Nomad & the Jogja Taxi Driver

When a Nomad wanted to go and see the great Ramayana spectacle at the Prambanan it was time to jump in a taxi. It's about 30 minutes by car if traffic allows and that's not something you would ask a becak bicyclist to endure. Well the Taxi drive was almost more fun than the Ramayana performance...

After the obligitary "Where are you from?" my taxi driver jumped at the opportunity to practice his Dutch language skills on me. "Goedenavond menir!" But much more than that wasn't in his vocabulary yet, and we soon where chatting away in Indonesian. He really wanted to learn Dutch as he thought that there were already plenty people fluent in English. Listening to Dutch made him feel 'senang' and was surprised to learn that this Malay word was also used in the Dutch language.

"Saya suka behasa Belanda.", he says and he didn't care if that was politically incorrect. He was in his late 50's and probably a young child during the Indonesian emancipation, but was quite aware that the Indonesian identity was very much build on anti-Dutch sentiments. To him that was weird. Just look around he says when we drive down Marlioboro street. Look behind the big boards here, these are all still nice Dutch buildings. Further along the way he says: "Now look these ugly ones here are all ugly new Indonesian contraptions." "Modern", he adds with a smirk on his face.

This was a taxi driver with an outspoken opinion on architecture.

Soon we were hunting for Dutch words. Starting with 'mobil' and 'knalpot', Dutch words that are in fact not used anymore in the Netherlands. Then I see 'apotek' and 'kantor'. I think of the word 'atteret' (achteruit) that I had heard in earlier travels to the country. He mentions: "Dilarang masuk, 'verboten!' " and I'm surpised that this word 'verboden' is still used. Are these words actually in the 'kamus' I ask and he says: "No, its slang, I guess."

Now our eyes start scanning the streets and as in a game we shout: 'Notaris', 'Makelar', 'Klinik', 'Kelas', Laboratorium'. 'Stelsel', 'Grosir', 'Truk', Koperasi', 'Handuk', 'Es', 'Gelas', 'Sprei', 'Buku', 'Rokok', 'Amplop', 'Onderdil, 'Persnelling', 'Wortel', 'Kualitas', 'Polisi', 'Resleting'!

"Kamar!" "Tidak!" "Ya, betul, Pak."

There are many more Dutch words left in the Indonesian language than even my taxi driver realised...