Inspirations

RHYTHM OF JOGYAKARTA

(It’s People and it culture)

Situated as it is in the heart of Central Java, Yogyakarta has excellent access to the Mountains (Mount Merapi dominates the city skyline and can be climbed, volcanic activity permitting), the Ocean at Parang Tritis, where the Queen of the Southern Seas is said to have dominion over unwary swimmers, and within a few hours drive the awe inspiring Dieng Plateau with it’s sulphur rivers and smoking hot spring is wonderful place.

Despite all the modern outward appearances (with even a Mc Donald’s on the main shopping street, jalan Malioboro), the rhythm of Joyakarta is still very much a Javanese one, determined largely by the rural life in the countryside where 80 % of Indonesian still lives. Paddy field and small villages everywhere surround Jogyakarta where the culture of the past is very clearly preserved. Rituals to influence the Goddesses of Rice and prosperity are still performed and wayang play (puppet performances) and gamelan music are still used to give ceremonies the right character.

Although electricity is present in most villages, oil lamps (dian) dominate at night to give the harmonious atmosphere one finds through out java. Although the Javanese are general a religious people with the majority following Islam, the belief in, and the practicing of “kebatinan” (mysticism) is still an important part of living cultural heritage of java. In daily life, many events and much of social behaviour can be explained from this mystical belief and practice in ritual feasts, dramatic performances and arts.

While Bahsa Indonesia (literally, the Indonesian Language) is the official Language of business, government and education. Javanese is widely used in informal and personal situations. The Javanese language is symbolic of the richness and intricately of Javanese society, it is studied by linguistic scholars from around the world on account of it’s complexity and strong socio-cultural character.

Javanese have three level (low, medium, and high) with each having its own, completely idiomatic vocabulary.

All Javanese speak all three levels and will effortlessly and automatically move from one level to another depending on whom they are speaking to in what situation e.g. younger to older, friend-to-friend, servant to master and so forth.

It’s generally felt that Jogyakarta has highest and purest form of spoken.

One-thing visitors quickly notice are the warmth and genuineness of the smiles and welcomes that Jogyanese show. In the early morning market, you can hear the laughter of the many women who came from outlying villages dressed in traditional clothes (the sarung and kebaya) to sell their goods. Bargaining is serious matter but joking and laughing between buyer and seller accompany it.

One of the important reasons for the warmth and vitality the visitor feels is the evident youthfulness of population. Jogyakarta is Indonesia’s premiere centre for higher education, and the city is full of student from all over Indonesia attending the more than one hundred institutes, school higher educations, and universities located in Joyakarta. All of these students seem to have motorbikes and it is a brave visitor who rents a bicycle or motorbike and tries to compete with the buzzing hordes on the busy roads.

Another significant group of Jogyakarta inhabitant are the artist. Some of them have reached national and even international recognition such as the painter Affandi and Ardiyanto, the sculptor Sapto hudoyo, and the Poet WS. Rendra. All of these artists worked, lived and received their inspiration in Yogyakarta and the influence of Javanese culture can easily be spotted in their work.

However, the many unknown artists and students from the vast army of artist and artisans found in Jogyakarta and giving is special ambience