Dear Friends and Families, We received notice from staff that the BYIndonesia group has successfully boarded their flights in Jakarta and are headed back to the US and their respective countries. Just a note of gratitude for your support throughout......Read More
Part of our excursion coincided with Ramadhan -the month of fasting for the Muslim community. At this time of year those who join the fast may only eat and drink after the evening prayer, maghrib, and before the morning prayer, sahur. During the......Read More
My homestay brother got MARRIED during my last week in Yogyakarta! Actually, it was over my last two weeks, as that’s how long the wedding took—two full weekends of Javanese courting procedures, Islamic ceremonies, festivals,......Read More
Trying “ear candling” in a barbershop in Medan, Sumatra...Read More
They call me Ranch, cuz I be dressin’…...Read More
Bridge Year is almost over and for the last month, we (the students) have planned a trip as our final excursion. We will be going north from North Sumatra province all the way to Weh Island, the most northern point of Indonesia. 5/09 – 5/12......Read More
A few weeks ago, I decided to make Greek salad at my homestay. While I was preparing it, ibu, bapak, and a neighbor gathered around me, curiously inspecting the ingredients. Their attention was particularly drawn to the olives, which they did not......Read More
Hi friends! We just returned from our mid-year retreat to Dieng Plateau in the highlands of Central Java! We took some time off our life in Jogja to step back and reflect on our journey thus far, where we’re standing right now in our Bridge Year,......Read More
It would be an understatement to say that the transition from my stressful prep school to the Indonesian culture of santai saja (just relax) was (is) difficult. During our first month in Indonesia especially, our lives were pretty sedentary. Aside......Read More
One of the first habits I adopted after moving in with my homestay family was drinking mango juice. Being used to the ordinary taste of oranges, I found myself exhilarated at the prospect of indulging in what was previously a scarce and exotic fruit......Read More
We recently got back from a two-week hiatus in Northern Sulawesi, another one of the many sprawling islands that make up Indonesia. Not only was it a much-needed time of R&R, but it was also a time of many firsts for me as well. It was the first......Read More
For the past couple of weeks I’ve noticed I haven’t been using my time in Indonesia to the full extent. Sure, I’m learning a lot, and I’ve been seeing a lot, and experiencing so many new wonderful things, but I haven’t......Read More
Bapak Indarto: He’s the goofy, funny one. He always greets me with a smile, and constantly asks me about my day. As little kids do, we often chuckle for no reason from simple glances at each other. The sculptor also knows martial arts and can......Read More
