Indonesian Diversity at Airlangga (INDIAIR)

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Student Liu

Dept. of Psychology

I learned a lot from the courses in Indonesia. We explored regional dialect issues, age, and gender, and even visited a transgender school. We even went to visit the legendary Borobudur, one of the Seven Wonders of the World—it was truly breathtaking to see in person.

I learned some local Indonesian. When I arrived at the airport, I took the initiative to say "Good morning," "Thank you," and other phrases to the staff in Indonesian.

During these days in Indonesia, classes were basically all in English. On the last day, we were assigned a homework task to present entirely in English. I feel that after those few days of training, my English proficiency has improved significantly, especially in listening.

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Student Lan

Dept. of Medical Laboratory Science & Biotechnology

To adapt to the environment quickly in a short time, the only methods are "Observation" and "Following." Observe the locals' living habits, pace, etc., and follow their patterns. You will find that it's actually not that difficult.

We used the local Grab, which is like Taiwan's Uber. It is both cheap and safe, making it a great choice for locals to get around. I wanted to step out of my comfort zone to explore a different country. Although I was a bit shy and awkward at first, I had to summon the courage to take the first step, and after that, I took to it like a fish to water.

Although attending classes entirely in English was harder by comparison, isn't that the purpose of my internship? Knowing how to speak some simple Indonesian to have basic conversations with locals also increases the sense of friendliness.