Enjoying Togetherness

The exhaustion of a long night of karate training didn’t have to make me reluctant to get up early. Aris Irfan  invited me to accompany him to pick a guest up at 8:00 a.m. at the  tourism area in Bira heading to Sultan Hasanuddin Airport in Makassar. I’m always excited to meet new people and see a window of the world through conversations with knowledgeable foreigners without having to set foot in a foreign country.The exhaustion of a long night of karate training didn’t have to make me reluctant to get up early. Aris Irfan invited me to accompany him to pick a guest up at 8:00 a.m. at the  tourism area in Bira heading to Sultan Hasanuddin Airport in Makassar. I’m always excited to meet new people and see a window of the world through conversations with knowledgeable foreigners without having to set foot in a foreign country.

Wow! that was truly interesting. In Bira, we met a cheerful young girl who is on vacation with her father and mother. We briefly chatted with the family, who seemed happy about their vacation. We saw the way they communicated with each other, exuding positive energy, as we witnessed the girl saying goodbye to her parents.

 

When we were in the car, Tessa told us that she is a student in a five-month exchange from her university in the Netherlands to Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta. She is going to return to her university in the Netherlands next month.

Tessa’s curiosity about the vast world has driven her to travel the world. Because she has visited so many countries, she lost count. Being in Indonesia, where she has time to study and explore the beauty of islands like Bira, the vast and enchanting expanse, has greatly supported her hope and education, as she is majoring in International Relations.

Indonesian students, especially those with at least English language skills, are also encouraged to follow iTessa’s footsteps. This opportunity is abundant because student exchange relationship is built on good relations between countries and then followed by a collaboration between universities. Therefore, it is important for students to become proficient in foreign languages by enrolling in alternative educational institutions like Rumah Belajar Bersama or other similar institutions to develop themselves before entering university.

Being in a foreign country, Tessa has a positive impression of the Islamic world. She believes that Indonesians have a strong social awarness. She has learned this from her experience, witnessing how even people living in poverty still think of others by helping others. This is rare in her country which has highly individualistic lives in Europe.

The world is full of color and diverse daily activities. Karate, however tiring, strengthens the mind and body. Meeting new international people enriches our perspective and ties the bonds of brotherhood, like those of Mr. Irfan and others like him, making life more meaningful.

Zulkarnain Patwa
* Independent Writer