Day 6

Yesterday was full of interesting things. We got a tour of Universitas Indonesia's library, which was so HUGE! It makes Lehigh look like an elementary school (size wise). It is also so modern, yet mimics traditional Hindu and Buddhist architecture giving the whole campus a very cool feel. We then got to listen in on some interesting lectures on Indonesian democracy and multiculturalism. 

After learning a ton in Michigan, it was interesting hearing the Indonesian perspective. We also had lunch at a local sea food place, and the food looked amazing (I stuck to rice porridge and peanuts, but hopefully I will be branching out again soon!!!). 

We finished off the day at the local mall--which was literally enormous, and included an ice skating rink! We had dinner at a pizza hut, which was more like an Italian-Asian fusion restaurant than the fast food we are used to at home. Today we are heading off to meet the minister of education in Jakarta--can't wait!

--Ellie McGuire, Lehigh University

 

Day 6's adventures began quite early as we ventured into Jakarta for our many conferences. The first was with one of the Ministers of Education for UI. His discussion was very enlightening and I realized a lot I didn’t initially see about the cost of going to school in Indonesia or the difficulty level of the entrance exams. 

Next we went to a religious forum at the Interfaith Dialogue center, where there were representatives from each of the official religions of Indonesia. That was probably my favorite part of the day because not only did we get to learn about how each religion lives to tolerate one another in the same democratic society, I also saw general cultural differences between here and America. One of the really obvious things that I noticed at almost every meeting yesterday and today was that the businessmen often will leave their phone ringer on with the volume all the way up and let it ring and answer it during these forums. There were a few people that I witnessed actually have a subtle conversation at the table while others were talking. I feel that if that were to occur in America, people would not be happy that they didn’t have everyone’s undivided attention. 

The next two meetings were at Nahdahtul Ulama and Muhammadiyah; two Islamic groups that differ in interpretation. We got to see both sides of the story and how each group contributes to society in their own way. The best part about all these meetings are the little bakery boxes that we get on our desks as we arrive. They are often filled with delicious food and snacks accompanied with a drink of water. The boxes are usually some kind of interesting logo and pattern. I have begun taking pictures of all the boxes and will be posting them along with the rest of my images. 

--Shannon Cassidy, Lehigh University