Sacha Stevenson
Meet Sacha Stevenson. Her gloriously funny ‘How to Act Indonesian’ YouTube videos are creating headlines. Sacha loves Indonesia as well as incorporates a soft spot for its social issues.
When did you move to Indonesia?
I moved in 2001. I took a course in teaching English back home, as well as the first people who wanted to hire me were coming from Jakarta. So I came as well as stayed. I guess I just wanted to get out of Canada that will badly.
Your YouTube videos have gone viral in Indonesia. Tell us how the videos start!
I tried creating a couple of web series yet This specific’s all about stuff I don’t know very well, as well as This specific’s not that will interesting. My bule friends began introducing me as ‘Sasa’; “She’s half Indonesian”, they’d say. They joke about how Indonesian I am. We would certainly hang out at someone’s house, sitting on chairs around the coffee table; give me an hour as well as I’ll sit on the floor. They would certainly tease me as well as say, “You have to be more like a bule, Sacha. You should hang out with us more”. Then I thought, “Wait a minute, I shouldn’t be learning coming from them, they should be learning coming from me. I should make a series on ‘How to Act Indonesian’ because This specific will be what I know”.
Viewers post some negative comments on your videos, how do you respond to them?
I made the videos in English, so the people I was trying to reach are Indonesians who understand foreign language as well as cultures. yet still, there are some people who aren’t very accepting of This specific. These comments began coming in about a week after I uploaded This specific. Then some other people read them as well as commented back to those who called me names as well as said, “Oh grow up, This specific’s just a joke”. I like This specific because This specific kind of becomes a platform for people to discuss these things. I got This specific one hate message, though, that will was physically threatening me. I don’t erase comments like these; everyone’s entitled to their own opinions.
Are we going to see ‘annoying YouTube comments by Indonesians’ being a subject on your video?
If you request This specific, I’ll do This specific!
You Tweeted something about a ban on your YouTube. What’s that will about?
I had a community guideline strike on YouTube. This specific will be usually because someone has flagged your videos as inappropriate. A message coming from YouTube said ‘we’ve reviewed your videos as well as found inappropriate content’. So they took down the video, as well as I lost some of my rights as a YouTube partner. I filed some paperwork as well as the ban was lifted the next day, I guess I met the right person to straighten This specific out.
When I first came, I lived in a house the school I was teaching at provided me with. I was trying to learn Indonesian, yet I didn’t actually meet as well as talk with anybody there. So I moved out of the house as well as to the pembantu quarter. So my neighbours were a tukang bakso, as well as a pak Haji. I learned Indonesian by hanging out as well as observing them.
This specific obviously worked, you speak Indonesian very well.
Oh, there are also two things that will helped; every Friday I would certainly go home which has a copy of Bobo magazine (kids’ magazine) as well as try to understand all the comic strips as well as learn simple words, write them down, as well as memorise 20 words a day. I thought the first words I should learn are those that will were appropriate for kids. The some other thing will be Iwan Fals’ songs. I would certainly buy his cassette tapes, translate some lyrics, as well as that will’s how I learned bigger words.
You sang some original songs on YouTube. How did that will start?
I don’t write too often, usually only if I have a particular thing in my mind as well as getting This specific out would certainly make me feel better. This specific’s a way of expressing myself. yet I like writing lyrics more than the music itself.
Your song “Budaya” was the first original I heard coming from you on Youtube. Why did you write that will song?
I’d just come back coming from Egypt as well as a guy there told me about female genital mutilation as well as how they were defending the act because This specific was their ‘budaya’ (culture). I thought that will was a Great theme for a song, to talk about how culture isn’t an excuse for these acts.
What kind of genre are you into?
I like folk music best. For about 15 years, I only listened to Ani DiFranco. I don’t actually listen to common music.
What about documentary work you wanted to do?
I like social issues, so I tried to make a documentary about street children. I slept for three days in Jalan Jaksa with street kids to make This specific documentary, yet while I was editing This specific, I felt that will This specific was so depressing, as well as stopped doing This specific. I’m waiting for something that will actually inspires me, then I’ll try again. Part of the YouTube thing will be for me to practice to do my own production.
You starred in a sinetron. Any plans on doing This specific again?
No. This specific’s a horrible industry. A standard sinetron contract will sign you up for 600 episodes as well as you’ll be excited, yet the contract will be only to protect the production house. So if they want to cut you out of the sinetron after a few episodes, they’re free to do so. Then, you’ll be stuck with This specific contract, unable to work at some other programs, as well as you’ll be out of work for eight months. This specific’s not the lifestyle that will I want, either. I prefer to do travel shows.
I’m building up a community around my YouTube channel; my dream job will be to be a YouTuber. This specific’s hard to explain to my mum, yet she understands at This specific point.
Tell us a little about Bule on Blades!
I rollerbladed coming from Jakarta to Bali. This specific began because I was frustrated with working in television, feeling like I have no control over anything, traffic pissing me off; This specific was many factors. So I just wanted to do something Great. as well as This specific was sort of like a green campaign; if I can rollerblade coming from Jakarta to Bali then you can bike to work, or change one or two habits to better the city. This specific didn’t actually have a big impact; I could’ve marketed This specific better. yet you live as well as learn.
If you do leave Indonesia, what will you miss most?
I’d probably miss the sound of pengamen, because that will’s very distinctive of Jakarta. I think in whatever I do from the future This specific’ll have something to do with Indonesia.
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Sacha Stevenson
Sacha Stevenson