February 10 2014 was the day of my journey that I will never forget in my life. With all hopes, I wish I could arrive safely in Czech Republic to do my internship in AIESEC. The steps that I had for my short internship in Brno, Czech Republic were not that so easy. I applied to be an exchange participant in AIESEC LC UB then I could apply in some projects that I wanted to. As you know, my main destination was Czech Republic. I was looking for the project and my heart said “EDISON Project”. Ok, then I looked around how the project started and I felt it was amazing project. Without any doubt, I contacted the CP for EDISON project and they replied me. You could know how happy I was when they said that they’d like to interview me. I had interview with the person from AIESEC LC Brno and he said that I needed to make some short video. I did it for my good sake. After waiting, he announced that I was accepted to be involved in this project. Lucky me.
It is a must for Indonesian citizenship to make visa first to go to Europe. With everything that I could and did, finally Schengen Visa was in my hand. I just could not wait for the day to come. My project started in February 16 but I had one week to go around Europe. I went to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam. When I went back to Prague, I lost my flight in Münich. I could handle in all and I came the next day. Guess, I was late to come (sorry). I came on 18th of February as the project started in 16. The first day was great. I met another EPs from Philippines, Brazil, Indonesia, China, Japan, Georgia and we got to know each other. I felt so comfortable to know them. It was good to feel comfortable for the next days I spent in Brno, Czech Republic. At the first week, we stayed in a dorm. Together we went to Mazaryk University as the office of AIESEC LC Brno. With the freezing weather, I tried to enjoy it. You see, I am from tropical country and that time, in Czech Republic was winter so you know how it feels, don’t you?
The first week was the preparation week. Everything we needed, we must prepared it. The project was about teaching, cultural understanding. This meant, we taught the students from primary school and high school about our own culture and country. From home, I prepared everything for the presentation. The first week really helped us how to make good presentation, every interesting thing that needed to be told, every unique things. The committees of AIESEC Brno were really helpful. They knew how to handle it and everything was organized well. Not only that, they told us and taught how to work in a team. Cause we would not do it alone, and of course as human being we need each other to complete everything. That is why they told us to be good at teamwork. Working in a team is bit hard cause you can not be selfish. Everything is team’s responsible. They knew how to teach us with some good examples and games about how compact we were. Before presenting to the students, first we needed to present it to our friends and committees. It was good step for us to know which things that needed and not. Both friends and committees told us and gave some suggestions.
We were divided into two groups. The first group was primary school and the second group was high school. I got the high school group together with my Indonesian mate Dila, Ricardo from Brazil, Shin from Japan and Natia from Georgia. We believed we could do it well. High school? Hmm interesting! The first day came. I taught the students in Střední škola polytechnická, Brno. It is similar like STM in Indonesia. All the students were boys. With all my patient, I taught them about Indonesia. They could know what Indonesia is, what Indonesia has, what good things happen in Indonesia, the cultures, tradition, nature, everything that they probably didn’t know yet, I told them. Teaching student was my first thing to do. This was not that hard as I thought before. Teaching is fun, teaching is enjoyable. The students yeah, were bit messy. But I didn’t take it as problem, I took it as the challenge that I must face it. Everyone was boy, everyone was messy, everyone spoke Czech, and I was just like…hmm ok, I handled it.
My group was high school students, but yeah we had primary school as well. In primary school, we met students from 6 years old until 15 years old. I really like kids and that’s why I enjoyed them very well. Once, when I had free time in school, the teacher told us that there was no teacher for geography class. They wanted us to teach the students geography. Wow, it was such a challenge cause I never taught the students about subjects that they get in school like geography. It was ok, we took it. Me and Dila taught the geography about the world and also Indonesia. I could remember the subject that I got when I was in school and then I taught them. I was kind addicted to teaching.
The next week, we didn’t stay in dorm anymore. We would stay with host family. I got very good host family. They picked me up at dorm and brought me to their kingdom. That was one of my aim to live in diversity with different people from different background. They provided us very nice place to stay. Nice food, nice people, nice sharing, what could you ask more? We kept teaching. In weekends, we always had something to do. We went somewhere like Vienna in Austria, Bratislava in Slovakia cause from Czech Republic is close to another country and it just needs 2 hours to reach. Our committees took us to Slovakia cause they are Slovaks. They are also nice people. Everyone I met in Brno was good.
We had experienced in teaching in the place out of Brno. It was called Moravský Krumlov. We taught in Gymnázium Moravský Krumlov. To reach there, we needed to take train at about 50 minutes from main station in Brno. In Moravský Krumlov, our new host family picked us up. Well, I love this town. It is totally different with Brno. It is very beautiful and probably one of the best place I’ve visited. My host family were so helpful and very good. I love them all. To go to school, we took the bus at about 6:40 AM in the morning and at about 50 minutes we arrived in school. My host sister was the student at the school I was teaching. Thank you for everything that you gave to me.
It literally made me sad cause I had to leave Brno, Czech Republic that gave me so many things to always remember. Lovely people, nice foods, nice weather, good students, you will always be missed by me. On April 6, I flew from Prague, Czech Republic to Indonesia. I promise I will be back there.
It is nice to see the different thing from out side of the whole world. It makes me realize that the world is colourful and beautiful so that I must go and see and find it. Different people, different habit, different view, different language, I got from this project in Brno, Czech Republic. So that I will know how to act whenever and wherever I am.
drenchedinloneliness 