Take the Jump and Do It!
My friend, Begai, and I, Fatima, have made the best decision in our life so now we are learning Bahasa Indonesia and cultures and staying in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Making this decision was not easy for us, especially since the country we would visit is a country that we have never heard about before. We were worried because Google showed us only the Tsunami and nothing about the city. We know Bali, but we never think it is a part of Indonesia. However, since our current status is as high-school graduate, we want to study abroad and get out of our comfort zone. We want to try to live differently in a new way to expand our sight about the world, and we want to learn Bahasa Indonesia to study in Indonesia.
Finally, after we obtained information about Aceh and Indonesia, as well as discussed with parents, then we decided to learn at Universitas Syiah Kuala, with support and motivation from parents, teachers, and school. And now, we are here!
We have been staying in Aceh for two months and we enjoy learning Bahasa Indonesian and cultures at the university. Are you wondering what was the first word I learned in Bahasa Indonesia? That is Biawak. Learning a language is funny, you begin to understand the feelings and thoughts of others. You start to think deeply and take good habits. Here I learned politeness and smiling. I am sure, I still have a lot to learn.
My friend, Begai, also feels the same. For her, knowledge of another language is a source of new information and the cultures of other people. During learning, we do not only learn the language, but also the places. Outside class, we visited some places like Tsunami Museum, Raya Baiturrahman Mosque, Faculties, etc. It is beautiful and interesting that we can learn by getting to know the histories and having a fun time together.
More than that, luckily, we participated in the International Food Festival, held by the Office of International Affairs of the university. It was a great event and our first time participating in such a big event. We promoted our foods called Samsa and Manti. Also, we met new and many people from different countries such as Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Australia, Senegal, Gambia, the U.S.A., Filipina, and Nigeria.
Although we just have arrived in Aceh two months ago, we found Aceh beautiful and unique, especially the nature and culture of Acehnese. The place we like the most is the beach because we do not have a beach in our country. The weather is sometimes hot, but luckily that we arrived in the rainy season, which helps us in adaptation to the new environment and climate. We found Banda Aceh city interesting too since there are many trees, fruits, and vegetables that do not grow at our home. And there are many animals that we have never seen before.
