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On the 19th July 2009, Ayu from KGI and Reny from IALF went to Melbourne along with 29 BRIDGE participants.
The first phase of BRIDGE project commenced in March 2009 with 30 teachers from 5 provinces in Indonesia.
The second phase of the BRIDGE project training in Australia ran from 20th July – 7th August. For some Funny BRIDGE Stories - Click Here
Here is Ayu’s report.
We arrived in Sydney at 6.30 am and on that day many other flights arrived at the same time, so there was massive queue at the immigration and at the baggage claim and more queue at the customs and domestic departure to Melbourne. In total we were queuing for 3.5 hours!
When we arrived in Melbourne, Bonnie Hermawan met us at the airport. Everyone was chatting with Bonnie while waiting for our luggage near the carousel. Thirty minutes passed Reny , myself and 22 others were still waiting for our luggage. Later we discovered that our luggage was lost. Bonnie then contacted the staff in charge and arranged the delivery for our missing luggage.
The weather in Melbourne was 15 degrees that day and it’s freezing but all the participants were well equipped, they wore thick jackets, shall and beanies.
From the airport Bonnie escorted us to the bus. Although everyone was tired that day but the excitement was just begun as soon as the bus moved. No one fell a sleep or felt tired on the bus instead the participants took some snap shots from the window. Our first destination before heading to the hotel was Melbourne Uni where the participants collected their allowance and met Aaron O’Shannessy, Manager, Study Tours & Exchanges from the Asia Education Foundation and Tim Lindsey from the Australia Indonesia Institute (AII).
Bonnie led us to Sidney Myer Asia Center not far from where we were. We went straight to level 4 to the meeting room. We were welcomed by Aaron, the Project manager of BRIDGE.
After the meeting Bonnie had already prepared lunch for us and to our surprised there were ‘nasi kotak’ (lunch box with rice) ready for us. Just like home!
Next Bonnie took us on our first tram trip to the city. First she showed us how to get into the tram, use the tram ticket and where to get off. We stopped in the middle of Swanston street and Bonnie showed us the restaurant we could get our dinner from. All the participants received dinner vouchers to eat at ‘Nelayan’ restaurant, a famous Indonesian restaurant in Melbourne. From there Bonnie led us towards Central Sky Lounge Apartment Hotel where we stayed for a week.
Everyone was happy with the rooms and we were ready to unpack and rest.
Day 1
The BRIDGE activity starts on Tuesday 21st July. The activity on that day was about Australian education presented by Rob Skillern. The highlight of that day activity was going to Melbourne Zoo, not just to see the animals but all the participants joined a workshop presented by a senior Zoo keeper, Shelly, ho did a presentation on ‘How to use the Zoo' as a resource for your classroom teaching’. After the workshop Shelly presented a certificate for each participant. Soon after that Shelly took us to the Koala enclosure. All the participants were so excited to see the real koala for the first time. They took some pictures with the koalas and some were even aloud to pat the koalas!
Although it was only a short visit to the zoo, the participants felt satisfied and happy. Some participants decided to go back to the hotel and get ready for dinner but some decided to stay and explore the zoo.
Day 2
Today, the first agenda for the participants was going to Koorie Heritage Cultural Centre with Bonnie. In Koorie Heritege the participants had the opportunity to learn the history of the indigenous Australia. After lunch all the participants had a session on ‘A historical and Cultural background to life in Australia’ and ‘Contemporary Australian Society’.
Dinner that night was very nice. We had buffet dinner at the very famous casino in Melbourne Crown. The food was delicious.
After the big dinner everyone walked along Yarra River. Although it was raining and freezing cold, it didn’t stop the participants to pose and take more photos along the way.
Day 3
Breakfast time that day was little bit busier because all the Australian partners had already arrived the night before and they were all at breakfast.
The Indonesian participants met the Australian participants and chat.
On that day the Indonesian and Australian participants worked in two separate rooms. The Australian group did an ICT and IT workshop with Lisa and the Indonesian group was in the other room with Reny.
The session finished at 4.00 pm and everyone had to go back to the hotel and get ready for the Welcome Dinner at AEF. The dinner was attended by the representative of Consulate-General to Victoria for the Republic of Indonesia, Ms Susan Man (The Australia-Indonesia Institute Board Member, CEO Curriculum Corporation and AEF Board Member), Mr Field Rickards (Chair, Asia Education Foundation Board), Ms Kathe Kirby (Executive Director, Asia Education Foundation and Beyond Australia Committee Member, The Myer Foundation)
Day 4
The sessions on that day was focusing on cross-cultural workshop and for the two partner schools to get to know each other. Rob Skillern and Kang Guru presented the cross-cultural workshop.
In one of the sessions, Pak Miasa from Bali taught all the participants to do ‘kecak’ dance. All the participants enjoyed doing the kecak. They raised their hands up and said ‘cak ce ke cak ce ke cak ….’
The final session of the cross – cultural workshop was the ‘cross – cultural excursion’ where the participants with their partners traveled to surrounding sites and observed culture in action.
After the two hour excursion, all the participants were gathered in the hall and shared their cultural experience that they observed.
Day 5
Two days in a row all the 60 participants concentrate in ICT training. This was the highlight of the BRIDGE project that the expected outcome is for the two schools to be able to share information, communicate with each other through Wikispace.
They had to sit with their partner and look at the Wikispaces they have developed.
In March the first teacher had started the Wikispace, now the second teacher has to continue the work by adding some more new information on their Wiki page.
Check their wikispaces : http://www.bridge.wikispaces.net/
BRDIGE project official website : http://www.bridge.edu.au
Day Six
On this day all the participants had their final ICT Training with both Lisa and Reny. Some of the participants had to leave earlier because some had to go to the airport and some had to go by train and some had to do long drive with their host. Everyone was sad to see each other’s leaving.
As for me and Reny …. we really enjoyed our last night in Melbourne. Aaron and Lisa took us to the IMAX, this giant movie theater, to watch Harry Potter! Exciting!
Some Funny Stories from Participants
“What a strong nose……”
In Australia smoking inside a building is prohibited. I was accompanying the BRIDGE participants in Melbourne for a week. We were staying at a new apartment building in the city. After a few days of our stay, Bonnie, who was in charge of the BRIDGE participants in Melbourne, came to the apartment. To her surprised when she walk passed the corridor she smelled Indonesian ‘ kretek’ cigarette .
The next day during tea break, Bonnie announced the participants that smoking is prohibited and if the fire alarm goes on, AU$2500 fined will be applied to anyone.
All the participants were just stayed silent.and someone said,“Wow , mbak Bonnie got a strong nose”. Bonnie said that her husband is Indonesian and she has lived in Indonesia before so she’s familiar with the smell of ‘kretek’ cigarette. After that day no ‘kretek’ smell along the corridor anymore.
Sniffing Dog
After passing through the immigration in Sydney, all the BRIDGE participants went to the carrousel to collect the luggage. When they were waiting for the luggage, suddenly one of the participants was approached by an airport staff with a dog. The dog went straight to Pak Ramli’s carry bag and jumped and put his head into the bag and sniffed sniffed and sniffed. Pak Ramli’s was shocked. Of course he was worried and scared because he’s not aloud to touch a dog according to his religion!
The dog found a piece of left over bread inside Pak Ramli’s bag. The airport staff then asked Pak Ramli to chuck the bread into the bin. And Pak Ramli felt relieved that it was only left over bread that the dog found. But he thought it was a smart dog. Lucky he didn’t bring shrimp paste with him .. … if he did the dog might sniff, bark and may be sneeze!
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