16 December 2010 is a date I will never forget in my life. All the 32 Malaysians gathered at the Maluri Hotel, Cheras for a pre-departure orientation. A few AFS volunteers shared with us their experience of being abroad as exchange students under AFS. That evening, we departed from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, leaving family members behind in tears. For most of us, that was the first time travelling to a faraway country without the company of our families. Quickly, friendships were fostered amongst the merry group. All I had in mind at that very moment was, I should be grateful for being selected to participate in this once in a lifetime chance.
As I stepped foot on to Rome, the once capital of the world as its name is in Latin, I totally had no idea what lay ahead that would change my life so profoundly. The journey is yet to begin. In the beginning, there were lots of obstacles to be overcome. The culture was so different, not to mention the language, but I clearly knew that these were some of the reasons for me being here.
I was welcomed with incredible hospitality by my host family. We lived in a small village named Sant’Agata dei Goti. My host sister had been very generous in sharing her bedroom with me. Although my host parents are quite busy with their career, there was never a day that they would not treat me with a generous heart. So, I would like to take this opportunity to thank them from the bottom of my heart for all of their patience and unconditional kindness for letting me become a part of their lives. Of course, there is no way I could forget the trip to Rome and Naples with my host family.
Besides that, I was also glad to have a chance to celebrate some of the main festivals such as Christmas, New Year and Epiphany in the Italian way. We went to one of the majestic churches on Christmas Day and on New Year’s Day. I was totally amazed by the painstaking carvings in the church. We had a late lunch on Christmas Eve, a very late one indeed, which started at around 6pm. A variety of scrumptious, typical Christmas Eve dishes were served. The atmosphere of the festival was made merrier by the presence of relatives from afar.
As this is a school-based programme, we were required to attend school. In school, everyone enthusiastically helped me to fit in. Just in a few days, I was already involved in a drama which required me to speak in Italian! As I attend a classical school, Liceo Classico Tito Livo, I had to study subjects such as English, Italian, Mathematics, Science, Physical Education and many more. The challenging part was that all the subjects were taught in Italian. In the first two weeks of school, I had to fight boredom listening to the professors teach in a language so unfamiliar, which made me unable to track the beginnings and the ends of the lessons.
My Italian professor gave me crossword puzzles to help me learn some basic Italian vocabulary. Then, there was my English teacher, who was also my tutor, and who even challenged me to introduce Malaysia to my schoolmates in Italian. At last, I managed to promote the wonders of Malaysia to almost all of the classes. This is my first step as an ambassador to let the other corners of the world know Malaysia better. The students were also very cooperative and expressed their curiosity about Malaysia by asking lots of questions.
My schoolmates threw a party for me on the last week of my stay in Italy. They organized a sort-of fashion show and I was to wear baju kurung to school. The main idea of the fashion show was to make a comparison of the daily clothing and traditional costumes of Malaysia and Italy. I was shocked when I saw another Italian friend of mine wearing cheong sam! The student representative of the school even made a short video for me and I was simply touched by their thoughtfulness.
I also found myself discovering new bonds of friendship between myself and my schoolmates, although initially I knew that both party could barely understand what the other party was talking about. So, I began by communicating with everybody slowly so that the vocabulary will get into my head. As time went on, words after words were forced into my mind and before I realized it, I could already participate in many of the conversations, ignoring the grammar mistakes I made.
Some of the most cherished moments during my homestay in Italy were born out of daily lives, too. Little things such as watching football matches with the family while listening to them cheering for their favourite teams, going out for a walk with friends in the historical centre of the village on Saturday nights, playing Scopa (a popular Napolethan card game) with nonna (grandma) on Sunday mornings and watching many of the Italian movies or listening to Italian songs were all the unforgettable memories that made my two months stay more wonderful than ever.
Looking back, I remember the times being showered with questions such as: Do Malaysians have tigers as pets? Do Malaysians live on trees? Oh, so, Malay characters do not look like Chinese characters at all, and they are written in alphabets too? Perhaps some of these questions may sound ridiculous, but to me, I am proud to have done my part of clearing the misconceptions of the many Italian friends of mine about my home country.
My two months in Italy as an exchange student as well as a young ambassador of Malaysia ended just as quickly as how it started. It really broke my heart to part with all my beloved family and friends. However, the suitcase of memories and experiences that I would not have achieved anywhere else will be etched in my mind for the rest of my life. These experiences belong to me, and there is no need for me to compare my experience with the other Malaysians who went along together with me because no one could have the same experience as mine, and I cannot have theirs either. Thanks for the memories, guys!
AFS gave me a strong belief that we are able to make this world a better place as long as we are willing to be tolerant. If I were given another chance, I would surely want to share Malaysia with more people from more places. The two months in Italy was definitely more than a student exchange programme. It totally had changed my life somehow and prepared me for the road yet to come. For this, I shall be grateful to AFS, my host family and family, both my schools in Malaysia and in Italy, and of course all my friends!
GRAZIE MILLE PER TUTTO!!! (THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!! )
