2007 ~ 2012 |
A NEW CAMPUS AND THE BIRTH OF SASS
My Grey Backpack
Dyah Ayu Nurina Malinda
With my grey backpack (2007). ▶
The most pleasant experiences that I had when I was
studying in the School of Arts & Social Sciences were
actually the ones outside the classroom.
54
The School
of Arts
& Social
Sciences
has a
special
place in
my heart.
Trying to pick the lock of
the lodge at St Joseph’s
Guesthouse in Sagada after
being accidentally locked
out (2007). ▼
The “In Search of” study trips organized by Dr
Yeoh Seng Guan introduced me to the use of the
backpack. At first, I thought that backpacking would
be troublesome because of the weight that I have
to carry. However, as it turned out, these study trips
sowed the seeds of my love for travel using my big
grey backpack.
I went for two study trips. The first was back in 2007
when we were taken to the Philippines, to Sagada and
Baguio to be exact (http://insearchofsagada.blogspot.
com/). I bought a grey backpack at one of market
stores in Kuala Lumpur for that trip. Unfortunately, I
can’t remember the name of the store now. Dr Yeoh
instructed me and the other student-travellers to pack
not more than 7 kgs so that we would have enough
space for the stuff that we would buy later. He also
taught us to be disciplined time-wise in following the
itinerary that was planned.
with the Angkor Wat! My fellow travellers and I used
the unique opportunity to make a short treasure hunt-
themed film with Angkor Wat as the backdrop. Later,
this film was screened at the Nasi Bungkus Cinema
back in campus.
I used to have hopes of becoming a filmmaker in the
Indonesian film industry. Unfortunately, it is not easy
as one needs to have good links in an industry which
only started blooming after the successful movie, Ada
Apa Dengan Cinta (2002). Instead, I chose to become
a TV journalist. This job allows me to travel a lot within
Indonesia. Covering the Sentani Lake Festival in
Papua was the furthest place that I have ever travelled
to so far.
The School of Arts & Social Sciences has a special
place in my heart. I met a lot of my friends that I still
keep in touch with, thanks to social media. In my
opinion, I also met the best lecturer in SASS. Dr Yeoh
not only teaches within the classroom but also takes
the effort to provide good learning experiences for
students outside the classroom.
That trip not only broadened my experience of
travelling in big groups (like tolerating each other’s
peculiarities, not generating drama, and being
punctual) but also opened my eyes to a different part
of the Southeast Asian world. Dyah Ayu Nurina Malinda graduated with a Bachelor
of Communication in 2008. She currently works as a
TV Journalist and Senior Assignment Editor at CNN
Indonesia.
I fell in love with the Philippines on that trip! In 2013,
a few of my fellow study trip members decided to go
back to the Philippines. We joined up with student-
travellers of In Search of Iloilo (after spending a short
time in Manila and Boracay first). With Mindy and Pooi Yarn at the
Bokong Falls in Sagada during ISO
Baguio & Sagada study trip (2007). ▶
The second study trip that I joined was to Siem
Reap, Cambodia in 2008. (http://insearchofsiemreap.
blogspot.com/). I remember that I was so amazed
With colleagues at CNN
Indonesia, Jakarta (2018). ▶