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Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

So what's Javanese about them?

TEAM_PAPUA · Joined: 24 May 2004 Posts: 1679 Location: HOLE

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

uilleannpiper · Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Posts: 107

TEAM_PAPUA · Joined: 24 May 2004 Posts: 1679 Location: HOLE

Interesting!

flapjack · Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 5:20 am Post subject:

I liked all of my students equally, and at first didn't differentiate between them. Now looking back the "Social Javanese" were the most fun. Many of them tend to be from the Hindu culture, which seems to be more upbeat.

While other cultures tend to be more serious about learning on the surface, Javanese tend to be more serious about having fun while learning. My advice is to take them out to dinner more often!

Cheers,

uilleannpiper · Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Posts: 107

gugelhupf · Joined: 24 Jan 2004 Posts: 575 Location: Jabotabek

I can honestly say I've never met a Javanese who would describe him/herself as a Hindu - though I concede there must be some in parts of Java.

As for Javanese muslims who do hindu things like making offerings of nasi kuning to volcanoes and communing with the goddess of the south seas, that's another story...

uilleannpiper · Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Posts: 107

flapjack · Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 9:24 am Post subject:

Uilleanpiper,
I didn't say most, I said many. Before the muslims started expanding in Indonesia, Most Javanese were hindu. Of course that has changed over the years, but you know how people tend to hang on to their roots.

Siting Niels Mulder only bolsters my perception.
And a close study of Javanese also bears this out, as there are many words from Agama Hindu.

I worked in Surabaya, Bandung and Jakatra. The Javanese that I met during the 80's that clung to their roots the most were in Bandung.

They were very outgoing and more open minded. They had a since of pride descending from the royalty of Javanese Hindu. There are two words for proud in Indonesian, Bangsa, which means the evil kind of pride and ....... (can't remember the Indonesian word) but it's the good type of pride. They were humble yet confident. My kind of people.

Can you remember the good word for pride, I feel so embarressed Embarassed

Cheers

Let's see ther's esl, tefl, tesol, esp, ......

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

And what, pray tell, is "Hindu" about those students you mention? "Hindu-Javanese" is the usual term to describe the older tradition in much of Java, not "Hindu." There's a difference, believe it or not.

By the way, Bhs. Indonesia and Bhs. Jawa both have loan words from Sanskrit and other Indian languages. In fact, I'd guess that Bhs. Indonesia has more.

Your information is a bit naive, I fear, and your memory of the Indonesian words for "pride" is pretty hazy. There's nothing "evil" about the meaning of the word bangga. And the latter is an adjective, not a noun. You're thinking of "proud" rather than "pride." Wink

flapjack · Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 10:56 pm Post subject:

No need to be defensive/offensive, this is a forum where things are written in brevity not a doctoral dissertation to be defended.

I'm fine with your observation about hindu-javanese.

I know both languages have loads of sanskrit.
You are right about being hazy on my memory of Bhs. Evil does not describe the word for proud, but there are two words for it a good kind of pride and a bad kind of pride. No need to be on the offensive, as far as I am concermed this is all just light-hearted conversation between people who work the same job.

You made good points, but your tone seems rather misplaced.

Take care,