Five days ago, I arrived in Yogayakarta; I was welcomed into my Javanese homestay on Tuesday. My family is a family of five: bapak, ibu, a son and two daughters. All the children speak English, which has been very helpful and we have engaged in discussions about each other’s lives and cultures.
During these three weeks in Yogya, we will be studying at UGM (Gadjah Mada University), one of the largest and top universities in Indonesia. On the first day that we arrived, we were greeted by several of the students from the philosophy department at UGM. Yesterday we visited Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in the world as well as Prambanan, a Hindu temple.
It is interesting to see the similarities and differences between Bali and Java. At first I thought I would miss Bali, but I have grown to love and appreciate Java and its people just as much. My family here has been very welcoming, the students at UGM are all so friendly, and I am learning more about the history, religion, and culture of Indonesia.