OUR MARVELOUS WEEK IN THAILAND

Our 1 Marvelous Week in Thailand started from January, 29^th 2017 and ended on February, 5^th 2017. This opportunity occured due to the invitation from SEAMEO to attend “The 38^th National Academic Meeting of Future Farmers Organization of Thailand” or FFT that took place at Uthaithani College of Agriculture and Technology. It mentioned that this year’s FFT annual event was the first time to invite special guests from foreign country around South East Asia. Those included Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Philippines, Laos and one country out of South East Asia, South Korea. The foreign participants were college students, vocational high school students and us, the only general high school students who got invited.

As the only general high school that being invited, our reason to be here indeed different from other schools. We came there not only as the school representative to follow the program and competition in this 38^th FFT but also as the special guests for the representative of the debate competition winner. The debater from our school, SMAN 1 Magetan, consisted of 3 students; Fikri Arifan Tjahja from 12 Science 5, Nadiyya Nurul Nuha, and Valentina Saraswati from 12 Science 8. Yes, we were already in our senior year in High School.

The debate held in Indonesia from August to October. This debate was the kind of debate that using webex, an online video conference application. So, during this 2 months period, we, as the debate team of SMA N 1 Magetan compete with another school from Indonesia. Our opponents were also made up from 3 students in each team. They were mostly came from Jawa. SMKN 11 Bandung, SMAN BPI Bandung, SMKN 13 Bandung, SMKN 1 Grati, SMKN 1 Kaligondang were some of our opponents. The debate held every Wednesday from 3 to 5 pm. The motion itself was being released 1 or 2 days before the debate’s day. For the affirmative and negative team dividing –to know who will be the one that support or oppose the motion–, would be announced at the debate’s day. So, after 2 months compete in the debate competition we won the first place and got invited to 38^th FFT in Thailand as the representative to share our experience during the debate competition and to help other students from different schools so that they would be able to join the next debate competition.

The 38^thFuture Farmers of Thailand’s tentative programme for international participants actually scheduled for 7 days, that is January 29^th to February 4^th. The programme was not only taken place in Bangkok –the capital city of Thailand– , but also in other provinces of Thailand; Sing Buri and Uthai Thani. For moving from one province to another province and from one place to another place, the Thai staff had prepared a big 2-floor-bus that could load all of the staff and participants, not leaving the baggages and luggages.

This programme not only having formal activity that filled with meeting, presentation, formal dinner and other occasions like that, but we also had lot more fun during this program. We learned how to speak Thai, eventhough just some short and regular words but by doing that we had chances to socialize and be friend with Thailand people. We also went to lots of great places, from temple to temple and shopping at traditional market there. Shockingly, –eventhough our thai’s vocabulary is limited– we still could wander all over the places without staff accompanying us to buy stuff. We even bargain with really good result.

If we listed it, our activities are :

The Formal Agenda :

Welcome speech from Thailand Ministry of Education at the Office of the Vocational Education Commission (OVEC) = Mon, 30-01-2017
Study visit to Singburi College (Planting trees, watching fire and coboy attraction, dinner, and special performances from the Singburi students) = Mon, 30-01-2017
Sharing knowledge on Agriculture and Technology Education and Future Collaboration at Singburi College (Presentation, act as debate facilitator) = Tue, 31-01-2017
Visit the Royal Projects (field, farm, spinning thread, embroidery) = Tue, 31-01-2017
Student Tour around Singburi College (farm, field, temple) = Wed, 01-02-2017
Attend the opening speech of 38th FFT in Uthaithani College and looking around the colleges exhibition about Agriculture technology = Thurs, 02-02-2017
Welcoming Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Cakri Sirindhorn at Uthaithani College for the 38th FFT opening ceremony = Fri, 03-02-2017
Thank You Party dinner = Fri, 03-02-2017
attend the seminar of Student Innovative Project Presentations = Sat, 04-02-2017

The schedule also provided some informal activities too :

Visit traditional market = Mon, 30-01-2017, where we first learn that ‘dao laikha’ means ‘how much it cost ?’
Visit temple in Singburi = Tue, 31-01-2017, that stand right next to singburi college where we spent most of our time doing meeting and presentation. This temple are not as big as other temple, but still looks amazing because the amount of small statue around it. One of the staff explained to us that the statue are actually there because people will come, pray and if the wish come true they will put a small statue around the temple.
Visit Ayuthaya floating market = Wed, 01-02-2017, here we saw a temple that built in the middle of big lake and the market are placed around the temple. What we notice the most is the place were really clean and the lake filled with really bis fish from a lot of kind. We told that the fish inside the lake are forbidden to take and people could feed them with fishfood that cost about 10 baht. The money that they paid will be used for buying more fishfood.
Visit Glass Temple in Uthaithani = Fri, 03-02-2017, this is the prettiest temple among other temple that we visit. The name is Wat Tha Sung. Its actually a really big building that has big beautiful pillar covered with glass that cutted diamond shape. The reflection of yellow lamp in the ceiling create a golden-ish view all over the temple. With 2 main statue in both end of the room.
Visit Future Park Thailand = Sat, 04-02-2017, this place are a really modern and big mall, with one big 4 floored building. Contains lots of good branded store and restaurant. For people who loved to shopping and buying branded
Visit Chatuchak Weekend Market = Sun, 05-02-2017, this market look more like Indonesian traditional market. We found almost everything here, from cheap accessories, streetfood, restaurant and more amazing stuff. Lots of foreigner come to this place so we think it is one of the best place to buy souvenir and enjoy a Thailand shopping experience.

The 1 week we spent there is one of the best week of our life. Not only doing study-related-activities but also exploring many new and different things, started from the Thai’s unique culture, the beautiful appearance of the sacred temple, various kind of delicious street foods, the nice and humble Thai people, and many other reasons that make Thailand feels just like home. There is no scare or uncomfortable feeling that we experience there. Everyday was a brand new happy day that started with nice mood and all about enthusiasm to get to know new things presented in Thailand, whether got acquainted with the local people, learned some real new vocabularies and words or observed the various different culture of Thai.

The most important thing we found after this little journey is no matter who you are, no matter where we are, we are still the same people living in this world. Everybody can be acquainted despite the difference in language, religion, and culture. We are same, the same people who always need to explore and learn more and more about everything in this world. So, to everyone out there, don’t have to be afraid to try out and get to know something or someone new. Take every good chances that come to you, and improve yourself with it.

Sincerely,

Nadiyya & Valentina

Departing Solo-Jakarta-Don Mueang
The Formal Agenda :

Welcome speech from Thailand Ministry of Education at the Office of the Vocational Education Commission (OVEC) = Mon, 30-01-2017
Study visit to Singburi College (Planting trees, watching fire and coboy attraction, dinner, and special performances from the Singburi students) = Mon, 30-01-2017
Sharing knowledge on Agriculture and Technology Education and Future Collaboration at Singburi College (Presentation, act as debate facilitator) = Tue, 31-01-2017
Visit the Royal Projects (field, farm, spinning thread, embroidery) = Tue, 31-01-2017
Student Tour around Singburi College (farm, field, temple) | Teacher’s special meeting on … = Wed, 01-02-2017
Attend the opening speech of 38th FFT in Uthaithani College and looking around the colleges exhibition about Agriculture technology = Thurs, 02-02-2017
Welcoming Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Cakri Sirindhorn at Uthaithani College for the 38th FFT opening ceremony = Fri, 03-02-2017
Thank You Party dinner = Fri, 03-02-2017
attend the seminar of Student Innovative Project Presentations = Sat, 04-02-2017