As I mentioned in my last blog, I was looking forward to other interesting activities I could do as the days are getting longer and warmer.
March passed really quickly and I could not believe that I had my last lectures in the second semester, which also means that I have completed all the units for this Master's course. I was really busy especially at the end of the month as deadlines were approaching, but I was grateful that I managed to do it well and was able to participate in various activities this month.
One of the highlights for this month was the Indonesian Cultural Festival, an annual festival that introduces Indonesia’s cultural diversity through music, dances, games, and food. Although I was born and raised in Indonesia, that was my first time learning and perform Saman, a traditional communal dance from the Aceh region of Indonesia. It is because Indonesian culture is very rich and the characteristics vary from one region to another. Interestingly, the performers were not only Indonesians. There were also some friends coming from other countries who took part to perform in this event. It was a great experience for all of us to learn traditional culture together.
Another new experience I got this month was doing my first casual job. I was selected as one of the callers for Manchester Calling Campaign. Our campus has a very nice campaign to facilitate international offer holders speaking to current students about things to prepare before going to Manchester, how the typical day is in Manchester, and who to contact should they have any further questions. I feel glad to be part of this campaign because it feels nostalgic to me as I was exactly in their position a year ago with thousands of questions and doubts of how my life will be in Manchester (Believe me, it will not be as daunting as it may seem). I often suggest them to keep themselves busy by attending many exciting events and activities, not only on campus but also around the city.
I once wrote that Manchester has everything to accommodate your interests and I would like to reiterate this. Now is the best time to learn and explore as many things as possible, and find what suits you best and might help you in your future career. I personally enjoy events related to technology (such as the application of virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and blockchain) that becomes an ‘it’ topic nowadays. I could say that these kind of events are held almost every week. These topics are not necessarily always ‘serious’, I once attended an event where we could play games from our childhood era up to the trending VR-based games. Do not worry to utilise your time to participate in these events, because while studying hard and getting good grades are our main responsibilities here, it is equally important to equip yourself by things that are not taught in classes.
