Back to School

Upon arriving in a lone and isolated public school along the outskirts of the quaint yet bustling city of Yogyakarta, I honestly did not know what to expect. Under the scorching heat of a summer’s day, our long journey left me exhausted and dazed. One might ask, how my travels had led me to such an unusual destination but there was simply no turning back at this point in time. We had pledged to dedicate our time to teach English and that is something that I intend on accomplishing.

As me and my colleagues alighted the vehicle, we were greeted by a sea of smiles. Young Indonesian kids assembled in an orderly fashion were eagerly awaiting our arrival. For the school, our visit meant a great deal and they had prepared a special welcoming ceremony for their honored guests. The sound of drums, gongs, and other percussion instruments filled the air as a select group of little girls dressed in intricately designed batik dresses with flowers in their hair went on to perform a traditional Indonesian dance routine. It was quite the performance and after the formalities had been settled, it was time to begin the classes.

I entered the colorful little classroom armed with only the survival Bahasa Indonesia that I had learned a few days earlier. As I greeted the class with my cheerful "Selamat Pagi", meaning good morning, they all replied enthusiastically in chorus. As the class drew to a close, I had surprisingly succeeded in teaching them how to introduce themselves in English and even delving a little bit on numbers as well. I can only hope that they won’t forget what they had just learned from me. I can say that this was truly a fulfilling experience and amazing opportunity for me to have had. All I could offer them was my time and knowledge yet the gesture alone was greatly appreciated by the school and the students. As I spent the last few moments saying my goodbyes, I was thankful to have been given this chance to give back in what little way I could.