Diary Entry: Day 8

By: Kemi Harahap

16 July 2009

I woke up with a heavy burden on my chest. It was not only the fact that I was enduring a terrible cough (one that I acquired ever since the post-exams holiday) but also because I was waking up to our second to last day in Yogyakarta.

After getting ready, my phone rang, and as I peered to the screen of my phone I saw a message from an old high-school friend, who is studying at UGM. We decided to meet for lunch, and as she picked me up from Malioboro Mall, we exchanged stories over mie-ayam. It was ironic, yet somehow funny at the same time, to find out that throughout the 4 years she has been living in Yogyakarta as a student, she has never visited any tourist sites as we have in the past 8 days. In fact, her knowledge about the city, was limited to the UGM area and several shopping malls.

I do not wish to condescend or intimidate my friend, yet I have come to the understanding that if only I had rejected or pulled out from this trip, I would probably be like my friend. Being Indonesian, but the only knowledge of my country will be what is good to eat or where is good to chill. Living only under the confined, air-conditioned rooms in Jakarta, and not having my eyes open to what there was available for me outside of my little box. I have always lived under this generalized idea that cities outside of Jakarta are somewhat underdeveloped, they do not have the kind of shopping malls or developed districts as we do. Yet this visit to Yogyakarta was an eye-opener. I found out that the gems of this country are not the grand and boastful shopping malls that host a number of luxury brands or franchised chains. What allures people, especially people of different cultures and nationalities, to Indonesia is our culture and our scenery.

As I looked back to the past 8 days of our trip, I couldn't help but agree that however bad our hotel/motel rooms were, it was balanced by all the beauty we saw around us. From Mount Merapi, Borobudur, Prambanan, and even the paddy fields behind INSIST headquarters, I now understand what the commotion about Indonesia being a beautiful country is all about!! By looking at my other traveling mates, I sense that they see it too.

Yet this honeymoon period that we've experienced is coming to an end. We decided that our last night in Yogyakarta must be a memorable one. And yes, memorable it was.

We started the night with our farewell dinner at Bale Raos, a restaurant within the Kraton complex (rumoured to be owned by the Sultan's family members). As our honoured guests arrived, we all queued to get our food at the buffet area. White and Brown rice, sate-ayam, and a new favorite of mine, Timlo Soup (also the Sultan's favorite!), we digged in while chatting and mingling with our guests, which included Pak Roni from Rifka Annisa and Ariebowo.

Arriving at Bale Raos with a parade of Andungs (Horse Carriages)

However, the night was not just for gulping down royal menus. Our student guides, Nana, Adi, Ike and Ambar, wowed us with a performance of them singing a medley of Indonesian traditional songs, including the classic oldie from Benyamin S, "Hujan Gerimis", in full Indonesian traditional costumes! Their friends Ika and Marsela also performed a traditional Javanese dance, the Saung Asmara. As a tradition (which started off two years ago), we also had to prepare a little performance to entertain and show our gratitude to our guides and guests. Our remixed rendition of Oasis' "Wonderwall" echoed the Kraton walls, as we sung,

"We've seen so much our bright new eyes are yearning,
For all we've done, we'll spread the word concerning,
There are many things that we would like to say to you but we don't know how..

Hey maybe,
We say Terima Kasih....
and after all.... you're so Wonderful..."

Saung Asmara dance

Performance by the Student guides

Our Performance at Bale Raos

The dinner ended in tears, as several of the girls hugged and exchanged email addresses. However, for the others, the night had only started.

Leading the pack, Dr. Yeoh, Shazwan and Rashaad lead the way to what was suppose to be the first option for our hotel near Jalan Sosrowijayan. After taking a peek, we embarked on a journey to the darker side of Yogyakarta- the red light district area of Jalan Pasar Kembang.

Jalan Pasar Kembang does not have the bright lights or the laid-back atmosphere as Amsterdam's red light district, De Wallen. As opposed to De Wallen, Pasar Kembang was a long but narrow alley, relatively dark in lighting, but bustling with people and loud dangdut music. There was rooms on each side of the lane, the walls painted green and empty with only a matress, and a girl as the decoration. As our large group walked quietly through the alley, we received calls and pokes from several of the bystanders, both men and women.

At Lucifer's at the end of Pasar Kembang

Throughout our trip, we have always seen the bright side of Yogyakarta- the green fields, the beautiful volcanic scenery, and the majestic pre-historic sites. For some of us it was hard to believe that there was a dark side to all of this, but for others, this is the real, uncensored Yogyakarta, the things we don't see in tourist brochures or advertisements. This is reality.

Talking about reality, it is time for us to get back to our reality. Our reality could be the new semester that starts on Monday, or the fact that graduation leads us to the world of job-searching...whatever it is, Yogyakarta has been a great detour from our reality.

*View more pictures of the day from our photo album


WRITER'S PROFILE: Kemi is pursuing her last semester as a Communication major and International Studies minor. She is among one of the Indonesian students in this trip and is of Javanese descendant (as well as Bataknese, Sundanese and Bugis) which justifies her fondness for sweets. She is in charge of the management of the In Search of Yogyakarta blog as well as the resident tweeter.

A Preview of the Local Dangdut Scene

By: Dominique Staindl

16 July 2009

Crass, cheap-looking, big fake smiles in glittzy shreads of material was my first, somewhat unsympathetic and judgmental opinion of what I saw in front of me when I'd been taken to Indonesia's local dance scene. Dangdut performances were, to me, a clothed version of stripping...and singing.

Of course, there's a lot more to it than that but I challenge anyone to think otherwise when they're first confronted with one, two or maybe three buxom women up on stage clutching at microphones with painted talons wearing wigs and dressed in strips of sequins and polyester frills squawking at a crowd of men who have long forgotten about their (other) female counterparts. It was quite a show. We had managed to arrive 15 minutes before the end, and perhaps that was enough for me.

Dangdut at Purawisata

Dangdut stars are known for their glitzy (and often crass) performances

dangdut is also known as 'musik rakyat' or the music of the masses

The final act was a duo of 20-something year olds dressed in yellow, and these girls were by far the most daring. There was mutual caressing, girating and hip-grinding action thrown in with complex and athletic posing involving spread-eagles and external props. Need I say more? You get the idea.

Dangdut was started in the 70's by the self-proclaimed “King of Dangdut” Rhoma Irama, among working class Muslim youth, but beginning in the late 1990s reached a broader audience following in Indonesia and Malaysia. These days the girls still perform for predominantly blue-collared workers and cross-dressers in need of a few thrills. The theory is that they dance to a heavy, low drumming sound. I could hear a lot more over the drums, I admit, but where my criticisms lay with the style of singing and dancing, they could not extend to the charming performers I had the privilege to meet afterwards, on the insistence of the friendly club owner. As it turns out, these girls are named Anna and Novi and they are both studying law.

The pair, called “Double Ratu Star” (Double Queen Star), both love what they do because it's stress-free and the pay is good. The club owner states that these two are excellent at what they do, which is explains why they are a popular choice amongst the dance venues which hold Dangdut performances. And as they stare out at me under impossibly long eyelashes I wonder whether or not they really want to do this, or whether it's an easy way to pay for their courses. Anna explains through my translators that her mother encouraged her, as it was a family generational tradition. She goes on to say, with the enthusiastic input of her partner, that they don't even need to practice that much because it comes off so naturally! And the law? Is the more self-sustainable option for when the stardom of being one of the best Dangdut dancers eventually wears thin.

Double Ratu Star

with the two dangdut stars

I thank them so much for their time, especially as I hadn't expected an interview from the Queens themselves. They were all too happy to help.

So as we walk out of venue, which had cleared within minutes of the show's conclusion, my more local friends explain to me their own experiences of Dangdut, and what they understood it to mean. Adi, one of our Pathfinder leaders, explains that a show he had seen in a rural area was a little more "wild" and had even, at times, involved the gratuitous use of raw meat. Mmmm. Rachel, one of the Malaysian students from Monash, understood the Malaysian style of Dangdut dancing to be more 'traditional' and more modest in its costumes.

Well, regardless of what is was, or what it was perceived to be through my ever-widening eyes, I couldn't deny the show's popularity nor the energy and enthusiasm maintained by all the girls. But perhaps I'll stick to the more mainstream venues for my own dancing enjoyment.


WRITER'S PROFILE: Dominique or Dom as we all call her, has a mixture of English, Irish and Austro-Hungarian heritage. The Virgo who is pursuing a double major in French and Photography and minoring in Communication hails from Melbourne, Australia. Dom recalls poco-poco or line-dancing in Purawisata and walking blindfolded through the Banyan trees in Alun-alun Selatan as her favorite moments in Yogyakarta.

Yogya - A Shopper's 7th Heaven

By: Abeer Yusuf

16 July 2009

I have contemplated a multitude of angles in which to start this essay on shopping. I thought of so many ways in which I could begin a sentence which would properly describe the essence of shopping in Yogyakarta. Alas, I have no avenue. The tale must be told as it is. Shopping in Yogya is simply spectacular. Take from me, this is something you DO NOT want to miss. I believe the higher powers above were indeed working for our greater good when we got a hotel right on the edge of Malioboro Street, the Yogyan street best known for it's shopping. Row after row you see a tempting delight, be it a batik wallet or leather jewelery. Minute after minute you are enticed by dirt cheap bargains.

I believe the best thing that ever happened to me in Indonesia was the fact that I became a millionaireness as soon as I set foot here. The power I felt in my hands (and wallet) was too good a feeling. What was even greater was the prices at which things are sold here. A Coke costs about Rupiah 2000-3000 (approx. RM1) while back home it costs at least Rm1.70. Apart from Coke, just everything else from t-shirts to souvenirs to groceries is unbelievably cheap. What makes the shopping all the more holy is the variety and quality of things you can get.

Take batik for instance. I've come up with a slogan for the batik here- “even before you think about it in batik, it's been made in batik”. I come from a country where batik prints are restricted largely to clothes and the occasional key chain here and there. But this was a real shocker- from wallets to fans to bangles to chopsticks, people here live and breathe in batik! We headed on our final day to a place called Mirota Batik, a shopping haven where you can get everything, and then some. I have never seen SO many things in batik. There were batik plates, drawings, batik on necklaces, mirrors, trays, scarves, bedsheets, table runners, caps, slippers, rings, napkins, table mats, shampoo bottles, t-shirts, just everywhere!

Souvenirs found in Mirota

Wayang is one of the most popular souvenirs for foreign travelers to bring home

Malioboro will be further evidence for this; it seems as though God rained batik in place of water over the people of Yogya. Silver and cow skin are two other mediums that the locals love to utilize. You get lovely fans, foldable table lamps and other little memorabilia made from cow skin while designs in silver echo the Javanese culture that is so typically Yogya. Motifs that I noticed include the Javanese leaf, bullock cart, 'andung' (horse carriage), Rama and Sita, and various types of flowers made into brooches. There is yet another market on Malioboro Street, dedicated solely to clothes, called Beringharjo. This is the place to go when you need to buy clothes and trust me, your head will be spinning after you're done with it. Perched stall after perched stall you will find batik shirts, batik sarongs, dresses, jumpsuits, bags- the list just goes on.

Beringharjo Market

Silver stall at Beringharjo

What's the Everest amongst all of this is the knowledge that everything is bargainable. Malioboro is filled with bargains from start to finish, as is Beringharjo (though a word of caution- even the best fail to bargain here). And for someone like me, nicknamed the Bargain Queen, this place was like paradise. Bargains left and right attack you, threatening to tip your luggage allowance scale even further. Of course, the cardinal rule that the more you buy, the cheaper you get still applies. As such, I think it's safe to say that I bought everything that was buy-able. In fact, I even bargained at a place where it was unimaginable that bargains are possible- the money exchanger. While all this makes you want to thank capitalism for existing, shopping in Yogya has also been one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life. Dirt cheap was good for me, but what about those who make these things? Sellers still scrape by with profits, but the state of the producers just makes me wonder how they get by- and how much they get by on. One other thing that really wrenched my heart out was when we were in Beringharjo and an elderly lady approached me. At first I thought she wanted money, as it's not an uncommon sight to see the elderly begging. But she pointed to her back, and upon a closer listen, I understood that she was offering to carry my heavy bag of shopping. Brash as this may sound, my own personal slave. To follow me wherever I was going, carrying my shopping. Makes you think, doesn't it?

The lady that offered to carry our shopping

(for more information, click Gendhong Women of Beringharjo)

At the end of the day however, it is undeniable that Yogyakarta is one of the best destinations to shop for things- things that are not only good in quality, but are also culturally symbolic and the best part are the bargains. Needless to say, my most favourite word in Indonesian was “bisa kurang” (can lower more?).


WRITER'S PROFILE: Abeer is pursuing Writing and International Studies at Monash University Sunway Campus. Being especially talkactive and chatty, Abeer is also part of the blog team that is in charge of this blog and In Search of Yogyakarta's facebook.

Traditional Medicine

By: Dominique Staindl

16 July 2009

Any traveller away from home long enough will have a story of being sick. It's one of the most uncomfortable situations you can find yourself in, especially when you're trying to be adventurous far from your comfort zone. However, if you're coming to central Java you have a unique option available. There is a form of traditional, liquid medicine called Jamu passed down from generations of penduduk asli (native peoples) that will supposedly help all sorts of ailments. And for the traveller who does things in style, there are now chic cafe-restaurants serving and specialising in Jamu.

I was shown the local Yogyakarta "House of Raminten" by our guides where we were treated to an assortment of the cloudy tonic. With its plush outdoor garden setting, the rather affordable eatery is just like any other commercialised form of therapy-chic, just like the spas and retreat-farms all popping up wherever there are tourists. However, the menu boasts 39 different drinks to aid symptoms of daily living; from menstrual cramps and increasing milk-flow for breastfeeding women to remedies for pimples, liver problems and migraines (even itchiness!); this place has it all. Of course, the cafe survives on the business of its customers, therefore its main concern is marketing and aesthetic. But the staff and manager truly believe in the power of the Jamu - well, why else would it have survived for so long?

House of Raminten

The antidotes consist of hundreds of herbs, leaves, fruits, barks and spices found in and around the geographical region and there are variations of the styles and recipes as you venture further around Indonesia. Some of the most versatile and staple ingredients are ginger, cinnamon, turmeric and jasmine. Locals buy the juices off local women (Mbok Jamu Gendong), which literally translates to older, mobile seller of medicine. This is witnessed through and on the Jalan Mariboro where old women walk or ride baskets of different coloured cloudy tonics, selling by the bottle or cup. And like most things in Indonesia, the prices are very affordable. You're looking at Rp 3,000 per bottle.

Jamu carts found all over the city

The variety of Jamu available

Mbok Jamu Gendong

And the taste? Well, just like any medicine, it's not designed to please but to heal. Prepare for coloured variations of bitter, peppery flavor. Maybe have a cold bottle of coke on standby for the chaser.


WRITER'S PROFILE: Dominique or Dom as we all call her, has a mixture of English, Irish and Austro-Hungarian heritage. The Virgo who is pursuing a double major in French and Photography and minoring in Communication hails from Melbourne, Australia. Dom recalls poco-poco or line-dancing in Purawisata and walking blindfolded through the Banyan trees in Alun-alun Selatan as her favorite moments in Yogyakarta.