As a student teacher participating in the SEA-Teacher program, I had an exciting and impressive experience. Not only met new friends and taught in a new atmosphere, but also had the opportunity to learn a new culture, especially in Philippines. On one occasion called Fil-Indo Day, students and lecturers at the University of Northern Philippines introduced various cultures in Ilocos Sur, Philippines. We all tried many new things, such as traditional Filipino games, foods, crafts, and getting to know new vocabulary in Tagalog and Ilokano (the local language).
On that day (October 13th), I and my friends from Indonesia were taught how to make Turon and Palitaw. Turon is banana slices rolled in a thin layer of spring roll wrapper, fried in palm sugar, then served as a dessert or snack. Meanwhile, Palitaw is a cake made from glutinous rice (or malagkit in Tagalog), flat and sweet, which is eaten with a topping of brown sugar, sesame seeds, and coconut. These snacks are very delicious!
Picture 1. Making Turon and Palitaw
We also learned how to weave a fan from bamboo fronds. This weave is called Bamboo Weaving. Bamboo Weaving is a type of bamboo working in which two distinct sets of bamboo strips are interlaced at normally right angles to form an object. This is very similar to making Kipas Sate in Indonesia. Weaving is slightly tricky because we must pay close attention to the pattern. With the help of UNP students, we could do it well.
Picture 2. Making Bamboo Weaving
Picture 3. Making Bamboo Weaving
Apart from that, we were also introduced to several traditional games. Among them are Patintero, Tumbang Preso, and Luksong Baka. Patintero in the Philippines is similar to Gobak Sodor in Indonesia. Several SEA-teachers from Indonesia participated in the game. Through this game, we learned about social interaction, strategic thinking, and physical fitness.
I realize that Indonesia has several cultures that are similar to the Philippines. What a memorable and exciting experience to gain more insight and learn a new culture. Hopefully, this experience and knowledge will be helpful when we become a teacher in the future. (Leilani Devina Nastiti)
