Fitting In

I’m sure that almost everyone wants to fit in with their surroundings, even those who tend to stand out whether it is because they dress differently or they just are not the same as those around them. It is okay to be different, but surely no one wants to be deemed unacceptable by society just because they look different or have unusual habits. I know for a fact that I want to be different but I am scared to. I first realized this urge to fit in when I moved to Jakarta in 2011. I had spent my whole life at St Hilda’s and moving to a co-ed international school in a foreign country was a huge alteration of my lifestyle. Being a Caucasian girl, living in a third world Islamic country was fairly difficult. I cannot recall a single day where I did not get analyzed and observed by the locals as though I was an alien. My first day at Jakarta International School was fairly daunting, I must admit. My style and mood changes daily and sometimes, I tend to stand out of the crowd without even noticing it. So I made sure that on my first day I dressed casually and plainly, making sure nothing about me was unusual. My school did not have a dress code, so I was free to wear whatever I wanted. The first few weeks I dressed and acted modestly, and stayed out of class discussions. At the time, all I wanted was to make friends and be deemed acceptable by those around me. I moved from group to group; trying to find people who I could relate to. I found it hard to fit in, living in Jakarta, especially when it came to shopping. Because I was fair skinned and European, the locals approached me all the time. Indonesian people are fairly kind but because I did not speak the local language, they tried to scam me into buying things for a much higher price than they actually were. It was difficult trying to adjust to the ways and customs of the locals. Sometimes, it is good to stand out, but when you are living in an Islamic country, it is best to learn to adapt to your surroundings.