PAALAM PILIPINAS, HALO INDONESIA!

It is more or less a 24-hour trip from Baguio City, Philippines to Semarang, Indonesia. Here's how it all started:

September 1, 2019: My colleagues, our college dean and I agreed to meet at the University of the Cordilleras (our campus) around 5:30 am (Philippine Time Zone) so we could have a final briefing and to double-check our luggage if it meets the airport requirements. Due to the long wait for the vehicle and for the other participants as well, we decided to take our breakfast first before we travel.

Around 7:00 am, the van arrived and we started loading it with our stuff. Before we went inside, we prayed first for a safe and fun trip. From there on, our journey had begun!

It was indeed a fun trip. We joked around and we shared some of our stories while eating snacks inside the van. We didn't notice that we are already passing through TPLEX, San Fernando, Balintawak and finally, Metro Manila. When I checked the time, it's 11:15 am. It was still so early to go straight to the airport so Sir Ramir Austria asked us if we were hungry. Well, from a 4 hour-long drive eating nothing but chips, we doubtlessly said YES!

Afterward, we went straight to NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport). It was 2:30 pm when we entered the vicinity. From there, we waited for a "go signal" to check-in and drop our bags. When the time of our flight is coming closer, I felt a sudden excitement. Since this is my first time traveling abroad, I don't really know how to express how I feel about boarding a plane. My companion is Walter Jensen who is also part of the SEA-Teacher Exchange Program.

Exactly at 8:10 pm, the plane started moving and my eyes grew bigger like an ecstatic little child. However, I was only in glee for a moment since Walter and I came from a very long drive. So we slept soundly during the plane trip and I think it helped to reserve some energy that we needed to go on with our journey!

The time was around 10 pm (Indonesian Time Zone) when the plane landed at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport at Jakarta, Indonesia. The trip is not yet over! Because we have to take another plane ride to Semarang. At first, we were worried about their airport process because we have no idea how they operate. But luckily, we met a few of the locals there to instruct us on what we should do or where to go. The locals were extremely friendly and helpful. We weren't able to get their names but we thanked them in Bahasa Indonesia (Terima Kasih!). Afterwhich, we bought Indonesian Rp's and sim cards. Honestly, I was a bit confused with their currency because of the many 0's that they have and the currency conversion often gives us a headache whenever we want to buy something like a bottle of water (which costs only 5,000 RP by the way).

September 2, 2019: We stayed at the airport and waited for 8 hours before our flight. Since we have a lot of time on our hands, we took pictures, we bought traditional food from this restaurant called "Nasi Kapau", and messaged our loved ones. As we went inside SHIA Gate 3, we went through the process and it was done smoothly. Bravo! Two thumbs up SHIA!

Finally, we boarded the plane at 6:05 am and we landed at Semarang, Indonesia around 7:45 am. There, we met Azizah who is part of UNISSULA's OIA (Office of International Affairs). She is so friendly and accommodating!

Even though the trip was very long, I still managed to enjoy the experience of traveling. It was a memorable experience and I bet my companion also feels the same way. I hope the excitement continues to grow and the fun would never stop. So here we are Indonesia! We are very blessed and grateful for having met so many helpful and kind people so far. We will always bring our A-game once we start to teach. That's all. Terima Kasih!

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