Studying abroad can sometimes feel scary. You have to leave the comfort of your house, the familiarity of your country, and live in a place miles away from home for a long period of time. However, once you get the hang of living in your destinated country, there are things you are bound to miss from said country when you eventually have to go back home.
If you still have doubts choosing Indonesia to continue your study at, here are the five things you most definitely will miss from Indonesia!
- INDONESIAN FOOD
Many international students studying in Indonesia want to bring home Indonesian food. With its wide variety of flavor, Indonesian food is no doubt one of the most sought after food in the whole world. Included amongst them are nasi goreng, sate padang, rendang, and the many types of soto. You can just Google them and find the pictures all mouth-watery. Indonesian food can be easily found in high-tier restaurants to tenants selling food along the streets with cheap price and a good portion. Just beware, usually Indonesian food is spicy! Don’t worry, you most likely will develop a tolerance overtime.
- NATURE AND ITS SCENERY
It is no secret that Indonesia has many beautiful places to visit. Most known island to visit is Bali, but Indonesia has many other places to offer, such as Bandung, Jogjakarta, Raja Ampat, Tana Toraja, and so on. Not only its scenery, those places also offer their unique handcrafts and distinct experience. Traveling around Indonesia will surely be the memory you are going to miss once you go back home.
- THE PEOPLE AND THEIR HOSPITALITY
Indonesians are known to be hospitable people. You will meet many types of people in Indonesia, learning and discovering something new everyday. Mostly, Indonesians are very helpful. For example, if you get lost somewhere, you can just ask around and the people there will show you the correct way to get to your destination. Don’t forget to use the magic word “terima kasih” (thank you) afterwards!
- PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
In the heart of the capital city Jakarta and its surrounding area, we have reliable public transportations, such as Kereta Rel Listrik (KRL) or Commuterline, TransJakarta, and MetroTrans. Those public transportations are considered cheap, ranging from only Rp 3.000 to Rp 3.500. We also have a slightly more expensive transportation called Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Jakarta, ranging from only Rp 4.000 to Rp 14.000, still cheap compared to using taxis to explore around Jakarta and other cities around it.
- ONLINE TRANSPORTATION
Lately, everything is just one application away. In Indonesia, this phenomenone can be attributed to the rise of online transportation, led by Gojek and Grab. They operate in a similar way to Uber, an online transportation you may find in other countries, but in a more “advanced” way. Online transportations here not only help you arrive safely to your destination, using either motorcycles or cars, but they also are able to deliver your foods right to the front of your door. There are other facilities being offered by online transportation’s companies, such as massage, makeup and hairdo, vegetables shopping, and et cetera. Everything is very convenient to get in Indonesia!
So, are you ready to study here and explore Indonesia?
Written by: Maria Gabriella, Bioprocess Engineering 2017
[Special thanks to Adi, Thaqif, and Ziyad from UBD, UI Exchange Students in 2019 Even Semester]