THE APU TIMES

“Hey, how was your holiday?” must be one of the most popular greetings when we meet each other after the holiday ends and school starts. Some of us may really enjoy a long and nice holiday, while for some others it is just another summer break, and for many people they just do nothing when campus life stops. Two months perhaps is just way too long, so what should we do to kill time?

Of course you can turn your holiday from just another break session into wonderful time. There are still lots of new places to see, people to talk and things to be done! Your holiday is one of the best opportunities where you can be selfish and take care of yourself. Here are some things that you can do while enjoying your holiday:

1)    Traveling: Well, this is one of the best deals during holiday. Some people will say “isn’t it expensive and exhausting?” We all know that as college students, we don’t have much money. In the era of wireless world, you don’t need to be worry about that. Simply surf through the internet and you will find some guides on cheap and comfortable journey. It’s also a good idea to stay at your friend’s house during the holiday, so you can save a lot of money and get more fun!

2)    Internship: Here is another challenging experience. In order to prepare for professional work, an internship is a good option . Summer time is the best time, since many companies and institutions offer various vacations during this time. You can plan your internship in Japan, or do it in your country if you go back.

So now, I just want to share some of my experience in enjoying my holiday. The beginning of my summer break started with my trip to Kyoto to visit my friends and travel around. My friends and I went to some tourist sites in neighboring cities, such as Universal Studio Japan in Osaka and various temples in Kyoto. Because I used juu-hachi kippu (special train ticket during holiday session where you can travel in Japan for very cheap) and stayed at my friend’s house, it was really an entertaining trip at a low price.

My holiday did not stop there. I went back home, and got an opportunity to do an internship at the Cabinet Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia. I was appointed in the division of international relations in the bureau of politics and security in the ministry. The 3-weeks internship was a valuable experience for me. My regular task was to write some studies and analysis in current international issues, and its implication in Indonesia’s foreign policy. I also had an opportunity to observe the policymaking process by attending focused group discussion where some scholars and diplomats are invited to give lecture and inputs in policymaking. Another good thing is, I got a lot of opportunities to meet new people and discuss new ideas, which is useful for my career development.

For those who still think that your holiday is just another boring and long break session, think again! There are many things you can do to make your holiday experience more colorful. Just make your plan for your next holiday, and you’ll find out many new things that you never knew!