Why do we find ourselves drawn back to exploring our own culture when we live in a foreign country?

Although we enjoy our own arts and culture, we often neglect to give serious attention to what we love.

Dina Dharjono and her son at the Collingwood Town Hall after Vctorian Gamelan Gathering at Collingwood Town Hall, Melbourne - 8 Nov 2026.

Strangely, it's after settling in a foreign country that the desire to re-explore our own arts and culture emerges.

That's apparently the experience of Dina Dharjono, a member of the Gamelan Laras Nusantara group in Melbourne. Dina told SBS Indonesian how she studied gamelan at the University of Melbourne and her desire to continue her passion after graduating. Currently, Dina is returning to her gamelan practice with the Gamelan Laras Nusantara group, led by her husband, Yusak Gunawan.

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