dear future intern…
Hello!!! I’m starting this from an old friend’s house in Seoul. It’s been over a month since I left Malaysia. I returned to Vancouver after a long winding road through many old and new friend’s homes across many countries. There is only a few days till I return to Victoria. It’s insane how time passes!! 6 months in Malaysia is deceptively not a lot of time, and I saw it quickly slip past.
In the beginning, it will feel like your time is stretched infinitely as you can grasp new routines, new faces, new stories, and new scenes. There is so much time when it feels you are opening your eyes to a new world. Like passing time before getting out of your comfortable bed in the morning, you quickly lose track of the minutes, hours, and days going by.You’ll get comfortable, to the point where you almost don’t feel like a visitor any more. It’s important to take in every millisecond, and you will be amazed by the faces you see, the people you are met with, and the place you are in. It will be so strange and so wonderful to create your sense of ‘self’ in this place, your sense of home, joy, struggles, and encounters wrapped up in this place called Kuala Lumpur.
I can’t tell you what your whole experience will be, but I wholeheartedly believe it’s worth your while. On that note, I have a few advices I tried to live by…
1. Take Your Time
Take your time to know the students. Know the teachers. Know the people around you. Know the local vendors down your street. Create a routine that allows you to slow down as much as possible. Time moves quickly there, but slowing down will allow you to see so much more.
2. Be Curious.
Ask a lot of questions. Learn about the world you are in. You will be asked a lot of questions, things about yourself, things you know, and things you don’t know. They are invitations for you to step into others’ lives as much as they would like to enter yours. Just as your students will ask you about yourself and your life, take the opportunity to ask about theirs. Be genuinely curious about their stories, their journeys, and the languages they speak. Curiosity creates conversation, and conversation builds trust. In moments
where answers don’t come easily—remember it’s okay to not always know. Sometimes the best thing you can do is ask a question back.
3. Don’t Be Afraid
You might not be comfortable. I was not always comfortable 100% throughout the internship, and I don’t think you are ever meant to be. The students in my class were absolutely uncomfortable with me when we had just met. Let me tell you now: progress is not linear, nor is it fast or slow. Some students are willing to open up about their entire lives the first time you meet them, and others are more guarded— and they don’t owe you their trust. You might not ever notice when it is you start to feel as if you can’t let go. Students linger after class to keep talking. Someone who’s been silent will offer a phrase or a smile. It won’t feel big, but it will mean everything.
When the unknown calls on you, say yes! Say yes to lunches, to dinners, to 7am walks in the park, to trying new things, to listening more than you speak. Don’t fear the unknown, the challenging, and just show up.
4. Unpack. Rewind. Reflect.
You could journal, you could meditate, you could talk. I myself have never been a big journal-er, but the thoughts and emotion I’ve compiled and written down help me reflect months later. I found conversations around the dinner table the best, and meditation. Talking to myself. Every day if possible. For you F.I, your practice could be anything. But it’s important to save the little things, because whether or not you intend to, it’s easy to forget the small things. Six months seems like a short time, but so much happens and you will miss everything. Even things that caused you discomfort or frustration. Discomfort doesn’t last forever. But the change and the experience will.
If you’re handed little, make something from it. Ask your fellow interns for advice. Share your struggles with your mentors—they’ve been where you are and are there to support you. There’s no shame
in not knowing.
If you’re handed 6 months, make a lifetime out of it. Sometimes, you will probably get the feeling of not doing enough. But there will also be days where something suddenly clicks, laughter shared over meals, and moments when you’ll realize just how far you’ve come. You may not be able to place your finger on the pulse and feel when the change is happening— but it will. And you’ll have the words to shape it too.
Take care of yourself. Take care of the moments. And most importantly, take your time.
Wish you all the best!!!!
Arianna
