I was accepted to become one of Exchange Participant
in AIESEC UGM’s Winter Exchange Fair, Global Youth Ambassador Program. I was
grateful and honored to become one of Indonesian student who could spread and
share about Indonesia in a global project. Obviously, I could not do this
alone. Alhamdulillah, there were great friends and family behind this who
helped me either giving me some tips or motivating me so I did not give up
easily.
The first country that I chose was Turkey. But they
did not reply my e-mail. Until the second week, there was one reply from one LC
(Local Committee) in Turkey, and they said that they could not accept me
because they already had EP (Exchange Participant) from Indonesia. So, I started
to look for another country. My next choice was China. At first, I was looking
for the project by posting in one of China’s project group in Facebook. Then, I
got this information about the project from one of Indonesian EP who already
had been accepted in that project. I tried to contact the e-mail that was given
to me, and then I got the reply about job description and all the details. I
was asking about many things first, make sure all of those things suit me.
After I felt there was nothing to worry about as long as I pay attention with
every little things and pray, I was being interviewed and a few days later they
told me that I was accepted to their project. Alhamdulillah.
Wednesday, 14th January 2015
I departed from Sultan Syarif Kasim International
Airport Pekanbaru, was leaving for Pudong Airport Shanghai. That was my first
time to go abroad by myself. To be honest, when I finished my check-in and
walked to my parents and sister who was waiting for me to say goodbye, I wanted
to change my mind. I did not want to go to Shanghai, and thought that I had
made a wrong decision. But I hid it. If I said it, it would make my parents
worry about me.
So, we were spending time together until my flight
number was called to pursuit the waiting room. Okay, I talked to myself that
this journey had to be the right thing and I had to do the right thing. In the
name of Allah (Bismillah) I kissed them goodbye with smile and went to the
waiting room.
There was no many people in the waiting room,
perhaps because my flight was the last one for that day or because another
reason. I was waiting alone, and called a few close people that I know to say
that I was about to depart and wish me luck for this journey.
I enjoyed the flight, since they provided meals and
some entertainment. At that moment I forgot about my worries, until I arrived
at Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. Thank God I did not get lost because
there were signs that showed me where I should go. I entered the transit area
for the people who transit to go abroad. There I checked in and walked through
immigration check. After that I prayed in mushola and waited until I got called
in the waiting room. At that time I just realized that there were not that much
women who wear hijab (something like veil to cover the head) like me.
The annoying thing was that most of them who walk
through me thought I was Indonesian workers who got a job as a labor or a maid in China. But I
ignored their thoughts anyway and just answered with smile that I went there
because I had a chance to be an exchange participant in one of university in
China.
After my flight got called, in the name of Allah, I
showed my boarding pass and passport, and then walked through the way until I
found my seat. I relieved when the captain spoke through his room because he
began his words with “Bismillahirrahmanirrahim”. I did not know why, but I just
felt safe knowing that the captain had faith and prayed for our six hours journey
from Jakarta to Shanghai.
On the way, I who got a seat near the window, really
liked to look outside, saw what happen out there. But all I saw just a black
sky. Dark. There was nothing to look at after one hour the airplane took off. The
cabin crew spoke English to me, and that was the first time I felt really
nervous to speak English, since I had never had practice my English with a
complete stranger. But I answered her anyway and got a calzone which was really
delicious. I watched movie while I was eating the snack. After I finished my
snack and drink, I took the blanket and eye-patch so I could go to sleep. But,
no matter how comfortable the seat felt, I could not fall asleep as comfortable
as in my bedroom. So I just had a sleep for like one hour, then I awoke, then I
slept again, and awoke again, just like that until my watch showed me that it
was about three o’clock in the very morning. I was making myself comfortable
when I realized how beautiful the view was. For the first time in my life, I
flew this far from the sea level and saw the moon just from the window. I did
not have to look up like usual, but I just looked at it like it was really near
me, parallel with me. It was not full moon, but the shine was really beautiful.
I kept whispering Allah’s name, felt really touched.
I did not go to sleep after I looked at the moon,
which was still there until it was the time for the sun to rise. I awoke and
picked a movie to be watched for the rest of the journey in this airplane. I kept
watching until I looked outside again and found there was a half orange half
yellow line far from here. Because I was sleepy, I was late to realize that it
was a sunrise. The sun was about to rise. I looked at my watched and went to
the lavatory to take wudhu to pray subuh. After I back from the lavatory, since
most of the passengers felt asleep, I did not feel awkward to do subuh pray on
my seat. After that, again, I enjoyed the view. I took some photos, from when
it just looked like a line in the dark sky, then it was getting brighter and
brighter, and finally the dark sky faded away. I praised Allah for I had never
seen how beautiful the moon from here, and how amazing the sun rise from here. It
was really beautiful, it really was.
The captain spoke again from his room. Again, he began his words with “Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.” He said that we would arrive at Pudong International Airport Shanghai in a few minutes. I kept looking outside, and again, found something new. The cloud looked like a cotton candy for me, only it was not pink. It was white, but looked very soft. Meanwhile, there were snowflakes in the edge of my window, made me smile. It was really beautiful to see such things like snowflakes, again, because I had never seen these things before. I had never even experienced winter before.
The airplane was getting lower and lower, until its tires
touched the land and stopped. I arrived at Pudong International Airport
Shanghai. I felt like I was dreaming.
To be continued
