Ibu Eka asked me to give a little presentation about Islam in the United States for her Sociology of Religion class, which I was more than happy to do. It wasn't anything big, I just talked about how Islam is practiced in the United States, cultural differences, etc. (in Indonesian, of course). I'm happy to report that it went very well, and that there was a lot of discussion afterward. Her class had a lot of interesting questions, and the discussions that we had were really good. The best part about this was at the end, when one of the students raised his hand to speak. He thanked me for doing the presentation and said that he was glad that I came, because before he didn't feel very positively towards Americans. However, after our discussions and having had interacted with me, he said that he had changed his mind and didn't feel that way anymore. I felt excited to hear that, because however kind and hospitable residents of another country may be towards Americans, they still may have a lot of negative stereotypes about us. It's times like these when I thank God that I speak fluent Bahasa Indonesia, because without this skill I don't think that I'd be able to communicate and interact with people on a deeper level.
On Saturday, the girls at the asrama all woke up early to do what they called "guteroy", which is basically yard work. Once a month, they all get up early on the weekend and weed the garden, sweep, etc. I joined in and helped out where I could, and I felt that the girls were all kind of surprised to see me up and out doing chores with them. One told me that she was very happy to see me, another didn't even bother to mask her surprise and said "Oh, you're doing guteroy too?!", and the head of the asrama even said that I could go back inside if I wanted. We were only outside for an hour and a half, if that, and it wasn't even back breaking labor that required muscles and loud machines. It was an easy task, and even someone who had never gardened or done chores in their entire life would have been able to do it well. But I think instances like that are good to have, just to send the message that I'm not just a foreigner staying in their dorm, but that I'm also their peer and friend.
I'm trying hard every day to be positive, friendly, and culturally sensitive. Sometimes it's a little trying, because after a long, hot, exhausting day, the last thing I want to do is make small talk, smile, and be pleasant and engaging. But if I just hang in there for a little while longer, my patience always pays off and people won't see me in a negative light. It's also so much different being in Aceh than it is being in Jakarta; they're like two completely different countries, united only by language. It's even crazier to think about how different the U.S. is compared to Aceh. Despite this, I feel like I've adjusted extremely well and fit in with most of the people here. I'm having fun, making friends, and being as productive as I can. Well, maybe I could be a little more productive, but I'm trying my best! :)
On Sunday, I went to the beach with my friend Sarah, who teaches English at Syiah Kuala University. It was maybe about 30 minutes from Darussalam, and was absolutely breathtaking. The beaches here are pristine and simply gorgeous. We didn't go to the main beach in that area, but instead hiked for about ten minutes through the jungle and finally came to a beautiful, secluded beach. And by secluded, I mean that nobody else was there. That was a lot of fun, and I didn't feel self conscious swimming and being goofy because it was just the two of us.
The trail we hiked through
Overlooking the beach!
The jungle!
This week should be good, too. Tomorrow I'm going to do an interview with Pak Marzi Afriko, who works at the World Bank and has published papers about Sharia in Aceh, why pesantrens don't accept terrorism, etc. Next week I will be going to Lhoksmawe to meet with another contact, Pak Al Chaidar and do an interview with him.
I'm really excited about doing these interviews. The most experience I've had doing research has been greatly facilitated by Wikipedia, and I'm ecstatic about having the opportunity to do some actual qualitative research. Hope it goes well and that I'll be getting some good information!
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