By Mia Bird ‘24, UGM Fellow

In September, I was introducing my newly arrived junior fellow, Ella, to the wonderfully extensive instant noodle aisle in the grocery store when I noticed something interesting: a number of Indomie brand instant noodle packets bore curious little drawings in the upper right corner. They depicted different Indonesian ethnicities’ traditional architecture, accompanied by the words “Kuliner Indonesia.” I was immediately enthralled. I was particularly drawn to the iconic house of the Minangkabau people from Padang, West Sumatra featured on the packet for rendang-flavored Indomie; the dramatic layers of curved roofing that mimic buffalo horns is unmistakable.

By Mia Bird ‘24, UGM Fellow

Since arriving in Indonesia, I have spent the last 6 months harnessing the mindset of taking life moment by moment. This has meant being present and finding joy in the small details of each day. I don’t intend to sound as though I am some all-knowing sage, but I cannot share my Shansi story without discussing the new perspective I have gained during my first quarter of the fellowship.