Indonesia?

Some of you may be wondering:

"What is she going to be doing over there?" and "Where is Indonesia anyway?" or "What are the cultures, traditions or religions of Indonesia?"

Indonesia is in South East Asia, just north of Australia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the countries of Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and East Timor. There are over 18,000 islands in the archipelago of Indonesia. It is located on both sides of the equator, therefore it is in both the southern and northern hemispheres as well as the eastern hemisphere. Its location near the equator makes it a warm and humid place throughout the year although moderately cooler in higher elevations. Indonesia's larger islands are quite mountainous and its location along the "Ring of Fire", a zone of volcanic activity surrounding the Pacific Ocean, dictates its possession of 400 volcanoes of which at least 90 are still active.

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/id.htm

The island of Java is the most developed island in Indonesia. Within this geographically large island one may find bustling cities, streets choked with traffic as well as beautiful open country and tranquil rural scenes. The Hindu-Buddhist empires reached their peak on Java, producing architectural wonders such as Borobudur and Prambanan (I will visit these places and add pics so check back). Islam, following through after this, absorbed rather than erased local cultures, leaving Java with a unique combination of historic influences and religions (88% of Indonesians are Muslim). http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/indonesia/java/

Indonesia is a very diverse nation. Although the official language is Indonesian, or Bahasa Indonesia, most people speak regional dialects. There are over 300 ethnic groups which people identify with over nationality. Each province has its own language, ethnic make-up, religions and history. In addition there are many cultural influences stemming back from difference in heritage. Indonesians are a mix of Chinese, European, Indian, and Malay. Although Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world it also has a large number of Christian Protestants, Catholics, Hindus and Buddhists.

I will be flying in and out of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, located in West Java and I will spend a few days there. I will concentrate my studies in the city of Yogyakarta located in Central Java province.

Yogyakarta, also known as Jogja or Yogya, is a city with outstanding historical and cultural heritage. Yogyakarta was the centre of the Mataram Dynasty (1575-1640), and until now the kraton (the sultan's palace) exists in its real functions. Also, Yogyakarta has numerous thousand-year-old temples as inheritances of the great ancient Buddhist kingdoms, such as Borobudur temple.

The artistic atmosphere is deeply felt in Yogyakarta. Many have coined Yogya as the cultural capital of Indonesia. Malioboro, as the center of Yogyakarta, is overwhelmed by handicraft from all around the city. Street musicians and vendors create a lively environment on every corner.

There I will be studying with a dalang, a master puppeteer, the art of shadow theater. In Indonesia, shadow theater is called wayang kulit. Wayang kulit is a performance with flat leather puppets controlled with rods by the dalang from behind a screen that is lit from behind accompanied by a gamelan orchestra, traditional indonesian instruments of bronze and percussion. The effect is that of dark silhouettes against a lit screen, dialogue and accompanying music. The dalang manipulates puppets while telling stores from the Indian epics of The Ramayana and The Mahabharata. Wayang has a rich tradition that has endured for over 1000 years and continues to evolve and entertain Indonesians and foreigners alike through performances that at times last all night.