marissaabroadadventures - Tumblr blog

[marissaabroadadventures]

Hi hiiiii! I’m so excited to share that I’ll be shipping out to the Peace Corps in Zambia as a Secondary Education English Teacher in only 2 months! Wahoo!

I’ve started the process of gathering my luggage, materials I’ll bring, thinking about all of that stuff! I will update this blog with photos, reflections, etc. as I continue my travels across the world!

(also this is a picture I’ve photoshopped of myself “in Zambia” haha!)

Stay tuned! :D

[marissaabroadadventures]

We found this really cool art installation that was part of the Jeju Biennale Installation. It was gorgeous! This work was seen in the Alddreu Airfield Guide Map work installation. Here’s a link to the guide 

http://jejubiennale.com/en_exhibition3.php

[marissaabroadadventures]

I have arrived in Jeju, South Korea! I’ve been here for a couple days so far. I’m staying with a former professor of mine from Saint Michael’s. They’ve been so kind and welcoming! The other day I went on a hike/ adventure along a few trails on the island! These are a few of my photos from my adventure! It’s so beautiful here! It makes me think of home in Vermont. I’ve loved my adventures this semester, but it will be nice to return to my homeland. :)

I have also taken the opportunity to apply for jobs for after graduation (so scary!) If I get any of the jobs I’ve applied for, I’ll post it to my blog as it would mean I’d be traveling abroad once again! ;) Stay tuned!

[marissaabroadadventures]

Wahooo! It’s been a long but fun semester full of learning! I finished my ISP and I am so pleased with how it turned out. I ended up studying Islamophobia, I learned so much. I also learned that I have SO much more to learn about this. At first I was a little disappointed that I didn’t “gain more ground” on this topic, but I didn’t narrow down my topic at all- so it was a big thing for me to tackle! I am so grateful for the opportunity to have studied this! My classmates seemed very engaged in my presentation and they asked lots of questions!

Right now, I’m in the Kuala Lumpur Airport in Malaysia- on a longg (12 hours or so) layover on my way to Jeju, South Korea. I will be staying with a former professor from Saint Michael’s College for a bit! Then I will return to the states before the next semester starts! I will upload photos when I have access to longer amounts of wifi and when my laptop battery isn’t dying haha! (I left the correct adaptor for Malay outlets in my checked bag! Whoops!)

I plan to take lots of pictures during my adventures in South Korea! I will keep you all updated! :) Thanks for following along, if anyone actually reads this!

This is a picture of me from my last night in Indonesia!! I went out with some friends to get boba bubble tea- yum! A nice way to be sent off. :) Thank you to everyone who has helped me to get here, and to get through this semester! <3 big love!

[marissaabroadadventures]

Mt Agung hassss erupted! Don’t fret! I am okay! I am still in Yogyakarta, Java- a totally different island than Bali! I will stay here until my program finishes! So I am same and far from volcanic ash and lava. :)

(Not my photo by the way!)

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-42133502

[marissaabroadadventures]

These are pictures from my time staying at Ali Maksum pesantren in Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia. I stayed there for 4 nights, 5 days. It was really hard! But I learned a lot about Islam and I am grateful for that opportunity!

[marissaabroadadventures]

Here is my apartment at the guest house I’m staying in Yogayakarta! I’ve chosen to return to Java to study pesantrens. I want to choose to study muslim women and the effect islamophobia has had on Indonesian Muslims. I’ve talked to all these Muslim people and so often many of them will ask me, “Do you think we’re all terrorists?” That broke my heart. It makes sense why they would ask me that question, and I’m not upset that would ask me. I am just so sad that that’s something that people have to consider. I am still so heartbroken to think about how the effect of so much hate has affected people from across the world. So, I’ve started to change my topic of research. I’m going to research and study the effect islamophobia has on muslims. So often, I’ve found, in the United States research or talk about Islam is centered around the people who are fearful of them- not the people who are being marginalized themselves. Because of that, I want to study and persue this. 

Also, I’ve gotten really good at doing my laundry in my sink! It saves money and is better for the environment! My clothes will also last longer! Probably won’t go back to it in the US. 

[marissaabroadadventures]

My friend and I went to a black sand beach in Kerambitan, Bali near where we stay with our homestay families. Our bapaks (fathers) took us on their motorbikes to see the sunset. The sunset didn’t really set that happen that day, but it was still so beautiful. It was so beautiful! What a lovely evening. :) 

[marissaabroadadventures]

We went to a place in Denpasar, Bali to learn how to make objects out of recycled paper. The man who started it is able to support others in the community, but allowing them to roll these papers that are used to make these objects that he sells. He tells people in the local community that if they need more money, he will pay them each 100 Indonesian rupiah for 1 piece of rolled paper. (1000 IDR =0.0738 USD) So this supports the man and the community around him while recycling paper. It was such a cool project to witness.

[marissaabroadadventures]

We went to the most amazing waterfall in Java. It was around an hour and a half hike to this beautiful place. What an amazing experience. I loved it.

[marissaabroadadventures]

We went to a full moon festival in Java. We danced and had so much fun! 

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We also visited the largest Buddha I think in Indonesia- it was so cool!

[marissaabroadadventures]

We explored a few temples in Java. They were so beautiful.

[marissaabroadadventures]

We visited a modern pesantren in East Java! The boy’s pesantren performed a traditional dance called a Pembarong. It was so cool to see! 

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Our traditional dress for a Javanese dance me and my peers performed for our host families in Godean, Java! It was so much fun. I had never felt more beautiful!

[marissaabroadadventures]

We visited a pesantren in Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia! This Islamic boarding school is named Ali Maksum. It was small and there were lots of young girls! We visited for an afternoon. 

[marissaabroadadventures]

We visited a Hindu temple in Java. It was so cool to see the difference between the large majority of people in Bali being in Hindu, compared to the small temple in Java where the large majority of people are Muslim.