Indonesia

A photo posted by Coralie gisel (@cocoinindo) on Sep 3, 2016 at 12:26pm PDT

Expect to attend regular gatherings with extended family. Elders are highly respected and make sure you consult your host parents before making any major decisions. Being a member of the greater community is also important and Indonesians tend to feel indebted to their village, their mosque or their professional organization. Communication styles in Indonesia tend to be indirect, in fact, there are twelve different ways of saying “no” in the Bahasa Indonesian language.

You will probably attend a public high school, which runs from Monday to Saturday (7 am to 1.30 pm). On Friday, the school ends at 11 am because of the noon Muslim prayer. You will wear a school uniform. After school you can learn traditional Indonesian music or dance.

A photo posted by Raihan Mauladi (@raihan_7) on Aug 17, 2016 at 10:04am PDT

A photo posted by Coralie gisel (@cocoinindo) on Jul 8, 2015 at 5:37pm PDT

Although there are more than 583 ethnic-languages and dialects used daily in the country, the official language is Bahasa Indonesia. Having a basic knowledge of English will help. AFS offers language lessons,and will send language study materials before the exchange.

Indonesian cuisine combines indigenous techniques and ingredients with influences from India (curries), the Middle East (kebabs), China (stir-frying) and Europe, including products brought by Spanish and Portuguese traders before the Dutch colonized the islands. Cooking varies widely by region so food can be very spicy or sweet. Fish, coconut and chilies served with rice is a staple. The main meal in Indonesia is usually lunch or dinner and communal cooking with designated roles and hierarchies at the table are common.

Indonesian vibes?

A photo posted by Dafne Rizzo (@dafninja) on Sep 11, 2016 at 2:54am PDT

TEEN PROGRAMS (UNDER 18 YEARS OLD)

Our learning program will prepare you for an amazing AFS intercultural experience. The program begins at your home country with a pre-departure orientation and continues with orientations and other supported learning activities and facilitated conversations will help you maximize your experience, cope the challenges of navigating a new culture and community and gain knowledge, skills, and a global understanding, throughout your time abroad, and as you return to you home country. AFS volunteers will be there to support and guide you and your host family through your learning journey abroad.

ADULT PROGRAMS (18 YEARS OR OLDER)

The Global Competence Certificate (GCC) program will support your intercultural learning experience. This state-of-the-art program prepares you to successfully navigate new cultural environments—during your AFSNext experience and long after you finish the program. Online intercultural learning modules combined with in-person sessions help you develop practical and global skills, knowledge and attitudes that employers need and mission-driven organizations believe will help achieve their social impact goals. You will receive your certification upon completion of the training program.