Living in an unfamiliar country is like learning how to ride a bike; luckily for Emha “Fudhol” Ismaulidin, learning to ride a bike is one of his first experiences in Neenah.

Wearing his Neenah cross-country hoodie, Ismaulidin describes his experiences with the cold weather in Wisconsin.

“The races at Fond du Lac are cold and breezy, and that’s just normal to people here.”

In contrast, Ismaulidin is accustomed to the warm, tropical climate of Indonesia; ironically, he is excited to see Wisconsin’s first snow.

Ismaulidin mentions two of his favorite things about Neenah: the cold, fresh air, and the exceeded expectation of how polite people are. He is pleasantly surprised when people hold the door open for him and appreciates the general friendliness of Neenah’s residents.

Ismaulidin is also intrigued by the dairy-centered diet for which Wisconsin is known, from the ice cream to the cheese curds. His favorite foods here in Wisconsin are chicken wings from Mai’s Deli, donuts from Kwik Trip and cream puffs.

Some of Ismaulidin’s favorite activities are learning new things on the computer and playing guitar. He also enjoys shooting photos using his digital camera and tripod to pursue his interest in photojournalism. Ismaulidin says when the cross country season is over, he plans to join the Satellite.

As an ambassador of Indonesia, Ismaulidin describes semesters where 14 different subjects are studied in daily rotations, unlike Neenah’s constant seven. He describes the change as “180° different.”

Ismaulidin has no idea what he plans to do for college, which is the reason he is participating in the exchange program. He can experience new things and figure out what he enjoys.

Overall, Ismaulidin is enjoying his time here in Neenah and hopes to learn from a snowstorm of new experiences. 

Works Cited

Ismaulidin, Emha. Personal interview. 16 Oct. 2018.