To be A Tour Guide in 90 Seconds

The question is: "How??"

The answer is simple. Just meet these criteria:

1. First you must form a group consist of 2 males and 2 females.
2. At least one person in the group has adequate English conversation skill, a keen hearing, and knowledge and information about tourism object around the area.
3. All of them must have a good heart and sensible mind.
4. A chance to meet lost and stranded tourist(s).

Sounds impossible?? Then just read my experience, with my 3 of my friends of course.

At December 29th 2009, I, Cuco, Ira, and Nila planned to go to Braga Festival. We met at Cuco's boarding house around 8 p.m. Then we went to Braga Festival, and found two lost and stranded tourists. Because we met those criteria, eventually we became their tour guide.

End of story.

Not interesting enough?? So let me elaborate it, a little.

Actually it was me who found the tourists. When we went to Braga Festival, we pass the 2 tourists, and I, not deliberately, overheard their conversation with somebody on the street. In that couple seconds of the overheard conversation, I found that they are from Korea and they wanted to go to a spa. And then I informed the other three and we discussed among ourselves about what we should do and who should approach them in the first place. With no result from our discussion, I braced myself to approach them and asked them where they wanted to go. And so began the conversation between us with the tourists and the guide job. With non-fluent English, we could guide them to a cheap and nice accommodation, Braga Festival, Aroma Coffee Factory, Ciater, Saung Angklung Udjo, and Bandung Train Station successfully.

So what did we get from it??

I can't tell for the other, but for me it was a really splendid experience. To meet and to know somebody is really a God's gift to us. When received it, I can't describe how happy and excited I was.

Beside my excitement, I perceived that Bandung is still not ready to be a tourism destination. The most important problem is transportation, because Bandung still doesn't have a cheap, good, and unified transportation system. And there are several other problems, but I won't disclose those but the tariff discrimination between local and foreign tourist. I have known it for a long time, but before I met them, I just accept it without any consideration. I sensed that they felt they were cheated, just because they are foreign tourists. And then I asked myself, "Why is there tariff discrimination??" I can't find a good explanation. Then I asked some peoples, I can't find it either. And it was the same when I searched the Internet. If I were them, I would feel cheated too, then I wouldn't recommend Bandung or Indonesia as tourism destination and I wouldn't go to Bandung or Indonesia for a second time. So if there is no strong reason behind this tariff discrimination, I guess we should evaluate this tourism policy.

Now let's leave the problems and see the opposite side, the valuable thing from this experience. In my opinion, the most valuable thing is the meeting. After you meet someone, you could know that particular person, and making bond. I believe that this bond will guide myself to new chances, new opportunities, new experiences, new friends, new acquaintances, and millions others possibilities. So I will treasure the experience, the meeting, and the bond. And then hope for the good possibilities to come. We could dream right??

So.. if you meet those 4 criteria, don't hesitate to jump and help the tourist. If you have some doubt, imagine yourself become a lost and stranded tourist. Moreover, we, humans, are social creature, right?? So.. again, if you meet those 4 criteria, don't hesitate to jump and give a sincere help.