The main language here is Bahasa Indonesia. However, because I’m so close to Malaysia, a lot of people mix in some Malaysian words, too. There are also many people from different parts of Sumatra and other islands living here; so, I hear other languages like Bahasa Minang from West Sumatra and Javanese from Java Island. It’s amazing how many languages people speak in Indonesia!
This week, I want to teach you a phrase that is used all the time: Apa kabar? (pronounced ah-pah kah-bar), which means “How are you?” Try saying it out loud -- now you can greet someone in Indonesian!
The currency in Indonesia is called Rupiah. One U.S. dollar is worth about 16,000 Rupiah, which makes prices sound really high! But things aren’t as expensive as they seem. A meal usually costs between 20,000–30,000 Rupiah, which is about $1.50 to $2.
A bottle of water here usually costs between 2,000–7,000 Rupiah, depending on the size and brand. That’s only about 15 to 50 cents in U.S. dollars!
