First Month in Yogya

Salut salut!

After more than a month on the other side of the world it is very much time to share some of the tousands of photos (no joking!) and impressions I made here in Indonesia. As I have not bothered you with many calls and texts, you may safely assume that boredom has not started yet=)

Life here resembles a beautiful holiday rather than "tough" student life. Still, my classes at uni sta rted early January but very conveniently my 4 courses are all scheduled on Wednesday and Thursday so that I got a long long weekend. This also explains the many trips I could make already As expected the level of the lectures here is way below what I'm used to in Rotterdam but nonetheless we need to hand in numerous summaries and prepare several presentations. Our professors are definitely friendly and smiling constantly but absentism and yawning is not well received. Next week. for a change. we won't need to listen to slow speaking, Indonesian jokes about how the professor earns so much more than we do etc.. because we have our midterm exams! Let's see how that is going. One thing is sure; study time isn't too bad here hanging at the swimming pool with Anne and Neng - and a study book in my bag

Not surprisingly I made a lot of new experiences here in Yogya. Among other things I learned that..

• ..there is only a litited number of swimming pools in yogya that allow bikini-wearing-women
• ..monkeys are not only stealing my food but they bite too! (I got a nice little wound on my forehead... well ok maybe it was not a bite but a scratch from the monkey's nails)
• ..I love eating bebek (duck) and by now I know which restaurants to avoid for their too skinny ducks
• ..rivers here are brown and after initial hesitation you can nonetheless go riverrafting and enjoy water plays
• ..motor bikes are definitely the quickest way of transport in town and if you don't own one you just take an ojek "motor bike taxi"
• .."swimming" by motor bike IS possible - and not voluntary if you want to get home after a heavy rain
• ..volcano's make a huge thundering noise when erupting!!
• ..Bali offers a lot more than beaches and drunk Aussies (I will add a separate post about my bali trip in the next few days)
• ..sport is very important with all the awesome food here: nasi goreng, ikan bakar, tempe, kerang, jus stroberi, roti bakar...
• ..I'm almost half-way through my time in yogya - too fast, too fast!
• ..birthday rituals (including raw eggs, flour, and water) are more entertaining for your friends than for birthday girl;/
• ..my memory card is sooo big that nothing limits the number of photos I make (click on "photography" on the right if you are crazy enough to watch the other 200 pics or so)

Thanks for all the birthday wishes that I received already!!
kisses

99% prepared to approach active Bromo volcano

just waiting to be consumed in the supermarket around the corner

@ Prambanan (hindu) temple

hugo's cafe

traditional dance @ Yogya's Keraton

treatment @ Dr. Fish in Yogya

street life

landscape covered by Bromo's ash

Prambanan (hindu) temple

fisher man @ Sundak beach

Sundak beach

camp fire @ Sundak beach

gadis kecil having fun at Sundak beach

Sundak beach

waiters climbing the palm tree to offer us some VERY fresh coconut cocktails

@ Parangtritis beach

CIMG2805

check out my little roommate hanging out on the wall above my notebook

haha a list of our exclusive exchange group exposed in the university hall

miss, miss, picture, picture..

mhhh..

indonesian food prepared @ Alam Bahasa, the Indonesian language school

volcano Merapi

distroyed bridge around Merapi volcano