CORE MEMORIES

Found and built memorable friendship.

Since we had plenty of free time, my fellow SEA Teachers and I decided to explore Bandung further. We met some people in Bandung, Ate Raisa and Kuya Rash, where "ate" is a Filipino term for "sister," and "kuya" means "brother." They are both students at UPI, and we were beyond grateful that they toured us around Bandung. First, we visited Asia Afrika, where we walked under a windy and sunny noon. The place offered a variety of beautiful sceneries because, after each corner representing one country, there was another country, which was amazing. We were mesmerized by the structure of the entire place, and the way they recreated each country felt so real. After that, Ate Raisa and Kuya Rash introduced us to Ciwalk. This place is a large shopping mall with various stores to visit.

We woke up early at around 4 am to prepare ourselves to go to the UPI parking lot, where all the buses were waiting for the high school students of UPI. Before our bus left UPI, the assigned teacher gave us a KFC meal for breakfast, as we had to travel for 3 hours to Jakarta.

Our first stop was PT Erlangga. After we took our seats in a large room, they gave us a snack, and there was a speaker at the event who talked about the history of Erlangga Publishing. Established in 1952, this publishing company is one of the largest in Indonesia. Its work serves as the intersection between textbooks and popular books.

After another hour of travel, at around 2 p.m, we finally reached our last destination, which was Dufan. Dufan offers a variety of rides, with some being more popular among tourists than others. These include Hysteria, Kora-kora, Halilintar, Bianglala, and Tornado. Despite the hot weather and long lines, we truly created unforgettable memories, making it a worthwhile experience, especially since it was my first time experiencing an amusement park. After that, we returned to our designated bus, and the assigned teacher gave us a bento box for dinner. It was a tiring day, but I had so much fun.

Before we started our week of teaching high school students, we had an excursion at Saung Angklung Udjo in Bandung. I learned that Saung Angklung Udjo is a cultural and educational tourist destination in Bandung, Indonesia, featuring performance venues, a bamboo craft center, and workshops for bamboo musical instruments. It is dedicated to preserving and promoting Sundanese culture, especially Angklung, through education and training facilities. Also, we were fascinated because there were many tourists there to witness their culture, and during the performance, we also had the chance to play their bamboo instrument named "Angklung."

After the evaluation, the week ended on a relaxing note. In the late afternoon, my fellow SEA Teachers and I embarked on an excursion to Gracia Hotspring in Bandung. It was a well-deserved break after a week filled with challenges, and the serene ambiance and hot water provided a much-needed respite. In the days that followed, we made the most of our remaining time in Bandung by exploring different places.

A stroll along Braga Street, famous for its European ambiance and chic cafes, allowed us to absorb the picturesque surroundings and savor the moment.

Of course, we also visited Saint Laurent Catholic Church to offer gratitude and seek guidance for our journey back to Manila, after the mass we bought several snacks to eat and honestly, I loved them!

One of the most enchanting experiences was our visit to Orchid Forest in Cikole. Although the place was quite chilly, because I forgot my hoodie, the magical atmosphere created by the beautiful lights left me mesmerized, that I couldn't resist capturing the enchanting sceneries.