“Home Away from Home”
Today I embarked on a journey that is both wonderful and terrifying. For me to be far away from home and away from my comfort zone made me think twice if this is really for me but I guess it is because here I am. On this day, we arrived in Yogyakarta from Jakarta. The flight was an experience that I will never forget but I think it is another story worth telling some other time.
In Yogyakarta, we met with our fellow student teachers from Iloilo, Margie and Jessie at the same time we were introduced to our student buddies from Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto. Mas Ameer, Mas Kahfi and Rainy were very welcoming and they took us around Yogya. We had breakfast at Sendang Ayu and we tasted Indonesian food for the first time. I especially enjoyed the chili paste, sambal, with rice and ayam (chicken). We also experienced riding a small wooden raft on a river. I believed this helped us bond more with out buddies. Although we had a small language barrier, experiences like these gave us a lot to talk about.
After breakfast, two Taiwanese students journeyed with us back to Purwokerto. Although they are not part of the Teacher Exchange program, they went with us to see Marlioboro. It reminded me so much of old shopping districts in the Philippines such as Colon or Divisoria but Marlioboro is certainly much cleaner and more diverse. We bought some souvenirs like key chains and postcards. While walking we met Rainy’s friend who took us to a cafe in Marlioboro. She talked to us about different opportunities that foreign people could find here in Indonesia. We learned some programs are offered to foreigners to learn about different aspects of the Indonesian culture, which I believe should be done in the Philippines as well. It shows how much they value their own culture and identity.
After a little exploring and a sprinkle of rain, we were finally on our way to Purwokerto. It was a 5-7 hour drive but the view was worth it. It reminded me so much of home but at the same time there was something very different about it. I can easily consider this a home away from home for me and I hope that in the future days to come, I will be able to really see the beauty of Indonesia.