I don’t really know what most Australians think about the Men at Work’s 1980s hit being one of the more popular references to Australia – not very much I’d say, particularly because if a non-Australian tries a Vegemite sandwich they might not get the best first impression about what these Aussies get up to every day.
That being said,
You see, I think Indonesia and Australia have never been close outside of a formal context. We talk to each other through government officials, academics and media, all of which use formal language. Bali is the exception, but does knowing how to say “satu Bintang” after your 6th visit to the island really count as getting to know each other? Do Australians even know when Indonesia’s birthday is?! 🎁 Does Indonesia know how to decipher between a Kiwi accent and an Aussie accent? Do they know how to add an ‘o’ as a suffix to any man’s name (eg Jono, Robo, Stevo )? What about the Indonesian counterpart? Akbar becomes Abay? Taufik becomes Opik? Young students in both countries create and use slang and casual language more than any other group, and young Australians are loosing interest in Indonesian studies before they reach University. Adding casual language styles to student’s learning experience will keep young people engaged. Better yet, learning slang from each other is where genuine friendships and understanding can flourish. Hence, this video I made in collaboration with Australian Catherine Coyne. We are entering this in the ReelOzInd competition. This year's theme is 'Youth' and must be no longer than 30seconds. If you would like to support me and Catherine, do find this video on my Twitter or Instagram account and give it a like. There’s plenty of room to build creative language learning tools that teach students language that’s relevant and engaging. Stevo and Abay can belajar until gape dong!
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Is there a better place in Australia to celebrate the beauty of words to express sorrow, heartache, encounter, confrontations, farewells, anger, beauty, love, hope? I doubt. The 2018 Red Dirt Poetry Festival will be held in the starkingly beautiful and creative town of Alice Springs, Central Australia from August 2 to August 5. Its exciting line-up includes hip hop artist Jesswar, spoekn word artist Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa, author and rapper Omar Musa, musician Lay the Mystic, hip hop duo Karnage N Darknis, Eastern Reggae Band and poet Raymond Reiff. Main events include the fun Haiku Deathmatch, Atitjere Poetry Project Documentary Screening, Rooftop Hip-Hop and Mixtape Memoirs. Check out the full program here: http://www.reddirtpoetryfestival.com/ I will be performing at the Mixtape Memoirs, with the theme “high school”. Pumped! If you are in the area, or even if you’re not (There’s still time to book tickets! It’s 2018 and flights or rides are clicks away) do try and make it. This year’s Red Dirt Poetry Festival, particularly the Worn-Yarn Arlhe-Kenhe Ayeye session on Friday 3rd, is dedicated to the memory of the excellent poet and beautiful being Candy Royalle, who recently parted with our physical beings. |