An Indonesian cultural festival themed "Go Java" was recently held in the auditorium of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. Traditional Indonesian food was served while musical and dance performances were presented to local and foreign audience members.

Students from a variety of cultural backgrounds modeled traditional Indonesian attire on a catwalk, which was followed by a lucky draw for a round-trip tickets to Java island.

Formed as the result of ancient volcanic eruptions, Java is the fourth largest island in Indonesia and home to 57 percent of the Indonesian population, making it the most populous island on Earth. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is also located on western Java.

"Indonesia has many small islands, and I was shocked to learn that each island has its own culture," said Anastasia, a student from Russia who attended the event.

Go Java was organized by Permit Shanghai, an Indonesian Students' Association founded in 2011 with the aim of connecting Indonesians in Shanghai while striving to promote Indonesian culture and art in the local community. 

Bagas Deka, Vice President of Permit Shanghai and an organizer of this event, told the Global Times that it took his team four months to prepare this event, as the Indonesian performers are from other Chinese cities including Hangzhou, Nanjing and Suzhou.

"The main purpose of organizing this event is to introduce Indonesian culture to Chinese especially and also to foreigners. We also want to provide a platform for all Indonesian students to exhibit their talent," said Deka.

Chinese dream

Lindi Trisno, a fourth-year undergraduate at Fudan University from Indonesia's capital city Jakarta came to Shanghai in 2012 for a medical education, as it had always been her dream to study abroad.

"China is one of the countries that allows foreign students to take medical program in English right after high school. Also, Fudan University is one of the most prestigious universities worldwide, so it was an honor for me to be accepted and I did not want to miss this precious chance," said Trisno.

Like Trisno, another Indonesian student, Bilga Benaya Mulyadi, was also attracted by Shanghai's high standards of education and its abundant opportunities. Mulyadi said Shanghai is much bigger than his hometown, which would enable him to meet a diverse range of people and gain more life experience.

According to statistics, Indonesians are now the sixth largest group of international students in China. By the end of 2013, the number of Indonesian students in China had exceeded 10,000, which was expected to increase by 15 percent per year. However, Trisno said in Shanghai there are only approximately 600 Indonesian students.

A second home

Having lived in Shanghai for four years, Trisno has a sense of belonging to the local community. "I have made Shanghai my second home and have met many great and inspiring people," she said.

Similar sentiments were echoed by Mulyadi, who said he is very comfortable living in Shanghai. "The longer I live here, the more comfortable I feel."

While both have adapted to life in Shanghai, they said that they both experienced some hard moment upon first arriving. "I was doubting if I made the right choice of leaving my home, family and friends," Mulyadi told the Global Times

"I did not know any people here, I had no relatives living in China and I was the only Indonesian student in my school," Trisno said, adding that the language barrier also made it difficult for her to interact with local people.

Fortunately, both found ways to cope with culture shock and feeling homesick. "During my spare time, I always hang out with my new Chinese friends. From listening to their lives, I learned many things that have really opened my view about life," said Trisno.

In terms of how Shanghai influences Indonesian students, Trisno said that the city itself changed her views and opinions about China. "Before I arrived, many people said that China was a really 'old style' country where people are rude. But after I experienced it myself, China, and especially Shanghai, is not how people told me," she said.

As for their plans after graduation, Trisno said that despite her sense of belonging to this city, she feels a duty to return to Indonesia. "I want to dedicate my knowledge as a doctor to my home country, because it has a greater demand for medical experts."

But Mulyadi has a different plan and is hoping to find a job in Shanghai so that he can continue living here. "I know the journey will be challenging, but I just want to chase my dreams and realize them in Shanghai," he said.



 

Traditional Indonesian dance and catwalk of traditional Indonesian attire at Go Java cultural festival

Photos: Wang Han/GT

 
Newspaper headline: Go Java