As my exchange semester in聽Indonesia聽approached, I was excited but had no Idea what to expect. I could vaguely recall hearing the name Suharto before and had some notion that Bali was a nice place but that was the extent of my knowledge. I knew nothing about the food, culture, language, or history of Java, where I was going, much less any other part of the vast country. I found聽Indonesia聽to be a fascinating if deeply confusing place, and living there for almost six months is certainly an experience I will never forget.
I arrived late on February first in Jakarta during a rainstorm. I had been warned to spend as little time as possible in the big durian, that it was one of the more unpleasant cities in Asia, but I enjoyed my time there. The old colonial quarter and neighboring chinatown were fascinating and chaotic, full of people selling live animals of all sorts on the side of the road among other things. I discovered that unlike many foreigners I have a taste for durian fruit. I spent two days exploring the city before taking a train to Yogyakarta.
Jogja, as it is known, is nothing like the capital. The room where I was staying, despite being in a central location, was surrounded by rice fields. The town has a very laid back atmosphere. There are several universities besides UGM, and it is known as being a聽student聽city. My first week of classes were held online because of protests surrounding the presidential elections, so I had a great deal of time to explore. I was nervous to drive a scooter, having crashed one before, but it's really the only practical way to get around, and probably safer than walking all things considered. Zipping around town on a scooter is an inextricable part of life in聽Indonesia聽and definitely one of the most fun and memorable parts of living there.
Universitas Gadjah Mada, or UGM, is situated on a beautiful campus in a prime location. I was in the faculty of social and political sciences, where I was the only foreign聽student聽or one of a couple in all of my classes. The professors speak halting English, but the聽students are generally fluent and very interested in getting to know foreigners and happy to help you with any problems. I was constantly being asked to take pictures in聽Indonesia. Initially I was surprised at how many people seeing a foreigner was such an event, but later I realized that they just love taking pictures with anyone. Academically UGM is very different from CU, with a heavy emphasis on giving presentations and you never see a grade on any assignment until the semester is over. I enjoyed my time there, but prospective聽students should note that if you need to fulfill specific degree requirements there is no guarantee they will be offered. Four of the five courses I registered for were canceled the Saturday before classes were to start and I had to scramble to find new ones.
One of the best parts of living in Jogja is that domestic flights are very affordable and there is lots of time off. I was able to take many trips to Bali and Lombok but also much less visited places like South Sumatra and Sulawesi. The amount of things to do is overwhelming.聽Indonesia聽is a much bigger country than many people realize, and especially if you learn a little bit of the language there is a great deal of adventure to be had. Food is spicy by default in most places, but if you can build up some tolerance and say a few sentences in Bahasa聽Indonesia聽you're guaranteed to impress people anywhere.
I highly recommend this program, but it has its challenges. The heat is relentless and it can be tiring to draw so much attention everywhere you go. It was definitely a step outside my comfort zone, but on the whole I greatly enjoyed it and definitely came out of it with more confidence in my own abilities. I am already thinking of ways to go back.
