Paper planes indeed is part of who I am today. I loved creating paper planes but who would have thought that it would mean more when I came to Indonesia. Fly with me as I bring you to the story of planes.
Number 1, Airplane. When I found out that I got accepted in this program, I had in mind that I will be going to Indonesia and that would mean riding the plane for several hours. It is not my first time to ride the airplane, but it will be my first time leaving home and riding on my own. I find it interesting always that whenever I would see planes from a far, people from there will be enjoying a new place. And they are reaching the sky by a capsule that they are in. I had to prepare myself when I fully accepted the fact that I am leaving on my own. That I will be reaching the sky in a tube and stepping out into a new place.
Number 2, Lesson for the day: Airplane. Who would have thought that I will be teaching this lesson for my demonstration day? I prepared a lot, even more than preparing myself to ride a plane on my own. The challenged I faced here is the fact that I am teaching already. Teaching the kids is very different from riding a plane. In a plane, you just have to sit and wait for it to land. But in teaching, you have to get out from your sit, start working, start teaching, until it lands to, "Goodbye and Thank you Miss Sophie." But still found a lot the same, you are to depart and arrive at same goal. Depart which is to teach, and arrive which is to learn. I never thought that teaching airplane would mean so much to me. Teaching them the importance of airplane so you could reach places and meet new people had been so sentimental. I told them that I was able to meet them because I rode a plane,and took the courage. I appreciated this lesson a lot.
Number 3, Paper Airplanes. When I am about to leave, I made paper airplanes for my students. I taught them how make one in class and I saw how they gave their best to create one for them. Just before the last day, I made paper airplanes for them. To show my farewell, and my appreciation of trying their best to make one for themselves. I wrote their names on the customized paper airplanes I gave them. Writing their names on it means for me that they have their authority to which flight in their lives they would want to go. Whatever dreams and goals they wanted to pursue, to where they want to go in their lives is in their hands. And writing their names there would also show that they are recognized in this world. And simply to make them feel good for seeing their names on the airplane, as that is what they usually ask me to do. I even asked them their favorite colors so I could make the planes into the color they wanted.
Number 4, Plane back home. Plane once again faced me. The plane that would make me far away from them already. Leaving them would not mean erasing the memories because I can surely bring with me in the plane the experiences I had with them. Now that I am back in my home, planes keep on flying in my heart reminding me that they are doing fine and they will surely fly to where they would want to go. And that is the desire of my heart for them.
I hope an airplane would come again and give me a chance to see them. Til we meet again.