Stories

My expectation before I went to board the ship vs. what really is on the ship is different I learned that the only way to enjoy this is for me to know at least one from each country that I will have a deep connection with despite all the language and cultural barriers and so I decided to know few people. The person that inspired me is Pui from Thailand she is a simple person with a high dream. She might be famous because she is funny and will sometimes be loud but most of the time she observes and I watch her observe other people. She has this Aura of a person that resembles a bamboo it can bend but will never break. Also she has a warrior spirit like a grain that will only bend down if it has a grain inside (those that stand tall are empty inside haha) anyway how did she inspire me?? By her profile and by the way she present herself vs. on how she really did everything for her contingent.

Continue reading About Pui (TPY, 45th SSEAYP) – a Teacher & Artist

“Hamsur, I have plenty of cup noodles under the table. You can get. Don’t be shy. I am preparing that in my travels because I am a little bit foodie.” Then he laughs. This is the usual scenario in cabin 306, near the prayer room, five minutes before lights off. (Because we’re good PYs. Haha)

Wafiy is an ‘international figure’. Yes. I labelled him international since he always allows himself to be exposed around the world. To name, he was the national youth leader of Brunei Darussalam at the ASEAN-Korea Youth Exchange Program this year before SSEAYP; then studied Business Communication under the Discovery Year Programme as a student exchange in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2017. In 2015, he was the delegate of his country to India for an ASEAN Student Excange visit. In 2013, he was again the delegate of Brunei Darussalam to China for an eight-day expository tour. Pak! (That of Toni’s)

Continue reading About Wafiy (BPY, 45th SSEAYP) & International Exposure

“All wars are bad. There has never been a good war.” These are the lines that always strike me when I heard of conflicts.

Anisah is living in Marawi City in Mindanao. She is an educator who never ceased to attend various trainings around the world. She was also an alumna of the Global Hiroshima Project to enhance Peace-building and Human Resource Development for the Bangsamoro Government in Mindanao (HiPEC-BM), Philippines from 2016 to 2018 in Hiroshima, Japan –program by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Hiroshima Prefecture and the Hiroshima University.

Continue reading About Anisah (PPY, 45th SSEAYP) & Peace Building

Introducing a guy originating from a small area in the western part of Java Island, Indonesia. He is Donny Ramadhan. We met for the first time at the Opening Ceremony of SSEAYP 2018, way back in October 2018. He introduced himself as Donny and that was it, we did not continue the conversation as we continued walking around New Otani Hotel to socialize with other people.

As time goes by, we kept crossing paths with each other. We were in the same DG and that was when the magic happened.

I’m amazed by how Indonesia chooses their delegates, so I asked him how the selection process goes. I am even more amazed when he told me he traveled 18 hours back and forth from his university to his hometown where the selection process took place. He spent most of his money and energy to travel just to go to the selection process.

Continue reading About Donny (IPY, 45th SSEAYP) & His Medical Achievements

Hello,

The contents of this write-up might be a little controversial, but I feel I should pen them down anyway as it is one of the biggest takeaways I have from the program. For reasons that I can fully comprehend, it is more than likely that what I have to say will not be made public.

Being in the news industry, I come across a fair share of world events daily. On several occasions, I have wanted to ask locals for their points of view on how certain facets of their countries are portrayed in the media. Once such topic is militarism and World War II in Japan. This topic is nothing short of divisive, and I have been told by some during PDT not to bring it up during the program. However, I feel that there is no better platform than SSEAYP to learn more about this issue, and in the process, establish a deeper relationship with the speaker.

Continue reading Deep, Controversial Conversations

This is really just a short story but it is really relatable to me. When you speak to Jerry, you can tell how much he loves his culture and his community. You can see his culture just from meeting him but related to me the most was when he told me about his song. His brother is a singer and he made an album named ‘Dedication’. It is about whom he dedicated a song for. One of the songs was for his father. Jerry co-wrote and sang the song with him and he said when he wrote the song, they couldn’t stop crying. The song was about the father’s struggle in supporting his family and they were telling the father to rest. You can tell from the song how the father was and how Jerry’s character was build. The reason it inspires me is more to show appreciation for your family because both our fathers would do anything for their children and expect nothing in return jsut so we remain happy!

Continue reading About Jerry (IPY, 45th SSEAYP) & His Father

If you come and ask me of what is the thing that has changed me greatly, I will come up with the story when I had my English teacher coming down to my school from America teaching English for 9 months at my school in 2011. I was 16 years old and was sitting on the 11^th grade of Senior high school. Every day after school, I went to the field for looking after my cows in the grass field. I had been done this thing ever since I was in the primary school. However, regardless of this very situation, the presence of my English teacher had changed me much to be a dreamer of big things as well as to use the full potential I have in English through many ways.  It was such a very exciting moment. Ever since he first started to teach, he has become my role-model and the person that encourage me to study harder and dream high. Though Mr. Victor didn’t speak any Indonesian by the time he came, we still have great time trying to learn in many ways possible. During the 9 months period of time, I saw myself improving vastly. I saw how much this shepherd boy’s English has become way much better than it was after 9 months studying with Mr. Victor. This person didn’t simply taught me about English, he also had taught me about humility, respect, self-motivation, hard work as well as to be passionate on the field I love. He was not someone I knew. A complete stranger yet was able to give a great impact and has become the role model of my own until today.

Continue reading About Henry (VPY, 45th SSEAYP) & Bamboo Builders

Gone are the days that teachers are just plainly transmitting lessons and knowledge to students through lecture and merely discussions. In this century, education demands 21st century pedagogical skills which will empower the new generation of learners.

As an educator, I truly understand how difficult it is to engage learners who are living in the Digital Era. It is indeed a challenge to catch the attention and interest of learners especially now that they are bombarded with technology and trends.

Continue reading P-assion U-nleashed I-n the hearts of every learner