Wishing, oops if nobody ever wishes, at least I got the impression from pak Ong–Bridge blogging is writing your blog in English or some language other than Indonesian that all Indonesian bloggers express themselves in English is certainly out of the question. Many are not familiar with it, and those who are may simply prefer to speak to Indonesian thanks to their niche. I guess the latent reason and planned benefit of bridge blogging is to facilitate, that is to say, to BRIDGE, those two groups with some kind of service, paid translators or online tool or whatever that will help them get exposed into the world through a more universal language. The service will then get the well-written topics that need more exposures translated. The Indonesian-based bloggers do not necessarily write in English or others although they, of course, can simply bridge themselves whenever they are capable of.

Well, since I do not coin the phrase myself, I do have the exact idea of this bridging in more technical point of view. Perhaps pak Ong should elaborate more on this.

:lol:
Glad you’ve solved the mystery.

@ cameraobscurika

Iya mungkin. :?

You have a good point. And facts! Thanks very much. :)
Nonetheless, we cannot force our people to write in English, but at least –by the article above– we’ve understood that there’s a consequence in using English.
Let everything flow, where learning itself must come from the heart.

Actually in Jakarta, there are already tons of us consuming English-written materials (magazine, music, websites, movies, etc). Consuming, not producing. Even if they’ve been producing, they have their own space to do it.

And in my opinion, it’s not that kids today are less confident about writing in English. They are less confident about exceeding the standards that is already placed upon them. They are not feeling secure with the idea of writing itself, some kids may even not feel secure just by being themselves.
But I respect that you’ve noticed that. Not many of us do.

Unfortunately, they won’t be the ones reaching for ‘this certain demographic’ of the blogosphere. Don’t ask them if they knew who Enda Nasution, or Budi Putra, or Jennie s. Bev is. Because there’s a great chance they don’t.
They’re still expecting a bridge, for that matter.

[edited comment.]

Uhm… the labellings aren’t up to me to decide. I’m pretty much just another new kid in town, and I’m quite happy just by jumping into the bandwagon.
To write, to participate, to cooperate, to share positivity, that’s what really matters. At least that’s the idea of Journal by Marisa Duma.

As I said to Jennie S. Bev, let’s just see if the idea catches on and let people do their own thing according to their own ways, so that they can make the best out of it.

Arguing over an idea sometimes can be a pile of extra baggage as well. We shouldn’t forget that we should have fun by blogging, not stressing too much over it. Let us agree to disagree.

Blogging about blogging is navel-gazing, yes, that might be. That depends on one’s purpose in publishing their content. But if every blogger is already busy concentrating on their own specific niche, the about-blogging bloggers can be the best audience for these compartmentalised bloggers. It fills in the gaps between one niche to the next, one community to the next.

I believe that the use of English in blog is vital for Indonesians especially because this country is still inferior to others countries in many aspects including economy development and even the language. If, for example, we are at the same level as England like Japan, England, and Germany, we might not really need English. Therefore, at present, using English is one way to ensure that we will be heard by rest of the world. According to Wikipedia, Bahasa Indonesia ranked 8th with 250 million speakers, while English was third with 380 million native speakers (no.1-2 in total speakers throughout the world with 1.8 billion people).

Unfortunately I found a fact that I was mistaken to perceive that young people are eager to write in English due to better education. A-19-year old student in a prestigious university in Jakarta just told me that she was reluctant to write blog in English cos it’s not easy. Better and faster to write in Bahasa Indonesia, she said. I will understand if the response stems from a student studying in small cities who are not used to speak and write English. My perception that young people in Indonesia are now more confident to use English is suddenly gone. So who is going to write in English? Me? You? and few other old people? Who’s going to encourage, and lead those young people to write in English?

Thx…

Have a good Sunday nite.

I’m worried by her reaction: a burst of laughter.
I’m reassured by her answer: “a (white) foreigner gone astray” (”een verdwaalde blanke vreemdeling”).
I’m left in doubt.

(Btw: my English may not be good, but my German and French are even worse)

I do not believe it is possible to create bridges in hyperspace; they already exist, so it is how we cross them that is important. They can be used for good, as in Indonesia Help set up by Enda in the immediate aftermath of the Aceh Tsunami. It is unfortunate that communally divisive attitudes occasionally surface, but those few voices apart, the majority of us try to temper our language to meet perceived international acceptance levels.

Fundamentally, therefore, I disagree with this term. Blogging about blogging is navel gazing and somewhat self-defeating, although this is an excellent post. As elsewhere, in Indonesia there are blogs about celebrities, handphones, fashion and other ephemera. There are also blogs about current affairs, the environment and political affairs etc.etc. Folk do love to compartmentalise, but they all these blogs serve the same function ~ to give a generally personal perspective on one’s world. Whatever language we use, if we’re blogging from within Indonesia and/or about Indonesia, per se we’re providing a bridge to the world outside Indonesia.

Can we therefore please dispense with such an unnecessary label?

What is important is that we participate. That so many Indonesians are prepared to commit their thoughts to public appraisal after centuries of (colonial) subservience is admirable given that reformasi only began 10 years ago.

Finally, Colson’s comment is, I believe, spot on and most encouraging.
…………………………..

Marisa.
What makes you think you sound funny in English? Believe me, I wouldn’t even contemplate blogging in Indonesian ~ that would really make you laugh.

I believe you have bridged nations too, not necessarily by emphasizing the differences of those nations’ cultures, but more of stating social occurences that nations share in common, such as social intelligence and character..

Deepest sympathy for what happened there in California, we heard it from the news. Uhm… maybe people don’t know you live there (well, I don’t, somehow I thought you’re in Washington?)
Our prayers are with you and everyone in Calif. That’s for sure.

@ Enda

Oh my. The pressure of having Enda Nasution in my blog. Sigh. :D
Thanks for your brief and yet firm explanation for bridge blogging.
As I said, the points mentioned above are according to the situation in my community, which may be a bit (or waaaay) different than how it is in yours.
I belong in a demographic where almost everything “clash”, but everything moves in progress. So..

@ colson

Yes. English is the modern, universal, and man.. can’t they see that we actually sound funnier when we write in English? :lol:
colson, seriously, you’re not just a client, what makes you think I have the guts to write this article if it wasn’t for “bule nyasar” like you. (Ask your daughter-in-laws what bule nyasar is.)

Anyways, thanks again. I’ll do my best.

Of course I should be humble – I’m not a bridge blogger myself, I’m just a client standing on the other end of the bridge. One who just wants to learn as much as possible about present day Indonesian society. So, actually I should not participate in the shoptalk.

However, this is a thorough article. And a good and sympathetic one. I like it and I want to say so. Moreover I want to stress that bridge blogging is the quintessence of internet – free, global and accessible for all. Because English is the modern Lingua Franca, blogging in English is the obvious choice.

What’s attractive of a blog is that’s solely dependent on a set of unique qualities of the blogger. In this case I think I did hit upon a high quality blog. It shows a quality standard of Indonesian bloggers. And it gives a hint about what is going on in Jakarta, I hope. But I know of course if it is not representative of any group. At best it will hint what’s going on amongst a small, elitist group – those who command english, those who can afford internet facilities, those who are relatively well of etc. Yet, as for me trying to understand Indonesia better, this blog ( and the ones like this) is at least as interesting and instructive than the Jakarta Post.

GV contributors (i was one of them, maybe still..) are highlighting what is happening on their own blogospheres and post it to GV.

So, if you observed GV you can see that not only the site available in English but is currentlu translated back to 7 other languages: Bangla, Spanish, France, Farsi, Portuguese, Chinese (simplified and traditional) with many other languages coming.

So blogging in English is besides the point (including writing for human race or the issues of nationality), as long as you act as a bridge so others can understand and read what’s happening somewhere, then you are a bridge blogger.

I believe that’s what I’ve been doing with JennieForIndonesia.com, my Indonesian blog, which has caused quite a stir, proven with all kinds of e-mails I have been receiving lately.

My ultimate wish is for Indonesia and Indonesians to be able to acknowledge humanity in the fullest sense of the world. I long for Indonesians who send their sympathy for wild fires in my home state California. So far only one blogger, who is also a personal friend, who extended his sympathy.

Only one out of 1,700 readers of my postings. One, Marisa. (Sigh)

I don’t, however, feel that I bridge Indonesia with the world, because it would connote favoritism, which I don’t wish to fall into. :)

Much love,
Jennie