2024 STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAM REPORT
DAY 1 : ARRIVAL AND FAMILY BBQ
It was a long trip for us. Finally we arrived at the International airport in Hamburg, Germany. When we went outside of the airport, our partners and their parents were there to pick us up. We hugged each other and they gave us a welcoming gift like flowers and balloons. There were also the teachers from Germany and the Professor of Nowack Fondation. They welcomed us warmly. After we talked to each other and greeted the parents, we took pictures together with all parts of the student exchange program. It was the first picture that we took together in Germany. Then we just went back to each host family’s house in Brunsbuttel and took a rest after the long and memorable trip to Germany. We needed around 1 hour to get Brunsbuttel from Hamburg airport.
Finally we arrived at our partner’s house. They also gave us another welcoming gift like chocolate and candy. After taking a rest for a while, we went to Adrian’s house to have a BBQ dinner together. While waiting for the foods ready to eat, we played badminton, football and Germany’s traditional games. After the food was ready, we got our own plate and took the food that we wanted. Then, after the main course of course we need dessert. So we had vanilla ice cream with apple crumble. After we finished the food, we continued to play games and enjoy our first day together in Germany. We finished our first day in Germany and at the end we went back to our home.
DAY 2 : WELCOMING CEREMONY AND VISITING BRUNSBUTTEL LOCKS
Day 2 of Germany, 19th September 2024.
At around 8 all the exchange students gathered at Brunsbüttel Gymnasium to do some school activities. We started our day with the opening ceremony in the school aula / hall. The headmaster: Mr. Christian Raloff, mayor: Mr. Martin Schmedtje, chairman of town council: Mr. Michael Kunkowski, Prof Nowak Foundation: Mrs. Christa Limmer, and the headmaster of the orchestra: Mr. Volker.
We started the opening ceremony by listening to speeches from the headmaster, mayor, town council, Prof Nowak Foundation, also Bonnie and Julia. Bonnie also edited a documentary recap video of our activities in Bali. Then, we from the Indonesian students side gave a dance performance called the Nusantara dance.
After the ceremony, we went to our next activity which was our class where exchange students made pottery. There we made both out of clay and made wonderful and interesting designs. And because we had a bit of time left, our teacher allowed us to do other creative arts like sculpting or making other bowls, after art class, we all went to a doner kebab restaurant for lunch. Some rode bikes or scooters, while others walked; the journey took about 10 minutes since the doner shop was quite close to the school. Upon arrival, we ordered doners, which are some tasty kebabs. When the portions were served, they were huge. The taste was excellent, but because of the large portions, some of us struggled to finish them. We spent two hours having lunch at the doner place. After that, we continued our trip to the Heimatmuseum Brunsbüttel, the local museum that explains the history of the city. We learned a lot there, including about the jobs of people in Brunsbüttel at that time and how the government managed rising sea levels to prevent the city from sinking. After the museum, we visited the Brunsbüttel Locks, or Kiel Canal, known as the busiest artificial waterway in the world, with over 30,000 ships passing through daily. Once we arrived at the locks, we visited its museum to learn more about the Kiel Canal, and afterwards, we saw how the locks function in person. By 5 PM, all our activities were completed, and we returned home for family programs, each of us heading back to our own houses.
DAY 3: SASOL AND SPORTS ACTIVITIES
It was already our 3rd day in Germany. For today’s schedule, we were visiting the Chemical and Energy company of Sasol. There, we were going to do experiments and learn. We gathered at Sasol at 8.30 AM. We entered the gates of Sasol and saw how huge it was. Then, we entered the briefing room to listen to a presentation that was provided by Mr and Mrs Du Preez. In the presentation, they showed us a brief explanation about the history of Sasol, and also some of the products that they produce. Sasol mainly produces fatty alcohols that are used in producing many different types of products. Sasol also tries their hardest to keep their production eco-friendly, by using green steam, conserving water, etc. In Germany, there is also a rule that companies have to be at least 2% more efficient every year, or else they will have to pay a price. After listening to the presentation, we had some time for questions before starting our activities. After a few questions, we could start our activities there. First we had to put on some protective gear, so they provided us with a lab coat and glasses. After that, all of us took a photo with our new outfits. Then, we were split into two groups to explore the company. One group would explore the outside area of the company (the factory, control room, etc.) while the others would explore the lab to do experiments and vice versa.
For the factory tour, Mr and Mrs Du Preez showed us around the factory and production area of Sasol. They showed us where they mass produce some of their products, the room where they pack some of their products using machinery, the train track in which they transport the products, the furnace that is used to burn/heat up products, the system they use to cool items down, and the control rooms. We also saw their water pump system, which they won an award for back in 2021 in a national Responsible Care Competition. We also got to enter the control room, where there was one person who was in charge of monitoring an entire section of the company. There were many monitors in the control room, so he could continuously monitor multiple sectors at once. If the temperature is too high, or if there is something wrong, he will alert the person that is nearby.
Next, we visited the laboratory where one of the scientists guided us. In the laboratory, he showed us a few experiments, such as the friction experiment with books, and he also showed us a few products from Sasol. He also gave us a bit of souvenirs to take home, which was a heat pack, pencils, and pens. Then, we moved to the next room to make slime and shampoo. The process to make shampoo and slime were both quite simple, it only took 3 ingredients to produce. We could also choose the scent we wanted for our shampoo and slime, and then we poured it inside a bottle which they let us bring home.
After finishing our experiments, we then had lunch there. For lunch, we had a large plate of Currywurst-Pommes. We sat in the cafeteria and enjoyed our meals, while talking to each other and also some of the employees there. After finishing our delicious lunch, we then went back to Gymnasium Brunsbuttel. Since we were visiting Berlin tomorrow, we were given a brief explanation about the history of Berlin by Mr …., one of the english teachers at Gymnasium Brunsbuttel. He presented about the history of the Berlin wall and why it was formed, when Berlin was divided and when it reunited, a little about Checkpoint Charlie, and etc. His presentation was extremely informative and detailed. We asked a few questions after and we moved on to our next activity. For our next activity, we went to the sports hall to do a few sports activities. We got changed in the locker rooms, then started our sports activities. We played dodgeball, both as a team and free for all, and we also played keep-up with a very big volleyball.
After that, we were finished with our activities for the day, so we got changed and went back home to pack for our trip to Berlin. This day was extremely fun and interesting, because we got to visit a big chemical and energy company known as Sasol, and we had our own tour to learn about how they produce their products, how they maintain an extremely big plant, and etc. We also had lots of fun just playing sports with each other while sharing a bit of laughter.
DAY 4
BERLIN #1
It was a busy yet fun exciting day for all exchange students. We will be going to the capital city of Berlin, the distance from Brunsbüttel to Berlin is quite far, we won’t be able to go there by car or bus, so we will have to take the train, but the train station that could take us to Berlin is located in Itzehoe, a bigger town nearby.
We had to go to the Itzehoe train station at around 4.00 to 4.30 AM, because we had to take the First train at 4.50 AM, we switched from multiple trains to get to a certain station, which was quite hectic, but a very interesting experience. The journey on these trains were very long, around 7 hours, and a few of the trains were almost full, so a few of us had to either stand up, or to sit at the stairs or floors. It was very interesting and was a new experience for us.
Finally at around 11.00 am, we arrived in Berlin, but we still have to get to our youth hostel first but there was a pretty convenient way of getting there, we were able to use the subway, which was quite similar to the train, but the stops were faster, and it wasn’t as full as-well. We also had to walk a bit around the city to get from one subway station to another. The city was beautiful, and it was nice and windy, so it was not too tiring.
After a bit, we finally arrived at the CVJM youth hostel where we stayed for the night. After the arrival we had an hour of free time. We used the free time to get lunch. There was a small grocery store nearby, and a kebab shop. Some of us got döner boxes, and some got other things from the grocery store. We sat at a few tables outside of the kebab shop, the weather was nice and windy, we talked a little and had a nice chat with each other.
When Lunch was over, it was finally time we headed to the Bundestag (House of Parliament). We had to take the subway a few times, and we also got to walk around the city a few times, we also went past a huge mix of both modern and classy buildings, we took our final stop that’s right in front of the famous brandenburg gate, originally, we were supposed to go through the gate, because the bundestag is right next to the gate, but unfortunately, we had to go around, because there was some sort of protest there, but that wasn’t too big of a deal.
Finally, we arrived, the building was very huge, there were four square pillars and a huge glass dome on top, but before we go in, we had to do security check up, similar to the ones in airports, which is why we had to bring our passports for this, when we went in, the inside was very cool, the ceiling reached up all the way to the top floor, and there was a huge german flag, there were also glass all around, we didn’t get to see all of the building though, we could only get to see the rooftop and the glass dome.
To get to the glass dome, we had to use an elevator, the elevator was huge, and it had windows, so we can still look around the building as we go up. Up there, we were given an audio tour device that’ll help us know the skyline as we go up, inside the dome, we were greeted by a mesmerizing glass structure, these glass’ were placed a bit downwards so we can see the building below, there was a spiral walkway that can take us to the top of the dome.
We would listen to the audio guided tour, and take some pictures, the view was absolutely mesmerizing. When we reached the top, we were able to lay down in some sort of circular seat, and look at the clear sky, and catch our breaths a little.
There Jendrik and Olivia told us information about the House of Parliament, Mr. Zabel also told us a lot of very interesting info, like the history, the meaning of the building, and more.
After that we went to Checkpoint Charlie, we were able take the very convenient yellow subway trains to there, we were also able to walk around the city a little bit too, it was getting more and more windy as time goes on, finally we arrived there, and when we went outside of the subway station, it was really windy.
There we saw a replica of the meaningful checkpoint post, there was also a sign saying “You are now leaving the American sector” meant to remember the era of West Berlin and East Berlin. We took a photo at the iconic checkpoint Charlie right under an American flag. After that, we were given free time for around two hours.
There was a nearby museum with a few souvenir stores around it, so a few of us went to check out the nearby museum, to get some info and read about the history of Checkpoint Charlie and also about the GDR era and the Cold war. There were also some other places we could go to and buy some souvenirs from around checkpoint Charlie.
When the free time was over, we all would meet up, then we all would walk to a subway station to go to our next destination, Topography of Terror, it was an open museum, it was full of written history and pictures of all of the war crimes that were committed at the museum. It was built right in front of the wall of Berlin, a wall that divided Western Germany and Eastern Germany. It was to remind the people to never commit anything as horrific as this ever again, to bring peace and to make peace with other nations, to never make the same mistake again.
After a lot of very interesting information, we would go and get dinner, we walked quite far, and took a lot of subways, we decided to go and visit the Brandenburg gate again to take some pics, after a lot of fun photos and laughter, the students decided to choose to eat at a restaurant a bit far away, the teachers said they’ll go through another way to get to the restaurant, so the students chose a different route as the teachers.
We took lots of subways and walked a very long distance, because this restaurant was in Alexanderplatz, very close to the incredible and mesmerizing TV tower of Berlin. We would wait around and enjoy the plaza a little bit, and wait until the teachers finally arrived. It took us quite a while to get to the restaurant, but it was worth it. The food was so good and we had an incredible view of the plaza.
Originally we were supposed to be going to an open air cinema, but because it was pretty late the teachers decided that it would be better for us to get back to the hostel and have some rest. We took the subway back to our youth hostel.
We took our final subways of the day to finally get back to the hostel, we arrived pretty late, and everyone was told to go to their rooms, clean up, and to get ready for the second day of Berlin.
BERLIN #2
On the second day, we have to check out of the hotel at 9 AM. Most of us woke up at 7 A.M. Some of us also take a little walk to see Berlin in the morning. And because we still have free time, we decided to hang out at the rooftop. At 8 A.M we go down to have breakfast. We have some bread, meat, cereal, fruits etc. After around 30 minutes we go to our room, and get everything. At 9 A.M we check out, and continue our trip.
Our first destination is the Museum Of Natural Science. We go there by subway. We took 2 trains to get there. After a while we finally arrived there. At the time we are there, the Museum Of Natural Science is still closed. Because we still have a couple of minutes, we buy some drinks and snacks first from a supermarket near there. And when we were back, the Museum of Natural Science was open, so we grabbed our things and went inside. First we had to put our bags, and luggage in the locker, before finally going in.
Inside the museum, in front of the main entrance, there was a huge dinosaur fossil statue, the largest in the world, there were other smaller ones nearby too. In the corners of that very room, there were binoculars that you could point at the dinosaurs, and it played an informative video about the dinosaurs physical attributes, its habits, diet and how it lived back in the day. The same room also had a few fossils of the species in the ocean. There’s also a lot of other exhibitions, an exhibit about our earth and how it was formed, an exhibition with all kinds of minerals, a room full of preserved birds, a room full of different kinds of preserved animals that talks about the animals evolution, a room about our solar system and galaxy, and a few sections that we could not visit during that time.
At around 11.30 we met up to continue our trip. Our next destination was the Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam. We took the subway to go to potsdam. And when we were there we had to walk a little to get to the palace. First we got some information about the Sanssouci Palace, and then we found a place to put our luggage and items. We had an hour and half to look around and enjoy. At first we had to walk around 20 minutes to the palace, and it was worth it because the castle was so beautiful, with a big garden, and a fountain in the middle. We would spend a couple of minutes there, and after that we got back to our stuff, we went on a new route, and it took 20 minutes to go back, we also got to see some other buildings as well, and after we got our stuff, because it was finally time to go back.
We went back to the train station, and we took a subway to the main train station. At that time we didn’t even have time to have a break or eat lunch. So after we arrived at the main station we and our partner got something to eat before we went on the train. and after that we had to get on multiple trains to get back, and one was even full, so we were given a bus by the station, so we can finally get back to Brunsbüttel. We took the bus to another train station in Hamburg, in which we eventually arrived back at our respective homes at around 1 or 2 AM.
DAY 6 : KLIMAHAUS BREMERHAVEN
Day 6, which means there are 8 days left of our student exchange. On this 6th day, we moved to Klimahaus Bremenhaven. Klimahaus Bremenhaven itself is a place where you can learn about 9 different zones with different climates, find out how they survive in each climate and also how they manage the natural products of each climate. It took about 3-4 hours to go to Klimahaus Bremenhaven, because it is in a different area from Brunsbuttle, namely Bremen. Our meeting point that day was at the Brunsbuttle Gymnasium school. We all left by bus, with the Grade 11 students from Gymnasium Brunsbuttle. We rode the bus for about 1 hour and 30 minutes, while on the bus, we didn’t talk much. Most of us fell asleep. After that, we took a boat for about 30 minutes to enter this area of Bremen, in the boat area there was a cafeteria. So, most of us went to the cafeteria and bought food to fill our stomachs, as well as to warm ourselves up because it was very cold and windy outside.
After boarding the ship, we returned to the bus and continued our journey for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. We arrived around 11: 30, after arriving we had to wait because something happened, about 30 minutes we waited finally we could enter Klimahaus Bremerhaven, we were all in a room to be explained about Klimahaus Bremerhaven, such as what can and cannot be done in Klimahaus Bremerhaven, and what is in Klimahaus Bremerhaven. we were also given an assignment to do, we are also given tasks for us to do while in Klimahaus Bremerhaven, so we can better know what the function of Klimahaus Bremenhaven is, after finishing explaining we all collect our bags and belongings in the lockers that have been provided and we can enter the next room, the first room is a video about Alex’s journey, the creator of Journey climate house.
Then, the following room describes the conditions in various countries, such as in the Antarctic country which has extreme cold temperatures, then there is Alaska which at night has a beautiful night sky view with many stars and auroras, the country of Nigeria which has arid environmental conditions and houses made of soil and roofs of straw, as well as traditions and unique animals that the country has, a total of 9 country descriptions in the museum are Switzerland, Sardina, Niger, Cameroon, Antarctic, Samoa, Alaska, Hallig Langeness, Bremen.
We got 1 hour and 30 minutes to go around the museum, then continued with lunch, after lunch we were allowed to go back around the museum, around 3 o’clock we all gathered at the gathering point to go home. We walked quite a distance from Klimahaus Bremenhaven to the bus. After arriving at the bus, we immediately continued our journey for about 30 minutes and boarded the ship again for about 30 minutes. On the way back, the temperature and wind from the boat were very strong. Of course, since it was getting late, some of us decided to stay in the ship’s cafeteria because it was warmer. After that, we headed to the bus and continued our journey back to Brunsbuttle Gymnasium for about 2 hours. Arriving at Brunsbuttle Gymnasium, our teacher gave us information about tomorrow’s activities. After that, we were able to return home, some were picked up by their parents, some walked, and some rode bicycles or scooters.
DAY 7 : MUDFLAT HIKING & SEAL CENTER
Today we start with meeting up at school at 9 in the morning. Today, we went to Friedrichskoog with our parents. After we arrived, we started our first activity, which was exploring the mudflats.The condition of the water at the mudflats is not that tall, because of low tides. We learned about the creatures that are able to live in mud, like worms, crabs, and many types of seashells. The tour guide told US that the creatures can hide or Dig themselves into the mud, so that they can’t be eaten by predators like birds. And some of the creatures also need water to survive, so that they can breathe through their gills.
After tracking through the mudflats for roughly an hour, we came back to the meeting spot, to clean off all the mud. To reach our meeting spot, we saw a dike, and it is used to hold the salt water when it’s high tide, so the sea water doesn’t go into the houses nearby.
The next activity that we are waiting for is the picnic together. We were Amazed by the scenery because it was so green, the air was so fresh, and there were a lot of cute sheeps. For the picnic every parent from our partners brought different foods to share at the picnic, like salmon wrap, sausages, pizza Snack, grapes, bread, vegetables, Apple juice, hot chocolate, tea, and much more. We finished all of the food quickly at the picnic spot, we didn’t forget to make a tik tok video and a group picture. We felt that our energy was back, and we can continue to the next activity.
We immediately went to the seal station in friedrichskoog. After we arrived, we explored with our partners to see a lot of seals. There are 2 species of seals, harbor seals and gray seals, not just the species are different but also the have varying sizes. We saw the workers feeding the baby seals. We also saw the museum about seals and information about mudflats. After that we met up again to hear some explanation about seals by a private tour guide, she told us about the difference between harbor seals and gray seals, and more different species of seals around the world. We also asked questions about seals in the seal center and the information that we received are seals that are in the seal center are seals that are facing some illness or weakness in their body. They found the seals at the north coastal side of Germany and they brought the seals to the seal center to be checked. Momentarily the baby seals at the seal center, they are baby seals that are stranded because they don’t have their parents.
So, on the 7th day we learned a lot of things and experienced it too. We walked through the mudflats, saw all the animals living in the mud, Saw a lot of cute seals at the seal center and also learned about the difference between the harbor seals and the gray seals.
DAY 8 : ALADIN & STONE AGE PARK
At 07.45 we gathered at school to start our activities that day. After everyone gathered we got on the bus and started walking for about 20-30 minutes. We had arrived at Aladin. We met our tour guide and put our belongings down and got ready to go around.
Initially we were invited to see where they sorted the waste. Such as household waste, electronic waste etc. But in the trash there are only 4 types of waste, namely paper waste, residual waste, plastic waste, and organic waste. We were given an explanation about the waste.
Initially every morning there would be garbage trucks that would pick up garbage in front of their respective houses, and every day they would pick up different types of waste. However, it is also possible if someone wants to take the waste directly to the recycling center. There they will separate the waste according to the type of waste as explained.
After that, we were invited to see the process of sorting the waste. Initially the garbage trucks would weigh the waste they had brought, then put the waste in a building. Soon, there will be a car like a contractor who will sort the waste. For now, the smell of the waste is not too strong, then soon we will move on to organic waste.
In the organic waste building, there are two people who always work there to sort out whether there are items such as plastic, iron, etc. that are accidentally transported with them. Although the two workers do not always get all the waste that should not be there, the waste will be sorted again by machine. The organic waste will be made into fertilizer which must be placed in a warehouse for approximately 2 weeks. Then the organic waste will go through several processes so that they will become fertilizer for plants. And not a few farmers also buy fertilizer there.
Then we get a short break, after approximately 20 minutes. We are divided into two groups and then given tasks. After completing the task, we gathered again and then had lunch together.
After relaxing, we were given time to walk around on our own while waiting for our bus. At that time, light rain began to fall. Our last activity was taking a group photo, then we took our belongings and got on the bus.
Next we continued to the Stone Age. The journey was about 15 minutes. During the journey it started to rain, and when we got there the rain was already quite heavy.
DAY 9 : SCHOOL ACTIVITIES, CHARITY RUN & VISITING THE FARM
For today, we didn’t get together with each other because we went straight to our partner’s class. After following the lesson for about 40 minutes, we finally gathered together to follow the next activity. After the class, we were supposed to join the Charity run, but due to the rainy weather, we switched our schedule to do Chemicals.
Because it was raining, we switched our schedule to do the Chemicals experiment first. After entering the chemistry lab we started to prepare ourselves for the experiment, such as wearing protective goggles and lab coats. We sat with our respective partners. There we followed various and diverse experiments, we did it with our respective partners. And the experiments that were carried out were very fun and not boring, we were also equipped with laboratory coats and laboratory goggles that would greatly maintain our safety.
After we finished the experiments, and the weather was not too rainy, we changed our clothes and joined the next activity which was Charity Run. This activity was the one we were waiting for because we were curious about how it felt to run on a wide running track for a few minutes. When we arrived at the field, we saw a lot of people who were excited to run. This activity was also followed by the entire school community and even the teachers participated in this activity. This means that they are happy to be able to help people in need by running.We were also happy to see it. we realized again that this activity is not only for donations but also to maintain our health. After running for a long time, we decided to stop and go to the canteen to have lunch together.
After finishing lunch, our parents each picked us up and took us to one of the farms there. Once there, we were also accompanied by Mr.Claus and Mrs.Christa. We were also guided by the couple who ran the farm. We were told a lot of things, and there were also many things we could see and learn. First, we were given an explanation about cows. About how to raise cows, how to feed them, what they eat, how they live and breed. The average and almost all animals there are not just kept in cages. They will have times when they will be released in the green fields near the farm, and they will go back into the cage to be fed.
After that, we are also given a general explanation of how to take care of animals and farms in Germany, there we also see baby cows, how to make cow food, feed cows, try cheese products from cow’s milk, see how to squeeze cow’s milk directly. Feeding chickens, collecting chicken eggs. And finally we fed sheep and geese. The experience that day was very enjoyable because we got to know their laboratories, followed the activities of the farm. After finishing, we went back to our respective homes to rest and prepare for tomorrow’s activities.
DAY 10 : VISITING HAMBURG
On the 10th day in Germany, Friday 27th of September 2024 we went to Hamburg for our exchange activities. We first departed from the Itzehoe train station at 8.49 AM. The journey to Hamburg was around 1 hour. When we finally arrived in Hamburg our first activity there was learning about chocolate and decorating our chocolate at Chocoversum. There we were taught how chocolates are made, and the history of chocolate and we also got to see the machines used to make chocolates. Throughout the tour, the tour guide gave us different types of chocolate to try, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and white chocolate. We were taught different ways to make the various types of chocolate. We had to make our very own customized chocolate bars, with their wide array of ingredients. And also bought some things from the souvenir shop at the end of the tour.
After that we went and had lunch and bought souvenirs. From the girl’s point of view, we went to a shopping center to get food, then went to different clothing stores. After going to the stores we went to a church which was amazing with its unique architecture, and the rathaus. We even went inside the rathaus, to look at its beautiful architecture and many more.
From the boys point of view, we went to the mall to get some food and drinks. Then we walked around the whole mall to find something to buy as souvenirs, but we didn’t find any. After that they asked us to go to the Rathaus to try to find souvenirs there. We agreed and we went there by train, after we arrived we took some photos and went straight back to the train to go to the river side harbour. We arrived there and immediately our partners ate some fish bread and we took more photos. Then we went to the concert hall, to look at the view of the riverside harbour in Hamburg.
Then we all gathered back together at Elbphilharmonie and walked around the 360° outdoor place where we could enjoy the panoramic view of Hamburg city, the hamburg harbour, subway and many more. It was very windy, but the view made it worth it. Then we went to the church by the old elbe tunnel, which is an old tunnel used for getting people, cars, and items much more across the elbe river. It was a pretty long walk, and a really tall staircase.
Then we went to St. Michaelis Church, which is the only protestant church in Hamburg. We arrived there and immediately were greeted by St. Michaelis stabbing Lucifer, and told not to be too loud in the church. We got inside, and were told that 2000 people can be seated here, and on Christmas it is always full. We got a tour and found out that this church has 4 organs for different purposes. We went up the tower and enjoyed the view of Hamburg from above. We went back to Brunsbuttel at around 7pm by train and arrived at home at around 9 pm. We ate dinner, took a shower, and went straight to bed to prepare for our next adventure tommorow.
DAY 11 : VISITING MULTIMAR WATTFORUM AND EVENING COOKOUT
On the 11th day, we all met up at around 11.00 AM. We were visiting the Multimar Wattforum Centre, which is a place that you can visit to obtain any information and learn all about life and the ecosystem in the wadden sea. Before we started exploring, we first went to the briefing room where they assigned all of us with a pencil and worksheet that contained questions for each section that we were going to see during our exploration there. All of the answers could be found in the information tabs around the museum, so we would learn and fill in the worksheet as we go on. The Multimar Wattforum Centre has many aquariums and tanks, as it houses more than 280 different species of animals. There are a total of 36 aquariums in the museum that are filled with fish, mussels, crabs, and etc. After completing our assignment, we had some spare time to explore the museum. We were allowed to wander the museum until around 1.00 o’ clock, because we had to watch the otter feeding outside.
Then, we all met up outside because it was finally time for the otter feeding. The otters live in a pond just right outside of the building. There were lots of people waiting to see the otters. We waited for a little while, then a worker entered the otter sanctuary to go and feed the three otters in the pond. As the worker fed the otters, he would also give us some information about them, which was quite interesting. Then, when the otter feeding time was over, we all went back to our parents and got ready to go back home.
On our way back home, we also visited a dam to look around, where our partner’s parents explained a little about how the dam functions. Then we decided to order some food at a restaurant nearby, we had some food, talked with each other for a little while, then we went home.
But our activities for the day were not over, at around 6 o’ clock, we all would have one last party with the family, and the party was hosted at our friend Swarte’s house, one of the German exchange students. There we had some dinner, hung out for quite a while, played some board games, talked to each other, etc. Then, when the party was coming to an end, the German students gave the teachers some souvenirs as a thank you for this exchange program. It was a very sad and emotional moment for us, a few of us teared up. When the party was over, we said our goodbyes for the day, and hugged with the others.
DAY 13 : FAREWELL CEREMONY
This was our final day of activities for the student exchange program, and our final day in Germany before departing back to Indonesia. On our final day of activities, we had a farewell ceremony at Mr. Nowak and Mrs. Limer’s home. Our partner’s parents took us there by car, and the trip took around an hour. Some of us were dropped off by our parents, because they still had to go to work, but some parents came back later on during lunchtime.
When we got there, we immediately sat on the table, and we were greeted with drinks such as apple juice, still water, and milk. After chatting with each other for a little, we got ready to go to the Aukrug Forest and the Mayor’s house that was close by. We started our walk at around 9 to 10 o’clock. We walked through the forest for a while before arriving at the mayor’s house. The forest was extremely nice, we saw lots of plants, the weather was nice, the wind was quite strong and the air was refreshing too. There, we met the mayor and he took us for a walk around the surrounding area. The mayor also gave us a bit of information surrounding the forest, on the things that endanger the forest, why planting homogeneously is bad, and the people buried under the trees.
After that, we went back to the main house to have some lunch. We had three different types of cake that were all very delicious, and some of the parents also came back to have lunch with us. Mr. Zabel also showed us the pictures that he took from his camera. It was a very funny and heartwarming moment. Then, we performed our group traditional dance for the last time, before we all went home.
DAY 14 : DEPARTURE BACK TO BALI
We gathered at Hamburg Airport at 07.30. After arriving we took care of everything we needed from checking in, and putting in our luggage. Then after everything was done, we said goodbye to the host family, and entered the security checkpoint and headed to the gate. We departed at 11.15.
After 3-4 hours of travel, we had to transit in Istanbul with a very short time, about 55 minutes. An officer waited for us, and escorted us to our gate which was very far from the initial gate. We went through several shortcuts in a quick manner. We had to go through the incline, while running and carrying our respective cabin suitcases. After arriving at the gate, and getting on the plane we all felt very tired, but also relieved. We continued our journey with a 12-hour flight. We spent time watching movies, and sleeping.
After 12 hours of travel, we arrived in Jakarta, we transited for 5 hours in Jakarta before continuing our trip to Bali. First of all we had to go through a security check, then we took our luggage, and we had to go through customs, then we headed to the domestic departure area. We checked in, then headed to the gate. We still had 30-40 minutes. Because we were all very hungry, we finally decided to eat, look around, and shop. Not long after we got on the plane, and the journey began again, with a time of 1-2 hours.
When we arrived in Bali, we immediately took our luggage. Then we went out to meet our parents. After going out and meeting, we all let go of our longing for two weeks, then said goodbye to each other, and got back to our respective families.