My Experiences

My experience
This is a story about my experience on learning how to speak Javanese. I found this interesting because now, I live in a truly Javanese city of Jogjakarta, where Javanese culture touches every aspect of life including the language.
I came to Jogja to study on Sanata Dharma University. Since I was a kid, I live in Jakarta. I lived there until I graduated from senior high school. However, I can say that the origin of my family is from Jogjakarta. My family still preserved Javanese culture in our daily family life and I think it would be funny if I didn’t, at least, understand how to speak Javanese correctly and accurately. As we know, Javanese language has different type for different occasion. When we talk to our friends, the language will be different with when we talk to our parents. This is complicated for me, since I am not accustomed to it. However, I found that being here in Jogjakarta requires me to learn Javanese quickly. Everyone around me speaks Javanese (even on campus, where they say that English is a must). I can understand what they are talking about, but it is difficult for me to join a conversation or try to talk to them. My mastery of Javanese was, at that time, poor. Luckily, I have dozens of person who are willing to teach me. My boarding house mates, my friends, and my boyfriend. Being around them for months has totally taught me a lot of things. Now, I found that the language that I consider funny is eventually a useful and practical one to use. Things can really get funnier when spoken in Javanese. For example, when someone cursing or saying dirty words. I really find it amusing to see guys joking around and saying things in a strong Javanese language and accent. Also, some people speak a different kind of Javanese accent. My boyfriend usually talks with a soft Jogjakarta accent, but when he is in the mood, he’ll switch to a strong and sometimes funny Banyumasan dialect. Just to hear him blabbering in it without having to understand what in the name of God is he talking is fun. The last, buying things sometimes will be easier and cheaper if we know how to bargain in Javanese!