Trip to New York City with AFS Exchange Students

At the end of the summer vacation, the AFS volunteers in New York area decided to have a little trip to New York City. For you who are not familiar with this, New York is actually a state (a big area with many cities inside, like a province) while New York City is the city inside New York State. For example, I live in Brewster, meaning I live in New York State but not in New York City.

It was my first trip to New York City aside from when I arrived at New York for the first time, which was very exciting. Here are our photos; most of the time pictures tell stories better than words (because people are lazy to read lol)

Right before going, still at the Hastings-on-Hudson station

Well we don't have any ticket machine like this in Indonesia...

Inside of the Metro North Railroad train. There's the train ticket there.

Inside of the Grand Central Station

Still inside the Grand Central Station

 Before going, we were having a sleepover in the local volunteer's house, at Hastings-on-Hudson. After taking the train to Grand Central Station, we walked several blocks to the Museum of African-American Burial Ground in Manhattan. Back then when African-Americans were still viewed as mere slaves, they always had their own burial ceremony with other African-Americans in an area called "African-American Buriel Ground". Apparently as the New York City develop, the government bury the burial ground and build buildings on top of it as if it were nothing. This fact was discovered later, and for a while the government was trying to hide this fact, but finally they acknowledged that it was the African-American burial ground and the government built a museum in regard of the burial ground.

Visiting the Museum of African-American. These were statues of a burial scene back in those days. 

Writing on the top: "You may bury me in the bottom of Manhattan, I will rise. My people will get me. I will rise out of the huts of history's shame."

 After visiting the museum, we went to a nearby park and had a little afternoon snack. Then we continue walking to the Hudson River because we wanted to get lunch in another island by taking ferry. LOL I totally forgot about where exactly that was, I was not feeling really well back then so I don't really remember.

A glance of New York City~ I know my photography skill isn't that great but oh well whatever~

 

We were having afternoon snacks at the nearby park.

Well I know I'm the whitest person in the middle

Another glance of New York City~

Ferries ashore~!

MOTHER LIBERTY!!!

Manhattan skyscrapers looked really cool from the ferry

Okay now I remember we went to Brooklyn by ferry and had our lunch there.

After going back to Manhattan, we ended the trip with walking down The Times Square on the evening. The lamps from the buildings were fabulous.

Just right before the sun sets~

Screens, screens everywhere

This was... Broadway Show posters, I guess?

Me and Rachel, exchange student from China

My mom said we have to take pictures in case we arrive in new places so yeah.

Pretty lights~

...and finally going back home!

Yeah, it was a really wonderful trip. When we got off the train at Hastings-on-Hudson, it was already dark and it was freezing even though it was summer night. I remember Chris from German saying to me, "You're the most dressed person in this group, yet you're still cold?!" Hahaha, I guess growing up in a tropical country has a big effect in things like cold-or-not-cold.

Going to Maine on Summer Vacation!

When I arrived on August, it was still summer vacation in USA (in Indonesia it was already back-to-school LOL) so my host family decided to go to Maine. My host mother were born and grew up in there, so we went to the house where she grew up.

This is the highway to Maine. Looks green, right?

This is the neighborhood, I guess... I forgot where did I take this picture.

This is a lake in East Boothbay, pretty close to the beach I think.

This is a guest book in the Lighthouse. How proud I was, writing down "Depok, Indonesia" on it.

The Lighthouse in Maine

Me and Hannah on the Lighthouse

This is how big the lamp in the Lighthouse is

On the rocky beach~

Found a car with a funny plate in the beach's parking lot

The next day, we went to a different beach... this time a sandy beach

I DID miss my home, you know.

It was August 17th, right in our Independence Day. Happy Birthday Indonesia!

I hope the pictures tell you the stories. It was a five-day trip, I guess, I kinda forgot... Anyway, it was an awesome summer vacation!

Just Arrived!!!

When I was still in middle school I told myself: "Well no no no you're not gonna get anywhere outside this country before you gain such crazy wealth to travel here and there as you please."

When I first applied for AFS program via Bina Antarbudaya, I was like "Well this is a dreamlike thing - imagine 19746515612356asdfghjkl students from all over Indonesia applying for the same program and here I am a single little stupid student dreaming big of getting scholarship - don't get ahead of yourself Larasati."

When I passed my first test, a little frog jumped around in my heart. When I passed the National Application Selection, a little butterfly fluttered around in my head. When I got the email stating that I passed the National Camp Test, it felt like a pair of fluffy wings had grown from my back. I was happy. Well I was keeping a poker face in front of my mom but actually I was really happy.

When I finally sat in the airplane, I was thinking, "Is this still dreaming? Am I still a seventh grader dreaming of going out of this country with scholarship? Let's see if I step on a solid ground once I get out of the airplane."

...and I did step on a solid ground.

Arrival Orientation!!!

This orientation took place in Hilton Hotel at Washington D.C. And no we didn't get out of that hotel to see the White House at all. Such a shame... but whatever someday I'll be rich and I'll get back there to see the White House. And take selfies. I hate taking selfies, but I probably will have to.

The Arrival Orientation actually have classes about almost the same thing too with the orientation in Indonesia, but this time there are students from everywhere around the world, not just us Indonesians, and all the speakers are talking in English. I was having a really bad cold, and that was when I got to confirm that cough drop exists. Well yes they actually do sell it in Indonesia; I just had never touched it before.

There's an interesting story: I was in the same room with an Indonesian friend, and we actually have one other student from Egypt planned to sleep in our room, but when we got there (around 9 P.M.) the Egyptian group hadn't arrived to USA yet, so we ended up sleeping on the two main bed. We actually had three beds available in the room, but one of the bed is an extra, folded mattress, and we decided to leave that mattress out for the Egyptian girl. The next morning, I woke up from my restless sleep to find a beautiful, short-haired, almost white girl sleeping beside me. And my first reaction was: "Oh I need to turn off the alarm first."

On the last day (it was only three days), it was Eid-ul-Fitri day. It's an Islamic celebration after one month fasting, and in my country, it's a REALLY big celebration with MANY foods. That's what I kinda missed that day, but well, I'M IN AMERICA DUDE WOOHOO YEAH WHO CARES. So we celebrated Eid-ul-Fitri in a slightly different way: no Indonesian food, just many, many kinds of rice with Middle Eastern food. We prayed the Eid prayer too, and the Imam was a Syrian man. He taught us about being a Muslim in America too, and it was awesome, so I didn't regret anything. And the committee decided to have a Talent Show too, even though it's not usual over here, but we did it and it was really fun.

Happy Eid-ul-Fitri from Washington D.C.!

Flying to New York

After the hectic orientation, we finally had to fly away again to our regions. Of course, I was planned to fly to JFK Airport in New York.

Before getting on the airplane.

In the airplane. It was a small airplane I actually hit my head to the top compartment.

Clouds! Beautiful clouds!!!

"LOOK MOM I'M FLYING ABOVE USA"

Yeah... it was a really crazy-dream-come-true moment. I thought I was dreaming, but no I wasn't, and now here I am. The one-year long selection process I endured finally gave away its gift for me.

When I finally met my host family, I literally jumped in joy and ran toward them. They were carrying a welcome card and a bouquet of flower for me; what a beautiful sight any dream had never brought me.