My name is Danica Djermor and I am a student at the Rotterdam Business School. I study "Trade Management focused on Asia" and I just got back from one year studying in Indonesia. This 4-year course allows you to visit, study and work for one year in the country which you applied for. These countries are all based in Asia and consist of China, Indonesia, Japan, India and Vietnam. During my third and fourth year, I went for my minor 6 months to Jogykarta in Indonesia to follow a semester at the Universitas Atma Jaya, followed by an internship of 6 months on the Indonesian island of Bali at a scooter-rental company.
The reason I chose Indonesia was because of the fact that my family comes from the Mollucan Islands. This sparked my interest and passion from a young age and I had the urge to know as much as possible about this beautiful and diverse country. I can say it was one of the best years of my life. The challenge to stand on your own as a individual and make important decisions really made me a strong person along this whole journey.
After a long flight alone to Indonesia, I just realised that I had embarked on a adventure which would have me 1 year from home. I was quite anxious and I have to admit, utterly scared, to know that it would just be me and I in Indonesia. After a couple of days I became a bit used to the weather and all those people staring at me. Despite me being half Mollucan, I was quite the attraction in the neighbourhood even though Jogyakarta is a big student city and becoming very modern and trendy nowadays.
School life is very different from that in The Netherlands. People are much more humble and treated with respect. There is also a warm feeling of unity everywhere you go. For example, it is perfectly normal to eat outside with friends or even strangers at their local “warung”; a small restaurant outside where your “mama tua” (female cook) serves you one of the best Indonesian food there is. During this semester I made a lot of friends at the University, among them a lot of Indonesians. I never experienced such a warmth and kindness. They took me to unknown and beautiful places hidden in Java and taught me to appreciate life as it was presented to me.
Everyday on the scooter back and forth to the University while eating Indonesian snacks became a lifestyle where I found total peace in the chaotic traffic with the ricefields passing by. I was feeling completly at home and classes were fun to do and the people were very friendly and nice.
After doing my final exams, I moved straight away to Bali to work at my internship the following week. Bali, however, was really different than Java. Tourism had taken hold of the Island and for an instant it took me back to Ibiza or Mallorca. It took me quite a while to get used here. The Balinese were rigid and not welcoming, because of the many tourists consuming and partying without any recognition of their Hindoeist beliefs and traditions.
Even though the island was very beautiful, everywhere I went it was very crowded and I was more surrounded by tourists than locals. Even at my internship it was hard to be polite to tourists as they were ignorant and a bit arrogant. In the meantime, I picked up some volunteer work at a orphanage and some animal shelters. I felt like I wanted to do something for the community to show my appreciation for them welcoming me and tried to make me feel at home the best they could. In Bali, I saw a lot of beauty, especially on the other Islands and the nothern part of the island.
The first month I was in Bali I went to some temples in Ubud. While visiting I stumbled upon a white little puppy in the ricefields. As I looked for the mother or the nest, I layed him back in the field as I didnt want to take him home. A lot of people would think, that would be really selfish. But as I started tot think about this, it is more selfish to take care of the dog and leaving him shortly after you go back to your home country again. A lot of foreigners do this in Bali.
Nevertheless, I went back on the scooter after almost getting home. When I got back for him, he was already soaking wet of the rain and shivering. So I did the most dumbest thing you could do in Bali. I adopted a pup and took him in my skirt on the scooter back to Kuta.
Fortunately I had a lot of good friends who would take “Milo” (named him after the chocolate milk in Indonesia) in when I went back to Holland. This little fellow gave me great joy when being there in Bali. After the internship, we would go on the bike and drive to the beach and play with the other dogs.
I can’t describe in words, what a year it has been for me in Indonesia. The people that I have met, the experiences that come with it, made me feel truly blessed. This country is so diverse in its people, landscapes and cultures. Every mile you go on the road is always different than the last one. Indonesia never failed to ashtonish me and made me such a bigger person. Being a year away from home out of your comfort zone, makes you see things from a different perspective. This study made it possible for me to prepare for my thesis and also to see a new chapter, which I surely see myself going for. I came back with a full heart and a clear mind. These things all will hopefully make me a better person while aiming for goals which will not only benefit me but hopefully also other people. I lost my heart in Indonesia and soon I will go back to retrieve it along with my dog Milo.
This story appeared earlier in e-magazine Business Trends Asia
