Bali & Beyond ~ 2007-08 ... page 2

Matt's Photo Album

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship program for international educational exchange. Founded in 1945 and administered by the State Department, the Fulbright Program aims to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries. Approximately 1400 Fulbright Scholarships are awarded annually based on academic merit and leadership potential. Including Matt, three Coker students have been awarded Fulbright Scholarships since 2001. The other two are Maggie Meyer '08, who is going to Malaysia in 2009, and Vicki Cunningham '01 who taught in Spain.

Tell me more about the food.

An average meal in Indonesia consists of rice covered with “tempe” - generally tofu tasting like peanuts, chicken, chili sauce, or a combination of two or all. This same meal was eaten three times a day and I couldn’t stomach rice that often, particularly for breakfast. Coker College professor Dr. Lois Gibson paid me a visit around Christmas and brought me exactly what I had been dying for: a large box of instant grits. Thankfully the grits last me for the rest of my stay.

First thing I noticed was the portion difference compared to the West. Local food cost around 50 cents a day for me, while I could still splurge on $3 for a Happy Meal at McDonalds. Unfortunately most of my students only had that luxury once a month or less. They just never ate fast food, the expense was too high. For me, if I ever needed a Western meal fix, there was a tourist resort not very far away with a Hard Rock Café that had American meals at $15.

I did try eating dog, which was not very good, and even monkey, not very good either, but better than dog.

What were you first impressions?

Indonesians are a very friendly group of people. They are very passive, never telling you if you have a problem, but will smile just the same. You have to figure out their emotions and thoughts for yourself. Nearly all are very interested in America and Western culture. However, their image of American young adults is distorted through the pop culture of movies like “American Pie” and the like. They believe we are not family-oriented, but just about all Indonesians I interacted with would love a chance to come to America.

What were the Indonesians like to live and work with?

Indonesians have a much different cultural understanding of time. The local term "jam kurat" literally translates to "rubber time," accurately portraying the region's feeling toward timeliness. People often arrive an hour late to a meeting and think nothing of it. This greatly contrasted my Western perceptions about time being money and how it should never be wasted. Once I was able to relax, I realized progress could be made without a constant checking of my watch, worrying about the next appointment, or following a concrete schedule. Sometimes I think I was actually more productive, because I was more concerned about the person sitting in front of me than the oneI was supposed to meet next--which should have technically started 15 minutes ago.

How did attending Coker College prepare you?

Very well. I felt extremely intimidated when standing next to graduates from Ivy League school such as Harvard and the like. But actually, I was just as academically prepared if not more so than most of the other Fulbright Scholars. Through Coker’s teaching of the Socratic Method I was able to think critically. Given a task, I had to discover information relating to and how to complete it on my own, such as finding out how to reach my students. It was not nearly as hard for me because of my liberal arts background prepared me well.

What was the most interesting things you learned?

There is a perspective other than the American perspective in the world. I never knew exactly how important America is to the rest of the world and how others viewed our country. The students in high school were more informed about the current war than many of my friends at home. Indonesia is about 90% Muslim, but the island I lived on was 90% Hindu. The differences and devoutness I observed was quite intriguing.

Cell phones. The communication network there is amazing, and everyone uses “Skype.” Landlines are virtually obsolete there, but most people have three or four numbers on the same physical phone. You had to make the choice each time you called for which number you wanted to call from. For instance, I was able to have a local (Hartsville) 843 area code for calls to home so I could talk to my friends for two cents a minute long distance. It kept me connected when I needed it most.

The country was also much more developed that I thought. Initially I had the idea about there being bamboo huts and very few buildings, but Bali was a really amazing city. Very dirty and polluted, yet still a real city.

What was the scariest thing you experienced?

I was never really that afraid, but one situation comes to mind that did give me a shock. I went to another island and was walking near a port when a man asked to see my license and passport. Once he discovered I was an American, he lifted up his sweatshirt to reveal a t-shirt with Osama Bin Laden on it and he handed me a card certifying him as an avid supporter. Although he didn’t seem dangerous, all I wanted to do is get my passport back and leave the place. 

What was the most exciting thing you experienced or accomplished?

I’m definitely most proud of the scholarship workshops I designed for my students to get into colleges and universities in the United States. During these I would edit drafts of essays, talk about the importance of references, and discuss plans of study. One student got into got into Wesleyan, Hillary Clinton’s alma matter, and was a finalist for a prestigious scholarship.

My time with the other Fulbright scholars was very memorable. The diversity of the group allowed me to open up to new ideas and expand my horizons. Being around ambitious people changes your life goals and allows you to grow. 

Did you see any of effects of 2004 tsunami?

I went to one of the islands that was hit and saw a good deal of pictures from the others. I did come to know a lot of people that were affected by it. I also discovered that although America spent $60 million dollars to build houses over there, the houses were not designed to accommodate electricity or running water, and are thus virtually useless.

Would you recommend the Fulbright experience to current Coker students? What did you get out of it?

Most definitely yes. You should do it, just give it a shot. It opens a lot of doors and opens your eyes to things you wouldn’t notice otherwise. It’s a great experience.