Jess Kruk
Tell us about yourself!
I’m a sociolinguist and lecturer in Indonesian Studies at UWA. My research focuses on identifying and addressing the exclusion of marginalised people from social, economic, and cultural life in Indonesia and Australia. My current projects include an investigation of how ethnic minority groups are impacted by the movement of Indonesia's capital, an exploration of how extreme metal musicians in the Asia Pacific write 'metal' lyrics using non-English languages, reimagining, and reinvigorating Indonesian language teaching and enhancing language communication to fight prejudice in the general public.
Where does your interest in Indonesia stem from?
My interest in Indonesia emerged during my early years in primary school when I first learned Indonesian language. Initially, I think I was most interested in simply growing my ability to speak a language other than English. It was only when I began studying Indonesian at the Victorian School of Languages in my late teens and started connecting with other kids who were members of the Indonesian diaspora that my interest in Indonesia became more than purely academic. From there, I became fascinated with exploring Indonesia’s enormous linguistic and cultural diversity, and the interweaving elements of its people’s both modern and traditional life.
How do you think organisations like Indonesia Council can improve Australia-Indonesia relations?
Organisations like the Indonesia Council have a very significant role to play in boosting knowledge of Indonesia by supporting the study of Indonesia (and Indonesian language) both in formal education and among the wider public, and connecting scholars across Australia so that we can work together towards this goal.
What are some of the challenges and opportunities in the Indonesia-Australia relationship?
There are a lot of well-known challenges for the Indonesia-Australia relationship. Firstly, most average Australians have very limited understanding of Indonesia, and few political or bureaucratic figures in Australia have knowledge or experience of Indonesia, let alone speak Indonesian languages. Successive governments’ commitment to enhancing the Australia-Indonesian relationships have been fickle, due in no small part to various crises and controversies faced by both nations. However, more and more people in Australia are starting to recognize the importance of our relationship to Indonesia, not just because Indonesia is our closest neighbour but because Indonesia has one of the fastest growing economies in the world, is positioned on the leading edge of technological development (birthing numerous unicorn startups) and hosts one of the largest contingents of social media users in the world – among many other things. As our government and its various institutions begin to recognise the importance of Indonesia-Australia relations, our opportunities to enhance these relationships will continue to grow – in the meantime, we should be putting our best efforts into enhancing public knowledge of Indonesia. And, what’s one of the best ways to learn about Indonesia? By learning Indonesian language, of course!
Tell us about your favourite Indonesian food experience
While I was conducting my PhD fieldwork at a school in Pontianak nearly 10 years ago, I was introduced to sambal mangga khas Singkawang and I fell in love with it. I think I had sambal mangga for breakfast or lunch almost everyday for about a month! Even all these years after completing my PhD, eating sambal mangga evokes my nostalgia for that time in my life. Now whenever I eat it, it brings back good memories of my time as a baby researcher.
Do you speak Indonesian and where did you start learning it?
Of course! My Indonesian language skills are essential for my work and my research. I started learning Indonesian when I was in primary school in Melbourne and continued learning through highschool and university. So at this point I’ve been learning Indonesian for over 25 years – the vast majority of my life so far!
What’s your favourite Indonesian music/song/writer?
I am a big fan of Indonesian metal (obviously – I’m literally writing a book about it now!). There are so many amazing metal artists in Indonesia, some of my favourites are Forgotten, Carnivored, Noxa, Jasad, Poison Nova, too many! – and I’m so grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to work with these artists.
What’s your favourite Indonesian idiom?
Astaga naga (oh my goodness, I don’t believe it)– it’s fun to say and has great utility!
[Last month’s PAY IT FORWARD question]:
How would you compare traveling in Indonesia with traveling in other developing countries outside Southeast Asia?
I have only travelled briefly to Poland (which is considered a developing country), and I haven't been to many different cities so I'm not as familiar with the country as I am Indonesia!
PAY IT FORWARD: Finally, it’s YOUR turn to ask a question… Please suggest a question we can ask our next member!
Aside from standard Bahasa Indonesia, what Indonesian languages do you know (or aspire to know)?