These last few weeks have been intense and busy in Indonesia for me. I have had to study and take final exams and presentations for three of the classes I have been taking here. Now, an important and completely different phase of my study abroad experience officially starts. For the month of November, I will be interning with a local Balinese NGO that protects and raises awareness about the importance of turtle and other marine life conservation. I have always felt strongly connected to the ocean and nature, which is one of the reasons, I chose Bali in the first place. However, the past couple of weeks have been very heavy on planning for this month. There was a lot of planning that goes into situating myself in another area in Bali. This is because Indonesia is one of the countries in which you must expect the unexpected and be ready to change your plans the very last minute. The expression “on island time” is very true and fits perfectly the context of this archipelago. That being said, a lot of moving parts came into play when I had to decide where I wanted to intern, where I would live, how transportation would work, and where I would eat everyday (if no kitchens were available). This is because Indonesia is very different than the West— transportation to and from places has not always been the easiest to arrange (the easy ones are more expensive), finding home stays and hostels are a fun process but also unsettling because being the tropical country that it is, having to relocate due to bedbugs is not so rare in Indonesia! Beyond that, Indonesia is a country where religion is inseparable from everyday practices. That being said, some major religious ceremonies known as Galungan wuku (the week celebrating Galungan) where we celebrate the victory of dharma (good) over adharma (evil) has been taking place. This makes the predominantly Hindu island stop it’s regular schedule to adhere and adapt to religious ceremonies, rituals, tasks, and demands. It has been nothing short of a culturally enriching experience but it has also taught me that while we can plan one hundred things, sometimes the island has other plans! (With this I am learning a lot about the importance of flexibility, understanding, and patience).
My language exam also went very well and there again I learned a lot about myself and other valuable skills. Beyond learning about Bahasa Indonesia (the national language), I learned about all the culture, history, and ideas that come with learning a new language. Furthermore, with having to constantly speak with locals, learning a foreign language in some ways has become less hard than in other circumstances. The final exams here had a very different feel to them too: all that I was learning I got to experience and see firsthand. The stories, rituals, philosophies, artistic and musical performances and even the social problems that I have been continuously reading and discussing made my learning exponentially more productive and analytical.
With this, I write my third and final post about my study abroad experience while still in the country. The next one is my last reflection where I cannot imagine how much more I will be able to say about my independent month working with an NGO that means so much to the country and myself. I cannot wait to wrap up this experience and think back on all that is has taught me, but at the same time I wish time will go slowly so I don’t have to leave this place that has been so spiritually healing to me. Indonesia is magical and every day that passes I am more convinced of it.