TASTING TRADITIONAL FOOD | INDONESIA
Tebak 
Red Bean Ice 
Soto Medan 
Rendang 
Salai 
Koja 
Soto 
Cucur 
Ketoprak
These food were given to us during the cultural show of SMP 1 Kota Bengkulu. They presented these food to us to show the unique culture in terms of food preparation and process of Indonesians.
BENGKULU’S TRADITIONAL MARKET | BENGKULU
Together with my fellow SEA teachers, we planned to pay back the kindness and generosity of our Indonesian buddies through cooking Filipino food for them. In the afternoon, we went to their traditional market to buy ingredients of adobo. Because of their tradition having not been eaten with pork, we just bought chicken. We also bought eggplant and eggs to make tortang talong, a scrambled egg with eggplant.
After cooking is the eating time. They were all amazed on how Filipino food tastes. They liked it so much. we enjoyed the night having some conversation also. They did have games as well which brightens up the night. It was fun playing with them. We were really like kids!
BUNG KARNO’S RESIDENCE | FIRST PRESIDENT
January 26, my coordinating teacher invited me to go to the official house of one of the famous presidents of Indonesia. He is Bung Karno. He was married to Fatmawatti who is actually born in Bengkulu, Indonesia. He is the best president for he fought for Indonesia’s independence from the Dutch. I have gained another historical information and I love it.
FORT MARLBOROUGH | BENGKULU
It was the fortress of the Dutch during their colonization. According to Pak Bahrul, they were colonized for about 335 years. But behind that dark story is the beauty of the place. It was surrounded by replicas of cannon used by the colonizers. As well as historical buildings and English-influences infrastructures. The place is so wide and perfect for beach viewing. There is a spot there where you can position yourself to see the sunset.
CURUP | BENGKULU
Early in the morning od January 27, we were picked up by our coordinator, Bapak Azwandi. It was the day we planned to go to Curup, a place wherein coldness felt, literally. Before entering to a 2-hour travel, Bapak Azwandi treated us breakfast. There we chatted happily like a true family.
Inside the car, we planned to do some karaoke activities. We sang out loud like we were children. Bu Hafnayet, the wife of Pak Azawandi, sang along with us. We were very energetic in singing even if we did not reach the right pitch of the song. Until the car filled with silence when they were all asleep. Me and Pak took pictures of them while sleeping. One was like a monkey holding on the side car’s holder. And the other is like a kid wanted to have some milk. We were laughing at that time looking at them.
In one-and-a-half-hour travel, they began to wake up. They were mesmerized with the coldness of the place. So do I. The place was surrounded by mountains having zigzag roads. Our coordinator told us to prepare ourselves to a more extreme zigzag road. Luckily, we survived!
At we stepped out on the car, we were amazed to the place we have entered. It has many flowers. It has many places to take a photo. They called it flower garden. I was amazed with how the people preserve the place. It was nice looking at it. We were very glad that we have experienced to be somehow bounded with eco-friendly environment.
After that, we went to a lake. We rode on a boat and we really enjoyed it. The lake was surrounded by mountains and each has different style of planting. It was beautiful. We really felt like we were in a green community. Honestly speaking, I liked it.
TRADING FOOD WITH OUR COORDINATOR | BAPAK AZWANI BAHRI’S HOUSE
February 3 in the morning, Dr. Azwandi picked up us in our dormitory. We planned actually to cook Filipino food for them. In their house, we prepared the ingredients for the food we will going to cook. Having conversations and chatting to each other, we did not notice the time. It is already one in the afternoon and we haven’t eaten yet. Luckily, the food they cooked for us satisfied our craving stomach.
SLEEPING OVER TO OUR INDONESIAN FAMILY | BU JASMAINI’S HOUSE
In Indonesia, we were not just treated as students or teachers. We were treated also as sons or daughters. Last February 9, we were invited to sleep on my buddy’s house named Nanda. There we met her mother, Bu Jasmaini. Bu Jasmaini told us not to call them Bu, instead, mama (mother) and for her husband is ayah (father).
Mama cooked us food. They were very kind and generous. They gave us what we wanted or even those things we did not demand to have. We have had a long conversation in front of the table while eating. We shared our experiences there and so they were. And also, shared some of our insights about being a teacher because Mama is also a teacher. There we also cope with what Mama saying. Teachers really do understand each other no matter what race we are.
DEER FEEDING | BALAI RAYA SEMARAK BENGKULU
After we ate our lunch of February 10, we went to Balai Raya Semarak Bengkulu. There we saw deer. We tried to feed them by papaya and some green leafy plants. It was nice talking to them actually, like fooling myself that they will answer me back hahaha. But yeah, I enjoyed touching their horns. It was a nice experience. Though it was not that so long to see them, I enjoyed the 5-minute time with it. I hope I can see it again next time.
PANTAI PANJANG (Long Beach)
At 5:30 pm in the evening of February 14, we went to Pantai Panjang together with my buddies. We simply celebrated there the Valentine’s day. They were my date, actually. Having those kinds of friends makes me realized that I am so lucky that even I am not in my country celebrating the ones I love, I could spare my time with them because I treated them my family as well.
There we enjoyed the sunset, the most beautiful sunset I saw in my whole life. Along with looking the view, we played like kids. We were running like we were in a marathon. All our pants got wet filled with sand.
TEACHER NESLIE WENT TO BENGKULU, INDONESIA 