2022T3W6 - Indonesia in your own Backyard

Studying a language at Damascus College was rewarded in senior years with the opportunity to travel overseas so that students could be immersed in the language and culture they were studying. After again missing out on a trip to Indonesia due to COVID lockdowns, restrictions and guidelines, the Damascus Indonesian students hoped another option might be available to them. The creative and dedicated language team have worked hard to develop an alternative they have dubbed “Indonesia in your own backyard”.

The excursion is a three-day trip to Melbourne where students will take part in as many Indonesian activities as possible.

The group travelled to Melbourne on Wednesday and using trams and trains to get around they have already managed to squeeze a lot in.

The group were treated to a visit to the Indonesian Consulate, where they were treated with the utmost respect. It was a great start to this exciting new activity.

Students have enjoyed language lessons, dining out in the city and Prahran, cultural experiences and even a visit to the zoo where the focus was on the native Indonesian animals, the Sumatran tigers, elephants and the endangered orangutans.

Mr Brendan Bawden, an Indonesian teacher reported that everyone is having a fantastic time and are now looking forward to travel opportunities returning, and hoping to visit Indonesia in 2023.