On November 30, ETA Jillian Castoro joined SMAN 2 Bukittinggi on a field to Batusangkar. Eight students with excellent English were invited to attend. The purpose of the trip was to make a vlog style video where the students explained the Minang Kabau culture and history to ETA Jillian. The vlog was filmed in English, as an activity to help the students practice speaking. Batusangkar is known for being a cultural hot spot of West Sumatra because it has a model of a Rumah Gadang. The Rumah Gadang is a replica of a house that the royal family used to live in. For the purpose of the video, the students requested that ETA Jillian dress in the traditional Minang Kabau marriage outfit. Originally, ETA Jillian reached for the blue dress, but the students immediately stopped her. They explained that because red, yellow and black are the Minang Kabau colors, she must wear one of these. ETA Jillian chose red because it is the most common. She enjoyed filming the video, because she learned a lot about the Minang Kabau history and the symbolism behind the Rumah Gadang. ETA Jillian and the students had a wonderful time conversing and walking around this beautiful historic model.
Jillian Castoro is currently teaching at SMAN 2 Bukittinggi, West Sumatra.
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