On a Monday morning, ETA Sam Chen got an impromptu call from a friend, who told him that the pickup basketball team he plays with (poorly) was planning on meeting up that afternoon to jalan-jalan. Excitedly, Sam agreed, and soon found himself jammed into a small car with some of the tallest men he knew. In the course of a single afternoon, they visited a mountaintop café, an old locomotive museum (they missed the last train), and a lakeside warung (restaurant) serving what Sam’s friends swear are the best fried snails in the province. Their last stop, though, proved to be the most meaningful: one of the women from the team was getting married, and invited all of her teammates to celebrate alongside her. Sam was honored to be included in the familial atmosphere of the event, and the camaraderie and conviviality of the day as a whole further affirmed his belief in the importance of finding friends and community wherever you are (thanks to SPORTS!).

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