Indonesia’s national motto, “Unity in Diversity” (Bhinneka Tunggal Ika), expresses an ideal that seems impossibly lofty in the face of the country’s staggering diversity. As the world’s fourth-most populous country, Indonesia is home to hundreds of different languages, and even more numerous ethnic groups. As such, broad, sweeping generalizations about the country are hard to come by.

In the spirit of Indonesia’s national motto, ETAs from the 2017-2018 Fulbright Cohort will submit photos that are thematically – if not visually – comparable. Our hope, first and foremost, is to convey scenes from our daily lives in such a way that invites comparison while also evading generalization. Through such posts, readers can join us on our hunt for the unity in all this diversity.

For the first installment of Indonesia.jpg, ETAs from across Indonesia snapped a picture of the scene that begins and ends each day: the view from her/his bedroom window. Enjoy the views from our new homes!

Semarang, Central Java

Boyolali, Central Java

Belige, Sumatra

Labuan Bajo, Flores

Malang, East Java

Pangkalpinang, Bangka

Monado, Sulawesi

Salatiga, Central Java

Pangkalpinang, Bangka

Labuan Bajo, Flores

Gorontalo, Sulawesi

Padang, Sumatra

Kendari, Sulawesi

Malang, East Java

Padang, Sumatra

Demak, Central Java

Surabaya, East Java