We were scheduled to leave on Saturday, February 16, 2018 so that we can be able to ride our flight at 12:45 am (00:45) of Sunday, February 17, 2018.
As we packed our things in the morning, we left from our homestay for good and went to Universitas Muhammadiyah Prof. Dr. HAMKA at 2:00 pm (14:00) so that we may be able to attend a program at 3:00 pm (15:00) that features our sharing of experiences.
In this program, we were able to be reunited again with the students of Mariano Marcos State University – Jessa Mae Banquirig, Twinkle Joy Bautista and Samantha Nicole Tagari. We presented our experiences in teaching in our schools, excursions that we had done with our student-buddies from the university, and the memories that we had made during our stay in Indonesia. Present in the presentation are Mr.
Purnama Syae Purrohman, the head of the Office for International Linkages of FKIP-UHAMKA, Mr. Cahya Komara, the coordinator for SEA Teachers, and the parents of Ralph Benjo Azas.
As we shared our moments in Indonesia, I realized that I learned a lot, not just in teaching, but also on engaging with people who have different cultures. This had made me opened to different perspectives, especially on the Islamic culture of Indonesia, their way of living, and their strong value on national identity which makes them one as nation. These values were the ones that I wanted also to learn, so that I may not be ashamed of what I have as a person and as a citizen of my country.
At around 5:00 pm (17:00), after we had our early dinner at UHAMKA, we were brought to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Terminal 2 for our return flight to the Philippines. In this, we were able to be reunited by our fellow SEA Teachers from the Philippine Normal University – Manila
I am very thankful for this experience. May the students who will participate in the succeeding batches of this program may be able to see also the goodness of the experiences that they will face.
Journey Beyond Borders 