Student

2018 will be my year because… I will get married

The time around the new year is a moment in which many look to the future. Resource asked several students and staff members why 2018 is going to be their year. Apriana Vinasyiam tells about her wedding plans.
Liza van Kapel

Apriana Vinasyiam, PhD at aquaculture and fisheries group, from Indonesia

I got engaged in Indonesia, about two months before I started my PhD here in Wageningen. Since it is custom to get married within a year of engagement, I will get married in April and have a long distance marriage.

I think the most important benefit of marriage is having visions together with someone else: especially about our family life goal which can help to shape and direct my future decisions. Being married also means I will have to spare time to take care for my husband. It can indeed decrease the time I have for work, but I see from the positive side that it also possibly can balance my work and personal life better. I am also looking forward to the motivation and support marriage will give me. My fiancé already supports me a lot with my PhD. I know there will be hard times during my PhD, and knowing that I don’t do it just for me but that he also counts on me to succeed, gives me a lot of power.

Marriage is really important in my culture. It is the only way to be recognized as a couple, both by the government and by society. The wedding itself will be a quite big celebration, with over 600 people coming, which is common in Indonesia. The bride and groom have to stand a day long to receive the guest one by one. The event will take place in my parent’s place, Selayar, a very beautiful small island.

We both want to work in Indonesia later, and my fiancé is now looking for a PhD here. Until that time, we have to deal with the distance and time difference, which is hard. I am thankful for the technology we have today. It really has impact on maintaining our communication and love over a distance of almost 12.000 kilometer.

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