Jangan Dibaca!

Tulisan dibuat tanggal 16 Juli lalu, tapi ngga berani di posting, takut ada yang baca (apalagi mahasiswaku, hi…). Tapi pas lagi browsing dan liat2 chatting anak2 muda yang lagi pacaran mesra di Internet, jadi gemes ama anak sekarang and kepikir kenapa saya nggak nulis something buat suami sendiri aja (kalo pacaran kan dosa tau, kalo buat suami kan gpp), masa kalah ama anak muda he..he…

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This year we have been married for 9 years, and I thank God I have a successful and happy marriage. My colleague, who is about to marry soon in his ‘old’ age, asked me the tips in managing our marriage. Then, I try to recall what makes me happy of ours (well, I have to make it systematically since I’m accustomed to this style of writing ^_^):

1. Understanding
Whenever I am feeling down, of course I like to have a shoulder to cry on. My husband sometimes provides his shoulder for me, but other times he just says to me, “Pull yourself together; stop feeling so sorry for yourself.” Not romantic, huh? But I guess that’s because he knows very well when I need someone to listen to me or when I just don’t need his advice. By this way, he eventually teaches  me to be a stronger woman.
2. Kindness
There is no need for him to buy me a huge present every week, because to him, to be generally kind costs nothing. He shows me some consideration, rides me to campus n picks me up from work, gives me a cuddle in bed; tell me he loves me and what a great mum I am. There are so many little things he does for me that show his caring to me.
3. Honesty
He’s honest to me, no cheating on me as let’s face it he would not want me to be unfaithful to him, too. There is no relationship without trust; therefore he ensures that I’m in no doubt that he’s one hundred percent mine.
Those are the main three things that I say about my husband. Actually, I try to write him a love letter to show him how grateful I am with our marriage (the idea is not 100% my original he he he), here it is:
Dearest Jo,
Several people have asked me about the nine year itch, because they think that after nine years, married couples start to feel constrained by their bonds of marriage. I just laugh, and I can honestly say I haven’t thought that ours is so constraining. While some friends say that the more years the more fights they have in their marriage, we just make ours more worthwhile each day.
Well, we know it from the start.  We have the goal of being together forever, happily.  We know that after we pass on, if we have lived worthily, hopefully our spirits will be bonded together eternally in the hereafter as man and wife.  We know that true happiness comes from sharing life’s experiences together, and because we know these things, we strive to achieve that eternal happiness.
Over the last year, our lives have started to settle into a sort of beautiful rhythm.   I appreciate knowing that we have a routine. It’s not boring to me.
I love you now more than when we were first married.  While that first year was tough, it seems so much smaller now than it did even last year.  I feel so free with you, so happy.  I can share with you my deepest thoughts, my loveliest desires, and know that you will hold them safe in your heart.
Those who have not experienced the joy of being married can perhaps never know the safety, security, and peace that come from knowing that both parties are totally committed to each other, no matter what happens.  No matter how sick you are, no matter how frustrated I might become with work, no matter how naughty our kids are, we stick together and see each other through every tough situation.  I love you for that and hope each day that I can show you a little bit of that love.
It’s easy to find you sexy because you are.  While some may laugh and say that it’s because we’ve been together so long, you give me goosey sometimes…and I love it.
You are my darling.  My fresh, exquisite, handsome, lazy-n-sleepy husband and I am grateful each morning when I wake up next to you.  Nine years or ninety, your love is my treasure and I’ll never throw that away.
I love you, and happy anniversary.
July 16, 2009
Your Jo.
I don’t know, we are both just different, but the three things I mentioned above has made us a solid partner (and you see our nicknames’ identical…halah, apa hubungannya ya?). May Allah  always bless our love forever, amiin…

Lebaran without Mudik

Tahun 2009 ini saya tidak pulkam, karena tahun kemarin sudah mudik. Saya termasuk golongan yang nggak fanatik sama mudik Lebaran, jika dihitung2 semenjak menikah 9 tahun lalu sd sekarang, saya baru 4x mudik. Mudik pertama itu tahun 2002, anak pertama baru usia 1 tahun dengan hasil dia diopname di RS Lavalette Malang karena diare dan ISPAnya kambuh. Semenjak itu saya janji nggak akan pulkam jika punya anak masih kecil. Mudik ke-2 yaitu tahun 2004, anak kedua masih umur 1 tahun tapi harus mudik juga karena selepas Lebaran saya harus nyusul suami  sekaligus pindah tugas baru ke Balikpapan. Alhamdulillah dia sehat2 saja (thank to ASI, too). Tahun 2005 saya pulkam pas acara pernikahan adik bungsu, sekalian nunggu panggilan pelantikan Widyaiswara saya di kampung halaman saya. Yang terjadi saat di bandara, anak pertama sakit sampai muntah-muntah, demam sampai 3 hari, adiknya juga kumat sakit giginya. Tahun kemaren, entah kenapa kami sekeluarga kepengen banget pulkam, jadi lsg saja beli tiket Gajayana PP untuk 4 orang. Tapi kami ngga berani sering keliling2 kota karena takut anak2 kecapekan dan sakit, terutama si kecil yang nomr 3 (wong tiket balik udah beli). So, mudik kemaren nggak banyak ceritanya deh.

Jadilah tahun ini kami tidak mudik ke Malang. Kalau dipikir2, mungkin ini yang terbaik buat kami. Anak2 masih bisa jalan2 ke Taman Mini atau Dufan jika bete di rumah mertua, terus yang jelas ongkos Lebaran juga lebih ngirit dibanding tahun lalu yang dihitung2 juga jadi lebih dari 2x gaji. Meski ngga mudik, Lebaran kan identik dengan pengeluaran ekstra: ZIS buat semua orang di rumah termasuk pembantu, THR pembantu 3 orang plus 1 orang ojek langganan kami, THR ortu, parsel lebaran, angpao ponakan2, uang jalan2, belum printil2 tak terduga lainnya mesti disiapkan. Alhamdulillah rejeki Lebaran ada saja meskipun kami PNS ngga dapat THR.

So, buat yang ngga mudik, nikmatilah Jakarta yang ngga macet (luar biasa deh…dari Pondok Aren ke Ponodk Bambu cuma 30 menit, coba kalau hari biasa…). Selamat menuntaskan semua amalan Ramadhan dengan sebaik2nya dan Selamat Idul Fitri 1430 H. Semoga Allah mengampuni dosa2 kita dan menerima segala ibadah dan amalan kita, amiiin…

Teaching at STAN (Again)

This semester, I got 4 classes to teach at STAN. I have already asked for a break at leat two semesters to focus on my thesis and office work at Pusdiklat Keuangan Umum; still, STAN put me in their list this semester. It’s such a big burden again for me, yet I’ll take that since I do love teaching. It is a legitimate skill like those in any other profession, so I have to be professional. I have to show everyone that I have the skills training, experience, compassion and commitment to make my students successful. Another reason is that I really love to facilitate and nurture the intellectual growth of my students, so that in turn, they are inspired to learn and motivated to achieve mastery of the subject that I teach.

So, my plan this semester, I have to ask a TA to help me handle my class in case I am not able to come to class. An assistant can also help me to improve my syllabus and evaluate my  teaching process in class. This will cost me extra money, but I doesn’t really matter. I gain enthusiasm by doing things the way I like it to be.

Teaching is by no means an easy task. But it is also fascinating challenge because it really isn’t about teaching at all.  It’s about learning — there’s another person involved in all of this. So, okay, I will teach four classes again this semester.

So,

Mangan Opo ndik Malang? A Culinary Directory

This October, I will return to my hometown, Malang (also famous as Paris van East Java). My hometown is so beautiful: its varied geography provides a wealth of leisure activities, visit to serene water dam and waterfalls, to know the ancient history foundings, make a fascinating day trips. I’m so excited about returning home, for I plan to trace back my culinary adventure in my lovely town.

Here I will share you all recommendations of what and where to eat in Malang: from light snack to full meal… The list is arranged according to my preference from the most to the least. Anyway, I’d like to thank my net pals, Fahroe and Pipiw: they have been great sources of information. I believe that this post might not be very complete or accurate, since it’s been 3 years for me to leave Malang. Hopefully, someone will inform me if there are some changes or further information.

Wait, before we move on, you may check out some special terms below (in case you are not familiar with them). This post is trilingual: my language is a mix between boso Malang, Bahasa, and English. So, deloken, Jes!

Arema= acronym of Arek Malang, means Malang people (especially the young)

Gang = alley

Goreng = fried

Kecambah = grean been sprouts

Kecap = black soybean sauce

Kukus = steamed

Lontong = rice cake (made from rice wrapped in banana leaves and boiled for hours)

Nasi = steamed rice

Pasar = traditional market

Perempatan/Prapatan = junctions

Pertigaan = T-junction

Petis = shrimp paste (black paste)

Pikulan = a street vendor that carry (mikul) his selling on his shoulders

Pojokan = the corner of

Pujasera = food court

Rombong = street vendor that push a rombong (booth) while selling his product

Sambal = chilli paste

Sego = nasi; steamed rice

Warung = canteen/cafeteria serving local menu

NOW, HERE WE GO….

I. Bakso

It’s the trademark of Malang. Arema calls it OSKAB

Details: a soup containing penthol (meat ball) with its variation: goreng, halus, kasar, telor; tahu (tofu), somay goreng or kukus , mie (noodle), jeroan sapi (beef liver), vermicelli. Served with daun bawang, fried onion, tomato and chilli sauce, soybean sauce.
Location : Bantaran, Lowokwaru, Glintung, Kemirahan in front of Gang, belakang Mitra II (this is my favourite “Bakso President”), pertigaan pasar Halmahera, Gajayana, etc. There are also rombong2 that sell them in housing areas.

II. Kripik Tempe

Details: fried chips from tempe.

Location: The most famous is Tempe Sanan at Jalan Sanan; Toko Ardani Jl. JA Suprapto

III. Tahu Campur

Details: The soup is like soto (yellow) with extra bumbu petis, served with daging otot (beef tendon),fried tahu (tofu), menyok (mashed cassava), sayur slada, kecambah , suun (vermicelli), krupuk, and hot spicy sambal. Huh-hah! Mbrebes mili…

IV. Rujak Petis ( Rujak Cingur)
Details : Sliced fruits (cucumber, pineapple, bengkoang) + boiled vegetables (kangkoong, kecambah, gobis(cabbage), kacang panjang/long peanuts), tahu, menjes, & tempe goreng, cingur sapi (beef mouth) served with peanut sauce + petis udang.

Location : Almost all kampung, Jalan Amprong, Jalan Lawu (pindah Sawojajar) Tenes Stadion Rujak Manis and Es Degan Stadion and Primagama Jalan Semeru, Stasiun Kota, Warung Pojok in front of BTC Pajajaran

V. Tahu Petis and Telor Tahu

Details: tofu, scrambled egg, kecambah, lontong, krupuk served with peanut sauce and petis

Location : near SMAN 5 (evening), perempatan Kasin in front of Sego Resek and Gang next to Sinar Brawijaya (in front of Kapal Teknik Unibraw)

VI. Warkop & Ketan

Details: ketan (steamed glutinous rice served with shredded peanut and sugar palm syrup), hot coffee/tea/ginger ale.
Location : perempatan Rampal – SKI, perempatan Kauman in front of RSB Muhammadiyah, Talun Gang next to billiard pool.

VII. CATEGORY: NASI

1/ Sego Campur Buk (Buk refers to ‘ibu’ in Arodam/Madurese)

Details : nasi sayur lodeh, paru goreng, jeroan, ayam, empal
Location : Next to Brantas Gas Sation; Pertokoan Stasiun Kota; Kidul Dalem, in front of Saguanto; Pasar Kebalen ; Pasar Besar

2/ Sego Goreng and Mie Jowo, Sego Resek
Details : nasi goreng putih / mawut, mie goreng / rebus.
Location : Pojokan perempatan Kasin next to bengkel Vespa, Pojokan perempatan Merapi – Buring (RRI Lama); perempatan Pattimura and gedung WISH / BTC, Gang in front of Soto Lonceng Wetan Pasar; Pak Wulan Klampok Kasri; Nasi Goreng Kambing Pedes in kampung Klampok Kasri

3/ Sego Campur Korak and Nasi Bebek

Details : sayur lodeh, bening, sop, kecambah, lauk tempe or tahu plus krupuk; accompanied by teh pait (black tea). The pakan (rice) bebek is nasi lauk pecel and gorengan weci
Location : pojokan pertigaan turunan Bendungan Sutami – IKIP lewat Ambarawa, gang2 kecil at IKIP jalan Surabaya and Jombang, gang Kerto2an in IAIN area and Unibraw, in front of Kelud, in front of Pasar Bareng, pertigaan jalan Jakarta – Ijen (nasi bebek is especially open in the evening)

4/ Nasi Orem-orem
Details : sayur tempe orem2 (sayur kunir), krupuk, lontong or nasi.
Location : in front of pasar Kebalen, rel kereta Boldi, Pertukangan in front of Bioskop Jaya. If you are lucky, you can find the street vendors (rombong) at Dinoyo, Gajayana and Veteran.

5/ SGPC alias Sego Pecel or LECEP

Details: It’s Javanese salad: boiled vegetables (turi, cambah, kenikir, bayam, kacang panjang, kobis dll) served with peanut sauce and rempeyek. Other accompaniments can be tempe orek, mendhol, bakwan jagung,  and serundeng. There are many versions of pecel: Malang, Blitar, Madiun, Ponorogo, Tulungagung.

Location:Jalan Gede (Dempo), Jalan Rajekwesi, Jalan Kawi , Jalan Letjen S. Parman near Wijaya Kusuma and Dinoyo (in front of pasar), Jalan Bendungan Sutami in front of Pom Bensin / Unmuh Kampus II, Pasar Mergan, Jl. Puntodewo (after SKI-Kalimosodo)

6/ Sego Trancam Nasi served with sayur lodeh tahu, urap2, lamtoro . Sometimes called seglo slametan or sego kuburan (meals for death ceremony).
Location : di pasar2, Kasin next to Sego Resek

7/ Nasi Pecel Lele

Details: Pecel Lele means nasi with Fried Ikan Lele served with sambal trasi and lalapan (raw vegetables: lettuce, cucumber, cabbage)

Location: Warung Citra Kawi and Soekarno Hatta, Kampung Klaseman (morning only), In front of Perbankan Unmer (evening)

8/ Nasi Gurami Goreng and Bakar at Pujasera2 and Natural Resto found at Kebon Agung

9/ Tempe Penyet Kuburan Kasin, many warung around Malang

10/ Warung Nasi Aneka Menu / Restaurant

Top names: Marhaen; Nyik Sun; Warung Lama H. Ridwan, Panglima Sudirman; Lesehan Stadion, Citra, Hok Lay; Toko Oen; Ringin Asri; Warung Bu Haji AREMA (with Javanese using AREMA naming for the meal n beverages) at perempatan Kidul Dalem

VIII. CATEGORY : JAJAN and KUE

1/ Jajan Gorengan

Details : Rich variety of fried snacks and cookies: pohong (cassava), tela (sweet potato), tempe menjes, tahu brontak, weci, tape, bakwan, kokam, gandoz, ketan jadah, tape ketan hitam, tahu petis, getas ketan, perut ayam, etc.
Location : Gorengan can be found almost everywhere in Malang, especially at traditional markets. My favorites are Pasar Bunul and Pasar Besar, Gang Jalan Gajayana next to Salon Didiet, Kaliurang, Perempatan rel kereta Ciliwung

2/ Jajan Pasar
It is the traditional delight served with shredded coconut and syrup of palm sugar. Details : putu, lopis, cenil, klepon, gatot, sawut, horok2, ketan item-putih

Location : Gang In front of Dunkin Donat Celaket, pasar pagi and malam, Pasar Bunul, Pasar Besar.

3/ Martabak and Terang Bulan Lokal
Details : martabak telor, terang bulan
Location : Pasar Senggol, Kelud, Martabak Dinoyo in front of Soto Kudus, Bang Sohel Tongan, Kairo pertigaan (T-junction) Kauman, Agung pertokoaan in front of Mitra Dept Store, Perempatan ITN

IX. SOTO-SOTOAN:

1/ Soto Dok Soto daging Lamongan

Dok means the sound of ketchup bottle dibanting dengan keras ‘DOK’ bunyinya sehingga dijuluki murah meriah + kaget !
Details : soto daging, jeroan sapi, perkedel kentang and teh manis legit.
Location : It was near Bioskop President Jl. Sarangan, now it moves to pojokan in front of GOR Pulosari and Pasar Tawangmangu

2/ Soto Babon Khas

It’s like other soto in Malang, except for the chicken is from Babon meat. Babon means a fat, female chicken.

Location : Pasar besi tua Bentoel Lama

3/ Soto Ayam lamongan Oro2 Dowo and di Tlogomas, Khas Jalan Lombok and near STIA Tlogomas spesial pake koyah (soybean powder)

4/ Soto Kambing (Ngelo) It’s soto daging and jeroan kambing with koyah and lontong. The soup contains much fat (gajih)
Location : atround Kampus III Unmuh Tlogomas (Terminal Landungsari)

5/ Soto Shampo . It’s like Soto Lombok, but the taste is more spicy.
Location : a warung at perempatan Lapangan Shampo (Angkatan Laut near SMAN 5) (awas suka antri and habis sebelum jam 11 malem)

X. CATEGORY: BEVERAGES

1/ Wedang Ronde and Angsle

Ronde is a bowl of hot gingerale with roasted peanut and klepon ; Angsle is sweet kuah santan penuh bumbu and bread cut into kotak2.
Location : there are many phikulan or rombong around housing area

2/ STMJ Hot milk, eggyolk, honey, and ginger (sometimes plus ginseng and other herbs)

Location : STJM is always sold at evening time. Jl. Trunojoyo (Pak Sentot), Jalan Kawi, Bareng near Jalan Semangka, Jalan Surabaya, Pujasera Pulosari. The sellers usually sell Roasted Corn and Toast (Jagung & Roti Bakar).

3/ Es Selon

Details: this is actually Es Campur: a bowl of fruit cocktail (blewah, nanas, melon, alpukat, tomat) with milk and syrup plus kolang-kaling, cincau, agar-agar, rumput laut. I used to have it at Lapangan Rampal , Pasar Bunul, or Jalan Muharto, but it can be found almost everywhere in Malang.

XI. CATEGORY: CHICKEN MENU

Chicken is not only the main ingredient for Soto. There are many variations of chicken dishes:

1/ Sate Ayam ARODAM . Sate Medhure or ETAS KITIP are available everywhere in Malang.

2/ Ayam Bakar Pak No Pom Bensin Kasin Sawahan and sejumlah tempat lainnya

3/ Ayam Goreng

Details: Fried chicken menu. The famous names are Ayam Goreng Pemuda, Ayam Tenes, Ayam Prambanan.

Location : In front of Perbankan Unmer, Jalan Galunggung in front of Gading Pesantren and di Pujasera2.

XII. Rawon Jahat Kawi Atas masuk Bareng, Nguling, Warung Perempatan Muharto

XIII. Bang Sohel Tongan Sate Gule and Etas Mbik diberbagai pelosok kota

XIV. Pujasera DEMPO, Bondowoso, Pulosari, Soekarno Hatta, Kawi, Bengawan Solo (Sanan / Purwantoro jalan logam2)

XV. Cantonese Cuisine and Sea Food

1/. Cwimie or Mie Pangsit
Location : Belakang SMA Dempo, Pujasera Pulosari, jalan naik Tanjung – Mergan, Isor Uwit in front of Pasar Oro2 Dowo, Mie Gloria in front of Plasa Malang, Mie Gajah Mada Pecinan next to Rahman Sports

2/ Seafood Location: in every Pujasera; jomplangan Ciliwung

3/ Duk-Duk Chinese Food (Duk-Duk means the sound of kentongan by the street vendors when they wander around Malang to sell their meals)

Details : ala chinese food nasi goreng, mie rebus or goreng, fu yung hai, cap cay, tamie goreng, ayam mentega, nasi mawut, mihun dll.

Location : in front of Bank Bali jalan Semeru, gerbang UNMER, pertigaan jalan Jakarta – Ijen; every housing residences and kost2an (boarding house for students)

XVI. CATEGORY: OLEH-OLEH

Besides tempe Malang, you can try other special OLE2 from Malang:

1/ Kue dollar It’s crepes shaped like coins; It has many variations: plain, banana, chocolate, sesame (wijen), etc. Available at Sukun area.

2/Kripik buah (fruit chips) It’s amazing that many fruits can be converted to chips, like pineapple, strawberry, jackfruit, apple, etc. My favorite is made by Kusuma Agro Wisata.

3/Kripik Bakso I usually buy kripik bakso at any outlets of Bakso President (di Mitra I or behind Mitra II building), Bakso Kota Cak Man.

Well, that’s all that I still remember about the food and beverages in Malang. I think there will be more to hunt in Malang (especially after 3 years of leaving the town). Wadooh, selak moleh, Ker! Kuangeen puool!!!

Where is Our Nationality?

Baru saja saya dapat pemberitahuan dari Panitia Peringatan 17 Agustus di kompleks perumahan saya. Yang mengejutkan adalah penarikan iuran sejumlah Rp.150.00,00 untuk semua aktivitas peringatan dalam satu hari, dan yang lebih mengagetkan adalah susunan acara yang sudah disepakati warga (saya kebetulan tidak bisa datang pada malam rapat itu karena sedang mengajar di LPMP Pasar Minggu). Acaranya yang membuat saya miris: lomba joget, suap-suapan pisang, panggung gembira, pokoknya menurut saya banyak unsur kekonyolan dan hura-hura. Masih mending jika ada lomba atau adu ketangkasan dan ketrampilan, misalnya pertandingan olahraga atau lomba menghias tumpeng, lha makan pisang??

Seperti inikah cara kita memperingati kemerdekaan bangsa yang diperjuangkan dengan darah dan harta para pejuang kita? Saya merasa akhir-akhir ini bangsa kita semakin jauh dari rasa kebangsaan. Saya pikir ada beberapa faktor penyebabnya:

1. Pendidikan

Pendidikan sejarah terutama tidak mengakar pada generasi muda kita. Banyak mahasiswa saya jika diminta menyebutkan lima belas saja nama pahlawan kemerdekaan kita, belum dapat sepuluh nama sudah meringis. Juga pendidikan ahlak, budi pekerti, maupun agama yang kurang membekas pada diri kita. Sebagai orang berbudi, tentu kita malu untuk melakukan hal yang tidak berguna, sia-sia, ataupun malah merendahkan martabat kita. Melakukan kekonyolan sama saja membuat kita kelihatan bodoh, bapak-ibu guru kita tentu tidak mengajarkan yang seperti itu kan?

2. Kepemimpinan Nasional

Bangsa kita memang sedang mengalami krisis kepemimpinan. Politik kita yang amburadul, ekonomi kita semakin mengarah ke liberalisme dan kapitalisme, banyak terjadi kekerasan dan pelanggaran hukum yang tidak dituntaskan dengan adil, dan terlebih lagi semakin dipaksanya kita untuk menerima nilai-nilai universal (karena alasan globalisasi) tetapi malah mengatasi nilai-nilai nasional kita. Dimana pemimpin kita?

3. Kepribadian dan Wawasan Nasional

Bangsa Indonesia dahulu terkenal dengan sifat-sifat yang luhur, salah satunya yaitu perikemanusiaan. Kita cinta segala yang memanusiakan bangsa kita. Tetapi belakangan ini rasa bangga dan cinta tanah air mulai meluntur. Satu hal lagi , secara verbal saja kita mengakui Ketuhanan YME, tetapi pada prakteknya kita takut melawan kemusyrikan, pembodohan, dan pelemahan. Where is our sense of pride as Indonesian?

Saya dalam mendidik anak tidak cuma membuali mereka dengan pelajaran sekolah yang kurang di-update dengan situasi sekarang. Misalnya saya katakan pada mereka bahwa tanah air kita luas dari Sabang sampai Merauke, tetapi setiap hari batas wilayah kita dicaplok oleh negara tetangga. Bumi kita kaya tetapi sumber mineral kita sebagian besar dikelola atau dikuasai asing. Jumlah penduduk kita banyak tetapi banyak juga yang tidak mengenyam pendidikan, menjadi pengangguran, atau mengalami gizi buruk. Apa yang saya tanamkan pada mereka membuat mereka (yang notabene masih kecil-kecil) jadi berpikir dan sedikit memunculkan rasa keprihatinan nasional mereka. Bagaimana Anda mendidik putra-putri Anda?

Ditulis untuk mengingatkan generasi kita betapa mundurnya kita belakangan ini.

My Kids Hate Math

I cannot force my children to love math, but I always tell them that everyday they use math without being aware of it, such as for managing their time, calculating their money, memorizing phone numbers, estimating weight, and so on. However, I inform them, too, that careers in the future are all not math-intensive, such as career in psychology, music, law, politics, etc. That doesn’t mean that there is no math at all in those fields; therefore, I told my kids that they have to master at least basic math for practice in the real world.

Another Love Story

It was early on a sunday morn. The sunlight shown brightly and as it broke through my bedroom curtain, it made my face very warm. The morning’s air smelled fresh as it blew about my room. When I sat up and raised my arms high over my head, I could feel the cool sheets under me and could hear the birds chirping and singing outside my window.
I sat down on my bed again. Suddenly I remembered someone. As I stared off the ceiling, flashbacks of fifteen-year-ago memories came back to me: Sundays had been wonderful times for me and him. He and I spent much of our Sunday together, and during that year we became closer to each other than we were before.
He and I had known each other most of our lives, but we did not really know one another until that year. He gave me a birthday present, something that he never did before. He says he remembers me when I was a baby. I remember how we always played together since then and how I loved every minute of it.
I daydreamed about the walks we had taken and the thinking of the talks we had. I remembered the time we played ball in a rainstorm, and we laughed along with the rain coming down harder and harder each moment. It was our little world, how I enjoyed it so much!
He is handsome in my eyes. His face always had a hard look, as though he had a tough life. I liked his eyes the best. They were a deep, dark brown, and when I look into them, I could see his love for me. He had a tall slender body, but it was solid as concrete. His muscles showed through his light-colored shirt, making him look strong. I always remember how tall and proud he walked, he was my idol.
I felt numb when a year later he died in Bangil. My family told me that he was suffering from hipertension for years, but the time he died there was no real suffering because he died in his sleep.
My cell-phone rang, and I heard my cousin’s voice “Are you ready for tonight? We must go to Seribu Hari in Bangil. I’ll pick you up at 9 then”. Of course I remember it, I had the invitation this moment on my pillow. It was written the name of the man I daydreamed just now: Raden Ngabehi Sabadiman Djojoprakto.
But that did not mean much to me because I never did call him by his name. I just called him Grandpa.

The Negative Impact of the Internet

This is actually my paragraph-writing assigment:

The Internet can have negative effects on children. First, it can make children have less social contact. Children who find the enjoyment of the Internet usually ignore the people surrounding them: family, peers, and so on. When they are very absorbed in the computer, nobody can disturb them. Especially when the Internet makes them feel self-sufficient in obtaining information on their own, they do not really need to rely on the teachers, parents, friends, etc. Second, the Internet gives easier access to to pornography and violence. Children can downloand games from the Internet, but some games contain violence and pornography, for example the game Mortal Kombat II which I rate as “mature” contains animated blood, gore, brutal fights, and sexual contact. In my view, excessive playing of this violent game can increase aggressive behavior in children. The third and final reason, the Internet indirectly can have negative impact to the body. For example, the long hours of surfing the net makes children stare at the computer screen for long. This can cause eye strains, or sometimes short-sighted vision. Another example, slouching in front of computer will also affect the body posture. If this happens very frequently, children can be “hunchback”, not sturdy, and this is not good for bone growth. In sum, despite its advantages of providing better means of communication, the Internet can actually give us such bad things as less social interaction, easier gates to violence and pornography, and worse physical condition.

Uhamka?

Saya memilih kuliah di Magister Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris Uhamka karena beberapa alasan. Pertama, sudah saatnya kembali kuliah setelah meninggalkan kampus Unair tahun 1995. Tiga belas tahun lewat, cukup membuat otak saya jadi agak karatan. Kedua, praktis: karena dekat kantor saya di Jl. Purnawarman No.99 Kebayoran Baru, jadi naik bajaj cuma 10 ribu saja. Terlebih hari Jumat, selesai kuliah sekitar jam 17.30 saya harus segera kembali ke kantor untuk setor jari absensi pulang. Ketiga, tentu karena sesuai dengan spesialisasi saya sebagai widyaiswara bahasa inggris, jadi tentu jurusan yang dipilih harus sesuai supaya dapat angka kredit juga. Lumayan juga dapat KUM 50 poin, bisa cepat naik pangkat…
Banyak hal yang saya alami sejak bergabung dengan Uhamka. Dulu saya kira kuliah di Muhammadiyah bisa santai (kakak saya alumni UMM, kuliah santai, lulus IPK bisa 2,7 juga), apalagi background saya juga Sastra Inggris. Tetapi karena pengajarnya semua Profesor dan Doktor, ternyata nggak asal-asalan mengajar, dan kami tentu dituntut untuk bisa mengikuti dengan baik. Prof Hadjid hobi sekali memberi kuis, tapi sering diberitahu jawabannya juga karena beliau sangat pengertian kami tidak bakal sempat membaca semua buku literaturnya yang bejibun banyaknya. Pak Gunawan dengan homeworks dan assigment rutinnya, meskipun berat tetapi sangat ampuh meningkatkan kemampuan academic writing kami. Belum lagi Ms. Itje yang selalu membuat sport jantung dengan impropmtu speaking-nya, anyway… I love her teaching style. Learning by doing…membuat saya semangat datang ke kelas beliau. Pokoknya, no weekends without papers and assigment: thanks to Pak Mu’ti dan Prof. Aminuddin, tugasnya tidak banyak tetapi sekali dapat bikin puyeng juga. Saya juga suka ICT class by Mr. Hartoyo, membuat saya jadi bersemangat untuk menulis dan mempublikasikannya (meskipun untuk personal use saja). Yang jelas ada satu hal lagi: my budget for books is sky-rocketed! Tiada hari tanpa beli buku atau fotocopy. Setelah studi mungkin saya akan buka perpustakaan umum saja.
Anyway, saya beruntung menemukan komunitas baru yang sangat kompak dan supportive di angkatan 3 ini. Teman-teman saya selalu membuat suasana yang segar ditengah kesuntukan kuliah akhir pekan. Ada Mr. Rus yang lucu, Mr. Furqon yang gokil, Ms. Steffie yang kocak tapi bisa galak juga, Pak Captain yang baik, too many to mention. All in all, I really enjoy my study at Uhamka! * = *