BANNED BY THE INDONESIAN EMBASSY

Some years ago, I helped the parish council at St Peters Catholic Church in Port Moresby in promoting Positive Living with HIV/AIDS. I was allowed to talk to the congregation after mass.

One Sunday, I met the cultural attaché to the Indonesian Embassy and spoke to him in slightly rusty Bahasa Indonesia. On finding out that I was an English teacher, he suggested that I conduct classes for the wives of Indonesian officers at the Embassy.

It was a very pleasant experience. I came to the Embassy once a week for several weeks and taught basic polite English to several Indonesian wives.

It was easy as I was reasonably fluent in Bahasa and could explain the exact meaning of an English word by giving the Indonesian equivalent.

The time was spent in talking in English and laughing. I was as courteous as an an Indonesian gentleman. Then it was all stopped. The classes were closed and I was not allowed to enter the gate. I was completely puzzled.

Some weeks later, I met a friendly officer of the Embassy and asked him what had happened.

He told me it was the result of the report I posted on Google condemning the Indonesian Government for the killing of two American teachers in West Papua.

This would have to be a cybercrime probably perpetrated by the AusAID paedophiles seeking to block the Positive Living message by cutting off all sources of funding and official support that would enable me to continue with the message. 

Or they feared that the Positive Living message would be embraced by the Indonesians when they were doing their best to destroy the message in Papua New Guinea. I was explaining the message in Bahasa.

I have always regarded myself as a friend of Indonesian people and been available to help with the teaching of Bahasa in PNG schools.

Some years ago, I completed an extended framework to set out the basics of Bahasa on internet.

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Learn the starts of sentences first.

I was trained as an interpreter-translator at the Royal 
Australian Air Force School of Languages. It was
a 12 month course and I have never forgotten.

Since it was a military course with all ranks, there had 
to non-military informality between ranks and tutors.
Students were given an Indonesian name. 

I was Katopo. My friends were Marsaban, Bimadi, Usadi 
and more. If I met any old tutors today, that would be my 
name.

Teman-teman Indonesia yang terhormat: Minta maaf kalau 
ada kesalahan dalam daftar ini. Moga moga tiada banyak.

I learned Bahasa many years ago and have never forgotten.

Only words I have problems with are the personal pronouns.

Years ago the pronouns were saya (I) saudara ( you male),

Saudari ( you female), kami ( we exclusive) kita ( we inclusive).

Bapak ( man of rank), Ibu ( woman of rank)

Then there was anda ( general we) Now there is kamu (you)

and aku (I):

Saya  (I)

orang Indonesia (an Indonesian person)

akan naik mobil  (will go by car)

mau menjadi guru ( want to become a teacher)

berjalan ke kota (walked to town)

seorang anggota angkatan darat (a member of the army)

t(id)ak terlibat (was not involved)

akan pulang ( will go home)

sudah makan ( already eaten)

baru tidur ( have just slept)

Siapa (who)

orang itu? (is that person)

nama kamu? ( your name)

dia? (is he)

wanita itu? (is that young woman)

saya? (am I )

gadis yang cantik itu? (that pretty young woman)

yang sedang datang? ( is coming)

yang akan ikut saya? ( will accompany me)

sudah membayar uang?(has already paid money)

gadis yang menarik itu? ( is that attractive young woman)

pemuda yang tampan itu? (is that handsome young man)

Apa? ( what, what is)

itu? ( that)

yang akan dibuat? ( will be done)

yang akan dimakan? ( will be eaten)

yang akan saya buat? ( will I do)

yang kamu sedang makan? ( are you eating)

yang kita sudah minum? ( have we drunk)

yang kita baru makan? ( have we just eaten)

Saya bukan ( I am not [noun]

orang Indonesia ( an Indonesian person)

pelajar di sekolah ini ( a student in this school)

serdadu dalam angatan darat ( I am not a soldier in the army)

teman orang itu ( a friend of that person)

guru sekolah ini ( a teacher at this school)

Saya tidak ( I am /do/did not [verb] )

tahu (know)

datang bersama keluarga ( come with family)

membeli makanan ( buy food)

masuk ( enter)

ke luar ( go out)

Silakan ( please)

duduk ( sit)

masuk (enter)

datang ( come)

berdiri ( stand)
(mem) buka pintu ( open the door)

Itu ( It is, that is)

buku ( that is a book)

buku saya ( That is my book)

buku anak saya ( That is my child’s book)

buku wanita yang cantik itu ( It is a book of that lovely woman)

buku pemuda yang tampan itu ( It is a book of that handsome young man)

saja ( it)

Mari(lah) kita (Let us)

pergi ke kota (go to town)

pulang (go home)

duduk (sit)

makan nasi (eat rice)

mandi di sungai (bathe in the river)

menonton pilem ( watch a movie)

berjalan-jalan di mana mana saja (wander just everywhere)

berjalan-kaki ke setasiun redio (walk to the radio station)

Ada (there is, there are, is there? Are there?)

dua orang (two people).

tiga orang laki-laki di sana (three boys over there)

berapa orang? (how many people)

dua saja (just two)

Ada has the same function as the Tok Pisin I gat.

I gat tupela man i stap (two men)

I gat planti kaikai i stap long haus (plenty of food at the house)

Hanya ada (There is/are only)

satu anak yang sakit (only one sick child)

dua atau tiga wanita (two or three women)

satu orang angatan darat (one soldier)

satu anak yang datang (one child who came)

Masih ada (There is/are still)

makanan di dalam lemari ( food in the cupboard)

beberapa perwira angatan udara (several air force officers)

banyak anjing di luar ( many dogs outside)

masalah yang hebat ( heavy problem)

kesempatan yang menarik (an attractive opportunity)

Di mana? ( Where is/are)

orang itu? (that person)

anak saya ( my child)

buku anak saya (my child’s book)

isteri teman saya? ( my friend’s wife)

teman-teman saya ( my friends)

Dari mana? ( from where)

dia datang ( he/she came)

semua orang itu (all those people)

kelompok saya (my group)

anak anak di sana (those children there)

Jangan(lah)  ( Please don’t)

kwatir ( worry)

marah ( be angry)

sebegitu sedih ( be so sad)

pergi ke sana ( go over there)

datang naik bis ( come by bus)

naik mobil ke desa ( go to the village by car)

(mem) buka pintu (open the door)

ke luar ( go outside)

masuk ( enter)

Lebih baik kalau ( it would be better if)
Ada baiknya

saya pulang sebelum jam enam ( I go home before six o’clock)

dia menunggu sampai jam dua pagi ( he waits until two in the morning)

wanita itu menunggu selama due jam lagi ( the girl waited for 2 more hours)

mereka dikeluarkan dengan segera ( they are removed soon)

anak-anak disuntikan dengan segera ( the children are immunized soon)

mereka datang cepat-cepat ( they come quickly)

Apakah (Is, are, has, have, was, were)

dia sakit? (she/he sick)

orang itu teman ibu saya? (that person a friend of my mother)

mereka sudah datang? (they already come)

ini buku saya? (this my book)

itu sudah waktu? (this already time)

Pada waktu itu (At that time)

ada beberapa hal yang penting  (there were several important matters)

keadaan ekonomi kurang baik (economic situation less than good)

juga ada masalah yang penting (there were important problems)

saya melihat beberapa orang (I saw several people)

dia sudah kembali ke kantor ( he had returned to the office)

Selain dari itu juga ( Apart from that as well)

tugas saya belum ditentukan ( My work was not yet determined)

dua babi sedang merosot dalam kesehatan ( two pigs declined in health)

dia tak bisa menulis atau membaca ( he/she could not read or write)

ceramah belum disediakan ( the lecture was not prepared)

makanan belum dimakan ( the food was not yet eaten)

Bukan main ( How - admiration )

Alangkah 

cantiknya wanita itu ( beautiful that woman)

besarnya anjing itu  ( large that dog)

tampannya pemuda ini ( handsome this young man)

kecilnya kucing itu ( small that cat)

lezatnya makanan iti ( delicious that food)

Ini inti ( this is precisely)

istilah yang diucapkan ( the term uttered)

keadaan yang semakin merosot ( the situation continuing to decline)

apa yang diterima ( what was received)

perbuatan yang dilihat ( behaviour seen)

istilah yang ditulis di dinding ( the word written on the wall)

Saya ingin ( I wish to)

menjadi guru ( become a teacher)

tinggal di istana itu ( live in that palace)

mendengarkan lagu itu ( hear that song)

tidur selama enam jam ( sleep for six hours)

beristirat di pantai ( rest at the beach)

Kenapa?( Why)

begitu? (so)

orang itu meninggal? ( that person died)

mereka sebegitu marah? ( they are so angry)

mobil saya rusak? ( my car is damaged).

Saya kira bahwa ( I think that)

dia sakit ( he/she is sick)

dia tidak begitu sakit ( He/she is not so sick)

mereka kurang pasti ( not real sure)

anak itu selalu sakit ( that child is always sick)

Dia berkata bahwa ( He said that)

saya orang Australia ( I am an Australian)

dia kurang pasti ( he was not sure)

mobil saya rusak ( my car is broken down)

tidak ada banyak makanan ( there is not a lot of food)

masih ada sedikit obat obatan ( there is still a little medicine)

selalu ada hujan ( there is always rain)

kadang-kadang polisi akan dating ( occasionally police will come)

Kelihatannya ( It seems that)

hari akan hujan ( it will rain)

orang itu akan segera meninggal ( that person will soon die)

ada beberapa orang yang sakit ( there are many people sick)

pemberontakan sudah selesai ( the rebellion has finished)

penyakit akan berkobah-kobah ( the epidemic will rage)

Bolehkah saya ? ( May I )

ikut? ( accompany)

makan sekarang? ( eat now)

sediakan pidato saya? ( prepare my talk)

masuk? ( enter)

mendapat gagi saya? ( get my pay)

ke luar? ( go out)

mulai? ( begin)

mulai dengan pidato saya ( begin my speech)

duduk? ( sit)

pulang sekarang? ( go home now)

Justru adalah ( it is precisely that there is)

beberapa macam burung di daerah ini ( many species of birds in this area)

banyak macam binatang ( many kinds of animal)

kesempatan yang baik ( a good opportunity)

Sudah waktu ( already time to)

makan di bawah pohon ( eat under the tree)

selesaikan proyek ( finish the project)

tidur (sleep)

bangun ( arise from sleep)

membayar uang ( pay the money)

mandi di sungai ( bathe at the river)

mencuci pakaian ( wash the clothes)

Tampaknya ( apparently)

uang saya hilang ( my money was lost)

anak sudah pulang ( the child has already gone home)

air t(id)ak begitu bersih ( the water is not too clean)

buah-buahan masih mentah ( the fruit is still raw)

gedung berapi akan meletus (the volcano will erupt)

More to come.