Preparing to Communicate

One thing I try to do when going to a new country is learn enough of the language that I can at least connect with people. Most of my travels have been to Spanish speaking countries, where I can communicate in depth, so when I go places that speak other languages, it can feel very limiting. (When I was in France, I knew how to say qu'Est-ce que c'est? (what is it?) in the cheese shop, but then couldn't understand anything the woman told me about the bright orange cheese I was curious about).

This trip to Indonesia means I need to learn at least a few phrases in Indonesian, so I downloaded the app "Learning Indonesian" on my iphone. It is all audio, with much pronunciation practice, and with explanations of word origins. I found this extremely helpful since simply reading a few Indonesia words online made me very nervous about figuring out how to say them correctly. No matter where you're going, I'm sure there's an app for that!

Pleased to meet you: Senang bertemu dengan Anda

Good morning (Morning greeting): Selamat pagi (early morning) Selamat siang (late morning)

Good afternoon (Afternoon greeting): Selamat siang (late morning) Selamat sore (late afternoon/evening)

My name is: Nama saya...