Learning Indonesian and life

I used to be a Bahasa Indonesia untuk Penutur Asing (BIPA) or Indonesian as a foreign language tutor. I had 4 students back then. All of them have their unique stories. However, the most memorable student was Father Cruz. I met him in 2016. He’s so wise and encouraged me to do lots of things. Here are some of his words that I still remember:

Do not easily trust men with 3 (or more, I forget) S’s: salesman, sailor, and seminarian.

Now I understand what it means

He told me about Sagrada Familia.

He gave me my first dollars.

If you want to learn language, go to the place where no one speak your language. For it will encourage you to speak more of the language that you’re learning.

(I didn’t even have dreams to go abroad back then, I thought it would be impossible)

You’re still young, you can’t just be here (in Jogja, in a small city) You need to go somewhere. And I’ll see you in the US in the future

I was doubtly said ‘but how come father? I guess that’s impossible. USA is too far’

he said ‘I know you can, either for work, school, or any other business’

And till now I still sending him message on christmas and easter. Telling him where I’m at the moment.

He got Indonesian knowledge, I got life lesson.