In late August, the principal of Stella Maris called all the teachers in school together for a big announcement. The Tourism Ministry in Jakarta had selected Stella Maris for an exciting opportunity to welcome foreign guests of honor. A traditional Manggarai song and dance teacher came to school and began pulling students out of classes to practice. The performance was scheduled for September 7th.

On September 6th, 300 students greeted ETA Andrew Shifren and told him he would be a “mock guest.” Surrounded by students and teachers, he watched the traditional coconut dance and was taught how to do a dance involving bamboo poles. He stumbled a few times, causing uproarious laughter from the crowd.

The next day he greeted the guests from countries all around the world and helped welcome them as a part of the Stella Maris community. The highlight of the day was participating in Caci, a Manggarai ceremonial fight involving dancing and buffalo hide weapons. Seeing how proud the students were to display their cultural traditions was amazing. After the guests left, the entire school joined in a dance party.

Andrew Shifren is currently teaching at SMK Stella Maris Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara