Yogyakarta and Surabaya: on the Same Island but Mostly Different

About one hundred and fifty-four million people live on Java island, which is one of the most populous islands in the world. (www.bps.go.id, 2014). This is caused by several factors. The first factor is that it has lush soil. There are a lot of farm fields and volcanoes that are still active. According to Dian Fiantis (Ahmad Nur H., 2018) the soil expert from Andalas University, she explained why the soil of Java is lusher than the soil of Sumatra. It is because the eruptions on Java Island produced more nutrients such as calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) that are needed by the plants. While silicon dioxide (SiO2) which is more spewed in mountains in Sumatra does not much needed by the plants. From there, we can say that Javanese people are more likely to consume vegetables. The second factor, Java has the strategies areas to conduct trade centers and government centers. That is why many people outside Java decided to get their job there. It happened long before the independence day of Indonesia. (Giovani Melinda, 2016). The third factor is social culture. Javanese are famous for their friendly characters. The social and culture in Java which conducive and safe are become one of the attractions of the citizens living in Java. (Vio, 2020). However, we know that Yogyakarta and Surabaya are located on the same island, Java. Automatically they use the same language “Javanese language” although with different dialects. Both also have many great culinary tours and famous colleges. Nevertheless, each of them has many divergences.

            First, Yogyakarta is the same as Surabaya in their culinary tours. In Yogyakarta, the two most famous food are “Bakpia” and “Gudeg”. Many visitors like to buy them as a gift for their family or friends. According to Daffa Firdaus, (2022). Bakpia Pathuk is the first recommendation. There are 2 kinds of them, namely bakpia kering and bakpia basah. Bakpia kering can last up to 14 days at room temperature, while bakpia basah only last about 5-7 days at room temperature and 10 days if stored in the refrigerator. For people who like sweet flavors, Gudeg is a good choice.

As claimed by Paulus Risang (2021), Gudeg Mbah Lindu is  popular among its lovers. Since the taste of her Gudeg is so authentic, she has become a legend. In addition, Gudeg Mbah Lindu was documented in the Netflix Series Street Food: Asia. Not only in Yogyakarta but Surabaya also has a lot of special foods. The two most famous are “Lontong Balap” and “Tahu Telor”. According to Yusuf Jati (2022), he said that many visitors are still difficult to differentiate between “Lontong Balap” and“Ketoprak” from Jakarta also “Lontong Balap” with “Kupat Tahu” from West Java. The main ingredients of Lontong Balap are Lontong and Lentho or we can say Tempe with a smooth and hard texture. It is completed with fried onion, chili sauce, soy sauce, fried tofu, bean sprouts, petis (shrimp paste), and gravy (the mixture of broth water with typical seasonings). While “Tahu Telor” is like an omelet with cubed tofu. It is served with lontong, peanut sauce, bean sprouts, petis (shrimp paste) sliced cucumbers, and crackers.

According to Prila Arovani (2022), “Tahu Tek that often found in Surabaya, turns out to be from Lamongan.” She also said that “Tahu Telor Pak Jayen”, which is located in Dharmahusada street, is always full of customers.

Second, both Yogyakarta and Surabaya have so many universities. As it is known, Yogyakarta has another name, namely “A City of students” or “Kota Pelajar.” Hence, there are many kinds of campuses there. In the 2013/2014 school year, there were around 37 universities in Yogyakarta. The college consists of 6 universities, 13 institutes, and 18 academies/polytechnics (www.investasi.jogjakota.go,id, 2015). Two of them are State Universities, namely “Universitas Gadjah Mada” and “Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta”. Nevertheless, the most popular university is “Universitas Gadjah Mada” commonly known as “UGM”. UGM is the oldest and the biggest university in Indonesia.

As stated on the UGM’s site (2015), it was established because of the role of Indonesian freedom fighters, and its birth proved the rise of national education, especially in Yogyakarta. Because of its fame, UGM is also favored by prospective overseas students. By admission page of UGM (2021) said that it has been consistently educating the curious mind not only in Indonesia but also in the international community. For example, in 2018, UGM had around 2300 international students from 91 countries studying in different fields of study. They studied at UGM together with more than 50,000 Indonesian students. Another campus is “Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta” or commonly said “UNY”. It is a university that used to be “IKIP Yogyakarta”. As claimed on UNY’s site (2022), in 1999 IKIP Yogyakarta was given an expanded mandate to become a university given by the government through the President of RI decree No.93 th 1999. Just like Yogyakarta, Surabaya also has a lot of universities. The popular one is “Universitas Airlangga” or “UNAIR”. According to UNAIR’s site (2022), On November 10, 1954, Indonesian President Dr. Ir. Soekarno inaugurated the establishment of Airlangga University as the third State University (PTN) in Indonesia after the University of Indonesia and Gadjah Mada University. It consists of five faculties:

1.     Faculty of Medicine

2.     Faculty of Dentistry

3.     Faculty of Law

4.     Faculty of Teacher Training and Education

5.     Faculty of Literature.

ITS is another popular campus as well, especially among students who are majoring in science.  It can be seen from its name, “Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember” which is an institute that consists of faculties of engineering. According to www.universitas123.com, here is the list of the existing faculties today:

1.       Faculty of Science and Data Analytics

2.       Faculty of Vocational

3.       Faculty of Civil Engineering, Planning, and Earth

4.       Faculty of Information Technology

5.       Faculty of Intelligent Electrical and Informatics Technology

6.       Faculty of Creative Design and Digital Business

7.       Faculty of Marine Technology

8.       Faculty of Industrial Technology and Systems Engineering.

As claimed by Rizka Nur (2020), she said that there were still many people who mistakenly thought that ITS is “Institut Teknologi Surabaya”. However, similar to UNAIR, ITS was also inaugurated by Dr. Ir. Soekarno, but at a different time. It was on the 10^th of November 1957.

Despite these similarities, it follows logically that Yogyakarta differs from Surabaya in several aspects.

            The first different thing between Yogyakarta and Surabaya is their dialects. Although their language is the same as Javanese, they have different dialects. For your information, according to Merriam Webster’s dictionary, dialect is a regional variety of language distinguished by features of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation from other regional varieties and constituting together with them a single language. (www.merriam-webster.com, 2022). The dialect of Yogyakarta people is usually more polite and slower while the dialects of Surabaya people are rougher and louder. As stated by Suhu (2020), Yogyakarta which is considered to be the center of Javanese culture has become a standard reference for the Javanese language. Despite using different dialects, either the Yogyakarta or Surabaya people can still understand most of their respective languages. Yogyakarta also has three levels of language, namely:

a. Very fine language (Krama Alus), is usually used by young people for older people.

b. Fine language (Krama Lugu/Ngoko Alus), is usually used by older people for young people.

c. Ordinary language (Ngoko), is usually used for peers.

Whereas, Surabaya has its dialect which is usually called “Suroboyoan”. One of the unique characteristics of Surabaya people’s dialect is “rek”. Recently “Suroboyoan” is developed and used by some people of Surabaya and the surrounding areas such as Sidoarjo, Mojokerto, Malang, Jember, etc. As claimed on kotasurabayafandom’s site (2022), he said that structurally speaking, “Suroboyoan” can be said to be the rudest language. Nevertheless, the language with a more subtle level is still used by some Surabaya people, as a form of respect for others. However, the use of fine Javanese (intermediate to krama) among the people of Surabaya is mostly not as smooth as in Central Java, especially Yogyakarta.

            The second difference is in terms of government and regional area. Yogyakarta city is a capital city of Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta. From the name, we know that province of DIY has a special autonomy. DIY is one of the smallest provinces located in Java. Even that DIY consists of 1 city with 4 districts. As stated in jogjaprov’s site, (2010) its area is 3,185.80 km or 0.17% of the area of Indonesia (1,860,359.67 km). DIY is headed by Sultan and Adipati as Governor and Deputy Governor. This is following the mandate of “Piagam Kedudukan 19 Agustus 1945” which states that the Sultan and Adipati who are enthroned remain in their positions with written in full name, title, and the position of a Sultan and Adipati who enthroned by the number of enthroned order. Initially, DIY was the merger of two regions, namely Kasultanan and Pakualaman into a provincial-level area of NKRI. This is mentioned in the Mandate of October 30, 1945, October 5, 1945, and UU No. 3 Th 1950. (Umaiyah S., 2022). In contrast, Surabaya as the capital city of East Java is similar to the position of Yogyakarta (although it does not have privileges). Surabaya city government is headed by a mayor, who is democratically elected under the UUD 1945, and in the implementation of the Surabaya city government consists of the Government of Surabaya and the DPRD Kota Surabaya. However, Surabaya is the second-largest city after Jakarta. According to DPM&PTSP’s site (2022), “The area of Surabaya is 52,087 hectares, with a land area of 33,048 hectares or 63.45% and the area of sea area managed by the City Government of 19,039 hectares or 36.55%. 

            The third different thing between Yogyakarta and Surabaya is their famous nickname. Indeed, Yogyakarta is famous for its art and culture. Besides being known as “The City of students”, Yogyakarta is also known as “The City of Artists”.

As stated by Aryo (2022), there are many Art Galleries such as Jogja Gallery, Gajah Gallery Yogya, Sangkring Art Space, etc. Jogja Gallery was first inaugurated by Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X in 2006. The establishment of this gallery was made as a form of support for the preservation of artworks in Yogyakarta. In this gallery, we can see a variety of fine artworks, ranging from paintings to movies. Not only that, but Jogja Gallery also often organizes other cultural activities. Furthermore, Yogyakarta holds an annual Jogja Cross Culture (JCC). JCC is an event of collaboration and cooperation between the Yogyakarta City Cultural Office and culturalists and artists in the inner and outer regions of Yogyakarta City and other countries to introduce cross-cultural products that develop in Yogyakarta over time. (www.mitrapost.com, 2022). Unlike Yogyakarta, Surabaya is usually mentioned as “The City of heroes” because of the struggle of “Arek- arek Suroboyo” in maintaining Indonesia’s independence.

According to Diva (2020), the most memorable of Arek- arek Suroboyo’s heroic event occurred on September 19, 1945, when young men tore the Dutch flag at the Orange Hotel or Yamato Hotel on Tunjungan street, the incident was known as the 'Flag Incident'. Sometimes it is also called “The City of a Thousand Parks”. There are many parks and the two most popular parks are “Taman Surya” and “Taman Bungkul”. “Taman Surya” is also commonly called “Taman Balai Kota” which is located in front of “Balai Kota Surabaya”. As claimed on the website of rumah.com (2021), it has a sufficiently wide area and many benches to relax. Although the facilities are not as complete as other parks, it has beautiful scenery that can be enjoyed. We also can ride a bicycle around the park or take a walk just for refreshing.

            Finally, the last dissimilar between Yogyakarta and Surabaya is the living cost. At a glance, Yogyakarta is well known for its inexpensive food. Especially in places such as traditional markets, street vendors, and stalls. According to the mylifewhereelse site (2022), it is said that Yogyakarta is 10.2% cheaper than Surabaya. If we lived in Yogyakarta instead of Surabaya, we would pay:

a.     0.1% more for restaurants

b.     12.6% more for groceries

c.     4.2% more for transportation

d.     14.3% less for housing

e.     44.1% less for childcare

f.      17.8% less for entertainment and sports

g.     12% less for clothing.

 

It can be seen from the previous explanation that overall the cost of living in Surabaya is more high-priced than the cost of living in Yogyakarta. But in certain parts, the cost of living spent in Surabaya is lower than in Yogyakarta. So, it depends.

 

Yogyakarta and Surabaya: on the same island, but mostly different. They have two things in common, famous for culinary tourism and have many campuses. Even though they are the same Javanese, they have a lot of differences. Not only in their local language but also in their terms of government and regional area, their nicknames, and their living costs. This makes Yogyakarta and Surabaya, as provincial capitals that have their specialties and uniqueness.

 

 

RED                : HOOK

GREEN          : THESIS STATEMENTS

PURPLE        : TOPIC SENTENCE

ORANGE       : TRANSITION SENTENCE

BLUE             : CONCLUSION

PINK              : SOURCES 

 

 

 

 

References

Proyeksi Penduduk menurut Provinsi, 2010-2035. (2014, February 18). https://www.bps.go.id/statictable/2014/02/18/1274/proyeksi-penduduk-menurut-provinsi-2010---2035.html

 

Adhi, S. (2018, August 25). Mengapa Jawa lebih subur dibanding Sumatra? Petunjuknya ada di abu gunung api . https://theconversation.com/mengapa-jawa-lebih-subur-dibanding-sumatra-petunjuknya-ada-di-abu-gunung-api-101809

 

Malinda, G. (2016, January 11). Jelaskan Mengapa Pulau Jawa Padat Penduduknya. http://gurupintar.com/threads/jelaskan-mengapa-pulau-jawa-padat-penduduknya.856/#:~:text=Pulau%20Jawa%20menjadi%20pulau%20terpadat%20karena%20disebabkan%20banyak,pusat%20pemerintahan%20negara%20Indonesia%2C%20tepatnya%20pada%20DKI%20Jakarta.

 

Vio. (2020, December 8). Kepadatan Penduduk: Faktor Penyebab, Jenis, dan Penanggulangannya . https://kumparan.com/berita-hari-ini/1ujzHthwOeV/full?utm_source=Desktop&utm_medium=copy-to-clipboard&shareID=EvxiSCaIrneU

 

9 Oleh-oleh Khas Jogja yang Tak Boleh Dilewatkan, Sudah Pernah Cicip? (2022). https://traveling.bisnis.com/read/20220508/223/1530822/9-oleh-oleh-khas-jogja-yang-tak-boleh-dilewatkan-sudah-pernah-cicip/2

 

7 Rekomendasi Gudeg Terkenal di Jogja, Favorit Banget! (2021, November 29). https://jogja.idntimes.com/food/dining-guide/idn-times-hyperlocal/rekomendasi-gudeg-terkenal-di-jogja/7

 

Jati, Y. (2022, February 2). Resep Lontong Balap Klasik Khas Surabaya Kuah Gurih & Segar. https://superapp.id/blog/resep/lontong-balap/

 

Arofani, P. (2022, March 5). 7 Rekomendasi Tahu Tek Paling Enak di Surabaya, Ada Favoritmu?  . https://www.idntimes.com/food/dining-guide/prila-arofani/tahu-tek-paling-enak-di-surabaya/2

 

Tim Website UGM. (2015, December 10). Sejarah Museum UGM. https://ugm.ac.id/id/fasilitas/3639-museum.ugm/

 

Tim Website UGM. (2021). Universitas Gadjah Mada At A Glance. https://admission.ugm.ac.id/

 

Data Pendidikan di Kota Yogyakarta. (2015, November 4). http://investasi.jogjakota.go.id/id/more/page/21/Data-Pendidikan#:~:text=Pada%20tahun%20ajaran%202013%2F2014%20di%20Kota%20Yogyakarta%20terdapat,orang%20dosen%20yayasan%20dan%20271%20orang%20dosen%20DPK.

Tim Website UNY. (2019). Sejarah UNY. https://www.uny.ac.id/id/sejarah-uny

 

Tim Website UNAIR. (2022). Tentang UNAIR Sejarah. https://www.unair.ac.id/tentang-unair-sejarah/

 

Kampus di Surabaya beserta Jurusannya Paling Unggul. (2022). https://www.universitas123.com/news/kampus-di-surabaya-beserta-jurusannya-paling-unggul

 

Rizka, N. (2020, August 12). Sering Dikira Institut Teknologi Surabaya, Begini Sejarah Lengkap Berdirinya ITS. https://www.merdeka.com/jabar/sering-dikira-institut-teknologi-surabaya-simak-sejarah-lengkap-berdirinya-its.html

 

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Dialect. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved May 12, 2022, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dialect           

Suhu. (2020, August 10). Macam-macam Dialek Bahasa Jawa Tengah. https://tahunbaruimlek.com/macam-macam-dialek-bahasa-jawa-tengah/

Bahasa Jawa Surabaya. (2022). https://kotasurabaya.fandom.com/id/wiki/Bahasa_Jawa_Surabaya

 

Humas Jogjaprov. (2013). Luas Wilayah. https://jogjaprov.go.id/public/berita/luas-wilayah

 

Umaiyah, S. (2022, January 17). Ini Alasan Yogyakarta Disebut Daerah Istimewa, Punya Otonomi Khusus. https://jogja.idntimes.com/life/education/siti-umaiyah/alasan-yogyakarta-disebut-daerah-istimewa/1

 

Tim DPM & PTSP. (n.d.). Geografis. Retrieved May 13, 2022, from http://dpm-ptsp.surabaya.go.id/v3/pages/geografis

Phramudhito, aryo. (2022, January 12). 5 Galeri Seni di Yogyakarta. https://www.idntimes.com/travel/destination/aryo-phramudhito/galeri-seni-di-yogyakarta-c1c2/1

 

Kuatkan Predikat Kota Budaya, Jogja Cross Culture Akan Digelar di Teras Malioboro II. (2022, May 12). https://mitrapost.com/2022/05/12/kuatkan-predikat-kota-budaya-jogja-cross-culture-akan-digelar-di-teras-malioboro-ii/

 

Diva, Y. (2020, August 10). Bikin bangga, ini alasan Surabaya menyandang julukan Kota Pahlawan. https://www.hops.id/trending/pr-2942095339/bikin-bangga-ini-alasan-surabaya-menyandang-julukan-kota-pahlawan?page=2

 

10 Taman Di Surabaya Paling Nyaman, Paling Juara. (2021, September 23). https://www.rumah.com/areainsider/surabaya/article/taman-di-surabaya-13233#:~:text=Berada%20di%20depan%20Balai%20Kota%20Surabaya%2C%20Taman%20Surya,lainnya%2C%20namun%20ada%20pemandangan%20indah%20yang%20bisa%20dinikmati.

 

Cost of Living in Surabaya. (2022, May). https://www.mylifeelsewhere.com/cost-of-living/surabaya-c4546/yogyakarta-c4550