Selamat Datang

     Selamat datang di Gelanggang Olah Rasa. Laman ini cocok bagi yang ingin melangkah bersama untuk belajar Bahasa Inggris, penulisan kreatif, atau sekadar melepas kepenatan. Terima kasih atas kunjungan Anda. Semoga waktu Anda untuk berkunjung ke sini tidak terbuang percuma.

Salam,

Ratih Soe alias Monster Kuaci.

Ratih Soe (Ratih Sumiratingratri) adalah penulis buku pelajaran dan tes bahasa Inggris di LBPP-LIA Pusat. Selain menulis, ia juga mengisi suara dan menulis lagu untuk materi audio sebagai pelengkap tulisannya. Sesekali ia tampil membawakan lagu-lagu anak karya sendiri dan teman-teman, bersama kelompok musik DTS Voices. Di waktu luangnya, ia menerjemahkan buku, menulis cerita dan lagu, mendongeng, serta bermain dengan keponakan yang menjadi sumber inspirasinya. Karyanya antara lain: komik serial The Magic Carpet dan Ciko and Sila diMajalah C’nS Junior, cergam satwa dwi bahasa Delfina and the Megamouth Shark dan Pongo and Pongita: Expelling the Hunters (Indria Pustaka), seri kumpulan cergam, buku aktivitas, dan panduan guru I Love Reading yang ditulis duet bersama Erna Fitrini (Cahaya Pustaka Raga). Ratih Soe bisa dihubungi via surel di alamat monsterkuaci@gmail.com, FB (Raatje Marietje), Twitter (raatje) dan YM (raatje).

CURHAT COLONGAN

Rekan-rekan penerjemah yang tercinta,

Jika suatu hari Anda mendapat tugas menerjemahkan kamus, demi kesehatan jiwa Anda, mintalah waktu tiga kali lebih panjang dari yang diinginkan klien Anda.

Mengapa? Karena menerjemahkan kamus yang hanya berisi kata atau frase yang terisolir dari konteks SAMA SEKALI BUKAN pekerjaan mudah. Anda akan mengalami sulit tidur, sulit makan, dan jantung berdebar tiap kali melihatnya.

Coba terjemahkan frase yang saya cetak miring tadi. Sulit bukan? Bagaimana Anda menerjemahkan melihatnya ke dalam Bahasa Inggris jika nya di sana tidak jelas mengacu kepada apa/siapa. Apakah akan diterjemahkan jadi each time you look at him, atau her, atau it, membingungkan bukan?

DRIVING MISS CRAZY

I love driving and I've been doing it forever. People say the way I drive is smooth, and I'm a patient driver. Having a mechanic as a husband, I don't have to worry about the nitty-gritty of driving. You know, like when the machine won't start or I have a flat tire or stuff like that. Does it mean that if you have a ride it would be the most comfortable? Of course not, don't be ridiculous! I'm not good at comprehending routes. What can I say? My spatial intelligence is under average, I admit that. I'm so good at getting lost. I've been trying to analyze why and here is my silly result:

• Streets with light traffic look way different from those when there's traffic jam.
• Streets during the day look completely different from those during the night.
• One way streets are only for rocket scientists.
• Attention-grabbing conversations with talkative passangers will drag you from Tanah Kusir to Pejompongan.
• Not everyone is gifted with intuition in finding ways. When you get lost more than twice a week, wake up. You are blessed with many other things but never trust your feelings when finding a place.
• Don't trust deja vu either, it's not for driving.

Ebooks and Presentations

"The Art of Teacher Training"

The content of the book:
Approaching the issue
Gaining a rapport
Trainee-centred approach
Teacher development VS: teacher training
Reflective model
Critical thinking
Loop input
Awareness raising
Teaching observation
Course design
Micro-teaching
Teacher's project
Teacher's feedback

For downloading this materal, please click
HERE

"Three Models of Culture" 

(Power Point presentation at the 5th Pan-Asian Conference in Vladivostok, Russia, June 2004. For downloading CLICK HERE "Cognitive Approach to Vocabulary Teaching and Learning". Power Point presentation at the 10th NATE conference in Tambov (Russia), June, 2004. For downloading CLICK HERE

"Teaching Unsuccessful Learners as Potential Achievers"

This training pack for teachers is designed to explore the ways to teach unsuccessful learners of English as potential achievers.

The book discusses the types of problems that language learners can encounter in dealing with cognitive tasks. It also addresses a variaty of reasons for experiencing difficulties in language learning and suggests the ways to deal with these challenges.

The content of the material includes the following major points further subdivided in the book:
Individual differences in learners
Cognitive and learning styles
Learning disabilities
Learning environment
Success building approaches
Glossary
References and further reading
For downloading this materal, please click
HERE

"Introducing Classroom Research for Teachers" 

For downloading the material "Introducing Classroom Research for Teachers", please click HERE

"How to Write Research Paper in ELT"

For downloading the material "How to Write a Research Paper in ELT", please click HERE

BAKMI BOY DOESN'T EXIST :)

As a food person and a big fan of Bondan Winarno, I often use eateries to let off steam. For my neighboring writers at LIA, it isn't strange at all to hear me scream We must go to bakmi this and that when we're through with this hell. Well, I don't always mean what I say for I sometimes say stupid things like We must eat tahu gimbal in Semarang when we're done with this! And who would be interested in going to Semarang amidst those deadlines?!

When we were working on the Encounter series in 2003, the atmosphere was horrible--we only had 2.5 months to write, edit, illustrate, layout, and print books 1 to 4! We were under a lot of pressure. We worked so hard and hardly ever slept. That time it was Bakmi Boy that crossed my mind, so I screamed Let's go to Bakmi Boy when this is over with! Then I realized Ibu Glokis was sitting beside me and got really interested with the idea. Then she started asking serious questions like Where is it? Why do you like it so much? What choices of menu do you have? etc.

Time passed by. We went to Bakmi Boy every so often. And for unpredictable reasons, Bu Glokis ALWAYS missed that! I feel guilty everytime Bu Glokis says Ratih, I don't think Bakmi Boy really exists!

Last week I got an email from Heddy, my former EA Project Officer who is now working for Pharos (and perhaps gets triple salary...LOL!) saying that he planned to take the whole group out to lunch at Bakmi Boy on Friday. I was glad. You see, it was a chance for me to prove to Bu Glokis that Bakmi Boy does exist.

My momma always said life's just like a box of chocolates--we never know what we're gonnat get says Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump. Heddy's children got ill and he couldn't leave home. He told me to cancel the reunion so I told the writers. But I didn't have the guts the break the news to Bu Glokis, so I ask Mukti, my EA Project Officer, to do it for me. Luckily, she said it was okay and she would order nasi Padang instead. Phew...

Still, she's teasing me Bakmi Boy doesn't exist! Ah, well...

REJEKI YANG TERTUNDA

Setiap kali ngelewatin gedung Trans (Trans TV-Trans7-Bank Mega) ada tiga adegan yang berputar kembali di proyektor memori gue:

1. AUDISI EXTRAVAGANZA
Malu juga kalo inget adegan satu ini. Kejadiannya udah beberapa taon yang lalu, tapi terlalu ajaib untuk dilupakan. Dua hari berturut-turut gue absen ngajar dan digantikan oleh substitute teachers, sampe di sana berdesakan di lobi Trans TV dengan orang-orang yang menggantung mimpi lebih tinggi dari tiang jemuran. Mmm... sebetulnya gw gak ngimpi jadi seleb. Enakan juga jadi guru. Terus ngapain gue di sana? Gini... setelah mengirimkan beberapa ide untuk Extravaganza dan tak ada sahutan, gw memutuskan untuk kenalan aja dulu sama tim kreatif-nya. Caranya? Ya dengan ikut audisi jadi pemain. Nanti kan lama-lama bisa ikutan nulis. Well... I know it's kinda crazy but... that's what happened. Hari pertama audisi di kelompok kecil. Gue lolos. Trus disuruh dateng lagi keesokan harinya. Audisi sendiri, disuruh perkenalin diri dengan cara yang gak biasa. Oke. Jadi tukang sihir. Oke. Tukang Jamu. Oke. Trus disuruh nembang / nyinden. Mampus! Tiba-tiba lupa aja gitu semua. Nge-blank. Padahal kan gak perlu bawain Mocopat juga kaleeee... apa kek... Kodok Ngorek kek, Ilir-Ilir kek... Rondo Kenthir kek...?!!! Toh mereka juga bukan orang Jawa. Dodol!


2. PRESENTASI KE Executive Producer
Yang ini juga seru. Sesudah ikutan scriptwriting workshop gw dkk memberanikan diri ngajuin konsep sitkom sama program anak ke Trans TV. Pertemuan pertama berlangsung mulus. Sang produser bersedia menerima kedatangan kami, mendengarkan presentasi kami dengan penuh perhatian, membaca konsep acara dan skenario episode pertama yang kami bawa, lalu bertanya ini-itu-dan-anu sambil manggut-manggut, (seolah-olah) terkesan dengan konsep kami. Dan kami pun ge-er. Pertemuan kedua adalah menghabiskan waktu sia-sia. Seharian kami menunggu, hingga senja lewat. Perut keroncongan. Kepala pusing. Untungnya kantin di sana menawarkan aneka hidangan lezat dengan harga terjangkau. Fiuhhhh... PERHATIAN UNTUK REKAN PENULIS PEMULA: jangan terburu-buru mengambil kesimpulan dari ekspresi pertama dari produser/penerbit ketika kita menawarkan karya. Karena hal itu bisa jadi tidak berarti apa-apa. Yang manggut-manggut belum tentu suka, dan yang mukanya cemberut belum tentu gak suka. Maka teruslah menulis, tak peduli berapa kali orang (seolah-olah) menampik karya Anda.

3. AMBIL HONOR

Bukan sulap, bukan sihir... honor yang gw ambil gak berhubungan sama sekali dengan extravaganza atau skenario. Ini betul-betul kejutan manis dari Allah. Sekonyong-konyong gw ditelepon Bank Mega Syariah, dan mereka minta gw nerjemahin annual report. Bukan sulap, bukan sihir... honor yang mereka beri JUSTRU lebih tinggi dari yang gue ajukan. Gila nggak? Selesai mengerjakan proyek yang satu ini, pihak Bank menelepon menanyakan nomor rekening. Tanpa berpikir gw langsung bilang, "Gak usah ditransfer deh. Aku buka rekening di sana aja. Sekalian mau jajan di kantinnya. Bakwan di sana enak sekali." Lalu tawa renyah terdengar. Keesokan harinya gue ke sana, buka rekening, dan dapet hadiah payung. Lengkap sudah kebahagiaanku (for your information, gw ini penggila payung). Jadi, siapa berani menampik kekuasaan Tuhan? Siapa? Kalau Dia sudah berkehendak, apapun bisa terjadi pada kita. Apapun. In a split second.

LOWONGAN DJAMAN PENDJADJAHAN DOELOE

Merdeka, Bung! Dirgahayu RI!!!

Iklan ini adalah kutipan dari koran terbitan tahun 1889

yang diambil di perpustakaan nasional.

PENGOEMOEMAN !!! DAG INLANDER,... ..HAJOO ORANG MELAJOE,...KOWE MAHU KERDJA??? GOVERNEMENT NEDERLANDSCH INDIE PERLU KOWE OENTOEK DJADI BOEDAK ATAOE TJENTENK DI PERKEBOENAN- PERKEBOENAN ONDERNEMING KEPOENJAAN GOVERNEMENT NEDERLANDSCH INDIE DJIKA KOWE POENYA SJARAT DAN NJALI BERIKOET:

1. Kowe poenja tangan koeat dan beroerat
2. Kowe poenja njali gede
3. Kowe poenja moeka kasar
4. Kowe poenja tinggal di wilajah Nederlandsch Indie
5. Kowe boekan kerabat dekat pemberontak- pemberontak ataoepoen maling ataoepoen mereka jang soedah diberantas liwat actie politioneel.
6. Kowe beloem djadi boedak nederlander ataoepoen ondernemer ataoe toean tanah ataoe baron eropah.
7. Kowe maoe bekerdja radjin dan netjes.

KOWE INLANDER PERLOE DATANG KE RAWA SENAJAN DISANA KOWE HAROES DIPILIH LIWAT DJOERI-DJOERI JANG BERTOEGAS :

1. Keliling rawa Senajan 3 kali
2. Angkat badan liwat 30 kali
3. Angkat peroet liwat 30 kali

Kowe mesti ketemoe Mevrouw Shanti, Meneer Tomo en Meneer Atmadjaja Kowe nanti akan didjadikan tjentenk oentoek di Toba, Buleleng, Borneo, Tanamera, Batam, Soerabaja,Batavia en Riaoeeiland. Governement Nederlandsch Indie memberi oepah :

1. Makan 3 kali perhari dengan beras poetih dari Bangil
2. Istirahat siang 1 uur.
3. Oepah dipotong padjak Governement 40 percent oentoek wang djago. Haastig kalaoe kowe mahoe.. Pertanggal 31 Maart 1889 Niet Laat te Zijn Hoor.. Batavia 1889 Onder de naam van Nederlandsch Indie Governor Generaal H.M.S Van den Bergh S.J.J de Gooij
   
   

WORKSHOP FOR TEACHERS: The Use Of Puppets

Dearest fellow teachers...

You are cordially invited to attend a workshop on The Use of Puppets as Learning & Assessment Tools on August 6 '08, at 08-13.00.

Venue: Aula The Senior, Gedung KONI, Senayan (behind Hotel Atlet Century).

Fee: Rp30.000,- including workshop kit & lunch

RSVP: Sandra Sembel (0811 990 570)

MENULIS vs MENGAJAR

Sejak saya menjadi penulis buku pelajaran dan tes di LIA, sering sekali orang bertanya enakan nulis apa ngajar? Pertanyaan yang sulit dijawab...

1. Keduanya sama-sama menegangkan, tapi dalam wujud yang berbeda. Mengajar jadi menegangkan ketika akan ada supervisor yang datang untuk melihat cara kita mengajar. Tapi hal ini tidak terjadi terlalu sering. Supervisor menilai guru tidak hanya dari observasi langsung, tapi juga dari kuesioner dan pencapaian siswa. Menulis jadi menegangkan ketika kita sedang dikejar tenggat, dan ini sering sekali... sesering Romeo merindukan Juliet.
2. Keduanya sama-sama perlu persiapan. Persiapan mengajar lebih mirip dengan persiapan aktor atau pembawa acara. Alur harus diresapkan di dalam kepala: Bagaimana saya memulai pelajaran supaya bisa start with a bang? Saya harus bilang apa untuk menjelaskan ini? Saya harus buat lelucon apa untuk menyampaikan itu? Persiapan menulis adalah riset dan menyusun konsep. Bicara soal persiapan, mengajar lebih enak karena lebih damai. Persiapan menulis bisa melibatkan tarik urat dan adu pendapat yang membuat kepala mau pecah. Tapi tidak selalu begitu, tergantung situasi dan orang-orang dengan siapa kita berunding. Akhir-akhir ini, alhamdulillah, kami lebih jarang tarik urat.
3. Keduanya sama-sama perlu kamus yang memadai. Sebagai penulis kita bisa bekerja dengan lebih nyaman daripada guru, karena kita bisa memakai kamus yang di-install di komputer. Sementara guru harus melatih otot biseps dan triseps dengan menenteng-nenteng buku tebal yang bisa dipakai menggebuk es balok.
4. Keduanya sama-sama bisa jadi pelarian dari kehidupan nyata. Begitu kita masuk kelas dan puluhan pasang mata menatap, mengemis ilmu... hilang sudah semua beban batin dan kita akan lebur dengan suasana belajar-mengajar yang mengasyikkan. Bicara soal pelarian, menulis tidak bisa menjanjikan pelarian yang mudah. Ketika kita menulis cerita, lebih mudah untuk lebur dalam perjalanan nasib karakter. Tapi ketika kita menulis materi pelajaran, dan pada saat itu kita merasa 'tidak jodoh' dengan silabus, hasil riset, dan mood maka jangan mengharapkan kenikmatan apa-apa.
5. Keduanya sama-sama membutuhkan alat bantu. Alat bantu mengajar tidak terlalu bergantung pada teknologi dan sebagian besar bisa dibuat sendiri (atau pinjam teman): flash cards, dadu, papaer strips, gambar, glue tac, stiker kecil, dll. Untuk menulis, alat bantunya jauh lebih mutlak: komputer dan printer. Dan ketika lampu mendadak mati ketika kita belum menyimpan data terakhir, atau printer ngambek, sedangkan tenggat sudah di depan batang hidung, maka jangan heran jika saya mengeluh pensiun dini harus nunggu sampe umur berapa siy?
6. Keduanya sama-sama memberi kepuasan batin. Sebagai guru batin kita puas ketika berhasil membuat murid yang tidak paham menjadi paham, tidak berani bicara jadi lancar cas cis cus, apalagi jika terjadi perjumpaan kembali dengan bekas murid dan mereka sudah mengalami banyak kemajuan. Sebagai penulis batin menjadi puas melihat buku/buklet tes yang sudah dicetak. Tapi... kepuasan ini tidak berlangsung lama karena (biasanya) segera diikuti oleh tubian protes.

Rekan-rekan guru dan penulis yang tercinta, menurut Anda mana yang lebih enak?

SAWAH PENULIS

Suatu hari rekan penulis bernama Arde bertanya: Rekan penulis tangguh, sawah kita berupa apa ya? Maka izinkan saya menjawabnya sebatas pengetahuan saya yang masih sangat terbatas ini. (Jika ada yang ingin menjumpai Arde, add awisben di YM Anda. Dia belum punya blog!)

1. LUMBUNG IDE
Tiap penulis harus punya stok embrio konsep/ide cerita yang siap pakai. Oleh karena itu buatlah lumbung ide yang berisi minimal lima ide cerita. Tiap kali satu konsep/ide cerita dieksekusi, kita harus tambahkan konsep/ide cerita baru.

2. KARAKTERISASI
Lakukan pendalaman untuk menghidupkan karakter-karakter yang kita ciptakan. Kita harus menganggap mereka sungguh-sungguh eksis, bahkan kita harus tahu pasta gigi apa yang mereka gunakan. Bagaimana caranya? Kita harus sudi bercakap-cakap dengan karakter ciptaan kita. Luangkan beberapa menit dalam satu hari untuk bicara dengan mereka. Cari tempat yangmemberi keleluasaan untuk melakukan hal ini (supaya tidak dikira gila, kekeekekkkk...) dan lakukan terus-menerus sampai pertanyaan-pertanyaan dalam benak terjawab dan keinginan serta perasaan tiap karakter menjadi jelas. Kondisikan perasaan kita sehingga kita menjadi sangat gemas, rindu, tidak sabar untuk melakukan sesuatu bagi atau terhadap karakter kita. Perasaan gemas semacam ini akan menciptakan letupan rasa yang mengejutkan pembaca, bahkan diri kita sendiri.

3. MEMORI FOTOGRAFIS
Kita perlu memperkaya memori fotografis kita. Ini sangat berguna untuk membantu kita mendeskripsikan latar. Kita perlu mengumpulkan gambar dan foto tempat-tempat, bercakap-cakap dengan orang yang baru melakukan perjalanan, atau menjelajahi situs-situs perjalanan (meskipun kita sendiri tidak punya cukup kocek untuk melakukan perjalanan, hihihiiiii...).

4. JEJARING
Penulis harus selalu memperluas jejaring di antara sesama penulis, dengan penulis senior, dengan penerbit, dengan sutradara, dengan produser, dll. Dengan membuka diri dan melakukan pendekatan pribadi, insya Allah pintu rizki akan semakin banyak dan terbuka semakin lebar.

5. PERANGKAT KERAS & LUNAK
Ini juga termasuk sawah kita. Kita harus merawat baik-baik komputer, printer, dan software kita. Termasuk juga mengorganisir data-data yang ada di dalamnya. Lakukan defragmentasi secara berkala dan teratur. Bersihkan virus-virus.

6. KEBERANIAN UNTUK DIKRITIK
Ah... hidup memang penuh kelakar.Ada cerita-cerita yang kita anggap indah, menyentuh, mendalam, tapi bagi beberapa orang terkesan tolol dan mengada-ada. Ada cerita-cerita yang kita ciptakan spontan dan tanpa perenungan berkepanjangan, tapi menimbulkan pesona bagi beberapa orang. Oleh karena itu jangan pernah takut pada hal yang bernama kritik. Semua penulis--entah itu modul, tes, skenario, fiksi, non fiksi--sebetulnya sama saja, harus melalui proses revisi yang panjang dan berliku, penulisan ulang, rapat naskah, dll. Di sana selalu ada kemungkinan tulisan kita dipertanyakan kebenarannya, dipandang sebelah mata, dicela, dicaci, bahkan ditertawakan hingga meja di hadapan kita terguncang-guncang (bukan karena dianggap lucu tapi karena dicap konyol!). Kritik adalah vitamin untuk penulis. Percayalah, tanpa kritik kita tidak akan meraih kemajuan apapun.

7. IMAN YANG TERPELIHARA
Yakinlah bahwa jika kita merasa perjuangan kita tidak bertepi, itu adalah keistimewaan yang diberikan Tuhan agar kita terus berkreasi. Cerita macam apa yang bisa diharapkan dari penulis yang tidak pernah susah, merasakan peristiwa yang nyaris mematikan, mengalami kehilangan, melalui kemelut dan dilema, menghadapi tubian kekecewaan? Itu semua adalah cara Allah untuk memberi kita ide cerita. Jika hidup kita ruwet lahir-batin, kita justru harus bersyukur. Itu adalah ide cerita gratis dari Allah. Jangan berputus asa hanya karena konsep acara TV kita telanjur diberikan pada TV dan akhirnya digarap penulis lain. Juga jangan berhenti menulis karena naskah buku kita yang sudah sekian jilid diserahkan, tidak kunjung diterbitkan oleh penerbit yang semula sudah melambungkan harapan kita ke langit ke tujuh (halah, curhat colongan, wakaakkaaa). Menulislah untuk menulis itu sendiri. Jangan pikirkan bagaimana rupa buku yang akan terbit, bagaimana hasil eksekusi skenario kita, atau berapa rupiah yang akan kita dapatkan. Jangan. Menulis saja. Menulis terus. Lakukan dengan sepenuh hati. Dan yang lain akan datang dengan sendirinya. Tanpa dipaksa. Karena hasil dari kerja keras kita bukan di tangan kita, melainkan dalam genggaman Sang Maha Menulis Skenario, Sang Maha Menciptakan Karakter, Sang Maha Pencipta yang menciptakan semua latar bahkan hingga adegan terkecil yang dilakoni oleh mahluk-mahluk terkecil seperti bakteri dan amuba.
Tetap menulis. Semangat!

BENAHI DULU SAWAHMU

Sebuah jurnal oleh Arde Wisben,

seorang penulis yang saya jumpai di komunitas Penulistangguh dan Kemudian

Ada yang berbeda dari warung bebek goreng yang biasa saya sambangi. Bila beberapa waktu lalu mereka selalu membuka tenda di depan sebuah ruko, sekarang mereka telah berada di dalam ruko itu sendiri. Penasaran, saya tanya pada seorang pelayannya, "Mas, sekarang nyewa ya?"

Kaget, mendengar jawaban lugas sang pelayan, "Beli!"

Oh, hebat sekali pemilik warung ini. Lokasi di sekitar jalan Petogogan, Jakarta Selatan ini pasti harganya sudah melebihi angka 1 M. Banyak juga uangnya. Bila ada kesempatan, ingin saya berbincang dengan juragan warung bebek goreng ini.

Lalu, kesempatan pun itu datang. Beberapa hari yang lalu, saya datang ke warung itu agak malam. Bebek goreng favorit sudah habis. Hanya tersisa ayam goreng dan seekor lele. Melihat sambal mentah kesukaan masih ada, saya rela untuk bersantap ayam goreng saja malam itu.

Sengaja mengambil posisi posisi duduk di meja bagian luar, saya berhadapan langsung dengan sang pemilik, yang sepertinya sedang asyik menghitung uang. Sesekali ia menyelipkan uang kepada para krunya. Saya kira itu adalah tips mereka malam itu.

Usai makan, saya coba membuka obrolan, "Jadi gimana status ruko ini Mas."

Kontan, sang pemilik, yang kemudian saya ketahui bernama Sugeng, menghentikan aktifitas menghitung uang dan berkata, "Saya beli Mas."

Ya, itu saya sudah tahu sebelumnya. Yang membuat penasaran adalah, bagaimana cara dia membelinya. Hus, tak perlu buru-buru, saya yakin jawaban itu akan meluncur sendiri dari mulut Sugeng. Dan benar, Sugeng melanjutkan ceritanya dengan penuh semangat.

"Yang punya ruko ini, saya kenal sudah 11 tahun, Mas," lanjut Sugeng, "Suatu malam saya diundang kerumahnya."

Kata demi kata mengalir dari mulut Sugeng. Ada nada bangga di sana. Sesekali dengan nada tertahan, setengah berbisik. Sugeng sepertinya ingin meyakinkan bahwa semua ceritanya adalah fakta yang benar.

Malam ketika diundang ke rumah sang pemilik ruko itu, boleh jadi merupakan titik balik dalam hidup Sugeng. Ia ditawari oleh pemilik ruko untuk mengambil alih rukonya. Sugeng kaget. Tak pernah hadir dalam mimpinya keinginan untuk memiliki sebuah ruko. Sugeng merasa cukup dengan tenda biru, beberapa meja dan kursi.

Ya, seperti pedagang makanan kebanyakan, Sugeng hanya mengandalkan kebaikan hati pemilik toko untuk merelakan teras mereka dipakai oleh penjual makanan. Tekat dan semangat, Sugeng menjadi bagian dari komunitas pedagang makanan yang memenuhi setiap sudut kota, di waktu malam.

Meski harus diakui, Sugeng relatif lebih mapan. Ia punya mobil yang siap sedia bergerak bila stok bebek habis. Punya lebih kurang 5 anak buah yang handal. Minimal lebih mapan dari seorang anak muda yang saya temui berjualan pecel lele di daerah Kalibata, beberapa tahun yang lalu.

Pemuda itu, awalnya datang ke Jakarta dengan niat berdemo membela mantan presiden Gus Dur. Entah sebab apa, perjalanannya di Jakarta berubah menjadi tukang demo masak pecel lele. Modalnya standar; tenda biru, meja dan kursi serta wajan. Semua dikerjakan sendiri. Saya sampai membuka tutup teh botol sendiri, karena tak sabar menunggu ia menyediakan pesanan buat pelanggan lain.

Kembali ke Sugeng, pembicaraan malam itu tampaknya tak masuk akal baginya. Bagaimana mungkin ia memiliki ruko di bilangan Petogogan. Apa kata dunia?

Setelah memberi sedikit waktu bagi Sugeng untuk syok, sang pemilik melanjutkan pembicaraannya tentang penertiban yang sedang marak di Jakarta. Kali ini topiknya mulai masuk akal bagi Sugeng. Ia tahu betul derita para pedagang ikan dan bunga di Barito. Dan baru-baru ini ia mendengar jeritan pedagang makanan yang diusir dari Taman Gajah Darmawangsa.

Perbincangan malam itu menjadi makin nyata bagi Sugeng. Tapi tampaknya kata perbincangan tidak tepat untuk menggambarkan suasana malam itu. Sugeng lebih tepatnya dinasehati oleh pemilik ruko.

Sugeng diberitahu kemungkin terburuk bila ruko itu tidak dimilikinya. Akan ada orang lain yang memiliki ruko tersebut. Andaikan Sugeng lolos dari penertiban, belum tentu pemilik ruko yang baru mengijinkannya untuk tetap berjualan.

Malam itu rasanya menjadi malam yang akan dikenang Sugeng seumur hidupnya. Ia mendapat nasehat dari seorang tutor yang luar biasa. Dari sekian banyak omongan sang tutor, yang melekat erat dalam pikiran Sugeng cuma sebait kata, "Benahi dulu sawahmu."

Ya, Sugeng dinasehati bahwa sebagai pedagang makanan, penting baginya untuk mempunyai tempat yang permanen. Tempat itu ibarat sawah baginya.

Bila ia sering berpindah, maka langganan akan sulit mencarinya kembali. Begitupun kalo ia pulang ke kampung, ia harus yakin bahwa ketika kembali ke Jakarta, tempat berdagangnya masih ada.

Singkat kata, hanya satu kata yang keluar dari mulut Sugeng, itu pun nyaris tak terdengar: "Berapa?"

Begitulah, Sugeng pulang dengan badan yang serasa melayang. Satu setengah milyar, dari mana akan kudapat? Tapi Sugeng menikmati betul percakapan mereka malam itu. Sugeng disadarkan bahwa membenahi sumber penghasilan lebih utama dibanding membeli atribut untuk menunjukkan kesuksesan. Setelah berunding dengan istrinya, Sugeng sampai pada kesimpulan, mobil kebanggaannya akan dilepas. Begitu pun sebuah rumah.

Selanjutnya dengan bermodal hasil penjualan rumah dan mobil tadi, Sugeng kembali mengunjungi mentornya. Sugeng menyebutkan kesanggupannya untuk membayar uang muka 600 juta. Sisanya, belum ada ide yang muncul di kepala Sugeng.

Memang Sugeng masih menyisihkan sebuah rumah kontrakan 6 pintu. Tapi itu pun tidak akan menyumbang banyak bila dijual. Lagi pula Sugeng merasa perlu untuk tetap berjaga-jaga. Andai usaha bebek goreng mandek, Sugeng masih akan mendapat penghasilan dari rumah petak itu.

Melihat tekad Sugeng yang sudah bulat, hati sang mentor luluh juga. Toh, baginya uang tak begitu mendesak saat ini. Lagipula niatnya menjual ruko itu memang lebih disebabkan karena ruko itu sulit untuk dikembangkan. Sugeng disarankan untuk pinjam uang ke bank.

Berat, tapi Sugeng sudah setengah jalan. Ia ingin mengikuti sampai di mana perjuangan ini membawanya. Ia akan menuruti sepenuhnya nasehat sang mentor yang ia percaya tulus membantunya. Tentang mentornya ini, Sugeng punya penilaian tersendiri: satu dari seribu orang di Jakarta.

Gagal pada beberapa pertemuan dengan pihak bank, tak membuat Sugeng surut. Satu persatu ia penuhi dokumen yang dibutuhkan pihak bank. Total ada 4 dokumen yang sudah dimiliki Sugeng. Dan kerja keras itu pun berbuah.

"Saya dikasih 900 juta," ujar Sugeng. Ada tekanan pada kata juta itu.

Cerita usai.

Duh, jeruk panas yang saya minum terasa betul manisnya. Oo, ternyata tak ada lagi air jeruk itu, hanya ada sisa-sisa gula yang tidak diaduk dengan sempurna. Terhanyut saya oleh cerita Sugeng.

Malam semakin larut, dan saatnya bagi saya untuk pulang. Saya ucapkan terima kasih pada Sugeng atas ceritanya. Sugeng balas mengucapkan terima kasih. Ia minta saya mendoakan agar usahanya berjalan lancar. Permintaan yang saya jawab dengan kata amien. Saya anggap Sugeng sudah berdoa dengan sendirinya.

Jalan pulang terasa panjang malam itu. Banyak pikiran berkecamuk. Bila Sugeng sudah memiliki sawahnya sendiri, mencukupi airnya dan bertanam sekian butir padi, hanya soal waktu bila Sugeng ingin menikmati hasilnya. Sementara saya, hanya sibuk menggarap sawah orang lain. Berharap upah bulanan. Yang seringkali habis terlalu cepat.

Rekan penulistangguh, kira-kira sawah kita berupa apa ya?

Arde Wisben, di penghujung malam, di suatu hari di bulan Maret 2008.

Menyantap Mujahidin

For Astrid Susanti on her birthday on April 27

Santap sahur untuk puasa Senin-Kamis tak lagi meriah sejak ayah, ibu dan kakakku pindah ke Semarang. Aku malas ikut pindah. Tanggung. Sebentar lagi ujian. Lagipula rumah nenekku masih bisa dicapai dengan berjalan kaki.

Sebetulnya aku tidak sungguh-sungguh tinggal sendiri. Nenek menyuruh Jeanette, Sabar, Syukur, dan Darsono menemaniku di sini. Aku maklum jika Pak RT tidak sudi memasukkan nama mereka ke dalam kartu keluarga kami. Selain karena perbedaan spesies, mereka juga tidak pernah bisa melakukan tugas-tugas ringan sehari-hari seperti membeli gula ke warung, membayar listrik, atau menyiangi rumput. Aku tidak ingin menambah beban hidup mereka. Toh mereka cuma kucing. Aku juga tidak keberatan melakukan semua itu sendiri.

YOU'VE GOT TO FIND WHAT YOU LOVE

This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs,

CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios,

delivered on June 12, 2005.

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.The first story is about connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?

It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.

And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.

It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5? deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town everySunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:
Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it?s likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something ? your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

My second story is about love and loss.

I was lucky ? I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation ? the Macintosh ? a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.

I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me ? I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick.Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

My third story is about death.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything ? all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery andI'm fine now.
This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope it?s the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma ? which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park , and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much.

REUNI KAMPRET

Kmaren salah satu mantan Kampret married, Uri namanya. Lakinya Jokaw juga, Johan namanya. Acaranya di daerah Bekasi gitu deh. Lumayan jauh dari rumah. Makanya gw janjian ama Srisna di LIA Galaxy. Kalo dateng sendiri takut nyasar boooo...

Kita (elu aja kali? gue enggaaa!) nyampe pas udah mulai sepi soalnya paginya gw pergi dulu ama Nyokap n Kapten Kapal k Ps.Minggu. Tapi makanan masi banyaaaaaaks dan lezat-sedap pulak. Gak ada antrian panjang buat salaman, jadi abis itu bisa langsung minum, gluk, gluk, gluk! Bukan apa2... perjalanan k sana panjang dan macetttt. Matahari juga lagi doyan cengar-cengir.

Pas gw ama Srisna lagi mabok2an Soto Btawi, ehhh... Para Kampret berpose di pelaminan. Gak mo ktinggalan dunks?! Yak, letakkan piring, lariiiiii...

Di atas 'pentas' udah ada Lela, Dwiyani, Hening, Gandi, Ferada, Susi, Siska Moja dan Ruri!!! Lalu terjadilah gerakan nyengir bareng, diselingi ketawa-ketiwi dan ditutup dengan cipika-cipiki... lumayan gw tadi belum bedakan.

It's about time. Reuni kecil ini menjawab kerinduan gw 'n Srisna sama masa lalu kita yang penuh kegilaan dulu. Si Hening sempet2nya lagi ngeracunin gw, "Tih, lu gak nyanyi2 gila kayak dulu? Ayo dunk, for old time sake. For our friendship." Gak lah. Gila aja, mana tega gw 'ngerusak' pernikahan agung yang sangat Jawa itu, hihihihiiiiiii.

Kalo ini terjadi dulu ketika smua masih bujangan, mungkin acara akan dilanjutkan dengan nongkrong bareng, ato boling, ato bahkan ke Dufan! Tapi tentu aja itu gak terjadi. Bisa rusak rumah tangga! Heheheheee, gak juga siy. Kalo gw ama Srisna mah abis itu lanjut, kekekekekkkk... meskipun itu cuma ngerujak 'n nonton DVD di rumah Srisna bareng Dasnin dan kedua meong yang manis-manja: Kaka dan Topeng.

Meskipun cuma sesaat, gw cukup hepi. Suka aja mendapati kenyataan bahwa masih ada kawan2 dari masa lalu dengan siapa kita bisa membagi kenangan akan rentetan peristiwa yang terekam indah di memori rasio. Duh, kalo gini gue jadi makin kangen aja sama ngajar. Devinaaaaa... kalo kelas2 udah gak pada bocor dan mushola udah gak bau apek, kasi tau gue yak?

THE GOOD OLD DAYS

Teaching at LIA Pramuka is really beyond my reach now. Not only because it is geographically far from where I live and work, but also because I have 1001 reasons why I decided to postpone teaching English--at least for the time being.

LIA Pramuka is indeed a memorable place. The place has changed too much though--broken windows that create water cascade, late lunch because Ibu Yati has no more competitors, smelly mushola caused by the wet carpet due to the leaking windows and ceiling. But one thing I really cannot bear with is the fact that the branch management decided to lock the big window at the ladies' restroom. Oh, it was the spot where I marked my territory! Not that I used to pee by the window, NO! Do I look like a cat or a dog to you? Well... my Chinese zodiac is dog but... anyway... From THAT window I used to observe how the mi ayam and bakso sellers prepared their stuff. I used to enjoy looking at people strolling peacefully along Jl. Pengayoman. Houses lining up. Yellow flowers blooming. What a view. I always wanted to take a picture of that, but I kept postponing and... the moment is gone.

Oh, and I also miss being one of the teachers. I mean REALLY being one of them. Now that I'm part of the test and materials writers, people's perspective has changed as well. Only a few people can talk to me for quite some time without attacking my guilty conscious: protesting every single thing printed in LIA books and tests. I miss Kampret. I miss my locker (filling it up with realias, coffee and pingpong bat was really something!). I even miss class observations!!! I miss all the craziness and togetherness in the teachers' room, in the pantry, and... toilet.

I also miss my lovely (some are) students. One of them is a teacher now :) , another appeared on Empat Mata (well she wasn't really a good student, no wonder she has to wear skimpy outfit to make ends meet :( , but the gang who's still in touch with me up to now is my Intermediate 4. It was somebody else's class, given to me because the students were considered a little wild. Well, Allah permitted me to tame them and we became friends (and now cyber pals).

Meski terkadang pesona keindahan masa lalu tidak seindah kenyataan ketika masa itu sedang berlangsung aku tetap rindu LIA Pramuka. Ah, mungkin memang sifat dasar manusia... gak mau lepas sama masa lalu.

BTW, sblom recording trakhir gw mampir k ruang guru LIA Pramuka n ktmu Lela. Trus dosq kasi unjuk undangan outing di era keemasan Kampret dulu, gw nyaris meleleh, sumpah!!!

Oh, the good old days. I miss them like a cat misses a warm blanket on a rainy day.

LEARNING STYLES

by Hafilia Riniati Ismanto

The importance of being aware that people have different learning styles especially to teachers is that a teacher who know that different elements affect learning will make accomodations in his or her teaching to provide various elements in the learning conditions. While it would be impossible to provide all, giving little doses of as many elements as possible will help the different types of students in the classroom.

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Studies have shown that every person has his/her own learning style. Researchers have identified eighteen different factors that affect learning. These consist of elements that permit individuals to receive, store and use knowledge or abilities.

A person's learning style has nothing to do with his intelligence. The elements present under the conditions in which a person carries out his learning tasks often play an important role in determining how much that person would be able to learn.

These element fall into five categories:
1. Environmental
2. Emotional
3. Sociological
4. Physical
5. Psychological

1. ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENTS

Some people need silence to learn while others seem to be able to block out sounds and can concentrate in the midst of confusion. On the other extreme are those who need noise in their environment in order to learn something new or difficult.

Many students find that they can only concentrate in bright light whereas others find that low light calms them and permits them to learn more easily.

Few people can learn in extreme temperatures. Studies have shown that people react differently to the same temperatures.

Some people learn best in informal surroundings where they can lounge around, lie prone, or seated on the floor. Others can concentrate only when they are seated upright at a desk.

2. EMOTIONAL ELEMENTS

Highly motivated students are better able to overcome learning style preferences than those who are unmotivated.

Persistent students have longer attention spans so they can focus. Students who are not persistent often look for "breaks" while they are learning. This generally indicates short attention spans.

The element of responsibility correlates with conformity. Students who do not conform have been shown to learn more easily when they are permitted several options.

Some students cannot do anything unless they are given explicit directions. Others need only general outlines and manage to continue the work on their own.

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3. SOCIOLOGICAL ELEMENTS

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Sociological elements refer to learning styles an individual applies in relation to other individuals. Some students learn much better alone, others need to work in pairs or teams. Some like to learn with people who are younger or older, while others prefer to be with peers. A certain percentage cannot work if anyone else is present while others may not have the skills to work alone; and still others will work best with different kinds of media. Some can work well with any combination and are often referred to as those who learn in varied ways.

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4. PHYSICAL ELEMENTS

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An auditory learner usually remembers about 75% of what he/she hears in a40-50 minute lecture. A young child, however, would not be able to remember that much of what is said.

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More people are more visual than auditory in style and visual learners will normally remember about 75% of what he/she read or sees during a 40-50 minute session.

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Most children do not become visual until they are in the third or fourth grades. The younger the learner, the more tactile and kinesthetic he/she may be in style. Perceptual preference seems to evolve for most students from psychomotor (tactile-kinesthetic) to visual as they mature.

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Some people have to drink, eat, chew, smoke. or bite on objects as they concentrate while others do not.

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Some people are early birds while others are night owls and people show either high or low energy levels at different times of the day or evening.

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Some learners cannot sit still for long periods of time while others cannot sit even for short periods. Highly active learners should be allowed some mobility during the period of instruction. Given this option they can usually concentrate for longer periods of time, learn, and reacall more thatn when they are required to remain still.

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5. PSYCHOLOGICAL ELEMENTS

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Some students learn best given items sequentially in a well-ordered continuum while others cannot begin to concentrate on content without first being given an initial overall picture of the meaning and use of what will be taught. The first type of learning is called analytic; the second, global.

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Studies have shown that some people are left-brain-preferenced while others are right-preferenced. Both types learn differently. Right-preferenced students are less bothered by sound, prefer dim illumination, require informal settings and are less motivated and less persistent than left-preferenced students. They also prefer learning with peers and prefer tactile stimulation rather than auditory or visual.

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Impulsive students often call out answers withous first considering different possibilities. Reflective students rarely volunteer information although they may know the answers.

SOME IDEAS ABOUT LANGUAGE

• All children learn their native languages swiftly, efficiently, and largely without instruction.
• Language operates by rules.
• All languages have 3 major components: a sound system, a vocabulary, and a system of grammar.
• Everyone speaks a dialect.*)
• Speakers of all dialects employ a range of styles and a set of subdialects and jargon.
• Language changes are normal.
• Language is intimately related to the societies and individuals who use them.
• Value judgments about different languages or dialects are a matter of taste.
• Writing is a derivative of speech.

*)Dialects are different from accents. Accents include intonation and stressing. Dialects include pronunciation based on geographical aspect.

The Magic of Sharing a Burden

Life is hard, indeed. That's why Allah gives us defence mechanism. Some people misunderstand my being happy-go-lucky as power of endurance. Many people have asked me how I manage not to whine. Hmm... they just don't know the dark side of me. I do whine. Many times. Just like most people, I'm a far cry from being tough. Even watching Dora The Explorer can make me shed a silly tear when I'm having my PMS and thinking how I should've been more careful with my pregnancy back then. Ah, well...

I want this little blog to be useful. Maybe that's why you haven't found any whining blog posts. I erased all those demotivating and uninspiring crap. I realize though, that whining and letting-off steam are two different things. But there is a really fine line between the two. I'm afraid that if I start with the latter, it will open the door to the first. What can I say? I'm still learning.

I also think that we should carefully choose people to whom we could share our burdens. And to anticipate our wrong judgement towards how people might react, we'd better not expect too much from them. I believe that the only one who can understand us is The Creator. It's not that I don't trust you, no, don't sulk please. You look like a naughty little monkey with your long face like that. What I'm saying is that there are some issues which are super-duper-sensitively-confidential. Based on my experience, sharing crucial stuff with other people can be really tricky. Believe me, when people you trust put you down to the bottom, it will break your heart into the smallest pieces.

Still, we have to keep the balance of whining and be positive. Too much whining will bore people. Too positive all the time will leave people a question mark Is he/she really that strong, or is he/she just being defensive? My friend Atiek and I share the same favorite pastime: observing people in that sense...

How about you?

Article: LEADERSHIP

Summarized from "Seven Habits of Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey

Leadership is a choice—something that everybody can learn. Rarely is one born with the ability to lead. We often think that some people are born to lead, but in reality, all that leaders have in common is the initiative and desire. Initiative and desire to make things better are the head start to learn the art or process of influencing others to strive and achieve their goals. There are several skills that a good leader has.


First, a good leader is able to inspire his followers to take actions. A true leader can see what is unique in each person and can make his followers realize their own talents. A true leader empowers his people by giving them the opportunities to develop their potentials. He never gives put-downs. He helps people to unleash their potentials and tap into the energy and talents that they did not know they had. A good leader knows that people will not struggle for something that they do not believe in. Therefore, he creates a vision that is possible to achieve.


The second skill is the ability to communicate with his followers. A leader makes himself understood. A leader creates a two-way interchange of ideas and communicates strategies to fulfill his vision. There is always time to talk, find solutions, and implement changes. Every follower is important. A good leader treats all individuals as helpers, not as underlings. He keeps his followers informed about their progress.


The third skill a leader must possess is the ability to create a conducive atmosphere. A good leader radiates optimism so that his followers look forward to the future with great expectations. A good leader guides his followers by force of vision and inspiration. He is ready to assist them when necessary. He creates environments in which they feel safe to speak up their minds and to take risks. He shows his appreciation whenever his followers do their jobs well. He makes his people feel supported and motivated. Consequently, they will get things done willingly.



In conclusion, everybody can be a leader as long as he has the desire to see people’s hidden potentials, communicate well, and support his followers. A mother who can make her children want to do homework and house chores is a good leader, and so is a boatman who can encourage a passerby to learn to swim.

SEKELUMIT TENTANG KEHIDUPAN

Marlina Iryatie Altaf, seorang sahabat baru

yang kehadirannya memberi kesejukan, harapan dan pencerahan...

Kehidupan memang berjalan tanpa kita tahu ke mana arahnya. Kita hanya perlu menjalaninya dengan sebaik-baiknya. Ikuti saja alirannya, sementara kita tak perlu tahu di mana muaranya. Semua merupakan garisan kodrat.

Ada kalanya, sesuatu tidak berjalan sesuai dengan harapan kita. Ada kalanya sesuatu tidak seperti yang kita rencanakan. Sedih, kecewa, marah, menjadi bagian dalam sandiwara kehidupan. Pahit dan getir datang tanpa diundang.

”Life is a journey, not a destination” demikian kata Aerosmith dalam lagunya “Amazing”. Hidup bukan tujuan. Karena tujuan hidup, sejatinya adalah mati. Dan kehidupan adalah ladang untuk mempersiapkan kematian. DR. Aidh Al-Qarni dalam bukunya "Cambuk Hati" berkata bahwa, “Dunia adalah jembatan akhirat. Oleh karena itu, seberangilah ia dan janganlah kita menjadikannya sebagai tujuan. Tidaklah berakal orang yang membangun gedung-gedung di atas jembatan”.

Namun, hidup adalah juga proses belajar yang tak pernah berhenti. Ada perputaran siklus di situ. Kita lahir, tumbuh, berkembang, dewasa, matang dan tua. Dari tidak bisa menjadi bisa, dari tidak mengerti menjadi mengerti, dari tidak tahu menjadi tahu. Kita belajar untuk memahami makna kehidupan ini. Mengapa kita dilahirkan, untuk apa, dan bagaimana menjalaninya, karena manusia diciptakan sudah dalam sebaik-baik bentuk. Punya mata, telinga dan hati untuk dapat berdiri di atas kedua kaki sendiri. Walaupun kita sesungguhnya tidak sendiri, tidak pernah sendiri.

Hidup bisa merupakan sebuah penantian panjang, hidup bisa menjadi sebuah kelelahan. But life is worth to fight. Karena hidup (di dunia) cuma sekali. Adakah bahagia yang kita cari, ataukah mimpi yang kita kejar... Apakah ambisi yang dituju, atau kebanggaan diri?
Hidup cuma sebuah fatamorgana, buat mereka yang tak berusaha. Dalam berusaha diperlukan kesederhanaan dan kerendahan hati. It doesn’t matter how hard we try, all we need is just a secure feeling. Bukan cinta, tapi perasaan aman. As simple as that. Simple to say, not to apply. Karena ada komitmen, juga konsekuensi yang mesti dijalani.

Seperti halnya roda, kehidupan punya naik, dan punya turun. Kadang di atas, kali lain di bawah. Ada ujian, ada hidayah. Ada cobaan, ada rahmat. Begitu berwarna. Begitu singkat. Berusaha, berdoa, dan bercerminlah.., demikian kata orang tua.

Peliharalah hidup, pastikan tetap di jalan yang benar. Waktu akan mendewasakan, sakit hati akan mengajarkan. Semoga tetap istiqomah dan pada saatnya nanti, khusnul khatimah.

Anjing, Maafkan Peni

Ratih S. Jatmiko

Tragedi + waktu = komedi.

Mungkin hal ini berlaku hanya untuk sebagian orang dengan kasus tertentu, tapi tidak bagi Peni. Sampai detik ini, jantungnya masih memukul kencang bila ia mengingat kejadian mengerikan yang dialaminya semasa ia masih duduk di bangku TK.

Seperti biasa, Peni kecil selalu pulang dengan kakak dan teman-temannya dengan berjalan kaki. Setiap hari mereka melewati sebuah rumah megah dan selalu merasa alangkah beruntungnya orang yang tinggal di rumah sebesar dan semegah itu. “Pasti di dalam ada kolam renangnya”, demikian pikir Peni kecil.

Unforgettable!

I’ll never forget the moment when I first met him. It was a fine evening and the streets were not as crowded as usual. Ayu and I were talking and enjoying our coffee and snacks at the El Diablo Coffee Shop. The place has always been a favorite place for us. We like to sit together and exchange ideas there. First, it’s very cozy. Second, the prices are reasonable. Last but not least, we have the freedom to sit and chat as long as we wish.

At the coffee shop that night, there were only Ayu and I. The others were busy working on our next play “The Screaming Heart”.

I told Ayu I was going to have a job interview the next morning. Ayu was spiritedly talking about how I should prepare myself for the interview. “You should kiss your ponytail goodbye and have your hair cut short, Sekar. It’ll make you look neat and professional,” Ayu said.

Tips for Writing a Short Story

by Jennifer Stewart

All writers must have a command of the language and a great vocabulary in order to write a short story (or a novel or an article ...) 

Structure of Your Short Story

Novice writers are often given this advice on how to structure their short stories:

• Put a man up a tree
• Throw stones at him
• Get him down

When you come to think of it, it's good advice for any writer. So follow the steps in the plan below to start writing great short stories.

Beat Procrastination and Meet Your Deadlines!

Written by: Allena Tapia

Take a look at any freelance job listings, and you'll see that the ability to meet deadlines is in high demand among writers. Throw in the fact that many writers work from home on their own schedule and at their own pace, and you've got a potential recipe for disaster! Try some of these strategies to beat procrastination: