"Culture, the acquainting ourselves with the
best that has been known and said in the world,
and thus with the history of the human spirit."
-Arnold, Matthew
After 36 hours of straight travel, the luring beckoning of a warm bed could not come fast enough--and I was so happy to pass out in my warm, comfy bed in the Aria Hotel last night. Over the last 2 days, I have traveled from Washington, DC to Toyko to Singapore to Jakarta, and finally, to Malang. Consequently, I have been able to experience 4 distinct cultures--even if it was only from within the walls of their airports.
Toyko greeted me from the window of my plane, boasting of its vast diversity and clear urban development. I was able to spot miles upon miles of rice farms, each distinctly drawn into small rectangles of farming plots. I was surprised to see how the roads always seemed to run in straight lines--no matter if it was in the middle of a small city or in the rural parts of the island. But one of the things that stood out to me was how flat everything seemed to be. Apart from one ridge of mountains that I saw from a distance, the entire country seemed to lack hills and valleys, yet stretched on and on as a giant plain. The Toyko airport was everything I had expected--huge, busy, yet organized. I spent the majority of my 3 hour layover checking my email and trying to get a few hours of sleep.
Singapore was alive with glistening nighttime lights when I arrived. As I looked out the window of my airplane, all I could see was vast darkness with a few specks of lights to suggest urban development. Hundreds upon hundreds of boats dotted the gaping ocean, with floodlights lighting up their decks. When I landed in the Singapore airport, I was greeted with an the eerie quietness that any city at 2:30am would have. I spent the next 7 hours wandering around--and sleeping in--the airport. My favorite part was the 24hr butterfly garden!
Jakarta screamed of a different culture. Unlike my last two stops, the Jakarta airport was completely different than any USA airport would be. It was alive with colors, carvings, and artwork that represented the nation of Indonesia well. As I went through customs, I was excited to use what few Indonesian phrases I had learned from the more advanced CLSers--and very happily accepted my student visa upon arrival. While there, I was able to try passion fruit bubble tea from a small Korean shop in the airport. What I loved was the small pieces of apple that accompanied the classic "bubbles."
The Malang airport consisted of only two or three rooms. When I got off the airplane, I was hurried into a small waiting room that consisted on a single 30-foot luggage belt and a visitors stand. I stood with a blank stare on my face as I watched many of the advanced students chatter away with Indonesians they had met on the plane--I was happy I could finally say "thank you" in Indonesian! The CLS staff awaited us outside the luggage-pickup area. I was shocked that they all already knew my name as they whisked me through a sea of people, helped carry my luggage to the bus, and snapped a few paparazzi-like photos of me and my classmates. I must have looked overwhelmed and lost because none of the staff members tried to speak to me in Indonesian ;)
The busride from the Malang airport to the hotel was gorgeous--even though it was pouring rain the entire time. Our resident director pointed out some key landmarks of Malang as we passed by. We arrived in the hotel and were given our Indonesian cell phones, a map of Malang, and our schedule for the next 8 weeks--all in Indonesian. It would be an understatement to say I have no idea what any of these documents say. I tried to look up words in my Indonesian-English dictionary, but it didn't help much.
Today we have our in-country orientation, and will be meeting our teachers and peer tutors. I am so excited to tour the university campus and get a better idea of what I'll be doing for the next eight weeks! I have a lot to learn....
Labels: airports, CLS, Indonesia: Summer 13, my story, planes, travel
Toyko greeted me from the window of my plane, boasting of its vast diversity and clear urban development. I was able to spot miles upon miles of rice farms, each distinctly drawn into small rectangles of farming plots. I was surprised to see how the roads always seemed to run in straight lines--no matter if it was in the middle of a small city or in the rural parts of the island. But one of the things that stood out to me was how flat everything seemed to be. Apart from one ridge of mountains that I saw from a distance, the entire country seemed to lack hills and valleys, yet stretched on and on as a giant plain. The Toyko airport was everything I had expected--huge, busy, yet organized. I spent the majority of my 3 hour layover checking my email and trying to get a few hours of sleep.