In March and February, ETA Alice Rodi enjoyed attending a number of events celebrating the month of Ramadan.

Leading up to the beginning of Ramadan, Alice was lucky enough to experience Kudus’s unique tradition of Dandangan, an annual festival meant to welcome the holy month. The event, which supposedly dates back to the 16th century, is recognized today as a national Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia characterized by its lively night markets with performers, cosplayers, and hundreds of vendors.

During Ramadan, Alice also joined SMK Raden Umar Said’s OSIS committee to prepare and distribute takjil, a small meal or snack consumed to break fast during Maghrib prayer. In the afternoon of February 27th, she and several of her tenth-grade students met with fellow English teacher Ms. Ima at her home in the village of Besito. After preparing more than 70 servings of es buah, a refreshing fruit cocktail, and packaging these drinks alongside the popular fried Indonesian snack known as risoles, the group headed to the parking lot of RUS where they spent the remainder of the afternoon handing out free takjil to passersby.

Throughout the month of Ramadan, Alice has particularly enjoyed attending various iftars, including those with fellow teachers, friends, and even her local WORDs competition winners. Although Alice has always felt extremely welcome in Kudus, being a part of these gatherings has made her feel more accepted within the community, for which she is truly grateful.

Alice Rodi is currently teaching at SMK Raden Umar Said Kudus, Jawa Tengah.