This month ETA Said Haji placed in South Kalimantan Banjarmasin decided to celebrate Chinese New Year with his students. Said was initially invited to one of his 12th-grade students home, but what was supposed to be a morning event ended up turning into an entire day of house hopping.

After completing at his first student’s house other students invited Said to accompany them to the homes of other Chinese Indonesian students. It was a day filled with gaining knowledge about the Chinese New Year, along with meeting the families of various students. At each different house, Said was presented with the kindness of his student’s family and was able to participate in the festivities of the holiday.

It was a particularly special moment to break bread with the various students, and their families while also getting to know them. Through these interactions with various families Said was able to share with students and their families about life in the US, while also learning about the Chinese New Year holiday.

Said Haji is currently teaching at SMAN 7 Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan.