A day in the life in Nyangkringan, a village in Bantul

Every now and then an invitation comes along, and choosing to say "yes" can mean that you're in for an experience you'll definitely want to write home about. The other day I chose to say "yes" to a previous student of mine when she invited me over to her house: "Miss, I want to invite you to my house. After hearing my stories about your class, my mother really wants to meet you!"  And oh, by the way, "my mother is a good cook."

How could I say no?

So we went to her house in a village called Nyangkringan, south of Jogja, where I was greeted by a very smiling mother, brother, and a beyond-amazing breakfast. There was pisang rebus (boiled bananas), tempe (tempeh), tahu (tofu), onde-onde (sesame balls), and sayur asem-asem (literally translated to "sour vegetables", it's a tamarind-based soup with some veggies, tofu, and some chili). Of course there was also hot tea and rice.

Breakfast at Shanti's house in Bantul

Shanti (right) with her brother, Yoyo

Although I wasn't hungry when I stepped foot into her house, the sight alone gave me an appetite.  (This happens a lot in Indonesia.) I ate so much food for breakfast, and that was only the beginning of the day.  

After breakfast, we goofed around for a few hours, listening to music and sharing stories. We must've listened to the song "Hello Seattle" by Owl City about twenty times.

Shanti's mother, Bu Wargini, later invited me to join her in going to the pasar (market) to get ingredients for lunch. So Bu Wargini, Shanti, and I walked to the pasar, where Bu Wargini bargained for various things. Back at the house, Bu Wargini then prepared us a wonderful lunch of kuah asem (a tamarind-based soup with fish, which strongly reminded me of sinigang from the Philippines) and pepes ikan pedas (fish wrapped in a banana leaf with sambal). I was still full when I started eating lunch, and was even more full when I finished. But oh I was so happy.

I'm a big fan of eating, but I'm also a big fan of watching the process. So while Bu Wargini was cooking, I sat down on a stool next to her, and we chatted and laughed about many things. It made me really miss my own mother, who is back in Minnesota. She, too, is an extremely talented cook and makes some of the best-tasting Filipino food I've ever had.

1.2. 

3.4.

5.6.

1) Buying ginger at a traditional market, 2) Sautéing garlic and shallot, 

3) Preparing the seasoning for kuah asem, 4) Kuah asem, boiling on top of a kerosene stove

5) Kuah Asem, 6) Pepes Ikan

I also learned a lot about Shanti's cultural heritage. Her mother's family comes from Java, but her father -- who passed away when Shanti was younger -- came from a village near Kupang, the capital of Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) province. As we were discussing the family history, Bu Wargini brought out traditional clothes from this village for me to see.

  

Traditional clothes (topi tilangga - hat, kain tenun - fabric, slendang - scarf) from Shanti's father's village in NTT

When evening finally came, I joined Shanti and Yoyo at their gamelan practice.  Having lived in Indonesia for almost a year now, it's impossible to escape the art known as gamelan. In short, gamelan is a musical ensemble that usually performs at rituals, ceremonies, dances, and other events. Shanti and her brother happen to play with a gamelan group that performs at their church once a month. To prepare for their monthly performance, they meet every Tuesday night.  I was lucky enough to be around that day.

The gamelan group (only a few members shown) that Shanti and Yooyoo play with at church in Bantul

And so we played music. I was given a saron (a type of xylophone) to play. The sheet music displays a series of numbers, representing the keys, and you have to hit the corresponding key with a tabuh (mallet), in time to a beat. The left hand is then used to dampen a key when a note needs to stop resonating. I have to admit it was sort of like playing a video game for me.

Sheet music for the saron

Since it was my first time playing this instrument, I had to quickly learn how to read the music, play accordingly (by imitating my neighbor), and watch for group cues whenever the tempo would speed up or slow down. Some songs were definitely harder than others, but I did start to get the hang of it... and it was really fun! 

Break time!  Me, posing with a saron

The group members were all very welcoming, and by the end of the night, I found myself joking and laughing along with them as well.  A group environment like this, admittedly, would have probably overwhelmed me during my first few months in Indonesia -- especially with the occasional use of Javanese, which I have not been studying here and still do not understand.  But these days, I'm much more comfortable interacting and using my Indonesian and English skills to bond with others.

When I said goodbye to Bu Wargini, she urged me to come visit again. I do hope to take her up on that offer, because it was one of the happiest and homiest experiences I've had while living in Jogja. Thank you so much, Shanti, for inviting me to your home! And thank you to your whole family for being such lovely hosts :)