Start Over.... The New Life
There was a time, I saw a little boy played with a little girl. They were Indonesian, but they were talking in foreign language - not local language or English either. Oh yes! It was “their own creation language”. They imagined that they were in other country, talk in foreign language. They thought that they were explorers. Because they didn’t understand yet about foreign language, they said non meaning words and imagined that all the words that they said are full meaning words. They didn’t understand what they were talking about, but they were connected with body language and expression, so their conversation looked as real.
Waktu itu, aku lihat ada anak kecil laki-laki main sama temannya, seorang anak kecil perempuan. Mereka orang Indonesia, tapi mereka bicara dalam bahasa asing - bukan bahasa daerah, bukan bahasa inggris juga. Oh yes! Bahasa ciptaan mereka sendiri! Mereka menghayal seolah-olah mereka lagi di luar negeri, bicara dalam bahasa asing. Mereka pikir mereka petualang. Karena mereka belum ngerti bahasa luar jadinya mereka ngeluarin kata-kata yang gak bermakna seolah itu bahasa asing. Mereka nggak ngerti apa yang mereka bicarakan, tapi mereka seolah terkoneksi dengan “bahasa tubuh, ekspresi dan mimik”, jadinya percakapan mereka terlihat nyata.
Who were they? They were I and my friend.
Me? Yes! I was a little boy, I just see my past in my memory.
Siapa mereka? Saya dan teman saya :)
Saya? Yaa, anak kecil laki-laki itu “aku yang dulu”, aku melihat “aku yang dulu” di dalam memoriku.
Now, I am happy because my imagination becomes real. I am officially come into my new world in United States of America (USA), “The Exchange Student World”. I am not travelling, but I will live here for 1 year. The purpose are to introduce Indonesia, bridging understanding about culture and way of thinking, become independent, learn about the detail of USA and learn about myself. Learn about myself? Of course!
Aku bahagia karena akhirnya imajinasiku jadi nyata. Aku resmi masuk ke dunia baru di Amerika Serikat, “Dunia Siswa Pertukaran Pelajar”. Aku bukan jalan-jalan, tapi aku hidup disini selama 1 tahun. Tujuannya memperkenalkan Indonesia, menjembatani pemahaman antarbudaya, belajar menjadi mandiri, belajar tentang seluk-beluk Amerika Serikat dan belajar tentang diriku yang sebenarnya. Belajar tentang diriku? Tentu!
Here, I come into new different world, point of view, culture, lifestyle, the way to communicate and cultural dimension (index of individualism, masculinity, etc.)
Disini, aku masuk di dunia baru yang berbeda.
Sudut pandang, budaya, gaya hidup, cara berkomunikasi dan dimensi kultural (tingkat individualisme, maskulinitas, dll) yang berbeda.  |
| Source: http://geert-hofstede.com/indonesia.html |
“ Exchange year is not just a great year in our life, but it is a great life in a year”
“ Tahun pertukaran pelajar bukan hanya 1 tahun hebat dalam hidup kita, tapi kehidupan hebat kita dalam 1 tahun”
It is like I back again to my 1st grade at elementary school. Then, when I finished my exchange year program, I will like graduated from 12th grade.
Duration that I spend from 1st class to 12th class = 624 weeks
Duration that I spend in exchange year = 44 weeks
1 week in exchange year represent 14,18 weeks that I have done in Indonesia and that I will do in USA.
Now, I have been here for almost 9 weeks! YEEAH!
Now, I have been here for almost 9 weeks! YEEAH!
Seolah aku balik kembali ke kelas 1 SD dan ketika aku selesaikan program ini aku seolah lulus dari kelas 12.
Waktu yang aku jalani dari kelas 1 sampai kelas 12 = 624 minggu
Waktu yang aku jalani selama pertukaran pelajar = 44 minggu
1 minggu dalam program pertukaran pelajar ini mewakili 14,18minggu yang telah aku lalui di Indonesia dan akan aku lalui.
Sekarang, aku sudah disini hampir 9 minggu! YEEAH!
Through this program, I correct what I have done so I will be wise in my future.
Melalui program ini, aku mengoreksi apa yang telah aku perbuat di masa lampau sehingga aku bisa bijak di masa yang akan datang.Sekarang, aku sudah disini hampir 9 minggu! YEEAH!
Through this program, I correct what I have done so I will be wise in my future.
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| Youth Exchange & Study Arrival Orientation at Hilton Washington Dulles Airport - Washington D.C. August 11-13, 2015 |
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| Ags 14, 2015. AFS Students in Northern Illinois Orientation (2nd Batch) with returnees |
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| Ags 14, 2015. Studens with Host Families. |
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| Ags 23, 2015. AFS Camp at Fabyan Forest Preserve, Geneva, Illinois, USA. AFS Exchange students who hosted in Central & South of Northern Illinois YP15-16 |
After spent 3 weeks in USA, finally I can think and feel in English. But, because my vocabulary is not as many as the citizen of USA, I don’t talk like as usual when I was in Indonesia.
Setelah 3 minggu pertama berlalu, akhirnya aku bisa berpikir dan berprasangka dalam bahasa Inggris. Tapi karena kosa kataku nggak sebanyak penduduk setempat, aku nggak banyak bicara kaya biasanya.
“Smile, laugh, and cry represents our feeling when we don’t have any words to describe it”
“Senyum, tawa dan tangisan menunjukkan perasaan kita yang tidak bisa kita jelaskan dengan kata-kata”
“Senyum, tawa dan tangisan menunjukkan perasaan kita yang tidak bisa kita jelaskan dengan kata-kata”
YES! So when I was gathering with my friend I did so many smile and laugh with little bit talk. Because the way of thinking and point of view of American is different, I was afraid to making any mistakes or make them angry when I found myself very fluent to communicate.
Yes! Jadi pas lagi ngumpul sama teman-teman bule ku ini, aku kebanyakan senyum, ketawa dan hanya sedikit bicara.. Karena cara berpikir dan sudut pandang orang Amerika berbeda, aku takut ketika aku lancar berbicara dapat membuat mereka tersinggung atau marah.
Sometimes, I frustrated. Because, usually I dare to talk in public. I am very active in schools event, I was a leader in Student Council and I have been in several competition and why I become passive?
Kadang saya frustasi, karena biasanya saya berani bicara di depan umum. Saya sangat aktif di kegiatan sekolah, saya pernah menjadi ketua OSIS, dan saya sudah mengikuti banyak kompetisi dan kenapa saya menjadi pasif?
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| Post Arrival Orientation : Sep 27, 2015 (2nd day) Camp Dean Road, Big Rock, IL.Students, volunteers, and returnees. |
At Post-Arrival Orientation of AFS Northern Illinois, I got enlightenment. Missing family, friends and tired of all differences is not really bad. I have to keep my self to think positive and feel the positive. Almost at every time I suggest myself and say positive affirmation words in my conscience so I become relax again in adaptation.
Di Orientasi Pasca Kedatangan Siswa AFS di Northern Illinois aku mendapatkan pencerahan,
Rindu keluarga, teman dan lelah atas seluruh perbedaan yang aku dapatkan adalah hal yang wajar. Aku tetap perlu berpikir dan berprasangka positif. Hampir setiap saat aku selalu mensugesti diriku dan mengucapkan kalimat afirmasi positif dalam hati sehingga aku kembali nyaman dalam proses adaptasi.
If I never tired to face differences, I will not suggest my self to be positive as many as in exchange year! Now, I confess that I am happy to restart my life. With open-minded I correct my badness before I went to USA and promise to do not do the same fault and make more achievement!
Kalau aku gak pernah di keadaan lelah, aku gak akan pernah mensugesti diriku untuk menjadi positif sebanyak ini!
Sekarang aku katakan kalau aku bahagia untuk mengulang kembali kehidupanku. Dengan pikiran terbuka aku mengkoreksi hal buruk yang telah aku perbuat sebelum di Amerika dan berjanji tak akan mengulangi kesalahan yang sama dan memperbanyak target membuat prestasi.Regards for our success!
SALAM SUKSES!
