During the last week of pesantren (religious school) at SMK Negeri 9 Padang, ETA Aurelia Tan’s schedule was packed with bukber plans, where you buka puasa (open fast) bersama (together) with friends and family. On Monday, March 9, she broke her fast with the U.S. Consul for Sumatra Lisa Podolny, alongside Padang-based alumni of U.S.-Indonesia exchange programs. The following Tuesday, Aurelia and ETA Navara Syed joined American Corner Padang for a discussion on Ramadan in America as well as iftar.

Most exciting of the week was three days of back-to-back English Ramadan activities at SMKN9. The morning of Wednesday, March 11, students gathered in the courtyard to join a virtual talk with Hafiz Muhammad Mustafa. Mustafa gave students a tour of BICC Masjid Bilal in New York City, where his father is the imam. He shared his favorite Ramadan memories of potlucks at the mosque for iftar. Students were interested in knowing whether children in America also receive money on Idulfitri, known as THR (the answer is yes) and whether fireworks are also used to commemorate Idulfitri (the answer is that it depends).

On Thursday, March 12, Aurelia and her English Club students bukber at a local restaurant! Before another bukber with the OSIS that Friday (also attended by ETA Payton Storey), she and her students gave out 100 portions of takjil, snacks prepared by SMKN9 students to break fast with, to passerby outside of school.

Aurelia Tan is currently teaching at SMKN 9 Padang, Sumatera Barat.