I attended Dian Interfidei's interfaith workshop today at an Islamic boarding school. The purpose of the school is to bring people of all religions together. Every saturday morning, discussions are held at different locations.
Though it was difficult to follow the conversation, it was interesting to observe the interactions between the students. The students were all friendly with one another, and it seemed like they were even friends outside of these discussions. It was impossible to see the deep seated-animosity between the religions, although it is publicly noticeable in certain parts of Yogyakarta. Just yesterday, a group of Christians were attacked while praying in their own homes. It's safe to say that ignorance and prejudice does not exist among these select group of students.
Though Indonesia is primarily a Muslim country, with over 200 million Muslims, the other religions also make up a large portion of the population. In order to keep the peace among the different groups, acceptance is crucial. Based on my observations, Dian Interfidei has done wonders in reducing ignorance. I met a girl today who was once part of the Indonesian version of the Muslim Brotherhood. She told me that she was very conservative and she did not accept the other religions because of the false information she was taught. Now, a couple years after being a student in the program, she is one of the people responsible for organizing it.
I have lots of hope that Interfidei will accomplish great things one step at a time.
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Friday, May 30, 2014
"An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind" - Gandhi
At work today, Winona and I made a poster for Dian Interfidei's Interfaith campaign.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Gereja Ganjuran
In honour of the Ascension of Christ, Fye took us to visit Gereja Ganjuran today. In Bahasa Indonesia, Gereja is Church and Ganjuran is the name of the specific church.
This church is unique for two reasons. The first is that it is heavily influenced by Javanese culture. The figurines in the Stations of the Cross displayed on the walls of the outer compound have Hindu characteristics. The most prominent one is the head piece. It is hard to see, but the following picture illustrates the head piece:
The second is that the church is located in a larger compound, which also entails a gift shop, a massive shrine, a meditation room, and a gazebo for singing hymns.
The following picture is of the Sanctuary:
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It was a wonderful experience because it really emphasized the importance of interfaith in Indonesia. I believe that every religion deserves the same respect, and this has been put into action by celebrating the different religious holidays in Indonesia.
This church is unique for two reasons. The first is that it is heavily influenced by Javanese culture. The figurines in the Stations of the Cross displayed on the walls of the outer compound have Hindu characteristics. The most prominent one is the head piece. It is hard to see, but the following picture illustrates the head piece:
The second is that the church is located in a larger compound, which also entails a gift shop, a massive shrine, a meditation room, and a gazebo for singing hymns.
The following picture is of the Sanctuary:
It was a wonderful experience because it really emphasized the importance of interfaith in Indonesia. I believe that every religion deserves the same respect, and this has been put into action by celebrating the different religious holidays in Indonesia.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
The Clock is Ticking
Many people in Indonesia have no sense of time... but what else can you really expect from people in a developing country, right?!
I have come to realize over the past few years that the workpace is completely different in different parts of the world. In some countries, people are pressed for time whereas in other places people have no sense of it. Based off of my own observations, people are generally more efficient in Canada as opposed to in Indonesia or in East Africa.
I would like to clarify that my frustration stems from the disorganization of my first day of work. We left the house at 10:30 this morning to drop Sarah off at her work place at PKBI. When we arrived at 11:15, we were told that everyone had stepped out for a bit. We waited thirty minutes for someone to return. Around 11:45, Winona and I made our way to Dian Interfidi, only to realize that upon arriving, it was a half day for them. We ate lunch with them and discussed our plans for friday, since tomorrow is another national holiday in Yogya. Within the hour, we left Dian Interfidi and returned back to our place.
I'm extremely frustrated because we started preparing a couple months ago for this day, only to realize that it was going to be pushed back. The lesson to be learnt from this experience is to go with the flow and to accept that things will always be disorganized. As long as I keep myself motivated to accomplish my goals, I cannot expect anything from anyone else.
I have come to realize over the past few years that the workpace is completely different in different parts of the world. In some countries, people are pressed for time whereas in other places people have no sense of it. Based off of my own observations, people are generally more efficient in Canada as opposed to in Indonesia or in East Africa.
I would like to clarify that my frustration stems from the disorganization of my first day of work. We left the house at 10:30 this morning to drop Sarah off at her work place at PKBI. When we arrived at 11:15, we were told that everyone had stepped out for a bit. We waited thirty minutes for someone to return. Around 11:45, Winona and I made our way to Dian Interfidi, only to realize that upon arriving, it was a half day for them. We ate lunch with them and discussed our plans for friday, since tomorrow is another national holiday in Yogya. Within the hour, we left Dian Interfidi and returned back to our place.
I'm extremely frustrated because we started preparing a couple months ago for this day, only to realize that it was going to be pushed back. The lesson to be learnt from this experience is to go with the flow and to accept that things will always be disorganized. As long as I keep myself motivated to accomplish my goals, I cannot expect anything from anyone else.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Fun in the Sun
Today was the most relaxing day I've had in a while. I spent the morning swimming and tanning at the Hyatt Hotel. I got to the hotel around 10:30 and made my way straight to the pool. The hotel had three different pools, and each was connected to the other by water slides. During the afternoon, the girls got a full body massage at a local salon. The massage was perfect. The main difference between getting a massage in Indonesia compared to getting one in Canada is the ambience. In Indonesia, there is usually one large room with many beds, so that everyone gets a massage at the same time. There are no curtains to separate each person. Although it lacked privacy, there was no difference in the method of their massage. In the evening, we went to Malioboro Street, the downtown of Yogya, and rode an Elephant pedal cart.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Suraiya the Explorer
Today was a day of exploration. We left early this morning to visit Volcano Merapi, an active volcano located approximately 30 km away from our residence. The journey to the volcano was beautiful. The streets were narrow but they were surrounded by lush green trees. Along the way, we passed many workers tending to their rice paddies. As we got closer to the volcano, the land had lost its greenery as a result of the 2010 eruption. The volcanic ashes, which reached 800 degrees Celsius, had destroyed everything in their path.
It was impressive yet heartbreaking to witness all the damage the volcano had done.
Once we reached the volcanic compounds, we got out of our car and relocated into a jeep. The driver took us down a steep and rocky road. At first, it didn't seem like there was much to see because there were rocks and sand everywhere- everything was the same. A few kilometres later, the driver stopped at a house. At first this house looked like all the other houses that had been destroyed, but in fact, the house was a museum of different artifacts that had been ruined. On display there were cassettes, clothes, skeletons, a tv, cutlery, utensils and a motorcycle. After touring the museum we made our way to the bunker. The tour guide explained that in 2010 there were a few eruptions soon after each other. Although the bunker was a place of shelter, two people died in October but over a 100 died in November. This illustrates that volcanic eruptions are all different, since some are more intense than others. I felt emotional as I walked around because I found it hard to imagine how so many people could fit into such a tight, narrow and dark place.
On our way back to the parking lot I thought about all the people who had lost their homes and those that still chose to live close to the volcano, knowing that they were jeopardizing their lives.
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Crabs on Crabs on Crabs
My first purchase in Indonesia is a crab that has a hot pink Angry Bird shell. Its name is Pamplemousse. Winona and Sarah also bought crabs, their names are Strawberry and Godzilla, and we pitched in to buy the three of them a mansion. The mansion is legitimately any crabs dream; it has a slide and a swing.
Once the excitement of our first purchase had died down, we returned to the house in time for a meeting with the heads of AUA. In our meeting we discussed our individualized work plans for our summer internship. My main task for the next six weeks is to write a short report about the life of the Shi'a community and the challenges they have faced in Yogyakarta.
The afternoon was filled with fun activities such as visiting the Sultan's Palace, Malioboro street and Bahasa Classes.
The Sultan's Palace was very different from any historic sight that I've seen before since it was not well kept like the palaces in Oman or the beautiful Cathedrals in Europe. It had a raw beauty to it even though it lacked the grandeur of other sites. I find it amazing that the servants of the Sultan serve him voluntarily and expect no salary in return. It really shows true devotion and loyalty. It is also interesting that even though these servants literally place the Sultan on a pedestal, there are some in Yogyakarta who do not like him. Generally the older people like him, whereas the younger people are not a huge fan.
I also had my first Bahasa class today. Bahasa is an easy language to learn because there are no changes in the tense of verbs. The structure of the sentence is also simple. In my opinion, the most important sentence we learned today was asking the driver, "Can you please take me to get a massage".
Once the excitement of our first purchase had died down, we returned to the house in time for a meeting with the heads of AUA. In our meeting we discussed our individualized work plans for our summer internship. My main task for the next six weeks is to write a short report about the life of the Shi'a community and the challenges they have faced in Yogyakarta.
The afternoon was filled with fun activities such as visiting the Sultan's Palace, Malioboro street and Bahasa Classes.
The Sultan's Palace was very different from any historic sight that I've seen before since it was not well kept like the palaces in Oman or the beautiful Cathedrals in Europe. It had a raw beauty to it even though it lacked the grandeur of other sites. I find it amazing that the servants of the Sultan serve him voluntarily and expect no salary in return. It really shows true devotion and loyalty. It is also interesting that even though these servants literally place the Sultan on a pedestal, there are some in Yogyakarta who do not like him. Generally the older people like him, whereas the younger people are not a huge fan.
I also had my first Bahasa class today. Bahasa is an easy language to learn because there are no changes in the tense of verbs. The structure of the sentence is also simple. In my opinion, the most important sentence we learned today was asking the driver, "Can you please take me to get a massage".
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Playing it Safe
It is safe to say that... I learned a lot today...
Today was the first day of orientation. The whole morning was spent on learning the Do's and Don'ts of Indonesia. If there is one thing I've learned from the session, it would be that we are under no circumstance allowed to be on a motorcycle, even though it is the most convenient way to travel around Yogya.
After an intense and compact three hours of orientation, we walked to a restaurant for lunch. I admit that the highlight of my couple days so far has been trying new foods. Everything I eat is delicious. The meals are flavourful and unlike anything I've eaten in North America. Once again, I had trouble deciding what to eat. It's not only that there are too many options to choose from, but that I have to decide on my meals by looking at pictures since none of the menus are in English. Even though it's annoying, it makes me feel adventurous because every meal is a gamble. I'm happy to say that I won this round ;). I ate fried rice with pineapples, chicken, vegetables and raisins. I promise it tastes way better than it sounds.
Once we finished eating lunch, we were given a tour of the campus and where to get our groceries from. We returned back to the house since the head of the International Relations Department was going to give us a short lecture on Indonesia. The lecture was extremely insightful. Professor Eric explained how Indonesia is broken up into 5 main areas, where Java (where I am staying), consists of 60% of the population. He also explained the different ethnicities (impossible to count) and religions (Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and Confucianism) that are present in Indonesia. It is amazing that even within Islam, there is a division between the Modernists, whom adhere to the rigid principles of Islam, and the Traditionalists, whom have infused Javanese culture with Islam. On another note, I also learned that Indonesia has many active volcanoes and there are over 10 in Java.
The rest of the evening was spent on great conversations over dinner.
It is safe to say that... the past couple of days have been focused on playing it safe. I've been enjoying the company of great people and great food!
Cheers to the rest of the summer!
Today was the first day of orientation. The whole morning was spent on learning the Do's and Don'ts of Indonesia. If there is one thing I've learned from the session, it would be that we are under no circumstance allowed to be on a motorcycle, even though it is the most convenient way to travel around Yogya.
After an intense and compact three hours of orientation, we walked to a restaurant for lunch. I admit that the highlight of my couple days so far has been trying new foods. Everything I eat is delicious. The meals are flavourful and unlike anything I've eaten in North America. Once again, I had trouble deciding what to eat. It's not only that there are too many options to choose from, but that I have to decide on my meals by looking at pictures since none of the menus are in English. Even though it's annoying, it makes me feel adventurous because every meal is a gamble. I'm happy to say that I won this round ;). I ate fried rice with pineapples, chicken, vegetables and raisins. I promise it tastes way better than it sounds.
Once we finished eating lunch, we were given a tour of the campus and where to get our groceries from. We returned back to the house since the head of the International Relations Department was going to give us a short lecture on Indonesia. The lecture was extremely insightful. Professor Eric explained how Indonesia is broken up into 5 main areas, where Java (where I am staying), consists of 60% of the population. He also explained the different ethnicities (impossible to count) and religions (Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and Confucianism) that are present in Indonesia. It is amazing that even within Islam, there is a division between the Modernists, whom adhere to the rigid principles of Islam, and the Traditionalists, whom have infused Javanese culture with Islam. On another note, I also learned that Indonesia has many active volcanoes and there are over 10 in Java.
The rest of the evening was spent on great conversations over dinner.
It is safe to say that... the past couple of days have been focused on playing it safe. I've been enjoying the company of great people and great food!
Cheers to the rest of the summer!
Friday, May 23, 2014
Bright Lights Muslim City
Today was my first day in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
In the morning, Fye, my Indonesian buddy, met me around 11 o'clock and then Ayu and Nana ( the country coordinators for AUA) came around 11:15. The three of us went to the campus for lunch because Nana was organizing an event called European week at Universitas Gadjah Mada. It was my first time trying Indonesian food. The food was really good. I had a type of Indonesian sweet and sour soup, rice, fried chicken, vegetables, noodles and fruits. After having lunch, Fye showed me around the campus. The classrooms are moderately sized, they have little cafeterias everywhere and the people all looked really happy! The only problem was that it was excruciatingly hot...
In the morning, Fye, my Indonesian buddy, met me around 11 o'clock and then Ayu and Nana ( the country coordinators for AUA) came around 11:15. The three of us went to the campus for lunch because Nana was organizing an event called European week at Universitas Gadjah Mada. It was my first time trying Indonesian food. The food was really good. I had a type of Indonesian sweet and sour soup, rice, fried chicken, vegetables, noodles and fruits. After having lunch, Fye showed me around the campus. The classrooms are moderately sized, they have little cafeterias everywhere and the people all looked really happy! The only problem was that it was excruciatingly hot...
During the afternoon Fye took me around the city in her car. There are motorcycles EVERYWHERE. On our brief tour I saw: the Sultan's palace, the local markets, malls and cheap places to get food. Fye also showed me a field that had two trees. According to superstition, if you walk straight between the two with your eyes closed, your wish will come true. Before dropping me back to the house we stopped by the field on campus because her friends were playing dodgeball. I met her friends and they seemed really nice and outgoing. I told her to invite me if they ever go out during the weekends since I want to make more Indonesian friends!
Dinner was AMAZING since there was live music and the food was delicious.
Overall, I had a good first day in Indonesia; the day was full but I had time some time for myself as well. During my downtime I realized that I really like the sound of the Adzan . I can hear it from my window because the campus Mosque is close to my house. It makes me feel serene and peaceful since it reminds me of Zanzibar. I can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring!
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