This article was originally published in the New Straits Times

By Sharifah Arfah

Imagine life in a different culture, completely removed from your daily existence, and far away from familiar faces.

Student Thulaja Thessaa Vasudevan is one of the lucky 40 young Malaysians to trade her life as a city girl in the din of Kuala Lumpur for the peace and quiet of farm living in America when she participated in the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Programme (YES) recently.

Thulaja lived with a family in a farming community in Goldfield, Iowa, the United States from January to June this year under the project.

“Farm life is interesting. It’s quieter and simpler. My [host] dad loves his lorries and tractors. I learned about prairie burning and ways of fertilising the soil,” says the 18-year-old.

Now an A-Level student at HELP University in Damansara, Thulaja recalls spending her free time in Goldfield mingling with the locals as well as walking among rows of corn and soybean plantation.

“It’s interesting to see how different other peoples’ lives are and to be a part of it,” she adds.

More of Thulaja’s experience and that of other Malaysian students have been captured in Field Trip USA 2, a reality television series, which is now in its second season.

A collaboration between the United States Embassy and Yayasan Antarabudaya Malaysia, the show is hosted by actor Qi who visited the eight American states in which the students live with their [host] families.

The series stands out from other reality shows that are customarily entertainment-driven. Apart from being entertaining, it presents insights into what it would be like when people of different cultures meet and stay together.

Each episode, which lasts 30 minutes, highlights the activities of each student as he or she attends school, spends time with friends and takes part in various activities.

Field Trip USA 2 airs Wednesdays at 9.30pm on 8TV.

Original article