Long-Distance Friendship - Student Ambassadors for ASEAN Project 2017

Have you ever heard famous quotes from Ibn Battuta that said, “Traveling—it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” 

Yep, traveling turns me into storyteller. So, let me be your storyteller. Like all good stories, it starts like this.

Once upon a time, I got selected to be Student Ambassador for ASEAN Project 2017. This awesome opportunity required me to fly to Phuket, Thailand. I was really scared of flying but I believe something big was waiting me in Phuket. My belief was proven when I met many humble strangers in this trip, Thai buddies, and Student Ambassadors from various countries such as Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, Philipphines, Serbia, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Brunei Darrussalam, and Malaysia.

The temperature, weather and food similar to those in Jakarta. You can find easily food like in Indonesia such as Kwetiau, and Roti Cane in Thailand. Kwetiau, and Roti Cane referred to as Pad Thai, and Roti in Thailand. You can also buy Thai Tea with cheap price! (In Thailand, they call it as tea with milk). Even Phuket and Jakarta are in the same time zone. Everything seem similar like my hometown, except the language and people. 

Thai people have their unique way to greet each other. Thai greeting referred to as the wai (ไหว้). If you are female, you can say sà-wàt-dee kâ, and if you are male, you can say sà-wàt-dee kráp. This is how Thai people show respect to each other and ensure they’re being polite in any situation. They’re also often easily smile to you! So, don’t forget to smile back. 

In 3rd day, I got a lot of insight from training session: intercultural communication by Mr. Colin. Every country has its own culture to communicate, solve problem and appreciate time. In Thai culture, silence means you have a good education while in America, you must to talk a lot because talk means you have a good education. 

Then, who is right, who is wrong? 

In England, they usually use direct communication to solve the problem meanwhile if you approach like that in Thailand, you could be considered as impolite people because Thai people usually use undirect communication.

Then, who is right, who is wrong?

“Nothing wrong, nothing right, It’s just different.” Mr. Colin said.

The program didn’t give me a lot of insights about Thailand only but also China, Myanmar, Vietnam, Japan, Serbia,  Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and Philippines. 

I enjoyed having a roommate from China. We discussed a wide range of topics till midnight. Education, western songs, family, food and how culture of marriage in our own country. I thought in today's world is impossible to live without Google but Chinese people use Baidu instead of Google, Wow! We also talked about Fifty Shades of Grey! In case you can’t figure out who has started conversation first about this movie, it’s her! Hahahahaha. I found a lot of differences between China and Indonesia but I think our differences make this experiences more interesting. 

Bahasa is almost similar with Malay and Bahasa Melayu Brunei. I talked to others Ambassador who came from Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam in Bahasa and they replied in Malay but we still can understand each other hahahaha. I also met friends from Japan. She was shocked when I can speak in Japanese although I do know some, I am not fluent in Japanese hahahaha but made me motivated to learn more.

Most Indonesian knows the legendary singer, Anggun Cipta Sasmi. She doesn't only famous in Indonesia but also in France, and Italy. I just found out from my friends from The Philipphines if Anggun also known in Philippines. So proud of you, mbak Anggun! When it comes to greeting, I also found out if Filipino has similar greeting way with Indonesian. They called it as Mano, a gesture used as a sign of respect to elders while it called as Salim in Indonesia. 

I was born and brought up in Tangerang (near the capital city of Indonesia, Jakarta). The lowest temperatures here is around 27 degrees Celcius. I was shocked to know when my Serbian friends told me if the temperature in Serbia can dropped to minus 20 degrees Celsius, wow! They also showed Serbian traditional dance in front of the classroom. It seem easy but I think it’s not as easy as it seems. 

When I went out to eat with my Myanmar's friends, they gave me Myanmar traditional food. They called it as Serunding, and the taste was good! Although the name's the same like Indonesian food but the taste quite different. I also met friends from Vietnam. I always laugh and curious at the same time everytime she talked in Vietnamese. She also gave me money in Vietnam Dong (VND) as a “souvenir”. I call her as rich girl since then hahahahaha.

"Become friends with people who aren't your age. Hang out with people whose first language isn't the same as yours. Get to know someone who doesn't come from your social class. This is how you see the world. This is how you grow" – Roumaissa

It's True. 

We grow from people that we met during the trip, and grow when we learn diversity among us. I believe we met because a reason. Just like my favorite quote,  “We don’t meet people by accident. They are meant to cross our path for a reason” 

Now I can say about the best part of traveling, we met as strangers and ended up as a new family.