One of the draws to Indonesia for ETA Nathan “Nate” Kumar was the diversity of the country. So, while students at his school were finishing up exams, Nate had the opportunity to travel to various regions within Indonesia. Between December 3 – 6 Nate was able to visit Tana Toraja in the South Sulawesi Province. In many ways, Tana Toraja differs greatly from Nate’s site of Gresik.

The predominant religion in Tana Toraja is Christianity (in Gresik it is Islam), the local language is Torajan (in Gresik it’s Javanese), and the topography is mountainous (Gresik is mostly flat and located near the ocean).

Yet the hospitality that Nate had come to know in Gresik was also found in Toraja. Nate enjoyed learning about the unique facets of Torajan culture including the distinctive architectural designs, funeral rituals, and rich local history from ETAs Michael Walsh and Angela Zhu as well as from various locals Nate met along the way. With this visit, Nate gained an appreciation for just how eclectic Indonesia can be.

Nathan “Nate” Kumar is currently teaching at SMA Nahdlatul Ulama 1 Gresik, East Java