![\"\"](\"http:\/\/34.101.188.30\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/BBQ-Photo2.jpg\")
<\/a>Australians are famous for their BBQs. Photo: Maureen Haycock<\/p><\/div>\n
Of course, this isn\u2019t at all a criticism of the country \u2013 it just goes to show how attached we become to certain objects and traditions (nothing like a foreign country to shake things up!). Plus, the list is based on my personal experiences and observations, so you\u2019re welcome to disagree.<\/p>\n
1) Family and friends.<\/strong> Alright, let\u2019s get the frequently-quoted clich\u00e9 out of the way first. However, it\u2019s very true \u2013 family and friends often aren\u2019t there with you while in-country. And, despite the extremely accommodating nature of Indonesian families, sometimes you just can\u2019t beat the folk back home.<\/p>\n 2) English language reading material.<\/strong> I was told before my first study trip to Indonesia that I might have a hard time finding books or magazines written in English \u2013 and they were right<\/em>. I\u2019m not sure I found anything not in Indonesian that wasn\u2019t brought from home by other Australians. Like I said at the beginning, I end up missing the simple things \u2013 this included.<\/p>\n 3) Alone time.<\/strong> Indonesians love<\/em> to do stuff together: eat, talk, study, anything<\/em>. Sometimes you can\u2019t get away from it all. For instance, five Indonesian friends and I once went on a weekend trip away to the islands off the east coast of Lombok. All six of us ended up sleeping in a single room \u2013 four on the bed, two on the floor. The others were happy to snuggle up under the doona (that\u2019s right \u2013 doona), but to be honest I was wanting to get somewhere cool and quiet.<\/p>\n 4) A safe on-road experience.<\/strong> Oh, how Indonesian traffic fascinates me. Bewildering in more than one sense of the word, the plentiful vehicles zooming past makes it dangerous to simply cross the road. It\u2019s a stark change from the linearity and regulation of Australian roads. (I got excited when I saw a pedestrian crossing marked on the road in Yogyakarta \u2013 yes, I speak the truth, an actual pedestrian crossing).<\/p>\n 5) The use of your left hand.<\/strong> This one can be challenging as you have to change your habits from day one. Whether it\u2019s eating a meal to handing a pen to a fellow student in class, careful with the (dreaded?) left hand. What\u2019s more, the return home is even peculiar \u2013 actually being able to use two hands? Unthinkable!<\/p>\n 6) Unsweetened bread.<\/strong> It took me a while to realise, but in Lombok, finding bread like you get in Australia is extremely difficult. I\u2019d go to the nearby Indomaret and find racks of Sari Roti and half-loaves of sliced bread. These taste great, but can be a little too sweet when you\u2019re hunting for a sandwich or some vegemite on toast (both of which would fit well on this list, actually).<\/p>\n 7) Ability to blend in.<\/strong> Try as you might, the simple act of walking down the street makes you stand out. This is because of the obvious reasons: ethnicity, height, language (oh, and the shape of your nose). The local community will quickly take you in as one of their own, sure, but you\u2019ll attract renewed attention when you head somewhere new.<\/p>\n 8) Australia\/Australians.<\/strong> Maybe I\u2019m here cheating here, but for all our faults, you can\u2019t beat good ol\u2019 Oz. There is something inherently inviting about the Australian experience \u2013 maybe it\u2019s the accent, the easy-going nature everyone speaks of, the weather, or firing up the barbeque with friends for Australia Day. Whatever it is, you\u2019re exposed to it from birth and it doesn\u2019t let up your entire life.<\/p>\n Things like these are what we long for when out of the country, but often take for granted back home. They\u2019re small things on their own, but on the whole add up. We better make use of them while they\u2019re at our fingertips and not a few thousand kilometres away, don\u2019t you think?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Travelling to Indonesia is the most out-there thing I\u2019ve done in my entire life, and that\u2019s why I loved doing it. The country is a brilliantly different place with a […]<\/p>\n