How to celebrate Thanksgiving abroad

Thanksgiving in America is probably my favorite time of the year, eating food until we're stuffed, spending time with family, Christmas being right around the corner; it's hard to beat. Before coming to Indonesia, I was a little bit nervous about spending the holidays abroad without my family. Thanksgiving is not really celebrated here, so it was up to me and the other American exchange students to use what we have and create our own Indonesian-American Thanksgiving. And that we did.

Ellen and Emily (2 other YES Abroaders in Jakarta) and I met up at my favorite mall in Jakarta (Pondok Indah) on Black Friday to celebrate together. We realized how ironic it was that we were celebrating Thanksgiving on Black Friday in a country that doesn't celebrate either day. It had been over two months since the three of us had been reunited, so it was a really good feeling to be all together again. We had our Thanksgiving dinner at a Japanese restaurant together and I can safely say that is the first time I've ever had sushi at Thanksgiving dinner. 

Part of being an exchange student is just making things work, and I'd like to think we did that pretty well. We live in a country that doesn't celebrate either Halloween or Thanksgiving but we've managed to get by on our own little celebrations anyway. Creating your own Halloween/Thanksgiving is part of being an exchange student I think. Just because you're 9000 miles from home doesn't mean you can't have a good Thanksgiving, it just means you might be eating sushi instead of pumpkin pie.

throwback to two Wisconsin girls celebrating Halloween in Indonesia

Happy Thanksgiving from the J.Co loving Americans

On a side note, since it is Thanksgiving I wanted to give thanks for so many things and people here. You always know you are thankful for your family, but until you spend Thankgiving away from home, you don't really realize how thankful you truly are. I am still so thankful to my family for allowing me to embark on this incredible journey, and for always supporting me here.

I want to say thank you to YES Abroad, the State Department, the American tax payers and everyone who made this dream a reality. I could never have even come to Indonesia if it weren't for this amazing program. 

Coming to Indonesia has opened my eyes in ways I never could have imagined, making me realize the countless small things I took for granted everyday back home. Things as simple as hot baths/showers, Wisconsin milk, choosing what i want to wear to school, safe tap water, cold weather, reliable WiFi, having a job that doesn't require me to stand in the middle of a busy intersection directing traffic for 50 cent tips, the list goes on. So many things I took for granted or even complained about back home I never realized how I am lucky to have. I want to give thanks for all of these things as well.

That is what traveling abroad does to you, it opens your eyes to see the bigger picture around you, exposes you to a way of life you never could have even imagined. Indonesia has opened my eyes in so many different ways, and this Thanksgiving I just really want to give thanks for being here and for learning all that I am. 

Jadi terima kasih semua orang untuk semuanya, dan untuk baca ini.

Indonesian shopping

Like many aspects of Indonesian life, shopping is one place you can go over the top expensive or bargain your way down to paying just a few dollars (or even cents). Jakarta is the capital and (and I think its safe to say) shopping center of Indonesia. I have never seen so many malls in such a small area of land. Malls in Jakarta often have valet parking, taxi queues, movie theaters, and four or more stories. They often resemble airports from the outside by their sheer size and volume of customers.

I have spend many weekends (and dollars) shopping at these malls and just admiring them. In Indonesia it is more common to meet up with friends at the mall than in Wisconsin because there is just more to do. In the mood to see a movie? Get a haircut? Get a massage? Work out? Sing karaoke? Ice skate? Pray? You've got it all in one place.

Lately my Indonesian language skills and my independence have both been increasing so I have been able to explore more malls with my friends, both Indonesian and American. I've managed to take taxis alone in Jakarta (a city of 8 million people) to meet friends at the mall which in itself feels like a big accomplishment.  

courtesy of google but you get the idea

my YES Abroad ladies shopping(L-R: Ellen, Mallory, and I)

You can sometimes forget you're in Indonesia at the mall due to the array of Western food options and Christmas/Halloween/other holidays not celebrated by the majority of Indonesians' decorations.

I found a christmas tree at a department store!

first root beer in 3 months

However the malls can be very western, if you want a traditional Indonesian experience you'll head to the pasar (lit. market). There are both pasar malam  and pasar pagi, (night market and morning market) but I have only yet been to the latter. At the pasar, hundreds of sellers are packed into a maze of shops filled with food, batik, and anything else you might want. I have not been able to witness the pasars too many times, but it is a very interesting experience. My friend guided me around  through the array of batik while bargaining prices until we could achieve the best deal or we would just keep going. I really hope to be able to explore the pasars more and eventually be able to bargain my way into non-bule prices (which may take awhile).

pasars remind me a lot of Farmers Markets in Madison, just more palm trees

If you have any suggestions or any topics you want me to write about, please comment or email me! The more I adjust the harder it becomes to write since Indonesia is starting to feel like a regular life.

Also, tomorrow marks three months since I left home. Time works in crazy ways right?