Terima Kasih, Indonesia (Thank you, Indonesia)

The SEATeacher Program of the SEAMEO has indeed been the best one month of my life. Generally, SEATeacher is an international internship program aiming for its students to partake in cultural exchange and benchmarking of practices and strategies in the field of teaching. But little did I expect that this program would offer me more than just a teaching practice opportunity, for it even gave me a chance to get to know the world better. More importantly, I have arrived Indonesia as a foreigner, but I left with a family that I have built with my friends and peers.

Before I came to Indonesia, I first had hesitations because I was afraid of the cultural differences in a country very different from ours. But throughout my one month stay in Padang City, it seemed like we were never strangers or foreigners, especially in the Universitas Negeri Padang. The city of Padang even became our home away from home.

Padang and Indonesia as a whole would always have a place in my heart. I will definitely be forever grateful to the wonderful people I have met, mesmerizing views that I have seen, delicious food that I have eaten, and the memories that I have made and forever cherish.

Even though I cannot express enough my gratitude and appreciation to Indonesia and to its people, during our closing and farewell program, I have spoken in behalf of my other Filipino delegates to thank each individual who has been with us every step of the way.