Kota Pelajar

Yogyakarta is home to over one hundred higher educational institutes of different religious denominations, specializations and degrees of public ownership. We profile female students from the community of Krapyak in Yogyakarta at different stages in their education. Astri Larasati (Laras) has just graduated from SMK Negeri 1 Depok, a vocational public high school, and is choosing a university. Diah Arumsari (Ayi) is sitting her second year final exams at Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomie YKPN, a speciality university for finance. Cici is working on her thesis before she graduates from the Universitas Islam Negeri. We explore the differences between college life in the United States and in Indonesia - the differences are often more subtle than they are apparent. Their families have given the students the choice to follow their dreams, but they all aim to use to use their education and careers to give back to their parents. They find education in Yogya to be both affordable and accessible but still, they have reflected on the ways in which the current system can be improved.

Produced by Amirah Jiwa and Evgeniya Serdetchnaia as part of a collaboration with Kampung Halaman in Yogyakarta, Indonesia during June of 2012. For more background on the production of our film see my earlier blog post.

Jalan Tengah

Developing a unique understanding of moderate Islam, preserving Indonesian culture and working as agents of social change, members of Pergerakan Mahasiswa Islam Indonesia (PMII) at Universitas Islam Negeri-Sunan Kalijaga employ the philosophy of ‘rahmatan lil ‘alamin’ (Blessings of all Creation) as a fundamental tool of moral navigation. Exploring the manifestation of this philosophy within the various outlets of PMII lifestyle and interactions, this film follows the struggle of actualizing academic social theory with the reality of life in Indonesia. From the campus to coffee shops to the rural village of Kepuhan, PMII’s core values of community and equality are exhibited through friendship, faith, political justice and their love of the nation of Indonesia.

Produced by Gregory Randolph, Daniel Turner (both of University of North Carolina) and Kevin Briggs (Ohio University) as part of a collaboration with Kampung Halaman in Yogyakarta, Indonesia during June of 2012.

"If I had learnt one thing from travelling, it was that the way to get things done was to go ahead and do them. Don’t talk about going to Borneo. Book a ticket, get a visa, pack a bag, and it just happens."

Alex Garland, The Beach

Reflections from London…

…though I’d much rather do my reflecting perched on rock on Parangtritis Beach…(Photo by Kevin Michael Briggs)

Now that I’ve been back at home for a little over a week and sufficiently bored my family to tears with anecdotes that begin, “In Indonesia…”, I figured it was time to try and consolidate some stray thoughts on this summer into one final (or not) post.

I have been fortunate enough to have travelled relatively far and wide in my nineteen years and have fallen in love with countless places. Indonesia, however is the most wonderful place I have ever been.

And now that I’m home I miss it terribly. I want to wake to the easily accessible sights of stunning, desolate beaches, greener than green rice paddies stretching far into the distance, and volcano after mountain after volcano looming over every view. I’ve been craving the simple and standard Indomie Goreng Telor, baskets of banana-somethings and the fresh pineapple juice available on demand. But what I’m really missing, more than Indonesia’s natural beauty or its scrumptious cuisine is it’s people. Jen puts it best when she wrote, “I feel like travelers tend to attribute the ‘nicest people in the world’ award generously to many a place, but never have I felt it to be so fitting as in Yogya.” And from my interactions in Bali and Flores on top of those in Yogya, I don’t think it’s a stretch to believe that “a smile is the default expression” across all the islands.

The Indonesian culture is beautiful. It has fostered a spirit of collectivism and caring I’ve never seen anything like. Warungs lay out baskets of treats which you help yourself to - they trust you to keep count and pay for however many you ate. When your sepeda motor doesn’t start, you don’t have to wait more than a few seconds for someone to run over and help you out. Even in the tourist trap of Kuta in Bali, when an taxi-driver suggests a ridiculous fare, he asks for it with a smile - it’s almost as if he is joking and really wants you to suggest a fairer price. When I moved to Chapel Hill, it was the renowned southern hospitality that sold me, but let me tell you that the South has got nothing on Indonesia. I got the feeling that people weren’t being helpful just to leave a foreigner with a positive impression of their country or because society has built in a pressure to seem polite and hospitable good, but rather because the people there are inherently good and acting in any other way would be completely alien to them rather than any kind of social taboo.

There would have been a culture shock wherever I ended up immediately after Indonesia but the contrast is particularly stark when home is the incredibly individualistic London. Just a few ventures on the tube where eye contact with strangers is out of place, let alone a smile, have left me longing to see the Javanese greeting of a handshake followed by the palm pressed flat against the chest. It a wordless gesture, meaning, “I am taking you into my heart.” How lovely is that?

On travel.

The last two months have affirmed my views on how I want to travel in the future. I’ve always said that visiting a place means little to me, I want to get to a know a place and make myself at home there and that’s exactly what I did in Yogya. I loved it. The moment I realised that I could independently navigate the city, that I had it mapped out in my head, was a personal triumph and I was set smiling when the boy that worked at our favorite warung knew what Jen and I wanted to order before we opened our mouths, we had just eaten there so often.

Though I have wonderful memories from the weeks I spent actually ‘traveling’ in Indonesia, it was an entirely different experience. I made little use of the Bahasa Indonesia I had picked up as most of my interactions were with other foreigners rather than locals who really knew where to eat and what to do. Everyone (whether they regarded the Lonely Planet as a bible or had open disdain for its advice) seemed to be following the same, somewhat well-trodden backpackers route through South East Asia. Travel was about ticking boxes - the point became seeing, rather than experiencing. But for me, the must-sees and must-dos rarely end up being the things that stick.

A backpacker stopping in Yogya might spend a day exploring Malioboro and the Kraton, or use it as a base to see Borobodur and Prambanan. If they’re following the Lonely Planet to the T, they won’t spend more than three days in the city, because apparently, that’s more than enough time to see everything. I spent seven weeks in Yogya and I saw something new everyday. But then I had settled into life there and had met wonderful people who helped me explore my surroundings - something I only really managed because I was there, doing something, for a while.

As contradictory as it may seem, I have decided that from now on, wherever I go, I want the traveling part of travel to be secondary. I want to travel with a purpose, one that keeps me in (and interested in) a place for a long enough time to get to know it a little (or a lot).

Bali - a list.

Things one should do (and that Kevin and I did do) with a few final days in Bali and a couple of motorbikes:

• accidentally run into, and be recognised by, someone you met for 30 seconds in a club in Yogya, because Yogya feels that small after two months there
• spend a day beach hopping around the Bukit Peninsula, taking time to settle on a rock to read and search rockpools for the perfect shells
• enjoy the company of the crazy cute monkeys at the cliff-top Ulu Watu temple - I had the added bonus of watching Kevin’s glasses being stolen off his face by an adorable monkey, this hilarity being followed by a spectacular sunset
• enjoy good Indian food, good Italian food and good company at Sky Garden in the tourist trap of Kuta
• drive North, with no map and no real destination in mind, over beautiful mountains, past lakes and temples and stacked rice terraces and through towns with pretty Colonial architecture before stopping for the night at the coastal village of Lovina (though, exhausted, I never made it to the beach)
• drive South, literally through clouds, the next day
• take advantage of warm showers after a summer without

And one thing to avoid:

• braking on gravel - you might have a motorbike accident on your last day in Indonesia that causes you to scream, shake for 30 minutes and makes the 18hr journey back to London most uncomfortable

Exploring Bali via motorbike. Photo by wavesnwaves

Kelimutu

You know what’s worth flying to the beautiful island of Flores, catching a 4-hr bemo ride up the steep, winding, motion-sickeness-inducing road to the quiet village of Moni, waking up at 4am the next day so that an ojek can drive you halfway up the side of a volcano buried in mist and so you can stumble up the rest of the way in complete darkness?

A truly spectacular sunrise over Kelimutu’s densely (and beautifully) pigmented crater lakes, enjoyed while bundled up and sipping ginger coffee, is.

And do you know the one way to top that experience?

Sharing it with a friend you know from the other side of the world…

…and spending the rest of the morning frolicking in waterfalls you come across during the 15km hike back to Moni.

Ladies lunch (or more brunch) on my last day in Yogya

Behind the scenes on the Nourish/Kampung Halaman collaboration. Edited by the talented Deden Bangkit.

Kita Belajar

Last night, at the trendy Kedai Kebun Forum, our weeks of cultural exchange, long days of filming and all-nighters spent editing culminated (though that word really is too final for my liking) in a screening of the three films produced as a result of the Nourish International/Kampung Halaman collaboration.

After much deliberation, we’d titled our series ‘Kita Belajar’ (or, ‘We Learn’, though the English translation does not fully encapsulate the inclusive ‘we’ of the Indonesian ‘kita’). The name had been staring us in the face the entire time as Daniel had cleverly made it the title of our team blog in early May, but we hadn’t thought to use it until the very last moment. The official blurb:

In May 2012, seven US students joined the Indonesian NGO Kampung Halaman to produce participatory media stories in Yogyakarta, an academic and cultural hub of Indonesia. These students worked directly with Indonesian youth on stories in three different communities - Gama 55 (Dusun Krapyak, Wedomartani, Sleman), PMII UIN (Yogyakarta), Kobatte (Tembi, Bantul) - exploring culture, identity and daily life through their perspectives.

Though we faced a couple of obstacles - the most significant being the fact that due to all our incredibly last-minute editing, Dan didn’t get the boys’ film to the venue till two hours into the screening (!) - the evening was lovely. It was the perfect way to end our summer’s efforts. We got to share the fruits of our labour with representatives from other NGO’s working on community media projects, backpackers who had stumbled into our screening after dinner at Kedai Kebun and, most importantly, all the wonderful friends we had made in Yogya, - in the Kampung Halaman staff, the communities we worked within, in the little Yogyan expatriate community we formed and of course, with the lovely locals we met along the way who shared with us their city’s secrets.

After taking a million photos and being serenaded in a lovely gesture of gratitude by the entire staff of Kampung Halaman, we celebrated with a very very late dinner at the wonderfully weird House of Raminten.

The actual films will be posted here as soon as they are uploaded online. For now, below are their accompanying descriptions:

Kota Pelajar by Amirah Jiwa and Evgeniya Serdetchnaia

Yogyakarta is home to over one hundred higher educational institutes of different religious denominations, specializations and degrees of public ownership. We profile female students from the community of Krapyak in Yogyakarta at different stages in their education. Astri Larasati (Laras) has just graduated from SMK Negeri 1 Depok, a vocational public high school, and is choosing a university. Diah Arumsari (Ayi) is sitting her second year final exams at Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomie YKPN, a speciality university for finance. Cici is working on her thesis before she graduates from the Universitas Islam Negeri. We explore the differences between college life in the United States and in Indonesia - the differences are often more subtle than they are apparent. Their families have given the students the choice to follow their dreams, but they all aim to use to use their education and careers to give back to their parents. They find education in Yogya to be both affordable and accessible but still, they have reflected on the ways in which the current system can be improved.

Jalan Tengah by Kevin Briggs, Greg Randolph and Daniel Turner

Developing a unique understanding of moderate Islam, preserving Indonesian culture and working as agents of social change, members of Pergerakan Mahasiswa Islam Indonesia (PMII) at Universitas Islam Negeri-Sunan Kalijaga employ the philosophy of ‘rahmatan lil ‘alamin’ (Blessings of all Creation) as a fundamental tool of moral navigation. Exploring the manifestation of this philosophy within the various outlets of PMII lifestyle and interactions, this film follows the struggle of actualizing academic social theory with the reality of life in Indonesia. From the campus to coffee shops to the rural village of Kepuhan, PMII’s core values of community and equality are exhibited through friendship, faith, political justice and their love of the nation of Indonesia.

Wayang Gaul by Grace Farson and Nicole Welsh

In the village of Tembi, wayang, traditional Javanese shadow puppetry, has long been considered to be a central part of educating, entertaining and sharing heritage with younger generations. Many children of Tembi however, find the wayang performances long and tedious, making it difficult for the elders to pass on the traditional stories and values. In order to bridge this gap, Mas Humam created Wayang Gaul, a contemporary spin on wayang, in Tembi. Wayang Gaul adapts the traditional plots and gamelon compositions of wayang to address current issues, such as corruption or the effects of modern technology. His main goal is not only to reconnect the children of Tembi with their roots, but show them that through the arts they can increase their confidence and become vessels of their heritage, bridging the generational gap. This film takes a look as the impact of Mas Humam and Wayang Gaul on youth in Tembi as they work to create a Wayang about the importance of their community and culture.

Pictured (from left to right): Cici, Ayi, Myself, Laras and Desta all batiked up (everyone donned the classic Javanese print for the occasion). Running on Indonesian time, the girls arrived just a few hours late - completely missing the showing of the film that they featured in - but of course I love them all the same!

"You look Indonesian - except for your nose."

Librarian at UIN

Kepuhan

Most of you reading will be quite familiar with my incredible ability to procrastinate any and every task. It will therefore come at little surprise that, when Kevin invited me along to Kepuhan for the day so he could grab some final shots for their film, I did not hesitate to take him up on his offer, despite the fact that I should have been editing my own film with our official screening just days away.

Unusually, I did not regret my procrastination in the slightest - Kepuhan was beautiful, it’s people were warm and welcoming and I had a lovely day.

The ‘community’ the boys have been based in over the past few weeks is an islamic student organization called PMII at the Universitas Islam Negeri. One of PMII’s latest  community service projects is working closely with the village to promote education and market the handicrafts produced in Kepuhan. I understand the eventual goal is to see Kepuhan as somewhat of a tourist destination and I could easily see it as the site of an expensive eco-resort or incorporated into a not-so-off-the-beaten-path backpackers route. 

The village was stunning, and I was there only to take it all in. As Kevin filmed women basket-weaving and painting, I spent time getting to know Navic, Hasan, A’an and Muiz, the PMII members who had accompanied us. While all the boys climbed up a (slightly unsteady looking) structure made of palm tree trunks to (prove their agility?) enjoy better views of the distant mountains, I lay on a rug below and sipped the sweetest fresh coconut water. When we were taken on a tour of the village’s surroundings, so that Kevin could capture some landscape shots, I had a ball exploring the rice paddies and rivers.

Before heading back to Yogya, we revisited the handicraft centre and hub of the village,  where earlier we had been served tea and the spiciest Mie Goreng I’d ever encountered. There, to my absolute surprise and delight, Pak Wandi, the head of village, presented me with an armful of gifts to take away and remember my day at Kepuhan by. As well as a beautiful hand woven basket with a gift tag that read ‘a special gift for Amirah’ on one side and had a list of names for me to add on Facebook on the other, I received a stunning watercolor painting that I can’t wait to hang up in my dorm in Chapel Hill!

Pictured: My painting making an appearance in the boys’ film - It was being painted while Kevin grabbed footage of the handicrafts!

Going to miss them so much