This month, ETA Jam Sulahry decided that it was going to be a new year where he took the time to be hyper-intentional about the local community around him. For example, instead of taking a traditional ojek (motorcycle) around the city, he would walk anywhere under 1.5 kilometers and stop by anything that looked different or out of his comfort zone. Jam would not let the heat of the day stifle his journey to understand the culture better.

One of the most memorable moments for Jam was speaking to fruit vendors about their inspiration in selling fruit. An hour conversation ensued about agriculture in Indonesia versus agriculture in the USA. Jam had spent some time working on farms in rural North Carolina and used it as a foundation to empathize and connect with the fruit vendors. However, conversation quickly moved to family, goals, and aspirations. Jam enjoyed being able to share anecdotes about the different cultures, but at the same time highlight the similarities between two completely different people. Jam will continue to choose walking for the foreseeable future.

Jam Sulahry is currently teaching at SMAN 15 Padang, West Sumatra