When i decided to join SUIJI program, i expected some great and heartwarming relation between me and japanese friends. Never thought that i will experience such a heartwarming acceptance from the local people.
SUIJI is a service program followed by 3 universities in Indonesia and 3 universities in japan. Luckily i studied in Hasanuddin Univiersity, one of the university that join that program. Actually this is my first time i join some service program (i’m kinda individualistic person) so i browse some information about it. I found it very simple. First, do some observations, then discuss about what we want to do based on that observation and then took some realization. Wow, pretty scientific i guess. But i forget that i have to get along with local people to make our observations work.
My first problem is, i cant get along with older people so easily. Especially with different language. Luckily (again) the local people in Nakayama really friendly. First day we arrived in Nakayama we already welcomed by local people with their soumen and taiko. They even let us try to play that drum! They also teach us to make sasabune.
The second day in Nakayama, we start our observation. There are so many questions i want to ask to local people but i little hesitant because i was afraid that my question is impolite to ask. Luckily (again) our japanese member always right besides us to translate and filter our question. In Nakayama, we never stop observe. But i found something very interesting during observation and that is local people’s warmth.
First, local people always give us some delicious food. Watermelon form their farm, coffee when we visit mikan farm, soumen and many more. How generous! That really make me feel welcomed in here. I hope i can give something too but sadly i can’t.
Also, local people always help us in every activity. When we want to try nagashi soumen, local people help us to prepare the bamboos. On barbeque party, local people provide us some chair and table and also help us to grilled the chickens and vegetables. I remember when local people show me some SUIJI last year photos on his phone. Eventhough i dont understand what he mean, i have feeling that local people feel proud about this SUIJI program, and that’s make me feel more warm.
Second, never forget how local people patiently taught us harvesting the rice. Nakayama famous for their Tanada. Even the rice has it own taste. Many tourists come to Nakayama to enjoy the Tanada view or see Shodoshima no Koi. I just realize how hard to harvest the rice. I dont know how many rices that i broken while harvesting. I’m really sorry for their rice loss because of our clumsiness. Even so they still give us some ice cream.
Third, how they really get along with japanese member, especially with advance. Their connection it’s like they really know each other and already met before. Turns out, i just know that they are part of Tanada no Kai. And after that i know that SUIJI just a tiny program compared to that community. They join mushi okuri with local people, they also help cleaning the waterways from dried leaves to keep the water flows from yufune san to terrace field. I really like the never-ending-service. I never join the community that consisten to service one village or area. Besides the project, they also can have strong connection between them and local people. Seeing that community make me want to join some too.
Last but not least, they helped us to realizing our project. After japanese member presented our project, local people give their thought and suggestion about our project. At first i feel local people’s warmth as a foreign, but seeing they took a part on our project make me feel more precious and touched. They even gave us SUIJI last year’s project which means they keep and appreciated what we do.
it really moved me when SUIJI over and i already back to Indonesia and japanese member continue our project. AND local people still helped us!! It really touch me right in the kokoro. Big thanks to local people during and after SUIJI. I will never forget all the tiny little things in Nakayama. Hope can visit Nakayama again and that time, i will give the most warmest greet to all of the local people.
(This article was written by Kerina muli sitepu who is an Hasanuddin University student. She join SUIJI and worked with us in Nakayama last summer.)
