First Week of Workshops

The past week has been mentally and physically exhausting. Every day we have learned something new, starting with our Bahasa Indonesia lessons on Monday and Tuesday. I have been asked to explain why I say ‘Bahasa Indonesia’ instead of ‘Indonesian’; it’s basically because there is no such language as Indonesian – every region of Indonesia has a local language, and ‘Bahasa Indonesia’ is the language all Indonesians learn in school and use to communicate with people from other parts of the country. I’m picking up the language quite fast – I’m learning new words every day, but putting them together in sentences is still difficult for me. Here in Bandung people also speak the local language of Sundanese. It’s tempting to try and learn words from this language too but I think I’d get too confused, it’s probably better to stick to one new language for now!

Our second lesson on Monday was our first Pencak Silat class. Silat is the martial art practiced in Indonesia and Malaysia, but it’s especially popular here in Bandung and the surrounding areas. I really enjoyed the lesson, although it was exhausting and there was a lot to remember!

Then on Tuesday, after our second language lesson, we had our first session on learning to play the Angklung orchestra, which is called Arumba. Arumba consists of lots of instruments made of bamboo, but mainly various sizes of Angklung put together to make different instruments, for example the Angklung Accord plays chords, then we have a bass Angklung as well as melody and rhythm Angklung sets. These are put together with marimba-like instruments, as well as the Kendang, the traditional Indonesian drum which is also used in Gamelan. Angklung can also be played individually, with each bamboo instrument sounding one note.

On Wednesday we had our first traditional Indonesian dance class. We were learning a local Sundanese dance called Jaipong, although our first lesson was just getting to know the basic moves and steps, rather than the actual dance.

Sundanese dance seems to be more rhythmic and energetic compared to the dances our friends in central Java will be learning – the music and dance in Solo and central Java seems to be altogether more reserved; very slow and controlled. Every region has its own traditions and styles which are still very much practiced, all children seem to learn traditional dance or Pencak Silat.

Each week we will have two classes on a specific aspect of traditional culture, and this week’s class was on learning how to make the decorations used for various ceremonies and celebrations. A janur is an elaborate decoration made out of palm leaves, used for wedding ceremonies. I forget the name of the other thing we learned to make, but it’s a small woven basket that people fill with rice in order to cook it. In the coming week we will have a day of making batik which is the art of decorating cloth or clothes with intricate patterns.

On Friday we had our second Angklung and Pencak Silat classes. We have four hours of classes per day, and although that doesn’t seem like a lot, they’re moving at a very fast pace so we always have homework or practicing to do to make sure what we learnt has actually gone in. I am really enjoying the challenge so far!