Noah can now say more than just a few coherent words. This morning he said “bus” when the all-too familiar bastian of school appeared on the TV screen. We were watching Baby Einstein. Yes, I finally caved in. Well I didn’t cave in, but being a full-time working mom now, I do not have much control over what my little one does at home with grandma or daddy. They are devious in their scheme to override my authority, and override they did, but he is older now so I have loosened up a bit. Plus, he seems to be interactive with it, and we try to make interactive so he won’t just be sitting dully in front of the telly as images scroll by.

Apart from his continued mastering of the English language, he is beginning to know a few Indonesian words. When we say “apa”, he will repeat it. He knows “bapak”, “minum”, “susu”. He was fond of the balloon song, “Balonku ada Lima” (I Have Five Balloons), but now he seems to have lost interest. His interest is also waning with many other Indonesian songs, issuing his disapproval grunts whenever we attempt to sing them.

Is this his way of letting us know that we are putting so much on him, learning two languages at one time, too soon? He is confused? We need to take it down a notch? He’ll do it at his own pace? I am leaning towards the latter, as our Noah has been stubbornly persistent on doing things his way, learning from his mistakes and mastering skills through trial and error. Whenever he bumped his head on the table, he now knows to watch his height if he is under there or makes sure he doesn’t run into it whenever he is on one of his running sprees. He has learned.

Now will he grow out of this disinterest phase? And trial and error himself through the learning of two languages, English and Indonesian?

He is picking up things without our pushing them on him. The more we push, the more he will back away. When I prod him to answer the birthday question, he huffs and puffs too. He’ll look at me, deadpan, and grunt as he shakes his head back and forth. A more casual approach will give us the desired response: the lifting of his forefinger to signify “one” as in “one years old”.

What a challenge lay before us as we endeavor to raise him as Indonesian-American. We don’t want him to lose touch with his heritage, but we also don’t want him to lose touch with his surroundings. He is first and foremost an American, by birth and by upbringing (though I do hope of residing elsewhere and experience the world). But it is his understanding and appreciation of his heritage that will, I believe, help strengthen his foundation. And one of the key factors to help bring about understanding and appreciation is language. As it is through language that we are able to interact and socialize, and understand the meanings behind our interactions. Society cannot grow without language, and neither can an individual.

I grew up only understanding the Indonesian language, and what shortages and heartbreaks I felt not being able to communicate effectively with other Indonesians, most especially my family back home.

The building of the bridge that hopes to connect the opposing sides, of Indonesian and American, should begin with us. Not by force, not by dogmatic ways, but by encouragement, by practice, and maybe even trial and error.