Alfi's Journey

  Together with the other abroad students from Ghana and India, we exchange dishes. We even make a quick percentage to explain our lovely food. Then we pray together, thank to God for the food. The prayer carried out by all religions in turn. Pray by Christians way, Hindus, then closed with Islam. We definitely applied the concept of "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" that night. We really appreciate the differencies in cultural, religious and skin. I also believe that diversity problem in Indonesia can be cured by increasing awareness that we do different, but to be united we must accept and respect those differences.

A week goes by with so many agendas from getting a Visa/Student Permitt, opening the program, to having dinner together. The second week quite different, it was filled with an introductory to the education system in Philippines. We have a tour and shown various laboratories that they used in the learning and teaching process. We were also taught to make lesson plans and exchange information related to differences in the education system implemented in Indonesia and Philippines. Indonesia applies the K-13 curriculum while Philippines applies a curriculum called k to 12. From the terms used they are almost similar but the application is different. Indonesia and K-13 apply the concept of learning more easily because some of the material is streamlined and narrowed down but it is still adjusted to international standard learning materials so that the education can be balanced with foreign education. Philippines with k to 12 is designed to provide holistic education for all Filipino s

Heavy rain and puddles didn't prevent us from attending the Fellowship Night. With our umbrellas, we broke through the heavy rain and walked to the TAU Hostel which is 5 minutes from our dormitory building. We arrived and our clothes were soaked and cold, but it become dry immidiately due to air-conditioning. The event was filled with homebands and the guests contribute a song then we blend and suddenly the atmosphere gets warm.

ASEAN Celebration Day is an event, handled by TAU. They invite the Embassy of Indonesia in Philippines and invites other abroad students to take parts. We've met with students from Ghana, and India. Indonesian students and I wore traditional clothes from our regions and presented some cultural performances like Puspanjali traditional dance from Bali, a medley choirs of national anthem. The event was closed with training of making batik, collaborated with the Embassy of Indonesia in Philippines.

To make Visa/Student Permitt, we must go to the Immigration office in Manila. Because the distance is 5-6 hours, we have to be ready at 3:00 am to arrive in Manila at 09:00 am, when the immigration office is just opened. That day was a day we didn't expect at all. Because we had to pay 4720 PHP for the Student Permitt at the Bureau of Immigration of the Philippines in Manila. At first we thought we would not pay for a visa because we would not stay in the Philippines for more than 30 days. But apparently we were still asked to make Visa/Student Permitt. Another tragedy also is when my ATM card couldn't make a transactions at any bank in Philippines at that time. Luckily my friend was kind enough to lend me some money for my card can be used for transactions. From 08:00 pm to 15:00 am we are at the immigration office and get ready to go home to Tarlac Agricultural University. But before that we had to pick up one of the ELIA leaders at Commission on Higher Education, Manila.

After resting all night due to exhaustion with the trip the day before, we were invited to attend the Opening Program as a welcoming program for SEA-Teacher participants from Indonesia. The event was attended by the leaders of Tarcal Agricultural University and the staff of ELIA. The participant in batch 8 are 18 people from different universities. Universitas Pakuan, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Universitas Mataram, Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha, Universitas Negeri Padang, STIE Widya Gama Lumajang, and Universitas Negeri Makassar. In this event we were met with our Cooperating Teacher and Supervisor who will guide us during teaching practice at TAU-Lab School.