Before and After the National Camp

Okay, still continuing the part of before I come to USA~

First of all, I want you to know that I skipped two parts before The National Camp. They were just like, short steps, but still important. That's why I will tell about it in this post, before jumping to what happened after National Camp.

Before National Camp

Home Interview

After receiving the email stating that I passed the third regional exam, the Bina Antarbudaya committee for my region called my mom to let her know that they will come to my house before long. They made an appointment with us on a weekday, and when I arrived home at around 5 p.m., my mom quickly reminded me that I had to guide them through the housing area where we lived. I took a quick shower and put on a nice, acceptable clothing for receiving such guests. I rode my motorbike into the gate - if it can be called so - of the housing area, knowing they would be there anytime soon, and there they were...

Kak Cenna and Kak Nami were getting off the angkot (Indonesian public transportation). I waved to them with smile as big as I could form. It was getting dark, so after discussing several possible methods to get into my house, we chose the quickest technique of carrying three people with one motorbike: we all sat on the saddle, squished to each other, and rode the motorbike very carefully. I know it's not right to carry three people on a motorbike, but whatever, that was what we did. I don't recommend to try that, though.

My mom welcomed them with warm smile. On that evening, only my father couldn't make it because he wasn't back from his workplace in Jakarta. My almost-whole family sat together with them on the living room, and begun discussing about me and my possibilities of getting into the program. At one point, Kak Cenna told me that it would be better if I could try the scholarship program, YES Program, if our economical condition wasn't really good. I accepted that possibility even though I really wanted to go to Japan instead of USA, because I didn't want to put any burden to my family about what I want to be. Then they told us that if I wanted to be enrolled in YES Program, I'd have to come to National Camp where the test for YES Program applicants would be established. I agreed, and after some little talks, we were dismissed.

The Mail of Acceptance

I know the heading sound fancy and all but, oh, well...

On one hot day at my school, I was busy doing my math problems that lied ahead-- I mean, lied on my desk. Yes, as a science-class student my math assignment was really a problem in my life. I didn't know how in the world should I do it and just let it sit on my desk, staring at it hopelessly... until suddenly Ninis appeared in front of my class' door. "Laras," she shouted at me excitedly, "did you get the email?"

"What?" I gasped, "What email?" Of course I knew what email was that, duh. The email she was talking about must have been from AFS!

"From AFS," her eyes sparkled with happiness, "I passed through the National Selection!"

The National Selection is a selection process that we didn't even have to attend. We just let the juries decided who would pass and who wouldn't based on our scores and how did we do in our previous tests. You can do nothing about it except to accept their decisions.

"Oh, really? Great! Congratulations!" I was happy for Ninis, but worried about myself. I didn't bring my laptop to school that day (it was too heavy, LOL) so I just sat there almost motionless not knowing what to do until one of my classmate, Ashma, entered the class bringing her laptop.

"Ashma!" I stopped her so suddenly, "Can I borrow your laptop? I... I have to look at... something..." My heart was thudding, "uh, my mailbox... can I? Please?" God.

"Yeah, sure, but I don't know if the wi-fi will work," Right, the wi-fi connection might not work. Sometimes it just happens in my school-- I mean, in the entire Indonesia... Okay, okay, this is it. Even if I don't get the email, that's what it is, that's what the best for me right now. I have to be ready. Don't put your expectations too much on it. Just let it be what it should be...

I typed Google. The page loaded so slowly it felt like an eternity. When it finally showed up, I entered my email address and password abruptly, my fingers were clacking on the keyboard... The wi-fi worked. The mailbox showed up.

What is this? God, please... make it an acceptance email...

I clicked on the newest mail from AFS. There it was, my email of acceptance.

I ran outside my class to find Ashma chatting with her friends just in front of the class door. "Ashma, thank you very much! The wi-fi works! I... I got the mail just like Ninis! I got accepted!"

After the National Camp

Yup, you already know what happened after that: I went to the National Camp to be tested... again. After that, I received the email stating I passed the National Camp and I was told to fill up the online application; this time not for Bina Antarbudaya in Indonesia, but for AFS International itself. How proud I felt that time when filling the application...

On that application (which takes so much time and troubles to get it all filled) there is one part that was a pretty big obstacle for me: The Immunization Record. Yeah, sure, I know USA or any other countries wouldn't want to get new viruses coming into their countries, but...

It was a big problem for me, someone who doesn't care about immunizations and such. I only completed the shots from which I was a baby and a little child. I didn't get the shots anymore after my toddler period. That's why I had to get all those shots before I went to USA, and it should be pretty easy if I had more money.

As you know if you read my previous post, I gained money at my school by selling traditional cakes to my friends. Actually I gained good profits for such a small job like that; I was able to save about $150 if you convert it to US dollars, stored safely at my bank account. The problem is, it was not even enough. Yes, I skipped so much immunizations I had a pile of shots waiting for me - and waiting to be paid. At that point I was already thinking that it was impossible for me to become an exchange student. Yeah, this is it, I thought, after all it always comes to the amount of money you have...

But I was really determined about becoming an exchange student. I used up all my profits, and with my family's help we were able to complete it. I don't like to tell the story in details - it's really complicated, but I paid it with my own money not because my parents are stingy. Of course they really wanted to pay for my needs as I am only an underage child, but things were so difficult to handle back then. It was almost miraculous I was able to complete that immunization requirements.

Well, the good thing I learned is: No matter how much impossible it seems, you will just find your way through. You just have to do some difficult things first, though. Yeah, selling cakes on your free time when everybody else had the time to finish their homework requires extra effort, you know...