Indonesian Cultural Infusion

On Wednesday 2 August Years 8 and 9 students enjoyed an Indonesian Language Incursion. The first part was Ibu Ayu, an Indonesian  lady who was dressed up in her dancing clothes. They were beautiful, bright, intricate and very different to clothes in Australia.

We all sat down ready to listen as she introduced herself. Her dancing was preceded by a talk about the song and dance she was about to perform. She played her music and as soon as we heard it, we knew this was something different. She used different motions and gestures, particularly with her fingers, to make the dance interesting. Her eyes were open wide and the way she danced to the music was incredibly good. After she finished, she talked in depth about her costume and why it’s special. She mentioned that she has been dancing since she was 5-years old. We asked questions and she happily answered.

Next, we listened to Matthew and Dolly. Dolly is the Language Officer at the Catholic Education Office in Bendigo. Matthew was the 2018 Catherine McAuley College (CMC) Dux who studied Indonesian from Year 7 through to Year 12. They both talked about the benefits of learning a second language at school and in the workplace, including how it can help with your final score in Year 12. They ended with Matthew explaining how good his six years of learning Indonesian were and he spoke about the great trips he went on with the CMC with students in Year 10 and Year 11, accompanied by Ibu Leversha and Ibu Coles. Matthew said it was amazing to see the culture and use the language in Indonesia. He also won a scholarship from the school and he returned to Indonesia after finishing Year 12. The incursion was highly informative.

Mannix Grieve, Year 8