How might one fathom the vastness of the biggest explosion in human history, the Krakatoa eruption of 1883? Can textbooks ever adequately convey the immensity of such events, the destruction they wreak and the regional and even global fallout they produce?
Experiencing Krakatoa
Sail to Anambas
A group of 12 NUS students from various schools and faculties went from strangers to friends when they took off on an unconventional journey, living and working together onboard a ship on an 11-day voyage to the remote Anambas Islands of Indonesia.
Voyage across the Equator
Nine NUS students kicked off their new year earlier this month by sailing off on a ship for a week-long voyage across the Equator.
Merantau-ing Across the Equator
To ‘merantau’, in the Indonesian language, means to leave the area where one had grown up, in order to seek out a living and/or acquire experience and knowledge. Practiced by various ethnic groups in Indonesia, it is especially evident among the Minangkabau ethnic group, in which it is customary that males aged between 20-30 years undertake such a journey. Although the pilot voyage ‘Across The Equator’ would be too short in duration to count as a typical merantau in the traditional sense, living on a boat and sailing through a part of the Indonesian archipelago on a schooner has allowed me the opportunity to experience, observe, and reflect on many issues, whether related to Southeast Asian Studies, or in a broader sense. This pilot voyage, with the opportunity of exploring the islands south of Batam through boat, has been a merantau to me. This report is structured into three areas comprising, first, activities related to Southeast Asian Studies conducted in relation to the pilot voyage, second, possible future projects in relation to Southeast Asian Studies, and third, my personal reflections on the pilot voyage.
English to Indonesian Handbook
We created a list of what we anticipated would be frequently used words in the Indonesian language, and shared it with the fellow participants.