May 4 2011

Catching with you again journal!

I’ve been busy lately so I am sorry to only care about you when the semester break or Christmas break comes. I’ve passed my fourth semester in ED and so far all is pretty good. I’ve got experience( although it seems not to be as much as my other friends), I’ve got new friends, I’ve got things I’ll say new. and I’ve got knowledge.

It’s not yet 2 P.M and I haven’t even been able to close my eyes. They were like sticky a couple of hours ago, but now I am super awake. It feels like I’ve just drunk a huge mug of coffee to quench my thirst though I clearly didn’t didn’t drink any cup of coffee today. Something felt like waking me up until I am writing down words on this daily journal. I don’t know why I suddenly woke up in this quite freezing midnight. I am not a type of waking up In the midnight and not being able to go back to sleep.

I then did some thinking for a little while(people may call this contemplating), and I guess rather than doing nothing in the midnight, it would be better and wiser for me to do put down words on this worksheet. This is a very good way to kill time anyways.

What to write, what to write what to write…….

AHA!

This would begin this daily journal perfectly. A little something people name introduction. Not an introduction to literature or linguistic(my courses name) I’ve passed successfully, but it’s a little something to smoothen this journal. (Oh..please stop the BASA-BASI.)

My grades for this semester have almost all showed up on SIASAT , and they are really not making me upset or anything. They are almost all delightful and perfect!( all grades are A, but one AB for TEFL) it’s not that I am not feel satisfied with what I’ve achieved now as I did work hard to get them real. I realize I did more things to get such grades than other people. I am grateful, yes I am, but I guess I lack of something that apparently other people do not. You might want to be wondering what is that I don’t feel satisfied with, no?

I don’t think you need to know about this…,but let me think.. I, honest to God, just like to keep it personally. It’s just for me.

I think, everything around my life is changing. I feel it. Things that used to be fun filled for me, now no longer seem like it used to be. Everything that used to get you happy can’t do get you happy again right now .How shall I put this delicately? Um…. It’s harsh to say that I am starting to feel that this life is kind of tasteless? Life used to be sweet, but I don’t feel any sweetness now.

Why? I’ve been asking this all the time.

Old Historical Edifices in Salatiga Will be and have been Demolished?

Salatiga dwellers have gotten used to living adjacently with the old historical colonial edifices in this small mountainous cool town, so apparently it is hard to make us think of Salatiga without the image of its historical old edifices that have been inherited by The Dutch colony for more than 350 years coming to show up in our mind. It is truly lovely to life our lives in this city surrounded by many old historical edifices.

Have you heard the recently released issue and as well as the fact that in some spots of Salatiga, several old historical edifices that still exist are going to be and have been demolished with the reason of developing and growing this city into kind of metropolitan? If you have not heard about it, let us pick up some real data related to this issue we have just browsed from several websites

1. One neglected old historical edifice that is going to be brutally demolished is faded-off white house that were built with colonial style by the side of pancasila square (Pakuwon). It actually means so much for Indonesia since one agreement (perjanjian Salatiga) that linked to indonesian independence struggle were signed there.

www.suaramerdeka.com

2. The second example of other demolished edifices is the building that used to be an Army Base on Diponegoro street (KODIM Kodim 0714 Salatiga). Salatiga city mayor, John Manoppo, confessed that he did not have any objection due to the demolition of this building that used to be Blommestein Hotel because he considers that edifice cannot be functioned properly any longer due to its age that is more than 100 years. He also said that that building did not have significant architecture as other edifices have.

www.arkeologi.web.id

3. An old Dutch house located in Sayangan, Salatiga also had been totally demolished and replaced by a modern gas station.

www.arkeologi.web.id

From those three examples I have given to you, I would like to raise your concern about this situation because,

1. Based on a facebook group called “I love Salatiga”, founded by Edy Supangkat, in fact, this city has been named as one of many heirloom cities in Indonesia regarding varied old edifices it has.

2. Second, our first president, Ir. Soekarno, had ever said that as a big nation, we should NOT forget our histories and our people who struggled to gain the momentum of independence that lead us to this present situation. And it’s hideously known that sometimes their struggle is reflected in those old edifices.

3. It is very likely to be hazardous for our future, as the next generation will never ever witness how their city had ever looked if it constantly goes on and on.

How is such a case responded by Salatiga City Major and his staff? Let we see his reaction toward this kind of case.

Quoted from …

1. www.arkeologi.web.id

Salatiga City major John Manoppo, just simply gave the green light to the demolition. Nonetheless, his staff stated that there has been no legal permission given from Indonesian cultural and tourism department. As we know,every demolition should be under this department’s permission and authority.

2. www.kaskus.com

“There is no exact regulation toward old building maintenance “Valentino Haribowo, public relation staff of salatiga city straightforwardly said.

How is it true then Indonesia can be called as a big nation if the people can’t appreciate their history and what surrounds that?

Let us just look out!

Here, we are picking up an example of a country on the contrary , which praises much its history. Just in case, imagine we happened to be in a trip, say, to a 109,38 ha island , Penang(Malaysia), that have recently claimed itself to be the Unesco World Heritage City. You might have seen old edifices like Benteng Cornwallis, Tugu Perang, Balaikota, Gedung Pengadilan, Rumah Pribadi Yeap Chor Ee, Kathedral Assumption, and many more are well maintained and preserved from being wrecked or even demolished. In fact, Malaysian government deliberately budgets the income that they obtain from Penang district for the building maintenance. Two thumbs up for Penang. J

We are trying took look a bit closer to Jogjakarta now. With Jogja skyscrapers scraping jogja’s sky, Jogja can still preserve and maintain its old building and even commercialize them as tourism spots which are marvelous. Let us just say traditional house of central java, Joglo still we can see there. Why such phenomenon could happen? It is all because Jogja governor always supports all effort entails to historical asset maintenance.

Now how are we supposed to react Salatiga people!!!???

Public Library

Yesterday I got my course started at 2:00pm. I really didn’t know what I was supposed to do at home. I felt bored. I did nothing. I couldn’t see some of my friends due to they were getting their courses earlier than me. When my boredom came to the top of all what I felt, I decided to go to public library. I signed up my name there to become a member and I needed only to pay $ 0,3 for being a member. What made me happy was I could borrow some books for free in three weeks. It was really cheap and economical rather than buying the same books in a book store that can drain your pocket money from your parents.

After you officially accepted as a member, you.ve got to obey all rules given by the librarians. I do it. I am trying to be a good member. The rules, for instance, will be given a member card that should be completed with a latest photo of you. Remember! The latest photo of you. Never try to give other people’s photo or you won’t be allowed to borrow some books there. Another rule is to return a book for being checked weekly. Although you have three weeks to borrow some books, it does not mean you can freely bring it away wherever you want. It must be checked once a week to avoid the torn pages or any damages that possibly happened to the books.

What kinds of books available at Salatiga’s public library?

Many.. just get there….

Remembering Pramoedya Ananta Toer

Even though, we are English Department students, nobody can disallow us to read other books instead English book, right? As there are many Indonesian authors whose masterpieces are not less interesting and worth reading than the English ones, sometimes we prefer spending our time for reading them .

One of many famous novelists in Indonesia is Pramoedya Ananta Toer. He was one of many Indonesian novelists who had success story as novelist although his life was not as easy to be passed when struggling for his passion in producing high quality literature (novels )which sometimes brought some polemics up. He is my Indonesian favorite Book author. Raised by a father who had a profession as a teacher and a mother as a shopkeeper in Blora February 6^th of 1925, Pramoedya grew up and raised as an independent child by helping his parents selling “nasi bungkus” those days .

Ever since he was an adult, Prmoedya’s life was spent more in one prison to another prison due to his involvement into many kinds movements in the oppression era of Dutch. He also struggled for the liberation of expressing ideas that were always banned in old regime or we know as Soeharto’s era. the worse, he was ever sentenced as communist and getting involved into it. Because of there was no supporting evidence, he was released after 14 years arrested in many kinds of prisons. Moving from one prison to another was common thing for him. He was prohibited to speak up his ideas as his ideas could endanger the government at those time that nota-bene was swerved and influenced by communist regime.

Guess what? Some novels of Pramoedya were banned. Such as his novel titled “korupsi” that tells about a bureaucrat who was tempted to commit a corruption, making him in a friction with Soekarno (1^st president of Indonesia).this is why he was sent to the prison and his novel was banned . His “tetralogi pulau buru” was made as well in prison at “nusa kambangan”. He faced the hardest time at “nusa kambangan” because all of his novels were burnt by the authorities. So he needed to memorize all stories he had made and retold them to his friends .After being released, it was at same time in which “Orde Baru ended”. But, his freedom to, enlarge his creativity hadn’t began because he was still banned. Pramoedya could prove that prison that was well known as a stinker place could be used for resulting many great masterpieces. Almost all his novel was made while he was in prison during his arrestment time.

Nowadays, though he is no longer alive but his masterpieces still being remembered and appreciated. He made a big difference in Indonesian literature by achieving many international awards. Do you want to know some? Here they are:

• Freedom to Write Award From PEN American Center, AS, 1988
• Appreciation from The Fund for Free Expression, New York, AS, 1989
• Wertheim Award, "for his meritorious services to the struggle for emancipation of Indonesian people", From The Wertheim Fondation, Leiden, Belanda, 1995
• UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Prize, "in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the promotion of tolerance and non-violence" dari UNESCO, Perancis, 1996

Many awards he got but, remembering the space and the page are limited, you can directly visit www.wikipedia.com to know many awards he achieved during his life. You can also find several novels of Pramoedya in your nearest library. Our library is also having many series of his novel. I’ve once or twice borrowed It and you should do it.

Find Our Own Cultures! That Can be Adopted and Deserve our lives as Civilized People

Watching news program whether it is about politics, economic, or entertainment has been becoming my habitual activity during this semester break. When I turn on my TV and tune on one news program, any news program for sure, it turns out that no news program that even does not broadcast the news about the hottest sex scandal in the recent one month that so called “steamy bedroom activity tape” involving three popular Indonesian celebrities: Ariel Peterpan, Luna Maya, and Cut Tari.

Some sex tapes allegedly starring Nazriel Irham (Ariel) is likely to be an up-to-date topic in all news programs, magazines and social networks. This scandal does not only appear to be local consumption, yet as well as international consumption. Only by a social network we are all familiar with such as twitter, this hot news was becoming a trending topic or something that mostly was being said by twitter users all over the world. It even attracted some of the U.S celebrities to know more about who Ariel”Peterporn”is. For example Lady Gaga, Justin Beiber, Paris Hilton, and one porn movie star from U.S ,Vicky vette who is famous for her sex tapes spread on the internet.

Ladi gaga said “who is ariel peterporn? May I try him?”

Paris Hilton said” is ariel peterporn kind of new band or something?”

Justin Biber said “ what is ariel peterporn?”

Vicky Vette said “If ARIEL PETERPORN & Luna Maya come to the USA I'll shoot another sex tape with both of them...wonder if that would be a hit in Indonesia."

That is so outrageous thing to be showed off and proud of. This most tremendous sex scandal to ever be exposed in Indonesia is really shocking up this country and waking up the awareness from all walks of life. The existence of morality that has been being questioned so far in this country seems to be awaken by this scandal. With not ignoring the bitter truth that actually there are some worse sex tapes available on the internet starred by Indonesian people and can be downloaded easily. I am proud and relieved because this nation is still aware for fighting some things that do not deserve to be adapted and to be carried out.

The sex scandal that most of people are talking about is a kind of reflection or indicator that the norms in life are being abandoned by people particularly in Indonesia. I hope this is just my prediction that eastern people nowadays are being influenced by western negative lifestyle that often parades several don’t deserve-to-do things for easterner.

Free-sex for instance, no hypocrisy that free sex is becoming a new culture or activity that is considered normal and so is “gaul” or cool to do for unmarried people and mostly teenager. Prohibition of committing free sex in religion’s point of view and norms’ point of view is looking being considered as an obsolete and silly way of life, so many teenagers are breaking the values of religiosity and norms.

No doubt, this is one globalization effect where inappropriate culture being forced to be adopted into our cultures. This is when everything goes through without being well filtered first. What filter can be used in this case? The best way to save us from so many hazards that surround us is getting closer or getting back to the life based on norms of life and intensifying our quality of worshiping to God. That is my opinion toward this hot-mostly talked issue .

See you in the next entry!!

June 30, 2010

What if.......

Dear, readers

This all-unreal conversation below is just an imagination of a guy who faces his dead- end and terribly long summer break that still remains forty five days ahead. The reason why it becomes terrible will be told on the other entries of his blogs. Here, in this entry, he just wants to express his thoughts related to his future career that he has been planning to be a reality someday. Friends, he would just love to split his dreams up to you. After all as a God’s (lovely) creature, he can only prepare, plan and set up who and what he’s always wanted to be. Thus, if someday his written imagination cannot be real or true, he will definitely be ready to face all terrible consequences that possibly happen. And never ever you blame on him due to his fault.

one more thing for the addition, don't think that he's a nut since he is talking with himself. Do you yourself sometimes do as he does,don,t you?

What If someone questioned me with such questions as you could see below, I had better answer?

Myself: What are you planning for your future job?

I bet everybody has their dreams about that. Everybody is always aspiring a future job that surely deserves him/her .Same with me. I find no difference with myself to other people. I want to become an individual who is successful in every aspect in a life, as well as in my future carrier. Do I have to answer that one-by-one?

Myself: Your time dude!

I had better tell you off what my dreams are actually. This thinking has just come over to my mind in the past two years or at time when I was in senior high school. Shortly before that time, I was somebody who had no plan about how my future would be like. As you know, regarding my condition now as a no one, nobody but a (lovely) God’s creature, I have always wanted to be “someone”. From no one becomes “someone”. How lovely! I do not want just to answer ,and I do not want just to be envisioning without concrete missions, steps or anything to get it real. Now I have those and I am doing those!

Wanting to be a journalist, a lecturer, a translator, and the greatest is wanting to be someone who can be proud of myself by promoting my country’s cultures to go international .Do those a bunch of my dreams seem too unreal or to sky? Are those all hard to be true?

Myself: No, not at all keep on dreaming and working hard to gain them!

Thanks…

Myself : So, Have you planned anything and have you done anything for your future career?

I have and I am doing that feasible with my position and capability as a college student now. I am always doing some hard work in all courses I take, if it is possible I always do everything with my maximum ability. “Based on three points.”

Myself: what are those?

Studying hard, praying, and socializing.

Myself: explain it more please?

Three points are needed for somebody who wants to be successful, I think. Just in case, I see that from my point of view.

Many think that only about those two aspects are needed to get a brightest future, yet I want to be very different from others by thinking of those three aspects. The third aspect is also worth to be known. Let us just think of… what if like this, you are a smart and clever person. You pray at night and at day but you do not socialize with others .Then you graduate and you apply for a job in a company. The company’s HRD is your senior at campus and you do not even know him. One of your friends that graduated at the same year with you, and he is as clever as you are and he knows well the company’s HRD because they were involved in one campus activity they did. You will be chosen unless he draws his appliance out due to something. However, if he does not it is tough for you to be accepted in that factory.

So, get started doing that if you have not. I am trying now, combining three aspects for a brighter future. You got to make a network, then it’s endorsed by the other two aspects. That would be awesome I suppose. I am so sorry if there are some words that you might think irritable, but I am just trying to write my experience. Who knows it can be your motivation to gain more. See you in the next entries of “various stories of lives”.

Not only talk, I am applying that now on!

June 21, 2010

I Can Plan, yet I Can’t Determine

dear readers,
This is my second week of my extremely very long break that probably will still remain two months or let us say up to the middle of August. This long break really has me going crazy. I am pretty sure I will absolutely get bored during this extremely very long break since till now I haven’t found any interesting and useful activity to do, but reading some books I borrow at public library and doing a new released hobby( writing at blog or I name this as doing free writing exercises without any fear about grade! Yaay!!)

What to be written? Remembering I belong to the beginner level of a writer in such a hobby, I will start up this blog with my writing about my second semester in FBS that turned out tough. I had better cite you about my story related to my experiences during this tough second semester. Why can I say so? Check this story out!

From the beginning of this semester, I had just thought that my grades in this semester are likely to be lower than the first semester. Now on, this terrible prediction comes out exactly true! No doubt, for the first grade I checked at ALAM (the students smart teller machine), I got an AB! That’s not too a bad grade actually, but that’s such a distant grade from what I’ve been planning and expecting. When this class had come to an end, I counted all my five grades from one lecturer and there other five are from another lecturer in this class. I felt confidence I would definitely get an A since my average for that class is 91. Nevertheless, the standard of this class is such a high standard I have ever know .my friend said that 96 at least, for an A. an no bargaining! No problem, this all means I got to study harder and with tighter intension to reach my dreams getting an A in a listening class.

The second obstacle I faced the second semester was about my MKU class (KWn). You know what? You have to know this! It is worth to know! The lecturer of this class just went to this class and taught us twice during this semester before suffering from his terrible severely disease. From what I heard, he is suffering from Strokes. I can tolerance that as nobody wants to suffer from such a disease. Some of my friends really went mad cause of that, and decided not to come to his class until the end of this semester whereas a new lecturer had been sent after the class was previously cancelled. I wonder why he did not get any information, I mean How come nobody enlightened him about the substitution of the lecturer.

Although, he was in terrible condition that time and it is likely he is still in the medication now, he is such a responsible lecturer. Why? Because he sent us another lecturer to teach and such a rascal! We began all the things we had perfectly done such as several presentations, some Q-A sessions and bla….bla…bla…over again.

The first encounter with the new lecturer was so promising. He came and he planned everything, so all seemed to be engineered well and all seemed would be finished on time, as the planned time and all problems seemed gone. We came to the class in the following week, wanting to get some materials and to present our slide shows. We patiently waited liked a rock for him, but he did not come and the worse had come to the worst. It was reoccurred! The lecturer didn’t come reaching to the last week of this semester.

As the last resort, he instructed us to collect the project papers and all of us got B except some of his beloved students who always listed for students who did come or did not. In Bahasa Indonesia, we call this SIAL!

We actually could gain an A if we were active in asking questions and responding or expressing our opinions or thoughts about the topic that was being discussed.

I do realize that it is one consequence of my decision to earn my bachelor degree of English literature here. I am never upset due to my decision that I put much faith on, since I am sure, my future is here. I consider that as my bad luck, and of course, it becomes my motivation to gain more in the next semester. Over all I know we as humans ca plan but we can’t determine what God has planned for us.

14^th June 14, 2010