My Trainee Friends

(ESD training)

This autumn, we have 13 trainees working for Sustainable Development issue. These 13 trainees come from 8 different countries. We attended the same training in the 4 first days in B&B Inn, Shaoyaouju District.

I really like all my trainee friends. I can simply say that we are so different, but we get along really well. We made friends, and really enjoyed spending the time together. For me, they are really inspiring people. I can just learn something for each of them, too bad that some of them have to go other city for internship and i can't meet them again.

But I can introduce you to my friends ^_^ here are they;

(le-ri: Frank, Slava, Fany, Ky, Putu, Dominic, Martyna, Mira, Me)

The picture was made in a restaurant near the Beijing Zoo. I don't know the name of the restaurant since it was written in Chinese, but the foods are great and pretty cheap.

Okay, start from left side...

• Frank Bosman: He's from Netherlands. He is working in Xi'an, that's why I don't see him a lot. But once he was coming to Beijing and we went to the zoo together.
• Slava: She's from Russia and she's working in the same school as me, Beijing no.9 Middle School. She's pretty, sexy, fashionable, really nice, and she's a great dancer... but sorry guys, she's married :D. She has Chinese grand-grand father and she really loves to shop.
  
• Fany: She's Indonesian. She's from Jakarta but she is now studying in Malang. She was working in Beijing Royal Camford School. She finished her internship earlier and now she has already returned to Indonesia.
  
• Ky: Her full name is Tu Manh Ky and she comes from Vietnam. She has really unique accent and she's pretty quiet. She is working in Beijing Royal Camford School.
  
• Putu: She also comes from Bandung Indonesia. We took the same flight and we're gossiping about everything :D. She's working in Beijing Royal Camford School. She's an accountant and this internship is actually a time for her to have fun before she start her job.
  
• Dominic: Or Ho Joon Jang. For me, it seems like he has 3 nationalities; Korean, American, and Japanese. He's studying in Waseda University, Japan, grown in US, but he's actually a Korean. Eventough he's Asian, his English is flawless. He works together with Putu.
  
• Martyna: She's my roomate in Beijing no.9 Middle School. She studies Philosophy and Politics, and she's really smart and nice. She has broad knowledge about world's important events and people. She's interested at Chinese culture and art. She also speaks Chinese.
  
• Mira: She comes from Germany, and she was working in Xi'an. She finished her internship earlier because she needs to take a test in her university. She had bad experience in Beijing when somebody exchange her 100Y money into fake one, poor Mira :(
• Well, that's me ;D
  

I have some other friends...

(le-ri: Aaron, Dom, Carey, Michelle, Me, Martyna, Chris)

The picture was taken in bar 9.9 in Sanlitun. Sanlitun is a bar street where you can find various bars, clubs, etc. It's the place where the foreigners gather and have fun.

Okay, start from the left side...

• Aaron: He lives in Australia, but he's actually Malaysian, so he can speak some words similar as Indonesian. He attended the training but actually he's doing the Education Traineeship, because he teachs English and he's paid for that. He's an AIESECer.
  
• Dom again
• Carey: She comes from Canada and she's working in the same school as Aaron. Carey is really pretty and sweet. She had pretty tight schedule with her school but finally she managed to arrange some payment with such schedule.
  
• Michelle: She's a funky mama :D Michelle comes from Canada and she's teaching in the same school with Aaron and Carey.
  
• Me again
• Martyna again
  
• Chris: He comes from US and he has already returned to US. Chris is really nice and friendly. He wanted to be called "Mr. Ganteng" but always ended up call himself "Mr. Gentong" wkwkwk >.<

(le-ri: me, Putu, Jarek, Viola)

• Jarek: He comes from Poland and i only meet him during the training because he was working in Da Lian. He's Viola's boyfriend.
  
• Viola: She comes from Poland and she was also working in Da Lian with Jarek. Viola and Jarek have been together for 7 years and they're probably the cutest couple i ever met.
  

(le-ri: Me, Nguyet, Putu, Carey)

• Nguyet: She comes from Vietnam and she was an English teacher in Vietnam. She was working in Da Lian.
  

Owkay,, actually, i made quite a lot of friend here but i don't have their pictures. Maybe i will tell you about them in other note.

I really learn a lot from my friends here. My impression about them are; nice, open minded and educated. Really, most of my friends are really smart; they read a lot of book and have their own statements about world issues and so on. Also, i used to think that my English is pretty good, but my friends, they speak perfect English, eventough for some of them English is not native language. I'm encouraged to fix my English here. Now, I can use grammar better than before.

To work in such hetero environment like this train me to be open minded and flexible; as well as be strict to my own personal limit. The most obvious character of my friends is that they really have big curiosity, they dare themselves to learn and try new things, and they always try to find proper information about everything. That's awesome for me.

All i can say when you need to mingle in such international environment, you have to be extrovert, open minded but also culturally sensitive. Remember that each of you come from different places and have different culture. What's good and funny for you could be different for them. It's really a huge fun to be the part of this team, i learn a lot, and i really like them :D