WEEK 4: Tell me it's over without telling me it is

    We're now on the last week, and this is the longest and undeniably the best week of this one-month program.

    On the first day of the week I finally saw my previous mentor accidentally on my way to Labschool, Dr. Eka, we're actually surprised to see each other, though I am really planning to meet him when I get back to Indonesia, it's just that I don't know where to see him, and I think the heavens made a way for it, and that's it. We had some short chit-chats and he offered me a masteral scholarship in UPI, telling me to send to him my credentials right after my graduation to apply for the scholarship he is trying to tell me, saying that he will push me through it. This is one of the great fruits of this kind of program, it gives participants doors of opportunity in international programs, and this offer is something for me to consider. I also met my previous cooperating teacher, Ibu Lissiana. These two people are great people because they made me fall in love with UPI the first time I was here.

    On to the next, but will be my last discussion to my classes, I think this is when my heart started to get heavy. Since this is my last lesson proper to them, I gave them some gifts, candies from Philippines, at first I was hesitant to give it to them, though it is halal, it is because it was just a candy, but I am surprised that they like it, they are actually thrilled to answer my questions just to have the candies, and I feel joy with that. As I end my class, starting to say goodbye and taking some pictures, they started expressing their emotions to me, saying that they will miss me, asking when will I come back to them, where I am staying in Philippines so they can go there, telling me that they will miss my little games and motivation, and such. And my heart melted with those loving words. As an aspiring student teacher, words like that are really helpful to boost our confidence in what we are doing, especially that we're just in the starting phase of our chosen career. Aside from that I have my mentor and cooperating teacher who keeps on reassuring me that I am doing great with the things I do for my class, and it makes me feel like all the years I've been working on to improve myself for this day are all worth it. Ever since I was a child I really dreamt of to be a teacher, so I really worked hard to boost the skills a teacher must have, the confidence to talk in front, learning deeper in subject matter, ability to communicate effectively, patience to understand students, and to work accordingly to what is needed to do as a teacher. I worked for a long time for what I have today, that's why I am full hearted when they express their emotions to me at that time, for I can say, everything I did was worth it. Thank you so much Labschool for the warmth you gave to me as a student-teacher, my first ever school.

    Labschool also invited us to attend their campus exposition where different Universities all around Bandung and even Indonesia are gathered to exemplify their university to senior high school student's for them to choose what university they will enter when they go to college. Some of the universities attended are Binus University, Telkom University, Widyatama University, President's University, and other nearby universities.

    It's already last week so we didn't waste any time exploring Bandung. For our last planned trip, we went to where my heart belongs, we went to the Bandung Geology Museum! My heart is in total cloud nine as I saw the different wonders of science, from astronomy, earth science, biology, and Geology, I can't stop myself from smiling from ear to ear. For it is not easy to have this kind of destination when you're in Philippines, you need to travel from one place to another, but here in Bandung, everything my heart's desire is just one grab ride away from us. This last destination, this museum completed my journey as a science geek, indeed.

    Indonesia is also famous with the different street foods found around UPI, and to wrap things up, these are my favorite snacks I tried so far in Indonesia; cilok, pao ayam, mixue ice cream, and the nextar cookies and cream, these are the best among the rest. Though I am still hoping that I can still try some more, maybe one day.

    See what the heavens are doing just to make my SEA Teacher experience more memorable this time. One of my friends invited me to a recital, since I love listening to classical music, and that time, accidentally again, I saw my friends from Africa that I met last year at that same recital, and that was a wonderful moment for me, meeting your good old friends is the best.

    Told you, this program contributes a lot to my social life. I met new friends, foreign friends, because one day, I also met up with one of my friends, who happened to be a SEA Teacher participant last year who went to the Philippines, specifically in CLSU. We spent the whole day together. We went to the Science and Mathematics building, one of the most beautiful buildings of UPI, then to the highest building of UPI where you can see the wholeness of Bandung. It was really high that you could see the edge of Bandung, and just like what I said, I love rooftops, it made me see the beauty of a whole. Thankfully, I saw this beauty before I went back home. 

    With Jihan, I tried their panchong, and it was really good. I like it since it's sweet. The mie ayam, a noodle with meatballs, is kind of like pancit here in the Philippines, and then of course the mixue ice cream in grape flavor. It is my first time to have an ice cream in grape flavor, and it is actually good, the combination of sweet and sour flavor. We also went to the souvenir shop of UPI, I bought some keychains, and other souvenir items, and then she handed me a laptop bag with UPI logo in it as her gift for me, I refuse it so many times, but she insist it harder, for she told me that she wants to be remembered every time I used the bag, so I will. Then when we were about to part ways, she handed me a bag full of snacks, and again, I was surprised that she's giving me that much. It was really too much that I nearly cried. Indonesian people are really generous, she said that let those snacks be my 'pasalubong' to my family, and I did, my family loves it so much.

    We're not yet done here. For our last excursion, to wrap up our teaching practice, we spent last Friday together with the other SEA Teacher and our buddies at a hot spring and spa hotel. Though it was raining, the bond we made with the other SEA Teachers that time was priceless, exchange of laughter's, and experiences, sharing of cultures, and beliefs and expressing the emotions and feelings we felt for a month of our stay, and of course the learnings we gain for being a participant of the SEA Teacher program. It was indeed a night well spent with them. The hot spring is a good and right way to end the sober made by this program, it made things lighter for us. We also handed our gift to our SEA Teacher friends on this time.

    For our last Saturday, we spend it buying souvenirs and 'pasalubong' for our families in Philippines, we bought some keychains, bags, shirts, batik, dusters, local Indonesian snacks, sweets, and candies, and some crackers that can only be seen and tasted in Indonesia. Though we are kind of nervous that our luggage might weigh more than it is supposed to, but luckily not, it is just enough.

    On the same day, on that night, we spent it with our dearest Indonesian friends. We went to their night market. It's like the usual night market in the Philippines, what differs are the food they offer, they have different and lots of Indonesian street foods that are really must buy, I even regret that I just tasted them late. So we went to a steakhouse, we had some beef steak, since I miss beef for a long time already, and it was good, good food made better with the best people. Then, we went to a photobooth to document our last moment together, and every click of the camera seemed like a ticking clock telling us that the end is near for us, so we just need to cherish every second we have. We went for a night drive, strolling around Bandung for one last time.

    For our last night, Jan and I spent it solemnly together, walking around the campus, taking pictures, and moments I promised I will never forget. The beauty of city lights, the busy streets of Gerlong, the delicious delicacies of Bandung, the sceneries that will forever linger in my mind and soul.

    Our last day, March 4, 2024, Monday, the longest and heaviest day of the month for us. Early in the morning we had our closing ceremony, greetings and inquiries regarding our stay in the university. I was assigned to talk on behalf of our university, they asked for feedback regarding our stay, but instead I gave them a message, a message I've been keeping for months. My heart is sinking deep delivering the message, and I can't help but to cry, for this place brought me so much joy and emotion that I can't ever forget. After months I feel lighter than ever, more than fulfilled that I made it in UPI once again.

    We took some pictures together with the UPI community who provided us a home away from home.

    After the ceremony we went back to the dormitory to pack our things since we will be leaving Bandung by the afternoon. But before we left, the UPI International Office treated us to lunch, a great lunch indeed. The director even offered me a scholarship for a master's degree in UPI, and again that is something for me to think about.

    In the afternoon, we went back to the parking lot to buy more souvenirs from UPI. I actually bought their polo shirt, which served as a reminder for me that I was in UPI, not just once but twice. We roamed around UPI and the streets with our friends, still trying some of their foods, and our friends bought us some pasalubong once again. Of course, one last time, we had mixue as our last food in Indonesia.

    It's already four o'clock and it's our time to go and say bye, one of the hardest goodbye I ever made in my life. I don't know what will happen next or when I will come back to UPI, or will I still come back to UPI, no one knows.

 

    Is it really over now? I don't know, tell me it's not, please.