On September 18th, ETA Robert Valero kicked off the year’s first English Language Club meeting over Google Meet with students from his school, SMA Santo Paulus Pontianak. The meeting started off with introductions from the club members, sharing their backgrounds, their reasons for joining English Club, and the topics and themes they would like to explore throughout the year. They expressed strong interest in developing their conversation skills and in learning about how Americans celebrate different holidays.

Robert then introduced himself, the Fulbright Program, and a few fun facts about the United States. He also talked to the students about the culture in Wisconsin, his home state. The students were especially curious about its culinary staples, like fried cheese curds, brats (short for bratwurst, a type of sausage), and Friday fish fries. Afterwards, the meeting concluded with a Q&A session followed by time for casual conversation practice. Robert looks forward to continuous cultural exchange through the English Language Club.

Robert Valero is currently teaching at SMA Santo Paulus Pontianak, Kalimantan Barat.