“ .. She is a Professor in chemical engineering, with three bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering, economics, and English. Even, now she is pursuing her doctoral studies in English. She is really-really an extraordinary woman.”

Bu Dana, that is the name we usually calls her. She is a humble woman with extraordinary achievement. She is so energetic in her fifties years old. Her performance is like a young woman in twenties years old. Although she is a professor in chemical engineering, but She is not looked like a serious scientist. She is really a cheerful scientist. You know she always wears a jean and t-shirt during teaching us English.

I am very happy and feel lucky I can join his short course on TOEFL preparation. I can reveal her wellknown ability in helping student to improve their TOEFL score. Bu Dana is a professor and lecturer at Chemical Engineering Department, Insitut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), Surabaya Indonesia. However, she is also famous in her English ability. My friend suggested me to join her TOEFL preparation short course, and I just joined her since 1 week ago, and now my TOEFL score is getting better and better from 500 at the beginning and now my TOEFL score is 560. I think it is very good progress. I hope that I can reach my TOEFL score target: 650 after finishing this short couse in three weeks. With thus such TOEFL score, I am sure I feel more confident for applying PhD scholarship in any reputable University in Europe.

One thing that I can learn much more important than the others is she always encourages us to study and work hard. She remembers us that our success is strongly depending on how hard our effort to gain it is, and weakly depending on our teacher. Nothing is Impossible when we have given the very best effort for our success.

Thanks a lot Bu Danawati! I will miss your sincere and wonderful advice. You are the most efficient teacher have I seen until this ever.

“Indonesia…..Tanah Air Beta, Pusaka Abadi nan Jaya”. That ’s a fragment of Indonesian folksong, which means “Indonesia is my motherland, an everlasting and glory heritage”. I am proud to be Indonesian, as the most multi-local-cultural nation, with 224 ethnics spreading in  17.504 island (including  9.634 unnamed Island)[1].  That’s why no wonder Indonesia has very many local heritages. The genuine heritage from Indonesia, which will never found in other places in this world wide.

One of very famous local heritage is Batik. Batik is a kind or genre of fashion with unique motifs.  Batik is generally thought of as the most quintessentially Indonesian textile. Motifs of flowers, twinning plants, leaves buds, flowers, birds, butterflies, fish, insects and geometric forms are rich in symbolic association and variety; there are about three thousand recorded batik patterns [2]. The batik’s motif can be made either manually by hand using a tool called “canting” as depicted in the figure or automatically using machine. I m sure you bet that the hand made one is much more expensive than the machine made one. But, for your information all of them are still affordable.  There are some places in Indonesia that very famous for its batik, such as Yogyakarta, Solo, and Pekalongan. These places are located in central of Java.

Indonesians never aware about this local heritage for many years. Batik is considered as a traditional, not modern fashion.Even, young people of Indonesian feels ashame  to wear this kind of fashion. It is only wear in traditional ceremony such as wedding party. Until once day our neighbor country, Malaysia, claimed it as their local heritage while promoting their tourism worldwide.  Since the day, Indonesians angry to know about that and since the day, Indonesian start awaring this local heritage.  Now,  batik become a trend  back in Indonesia. That’s what they called “modern batik”. Now Batik is worn anytime and anyplace, not only in traditional affair such as wedding ceremony. Even, in any governmental institution, it is compulsory to wear batik, one day a week, usually on Friday. That’s what they called “Batik Day”.

Sometime we forget, that we have a forgettable worthiness heritage. We just realized it when, it has been lost or stolen by others.

References:

[1] http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pembicaraan:Daftar_suku_bangsa_di_Indonesia
[2] http://www.indonesianmusic.com/batik.htm

When someone graduated from University, what does many people expect? Getting a good job with high salary in such as in Multinational Oil and Gas Company for example, isn’t.But, I do not know why I do not really interested to do so.

I have imagined my self,  got those prestigious kind of Jobs. Then  I could make much money from my Job. Then I could buy a luxurious cars, glotious houses, marry with dreamy beautiful girl, travel on the vacation around the world,  taste all delicious food, get funny sons and daughters. Then less than 40 years later, eventually I will die. That’s all about of a Life?

I am not hypocrite, I am also dreaming to be like that. Because I know not everyone can pursuit those kind of Life. But, I sometime think this Life is too short, merely  just to  pursuit those kind of Life. Is those kind of Life make sense and in line  with the purpose and objective of our creation here. Life just to pursuit money and happiness for ourselves.

Yeah I know. Its all about, choice of Life.  And I am not in full of  my heart to pursue those kind of Life. I think there is something more important than that. To be honest, I am so impressed with the way of life of Ulema. Ulema is Scientist and best practitioner  in Religion [Islam]. They life so humble for their self, so far away from to be greedy.  But, they dedicate all of their life  for others. They contribute much for others. They so close with their God. Learn knowledge, and share the knowledge for others. Not only knowledge for this Life, but also knowledge about Life after Life. Really, Really they life in real life. In each single of their life seems to be meaningful, not only for their self. But also give a meaning for others.

Oh God, I am praying to pursuit this kind of Life, the Life of Ulema. Someone who loves You much, and You love him/her much as well. I just want to follow their foot steps prints. The foot steps of Ulema, the heir of your prophets. The prophets who guide us to attain you.

cakshon [@ ITS 010409 : 07:56 AM]