Bulletin

Edited by: Miss Liyana Yussof

We got up early for breakfast and had a variety of food to choose from: fried soun, chicken curry, fried rice, and mixed vegetables. Unfortunately, a few of us missed out since they woke up late—no surprise there!

After breakfast, we got ourselves ready by 8 a.m. so we could hop onto our bus and begin our journey to the zoo. The ride was pretty long, so naturally, most of us took a nap along the way.

We arrived at the zoo around 9 a.m., though some of us were still half-asleep and a bit disoriented—until we saw a hippopotamus! That definitely woke everyone up. From that moment, the zoo visit was all fun and excitement. We loved meeting all the animals, but one unexpected highlight was stumbling upon a cat café. There were so many adorable cats inside, and the staff told us there were 25 cats in total!

We spent the whole day at the zoo, from morning until afternoon. Among the animals we saw were lions, orangutans, tigers, hornbills, hippos, a variety of birds, cheetahs, and zebras. One particularly cute animal was the binturong. And of course, we can’t forget the llama—although most of us kept our distance, worried it might spit at us!

The biggest highlight of our zoo visit was getting to feed a lion. At first, none of us were particularly interested in feeding any animals. But once we saw the opportunity to feed a lion, we rushed over to the staff and eagerly paid for the experience. It was incredibly exciting and something totally new for us!

After the zoo, we got back on the bus, exhausted but happy, and headed off to get lunch.

Following Friday prayers at Istiqlal Mosque, we went to Bajamba Padang Restaurant for lunch. While the dishes looked delicious, most of us ended up ordering plain rice because the original dishes, with their spicy sides, were a bit too fiery for our taste buds! Still, it was a flavorful and enjoyable experience.

Next on our itinerary was Trans Studio Bandung, one of Indonesia’s most exciting amusement parks. We pushed our limits on roller coasters that went backwards, thrilling swinging rides, and attractions that tossed us in every direction. Our screams turned into laughter as we conquered each ride together. Afterward, we explored Trans Studio Mall, where we grabbed more food to recharge and did a bit of shopping.

Later in the day, we stopped by a local batik shop, which offered a wide range of Batik Bandung, Batik Indonesia, kebayas, and t-shirts—all at amazing discounted prices. Many of us picked up souvenirs for friends and family (and maybe a few extras for ourselves too).

As the day came to an end, we returned to the hotel early to rest in preparation for an early train the next morning. But since it was our last night in Bandung, we made the most of it. We karaoke’d on the bus, shared stories and laughter late into the night, and a few of the boys even squeezed in a quick dip in the hotel pool.

We fell asleep with full hearts and tired bodies—grateful for the unforgettable time we had, yet a little sad to be leaving such a beautiful city. Bandung gave us memories we’ll cherish forever

Edited by: Miss Liyana Yussof

At the start of the fifth day, we woke up knowing that we would be leaving our second home and the family with it. We got ready, wearing our baju cara melayu for our performance as a goodbye. We ate our final breakfast with our host family. After the final meal with the host family, we left our homes and said salam, to some, perhaps, who would not cross paths again.

When we arrived at Nizamia, we had one last practice to make our performance as memorable as possible. After a short while, the students walked in, some with excitement, some with sadness. Finally, we started. Jazmi read Surah Al-Mulk 12-16, Amir gave his speech, leaving students and teachers with tears running down their cheeks. Then we performed our dance “Adai-adai,” telling the stories of Brunei’s fishermen. Afterwards, we played Indonesia’s traditional instruments. Lastly, we performed our farewell to the students and sang See You Again by Charlie Puth. The sound of cheers filled the auditorium. Our teachers then received their gifts, and we received flowers to give to our host mothers. Some of us gave our souvenirs to our host families on the first day, and some on the last. We all took pictures, holding back our tears, but some could not hold back because of the thought that we might never see each other again. We then grabbed our luggage and went on the bus, with each step thinking about the moments we had together. The bus then drove off, leaving us with a final glance at our buddies.

We were headed towards the KCIC station. Once we arrived, we changed out of our baju cara melayu and baju kurung into more comfortable clothes. We ate our lunch at the station—some ate the food given to us by the guide, while others ate at Subway. Some also stopped by a convenience store to buy snacks. After that, we grabbed our luggage and boarded the train. The train was the whoosh train: the fastest in Indonesia, reaching speeds of up to 350 kilometers per hour. It was a 30-minute ride, but finally, we arrived in Bandung.

Once in Bandung, we immediately headed towards our hotel, Gino Feruci Braga. Once we settled our luggage in our rooms, we went onto our bus and headed to the Mycelia Forest. It was an hour’s drive, and while waiting, the guide told us ghost stories and other facts about Indonesia. Once we arrived, we took our ablution and prayed, then two people put on glow-in-the-dark face paint. We took many pictures of the Mycelia Forest as it was a first-time experience in such an environment.

We then boarded our bus and headed for dinner. The restaurant we went to was Dharmada Sunda. It was unique as we had to sit at a table surrounded by water. The food was great and tasty, and we played with the swings there before we left and headed back to the hotel.

Once at our hotel, some went back to their rooms, while others went outside to explore the streets. We saw many different things, such as ghost cosplayers and anime cosplayers, to name a few. We bought a few snacks and drinks at a convenience store and went back to our rooms to get a good night’s rest.