VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Voice of Indonesia presents Let’s Speak Indonesian, a program that introduces the Indonesian vocabulary and guides you to speak in the language. Mari Berbahasa Indonesia or Let’s Speak Indonesian is a joint initiative of Voice of Indonesia and the Language Development Agency of the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture.  Today’s topic is about Kerja dari Rumah which means Work from Home.

Here is the conversation entitled KDR selama Seminggu which means One-Week WFH.Kevin dan Mela are in the office. They are talking about a plan to work from home. Let’s listen to the conversation.

After reading to the conversation, now I am going to introduce some vocabulary and expressions related to the topic of the day.

In the dialog, you hear Mela say Mulai Senin kita akan KDR selama seminggu (2x) which means As of Monday we will WFH for a week. In the expression there is the word selama (2x) which means for. In the dialog context between Mela dan Kevin, the word selama is used to emphasize the time used in doing something.

Let’s listen to the other examples of expressions to emphasize duration to do something.

Mela           : Berapa lama kita akan KDR? (2x) which means How long will we WFH?

Kevin           : Kita akan KDR selama seminggu (2x) which means We will WFH for a week

Kevin          : Tadi malam saya hanya tidur selama dua jam (2x) which means Last night I slept for only two hours

Mela           : Oh, ya? Kenapa? (2x) which means Oh really? Why?

The word selama which means for or during, is not always placed before adverb of time. It can be placed before another word or expression to show certain period of time. For example, Selama KDR, saya akan tetap bekerja dengan rajin (2x) which means During KDR, I will keep working diligently.

That was “Let’s Speak Indonesian” for today. Hopefully, this edition can be useful for those of you who want to know more about Indonesian language. 

Sunset is one of the sights awaited by tourists when on vacation to Pulau Merah beach that presents a beautiful moment. This beach, which is located in Sumberagung Village, Pesanggaran District, Banyuwangi Regency, provides an unforgettable twilight experience. The orange sky surrounded by blue clouds at dusk makes this beach the target of photographers and domestic tourists from all over Indonesia.

White crystal sand combined with a beautiful small island creates a dramatic effect when dusk falls on the beach of this Pulau Merah. With an entrance ticket price of 10 thousand rupiah per person, this beach is a paradise for twilight hunters.

The waves on this beach of Pulau Merah are quite high, ranging from 3-5 meters and areappropriate for surfing sports lovers. According to the local residents, tourists from France, Germany, and Australia often visit this place. In addition, Pulau Merah is also more easily accessible with smooth road conditions and close to residential areas. This beach, which does not have a lot of corals, is also safer for surfers. The perfect roll of the waves on this beach gave the idea for the Regent of Banyuwangi, Abdullah Azwar Anas to hold an international surfing competition in 2013 which was attended by 25 participants from 20 countries and approximately 100 local surfers from various regions in Indonesia.

The Pulau Merah area, which was badly damaged by the tsunami in 1990, is now a popular tourism destination that is able to attract 4.000 tourists per day. The name Pulau Merah itself refers to a small hill on the beach which has a height of about 200 meters. The hill has red soil and is covered by green vegetation. So, it doesn't really look like its true color. This hill can be accessed at low tide. On Pulau Merah itself, visitors can find a lot of homestays. The price is also relatively dependent on the facilities in the homestay. There are cheap ones for backpackers, such as villa-class complete with ac and TV. Along the beach, there are also guesthouses or some kinds of huts for relaxation  with family.  Complete enough right? Amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the manager of Pulau Merah Beach also applies strict health protocols for its visitors. So, it's a good idea to prepare all the necessary health documents before going on vacation to the Pulau Merah beach.  

Jepa (or read Yepa) is a typical food of the Mandar Tribe, West Sulawesi. This food is inherited from generation to generation. Jepa is round in shape and made of cassava and grated coconut which is cooked on a special pan made of clay (panjepangan). The local people of Mandar call it, "Pizza Mandar", because of its flat round shape. In addition to being a daily food, Jepa is also a provision for the Mandar people who make a living as fishermen when they go to sea.

The Mandar tribe recognizes 3 types of Jepa, namely Jepa katong, Jepa golla mamea, and Jepa-jepa. Jepa katong is a type of Jepa made from sago; Jepa golla mamea is a Jepa made with a mixture of palm sugar or brown sugar, and Jepa-jepa with smaller sizes.Jepa-jepa is usually prepared for fishing, because it is smaller in size and sufficient as a substitute for rice. To make Jepa, the peeled cassava is then grated and squeezed until the juice comes out. The cassava pulp is then sifted and mixed with grated coconut mixture. This dough in the form of cassava and grated coconut is then cooked using panjepangan (a special pan made of clay) on a wood-burning stove.

When eaten, Jepa tastes so delicious. This culinary is very delicious when eaten with bau peapi, namely a typical Mandar fish dish. The fish used are usually tuna, skipjack or milkfish, cooked using various spices and using a clay cauldron. It tastes sour and savory. Besides being enjoyed with Bau peapi, Jepa is also delicious eaten with Tuing Tuing Tapa or grilled flying fish. But, there are also those who enjoy Japan by adding palm sugar in the middle, so that when eaten, it will cause a sweet taste sensation. If the pandemic is over and you travel to West Sulawesi, don't forget to taste this typical Mandar cuisine. It's not difficult to find it in various restaurants there. The price is also relatively cheap, about Rp 5000 per 3 pieces.

Indonesian citizens in the UK commemorated the 76th anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia by holding a cycling competition around London City.

The Indonesian Embassy in London in its statement on Monday (16/8) stated that dozens of participants decorated their bicycles with red and white nuance and some of them wore traditional Indonesian clothes.

Indonesian Ambassador to the UK, Desra Percaya who also joined the competition by riding bicycle with Indonesian citizens who come from some cities in England on Sunday (15/8) explained that while cultivating a healthy lifestyle by cycling, the Indonesian Embassy in London held the event to promote the diversity of Indonesia to the public in London City. Ambassador Desra further said that the cycling route was chosen intentionally by passing iconic places in London so that the presence of Indonesian citizens was felt by local residents.

The participants started cycling from the Indonesian Embassy in London heading to Buckingham and Kensington Palace with the final point at Hyde Park, one of the largest parks and recreation hubs in London.

This activity is a series of events to commemorate the 76th Indonesian Independence Day held by the Indonesian Embassy in London which involved the participation of Indonesian citizens in the UK. The series of commemoration activities were carried out simply by obeying health protocols and precautionary standards for the Covid-19 pandemic. Indonesian citizens keep feeling the spirit of loving their homeland and express their gratitude. Ambassador Desra also emphasized that the most important thing is that Indonesian citizens participated in promoting Indonesia's diversity to the local people in London.  In addition to cycling competitions, the Indonesian Embassy in London also held virtual community activities, namely singing competitions for national songs, rhymes and writing love letters for Indonesia.