It’s the Little Things – Thoughts on #AgEd2Malaysia by Tessa Meyer

“In the sweetness of friendship, let there be laughter and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things, the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.” -Khalil Gibran

It’s easy to look back on a trip and only see the select few large moments; however, it is important to remember that it’s the tiny details that can change the entire vibe of the trip.

When we first landed, my dear friend Azira instantly walked up to me and took my suitcase. She refused to let me carry my baggage myself. She is probably about half a foot shorter than me at least, and the first thing I remember is her walking right up to me and looking up at me to offer a helping hand. This instilled a welcoming, loving tone instantly for the trip.

Looking back at pictures of everyone, I can still hear their laughs like they’re right next to me. Each moment we laughed together, the sound was engrained into my memory further. Seeing their smiles are contagious and still make me smile looking back at pictures.

I bonded with my host-sister through the game Batu Seremban even though she is still learning English. We worked through the language barrier and shared laughs as we tried to outcompete each other in a game of quick hands. She would laugh watching me struggle with the first three levels while she worked on the last three levels.

Ain would verify the spicy-level of food and ingredients before each meal to be sure I could eat whatever I put on my plate. She consistently asked if I was doing okay numerous times throughout the day. I told her she was my mom of the trip because she was always watching out for me. I will always remember the concerned look on her face each time she asked how I was doing.

When friends and family ask if I enjoyed the trip and why, the best phrase I can come up with to describe it is it’s a wonderful learning opportunity that separates you from all distractions of friends, family, and your routine to provide you the opportunity to really learn about another culture as well as yourself. You have no outer influence from opinions of those you respect and see regularly. You have space to let new people in to become a part of your family in life.

This trip was a wonderful opportunity I was fortunate enough to be able to be a part of. It allowed me the opportunity to fully immerse myself in another culture long enough to build lifelong friendships. I was able to learn more about myself as a student, future educator, and person in general. Without this trip, I wouldn’t have been able to collaborate with people who have the same passion as me from across the country and world. It’s eye-opening to be able to learn about how others share their passion for agriculture and what steps they take to educate others about the way we feed the world.

Ms. Tessa Meyer (@tessa_c_meyer) is a pre-service agricultural teacher candidate attending  Iowa State University (@AgEds_IaStateU) and is a graduate of Hawkeye Community College [IA] (@GALC_Hawkeye, @HawkeyeCollege).

Do you see what I see? Day 17

Take a moment and think about what you see in this picture:

It’s so easy to keep your head up and looking forward where you can see all the beauty of the world, but we need to keep in mind to look down every now and then, so we can see what reality is in the moment we are standing in.

In Malaysia, I would catch myself looking out into the distance at the mountains, ocean, and beautiful natural landscapes; however, occasionally, you will notice trash polluting the ground you are standing on or the water you are swimming in.

Our group stayed at Rose Cabin with a view of Mount Kinabalu on Thursday night. A few of us stole a few moments to walk through the trails to tour the wildlife and vegetable farms. One thing I noticed on our walk and on the parts of the drive to Rose Cabin and Sabah Tea Plantation was the amount of trash scattered across the ground.

Caring for our natural resources and really reflecting on our human impact on the one world. The one world we all share responsibility for. This is truly a global issue where evidence can be found in any nation in the world. We can reflect: What are we doing to be problem solvers and not problem makers?

We have witnessed where Malaysia is making strides. From using coconut shells for creative biodegradable hardscaping to teaching sustainable gardens in the national curriculum to hotel rooms that require your room key to run the electricity; thus, using fewer resources when there is no one in the room.

It’s important to keep in mind when you throw your trash onto the ground, you are affecting the homes of the animals we seek, the beauty of the land we admire, and the future places we want to last forever.

Even in landlocked areas such as Iowa, our trash affects our wildlife. Whether it be the habitats we see every day or the marine life in the Gulf of Mexico. Trash is light and will move. It makes its way from the ditches of the roads, into the creek, the rivers, and eventually the oceans.

Be conscious of your role in the environment.

Ms. Tessa Meyer (@tessa_c_meyer) is a pre-service agricultural teacher candidate attending  Iowa State University (@AgEds_IaStateU) and a graduate of Hawkeye Community College [IA] (@GALC_Hawkeye, @HawkeyeCollege).

4 Day Detox – Quick Observation from a Millennial Teacher Candidate!

You may have noticed the trend lately of people trying the latest “detox” and “cleanses” the last couple of years. They are meant to rid your body of anything that may be harming it or just not the best for it. Myself along with the 11 other U.S. participants just had a “detox” of our own…

We just spent four days without any wifi connection! (Keep in mind, we don’t have a cellular connection here like our 10 UTM friends.) Although we were all very worried about our Snapchat streaks being lost, not being able to check our social media, or check-in with family, this was one of the best experiences for us on this trip.

Our four-day detox of digital connection allowed us the opportunity to fully immerse ourselves in the Malaysian culture and to spend time with our host-families uninterrupted. It took away the distraction of being caught up in our digital lives and allowed us to fully utilize our senses to dive into our physical lives.

We’ve all been guilty of being present physically but not necessarily mentally. In today’s age, most of us have a tendency to subconsciously check our phones more often than necessary. The co-dependency of having our phones constantly attached to our hands has eliminated many of our abilities to be fully present in the moment. Hence, the detox we all just experienced! Not going to lie, I am one who definitely needed this experience to learn what it feels like to be fully connected to the world again! 

After spending the last four days fully focused on creating a stronger bond with our host-families and UTM friends, I would say our detox was a success! We all had the opportunity to reconnect with our family and friends tonight when we arrived back at Scholar’s Inn on UTM campus; however, we aren’t staying put long… On to our next adventure in Sabah! (We will have our wifi connection on our next adventure to keep y’all posted along the way.) 

 

Ms. Tessa Meyer (@tessa_c_meyer) is a pre-service agricultural teacher candidate attending  Iowa State University (@AgEds_IaStateU) and a graduate from Hawkeye Community College [IA] (@GALC_Hawkeye, @HawkeyeCollege)

 

Fish can climb trees? Day 5 Nature Adventure

Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.

-Albert Einstein

Ladies and gents: I’ve officially seen it all. Keep reading to learn about the crazy find we encountered today in our adventures! (Hint: it might have something to do with fish.)

Tanjun Piai National Park; Pontian, Johor:

Tanjun Piai, a National Park containing the southernmost tip of mainland Asia, is the home of one of two major areas for mangrove growth in Malaysia. Personally, I didn’t know anything about mangroves before today; however, I quickly understood the importance of them after our service-learning project. 

Mangroves protect the land from erosion by acting as a buffer for natural waves and waves created by boats. This especially proves to be of help when natural disasters like tsunamis take place; mangroves can help diminish some of the damage from this. They also have long, leggy, mangled roots that are excellent for catching rubbish that drifts in from the ocean. These trees also create a perfect place for biodiversity.

One of the most unique creatures I saw today: a mudskipper. This is a fish that has the ability to be out of water for a period of time, can crawl across land, and CLIMB A TREE. This to me is the equivalent of pigs being able to fly. It looks very similar to a tadpole and blends in very well with the mud. It definitely made me think fish stepped it up a notch with their abilities though!

 

Because mangroves are so beneficial, our crew had the opportunity to clean up a part of the mangrove forest picking up just over 100 kilograms of trash. We also had the opportunity to plant a mangrove tree each.

Photo by Jessica Weyer

Photo by Melanie Miller Foster

Pasar Malam Taman Universiti night market:

You know the wonderful smell of when you first walk up to the county fair from all the delicious fried food? The night market we visited in Johor Bahru tonight had that same instantaneous smell when you first arrive. Once you pass the first stand, you can start to pick up hints of fruits like Durian (not so pleasant smelling fruit). Go two stands farther in, and you’re hit with so many smells you are not sure where to start. The night market was full of life in one long, line that took over a long street in Johor Bahru.

 

Overall, today had a lot of new experiences for the group. Prior to today, only two students from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) had been to the national park and none of the U.S. participants had been to the night market. We had the opportunity to see what the wildlife of Malaysia looks like and sample some authentic, homemade foods from the market.

Overall, I today was a win.

 

Tessa Meyer (@tessa_c_meyer)

Iowa State University (@AgEds_IaStateU)

Hawkeye Community College (@GALC_Hawkeye, @HawkeyeCollege)

 

Pre-trip thoughts – 10 days out!

Although the thought of traveling halfway around the world is enough to scare a person back into their shell and and tuck their tails between their legs, it does nothing more than thrill me while bringing joy to my heart. I keep getting asked if the fear has set in yet, but I continue to provide the same answer: I am nothing less than ecstatic. If you ask me about my trip, be prepared for the giddiness of a 4-year-old with a brand-new toy and the antsiness of that same kid having to pee at the simultaneously.

The interesting part about this whole journey that led to me travelling to Malaysia, is this thought never would have crossed my mind as a senior in high school. As a senior in high school, I was graduating with plans of attending a different community college than Hawkeye Community College (HCC). However, after one year, I realized I was not on the right track schedule-wise and needed to be closer to my family until I was in a better mindset. In April, I decided to transfer to HCC.

After starting at HCC in the fall, I quickly found an opportunity to travel to Haiti with other agriculture students and two staff members. Fun fact: one of these staff members was actually my high school agriculture teacher. After our 8-day trip to Haiti, I quickly realized I had a strong desire to travel abroad very soon! Luckily, Meghan Bond, the staff from HCC who was my old high school advisor, sent me an email one day about a travel opportunity called #AgEd2Malaysia. Instantly, the idea of travelling to Malaysia intrigued me. That’s halfway around the world from Iowa!

After the news that I was going to be able to travel with the #AgEd2Malaysia crew, I began to do some research on the country. I quickly learned a few fun facts: there are over 70 species of snakes, over 400 species of spiders, a diverse array of food selections around the country, and a crazy, colorful, diverse cultures across the country.

As I sit here in my bed, 10 days away from flying out of Cedar Rapids to head to Malaysia, looking at my half-packed suitcase, I have so many questions running through my head: What will the feeling be like walking off of the plane? What will be the first thing I see when I walk out of the airport? What will the people I meet be like? How can I keep myself from standing out as much as possible? What does their fresh air smell like? Do their farms have that same fresh, rich smell? Will I be able to smell their soil like I can in Iowa? What are their classrooms like? How do their students act? Do their teachers and students have a good relationship?

While all of these thoughts run through my head, there is little room for fear of this adventure. All I feel is excitement and anticipation. I am anxious to learn about agriculture on the other side of the world, what a classroom is like on the other side of the world, and to learn about a country rich in history and diverse in culture.

 

T-10 days until I hop on a plane leading me to this next adventure.

T-12 days until I step foot onto the ground of a new, exciting country.

 

— Tessa