Reflection 1: My Kos

Photo: My Kos family

The realisation that I now only have less than 2 weeks left living in my Kos in Yogya has prompted me to contemplate my kos experience.

1. My room
My room is by far the biggest room I have seen. whilst the average kos room in Yogya would probably be only big enough to fit 3 single beds, mine would fit at least 8. However whilst this provides the opportunity for me to run up and down the room should I feel the inclination to do so, I will not be adverse to moving to a smaller room in Malang.

2. My pets
I have never been an animal person, but since moving to Indonesia I have managed to collect a number of in-room guests including: cicaks (little lizzard/geckos), mozzies (though thankfully not too many) and cockroaches. My kos is home to a number of other animals including: cats (that scream in the middle of the night and enjoy running on the roof) and 'hampsters' (I use the term lightly as I remain convinced they are actually mice). I am thankful that I didnt have the joy of having a pet RAT like Sarah.

3. Noises
My kos can be a noisy place. As of late I have enjoyed waking up to the strains of Christmas carols eminating from the room in front of mine...at 6am. Girls become obsessed with certain Indonesian pop songs and thus proceed to play them at full volume all the time, driving me to the brink of tears. I also enjoy the rhythmic beat of mangos falling from the tree on to my roof, the pattering of the kos kids running around and the call to prayer 5 times a day. Luckily I am used to most of them and can usually sleep through them.

4. Living in a Kos
Has been a great experience. The family that own my Kos live in an attatched house, so Ive had an opportunity to have a bit of a homestay experience as well. My Ibu Kos has made me feel so welcome and often pops round to my room with a little cake or drink. Theres a lovely atmosphere in the kos - there is always someone sitting around in the communal area who wants to have a chat, and the girls are an endless source of information. Hopefully I'll be able to find a similar kos in Malang...