Universitas Islam Darul Ulum Lamongan: Our Receiving University

If you give a good thing to the world, then over time your karma will be good, and you’ll receive good.

Russell Simmons

As soon as we got ourselves settled and rested after the long haul of our first day, my co-exchange student and I woke up around noontime in preparation for the short welcoming program as stipulated in our itinerary. We were picked up from our homestay going to the university by Mr. Fariq Shiddiq Tasaufy, who happened to be our assigned supervisor and who is also holding the office of Program Head in English Department of Universitas Islam Darul Ulum (UNISDA) – the university in Lamongan, Surabaya who received us in exchange to their two students sent in the university I came from. We were cordially welcomed by the university’s administrator, management and some teaching staffs spearheaded by Dr. Hj Irmayani M.Pd. (see bottom right picture below). We were served with familiar delicacies and fruits and a traditional fruit from Indonesia which is called Salak (see top right picture below). We were also served with lunch after the snacks, which I personally find extremely flavorsome as the spicy taste of their traditional cuisines goes along well with my favorite spicy taste back in the Philippines.

We had a great time enjoying ourselves in knowing each other on a personal level over a sumptuous lunch. After which we had pictorial sessions and we were showed around the university by Dr. Irmayani, the dean of the Education Program herself. What an honor! The welcoming program was a little overwhelming for us knowing that we are dealing with big and important people of the institution. They showed their genuine and bright smiles and never hesitated to show cultural literacy by their gestures and choice of words. Humility is one character that make Indonesians unique and distinct people of the world. I have never felt anything like it! Having stayed here in the country for a couple of days, I learned that most Indonesian people believe in “Pahala” or Reward which means that if they do good even by just simply giving a smile to new people or strangers then it has a corresponding reward that they will receive in what most people here believe as Paradise. Good Karma! Plus, the university looks oddly great which contributed to the overall Indonesian experience! Take a look at the University with me through the pictures below. Enjoy and “hati-hati!“