed with Gilbert's medicine man, Ketut Liyer, last summer? Thank you Agustini and Charlie - that was truly an incredible experience.
Go see the film. Then go to Bali.
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810105588/info
The beginning...or introduction, if you like.
Welcome, friends and family back in the States, to my official blog of my next nine months of adventure in Indonesia! I've been officially placed in a vocational school in Bontang, a coastal town in the region of East Kalimantan on Borneo. For those new to Southeast Asian geography, I've included a link to a map of Indonesia: http://www.indonesian-food.88eight.com/images/indonesia-map.gif
I'm deeply grateful to my family and friends for being willing to let me run away to the tropics for the next year to learn about Indonesian language, culture, and life, even though I'll miss holidays and be gone for quite a substantial amount of time. I'm also very much indebted to all of my professors and mentors at the University of Michigan whose passion for international relations/politics and cultural appreciation helped me develop my own passion for intercultural understanding. Without the constant patience, guidance, and help from these professors and mentors, I wouldn't have developed an interest in diplomacy or applied for Fulbright in the first place. I can't express enough how grateful I am.
A bit about Indonesia...
Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim country, which surprises many people, considering the country is not in the Middle East but in Southeast Asia. According to the Indonesian constitution, there are 5 official government recognized religions - Islam, Protestant Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Bahasa Indonesia is the official state-sponsored language, but there are hundreds of locally spoken languages, like Javanese, Sundanese, Balinese, and so forth. (My knowledge of a local language consists of counting from 1 to 5 in Balinese...I consider this an achievement ^_^ ). Traveling through Indonesia, one can visually see how unique and diverse the country is. For example, Borobudur is one of the largest Buddhist monuments in the world. See http://gregor.us/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/borobodur-indonesia.jpg . It's on the island of Java, which has the largest Muslim population of all the islands and also a significant number of Christians. Yet it's one of the most popular tourist attractions for all faiths. Bali is incredibly interesting because its population is predominately Hindu. Indonesia, in my opinion, presents an absolutely fascinating case study for religious diversity.
I don't really know how to begin describing Indonesia. It has an incredibly rich, fascinating history and the political system is an interesting experiment in mass scale democracy. I find it interesting that a country so large has attempted to decentralize its government so much. When I was in Indonesia last summer, people told me that decentralization has its merits, but it also has challenges. How, for example, do you manage a system in which one district decides to implement Islamic law while the next district over doesn't? That's decentralized democracy for you.
I'm absolutely thrilled to spend the next nine months abroad. I eventually want to pursue a graduate degree in international relations, focusing on policy toward Muslim countries, and believe that living in another country will provide me with an excellent opportunity to explore intercultural communication and understanding. Most of all, though, I hope to provide my students with the same passion for learning that my professors bestowed upon me.
I'm deeply grateful to my family and friends for being willing to let me run away to the tropics for the next year to learn about Indonesian language, culture, and life, even though I'll miss holidays and be gone for quite a substantial amount of time. I'm also very much indebted to all of my professors and mentors at the University of Michigan whose passion for international relations/politics and cultural appreciation helped me develop my own passion for intercultural understanding. Without the constant patience, guidance, and help from these professors and mentors, I wouldn't have developed an interest in diplomacy or applied for Fulbright in the first place. I can't express enough how grateful I am.
A bit about Indonesia...
Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim country, which surprises many people, considering the country is not in the Middle East but in Southeast Asia. According to the Indonesian constitution, there are 5 official government recognized religions - Islam, Protestant Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Bahasa Indonesia is the official state-sponsored language, but there are hundreds of locally spoken languages, like Javanese, Sundanese, Balinese, and so forth. (My knowledge of a local language consists of counting from 1 to 5 in Balinese...I consider this an achievement ^_^ ). Traveling through Indonesia, one can visually see how unique and diverse the country is. For example, Borobudur is one of the largest Buddhist monuments in the world. See http://gregor.us/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/borobodur-indonesia.jpg . It's on the island of Java, which has the largest Muslim population of all the islands and also a significant number of Christians. Yet it's one of the most popular tourist attractions for all faiths. Bali is incredibly interesting because its population is predominately Hindu. Indonesia, in my opinion, presents an absolutely fascinating case study for religious diversity.
I don't really know how to begin describing Indonesia. It has an incredibly rich, fascinating history and the political system is an interesting experiment in mass scale democracy. I find it interesting that a country so large has attempted to decentralize its government so much. When I was in Indonesia last summer, people told me that decentralization has its merits, but it also has challenges. How, for example, do you manage a system in which one district decides to implement Islamic law while the next district over doesn't? That's decentralized democracy for you.
I'm absolutely thrilled to spend the next nine months abroad. I eventually want to pursue a graduate degree in international relations, focusing on policy toward Muslim countries, and believe that living in another country will provide me with an excellent opportunity to explore intercultural communication and understanding. Most of all, though, I hope to provide my students with the same passion for learning that my professors bestowed upon me.
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