Wow.., this month was so great for English Society Club (ESC). It was caused by many activities that we had done and still having plan to do at the end of this month. We was visited PPPPTK Seni dan Budaya Jogyakarta to meet some of the new students of Darmasiswa Foreign Exchange Students 2007/ 2008. We – English Society Club (ESC) – promoted KGRE and invited them to join in my program for this month. Thank God we made it. And right after that we visited some school in Semarang and Temanggung and doing cultural exchange. And these were our activity:
“KangGuru Culture on Tour 2007”
November 17 – 19, 2007.
/First Day/
1. SMK PALEBON SEMARANG
We started at 11 am and finished at 5 pm. There were some Darmasiswa Students, which are Mr. Reaz Khan from Bangladesh, Mr. Gibriel Badjie, Mr. Ebrima Sarr, and Mr. Pa Modou Soy from The Gambia, West of Africa.
It was really great surprised for us when the students of SMK Palebon Standing in front of the gate and singing a joyful welcome song for us. They also made really nice postures that showed about their hospitality for the Darmasiswa Students. And it was great meeting because school committee and the chairman of Wiyata Tama Organization attended the program. We were so proud of that.
We started by promoting the KGRE and ESC. I was enco
uraging them to be brave on learning English. Beside that we gave them a great experienced to meet with the foreigners and they asked to foreigners about their country, culture, education system, social, and etc. The Bangladeshi and The Gambian felt surprised with many questions they got from SMK Palebon students and commented about how brilliant they are. And then we gave them the souvenirs as a reward for students who have a brave to ask the question.
Then The Gambian, Mr. Mo dou, Gibriel, Ebrima talked about their country and their culture. And it was so interested for us when they said that polygamy is common thing and legal there. It’s also like part of the culture there, not only that, they also performed their nationality song too.
Mostly students interested to know about the meaning of their flag colour.
Red has a meaning of the sun. The Gambia has a beautiful country with many tourist destinations.
White means peace. Because most of the Gambian are Moslem and Islam always teach us how to live in love and peace.
Blue means river. Because many river surround Gambia and it is very important for the Gambian who lived in their country. They also realize that the river is one of their natural resources.
Green means agriculture.
Beside The Gambia was presented by Gambian people, the students felt curious about Mr. Reaz country, which is Bangladesh. Mr. Reaz talked about many things of his beloved country such as culture, history and character of his people but most of them he talked about culture. One student asked the question to him whether he had family blood with Sahrukh Khan, the famous Indian actor?. Then he said with a little bit jokes that certainly he’s a brother of Sahrukh Khan. Students and the others were lau
ghing out loud when they knew that he lied about.
He talked about Bangladeshi foods, such as: Chicken Curry, Mogli, Porata, Pulau and many more. He told us that he got problem with the Indonesian food because most of the tastes of Indonesian food are sweet especially Javanese food.
When his friends from The Gambia explained about their national flag, he was also didn’t miss to explained about the meaning of his flag colour. He told that Bangladesh National flag consists of a circle red throughout its area, rested on a green rectangular background. The length to
width ratio of the rectangle is 10 : 6 and the circle has a radius of one of fifth of the length. Its centre is placed on the intersecting point of the perpendicular drawn from the nine-twentieth port of the length of the flag and the horizontal line drawn through the middle of its width. Prescribed sizes of flag for building are: 305 cm x 183 cm, 152 x 91 cm and 76 cm x 46 cm and for cars: 38 cm x 23 cm and 25 cm x 15 cm.
Then he also sang his nationality anthem: Amor Sonar Bangla. Everybody stood up and listened carefully, then its time for me and also students and teachers san
g our nationality anthem: Indonesia Raya. After that the chairman of wiyata Tama Organization that coordinate SMK Palebon gave placards for our guests from Gambia and Bangladesh before finishing our first program at SMK Palebon Semarang.
Next, in the same day, some of teachers of SMK Palebon took us to visit their student on their job-training place. We also had a little discussion with the assistance manager of Matahari Dept. Store, Simpang 5 Semarang. He took us to meet their students. So SMK Palebon cooperates with many companies for their dual education program (magang kerja). It’s great ya..!!!.
From the Matahari Dept Store in Simpang 5 Semarang, me and Darmasiswa students preparing for our broadcast in RRI pro 2 FM Semarang, English Time K2K Show. We discussed about about Darmasiswa program, KGRE and of course cultural program. They also interested in our interactive program. It was so great experienced for the Gambian and the Bangladeshi, because that was their first experienced to broadcast on the Indonesian radio.
After dinner we went again to Ar-Rohman Orphanage wit
h some of ESC members. We gave the donation and danced with the kids there. Some of the kids played Arabian music and then Darmasiswa and ESC members dancing with the kids together.
/Second Day/
After our experiences in first day with The Gambian and The Bangladeshi we had our cultural exchange program in our second day, which was located in RRI Sema
rang, Jl. A. Yani 144 – 146 Semarang. At 18 November 2007, started at 8am – 7pm. Participans were ESC members, MA Hasyim As Ari Students from Bangsri - Jepara, Darmasiswa Students, and Paguyuban Sekar Budaya Muda.
We made interactive conversation with participants each other. ESC and MA Hasyim As Ari asked to The Gambian and The Bangladeshi about their country, culture, food, and their people in their country itself. The Gambian and The Bangladeshi did not only answer our question but they asked us back about what Indonesian have, such as our country history and our culture which they li
ke so much, thruthly.
This meeting was not only talking each other but some participants had performance to present too. ESC performed about our interest in singing some songs such as Can’t Take My Eyes Of You. And everybody came and joined with us in singing too, at the time. After that, MA Hasyim As Ari from Jepara also had a performance, a short comedy, which was so cheerful comedy because they entertained many participants and they made everybody laughed together. And next Javanese traditional game dance called Cublak-Cublak Suweng by ESC members.
After all these activities that we did, Paguyuban Sekar Budaya also presented their performance, it was Jaran Kepang or Kuda Lumping. Many attractions they played, such as: ate the glass with mouth, ate the glass, fire and drink the gasoline, dancing with Warog Mask, and the last action was opened the big coconut that they ate with teeth. It was so amazing for us because it was a dangerous attraction and something like not normal action, but it is a culture.
Our next activity at the time was City Tour. We had
City Tour because we also wanted to promote some of tourist destination in Semarang and not only that, because we tried our skills being a tour guide to our guests but we much more like to be called a friend than a tour guide because we like to make a friendship. Our route at the time, it were Sam Po Kong, House of 1000 doors (Lawang Sewu), Semarang Old Town, and Central Java Grand Mosque. Wow…. It was a hard day, right!
/Third Day/
We start trip at 8am from Semarang by Bus. And we visited SMU Negeri 1 Temanggung. We were so surprise, when we saw many students were so aggressive and active. They made the foreign students tired to answer their question, and they also asked me about KGRE. We gave the souvenirs for the students and CD for the school. Unfortunately there is no English club yet in SMUN 1 Temanggung, so we told them how to apply for KGCC and the benefits join it. We had great story when we were in that school because many student had great enthusiasm to learn and speak in English. The one who still have a great enthusiasm is Infra, one of SMUN 1 Temanggung students. She is a young broadcaster in school radio. She conducted the Sunday Fun at noon in OFA FRA (radio school). It is an interactive program. She hope we can come and visit her again because she loves to make conversation to us.
That was the end of KangGuru Culture on Tour 2007. We’d like to say Thank to Allah SWT, none has the right to be worshipped but You, and also some friends from ESC members, Darmasiswa Students, SMK Palebon Students, MA. Hasyim As Ari from Jepara and SMUN 1 Temanggung. Those people had made this world so lovely to us, even though what we made is a conversation only, off course in English language or some social works. Thanks a lot, mate.
By : Keyko (a leader of PR of ESC) and,
Tanti (a leader of Administration of ESC)
