It has been really odd writing assignments in January. But today I handed in my last one! So that’s it, I am done at UGM. This last 5 months has gone so fast, but it feels like forever ago that I first arrived in Yogya. I have done and learnt so much! I haven’t been as many places as I thought, but that will change next semester. Regardless, I have had a super duper fantastic time!
I couldn’t think of any other way to express the awesome time that I’ve had so far other than a list (anyone who knows me well knows that I really love lists). So below are some of the highlights, places I’ve been, interesting things that happened in class and things I have learnt (in no particular order, I might add).
Highlights:
- Learning how to make klepon with Red at Dede’s house (See above).
- Dressing up in traditional Javanese clothing at Imogiri Royal Cemetary.
- Visiting Bu Yacinta’s family in Semarang, especially making our very own es kelapa muda (‘iced young coconut’, a type of drink) with coconuts that we picked off the trees ourselves.
- Moviebox and Happy Puppy (karaoke)!
- Good times at the alun-alun kidul.
- Becoming familiar with the different sounds different kaki-lima (like a food cart) make. Especially ronde! Yum yum!
- Being a literal ‘rock star’ while wearing colourful ponchos and farmers hats in the Yogya Street Performance Festival.
- Exploring the streets around my area.
- Becoming confident riding a bike in Asian traffic – actually, becoming confident riding a bike full stop.
- Listening to the call to prayer and realising what the time is.
- Playing futsal. Especially playing at the oval with some kids we met there.
- Learning to salsa.
- Learning how to make bracelets from the girls at an orphanage.
- Beach trips
- Being able to show around the people who have visited me.
- Showing off Anzac biscuits and Vegemite at Gama Fest.
- Accidental double date with Wahyu, Dede and Jack.
- Receiving some super snaz parcels in the post – especially the surprise one!
- Seeing people’s reactions to Vegemite.
- Tea parties and corn baking gatherings
- Trying so many wonderful and interesting foods.
- Meeting Wahyu.
- Meeting wonderful friends, not just from Indonesia, but from Australia, America, Germany and Holland as well (see below).
Places I’ve been:
- Borobudur (largest Buddhist temple in the world, about 1200 years old)
- Prambanan (impressive Hindu temple complex)
- Taman Sari (water palace)
- Kraton, Yogyakarata (Sultan’s palace).
- Kraton, Solo
- Imogiri (Royal cemetery)
- Mount Merapi (a volcano that exploded in 2010)
- Parangtritis beach (affectionally known as Paris)
- Other beaches
- Kaliurang
- Semarang
- Denpasar (visiting my family there, Gayle, Wayang, Jess and Josh).
- Solo
- Dieng Plateu
Interesting Happenings in class:
- Being told by two of my lecturers that having white skin is better in front of the entire class and that everyone wants skin like mine. I definitely do not agree with that! I think everyone should be happy with the skin they’re in!
- Having it stressed by the lecturer that recent references are needed for our papers, yet his own paper had references from the 1800s.
- Discussions with other students about copyright laws in Australia. They were surprised to find out we usually have to buy the books, not just borrow them from the library, copy the entire thing and then return it.
- Having a watch drawn on my arm because I didn’t have one and there was nothing else to do.
- Having the lecturer use ‘what makes an ideal partner’ as a metaphor and then all the girls in the class agreeing that ‘being rich’ is on the top of their list.
Things I’ve learnt:
- Indonesians are wonderfully patient, kind and talented people, and they’re humble about it too!
- If it starts pouring down here, it won’t stop for a long time.
- It is possible for roads to turn to rivers and for the water to seemingly disappear not long after the rain stops.
- To slow down and just go with the flow. Also, that being on time is not the most important thing in the world.
- Gadjah Mada campus is MASSIVE!
- A good golden syrup replacement can be easily made with honey and palm sugar.
- How to play the djembe... kind of... ok not really, but I can a little bit.
- How to speak Javanese – again, kind of... but I plan to improve next semester!
- Batik making is much harder than it looks.
- There is a very good reason why durian is banned from hotels and public transport.
- I really don’t need that much stuff. I think it is important to have a few homey, comforting and familiar things around you, but I am definitely having a massive clean out when I get back to Australia.
Sampai jumpa,
