SMN Journal

Meeting New Friends

The melodious sound of the gamolan was in tune with the graceful movements of the dancers performing the Welcoming Dance, mesmerizing dozens pairs of eyes of teenagers in white uniforms enjoying the beauty of the traditional Lampung dance. This was the first time they saw directly Lampung traditional dance at Negeri sang Bumi Ruwai Jurai.

No wonder if these teenagers were naturally blissed. Coming from different island, North Maluku, these students had to fly thousands of kilometers to watch the performance. Not just performance, these selected students would take part in the “Siswa Mengenal Nusantara (SMN)” or Students Getting to Know the Archipelago program in Lampung. The 23 students would take a tour to get to know the culture, tourism, and history of Lampung.

The opening night of SMN on Tuesday, August 13, 2019, became the moment of the first meeting between North Maluku students and Lampung students who would depart for North Maluku the following day. The meeting went smoothly and the participants blended in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Everyone introduced himself or herself and exchanged story.

Like any other student exchange programs, these students presented their cultures to be introduced. Lampung students performed mime and various Lampung dances, while North Maluku students performed poetry, song and traditional dance of North Maluku. The audience was very enthusiastic watching the lively SMN performance.

At the event, GM Tarahan Port Unit PT Bukit Asam Tbk, Hadith Surya Palapa gave a special speech to SMN participants.

"You ought to be proud joining SMN, but you may not be satisfied that easy. Get more knowledge for the sake of your future life. As for now, you join Siswa Mengenal Nusantara, but in the future you may get to know a wider world," he said followed by the audience applause.

The familiarity atmosphere continued until the end of the event. Together the participants sang the North Maluku song with enthusiasm. Although it was their first day in Lampung, the participants seemed to already have exciting experience; that is, the experience of meeting new friends.