The Smell of Indonesia

When I was at my pre-field orientation this past summer one of the things they mentioned is that every country has a smell. I didn't really know what they were talking about... a smell? What does that mean? The whole country has the same smell? How could that be?

It didn't take long before I found out. I remember almost immediately after arriving in Indonesia, taking in the smell of this foreign place. However, I couldn't quite place the smell, just knew it was unique. After a few months of being here, I finally realized what it is. The smell of Indonesia is the smell of burning leaves (sometimes mixed with trash). Although there is trash pick up throughout the city, it is still very common to see people burning trash. But even more common is to see little fires along the side of the road of leaves burning. That smell has now been ingrained in my mind.