AIYA Blog – Page 33 – Australia-Indonesia Youth Association

Category: AIYA Blog

My AIYEP Experience Living in Australia: Nurzahara Amalia

Nurzahara Amalia (Zahara) of Banten was an 2013-14 Australia-Indonesia Youth Exchange Program (AIYEP) participant, and here shares a reflection on the ups and downs of experiencing life in Australia.

I was born to a simple family in a small town in Pandeglang, the furthest West part of Java Island. My mother is a housewife and my father was a teacher. When I was in junior high school, I dreamt of going abroad. I thought this might never be possible as my family wasn’t a rich family and you need a lot of money to travel overseas. At that time, I thought it was just a dream. I never thought that it would happen.

But then I had a chance to make this dream come through, by applying for the Australia-Indonesia Youth Exchange Program. I applied in 2012 but I failed. Was I upset? Yes! Did I give up? No! The next year, I tried again. I practiced so hard, even taking an English course to better prepare. When preparation meets opportunity, it’s called success. I cannot tell you how great the feeling was when I set foot at the Sydney airport for the first time, it was indescribable!

Zahara interning at SBS Radio Indonesia. Photo: Nurzahara Amalia

I joined AIYEP as a representative from my province of Banten. The program has two phases: the first in Australia and the second in Indonesia. During my stay in Australia, I had so many new experiences. It was the first time I had lived with foreigners. Experiencing a new life requires you to adapt quickly and be flexible. It was particularly difficult for me to adapt to the food. I had heartburn and a stomach ache in my first week. I wasn’t eating rice and I even threw up when I tried Vegemite. But my favourite food is fish and chips. It’s delicious!

The Australian phase had many activities including cultural performances and an internship. As part of the first phase, every Monday my friends from the program and I went to schools to perform Indonesian professional dances. I was so happy seeing the audience looking so excited. I felt so proud of my own country because of its diversity. We interacted with students after our performances, which enabled me to learn more about Australian culture.

The dance crew post-performance. Photo: Nurzahara Amalia

The second part of the Australian phase was an internship. I interned at SBS Radio Australia, working every Tuesday until Friday. I had a really kind supervisor and enjoyed my time there. I learnt how to produce news and how the broadcast system in Australia works. I learnt about discipline and punctuality. I remember one time when I woke up late so I missed the train. I felt so ashamed to come late because I was worried that they believed all Indonesians were always late. I learnt from that experience to always wake up early.

I also learnt about the Australian people. They are nice, speak with an open mind and quite bluntly, and are helpful and hospitable. The country is clean and orderly. I miss my time in Australia, and I miss the fish and chips. I miss the program and the people and am grateful for my opportunity through AIYEP.

This article is one of a series of reflections from alumni of Australia-Indonesia student exchange programs. Read the experiences of other AIYEP participants here. The editors of the AIYA Blog would also like to thank Samantha Howard for her assistance in commissioning and editing these articles. You can find her solo and collaborative blog and journal writing here and here.

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Ni Komang Santi: dari Jualan Jagung Hingga Jadi Koordinator Spa

Simak cerita seorang perempuan dari Bali bernama Komang Santi yang pernah dapat sukses dalam kehidupannya melalui berniat yang kuat dan mencoba sebanyak-banyaknya untuk berkembang secara profesional dan pribadi.

Saya lahir di Karangasem di Kabupaten Kubu, daerah pergunungan. Tanggal lahir saya sebenarnya 10 Juli 1992 tetapi beda kalau di KTP. Ibu melahirkan saya di rumah dengan cara tradisional. Sebenarnya dulu melahirkan di rumah itu malahan lebih bagus daripada di rumah sakit karena ada dukun bayi.

Komong Santi di tempat kerja. Foto: Komong Santi

Komang Santi di tempat kerja. Foto: Komang Santi

Karena desa saya ada di atas gunung, dulu motor tak bisa naik, apalagi mobil dan kita harus jalan kaki. Di sana cuacanya kering sekali dan susah nyari air. Dari kecil saya diajak oleh ibu untuk ikut jualan di Badung. Awalnya, kita menjual garam, kadang-kadang kita nukar sama beras. Kita keliling sampai Nusa Dua. Biasanya kita membawa dua karung, dan kalau habis, kita pulang. Setelah itu, karena sudah terlalu banyak orang lain yang ikut jualan, kita memilih untuk pindah ke Kuta. Saya pernah ngamen. Ngamen di lampu merah Jimbaran sama ibu. Botol kosong itu saya kasih batu dan nyanyi-nyanyi. Malu ya kita… but it’s okay.

Sorenya saya ke Tuban. Kita ngelapin motor di sebuah mini market di sana. Paginya kita ke pasar Kuta dan bantu untuk ngangkat-ngangkat belanjaan orang. Karena ada Bom Bali pada tahun 2001, kita nggak bebas lagi. Kalau ngamen gak dibolehin, ditangkap. Akhirnya ibu memutuskan untuk saya jualan jagung dan kita pindah ke Jalan Legian. Setiap hari, itu dua kali saya jualan. Paginya saya bawa 50 biji jagung rebus di kepala dalam keranjang, dan itu kadang-kadang panas sekali karena plastiknya bocor dan air itu netes di badan saya. Saya jalan kaki, jualan bolak-balik di pantai. Itu 50 biji jagung harus habis. Kenapa saya sangat beda dengan kakak saya yang tinggi-tinggi tapi saya pendek sendiri? Mungkin itu karena dulu saya jualan jagung itu (haha).

Setelah itu, jualan jagung nggak dibolehin sama pemerintah. Sometimes kita berpikir ini nggak boleh, itu nggak boleh, bikin stress. Akhirnya, saya mulai berjualan gelang-gelang kecil-kecil di pantai. Sebenarnya itu juga tidak diperbolehkan karena kita masih kecil. Kadang ditangkap, dimasukin ke asrama gitu, tapi kita kabur (haha).

Bersama keluarga angkat. Foto: Komong Santi

Bersama keluarga angkat. Foto: Komang Santi

Saya umur sebelas tahun waktu ketemu sama bapak angkat saya. Masih ingat sekali. Waktu itu saya lagi marah sama ibu karena nggak dapat hasil dari jualan, dikira main. Saya kabur tiga hari ke Jalan Legian. Karena sudah terbiasa hidup di jalan, saya merasa tidak masalah. Saya ambil kardus kosong dan tidur di emperan jalan. Karena hujan, saya pindah ke papan berbentuk V, dan diam di dalamnya. Nah, dilihatlah sama babak angkat saya. Saya diajak makan. Dibeliin pizza. Wow! I really love pizza! Itu pertama kali saya makan pizza. Setelah makan, dikasih 50 dolar untuk bekal, jadi saya bisa pulang. Saya kasih uang itu ke ibu dan ibu bisa masak untuk keluarga. Seminggu lagi, bapak angkat datang untuk ketemu sama orang tua saya dan mintalah untuk saya diangkat jadi anak mereka karena istrinya belum bisa punya anak. Saya pindah ke rumah mereka dan disekolahkan.

Di sekolahan itu, walau umur saya sudah sekitar dua belas tahun, saya masih bergabung sama anak-anak TK karena saya sama sekali nggak tahu huruf. Dari kelas satu sampai kelas tiga… Saya kadang-kadang pakai seragam sekolah. Akhirnya selama tiga tahun, saya bisa baca, bisa nulis sedikit, saya dicariin paket kayak SMP atau SMA tapi saya menolak. Karena saya harus membantu keluarga asli saya, akhirnya saya berhenti sekolah. Sambil bersekolah, saya belajar training spa di tempat kakak sepupu saya. Pulang sekolah, saya ke sana dan bisa melihat caranya massage. Karena kebetulan ada terapis cuma satu, saya ditawarin untuk mengambil lagi satunya. Pulang sekolah, kerja di sana dan dapat uang kalau ada tamu. Waktu itu saya ingin sekali bisa hidup mandiri. Akhirnya saya kumpul cukup uang untuk ngekos. Tapi kosnya masih sangat sederhana. Waktu ibu angkat saya mencari saya, dia kaget melihat kamar saya, tidur di lantai, pakai kardus.

Dengan seragam baru setelah lulus masa trial. Foto: Komong Santi

Dengan seragam baru setelah lulus masa percobaan di tempat kerja. Foto: Komang Santi

Saya ingin mencari pekerjaan yang lebih yakin dan saya mulai melamar di daerah Legian. Waktu itu saya hanya bisa satu treatment, yaitu Balinese massage. Akhirnya, lamaran saya diterima dan saya dapat training beberapa treatment lagi. Akhrinya saya menikah. Setelah menikah dan melahirkan anak pertama saya, saya mulai bekerja di villa. Di sana saya mendapatkan banyak pelajaran profesional. Itu membantu saya menutupi kekurangan saya karena tidak sekolah.

Karena mereka melihat niat saya untuk belajar, saya dicalonkan untuk pindah ke suatu tempat dengan pendapatan yang sedikit lebih tinggi. Waktu saya ikut interview, saya menceritakan kekurangan saya. Syukurlah beliau mengerti keadaan saya. Sekarang saya kerja dengan orang yang sudah kuliah. Kadang-kadang saya sadar bahwa ternyata pola pikir saya dengan orang yang kuliah S1 itu hampir sama. Kadang-kadang di sekitar saya ada yang mengeluh dengan apa yang dia punya tetapi sebenarynya, kalau diceritakan, pengalaman saya jauh lebih buruk daripada mereka. Cerita saya membuat motivasi mereka: “Wah, ternyata ada orang dari latar belakang yang jauh lebih buruk daripada saya tapi dia bisa menutupinya.”

Jadi saya selalu punya pikiran seperti ini: kesuksekan seseorang bukan dari seberapa tinggi pendidikan mereka, tapi seberapa tinggi usaha mereka, seberapa tinggi niatya mereka, seberapa tinggi cita-citanya mereka.

AIYA Blog mengucapkan terima kasih banyak kepada Jane Ahlstrand atas bantuannya menceritakan kehidupan sulit para pemuda di Indonesia yang kemudian dapat sukses dan kebahagiaan. Artikel-artikel yang lainnya dari Jane dapat dibaca di sini.

AIYA Blog

Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2016: a feast of Indonesia-focused content

From human rights and politics in Asia to the role of activism and art, Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2016 (UWRF16) traversed five days of enthralling panel discussions, dynamic performances, readings, film, poetry, exhibitions, workshops and food, cementing its position as Southeast Asia’s leading festival of words and ideas.

In its 13^th year, the UWRF again saw strong attendance figures of over 30,000, and significantly greater diversity in ticket sales, with Indonesian audience numbers up by 31.5% from 2015. Eminent historian and Festival stalwart Ian Burnett remarked during the Festival: “There is no country more diverse – culturally, ethnically, linguistically – than Indonesia.” The following is a wrap-up of the many Indonesia-focused UWRF16 highlights.

Guests arrive at the UWRF Gala Opening. Photo: Anggara Mahendra, UWRF

Guests arrive at the UWRF Gala Opening at Antonio Blanco Museum. Photo: Anggara Mahendra, UWRF

Indonesian literary luminaries Seno Gumira Adjidarma, Dewi Lestari and Eka Kurniawan delighted fans and snared the attention of unfamiliar listeners. Fearless environmental and human rights activists Agustinus Wibowo (East Java), Emmanuela Shinta (East Kalimantan), Bayu Wirayudha (Bali) and Shandra Woworuntu (West Sumatra) shook audiences to the core. The remarkable resilience of human trafficking survivor Shandra Woworuntu, whose organisation Mentari helps fellow survivors reintegrate into the community and find meaningful work, brought many to tears. After her in-conversation with revered journalist Janet Steele, an audience member tweeted: “Incredible session, a heartbreaking and inspiring story that needs to be heard.”

Shandra Woworuntu. Photo: Wirasathya Darmaja, UWRF

The 16 Emerging Indonesian Writers selected from 894 entrants to be included in the Festival’s annual Bilingual Anthology – a treasure trove of Indonesian writing and essential Festival souvenir – were a prominent force throughout. Many of these rising stars lauded the linguistic diversity of Indonesia – and the urgency to preserve it – writing and speaking in Minang, Madurese and Balinese. Emerging Writer Deasy Tirayoh said at the launch of the Anthology, “Ubud Writers & Readers Festival shows us that Indonesian writers can rightly stand alongside the global greats.”

Emerging Indonesian Writers at the launch of the annual UWRF Bilingual Anthology of Emerging Indonesia Writing. Photo: Anggara Mahendra, UWRF

Dalam Bahasa Indonesia was an extremely engaging panel for speakers, and learners, of Indonesian. Moderated by writer, actor and musician Ketut Yuliarsa, it featured much-loved Indonesia commentator Elizabeth Pisani, esteemed literary and academic translator Jennifer Lindsay (the long-time translator of Goenawan Mohamad’s essays), and Gemi Mohawk, a poet from Palembang, and one of the Indonesian Emerging Writers.

The panelists discussed the origin and rapid evolution of Indonesian, with Jennifer Lindsay addressing the marked increase in the number of Indonesians whose first language, or co-first language, is Bahasa Indonesia, rather than the local language of their mother or father. “There is a depth to Indonesian that wasn’t there in the ‘70s,” she remarked.

Elizabeth Pisani and Jennifer Lindsay. Photo: Keyza Widiatmika, UWRF

Indonesians’ rampant device and social media addiction was unraveled in the panel Screen Addicts. Moderated by writer and journalist Michael Vatikiotis, it also featured Pisani alongside Dewi Lestari and Triyanto Triwikromo, the 2015 Tokoh Seni Pilihan Tempo. Triwikromo was decisively negative about social media, claiming “We are entering a different kind of war. A war of thoughts, of ideas. It’s virtual but we take it literally.”

Dewi Lestari declared that Indonesians’ screen addiction is a “national problem”, lamenting sadly, “I don’t look at the trees and sky anymore. My screen keeps occupying me. It has become the everyday scenery.” She did, however, speak at length about the huge benefits of social media marketing for her books, and that she has witnessed “a lot of positive social communities arising from social media”, even comparing her Twitter communities to arisan [a neighbourhood lottery gathering].

Screen Addicts panel: Dewi Lestari, Michael Vatikiotis, Triyanto Triwikromo and interpreter, and Elizabeth Pisani. Photo: Wirasathya Darmaja, UWRF

Audience members take notes during Screen Addicts. Photo: Wirasathya Darmaja, UWRF

Intrepid and incisive independent Indonesian cinema has long been a pillar of UWRF. As well as the Film Program, which was a mini Indonesian film festival in its own right, there were two panel discussions devoted to it – Camera Obscura, which analysed Indonesia’s film industry, and Cinematic Indonesia, addressing cinema’s role in shaping and narrating Indonesian identity. The film screenings and both panels attracted major audiences.

Bringing celebrity status to the Festival were firebrand Indonesian auteurs Slamet Rahardjo, Djenar Maesa Ayu, Richard Oh and Joko Anwar, along with wunderkind filmmaker Wregas Bhanuteja. At just 23 Wregas received the Leica Cine Discovery Prize for Short Film at Cannes for Prenjak (In the Year of Monkey). Wregas was a firm Festival favourite – the showcase of his short films was packed and over the course of the Festival he probably snapped at least 100 selfies with adoring fans!

Capacity crowd at indie cinema Betelnut for the showcase of Wregas Bhanuteja’s award-winning short films. Photo: Wirasathya Darmaja

Wregas meets fans after the screening. Photo: Wirasathya Darmaja, UWRF

No UWRF wrap-up would be complete without a special mention of the veritable army of 300 volunteers working tirelessly across all areas of the Festival – as MCs, photographers, venue supervisors, technical support and as writers’ liaisons. The vast majority of them hail from across the archipelago, and many return year after year having formed lasting friendships.

UWRF16 volunteers. Photo: Anggara Mahendra, UWRF

At the closing night ceremony Janet DeNeefe noted that the UWRF – at 13 years old – is now a teenager. “It has truly found its feet in the international literary festival environment,” said DeNeefe, “while staying strong to its commitment of raising up regional voices alongside recognised names. This is evident in the increased audience diversity which, in line with the wider goals of Yayasan Mudra Swari Saraswati, to which the UWRF belongs, we’re incredibly proud of, and we look forward to building on this in the future.”

DeNeefe continued, “I applaud the brave artists and speakers who joined us this year, and the audience – from young Indonesian students to our UWRF stalwarts – who helped create the powerful, magical space for which the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival has become famous.”

Be sure to keep an eye on the AIYA Blog in the lead-up to UWRF 2017 for special discounts on UWRF tickets for AIYA members, or perhaps you’d even like to volunteer! For more info about the Festival head to the website.

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Learning the meaning of Gotong Royong as an Anak ACICIS

Katrina Steedman shares her fascinating perspectives on living through a volcanic eruption (“with ash like falling snow”), learning the importance of mutual aid and cooperation in local communities (“the Indonesian spirit of gotong royong shone through”), and sharing the enjoyment of the Weetbix challenge.

In 2010, I had been learning Indonesian for two years at the University of Sydney when I decided to do a semester at Universitas Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta with the Australia Consortium for In-Country Indonesian Studies (ACICIS). My only knowledge of Yogyakarta was from a whirlwind two-day trip in 2009 when I ticked off visiting the major sites: Borobudur Temple, Prambanan Temple, walking down the busy street of Jalan Malioboro and eating Yogya’s famed dish, nasi gudeg. So really, I had no idea what to expect about living in Yogyakarta but I was ready to call it home for six months.

Volcanic ash coating car bonnets in Yogyakarta. Photo: Katrina Steedman

Living in Yogyakarta was an incredibly exciting chapter in my life. It was filled with trying delicious new food, making new friends, travelling to new parts of the archipelago and learning to speak Indonesian. 2010 was also a significant year for Yogyakarta and the Sleman area as there were two volcanic eruptions of Gunung Merapi, one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes. After the first eruption of Gunung Merapi on the 26th October 2010, the volcanic ash reached as far as 38km from the epicentre. For us based in Yogyakarta, the volcanic ash was like falling snow – except it was so dirty and sooty and whenever you went outdoors you needed to wear a facemask. I will let you imagine the selfies.

During Gunung Merapi’s inactive periods, her slopes are home to fertile and lush green farmland and forests. After the volcano’s eruption of hot ash, gas, molten mud and rock, the area was unrecognizable, forcing those living on the slopes to evacuate their homes. Despite the difficult circumstances, the Indonesian spirit of gotong royong [mutual aid, community development] shone through as the local community had already begun working together to distribute aid to those living in temporary shelters and doing whatever they could to assist the displaced communities.

We ACICIS students were also compelled to help our new community. The opportunity to fundraise emerged at our university’s annual GamaFest, an international food and culture celebration. I managed to rope my fellow Aussies into showcasing Australian culture through singing ‘Waltzing Matilda’ and inviting three brave Indonesians to partake in the Weetbix challenge on the festival’s opening night. (For those unfamiliar, imagine eating as many DRY Weetbix as you can within 90 seconds.) Despite the simplicity of our thrown-together performance, the crowd loved our strange food culture and our zinc-covered faces belting out the famous Aussie tune. We Australians were as equally entertained by our fellow Indonesian students’ eagerness to do the Weetbix challenge and watching them gag on dry Weetbix.

Our memorable performance meant that our Aussie Food stall was a hit with the local and international students. We decorated our Aussie stall with the usual fare of flags and little koalas, and sold our mediocre Aussie tucker of Vegemite sandwiches and damper. These treats were strangely well received considering we were competing against German, French and Japanese stalls with far more appealing cuisines. We fundraised 320,000 IDR (around $32 AUD) which sounds like a meager amount, but considering a decent Indonesian meal can be bought for $1 AUD – a little goes a long way!

The displaced community following Gunung Merapi’s eruption. Photo: Katrina Steedman

The funds raised at GamaFest were boosted by the funds raised a fundraising appeal kick-started by my fellow ACICIS students, Hari Lodwick and Lana Idrus. With the help of friends and family, the fundraising appeal raised a total of 10,000,000 IDR (~$1000 AUD), which went towards buying supplies like bottled water, rice, medicines, toys, baby clothes and supplies, soap and other things to immediately assist the community of Kinaharjo. When we visited the Kinaharjo village to distribute the supplies, we were greeted with smiles and gratitude for helping out in a small way. This was how we, as ACICIS students, learnt the true meaning of gotong royong as we banded together and worked towards the common goal of helping the community of our second home during one of its darker hours.

For some, the experience of living in Indonesia during a volcanic eruption would be enough to call it quits but not for me. It is these very experiences and my subsequent trips to Indonesia that have made my life richer and certainly more interesting. I have learnt the Indonesian way of laughing and finding the good even in the most trying of circumstances. I also learned the importance of community, to come together during times of difficulty, and that we all have the ability to help, even in a small way.

I would encourage all Australians to take the time to learn some Indonesian and explore Indonesia beyond Bali, whether this is as a traveller or my experiencing living in Indonesia on one of the many ACICIS in-country study programs. If you can take the first step to travel to Indonesia and immerse yourself in our neighbour’s country, I am sure you will find yourself returning again and again just like I have.

Australian students can read more about and apply for the many varied study and internship opportunities available from ACICIS on their website.

AIYA Blog

NAILA 2016 Awardees

NAILA

We are delighted to announce the amazing winners of the National Australian Indonesian Language Awards (NAILA) for 2016!

NAILA is a flagship initiative of AIYA which aims to reward and foster the development of Indonesian language learning in Australia at all levels. The positive response from applicants and supporters are a testament to the passion for Bahasa Indonesia that exists within the organisational committee and among Australians. Bahasa Indonesia is the gateway through which Australians can obtain a deeper understanding of Indonesia, and we believe that NAILA goes a long way in promoting the value of those language skills.

Congratulations to the winners, and to everyone who entered the competition.

Precious Lundberg: Primary Awardee $300

Precious Lundberg is a year-six student. She currently attends East Manjimup Primary School in rural Western Australia. She has been studying Indonesian for six years. Precious loved the challenge of the NAILA competition, since she only had a short amount of time to practice and memorise her speech. At school Indonesian is one of her favourite subjects along with literacy and sport. Precious loves to play basketball, to swim and to act in the Manjimup Repertory Club. She enjoys getting involved with social activities with the school and the town.

When she grows up, Precious would like to study forensic science at university. She also aspires to travel the world and see its wonders.

Speech Topic: Introduce yourself to a new Indonesian friend.

Lazuli Chittleborough: Junior Awardee $400

chittleborough-lazuli-photo Lazuli Chittleborough enjoys Year 7 at Cornerstone College, South Australia where she now studies German and Chinese. Her enthusiasm of Indonesian studies at primary school was enriched by having been surrounded by Indonesian speakers when living in Medan, Sumatra for three years of her early childhood. The NAILA speech competition gave her a chance to reflect on cultural differences and similarities between specific communities within Indonesia and Australia. Having travelled to several Asian countries, Lazuli loves reflecting on cultural difference. She also likes spending time with her family, gardening, writing and loves days at beaches.

Speech topic: The moment where my understanding of Indonesia changed.

Zahra Daghagheleh: Middle Awardee $600

Zahra is 15 years old and attends Glenroy College in Melbourne, Victoria. She has been learning Indonesian for three years while simultaneously studying the English language. Indonesian is her fourth language after mother tongue, Arabic and Persian. When Zahra arrived in Australia three years ago, she started school at Glenroy College and was inspired by her Indonesian teacher, Miss Cole, as she taught with passion and inspired Zahra to learn more about Indonesia.

Her dad is also another reason that she is learning Indonesian: he always says that ‘learning another language not only helps you, but it will also help other people’.

In her spare time Zahra enjoys rock climbing, swimming, badminton, learning about different cultures, especially Indonesian culture, and travelling around the world. She also enjoys solving maths and chemistry equations. After completing Year 12, Zahra wants to study medicine as well as Indonesian at university.

Speech topic: How do you think learning Indonesian will help you in the future?

Penny Vakalopoulos: Senior Awardee $1,000

headshotpenny Penny is a Year 12 student at Carey Baptist Grammar School in Melbourne and has been learning Indonesian since Year 7. Her love for Indonesian culture was first sparked in Year 9 when she participated in an exchange program in Surabaya, and has grown steadily ever since. She has also visited other parts of Indonesia, including Jakarta where she was able to volunteer casually for a short period teaching English. Next year, Penny will be taking a gap year and spending five months in Indonesia, volunteering in Lombok and Jakarta, revisiting her friends in Surabaya, and following Ramadan and Lebaran celebrations in Yogyakarta, where she also plans to commence learning Javanese language. At university, Penny plans to study a Bachelor of Arts including a major in Indonesian, with other areas of interest including Asian Studies, Philosophy, Literature and International Development. She hopes one day to be able to live and work in Indonesia to study its culture in more depth, and is inspired by figures like Irish scholar Benedict Anderson who became an expert on South East Asian anthropology, specialising in Indonesian studies.

Speech topic: Do you think learning a second language changes the way you view the world? How? Why?

Shanti Omodei-James: Tertiary Awardee $2,000

14555837_10209951430118737_362474168_n Shanti has spent the past four years splitting her time between Indonesia and Australia. As well as completing her undergraduate degree in Development Studies from the University of Adelaide, she has participated in a year long exchange to Indonesia as well as a short exchange through the Australia-Indonesia Youth Exchange Program (AIYEP). When Shanti does return to her hometown of Adelaide she is often busy volunteering within the Indonesian community. Previously Shanti held the role of President of the Australia-Indonesia Youth Association South Australia Chapter and more recently she was part of the INDOFest team, helping to organise one of the largest Indonesian festivals in Australia. In her academic life, Shanti has spent the last year conducting her Honours research through Flinders University on religious pluralism and interfaith dialogue in Indonesia. She was awarded an ANU Indonesia Project research grant to conduct this research.

Speech topic: Consider one issue that you have studied at university and explain how it impacts on either Australian or Indonesian society.

Tom McKenzie: Executive Awardee $3,000

10923300_10152635150043786_3142337327974379832_n Tom is an Indonesian teacher at Christian College Geelong, and has always been passionate about the Indonesian language and fostering the relationship between Indonesia and Australia. Currently teaching middle years (grades 5–9), his goal is to raise the profile of Indonesian study in early years. He began his language journey in Prep, and credits his love of Indonesia to his primary school teacher. Over 20 years later, he is still heavily involved in growing Indonesian study and involvement in Australia. In late 2015 and early 2016, Tom was selected to participate in the Australian-Indonesian Youth Exchange Program (AIYEP), and brought a breadth of knowledge and experience in terms of Education to the program. In his spare time, Tom is a keen volleyball and tennis player, and enjoys relaxing in front of the TV with his PS4. After achieving his goals in teaching, Tom plans to extend his passion for Indonesia into other areas, further promoting the language and country to the broader community.

Speech topic: What are the three biggest hurdles we must overcome to strengthen the Australia-Indonesia relationship?

Sally Andrews: Wild Card Awardee $2,500

sally-andrews Sally is in her final year of a Bachelor of Laws/International and Global Studies at the University of Sydney, and was recently selected as a New Colombo Plan Scholar and the 2016 Indonesia Fellow by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. She volunteers as a ChilOut Youth Ambassador and as Secretary of the West Papuan Development Company, an Australian NGO that constructs wells in the Papuan provinces. Sally has published several pieces focusing on Indonesia and Melanesia, including a stint as the 2016 Indo-Pacific Fellow for Young Australians in International Affairs. She clerked for Harmers Workplace Lawyers in 2015 and has worked at Allen & Overy as a paralegal and Indonesian translator. She has completed research internships within the Melanesia Program of the Lowy Institute for International Policy, and recently worked for General Electric in Papua New Guinea on a maternal mortality research project. She is currently based in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, where she is completing a law exchange at Universitas Islam Indonesia as part of her New Colombo Plan Scholarship.

Performance: An original song titled ‘Soekarno’.

Muhammad Arif Zamani: Native Speaker Awardee $2,000

picturear Arif Zamani originally hails from Bandung, Indonesia and currently resides in Canberra as a master research student at the Research School of Accounting of the Australian National University. He is an awardee of the prestigious Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education administered by the Indonesian Ministry of Finance. Arif actively promotes Indonesian cultures through organizing various traditional music and dance performances, culinary and language exchange for those based in Canberra. Currently he serves as an Event Director of the ANU-Indonesian Student Association and General Officer of Australia-Indonesia Youth Association (AIYA) ACT Chapter. In his time off, Arif enjoys travelling around Australia and now calls Australia his second home.

Speech topic: Bersatu kita teguh bercerai kita runtuh. (United we stand, divided we fall.) Discuss in the context of the Australia-Indonesia relationship.

AIYA Blog

ModCon: Q&A with Australian Winner Alannah Scorer

The winners of ModCon, the Australian Embassy digital art competition, were recently announced to be Hasanuddin University student Anisa Shabrina Yunus from Makassar, Sulawesi, and University of Western Australia student Alannah Scorer from Perth, Western Australia. Their artworks received the most number of votes on the Embassy’s Instagram account (@KedubesAustralia). After meeting Anisa last week, this week we hear from Alannah Scorer about what she hopes to convey with her intriguing, multifaceted work Different, and how she feels competitions like ModCon strengthen cultural ties.

Anti-socialite by Alannah Scorer. Image: Australian Embassy, Jakarta

Different by Alannah Scorer. Image: Australian Embassy, Jakarta

Congratulations Alannah on being the Australian winner of ModCon! Where in Australia are you from? How does this place influence your art?

Thanks so much! I am from Perth, Western Australia. Perth is a place waiting to be discovered, from the beautiful beaches, urban cityscapes and rural bushlands (a few hours out). I would say that Perth has influenced my art as over the years we as individuals learn to view suburbia with a unique eye, to see what makes my town different from the next. Everything, even small ‘boring’ suburbs can be beautiful with the right mindset and outlook on life.

Your artwork is an intriguing composition of many items, at the forefront of which is the phrase ‘Anti-socialite’. What does this collection of items represent about you as a person? What message in particular were you hoping to convey to viewers about the artist behind the artwork?

This artwork was sporadically placed in such a way that represented where my head can sometimes be at as a student. Focusing on everything from love to assignments, and everything in between can be excruciatingly hard work. ‘Anti-socialite’ is a visual representation of ‘dream-like’ and ‘uneasy’ feelings that I wanted to convey, about how I personally handle those daily tasks. As an artist, I wanted the viewers to study each item individually, and then look back at the image, as a whole, and search for their own interpretation.

How did you hear about the ModCon competition, and what prompted you to enter?

I heard about ModCon though an online notice by my University tutor. At first, I did not want to enter, worrying about putting more pressure on myself, but then after persuasion from family members and personal motivation, I thought ‘why not? What’s the worst that can happen?’ …and I’m so glad I did!

What do you hope to gain from your time in Indonesia? What are you most excited about?

I have visited Indonesia (Bali) once before and loved the strong culture and friendly locals. I am hoping to gain some hands-on advice on how to better my digital art from international professionals.

What are your goals or aspirations for when you return from Indonesia?

My goals/aspirations for my return would be to come back with a new mindset about producing digital art. I would love to return to my country with a certain drive to get straight into creating more artworks and producing what I love (with better skills and more knowledge).

How do you feel about the relationship between Australia and Indonesia, and what do you think creative exchanges such as ModCon can bring to the relationship?

I believe the relationship between Indonesia and Australia is extremely strong. I think the Australian Embassy is doing such a cool and innovative new thing, which should definitely be experienced by students who are interested in digital art/filmmaking. As an Australian, I believe creative exchanges such as ModCon bring the Australian and Indonesian ties closer together, as ModCon enables winning entrants to explore and learn in a whole new place (a place that they might not be able to experience otherwise).

View all shortlisted entries on the Embassy website. To learn more about ModCon head here, and if you’re a digital artist make sure you remember it for next year! Alannah is on Instagram: @laniscorer.

AIYA Blog

My AIYEP Experience in Community Development: Rahmah Eka Saputri

Three years ago I was selected to be a part of the AIYEP family. Eighteen brilliant young people from eighteen different provinces in Indonesia met eighteen great young people from Australia for two months of unforgettable experiences. In December 2013, we met the Australians in Sydney to learn about each other, conduct meetings, arrange planning and organize the programs that would be implemented when we got to Indonesia. In Indonesia we went to Koto Sani in Sumatra for the first month, and Bukittinggi for the second month.

Rahmah before a cultural performance. Photo: Rahmah Eka Saputri

The first month in Koto Sani was an unforgettable experience. Koto Sani is a small village located 40km from the capital city of West Sumatra, Padang. It is a refreshingly natural place to live. There are rice fields for farming and fishponds to grow fish. Since most people work as farmers, fish breeders and traditional artists, this place is also renown as the center for high quality rice, fresh fish and also for learning traditional dance.

It was amazing when the 36 of us were first welcomed into the community. They performed the traditional dance of West Sumatra, tari piring, which involves the use of plates. The plate dance is a dangerous dance as performers dance on and balance plates on their hands.

At the end of performance, a group of dancers dropped the plates on the floor, smashing them and jumping on them with a big smile. We were shocked that they could still smile while stepping on harmful glass. While it appears harmful, it actually does not harm them at all. The dance is a way for the West Sumatran people to welcome their guests, provide traditional food and show their guests that they are grateful for their presence.

The group after completing a water irrigation project in Koto Sani. Photo: Eka Saputri

The group after completing a water irrigation project in Koto Sani. Photo: Rahmah Eka Saputri

During one month in Koto Sani, we undertook a community development project where we worked with the community and the participants to increase the quality of the society and bring about developmental changes. The participants lived with host families in different houses and parts of the village. This was a great way of directly understanding how West Sumatran people socialize and interact with their family members, and they treated us as not only guests, but as their family as well.

Koto Sani is renown for their rice trade and we discussed with village leaders about what the needs of the community were. They had irrigation issues and needed to fix a broken pipe located at the top of a hill that was used to provide fresh water to the rice fields. A large group of us climbed to the hill to find the broken pipes, and after sourcing the material to fix the problem, the participants and the village community worked together to carry the heavy pipes into the forest to repair the pipes and construct new ones. For me, this was a very special moment, seeing Koto Sani’s local community working with the Indonesian and Australian youth to climb through the forest and fix the problem together. The mission was accomplished when we enabled the water to flow again.

Rahmah and the group in Sydney. Photo: Rahmah Eka Saputri

At the end of the village experience we arranged a farewell party with the community. To show respect, we had learned and prepared a traditional dance from West Sumatra to perform at the farewell party. We practiced the dance every night and had training with Uda, a local dance teacher in Koto Sani. Uda understood that the movements of the dance were difficult to learn, so he was patient with us until we were ready to perform it. On the day of the farewell party we performed the dance in front of all of the villagers. In return, they performed the Randai dance and the plate dance to say thank you.

It was an incredibly rewarding and memorable experience, and I learnt many great things.

This article is part of a series of reflections from alumni of Australia-Indonesia student exchange programs. Read the experiences of other AIYEP participants here. The editors of the AIYA Blog would also like to thank Samantha Howard for her assistance in commissioning and editing these articles. You can find her solo and collaborative blog and journal writing here and here.

AIYA Blog

ModCon: Q&A with Indonesian Winner Anisa Shabrina Yunus

ModCon, the Australian Embassy digital art prize, was awarded to Hasanuddin University student Anisa Shabrina Yunus from Makassar, Sulawesi, and to University of Western Australia student Alannah Scorer from Perth, after their artworks received the most number of votes on the Embassy’s Instagram account (@KedubesAustralia). This week we spoke to Anisa about the inspiration behind her gentle, rich and beautiful artwork The Current Face of Indonesia, and what she’s most looking forward to on her professional development adventure in Australia. We’ll meet Alannah next week.

The Current Face of Indonesia by Anisa Shabrina Yunus. Image: Australian Embassy Jakarta

Congratulations Anisa on being the Indonesian winner of ModCon! Where in Indonesia are you from? How does this place influence your art?

Anisa Shabrina Yunus. Photo: Australian Embassy, Jakarta

I was born and raised in Makassar, South Sulawesi, which is the largest city in Sulawesi. It is mostly known because of the great landscapes, traditional foods, cultural heritage, and so on. I look at this city as a repository of society’s collective memories which I can always be inspired by. Other than the places that influence me in making artwork, it is the people that matter because they keep me going on. The local community and the city atmosphere is what influence my art the most.

Your winning artwork is a beautiful and gentle composition of some iconic Indonesian elements, traditional and modern. What were you hoping to convey to viewers about your country?

I was trying to point out the interesting points of Indonesia, either the traditional values or the contemporary ones. So I made a number of lists that contain key points such as technology, mobility, youth activities, landscapes, hang-out places, culture, faith, and natural resources – those key points then being connected to the current phenomenon of the digital era. I would like to convey the society activities nowadays regarding to what is up today. I finally came up with an idea to combine all those key points in my artwork.

The first one I aim to convey is the traditional values that strongly remain in my country through the presence of public transportation and street vendors. Their presence was combined with contemporary values such as app-based transportation due to technology development. I also added youth activities such as music and visual art as a symbol of the contemporary era in which each individual has the opportunity to express themselves. And the last one I tried to describe is the natural attraction which is the thing Indonesia is mostly known for. After all, I am willing to show the current look of Indonesia, in a genuinely good way through several aspects.

How did you hear about the ModCon competition, and what prompted you to enter?

I stumbled upon the Australian Embassy twitter account and found this information about the digital art competition. I usually use my spare time to look for any learning opportunities such as scholarship programs, youth forums, competitions, and so on. I felt the urge to join this competition since the very first day. I thought this is what I am capable of and moreover, I have always been wanting to go to Australia for study because they have an outstanding rank in the field of art and design. I can say that I kinda felt like this is a golden opportunity for me to develop self-capability.

What do you hope to gain from your time in Australia? What are you most excited about?

Other than a very valuable experience, I am looking forward to expanding my knowledge, developing communication skills, building a wider network on an international level that will eventually have an impact on my career development. I am so excited about meeting new people that have the same passion as mine, and going to some artsy places, and getting involved in the international exhibition. I can’t wait to be faced with another reality where it can train my self-reliance and endurance in facing the situation which is completely new, so there will be a greater awareness of the relationship between people from different countries.

What are your goals or aspirations for when you return from Australia?

As soon as I return, I am looking forward to holding an exhibition and workshop in my hometown as a follow-up to my program in Australia. I hope my trip there will broaden my vision about the making of visual artwork and add my references in the field of art and design so that I can learn from them and share them straight through the ModCon program.

How do you feel about the relationship between Australia and Indonesia, and what do you think creative exchanges such as ModCon can bring to the relationship?

Australia and Indonesia has a well-maintained relationship since both countries lead each other to mutual cultural understanding through government collaborative programs. I can see that from the presence of the embassies in both nations that actively work to build stronger relationships. There are a lot of things that this kind of exchange program can bring to this case, like a broader network of between each country’s local communities, a greater understanding and tolerance of other cultures, and a sustainable connection between both nations in the field of art and design that will possibly lead to collaborative works, and the sharing of links.

To learn more about ModCon head here, and if you’re a digital artist make sure you remember it for next year! Anisa is on Twitter: @nichasy and Instagram: @nichasy.

AIYA Blog

Best Semester Abroad: Q&A with the two Indonesian winners

The Best Semester Abroad program sponsors 20 young people from ten countries to live and study in Queensland, and is conducted by the State of Queensland through Trade and Investment Queensland. We spoke to the two winners from Indonesia, Fitri Suci Puspita Sari from Palembang and Alfian Mahardika from Jakarta, about their plans for life in Queensland and what the competition opportunity means for them.

Photo: Fitri Suci Puspita Sari

Fitri, tell us about your home in Indonesia.

I am from Palembang, an hour’s flight from Jakarta. Palembang is a river city located in South Sumatra province. Palembang is popular due to its beautiful Musi River. One of the main delicacies is called pempek, the main ingredient of which is fish. We also have a traditional cloth called songket Palembang, which is woven from golden thread.

How did you find out about Best Semester Abroad?

I knew about the Best Semester Abroad program from a non-profit organisation based in Palembang called Blue Sparkle, which focuses on contributing through education within the communities of South Sumatra.

Why were you interested in studying in Queensland?

I wanted to study in Queensland due to its quality of education. The knowledge that I will gain in Queensland will strongly support the developments currently needed in communities in Palembang.

Where will you be studying?

I will be studying Early Childhood Education at Charlton Brown in Brisbane, because there is a need for early childhood education training for the under privileged children I have been teaching at a non-profit organization in Indonesia called Save Street Child Palembang.

How do you think studying in Australia will benefit you?

Studying in Australia will definitely be very beneficial for me. It will help me to find appropriate teaching strategies, leadership skills and networking procedures that I may be able to apply in my voluntary work.

How do you feel about the Australia-Indonesia relationship?

I believe that Indonesia and Australia have a strong, positive relationship and have the same commitment in collaboration through education. Indonesia and Australia’s relationship is growing and a bright future will come.

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Alfian with Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Paul Grigson (left). Photo: Trade and Investment Queensland

Alfian, where are you from in Indonesia?

I’m from Jakarta, a third year student at the University of Al Azhar Indonesia.

How did you find out about Best Semester Abroad?

I often attend seminars and exhibitions on education abroad. Exactly a year ago, in the Education World Expo event organised by My Study World at Balai Kartini in Jakarta, I tried the lucky draw with prizes to Singapore but failed. Then I got an email from them to try to win a five-month study program in Queensland. I sincerely and confidently hoped to win it.

Why do you want to study in Queensland?

Because it would be my first time out of Indonesia and my dream from childhood was to be an International Student. I was inspired by former President B.J. Habibie. I want to be the next Habibie of my generation. Additionally, there are many Queensland universities which rank among the top 100 universities of the world.

Which university will you be studying at?

I will be studying at TAFE Queensland on the Gold Coast where I will major in IELTS preparation. I chose to prepare for my future to continue postgraduate studies with a target IELTS 8 per band.

How do you think studying in Australia will benefit you?

Students in Australia have a very multicultural mindset. People from more than 200 countries currently study in Queensland, and this will open wide the opportunity to network and co-operate with others for my future career.

How do you feel about the relationship between Australia and Indonesia?

Australia-Indonesia relations are very close. Before I left for Queensland, The Australian Embassy in Jakarta held a Best Semester Abroad ceremony that was fantastic. This was in collaboration with Trade and Investment Queensland and also Fostrust Education Services. Incidentally, Paul Grigson (Australian Ambassador) has family in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast, so we got a lot of advice from him. He said, “The first month may be difficult with the language, the culture, and the different systems and you may find it very hard but if you persevere the rest of the time should be easier and will run smoothly.”

As an international student ambassador for Indonesia, among ten other international student ambassadors, I am very proud of Indonesia in the eyes of the world.

Find more information about the Best Semester Abroad competition on their website.

AIYA Blog

Canberra high school students celebrate Indonesia at ANU

The future of Australia-Indonesia relations is in safe hands with secondary students in Canberra demonstrating a keen interest in their language studies.

The annual Indonesia Day event run by the Australia-Indonesia Youth Association – ACT Chapter (AIYA ACT) has again proved to be a massive success for the third successive year with attendance by 170 students.

High school and college students from across the ACT studying Indonesian came to ANU where they had the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of cultural, linguistic and history workshops.

The workshops gave students an insight into the diversity of Indonesian culture across the archipelago.

School students enjoy the musical delights of the angklung workshop. Photo: Floranesia Lantang

University student volunteers had the opportunity to showcase their skills to students as well as the wide variety of opportunities that are available to students who speak Indonesian.

Australian students who studied the Indonesian martial art pencak silat and the traditional Acehnese dance Saman were able to showcase the opportunities that they had to learn these skills in-country through programs such as the Australia-Indonesian Youth Exchange Program (AIYEP) and in-country university study.

Indonesian university students showcased their skills to students in various areas of Indonesian culture, such as the bamboo instrument angklung, getting an opportunity to share their culture to young Australians.

Education is vital to a healthy relationship and it is important that we foster students’ keen interest in Indonesia from a young age whether that be in language or other.

Students enjoying one of the more lively aspects of Indonesia studies. Photo: Kirrilly McKenzie

Language classes battle with ‘more fun’ subjects in the elective part of the curriculum in later secondary school, damaging the progression language skills making programs like this vital to demonstrating the importance of learning languages.

Canberra students choosing to study Indonesian have the added difficulty of the continuation of their studies as the schools from primary to high school, and finally college, may not offer Indonesian.

Indonesia from Canberra can feel like a whole world away, but with growing interest in the region and Indonesians making up 2.5 per cent of Canberra tourism, it will become increasingly important for the ACT to make themselves more open to engagement with Indonesia.

Read about various past Canberra and ANU events hosted by AIYA ACT here. The team also regularly organises Language Exchange events, which you can keep up to date about on their Facebook page.

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Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2016: a feast of Indonesia-focused content

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NAILA 2016 Awardees

ModCon: Q&A with Australian Winner Alannah Scorer

My AIYEP Experience in Community Development: Rahmah Eka Saputri

ModCon: Q&A with Indonesian Winner Anisa Shabrina Yunus

Best Semester Abroad: Q&A with the two Indonesian winners

Canberra high school students celebrate Indonesia at ANU

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