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Written by: Lady Dorothy Avila Elli
Winning First Place at the BIPA Storytelling Competition
Celebrating first place (Juara Satu) in the BIPA Storytelling Competition alongside fellow international BIPA students learning Bahasa Indonesia. My performance featured the Filipino folktale Ibong Adarna, sharing a piece of Philippine culture through storytelling.
“Hah? Kamu bisa bahasa Indonesia? Padahal kamu bukan orang Indonesia? Kamu sudah belajar berapa bulan?”
“Wait, you can speak Bahasa Indonesia even though you are not Indonesian? How many months have you been learning?”
This is one of the questions I hear most often in Yogyakarta. It usually comes with widened eyes, a laugh, and several follow-up questions about where I am from and why learning Bahasa Indonesia seemed to come so naturally to me.
In some ways, I expected these questions. As a Filipino American with Southeast Asian features, I am often mistaken for Indonesian before I begin speaking. When people learn that I am Filipino, the conversation usually turns to the similarities between Bahasa Indonesia and languages in the Philippines. Many words, sentence patterns, and cultural expressions feel familiar to me, which made the language more approachable from the beginning. That is how I got my nickname, “Indonesian palsu” or “fake Indonesian,” wherever I go.
I came to Yogyakarta in 2025 as a Princeton in Asia Fellow at Atma Jaya University Yogyakarta. My official role was to teach English and share American culture. However, from the beginning, I knew that I did not want to spend the year only standing in front of a classroom. I wanted to understand the people around me, speak their language, join their communities, and build a life that felt connected to the place where I was living.
The similarities helped when it came to interacting with my students; the staff at my office, Kantor Pelatihan Bahasa dan Budaya (Office of Language and Culture); and the locals, but learning Bahasa Indonesia required more than recognizing familiar words. It meant listening carefully, making mistakes in public, learning when to use formal or informal language, and practicing every day with friends, colleagues, teachers, drivers, shopkeepers, and anyone willing to speak with me.
By the end of the year, I was no longer simply teaching in Indonesia. I was also learning how to communicate, lead, make mistakes, and belong.
A Final Class Filled with Learning and Laughter
One last English Club meeting together with an incredible group of students. Through interactive activities, conversations, and shared experiences, we built confidence in English while creating lasting memories.
Making English Feel Less Frightening
On the first day of a new class, I could often see the nervousness on students’ faces.
Some students avoided eye contact. Others quietly told their friends, “Aku nggak bisa bahasa Inggris,” or “I cannot speak English.” A few would apologize before answering a question, even when they had not done anything wrong.
I understood that fear. Learning Bahasa Indonesia reminded me how vulnerable it feels to speak in a language that is not your own. You may know what you want to say, but the words do not always arrive at the right time. You become aware of every pronunciation mistake and every sentence that sounds different from how you imagined it. Because of this, my goal was to create a classroom where students felt safe enough to try using the English language.
We played games, completed speaking challenges, acted out role-plays, discussed culture, listened to music, moved around the classroom, and worked in groups. I wanted students to experience English as something alive and useful, rather than something they only needed to memorize for an examination.
After one class, a student told me, “At first, I thought the class would be difficult and stressful. But every time I leave, I feel happy because I learned something and had fun.”
Another student shared that my classes helped them realize they did not have to wait until their English was perfect before speaking.
Those comments stayed with me because they captured exactly what I hoped the classes could accomplish. Confidence does not always appear as a dramatic transformation. Sometimes, it looks like a student raising their hand for the first time. Sometimes, it is a student speaking for thirty seconds without apologizing. Sometimes, it is laughter filling the room after everyone makes the same mistake together.
My students taught me that learning becomes more meaningful when people are allowed to enjoy it.
Celebrating the End of Our Journey Together
A group photo with my English class from the Faculty of Industrial Technology (FTI), taken at a local photo booth after our final meeting. Their enthusiasm and willingness to learn made every class engaging and meaningful- this is why I teach!
Teaching Culture Beyond the Classroom
My work at Atma Jaya also gave me opportunities to create cultural programs that brought students, staff, and student staff together.
Throughout the year, I helped organize events such as Halloworld (for Halloween), Friendsgiving (for Thanksgiving), Easter, and U.S. Day (for the Fourth of July) as the staff member in charge. Aside from them being celebrations of American holidays, they were opportunities for cultural exchange and community building. Together with the student staff and university staff, we designed interactive programs that incorporated games, food, trivia, music, reflection, and conversation, creating engaging and memorable experiences for everyone involved.
For Easter, I wanted the event to feel welcoming even for participants who did not share my Catholic faith. We focused on themes of hope, renewal, gratitude, and new beginnings. During USA Day, we transformed the space into activity stations where students could learn about culture while participating in challenges and games.
There were moments before these events when the room looked chaotic. Decorations were still being placed. Tables had to be moved. Materials were missing. Someone needed an extension cord, another person needed tape, and everyone was asking questions at the same time.
Then the participants arrived.
The room filled with conversation, music, laughter, and movement. Students who had been hesitant in class were suddenly competing in games, answering questions, and helping their friends. Those moments reminded me that some of the best learning happens when people forget that they are supposed to be nervous.
These programs were only possible because of the staff and student staff at Atma Jaya. They helped prepare materials, organize spaces, guide participants, solve last-minute problems, and bring each idea to life. I learned that leadership does not mean doing everything yourself. It means trusting people, listening carefully, and building something together.
The Team Behind an Unforgettable Year
A special moment with the KPBB staff: Pak Anton, Pak Kusman, Pak Sapto, Mbak Asa, and the Head of KPBB, Bu Vita. Their mentorship and support made Yogyakarta genuinely feel like a second home.
Becoming a Student Again
While I was encouraging my students to speak English without fear, I was also learning Bahasa Indonesia.
At first, even simple conversations required preparation. Before speaking, I would quietly arrange the sentence in my mind. I worried about using the wrong word, sounding too formal, or accidentally saying something completely different from what I intended.
Still, I continued.
I practiced with friends, colleagues, drivers, shopkeepers, teachers, and anyone willing to speak with me. Some conversations went smoothly. Others ended with laughter because I had used the wrong word or misunderstood a question.
Experiencing Javanese Tradition Through a Traditional Ceremony
Wearing traditional attire alongside BIPA students during a cultural procession and ceremony in Desa Kemadang, Gunung Kidul. As BIPA students, we were honored to be invited to experience and celebrate local Javanese traditions firsthand.
Over time, I became more comfortable.
Learning Bahasa Indonesia changed my experience in Yogyakarta. It allowed me to speak with people who might not have felt comfortable using English. It helped me understand jokes, emotions, and small cultural details that are often lost in translation. Most importantly, it showed people that I wanted to meet them where they were.
One of the most unforgettable moments of my fellowship was joining a lomba dongeng, or storytelling competition, in Bahasa Indonesia.
Before stepping onto the stage, I kept thinking, “Why did I agree to do this?”
Bahasa Indonesia was my fourth language, and I had only been studying it during my time in Indonesia. I was nervous about forgetting my lines, mispronouncing words, or losing confidence in front of the audience.
I performed anyway, constantly telling myself: “Kamu bisa! Pasti bisa!”
Bringing Philippine Folklore to the Stage
Presenting the story of Ibong Adarna, one of the Philippines’ most beloved legendary tales, during the BIPA Lomba Dongeng or Storytelling Competition. The performance celebrated cultural exchange through language, storytelling, and tradition.
When my name was announced as the first-place winner, I felt shocked, proud, and deeply grateful. Winning was exciting, but the experience meant more than receiving Juara 1 (First Place). It represented every correction from a teacher, every conversation with a friend, and every moment when I chose to speak even though I was afraid of making a mistake.
That competition also changed the way I understood my students. I could no longer tell them, “Do not be afraid to speak,” without remembering how my own hands felt before I walked onto that stage.
Exploring Lampung with Friends Who Became Family
A memorable holiday in Lampung with Feby, one of the first student staff members I met at KPBB, and her family. From beach hopping to snorkeling, the trip became a wonderful reminder of the friendships formed during my year in Indonesia.
Finding Home Through People
Outside Atma Jaya, Indonesia became meaningful to me through the people who invited me into their lives.
Friends welcomed me into their homes in places such as Jepara and Lampung. I spent holidays with families who shared their meals, stories, routines, and traditions with me. I traveled, visited beaches and cultural sites, attended Mass, joined running groups, explored cafés, and hiked mountains with people who slowly became part of my life.
One of the most meaningful questions I was often asked was simple: “Sudah sampai?” or “Have you arrived safely?”
It was a small message, but it carried so much care.
Over time, I realized that belonging is often created through these ordinary gestures. It is found in someone saving you a seat, inviting you to eat, correcting your language gently, introducing you to their parents, or making sure you return home safely.
Sharing Filipino Culture Through Tinikling
Together with the Filipino community in Yogyakarta, we represented the Philippines at the Festival Permainan Tradisional or Traditional Games Festival by introducing Tinikling, one of the country’s most iconic traditional dances, to festival participants.
As a Filipino-American, I found many similarities between Filipino and Indonesian culture. The warmth, the importance of family, the food, the humor, and the way people care for one another often felt familiar. At the same time, I learned not to assume that cultural similarity meant complete understanding. Indonesia has its own histories, languages, traditions, and ways of seeing the world.
My identity helped me build bridges, but curiosity helped me cross them.
Here is a stronger closing that brings the title full circle and includes the people who kept reminding you that you could do it.
Learning from One Another Through Culture
Joining fellow BIPA students and Setu Sinau for an afternoon of cultural exchange in Malioboro Street, a popular street for locals and tourists in Yogyakarta. We learned traditional Javanese dance and shared our own cultures, where I had the opportunity to teach the Filipino bamboo dance, Tinikling.
What I Will Carry With Me
When I think about my year at Atma Jaya, I remember the major events, the classes, the competition, and the places I visited. However, the moments that mattered most were often much quieter.
I remember a student becoming brave enough to speak.
I remember standing on a stage and telling a story in Bahasa Indonesia.
I remember staff and student staff working together to transform an empty room into a celebration.
I remember being welcomed into homes and treated like family.
I arrived in Yogyakarta believing that my responsibility was to teach English and introduce aspects of American culture. I am leaving with a more genuine understanding of what teaching actually requires.
Teaching requires creativity, patience, humor, and care. It requires paying attention to the person behind the student. It requires creating spaces where people can make mistakes without feeling ashamed.
Most of all, this year taught me that cultural exchange is not about one person giving knowledge to another. It is about meeting each other with openness and allowing both people to leave changed.
Celebrating Friendship Across Cultures
Together with the student staff and participants of Friendsgiving 2025, we celebrated gratitude, friendship, and cultural exchange. The event introduced the history and traditions of Thanksgiving in the United States while creating a welcoming space for people from different backgrounds to come together.
At the beginning of this fellowship, I already believed it would be a wonderful year. I expected to learn, grow, and experience things I would carry with me for a long time. Whenever something felt difficult, unfamiliar, or slightly beyond what I thought I could do, I reminded myself, “Pasti bisa. Aku bisa.” I can do this. I definitely can.
In the end, the year became even more meaningful than I had imagined. It was not simply “bisa.” It was “bisa banget.”
For that, I am forever thankful to the people who kept reminding me that I could do it: my friends and mentors in the United States, my family in the Philippines, and the friends, students, colleagues, and communities in Yogyakarta who continued to encourage me and say, “Aku bisa.”
Indonesia gave me a new language, new friendships, and another place to call home. Atma Jaya gave me the opportunity to become a better teacher, a more thoughtful leader, and a more courageous learner.
“Bisa banget, pasti bisa.” This is what my PiA year in Yogyakarta proved to me.
Penulis: Lady Dorothy Avila Elli
