SIS Summer Abroad 2017: ASEAN

Can you imagine celebrating a Thanksgiving feast every single day for a month? That ’ s how it felt like during my first month in Jakarta for my internship at The Habibie Center. My arrival in Jakarta coincided with the holy month of Ramadan. The first thing that most non-Muslims, I included, associate with Ramadan is fasting. Fasting is a customary practice during Ramadan. Muslims begin fasting from dawn to sunset, wherein they abstain from eating and drinking, even water. During my stay in Indonesia, that some Muslims participate in the fasting for various reasons. Some participate in the fast to practice self-discipline and self-control. There are some who do it to empathize with the less fortunate which allows them to be more generous to charity, another pillar of Islam. Others, on the other hand, do it cleanse their souls so that they could be pure from worldly desires. However, if fasting is the most significant aspect of Ramadan it begs to ask the question: why do I associate i...

Malaysia, Truly Asia. This is the slogan of Malaysia’s tourism ministry. Through food, festivals, and its people, the international TV advertisement showcased the diverse cultures that are present in Malaysia. The campaign presented that one can experience the entirety of Asia in Malaysia. I’ve been to Malaysia twice before this program. And the ministry’s tourism campaign is indeed true. I have never witnessed such cultural diversity elsewhere in the region. During the two weeks, I spent in Kuala Lumpur for the program, I have seen the diversity on a greater scale. I was able to sample different cuisines—Malaysian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and Indian—as you could easily find food stalls or restaurants beside one another. A number of religions were also represented in Malaysia as evidenced by the places of worship—Putra Mosque, Batu Caves, Thien Hou Temple—that the class visited as part of the program. Through these encounters, a tourist may think that these cultures are able to th...