After All

Hari ini adalah hari terakhirku di tahun 2015. Banyak memori-memori indah yang tak bisa aku lupakan. Ya, salah satunya tahun pertukaran pelajar aku. Jujur, sampai sekarang aku masih belum merasa benar-benar kecewa atas pilihanku untuk mengikuti program pertukaran pelajar tersebut. Memang pas awal-awal masuk sekolah lagi, aku sempat merasa asing, ingin kembali ke Belgia, merindukan teman-teman lama yang sudah lulus, tapi itu semua masih belum membuatku benar-benar menyesal karena ketinggalan satu tahun.

Menjadi siswa pertukaran pelajar merupakan pilihan yang tepat bagiku. Aku banyak belajar tentang kehidupan yang mungkin teman-temanku yang tidak mengikutinya tidak bisa dapat. Aku belajar kehidupan ini memang penuh dengan tantangan, penuh dengan sandiwara, penuh dengan misteri, tapi aku juga belajar bahwa menghadapai kehidupan ini hanya ada satu kunci untuk mengalahkan semuanya: bersyukur.

Bersyukur dengan selalu tersenyum, selalu berpikir positif merupakan sebuah pilihan dan pilihan inilah yang paling berat sebenarnya di hidup kita. Semuanya memang benar-benar tergantung oleh kita, apa yang kita pilih. Banyak orang sekarang yang stres, bingung, sedih karena jarang bersyukur menurutku.

Guys, tahun pertukaran pelajarku memang bukanlah tahun yang menurut orang sempurna, begitu banyak rintangan yang aku hadapi dari awal hingga akhir. Tapi aku memilih untuk bersyukur atas tahun yang sudah kulalui tersebut. Karena tahun itulah, aku bisa menjadi seperti diriku sekarang, lebih mandiri, berwawasan luas serta berpikir dan bersikap lebih dewasa dibandingkan dengan teman-teman sebayaku sekarang.

Setelah itu semua, aku pun dihadapkan dengan sebuah realita kehidupanku yang sebenarnya. Kehidupanku di Indonesia lebih lama di Belgia. Jujur, aku sering kali merasakan kekecewaan terhadap kehidupan dan orang-orang di sekitarku saat ini. Tapi, lagi lagi aku berusaha untuk tetap bersyukur.

Perlahan-lahan aku mulai memahami realita ini. Jujur, sebenarnya sekarang aku lebih sering diam, memperhatikan setiap orang daripada banyak berbicara seperti "aku" yang dulu, tidak hanya aku yang merasakan, teman-temanku pun merasa diriku seperti itu. Aku memang memilih diam daripada banyak bicara tapi tak ada yang dilakukan. Memang budaya kita seperti itu, tapi aku berusaha untuk memulai sebuah  perubahan.

Aku sudah muak dengan segala yang terjadi di lingkungan sekitarku. Aku muak dengan amarah-amarah yang selalu kudengar setiap hari di berbagai tempat. Aku muak dengan keangkuhan, kesombongan, kedengkian dimana-mana. Aku muak dengan keluhan-keluhan yang terucap dari bibir setiap orang. Aku muak dengan tekanan-tekanan dari berbagai orang yang bertujuan hanya untuk membahagiakan sepihak saja. Dan aku muak dengan omong kosong.

Bersyukur.. Bersyukur.. Bersyukur atas nafas kehidupan yang masih diberikan-Nya. Bersyukur karena masih bisa melihat orang-orang yang kita cintai. Bersyukur karena masih bisa melihat sosial media. Masih ada begitu banyak lagi yang bisa kita syukuri dan melawan keduniawian ini. Aku sangat berharap pembaca postinganku ini untuk mulai bersyukur dari sekarang. Apapun itu yang akan terjadi, tetaplah bersyukur dan semuanya akan berjalan tanpa beban, seperti hidup yang kita impi-impikan itu.

Medan, 31 Desember 2015

Weird Questions in Belgium and Indonesia

Dag! Halo!

Today I will make a list of weird questions from Belgians and Indonesians during my first month in Belgium and in Indonesia after exchange. So, check it out.

From Belgians to me:
1. How high is your flight? (Seriously? Why don't you ask me the name of the pilot?)
2. Indonesia is same as India, right?
3. Ah yeah, I've ever heard the currency of Indonesia, it's Rupee right? (Please, Indonesia is not same as India, even the currency)
4. How far is your city from Jakarta? (I don't know, but I fly like from Brussels to Sicily I think)
5. Why do you want to come to Belgium? (So are you not proud to be here? I can replace you! Yes!)
6. Don't you miss your family and friends in Indonesia? (Of course I miss, but why I am still here if I miss my family so much?)
7. What? You eat rice everyday? Are you not bored? (It's like how if I ask you back, are you not bored eat bread and potato everyday?
8. You are Asian! You must be a Chinese? (ASIANS ARE NOT CHINESE!)
9. Is there iPhone in Indonesia? (I don't use iPhone doesn't mean there is no iPhone here)
10. Why don't you use iPhone? (And why do you use iPhone?)
11. Are you Muslim? (I come from Indonesia and it doesn't mean I'm Muslim -_-)

From Indonesians to me:
1. Where is Belgium? (I even have to describe it that it is located among the Netherlands, Germany, and France, then they know it)
2. What is the capital city of Belgium? (Please, it is even the capital city of European Union)
3. Are you not hungry, you don't eat rice? (Please, I live in Belgium, not in Indonesia -_-)
4. Do you like there? (If I don't like to be there, why do I really wanna go back?)
5. Do you speak Belgian? (There is no Belgian language -_-)
6. I saw your status on facebook, instagram, you speak German? (I SPEAK DUTCH AND BELGIUM HAS 3 NATIONAL LANGUAGES: DUTCH, FRENCH, GERMAN)
7. But you still speak German right? (Yes -_- but a little bit)
8. Why don't you go to Germany? (Because Belgium is more awesome than Germany I think, not make sense)
9. Are they kind to you? (Seriously? ...)
10. Do you have girlfriend there? (Sorry, but is it really important for you?)

Ik Moet Wakker Worden - I Must Wake Up

Dag iedereen!

It's already long time ago I've never posted on my blog. Because you know what, a few months ago were my last months in Belgium and I didn't want to have much time to sit in front of the computer than do something with my Belgian family and friends. Yes, I'm already in Indonesia right now, my first home. I'm already 1 month here. So, how was my last months and first month in Indonesia?

Well, my last months were so special for me. Many things I did in Belgium with family and friends. In June, we, the exchange students were asked by AFS to join the exam in school. So I did it with no passion and finally, yeah, I didn't pass it and based on the curriculum, I must stay at my class, I mean, not go to higher level. Hahaha... I have made a joke to all people who asked me about my report and said to them proudly that I didn't pass it and because of it, I think I need to stay here in Belgium one more year. Hihihi.. Luckily my host family also doesn't care about it. They already know that I come here not for passing the exam.

Ah yeah, when I was on the exam week, I was birthday! So at 00.00 17th June, while I was still studying, my family came with champagne! After we drank, I needed to continue my study! Godverdomme he? And in the morning, when I went to dinner room, I was surprised because it was decorated by my family. Schattig he? But unfortunately, there were not papers on my house. The tradition here for people who is birthday, the friends will come to the house in the night before to throw many papers to the house and after school, they do weird things to person who is birthday. Yeah, I know my friends were busy at that time for exam. But without it, it didn't make me sad on my birthday because my family has decorated our house!

So, after that I had had a summer vacation for two weeks before I went home. I went to Bobbejanland, a theme park in Belgium with my host brother and his girlfriend and with Icha! We had much fun there!

I went also to our apartment in Knokke with my family. It is located near the beach. For your information, we were apart to go there because I had just finished my end orientation camp in Halle, near Brussels and my family had come from Genk. So I took the train from Brussels to Knokke and when I arrived, my family was still not there. So I needed to find our apartment by myself. And you know what, I was lost for one hour. I went to houses where there wasn't anyone on the street. Fortunately I still had battery on my phone and I called my host mother to search where I am and where I need to go because my phone didn't have internet.

After in Knokke, I went to some places like Brussels, Hasselt, Maastricht, etc. for enjoying my last days. Yeah, day by day, feeling of sadness increased in my heart.

Ah yeah, before I went home, I had met a Belgian from my city who has just arrived from Indonesia for exchange year. His name is Ben. Ben is great! His Indonesian is really good! While my Dutch is really bad. Hahaha.. Finally I can speak Indonesian to someone who is not Indonesian. He has missed Indonesia, he said when we met. And we hang out together with my friend from Mexico, Benjamin.

On my last night, we had frietjes, the French Belgian fries. Then I and my host parents went to Maastricht. Honestly, I couldn't say so much at that night.

On 11th July, I ate my favourite breakfast, koffiekoeken for the last time in Belgium. Then I started to prepare everything. Thanks to my host dad who has helped me so much to pack all my luggages! Ge zijt ongelooflijk, kan alles inpakken naar mijn valies! And we went to the airport...

On the way I also didn't talk too much. I can't believe it, I come to the end of my exchange year. On the airport, I ate Flemish goulash, for my last time. Then we waited for my two friends, Icha and Fikram. After they came and checked in, it was the time to say goodbye to our families. I tried to leave my family fastly because I didn't want to cry so much in front of them.

Well, to be honest, from the time we left our families, during the flight, even in the first night of my arrival in Indonesia, I cried so much. I already kept it from a few weeks ago.

Until right now, I still can't imagine that my exchange year is done.
I can't imagine that time flies so fast.
I need to leave my family, my friends to go back to my family and my friends too.
Living on my dream is done.
And now I must wake up to continue my life and get my other dreams again.
Thanks to everyone who supports me during my exchange year.
I promise, I'll come back someday...

Exams: Study, Study, Study...

Hallo! So, last week I got exam here. Well, I actually don't want to take exam, of course. But AFS asks all exchange students in Flanders to take it. It's an obligatory. So, I made a negotiation with my school as I don't really study here and my Dutch is still bad. Hahaha.. I may take only some exams that I want. Haha. Then I chose Science, Maths, English, and History. The rest, such as Social Science, Geography, and French, I just come with some books to read while my friends are doing their exams. Actually I also don't want to take Dutch as it is about literature and the words are still difficult to me. Dutch exam took 4 hours. During the first 2 hours, I read the books that I had brought from home. But suddenly, my Dutch teacher came to me and asked me why I didn't take the exam. Then I said my reason. But she said, "Okay, but in the next 2 hours you have to take it. It's only listening and reading" Oh shit! -_-

So, what is the difference between the exam in Indonesia and Belgium? Well, there are some points that I notice. First, for exam in June, they study really hard. They even start to study a couple of weeks before they start their exam. This exam is really difficult for them because they need to learn what they have learned from January until June. The teachers here don't give tolerance to the students who get bad score. In anyway they will stay in that grade if they get bad score. Second, they don't have multiple-choice questions. All of them are essay questions. So, we need to really understand what we've learned in the class. Third, mostly we need to analyse the questions first. Then we have to connect it with what we've learned in the class. And the last, in the last page there is always a column where we can full in like "According to me, I will get score ..." or "The next time, I should do ..." It's like an evaluation for us. So, we realize about the way of our studying. In other schools, some my friends also had oral exam. So, the teacher will ask you directly and we have to explain it. It's quite scary, but I think from that, we have more confidence to speak in front of the people.

Now, it's already holiday! I'm so happy that I've done with school! Next week, I'll get my report. Hopefully it is good haha.. And it's time to have fun before I go home.. I still have 2 weeks here anyway.

Rindu Akan Merindukan

Sudah hampir 10 bulan aku berada disini. Pertanyaan "kapan pulang" terus dilontarkan semua orang yang aku temui disini. Tak hanya di Belgia, orang-orang yang aku cintai di Indonesia juga terus bertanya. Jujur, ketika hati sudah terbagi di dua tempat, susah untuk meninggalkan salah satunya. 

Tentu saja aku ingin kembali ke pangkuan ibu pertiwi. 

Aku rindu sama pakaian sekolah putih abu-abu. 

Aku rindu bisa ngomong lancar tanpa harus buka kamus atau mikir terlebih dahulu. 

Aku rindu sama suara anak kecil yang bermain-main di sore hari. 

Aku rindu sama ikan teri sambal dan sayur...

Aku rindu sama suara-suara klakson karena macet.

Aku rindu makan nasi gurih, lontong atau mie pansit setiap pagi.

Aku rindu bisa pergi kemana aja naik sepeda motor.

Aku rindu upacara setiap hari Senin.

Aku rindu dilihatin guru setiap pagi di depan sekolah untuk mengecek segala sesuatu yang kita pakai.

Aku rindu sama teman-temanku.

Aku rindu sama keluargaku.

Aku rindu...

Tapi aku juga pasti akan merindukan negeri anak pipis ini.

Aku akan merindukan keluarga angkatku yang selalu didambakan semua teman-teman pertukaranku.

Aku akan merindukan pergi hang out setiap akhir pekan bersama teman-temanku.

Aku akan merindukan pergi ke negara lain yang bisa dicapai dalam waktu 30 menit.

Aku akan merindukan makan kentang goreng yang luar biasa enaknya!

Aku akan merindukan makan roti setiap pagi dan membawanya ke sekolah.

Aku akan merindukan makan croissant coklat setiap akhir pekan.

Aku akan merindukan wafel yang selalu dibawa ayah angkat setiap hari Rabu siang.

Aku akan merindukan teman-teman sekelasku, yang sedikit kekanak-kanakan dan fanatik.

Aku akan merindukan guru-guru yang selalu kewalahan dengan tingkah laku aku dan teman-teman sekelas (oeps! hihi)

Aku akan merindukan langit benua biru ini yang sungguh indah

Aku akan merindukan jalan kaki ke sekolah dan orang-orang yang aku senyumi setiap paginya

Aku akan merindukan pergi ke perpustakaan kota hanya untuk menggunakan komputer dan wifi yang tersedia disana.

Aku akan merindukan semuanya...

Waktu terus bergulir. Aku sungguh dilema dengan semuanya. Tapi siap atau tidak siap, aku harus kembali dan meneruskan perjalanan hidupku ini...

Coming Back Soon

Segera kembali...

Are You Ready?

Dag! Alles goed?

If we talk about life, maybe some of you say life is a gift from God. Some of you also say life is our choice. But now I don't want to open discussion here what life is. I just wanna say that maybe it's not only me, but also you, they, all people around the world agree of a statement: Life Is Full Of Choices. You're not alone to have many choices in this life and must think which is the best for you or for people surround you.

Well, I'm not going to continue that shit thing anymore. Let's talk to the point. In this post, I'll tell you about choosing of being an exchange students, especially in high school.

Why do you waste your time with that useless thing?

Why don't you go after you're graduated from high school?

You're stupid, give your money with useless thing!

You can go wherever you want after you get much money on your job, dude!

You're stupid doing that thing!

Why do you do it if you miss your country, family, friends?

How come you go there and don't know the language?!

Those are statements and questions I've got before I left my country until NOW, when I'm still on my exchange year. I think not only me, all exchange students have ever got it surely. See, we are awesome, guys! We are strong because we can get through all those underestimated questions or statements. We can face the people who underestimate us! Right now, I'm gonna tell you a little story of me before until now as an exchange student.

Well, I started from January 2014. At that time, I really wanna go abroad. Then once I looked for scholarship and I found AFS. I know AFS is not a scholarship actually, but I think that's my chance to go abroad. Then I said to myself that I MUST DO IT!

In March, I signed up myself and I took some tests which are required by AFS Indonesia. Fortunately, my parents agree that I join it. I know it's hard for them to agree with it, but this is my life, I have right to do what I want and I convince them that it's gonna be all right. Finally, I'm official AFS-er in April! I got placement in Belgium Flanders. Well, I never thought before that I'll get this little country. I don't even really know how Belgium is. But later, after I'm here, I really don't regret to get placement in this beautiful country.

After I got visa with many obstacles and had orientation camp, I departed on 21st August 2014. I still remember the face of my dad, mom, sisters at that time. Unfortunately, my brother couldn't join us because he was really busy. My mother cried a little. So did my friends who are going with me to Belgium. While I didn't actually because I believe I'll meet them next year and it's time for me to see the world.

Then I arrived in Belgium on 22nd August 2014. I met many people who are also AFS-ers from around the world. It was really nice to know them. I met my host family on 24th August 2014. Such a wonderful moment for me! I didn't really know my host family before I arrived here. One thing that I knew was only that I'll be alone with a 75-year-old man at home. My feeling was mixed when I met him. It was like he is my grandpa. He can't speak English well but I took it as a positive thing for me. I was challenged to be able to speak Dutch as soon as possible. I learned a lot of Dutch and everyday tried to speak with him.

Have friends from all over the world

Indonesians :)

Host family

1st September was my first day at school. I really felt weird but I could only smile to everyone. Then I have many friends at this school. Such a nice thing!

Then in October I changed my host family. It's not a problem. I just felt alone there and it's not the time for that man to take care of anyone anymore. I still love him, we still have contact, even a few weeks ago I made a waffle to him. Now I have hostdad, mom, two brothers and one sister. I really love my family here. We travel a lot, play, discuss many things and others together. I really can't describe how I love them. Since January 2015, I changed my school also and I met many nice poeple again!

Host family at the Christmas night

We played with snow during sport lesson haha

We also made snowball

My friends in the new school :)

Well, now I'm already 7 months here. I got many experiences here. I have new family, not only one but two families! I have many friends, either from Belgium or from other countries. EN NU KAN IK NEDERLANDS PRATEN!

Just imagine, you will have new family, friends from around the world, and can speak other languages. Besides, maybe you'll get new skills that you never thought before. I mean, like me, I learn how to cook now which was really not me before. But at school I take direction which has cooking lesson and I have to follow it! I also learn swimming here. Belgians really like sport! Everyone I meet here has sport activity. So, I choose to learn swimming here as I never learned it as serious as here haha.. So, isn't it enough to be the reasons for being an exchange student?!

First real snow in my life

And now I know how snow is as we don't have snow in Indonesia haha :)

Cooking lesson in school

When I made waffle with my counselor

LOOK! I got this in Netherlands which is near to my house and cooked it with my host mom

It's not an useless thing! We learn here. Maybe not learn like in school, we learn more about the life. Experience is the best teacher of our life, isn't it? And later, you'll know that holiday is not same as exchange. Trust me, you won't regret it and remember, YOLO! You're still young and it's time for you to explore the world! So, are you ready?

Still doubt? Here I give you more reasons.

And you should also read this, it's really amazing and represent us:

Exchange is change. Rapid, brutal, beautiful, hurtful, colourful, amazing, unexpected, overwhelming and most of all constant change. Change in lifestyle, country, language, friends, parents, houses, school, simply everything.
Exchange is realizing that everything they told you beforehand is wrong, but also right in a way.
Exchange is going from thinking you know who you are, to having no idea who you are anymore to being someone new. But not entirely new. You are still the person you were before but you jumped into that ice cold lake. You know how it feels like to be on your own. Away from home, with no one you really know. And you find out that you can actually do it.
Exchange is learning to trust. Trust people, who, at first, are only names on a piece of paper, trust that they want the best for you, that they care. Trust, that you have the strength to endure a year on your own, endure a year of being apart from everything that mattered to you before. Trust that you will have friends. Trust that everything’s going to be alright. And it is seeing this trust being justified.
Exchange is thinking. All the time. About everything. Thinking about those strange costumes, the strange food, the strange language. About why you’re here and not back home. About how it’s going to be like once you come back home. How that girl/boy is going to react when you see her again. About who’s hanging out where this weekend. At first who’s inviting you at all. And in the end where you’re supposed to go, when you’re invited to ten different things. About how everybody at home is doing. About how stupid this whole time-zone thing is. Not only because of home, but also because the tv ads for shows keep confusing you.
Thinking about what’s right and what’s wrong. About how stupid or rude you just were to someone without meaning to be. About the point of all this. About the sense of life. About who you want to be, what you want to do. And about when that English essay is due, even though you’re marks don’t count. About whether you should go home after school, or hang out at someone’s place until midnight. Someone you didn’t even know a few months ago. And about what the hell that guy just said.
Exchange is people. Those incredibly strange people, who look at you like you’re an alien. Those people who are too afraid to talk to you. And those people who actually talk to you. Those people who know your name, even though you have never met them. Those people, who tell you who to stay away from. Those people who talk about you behind your back, those people who make fun of your country. All those people, who aren’t worth your giving a damn. Those people you ignore.
And those people who invite you to their homes. Who keep you sane. Who become your friends.
Exchange is music. New music, weird music, cool music, music you will remember all your life as the soundtrack of your exchange. Music that will make you cry because all those lyrics express exactly how you feel, so far away. Music that will make you feel like you could take on the whole world. And it is music you make. With the most amazing musicians you’ve ever met. And it is site reading a thousand pages just to be part of the school band.
Exchange is uncomfortable. It’s feeling out of place, like a fifth wheel. It’s talking to people you don’t like. It’s trying to be nice all the time. It’s bugs.. and bears. It’s cold, freezing cold. It’s homesickness, it’s awkward silence and its feeling guilty because you didn’t talk to someone at home. Or feeling guilty because you missed something because you were talking on Skype.
Exchange is great. It’s feeling the connection between you and your host parents grow. It’s hearing your little host brother asking where his big brother is. It’s knowing in which cupboard the peanut butter is. It’s meeting people from all over the world. It’s having a place to stay in almost every country of the world. It’s getting 5 new families. One of them being a huge group of the most awesome teenagers in the world.
It’s cooking food from your home country and not messing up. It’s seeing beautiful landscapes that you never knew existed.
Exchange is exchange students. The most amazing people in the whole wide world. Those people from everywhere who know exactly how you feel and those people who become your absolute best friends even though you only see most of them 3 or 4 times during your year. The people, who take almost an hour to say their final goodbyes to each other. Those people with the jackets full of pins. All over the world.
Exchange is falling in love. With this amazing, wild, beautiful country. And with your home country.
Exchange is frustrating. Things you can’t do, things you don’t understand. Things you say, that mean the exact opposite of what you meant to say. Or even worse…
Exchange is understanding.
Exchange is unbelievable.
Exchange is not a year in your life. It’s a life in one year.
Exchange is nothing like you expected it to be, and everything you wanted it to be.
Exchange is the best year of your life so far. Without a doubt. And it’s also the worst. Without a doubt.
Exchange is something you will never forget, something that will always be a part of you. It is something no one back at home will ever truly understand.
Exchange is growing up, realizing that everybody is the same, no matter where they’re from. That there are great people and douche bags everywhere. And that it only depends on you how good or bad your day is going to be. Or the whole year.
And it is realizing that you can be on your own, that you are an independent person. Finally. And it’s trying to explain that to your parents.
Exchange is dancing in the rain for no reason, crying without a reason, laughing at the same time. It’s a turmoil of every emotion possible.
Exchange is everything. And exchange is something you can’t understand unless you’ve been through it.

Me with my friend and her family

And also this:

I am an exchange student.
How do you know what is a dream if you never accomplished one.  

How do you know what is an adventure if you never took part in one. 

How do you know what is anguish if you never said goodbye to your family and friends with your eyes full of tears. 

How do you know what is being desperate, if you never arrived in a place alone and could not understand a word of what everyone else was saying. 

How do you know what is diversity if you never lived under the same roof with people from all over the world? 

How do you know what is tolerance, if you never had to get used to something different even if you didn’t like it. 

How do you know what is autonomy, if you never had the chance to decide something by yourself? 

How do you know what it means to grow up, if you never stopped being a child to start a new course? 

How do you know what is to be helpless, if you never wanted to hug someone and had a computer screen to prevent you from doing it. 

How do you know what is distance, if you never, looking at a map, said “I am so far away”.  

How do you know what is a language, if you never had to learn one to make friends. 

How do you know what is patriotism, if you never shouted “I love my country” holding a flag in your hands. 

How do you know what is the true reality, if you never had the chance to see a lot of them to make one. 

How do you know what is an opportunity, if you never caught one. 

How do you know what is pride, if you never experienced it for yourself at realizing how much you have accomplished. 

How do you know what is to seize the day, if you never saw the time running so fast. 

How do you know what is a friend, if the circumstances never showed you the true ones. 

How do you know what is a family, if you never had one that supported you unconditionally. 

How do you know what are borders, if you never crossed yours, to see what there was on the other side. 

How do you know what is imagination, if you never thought about the moment when you would go back home.

How do you know the world, if you have never been an exchange student?

Greetings from Belgium :)

België? Dat Is Mijn Tweede Thuis!

Hi! We meet again. It’s already around 5 months I’m here. Time flies so fast! I hate it so much. Many things happened to me during these 5 months and almost all of it are new for me. Actually, I don’t really want to tell it because my English is getting worse here, even my Indonesian! Am I lying? No, it’s really true! I still remember when my Indonesian friend asked the time to me and I don’t know to say it in Indonesian. I also ever wanted to write an email to my Indonesian friends, but… after I wrote one sentence in Indonesian, I didn’t know anymore how to write in Indonesian, even in English. I was so lazy at that time to open my lovely Google Translate, so I didn’t send it. Hahaha…

Living in a country where has 3 national languages, as I said before in my last newsletter is unique but also complicated for me. The majority languages here are Dutch and French. Almost everyone here can speak both beause they learn it at school. I’m really proud of being an exchange student in Belgium because I don’t only learn to speak Dutch but also French a little bit. Every product here has writing in Dutch and French. I live in Flanders - a Dutch-speaking region – so you will see the advertisements in public places in Dutch. While in Brussels, the capital city of Belgium, has Dutch and French speaker over there. So, the advertisements will be in Dutch and French. Even in the train station, if they want to say the departure of the trains, they will say it in Dutch and French. And if I go to the south of Belgium, Wallonia – the Frech-speaking region – it’s better I speak English than my bad Dutch. Based on it, I’m really proud of being Indonesian which only has 1 national language. I can’t imagine if every dialects in Indonesia become national language…

In Indonesia, it’s not really common to use calculator, especially in the exam. We are used to calculate by ourselves on the paper. But in Belgium… You can use it as you want, they even use it in the exam. And what makes me become lore impressed is the calculator can make graphic! First time when I saw it, I said, “WHAT??!!” I really never see that in Indonesia. I was thinking that I was so tired to calculate, especially in the exam and must search how the graphic will be and draw it by myself. And now, I see everyone use their calculator in the exam and they just copy the graphic from the calculator into their paper. They also bring only some papers of the books everyday. I mean, their books are easily to rip. So, they will take only some pages from the books that will be learned by them in school and put it in a binder. So, if they have thick books, they don’t need to bring all the books to school like us in Indonesia, only the binder with some pages. It’s really more comfortable!As you know, western people really like walking or using public transportation and now I MUST DO IT TOO. If in Indonesia, my dad will bring me to school and pick me up again by car, now I must walk every morning to school because it’s close to my house, around 10 minutes by foot. If I go further, I must use bicycle or walk to the station and take the bus. In the beginning, it’s really hard for me, I’m really tired because in Indonesia, if it’s even 10 minutes by walk, you still use motorcycle or car! But now I already use to it. Moreover, I think it’s good for my health. Oh ya, being on time is very important here. For example, taking the bus or train. If you’re not on time, you have to wait it again for one hour. Or maybe you have an appointment with someone and you’re late, he/she will be really disappointed to you. They also don’t care if you are an exchange student with “late” culture because I live in a new culture, not in mine anymore.

Maybe you also know that western people have "table manner" which must use fork and knife. That's what I do also here. If in Indonesia I usually use hand or spoon and fork, now whatever is the food, if it's pasta, fish, chicken, or anything else, I have to use fork and knife like them. Beside that, Belgian also use to drink alcohol or something with soda when they are eating. I ever went out with my family, everyone choose the drinking with soda while me, only order water. Oh yeah, they also have 2 kinds of water here, the usual water and water with soda -__________- I ever tried water with soda and I didn't want it anymore. I think it will be my first and the last water with soda -___-

In the beginning of December, there was exam in my school. Because I'm still a beginner, it's really hard for me to understand the lessons and AFS asked us, the exchange students who didn't want to take exam here to do a social work as volunteer. So, during my friends had exam, I worked in OCMW Genk, it's a place for old people to eat, learn how to use computer, learn languages or even play cards with their friends. I worked to served coffee or tea in the cafeteria of it. 2 weeks there was very priceless for me. Many things I learned, especially from the volunteers over there. They work also like me but they also old people. I asked them why they still want to do it while they are also old people as people they serve. They even said to me they already work for years, even more than 20 years. And they answered because they like to do it. They are happy if their friends are happy. WHAT A WONDERFUL ANSWER! Actually I really didn't want to work over there because I serve old people which are very annoying for me. But because of the volunteers I met over there, I learn that VOLUNTEER=HEART. We need our heart to do volunteering. Now I also understand why people want to be volunteers in AFS or maybe why my host family or other host families want to host us. It's because they have their heart in it. VOLUNTEERS ARE REALLY PRICELESS!

Two days before Christmas, the family from my host mom came to our house. They are really nice and friendly. We did many things. We talked together, young people got presents from the older people, the kids read a letter for the family as Belgian tradition here, and played cards together. It was really fun! I felt like they are also my family. While in the New Year's Eve, I went to Brussels. I met my Indonesian friends over there. We talked everything and ate very much because we needed to go to restaurant to get warmth hahaha... In the midnight, we saw the fireworks. It was beautiful and I was really happy because that was my first time to celebrate New Year abroad.

Now, it’s already winter here. Winter starts on 21^st December every year. I was really excited in the beginning December. I really hoped there will be snow because many people say in 2013, there was no snow. But… ON 2^nd DECEMBER 2014 MY FIRST SNOW FELL!!! It was in the evening. After dinner, my mom went outside and she said, “Benny, it’s snow!” I was surprised and ran outside directly! I saw everything is almost white! I was really happy although it’s not too much. I took many photos of it. Hahaha… After that, there was no snow anymore. But in the winter break, OH GOSH! THERE WAS SO MUCH SNOW! It was like my best Christmas gift ever. Every new thing that I find here is really unique and awesome. Altough sometimes I find something different with my personality or my culture, now I’m falling in love with Belgium. Now I can say, BELGIUM IS MY SECOND HOME!PS. Sorry I don't have time to post the photos. I need to sleep now but I promise to post it asap. Good night!