The Drifter’s Journey to Ninoy Aquino (Part 1)

Finally, I got this time to share some stories about the drifter’s journey to Ninoy Aquino last year. The third semester was quite a fast challenging semester for I had to finish kind of two studies at a time and starting a new job to serve as a vice officer at Department of Studies, Sharia Economics Forum. Quite a tough life, huh? Well, I feel lucky though becoming a part of them. And I didn't even know that I will serve since I had applied for this program long before. I thought I applied in my second semester and got the announcement for a quite long time of waiting.

I was taking the opportunity at ASEAN Today’s World (ASTW) conducted by Kyushu University at Ateneo de Manila University of Philippines. Further information about the program can be found here http://www.isc.kyushu-u.ac.jp/astw-j/KU&MU.html/ http://www.isc.kyushu-u.ac.jp/astw/

Even if only two half  weeks, I learnt a lot from this program. Meeting fourteen other ASEAN students rewarded this grant, meeting up with the ASEAN Secretariat, traveling with my travel partner (for the first time with no chaperon) and meeting  Kyushu and Fukuoka students joining the program, I feel thankful to once again feel the thrill of journey! Special thanks to my dearest friend to travel with me from Adisucipto-SoekarnoHatta-Changi-NinoyAquino. Quite a long journey. Thank you, Caroline, for truly making it with me!

The traveling journey starts as we work on proposals. Yes, we had to write permission to leave classes in two half weeks also asking additional funding resources to the university. We actually had grant from Kyushu during the program. But, that would be given as we arrived and completed the program. And so, the most complicated one is arrangement of airfare tickets. We decided to use Air Asia from Jogja-Jakarta. Then, Tigerairways from Jakarta-Changi-Manila (Ninoy Aquino).

My parents accompanied us when we had to leave at the airport. And you know, I myself, had to be in a rush. I had to attend my accounting class completed my homework and quiz. Then I hurrily went to the airport to catch my flight. OMG, that was a big day!

I enjoyed my study with ASTW. I took ASEAN Language and ASEAN Economics which I do love! I learnt Basic Japanese with Ms. Kyoko Takada and ASEAN Economics. ASEAN Economics was challenging. I had Mr. Shoji Sinkai for Agricultural Economics and Mr Victor Vernida for International (Integrated) Economics and Development.

I did a presentation about The Horticultural Production in Indonesia in Agricultural Economics. I talked about a great potential to be reavealed in the land of the archipelago. The horticultural products especially. Who can deny the richness of our tropical fruits and vegetables? Such a paradox when we look at how much we import goods in this sector. That way, last February I read on the newspaper about the policy applied by our government in order to optimize local horticultural products and limit the import rate. Great debates over this status quo. On one hand, the integrated economics is aimed at achieving welfare between nations by creating small gaps among them. The theory of David Ricardo on effectiveness can be achieved when a nation optimize its economic income by focusing on their competitive advantage in certain products and import goods that do not generate high profit and become more efficient just to do imports. However, this could be a threat when the local business do not have enough capacity to strive in the free market. My conventional Economics mindset would tell me that isolated economics could not achieve the goal anyway. It is because a country has to manage its expenditure on matters that will benefit and thus, create efficiency.

I love the lecture. He made the atmosphere of discussion alive. Mr. Sinkai is a great lecturer. He made us love and enjoy this class, especially the development economics in the environment and agricultural development. He is very nice young man and he told me that he has once visited UGM.

Anyway, I thought that there’s an interesting fact in which Agriculture is part of the majority source of occupation in Indonesia. Yes, large amount of people depend their lives on the Agricultural sector. However, a sad undenied fact is that our land are becoming an expensive commodity. Less and less land is available. Thus, the production of the agriculture keeps decreasing. Even though more and more people depend on our agriculture, high demand of rice, soy, and the other products but it’s threatened by less and less rice field. Now, becoming a farmer is like nothing. Their harvest is priced very low.. The farms are owned not by farmer and more and more farmer are just labor in the field. Their boss owns everything. The loan shark that embed the life of our farmers with high interset killing the life of the farmers slowly but surely. No wonder, no one would dream of being a farmer. If you dont believe this, ask any Indonesian kids who are still dreaming of becoming a farmer or perhaps any parents who wants their kids to be farmer, is there any? May be countless.

This reminds me on a song during my elementary school telling us how we should appreciate and be proud of our farmers. “Nasi putih terhidang di meja. Dari manakah datangnya? Dari sawah dan ladang di sana.. Petanilah penanamnya.. Panas terik tak mengapa, hujan rintik tak dirasa, masyarakat butuh pangan. T’rimakasih bapak tani, trimakasih ibu tani, tugasmu sungguh mulia..”

My lecture in Integrated Economic Development is so tough that kids in my class keeps complaining how much work we had to do and how sleepy and boring it had been. I did feel the same. But guess what, i loved that class! It is because I was enjoying syudying there. I just got through their style and loving the thrill of studying abroad with such atmosphere. And that I could sense the freedom of learning. I could go through my days with spirit and enthusiasm. I do things for reason not for a respective symbol to others. I do it because I want it. I have no objections of my past. I look just what the future seems to be. And that is the nice part of becoming an overseas student. I wish this could last for completing my bachelor degree not just a two weeks program.. :”(

I know that the two lecturers have different styles of teaching, However, they bring great message and lesson by their own ways. Mr. Victor really makes me learn a lot. Writing a twenty pages of paper analyzing the Economics in ASEAN countries and having it presented in front the class was quite a! I chose to present about the Philippines and I analyze the data of the economic structure in Philippines focusing in the employment and its demographic structure.

Interestingly, the geographical setting of Philippnes is quite similar as it is also archipelago. But more interestingly, the economic structure of this developing country is majored in service sectors. My friend Josh, a senior at Ateneo, who is the one knows anything in the class told me that my thought is right about the unique economic structure in Philippines. Service sectors are supposed to be the focus in developed countries. But developing countries with high quality of service sectors is another thing. I would analyze this country is similar in coping the problems of pollution, traffic jam, beggars, unemployment, translocation between the geographic areas, the Asian ethnicities. However, I was amazed as to the system taht adapat much from US. The transport regulation, the education system, and the govt. It is quite intersting that English in the urban cities sucha s Manila is very popular. People in the formal institution like in campus talk and speak English most of the time. It;s like their second language. And their English speaking is so American-ish although mix with an accent of Philippinos. No wonder, the international labor with expertise in service sectors sucha s operator, communication, etc are mainly coming from Philippine and India. Somewhat they are well recognised. No wonder, I sam at the bookstore in and nearby teh campus offering SAT preparation almost anywhere. Like you know, kids are so flexible to study abroad esp. to US since SAT is a standard asmission test to enter college in US. I took once I was at Walla Walla haigh School. I think this standard admission test is interesting sinceit has Math, English, and essay. Besides, we can take others such as Science or Sociam science (AP-Advanced Program) for a college credit that could give you a start up so then you can accelerate your college year. Oh well, that is different in Indoensia.

The fun and enjoyable class was Basic Japanese with Ms. Takada. She’s very charming, beautiful lady with such a grace of teaching. I learnt simple Japanese, the writing of Hiragana and Katakana, the culture, and practiced the tea reception, also did the Japanese calligraphy. Besides, we did presentation in Japanese, quizzes every day, mini drama, and singing performance. Yeaay!

Coffees, my day feels nothing without it. How could I devide my self in focusing my ASEAN studies and at the same time keep working on my home studies works. Yes, I had every day home work for my Accounting class. I got it done, scanned, and sent. That way, i brought my heavy thick text of Intermediate Accounting. And that was awful. No one else did such a thing. No one was an Accounting student. All the Japanese students are having their spring break. So, I was lucky that every night I had to stay awake while others were sleeping or perhaps having one with the other kids in the boarding house. And me, I have to finish tomorrow’s homework at home and tomorrow;s homework and quizzes for my ASEAN class! Wow, that was great I could get through it!

Although honestly, I feel such a disgrace, when I had been working really hard. Yes, on weekends I’m supposed to do homework for my Monday class at my home country since I had three lectures on Monday I had three homeworks and the only time to do is weekend. However, on weekends we ASTW students aren’t free. We always had projects durring weekends. We traveled and did nonacademics activities suring weekend which was good for refreshment although it was also tiring.

But, on my first night before Monday I felt like crying. I didn;t know how i could finish all overloaded homework here and there. Besides, i had to scan my accounting work since accounting has to be hand written. I felt hopeless when I know that the price for scanning is so high abou forty pesos each. Then, my roommate a Korean student told me to have the scanning at the library tomorrow morning. So, I did. I went to the library with Josh and Jasmine, Ateneo students. But, the library is closed for it had a private session like misa you know.. I was hopeless... But then, I remember I had a camera that I could use to take a picture of my homework. Even if it wouldnt be that good with a camera at least I did my homework and had it sent in time. Later, the saddest part is that it was not satisfying enough. You know, sometimes the lecture only value what’s on the paper. Physically. I wish they learnt how much I work for it. Like I put all my life into it. And I feel that wouldnt count. Nothing at all. Only three times of absences is another threat to me. And I’m glad I got through it. I kept my absences in my home countries twice up to three times which save me enough from dropping the class because I had to miss the classes by attending ASTW short program for 2-3 times without doing any illegal presence. I did not want to do what so called "titip absen" and I took the risk of it. But it’s all worth it at the end. I felt like learning alot and  good to have a nice report at last, yeay! Thank God!

There is a voice within my mind... Though we’re from ten different lands..bound by shores and common sense. Singing out as one, lets dance, the world is in our hands.

No matter where we’re from. If we could sing one song. Dreams that are yours and mind taht will be realised. Trust in the love we feel. Trust in the love thats real. Children unite. People of ASEAN rise. (ASEAN Rise, a theme song that we all performed at the opening ceremony at ASEAN Today’s World)

(to be continued)

People keep asking, don't you wanna travel more? Of course I do. I'm longing for some more adventure, to learn new things and new life. But, there's sometime that we need to pause to see, listen, hear, and think more for something bigger. Work, pray, love. Hope we always be in the blessing of Allah to travel the world to learn and be rahmatanlil'alamiin. Sometimes, I do hope we can have a journey together, Ibu, Bapak, Mbak. Hopefully, someday.