THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MISTAKE

I arrived in Sydney on November 3. My foster parents and their daughter picked me up at the airport. Husnul and I went straight home with Maree, the mother, while Jessica, the daughter and her father were still waiting for the others. Since she couldn’t sleep during the flight, Husnul went straight to bed as we arrived. She must have been very tired. I decided to have a shower. Maree explained to me that the shower door was broken and showed me how to use it. 

​I had my shower cheerfully. And, of course, I completely forgot about the broken door. I couldn’t open it after having the shower. It was so embarrassing considering that Maree has just explained that to me. She explained it to me with her perfect English. I was locked up in the shower for half an hour. I did not know what to do. I was to shy to call Maree and ask for her help. Husnul was asleep. Even if I could call them, they wouldn’t be able to help me open the door, because I locked it from the inside. Did not want to waste anymore time, I pushed myself out bit by bit. It was so hard to get my big body out, but I managed to do it. First lesson, I must listen carefully to what they say and ask question if I don’t understand. I clearly did not remember that Australian do not lock their bathroom door. If the door was closed, it meant that there is someone in it. 
 
On the third day, there were only Husnul, Muna and I at home. Jessica had to go to work. We were all confused because all the equipment in the kitchen using machine. But, we decided to try. We prepared all the ingredients needed. But, we did not know how to turn on the stove. We pressed all the buttons, none of them connected to the stove. Tired of trying, our eyes catched matches lying on the table. It turns out that the stove can only be turned on using matches. Oh my God, finally. We made a mess in the kitchen because none of us was good at cooking. We were just trying to cook and put the ingredients and spices together without knowing what was it for. We finished having a weird food with weird look and weird taste. There was no other choice besides eating what’s been cooked. Lesson learnt, we have to learn to cook well and try to find recipe on the 
internet.
 
We made mistake everyday due to our communication problem and our lack of understanding regarding their culture. One day, we were in a rush because we were trying to catch a ferry. Ferry was one of the transportation that we used oftenly to go to the city. If we didn’t catch this ferry we must wait for at least an hour for the next one. We took a garbage bag to throw on our way to the ferry station. But, we could not open the door to enter the garbage disposal place. Finally we scuttle back to the house taking the garbage back because we must rushed to 
Warf Chiswicktoget to the ferry on time.

Our next mistake was sitting on the seat that was especially for old people and disable people. We were so embarrassed to read the information on the wall. Slowly, we walked to the back of the ferry. 
 
We still managed to make another mistake. We did not know that in order to cross the street, we must push a traffic light button. We were just waited and waited for the cars to stop until someone came and pressed the button. We looked at each other and burst in laugh.
 
All the mistakes that we made have become a beauty in our life. We learned how to behave and to understand different culture. We know that we have to ask if we did not understand something to eliminate the possibility of making a mistake. 
 
 


Agustina
Alumni of YLC 
& Participant of 
Homestay Program in 
Australia