On Thursday (21/4/2016), international students attending BIPA (Indonesian for Non-native Speakers) course from Darmasiswa and Developing Countries Partnership (KNB) scholarship program had a field trip to Bumi Langit, Imogiri. Leading the group was Fitri Alfarisy, BIPA coordinator of Yogyakarta State University (YSU). Their visitation to Bumi Langit aimed at understanding cultural diversity while improving their skill in Bahasa Indonesia that they learnt for some months. The field trip also allowed them to learn a culture in Indonesian society.
First, there was an initial discussion to socialize Bumi Langit by Salas. Those student expressed their enthusiasm in listening to the materials presented. “I think this is such a good place,” says Irina, one of international students after the discussion session.
Then, the group walked around Bumi Langit area. In one area, there were plantation, farms, and some housings. There were also livestock kept in clean and well maintained cages. For the cattle, Bumi Langit residents supplied special feed they made by themselves.
The housing was another center of attention. The building composed of wood, bamboo, and cement with traditional Joglo style. In addition, they had their own natural gas sources, namely bio gas from the dung. They also built their own solar panel to electrify their housing.
The environment provided some attractions. It was calm, harmoniously chic, and blended with nature, making people feel like home.
The third agenda was sharing with the owner of Bumi Langit, Iskandar. The students were given the chance to address some questions regarding Bumi Langit. They also revealed their interest in staying in the place. “I’d love to live here. I like fresh and healthy vegetables”, Minti, a student from Vietnam, said. Most of the students were willing to revisit the place and learn more on planting and farming. (AF-RS)
