Selamat datang! (Welcome)

If you’re interested in learning more about the language and culture of one of the most fascinating countries in the world, you’ve come to the right place! It’s our pleasure to be kicking off the Indonesian Language & Culture Blog, where we’ll be bringing you tons of articles, photos, and videos on all things Indonesia. Whether you’re planning a trip and looking for some ideas, want to learn the language, or are just curious to find out more about the diverse people and culture of this country, we’re here to help.

Monumen Nasional – the National Monument in Jakarta.

We’ll be adding a few posts every week, so make sure you subscribe to the blog to receive them directly in your e-mail. In addition, there will be new photos, discussion questions, relevant articles, and much more on our Facebook page, so hit that “like” button and join in. Finally, all new videos will be available on our YouTube channel – subscribe if you’d like to follow along on our video journey.

Amazing Kawah Ijen in East Java.

Before we dive in and start rolling out the language lessons, travel articles, cultural videos, and more, let us take a minute to introduce the team for this new blog:

Sasha

Stopping for a photo opp in the Dieng Plateau.

My name is Sasha, and I’m an American guy from the great city of Detroit. After graduating from Michigan State University in 2008, I moved to China to teach English and I’ve never looked back. In that time, I’ve developed a passion for language and culture, and I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to many countries and share my experiences through various blogs. I run the Chinese blog on a day to day basis. In addition to managing the Chinese blog, I’ve also put content up for Japanese, Spanish, and Thai, and I regularly post videos to the English YouTube channel. As if that’s not enough, my girlfriend and I run our own travel blog – the Grateful Gypsies.

Rice fields of Bali – what’s not to love?

As far as Indonesia goes, I first traveled to Bali back in 2012 for a short vacation. I fell in love with the food, the beautiful scenery, and the friendly people and immediately started planning a return trip. As is usually the case, work and other things got in the way for quite some time. I finally made it back to Indonesia this year, and I just wrapped up a wild 45-day trip through Java, Bali, and the Gili Islands. During that time, I studied Bahasa Indonesia with great teachers in Yogyakarta, climbed a few mountains, took some epic motorbike trips, saw tons of cultural performances, and ate more than my fair share of delicious Indonesian food.

Atop the Borobudur Temple in Java.

My role on the blog here will be to showcase Indonesia through travel articles, tons of photos, and short videos. From the madness of Jakarta, to the peaceful rice fields of Bali, to the underwater world surrounding the Gilis, I’ll give you tons of tips and useful information for planning your Indonesian adventure. I’ll also showcase some of the country’s amazing culture, such as an angklung performance in Bandung, wayang kulit in Yogya, kecak in Bali, and much more.

Angklung performers in Bandung.

As I am just a beginner with the language myself, I plan to create a short 15-part series on “Beginner Indonesian” as well.  Through this series, you’ll be able to learn the Indonesian alphabet, common greetings, useful travel phrases, and more. At the end, you should be able to travel in the country independently, without relying on a guide, so you can spend more time interacting with locals.

Ani

I’m an Indonesian language instructor, instructional material developer, reading test developer, and interpreter. I have been teaching Indonesian to adult students for 13 years, and have been teaching students from many backgrounds, such as private, military and diplomatic service employees.

I’m Indonesian, but am living in the US now; my exposure to different cultures in my home country and in the US has enriched my knowledge in teaching Indonesian as a second language. I approach the teaching of the Indonesian language by developing students’ critical cultural awareness and competence. This method of teaching has been proven to be a key to the success of my students. Students become conscious of the essential role culture plays in the language.

Beautiful Indonesia.

I realized there was a misconception about learning Indonesian. Most of the students who came to my class assumed that Indonesian would be easy to learn. But, as with any foreign language, there are nuances and cultural associations that need to be learned to be successful.

A kecak performance in Ubud, Bali.

The purpose of this blog is to encourage students and those who have a general interest in learning the Indonesian language through interactive discussion, audio visual materials, and reading materials. I plan to collaborate with Sasha in many ways on this blog – by supplementing his beginner lessons and including articles in Indonesian to go along with his that are in English. Together, we hope to help you learn lots of useful day-to-day Indonesian, as well as get an insight into the people and culture of my native country.