At the beginning of the month, ETA Sam Chen decided to join a group exercise class to try to dislodge some of the minyak (oil) from his blood vessels and dampen the horrible health implications of a year spent eating nothing but fried foods. To his surprise, not only did Sam find a good workout (he was drenched in sweat after ten minutes and the instructor politely asked him to bring his own sweat towel for the next class), but he found good friends as well.

Over the next few lessons, Sam enjoyed being surrounded by a crowd of adventure seekers who invited him on mountain runs, to post-class coffee, and even to the birthday party of his instructor’s baby daughter. The group had a photo-worthy moment when, on Valentine’s Day, they all inadvertently wore black to class. They called themselves the “Black Valentines,” and had a ton of fun getting fit! Sam is looking forward to spending the rest of his grant period working out alongside new friends.

Sam Chen is currently teaching at SMKN 7 Semarang, Central Java