Ramadan Weekend

So sorry I sort of disappeared for a bit. Last Wednesday I found out I actually had to be in Jakarta to fil out some last minute paperwork so I immediately packed my bags and then one bus and taxi later, I was on a plane to Indonesia's capital city. It was really nice to meet up with other people in the program and talk to each other everyone's experiences. It seems like everyone has had their own little mountain to climb, complete with funny story or anecdote.

Jakarta was a really cool city. In my head, I imagined it to be really busy and feel like New York or London with regards to its landscape. Instead the city is spread out over a large area, with no one point acting as city center. At least, that was my perspective. Some friends and I did some touristy things (visited the Monas monument, went to a museum, etc), and it was a lot of fun. We also went to a soccer game! Indonesia versus Libya! At the game, I was mistaken for a Libyan -- this can be added to the list of ethnicities I am constantly mistaken for (Ethiopian, African American, Native American, etc.) -- but it was a lot of fun to go there. The game itslef was a bit confusing. At half time, Libya was up, 1-0, but then they forfeited the game because of a fight between coaches and a little bit of rioting. All things considered, the other ETAs and I decided that we should probably make a quick exit and we left before the trophy was "awarded" to Indonesia. ETAs and I went out a bit while in Jakarta, mainly bc none of us really have that option in our own cities, but it was fun to meet up and talk to everyone about their experiences in their respective towns.

After spending a couple of days in Jakarta, a bunch of us relocated to Semarang for a few days. While there, we explored the city and went on a boat ride around the Marina. The boat didn't really travel along the city, but it was relaxing to just go out to sea and zone out for a few hours. All in all, Ramadan weekend was really busy, but a lot of fun!