Because the 25-year-old student’s family comes from the Maluku Islands and Borneo, it was a logical step for her to spend some time there. ‘Because of my roots, I’ve always had a strong affinity with the cultures in Indonesia,’ says Danica. ‘I’ve been to Indonesia a couple of times and each time I met new people, saw beautiful places and came home with treasured memories. My interest in the place grew and I found myself taking an economic direction, focusing on Indonesia.’

Did you work alongside the locals?

‘During my internship, I did a lot of work with Balinese colleagues/friends. I worked in Customer Service and made sure that outgoing correspondence to customers was on the right track. I had a lot of contact with western tourists, so I almost always communicated in English. In the office, I tried to learn as much Indonesian as possible. My colleagues also switched to speaking Balinese straight away, so I could practice it. Sometimes it was difficult, because there are so many accents and dialects that are not always easy to understand, but I learned a lot. And I often made my colleagues laugh with my Dutch accent.’

What did you like most about being abroad?

‘The warm welcome! I made a conscious decision to travel to Indonesia alone, to gain as much experience as possible and make my own way. It was scary at first but it led to me meeting lots of local people, who I can now call my friends and even family. Hospitality and a sense of family are strong components of the Indonesian culture and this helped me not to feel homesick.’

And what was the worst thing about it?

‘Tourism is taking its toll on the island: rice paddies are being replaced by resorts, local restaurants are being overwhelmed by extremely expensive (international) restaurants and local residents are excluded from tourist areas. They’re not allowed to go there anymore. I found that shocking.’

What was the biggest culture shock?

‘I didn’t really experience any culture shocks. It’s nice and warm and you’re expected to respect the local culture and traditions. I lived in an Islamic community and there are certain rules associated with that: no cleavage or shorts and you’re not allowed to drink alcohol on the street, but I soon got used to it. I had a wonderful time. The real culture shock came when I returned to the Netherlands. I was confronted with the direct approach and rigid structure here. The Netherlands is more about living to work, while in Indonesia it’s more about working to live.’

Do you have any tips for students who would like to go and study in Indonesia?

‘Try to go there with an open mind. Be open to the culture and traditions and you’ll be rewarded by having a lovely time. You’ll need to organise certain things (international driver’s licence, health insurance, etc.) well in advance at the embassy. Everything works efficiently in the Netherlands but things are a bit more lax and take a bit longer in Indonesia. And take a bag of liquorice or syrup waffles with you, because you’ll certainly make friends that way. And an extra bag for yourself, because you’ll definitely miss them.’

Text: Tosca Sel