I still remember the day I first stepped into SMU. Where do I go? Who do I know? What if I don’t survive here? What if I have no friends? Worrying questions were ringing in my head, and fear of loneliness in this foreign land seemed to be plastered at the back of my mind.

Yet things have changed. I slowly found my way around and pushed myself to try new things. And along the way I joined SMUKI, a club that has been a huge part of my life since. And now, as I’m sitting here and looking back at what has passed by, I can safely say that SMUKI has transformed me the most since the day I arrived in SMU almost four years ago.

Friends and laughter. Responsibilities and fun. Cultural dances and music. And a little bit of tears and frustration. I had no idea all these would come after penning my name down on the sheet of paper at SMUKI booth at VIVACE 2006.

I have done things that I never thought I would even try. Having believed to be incapable of dancing all my life, I now find myself performing Saman dance at every opportunity possible. My new found passion to perform keeps growing and now I’m performing for GAYA (a SMUKI annual musical production) for the fourth consecutive time.

One might wonder what is so special about being part of GAYA. I can never pinpoint on a single thing, but I guess it is simply a combination of the love that I have for my country’s culture, the hard work and massive effort that everyone puts in together and the immense fun that comes just by simply being in each other’s presence that makes GAYA so addictive and very much close to my heart.

Serla Rusli - Final Year Double degree student

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