The Full Yogyakarta Experience: Part 1: Introduction [Fucai]

I have decided to break my entire Immersion Programme Experience up into a series of blog posts as I will not be doing justice to the trip by condensing everything into a single entry [and I can procrastinate more in posting my entries]! Anyway, if you are reading this, you probably are one of the following person:

1. You happen to come across this blog by chance
2. You are an Indonesian Language Instructor @ NUS [Hi Ibu!]
3. You are a student who is keen to participate in the next programme! [Silakan Ikut!]

I shall assume that you are person number 3. I had deliberately titled my posts the 'Full' Yogyakarta experience for a series of reasons.

Traditional Market: Something you will not see in tour packages!

Firstly, students are able to join the excursion portion of the trip if they are unable to make it for the entire immersion programme [or if they just want to have the 'touristy' part of the whole thing]. In this sense, not everyone that has joined this programme via indirect means have experienced the real deal.

Secondly, I've been on a 1.5 month long summer programme to Korea University a year ago. I've had a blast of a time there. But one thing is for sure, no other holiday  summer programmes can give you a higher level of exposure to local culture and lifestyle as this programme.

Our accommodation in Yogyakarta is that of a home-stay arrangement, we stay in the homes of Indonesian families and experience the Indonesian lifestyle as closely as possible. With the exception of Choon Yen, all of us did not have Internet access and heated-water at our home-stay. You will definitely learn to appreciate the simple things in Singapore that you had taken for granted! Yes, there is a set of 'inconveniences', but isn't this the point of an immersion programme? To experience life in a foreign place as close to reality as possible!

Don't be deceived by the bathtub! I had to bathe using the pail and the scoop. The showerhead was not working!

In addition to that, I felt really refreshed interacting with the Indonesians. It was a break away from Singapore's society, away from the ultra-competitive environment and the mood of negativity that has mysteriously gripped Singapore [Maybe that's just General Elections hangover?]. I felt that I was in a place of peace during my 3 weeks in Yogyakarta. This is THE place to let loose and relax.

Fucai