My unique way to celebrate The Youth Pledge

Okay, I know.....it's waaaayyyyyyy too late to write about this. But then....better late than never, isn't it...hehehehe....

The Youth Pledge (Indonesian: Sumpah Pemuda), was a declaration made on 28 October 1928 by young Indonesian nationalists at a conference in the then-Dutch East Indies. They proclaimed three ideals, one motherland, one nation and one language.

This year, as a tribute to the Pledge, precisely on Oct 28, first thing in the morning I put up this status on my Facebook:

28 Oktober......Khusus dalam satu hari ini, marilah kita menggunakan bahasa Indonesia yang baik dan benar, lengkap dengan pola S-P-O-K-nya!

In simple English:

Special during this day, let's use the good and proper Indonesian language, complete with its perfect grammar!

So, since the minute after I published the status above, I chatted with my online friends using the proper Indonesian. No matter that they wrote to me using our usual dialect or slang, I responded to each of them using the proper Indonesian. My original plan was using it for the whole day, 24hr....after all, I only used it online, face to face conversation wasn't included.....how hard it was, I thought....hahaha...I had found the answer sooner before the lunch time arrived.....hehehe...

At 3.47pm, I changed my Facebook status and put up this message:

quitted early in using a proper Bahasa Indonesia today...hehehe...capeeeee deeeeehhh...too stiff, too formal, too un-emotional!! Wait for my complete description about it...hahaha....

See, at first I quite enjoyed flaunting my skill in using the proper Indonesian language. But after an hour responding to my friends' chat, I became exhausted. I couldn't express my feeling in each sentence. All my conversation looked like a scientific report, very dry...but not crispy....hehehe... Each time I wrote to my friends, I felt like have to hold my feelings very tight inside. But I tried to hold on..... During lunch hour, I was offline (thank God!...hehehe....) Then, when I was back online after 3pm, I chatted with one friend, and at the same time decided to let go my original intention....hence my new Facebook status on 3.47pm....hahaha... It was so relieved to be able to express my feeling freely, using any words come in my mind, disregard any grammar...as long as my chat partner understand what I'm talking about.

So, it is true what I thought all of this time. The proper Indonesian language is only fit to be used in a formal conversation between totally strangers or scientific reports. It doesn't mean that I don't love using Indonesian language. After all, how I could know which one is the proper and which one is mixed with a local dialect if I never learn and understand Indonesian language quite deeply? Furthermore, it is the official language for Indonesian citizens, and I am one of its citizens. So....long life Indonesia! Saya bangga ber-Bahasa Indonesia!