PARE—The Starting Point & TEST

Kediri, East Java

I was wondering about a place where I can shoot two birds with one stone, a place where I can learn and travel at the same time. Suggested by some friends, my option goes to Pare—a sub-district known as  Kampung Inggris (English Village) which is located in Kediri, East Java. From Juanda airport I was picked up by a shuttle that I had booked. I found the agency number in one of the institution websites that I had looked up before. It costed me IDR 140,000 for four hour ride. The shuttle even took me around to find a place to stay. What a lucky passenger!

I arrived about 7 pm, it was drizzling. However it didn’t disturb people activities, along the main road little cafes and warung lied a part adored with their dim lights, many groups of young ladies and boys were riding on their bike, some were walked under the umbrella that they held on tightly. Meanwhile on their other hands, they were holding some books. As its name, Kampung Inggris, it offers various English classes started from basic to advanced level. It attracts a lot of students from all over Indonesia.

On my second day, I found a well fitted English Center that offered me what I need. It is called TEST English School (www.test-pare.com). It is a recent course center that was founded by two cheerful youth. However it has caught thousands of learners’ attention around Indonesia. I was a bit surprise to see the program outline, because the first class starts at 5 am. I am totally forced to be a sudden morning person. Pleasurably, I stay with three helpful girls in the dorm—Fathya, the Makasar Bugese, Silvia is from Padang and Lily from Menado. Those three Muslim girls are superbly inspiring. They came to Pare to improve their English, to make their dreams come true. In the near future they planned to apply for scholarship. In this learning center, I took TOEFL Camp. I was supposed to join this program for a month but I couldn’t make it due to tight work schedule in Lombok. I fitted myself in the second week of the program. It was short time but I had learned meaningful TOEFL techniques. TEST tutors had pushed me to meet my limit. Every day scoring starts at 5 a.m. It was super challenging to wake up early for a not morning person like me. However the thick and fun ambience learning made me miss TEST a lot. TEST provides various programs for its students, those varied from basic to advance. If you have a big dream to get higher Education abroad, come to Pare and I think TEST would be an institution that can take you to pick those up.

My days in Pare were not only filled by courses. In the week end, I travelled around Kediri with my classmate. I liked to bike around the nearest city or got becak to take me to see some candies and caves around. If you want to travel farther, you can take public transportation or find travel agency here. The living cost in Pare is much cheaper than in my hometown—Lombok Island. You can spend around IDR 500,000 for food and accommodation. To me Pare is not only a village to improve my English, it is also a starting point where I can figure out place to go a place where I met travel mates that I can share cost with and as well as made a new friendship.