Reflections on a Month Abroad at Tadulako University, Central
Sulawesi, Indonesia
By Morgan Wilbanks (UW Alum, 2013)
Nov-Dec 2013
It
is very hot during the month of November in Palu, the capital of
central Sulawesi in Indonesia. Even though it was musim hujan, the
season for rain, I only had the fortune of it raining a handful of
times during my stay. Palu is situated in a rain shadow for most of
the year, and is one of the driest places in Indonesia. Chris
Grorud, a PhD student in the Southeast Asian Center at the
University of Washington and I were invited to Palu by Rector
Muhammad Basir Cyio and the International office of Tadulako
University for the opportunity to teach informal conversational
English to both the faculty and undergraduate English students. The
International Office at Tadulako University prearranged funding for
our travel, food, and additional spending money during our stay in
Palu and Rector Basir provided us lodging in his personal residence
and treated us with the upmost respect and hospitality.
Prior to my arrival, I had spent one year studying Bahasa Indonesia.
However, the month I spent in Palu was essential for increasing my
ability to speak this language. There is only so much you can learn
in a classroom of non-native speakers, but by being emerged in the
language and culture, I was able to improve my skill and communicate
efficiently in this foreign environment. During our month stay in
Palu our schedule consisted of teaching the Rector, Vice Rectors,
Deans, and Vice Deans Monday through Friday mornings, and
undergraduate English Department majors in the late mornings and
afternoons. While teaching English was our priority, we were also
blessed with the opportunity to share cultural experiences, make new
friends and international colleagues, and most importantly,
establish a collaborative experience between Tadulako University and
the University of Washington. On the weekends, we were able to visit
local attractions with our newly found friends. We travelled to the
quaint village of Dongalla which was located next to the beautiful
beach of Tanjung Karang and Pusat Laut, known in English as the
Center of the sea. Pusat Laut was a beautiful salt-water filled
cavern a few hundred feet inland from the ocean. Another weekend we
visited and climbed Montikole waterfall nearby Palu. On the last
weekend before my departure home, we travelled to Makassar, the
capital of South Sulawesi.
I cannot fully express my gratitude for being able to have the
opportunity to travel to Tadulako University in Palu and represent
the University of Washington. The experience was priceless. I would
like to say thank you to Professor Randy Kyes, Director of the
Center for Global Field Study at the University of Washington and
Rector Muhammad Basir Cyio from Tadulako University for providing me with this wonderful opportunity to be involved in the international
collaboration between the University of Washington and Tadulako
University. Last but not least, I would like to give a big thanks to
the International Office and staff at Tadulako University for
handling the many logistics involved in hosting us at your
university.
Terima kasih atas kesempatan yang diberikan kepada saya.
Morgan Wilbanks graduated from the University of Washington in June
2013 with a BA in Psychology. Morgan also is an alumna of the
International Field Study Program-Indonesia, a UW study abroad
program conducted in collaboration with the Primate Research Center
at Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia,
http://depts.washington.edu/cgfs/ifsp/