9 days. 216 hours. It has been a memorable experience in Indonesia so far. Memories were made. Roads were conquered. Laughters were made. New friendships were made. When second day comes, I never thought the day of me experiencing as an Indonesian student has come so fast. It is amazing to see how their education is run here.

Afterwards, we went to Mount Bromo and Probolingo on the following day. This is the day when I tried new things and became an adventurous person. Bravely stepping on the steep slopes and not caring about my shoes getting dirty. There were moments I thought I would roll down the hill since the hill is steep. But however, I just kept going on and on and on.

I would not want to keep on writing what I did the following 9 days as the others has written. And to me, the experience details is somehow rather the same. What I want to emphasize is the word “time”.

The time passed so fast here in Indonesia and so many things has happen. Every single day is like a memory syrup to my honey jar. Time has a wonderful way of showing us what really matters. This is our TFSCALE2 time.

 

 

 

 

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It’s been a week and more in Malang Indonesia. I have been having so much fun so far.The Itinerary done by the Malang student with their teachers for us are very well planned and it really show how much they want us to gain from this trip not just gain knowledge about raspberry pi but also to explore Malang to learn and experience new things which we can’t experience in Singapore.👌

This program is very beneficial as it don’t just focus on the gain on knowledge but also in character development.👍

I seen a lot of student so keen in this Raspberry Pi development, who had worked so hard to make sure this projects will be a success. They are giving their 100% into this which makes be want to have such a mindset for myself as I’m a Person who is very lazy to do things even if I have so much interest in it …
I should start to
Give my 100% on everything i do.💪🏼

I would like to share some of  my experience

Mt.Bromo 🏔⛰🗻
Was so beautiful!My 1st time waiting for the sun to rise! It’s was worth the journey!!! I really enjoyed it a lot and it was such a wonderful view from sunrise point.🌅🌇
I also get to see so many mountains around me !!!for the 1st time in my life, so close! I also saw a lot of stars before the sunrise!! It was so beautiful!!
would have stayed all night just to watch the stars⭐️🌌

 

Water Rafting 🏞
I never really done anything like this before!! It was so difficult to walk to to the river area… But I did it !! Water Rafting was so fun!! I get to see the waterfall my favorite, not just one but more then 3 😆 not forgetting the bat cave! Our instructor was very focused on our safety more than his! He really made the whole ride very fun and safe for my team😁

The orphanage👧🏻👲🏻
I always wanted to go to an Orphanage. I love kids a lot! The kids there are so cute.we played games and give them gifts. The smile they gave really melt my heart.They love each other like their own brothers and sisters. Growing up without parents isn’t easy. Having places like this for orphans are very important as they really need a home where they can get love and care❤️

 

Orange farm🍊
I was very excited for this trip! I really wanted see how it looks like. I also get to eat them😋 we had our lunch there at the farm itself which was something I never did.

 

Taman Safari 🐬
This was such a new experience!! We took a bus around the safari,where all the animals were. I also get to take a picture with the monkey!!!🙈 I was so scared but it was really fun!

I always love trying out new things and this trip has made that happen.
I have made a lot of close friendships. I have seen how much students here treasure education. They are very hands on and really smart.They are also very kind and caring people who really care about others more than themselves.Indonesian are hardworking skilled people! I am very glad that I choose to come to the program! I have gain so much which I Didn’t really know that I will . I would really want each and every students to get this meaning experience at least ones in their polytechnic life!

 

 

 

 

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The whole journey of TFScale2 has been very enjoyable for me, even tho the first day was not that good as our flight was delayed and we had to wait till 5pm, but on the bright side, we got to explore changi airport which is quite interesting, so its not that bad after all.

when we arrive at indonesia, some of the student were already waiting for us over there and i felt really touch. After that, we travel to malang.

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From the start of the trip till today, I was given the opportunity to experience all kind of new activities that was exciting.

When we first touchdown, I was touched by the fact that some of the students from Malang were at the airport to welcome us despite the flight reaching the airport late at night and the long distance to Malang. They even prepare food for our journey to the guesthouse, to make sure that we have enough food to fill our stomach.

Following to day 2, we were given a tour around the polytechnic. No doubt their polytechnic is different than ours such as the environment and the facilities. In RP, we are pampered with fully air-condition campus together escalators and lift to each floor. But here in Polinema, their campus is similar to primary and secondary schools we see in Singapore, where there is open concept and going up and down is just through stairs.

Following that, we went on to exploring parts of Malang, such as going to the museum, mount Bromo, water rafting, the orphanage and many more.

The sight-seeing trip was amazing, where we took the double deck bus and I sat at the upper deck throughout the whole journey. At the end of the trip, most of us including me got burnt by the sun but at the same time, we got to enjoy the breeze.

The museum afterward was fun. It was very interactive such that most of the stuff placed inside the museum can be touched. At the end of the touring around the museum, we were given a mask to paint on and some went for the clay making. Through this museum visit, I was able to learn a little bit more about the culture here in Indonesia.

For mount Bromo, the view was just simply breathtaking. As we make our way to the top, I was able to observe the lives of people there. Looking at them trying so hard to sell their products to the tourist gave me a tingle of sadness. But as they interact with their neighbors and all, I can see that even though they don’t make much, they are still happy with their life. The view when we reach the top is the best view of stars I have ever seen so far. In fact, I was not looking forward to the sunrise because the stars were too beautiful.

For the water rafting, there is nothing much I can say other than how fun it was. No doubt it was a rough ride going to the starting point of the stream. I was so afraid when we took the lorry up, never have I stand on a moving lorry. Nonetheless, It was a great experience overall and I had loads of fun.

Moving on to the orphanage visit. When I first reach the place, I was questioned by the fact that the place is pretty small, but yet they are able to provide shelter to quite a handful of orphans. Looking at each of them, I believe not only me felt the sadness in our heart as we sympathize with them all. Given the opportunity to interact with them through games, I was able to get to know them more. At the end of everything, we share goodies bags we have packed for them beforehand. Seeing the smile on their face makes my day. Although the time spend with them was short, being able to play together laugh together with them is really heart-warming. This visit have taught me to appreciate my family more and also the people around me.

And 1 thing that I have observe the most and got fascinated is the traffic here. It is amazing how they are able to fit into the narrow roads and not caused much accident/damage. Usually in Singapore, when a vehicle gets near to another vehicle, people will start showing unhappiness and start a conflict. It is different here, the drivers are all kind and willing to give way to each other.

So far, I have observe so many things and gain from them. I am really grateful for the Malang students that have been around us for the past few days, making things easy for us. And also for the friendly RP students that is willing to work together with me for the project (yay to team 3!), despite the fact that I missed most of the meetings.

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The first day started being trapped in airport for 5 hours. It was a long waiting time for all of us, we end up exploring a big portion of our very own airport. When we finally board the plane the feeling is like a sense of achievement.  At the same time surprised that actually few of my friend have never board a plane before. Anyway, we proceed to have a 2 hrs plane ride and then another 2 hrs bus ride back to our guest house, which the guest house is actually way better than we thought.  First day ended of tediously but at the same time exciting from time to time.

The second started with excitment for all of us. However, before we realise it, the sweltering heat hit us before we know it. We have a walk around the school, it was an journey very different from RP. In RP, everywhere is Air-condition, which in the school we visited, you should consider yourself lucky to even walk pass a aircon room. This make me realise how blessed I am in RP and how i should work even harder. During the walk, i realise they have much more hands on compared to us. Second day ends of with a lot of things to think of during sleep.

For the next few days, we actually have lots of fun around Malang but with every place we visited together, the bond for us TF scaler grows stronger. At the third days is where the Yeo Chai brother entertainment started,  in which there will not be a single night where we do not have visitors. This actually became gathering spots of many of us. So far, i can see that everyone have tried something new and harvest new memories which is something  that will be with us for live.

 

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The TFScale outbound trip is my very first school overseas trip for me. Hence, it allows me to be independent by taking care of myself without the presence and assistance of my family members.

On the second day, we were given a tour around the two polytechnics in Malang which were Politeknik Negeril Malang and Politeknik Kota Malang. When I first saw the surroundings, I started to experience homesick and realised the importance of appreciating what we already had instead of complaining and expecting too high standards.

We took a ride on a sightseeing bus that toured us around Malang. It was quite relaxing and helped to ease our mind off stress sitting on the upper-deck of the sightseeing bus, seeing how the people of Malang lead their everyday lives. We also had lots of fun dodging low hanging wires and tree branches by lowering our head and ducking under the seats.

The most unforgettable experience is riding a four-wheel drive jeep up Mount Bromo. As it was my first time riding an off-road vehicle, I felt uncomfortable due to the uneven road which caused the ride to be bumpy. However, in life, there are times that I have to leave my comfort zone in order for me to become a better person.

I was met with a breathtaking view of the stars in the sky and the sunrise in the morning when we reached the peak of Mount Bromo which is at the height of approximately 2,300m above sea level.

We went to water rafting at the Songa Adventure located somewhere in Probolinggo after that. When I was there, I faced one difficulty which was walking up the rocks. The rocks were slippery as it was filled with algae. This caused me to fall a lot of times. The Indonesian students were so worried about me that quite a number of them came forward to help me. I was grateful of them for helping me and also looking after me for my safety.

 

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Sweet Memories

For the whole process of tfscale 2, is an eye opener experience for me as it was my first and only oversea trip out of Singapore and is also my first trip with fellow friends to a city of Indonesia. Was honoured and thankful to be chosen to this program, as it really taught me a lot of thing throughout this whole process.

For this trip, I not only make and bond with a lot of new friends from both Singapore and Indonesia but also the fun we share during whole period and also during project time.

For this trip, i learn and grown a lot as a person. The moment I seen the environment and the lifestyle of the Indonesian people, I felt that I should not take things for granted and should be happy with what I have. As for the Indonesian they are willing to do things that some can risk their life’s to do it, and in the end they were still happy with what they are doing. They are people that I respect a lot and will look up to. They are just people with kind soul and are amazing.

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We are down with one week left for the trip and I must admit that it has been nothing short but amazing. I’ve learned so much, gained new insights and made new friends along the way. This trip tested my capabilities and I found out things about myself which I never knew I possessed. People would’ve thought that being away for 2 weeks is a bit too long for a school trip but I beg to differ.

As a student journalist for this trip, most of our work comes in at the end of the day. I can count the number of hours of sleep I got so far during the first week. Unpleasant and crazy, but it was worth it. To think of it now, working in teams of 4 for such a huge scale project is a bit crazy (outbound). Usually, it’d take whole lot more of people but I’m glad to say that despite the lack of manpower, we were able to pull through it together. I would definitely not be able to do it alone and this goes out to my team.

We faced a lot of problems during this trip and some way or another, I developed this mindset, “There’s a solution to every problem, big or small.” This is not new but this mindset gets me going. No matter what problems we faced, we had to make do with what we have.

On another note, Malang has been incredible. It is definitely different from Singapore in terms of its environment and the weather (slightly). We got to experience things that we probably will never get to back home such as hiking Mt. Bromo, water rafting and even visiting an orange (green) farm.

All in all, I’d definitely recommend students to sign up for such trips because it will be an eye-opener and it will challenge one’s capabilities to the fullest. It’s not everyday we get these kind of opportunities and I am glad I signed up for it and was chosen to be part of this team. So, thank you for this amazing trip.

 

 

 

 

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As of Day 9, the trip has been nothing but full of pleasant events. The types and amount of recreational activities lined up since the third day was very educational, besides it being fun. The first activity was Malang City Tour. On the open-top bus, I realised that the Dutch influence was still very evident in Malang’s architecture. The church, bungalows and places around Idjen Boulevard showed the integration between Dutch and Indonesian culture.

 

The trip to Mount Bromo was the highlight, waking up in the middle of the night and riding a bumpy ride which almost made me want to throw up. The sunrise was spectacular, although half of the time, I was busy capturing the moment for other scholars. Given another chance, I would love to come back but this time, I will be busy soaking in the calming nature instead of seeing sunrise through camera lens.

 

The trip to Yayasan Al-Kaaf Orphanage was another highlight for me personally. I have always loved the young ones and this was not my first visit to an orphanage. For some reason, I felt very emotional, watching the 104 kids under a mediocre shelter. However, they seemed very contented with what they have. Right there and then, I reflected on my outlook in life and have since then, promised to remind myself to be contented with the simplicity.

 

Through this trip, I have also learnt a lot about team work and growth as a team player. No doubt, students of RP does team work almost every day but it is different working as a team outside of comfort one like in overseas. I am very thankful for my team and our ability to adapt to each other’s differences and work our strengths together just so that we can do our role as student journalists for this trip properly.

 

I would say that one of my team’s weakness is that we are self-less and very much dedicated to our job. We give our fullest and takes pride in our job to the point that our feelings, needs and health comes second. Our team’s work starts after SOI students completes their day, which leaves most of our team members with less sleep. But, we don’t complain because we are proud of our work. However, we hope the scholars are more active in sharing and liking the posts we make (heh).

 

Halfway through this trip, it is safe to say that all in all, I would never trade this trip with any other things because it is that invaluable. I am truly sad that the trip is ending soon but I hope the bond we have forged will never break.

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