Yogyakarta: Learning Indonesian: be careful

Welcome to my travel blog.

Yogyakarta still hasn't let go of me even after two weeks in Semarang. Jogja (as the residents lovingly call it) is the cultural center of Java, if not all of Indonesia. If you buy souvenirs in Bali, they usually come from Jogja. The city thrives on religious, ethnic, and cultural diversity. The many students from the three, four, five, I don't know how many universities also contribute to this. They come from all over Indonesia.

I spent a total of three weeks in Jogja. During the week, I attended four Indonesian language lessons in the morning in an intensive course. In the afternoons, I studied or explored the city and tried to apply what I had learned.

I stayed in Yogyakarta for three weeks. From Monday to Friday, I learned Indonesian at the Puri Bahasa Indonesia school every morning until noon. In the afternoons, I strolled around the city and spoke Indonesian with the locals.

The time in Jogja flew by. I mostly avoided touristy places because my main goal was to learn the language. Of course, I came across Indonesians who could speak English, and one even spoke a few words of Swiss German. One weekend, I rented a motorbike and first drove to the Hindu temple Prambanan and then headed south to the beach. This was the first time I saw the sea after four weeks in Indonesia, which is quite strange considering the number of coastal kilometers. But it's easily explained. Even the Indonesians, or at least the Javanese, usually go to Bali when they want to "go to the beach". The cities located on the coast are fully developed with harbor facilities.

Time passed quickly in Yogyakarta. I didn't visit touristy places. I wanted to learn Indonesian. I met Indonesians who could speak English or other languages. Some weekends, I went to Prambanan temple with Mbak Mel. We rented a motorbike for that. Then we went to the beach.

Indonesian is a very forgiving language. It has very little grammar. Once you master the sentence structure, you just need to learn the vocabulary... The three weeks gave me a solid foundation for my time here in Indonesia. Of course, reality looks a bit different. The Javanese have their own language and they also mix it with Indonesian. Additionally, there are countless regional dialects. Nevertheless, I can communicate reasonably well today and am even understood ;) The people here appreciate this. They are always surprised when addressed in Indonesian.

The reason why Jogja will probably accompany me throughout my time here in Indonesia is that I finally found a rugby club this weekend!! I happened to stumble upon the Jogja Chiefs Rugby Club. I immediately visited them and will attend training next weekend :) I will also participate with them in the Jakarta Rugby 10's Tournament on May 6th.

Now I am in Semarang, where I will base myself for my time in Indonesia. More on that in the next post.