Hear from Global Grant recipient Jackson Marcus, who is currently studying abroad in Indonesia! Since arriving in Indonesia, he has immersed himself in Indonesian culture by exploring different regions, trying new foods, and interacting with locals. Read about his adventures below:
Update from February 2024
It's been a little more than two weeks since I arrived in Indonesia and it's been quite an experience so far. I spent my first two days in Jakarta where I took the most terrifying tuk tuk ride of my life (he was going over the speed limit on the sidewalk) and ate a lot of mysterious street food. After that I decided to take the train to Jogja which offered some incredible views. I had heard before coming here that Java was the most populated island in the world, but I've been pleasantly surprised to find a lot of rural areas and nothing that remotely compares to the chaos of Jakarta.
The people are incredibly friendly and hospitable. A few days ago a local student I had just met invited me to visit his village. His family are tobacco farmers from Temanggung province and almost certainly don't speak a word of english so it should be a real cultural experience. Last weekend I went with some other international students to a town called Pacitan about three hours away. We passed through some pretty remote villages that seemed untouched by the outside world which was really cool to see. This is easily the most naturally beautiful part of the world I've been to and I'm excited to explore more of the country.
Update from March 2024
This past month I've been settling into life in Jogja. The room I'm renting is immediately across from a mosque that plays what seems to me an exceptionally loud call to prayer before dawn everyday, but I've been able to sleep through it recently which has been a great development for me. Ramadan started a little more than a week ago and the whole town is much quieter during the day, but around 4 p.m. hundreds of street food vendors start to set up all around the city and the whole place becomes very lively. The food here is very delicious, I thought I might get sick of it but so far that hasn't happened. Last weekend I drove to a place called the Dieng Plateau and got invited to an iftar which is the fast-breaking evening meal. It started with a very sweet drink with lots of fruit and then fresh river fish with vegetables and the staples of rice and fried tempeh. Unfortunately my Bahasa Indonesia is still practically nonexistent so communicating was a challenge, but it was still a very cool experience.
Thanks for sharing, Jackson! We can't wait to hear more about your adventures!
Jackson is a Global Grant recipient, which is a scholarship exclusive to IAFS majors to fund their Education Abroad programs. The Global Grant Scholarship offers up to $3000 worth of funding to support your study abroad experience. The deadline to apply for this scholarship for programs next summer, fall, or the academic year is March 1st. More information can be found on the IAFS Global Grant webpage, and the application can be found on the Education Abroad Buffs Scholarships webpage.