We were able to visit every grade level at the
school and share a cultural presentation with the students. They had many
questions, similar to what any teenager would ask.
Many of the issues that
interest teenagers are the same irregardless of the country they call home. About 50% of the students had phones with an
internet connection. For many of them the phone was their only source of
internet access. The school did not have internet access for students that was
reliable. Many teachers also had the same problems. From what I could tell the
internet was not incorporated into classrooms. Much classroom time was devoted to lectures with the students diligently
taking notes from power point presentations their instructors had prepared.
We had a day to explore Palembang with our host
family. We were able to visit several cultural cites and get a feel for the
city. Because we were traveling with the family I think we experienced the city
differently than if we had be adults alone. It was a fun experience that really
highlighted the cultural diversity found in Indonesia. We visited historical locations from
colonial times, as well as Buddhist and native cultural cites. All of these
different perspectives were infused with the modern Muslim culture. In American we are of many different cultures and differences are celebrated. In Indonesia the national identity is firmly established as Muslim. It is a uniting factor that makes the city life and culture cohesive. As a population with many differences, the Indonesians are united by their Muslim culture.
