“The deal with multiculturalism is that the only culture you're allowed to disapprove of is your own.” ― Martin Amis
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| My view of Malang from the Aria Hotel |
I don’t
think I’ve given multicultural people enough credit. Over the last 72 hours, I
have learned just how hard it is to be thrown into a completely different
culture—to have no idea what anyone is saying, doing, or thinking, to have
people stop and stare at you as you pass by, and to feel completely helpless at
communicating your thoughts and emotions.
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| Traditional Indonesian Dance at the Opening Ceremony |
On Sunday I
arrived in Malang, Indonesia with a heart full of excitement and anticipation.
During our in-country orientation, I stayed in a hotel with another
participant. On Monday we drove to the University Negeri Malang, where we met
our instructors and tutors. We had to introduce ourselves in Indonesian and
were able to watch a traditional Indonesian dance, and afterwards shared a
traditional Indonesian lunch with our instructors.
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| Andrea and I at the opening ceremony |
That
afternoon, the CLS participants either took a placement test or hung out with
their peer tutors. Since I was a complete beginner, I opted to skip the
placement test and get to know my peer tutors a little more. And this is where
things started to get rough… My peer tutors are lovely; they are so patient and
kind and invested in my learning. But there’s a huge problem: I don’t speak ANY
Indonesian and the peer tutors are forbidden to speak in English. Over the span
of three hours, they tried their best to get me to understand simple phrases
such as “I like…” or “what is…” or “how are…” And, after much effort on their
part, I started to get it. I came back to the hotel with 10 pages of new vocab
to learn, and fell asleep making flashcards.
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| Kathryn and I getting Indonesian Ice Cream |
The next two
days are a blur. Indonesian classes are going well, but it takes a constant
effort to make sense of what my instructors are telling me. My peer tutors
escorted me to my host mother’s house Tuesday evening, and basically acted as
translators for the entire night. My host mom is very nice, but I definitely
struggle with communication. On the first night I spent with my host mom, I
cried myself to sle
ep because I missed home so much. But I awoke with a new
confidence and better outlook on the experience. Sure there are going to be
times that are hard and when I don’t know what’s going on at all, but there are
also going to be great times! Nothing rewarding ever comes easy, and I think
this is one of the first times I was forced to step out of my comfort zone, for
being in a different county alone is more challenging that I ever imagined.Labels: CLS, Indonesia: Summer 13, my story, travel
