One more week, it's a flip-flop.

I have only one more week left in Yogyakarta before I head out for a bit a travel and then for my move to Banda Aceh. My time here as been pretty amazing , and I've learned so much about language, life, and culture. As with anywhere, the location in which you learn colors the experience. This is particularly true here where Javanese culture and pride permeates most everything. Pretty soon I'll get to find out if all those little things I thought were Indonesian were really just a matter of island. Not only will I be reconfiguring my own stereotypes but matching up those of Indonesians here in Yogya as well. I've gotten to hear a wide variety of Aceh praise and criticism. Most good things I've heard have to do with the food which is supposed to be incredibly fresh, seafood based, and wildly spicy. The negative is really centered around religion. A lot of people here seem somewhat afraid to even visit there for fear of being subjected to Sharia law. I've been able to explain that when I'm there I won't have to wear a veil, but I don't know the situation for Javanese people. I believe if your identification card (which has a mandatory section for religion) says your are Muslim, then you must abide by these laws, even if you are a Muslim from another island. However, every person I've heard say something negative about Banda Aceh has never actually been there and every foreigner who has loves it. My current expectations are to build my spice tolerance, drink a lot of very good coffee, eat even more fish, enjoy the nearby beaches and countryside, and have to work to keep up with their faster paced Indonesian.