Pyramid Hill is a long way from Indonesia.
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But after a year living and working in the town, language assistant Tiara Maharani is preparing to make the long journey home.
One of three government-sponsored Indonesian language aides working across Victoria, Ms Maharani said it had been a joy to share her culture with students at Pyramid Hill College.
Ms Maharani said it was important for Australians to study Indonesian because the two countries are neighbours.
“When you study a language, you’re not only learning about the language itself, but the people and the culture as well,” she said.
Ms Maharani is a Muslim and said she had welcomed the chance to answer students’ questions about her beliefs.
Indonesian teacher Kelly Gould said hearing her perspective had been formative for many in her classes.
“Some of these kids may never have seen somebody who is a practising Muslim,” she said. “She’s been very open about it with the kids, demonstrating her prayer time and the headscarf she wears.”
Ms Maharani said despite her differences, the town had welcomed her wholeheartedly.
They’re really open-minded and they are not judgmental,” she said.
Pyramid Hill has a sister school in East Kalimantan and Ms Gould led several students on a tour of the province in 2013.
Ms Gould also said both the trip and Ms Maharani’s visit had inspired many of her students to continue studying the language after it stopped being compulsory.
The experience has also been life changing for Ms Maharani. Before coming to Australia, she’d never been on a plane, but since arriving in town she had ridden tractors, herded sheep and bailed hay.
But she said the biggest difference was the size of her adoptive town’s population.
“When I arrived in Pyramid Hill for the first time, I thought, ‘Where is everybody?’” she said, laughing.
Even though she’s saddened to leave, Ms Maharani said she could not wait to share her experience with other Indonesians.