This summer I am participating in an intensive ten-week language and general studies program run by the United States-Indonesia Society. I, along with 13 other students, will be studying at Gadjah Mada University (UGM), which is located in Yogyakarta in Central Java. During that time I will be living with an Indonesian family.
Quick background (you can read more by clicking on my other pages and links if you are interested!):
Yogyakarta (also Jogja, Yogya, Jogjakarta) is located in Central Java, and has a population over 500,000. Although a busy city, Yogya has a small-town feeling as there are lots of open spaces, particularly on the Gadjah Mada campus, and no high rise buildings. Yogyakarta is a center of Javanese culture, with many historic monuments, cultural performances and craft industries.
Gadjah Mada University is Indonesia’s oldest and one of the most prestigious public universities in Indonesia. While there, my curriculum will comprise about 15 hours/week of language instruction, and about 8 hours/week in a combination of tutorial sessions and cultural programs.
The language I will be studying is Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian), which is the national language. If you are interested in learning more, click on the link I have provided (good ol wikipedia!) Fortunately, they use the English alphabet (with different pronunciations, of course), which should make it slightly less painful than Chinese!
My Schedule:
I will depart from Denver on June 7, and arrive in Jakarta on June 9. I will spend four days in Jakarta for an orientation session. More info:
The purpose of the orientation in Jakarta is to get students acclimated to the local time and get their “feet on the ground” before starting intensive language classes. Another goal of the orientation is to give students a basic introduction to Indonesia through meetings with respected scholars, government officials, and other experts on Indonesia. The orientation is also an opportunity for students to network, especially if they plan on conducting future research in Indonesia.
After some fun in the city, I depart for Yogya. For the first two days I will be staying in a hotel before moving in with my host family. During that time I will be meeting with staff members and acquainting myself with the city and school.
In addition to classes and homework, I will have the opportunity to attend special lectures, tour nearby cities on field trips, and participate in cultural activities. For the cultural activities, we will all be doing a Gamelan workshop as a group, and individually I get to chose either Batik, Dance, Martial Arts, or Cooking.
I will also have a week off to travel around the country. Right now my plan is to go to Bali, but that might change…
I am looking forward to what I imagine will be an incredible summer. Keep checking this site for stories and photos!
