the unexpected things

the unexpected things

Walk along with DR Thamrin, spending the evening and visiting the sick-father of our friend,

DR Fikarwin,

Sometimes we are as the human being, not seldom facing the unexpected things….hmm should we use our brain to think about this or just receive such condition as it sometimes happens in our life. As the educated persons we always try to keep whatever we have in right order, at least we make a system to help us use it better and help us live better too and easily, but…..as I told you above, it often happens that something runs inside our life (life which has been arranged with a system) unexpectedly, if it is exciting and interesting there won’t be any trouble, but unluckily if it came with the puzzle and gave us lot troubles……hmmm the experience of life usually does some helps…so why don’t we always keep doing right and good and kind things for our environment so that maybe one day if we got a problem, we can help ourselves faster and with full of tactic. What a good boy ! or people will say… How smart we are.. yess never ever surrender anytime we got problems, sometimes they are all just the directive tests by the Lord above, to us so that we can be living better and better…
Once I had ever got a very big problem, and I tried to calculate the sums well and I had come to a conclusion that the best solution I had to get a quite big loan of money….i tried to look for some helps among my friends…they were all god friends indeed, and they were so understanding with my condition and wanted to do some helps as well, but in their ideas they did things that I didn’t expect actually, but they showed me another different solution and it was very far from the expected thing that I wanted to.. but as the simple and poor human being, I had to consider and made others calculation, finally I had to appreciate the unexpected solution, and it worked….though it was a little bit slower, at last…they could also help me completing or finishing my own and main problems….well fellows, if you had the rather same things as I had, you know, you are the loved person. Somebody who is loved by his creator above, Alhamdulillah…….

One evening on Sembada 7th street in Padang Bulan, medan, with DR Thamrin and
DR Fikarwin, my fellow lecturers of USU, Medan. Jan, 2009

sang teratai seroja laksmi mengarang.....

teratai.. by sanusi pane

Teratai

Dalam kebun di tanah airku

Tumbuh sekuntum bunga teratai;

Tersembunyi kembang indah permai,

Tidak terlihat orang yang lalu. Akarnya tumbuh di hati dunia, Daun berseri Laksmi mengarang; Biarpun ia diabaikan orang,

Seroja kembang gemilang mulia.

Teruslah, O Teratai Bahagia

Berseri di kebun Indonesia,

Biar sedikit penjaga taman.
Biarpun engkau tidak dilihat,

Biarpun engkau tidak diminat,

Engkau turut menjaga Zaman

ini puisi emang keren..kalo ngga salah, ini puisi ditujukan untuk seorang...

Ki Hajar Dewantara.

Walau agak sedikit terlambat…sekali lagi ..Selamat Hari Guru, Have a Teacher day!

one afternoon across the school of tamansiswa tanjungrejo, jl setiabudi, medan, Jan 2009

teratai…

teratai…

dimana pernah kamu melihat teratai, ya bunga teratai….hmmm dimana ya….oufff..aku ingat…..paling-paling disungai atau di kali kata org jawa….kayaknya enggak pernah dia berada di vas bunga cantik rumah mewah.

ya..dia hanya dapat kita jumpai di sungai yang tidak jarang sungai itupun sungai yang jorok atau kotor dengan coklat kelabu warna airnya…

Namun ketika kita sadar, dan mau menyadarinya..walau dia tidak disimpan tempat mewah atau berada di atas meja dengan vas bunga nan cantik dirumah orang-orang kaya, kita semua, baik miskin maupun si itu orang kaya tsb. bila tak sengaja kemudian melihatnya berada disungai nan jorok, kita pasti akan tetap mengakuinya.. mengakui kecantikannya, mengakui bahwa dia cantik….ya dia lah sang teratai…..

water lily…

where have you ever seen the waterlily, yes.. that flower.. hmmm where is it? .. ouffff.. once I remembered… just on the river (‘kali” said Javanese people).. it seems hard for us to find the waterlily in a vase on the luxurious houses or mansions.

Yes, we can only see them on the rivers or even on the very dirty rivers with their dark brown colored river water…

But then when we realize, and we would like to realize.. although they are not kept in luxurious places or on the tables with good vases in rich people houses, we, all, even the poor and those rich ones, if sometimes without purpose seeing them on dirty rivers, we must admit them, we must admit their beauty, admit that they are beautiful flowers.. yes.. they are the waterlilies…

Walau agak sedikt terlambat…saya persembahkan tulisan ini kepada semua rekan-rekan pengajar, pendidik, ustad, guru, dosen, tutor, the educators, the professors and all…semuanya tak terkecuali..Selamat Hari Guru, maju terus pantang mundur dan jayalah pendidikan dan ilmu pengetahuan !!!

At the verandah of the mosque of nurul huda, on beringin street, medan, ba’da ashar, Jan, 2009

DON’T’ CRY MY SON…..

I am always wet with the tears.. anytime I see you crying….

Don’t cry my son.. if you still fail getting what you want….try again and again.. next you will have all of them so long you are not tired to try…forget your mom, she has had another lover, let her be happy with her opinions, beside, she has cared about you so long and now.. you cannot ask more….you must be able to stand up by yourself.. although you might not be with me or with her (your mother), my unique attitudes and presentation to the Lord above will be filled coloring your character…..never cry my son…my prayers will be always with you.. just believe.. if you believe that I am your only father, I have always believed long before that
you are my only son..

at the global cybercafe on matahari raya street one afternoon in medan, jan 2009

How Much is a University Education Really Worth Now?

This question is often heard these days, even among some people who want to send their children after they have finished their 12 years education. As just a simple question, it might be right because people will be worried then with the budget they must provide, but..as the absolute question, there are many things will be considered to answer, cause sometimes we don’t have to answer such questions, let the people who care their future think and consider them as their own decision to view the progress of this world development, and if it is right, also for the life of their children or simply we say their own next generations. But let’s be reasonable….

Many people or folks who go to university end up making more money over their life time than those who do not and yet, we know that some of the rich people and top billionaires in the world skipped college/university or even dropped out. But, how can this be possible if college or university makes you smarter and teaches you how to earn a solid living? Well, college does teach you how to earn a living and the statistics do not lie; folks that go to college on average do make more money.

Not long ago, someone who studies education and even offers online classes in several subjects stated that; Education plus Life Experience is equal to a full on college or university degree. This is an interesting statement, and it assumes that one's education in industry or personal studies is worthy, it's not always, but if it were, this statement makes sense. Well, we should be more careful seeing this fact.

Some people say that; education with life experience similar with a college degree type education or tingkat kesarjanaan (Indonesian.red); We believe that they are giving far too much credit to a college education. We can see that experience and actual know-how far trump the brain washing of a college education. Just take a Look, Bill Gates is no idiot, neither is Michael Dell, Lim Sio liong or anyone else that left school after seeing it for what it is. Some say that the fact that people can drop out of college and become a billionaire is a testament to the freedoms and free enterprise we have in America or in some liberal countries, where opportunity abounds. If billionaires can become that wealthy after dropping out of college then what is a college or university education really worth now?

Well, if you like to see the statistics and the time value of money, it almost seems like a wash considering the high-price of colleges and universities. Those who borrow the money for student loans spend years trying to pay them off, while the compounded interest ticks away. Someone who goes to work, learns a trade and starts their own business often live next door to the professional laden in education debts. It is indeed something to think about.

What I say here actually is just a question, and I really want to go back through my own experiences in my own education. I still don’t know the benefit of my knowledge if it has to be compared to others’ condition of life these days. Actually as the human being we still don’t know what will happen then. But the word ‘don’t know’ here doesn’t mean that totally we have no knowledge for the coming life condition, of course we know the better life because we have undergone the life it self and without any much consciousness we have been running away from the poor condition of our life. The meaning then is we don’t know yet the real forms of the future but we still have to enrich the forms to be better and better. That’s what I mean about we don’t know, comparing to the unwilling to be educated people, we have left them far behind.

Well fellows, what do you think? Back to the title of this script….still worthy or not studying in a college o university?

The out terrace of the library of the University of Sumatera Utara, Medan, afternoon December 5, 2009

my prayers today

Ya Allah, ampunkanlah aku dan senantiasa bimbinglah aku di jalan yang lurus dan tepat dan di jalan yang Engkau kehendaki/yang Engkau perkenankan bagiku dan bagi alam sekitarku, juga bagi orang-orang yang Engkau perkenankan ada dalam lingkungan hidup yang aku jalani ini. Sholawat dan salam hamba mohonkan untuk yang terhormat Rasulullah Muhammad s.a.w, atas segala perjuangan beliau, sehingga banyak diantara kami telah sampai pada pemahaman yang lebih baik tentang keIslaman dan keTuhanan yang Maha Esa, yang itu adalah Engkau semata, Allah SWT.

Besar rasa syukur hamba atas kehadliratMU ya Allah, hingga saat/detik ini dan hamba pun bermohon sampai kapanpun Engkau masih dan akan selalu/ senantiasa menjagaku, membimbingku, menyelamatkanku, menyayangiku, mengasihiku, memberikan rizqi padaku, memuliakanku, membelaku, memberikan keadilan hidup dan mati bagiku, mempersenjataiku dengan ilmu pengetahuanMU, memberikan kelayakan hidup yang pantas menurutMu untukku, dsb.nya yang semuanya ini aku yakinkan pada diriku adalah HidayahMU yang senantiasa diperuntukkan untukku dan kami semua orang-orang yang Engkau ridloi. Berdasarkan proses pemahaman dan kesadaranku, bila itu Engkau perkenankan sebagai anggapanku terhadap diriku dalam memahami proses kesadaran hidupku ini sendiri, aku memohon ya Allah, kiranya Engkau berkenan agar mulai hari ini hamba akan segera kembali susun langkah-langkah yang lebih tepat dalam menjalani hidup hamba ini, izinkanlah ya Allah hamba menikmati hidup ini dengan penuh kedamaian, kesejahteraan, kekayaan baik lahir maupun bathin serta kelayakan hidup yang bagi kepercayaan hamba, Hanya Engkaulah yang berhak memberikannya. Dan bila sudah Engkau perkenankan, maka bagi pemahaman semua makhlukMu, itupun berdasarkan statementMu ya Allah, tidak ada satupun didunia dan akhirat ini yang dapat menghalangi ridloMu untukku ya Allah..yang Maha Meridloi…sekarang dan sampai kapanpun.

Senantiasa jadikanlah hamba dalam keadaan sehat wal afiat lahir dan bathin, perkuatlah keyakinan hamba untuk bergerak terus maju menuju keridloanMu, jadikanlah senantiasa seluruh ilmu dan pengetahuan serta pengalaman hidup hamba, baik yang menyenangkan maupun yang tidak menyenangkan ataupun yang menyakitkan yang pernah hamba alami dan rasakan, sebagai kekayaan utama hamba yang Engkau ridlokan kepada hamba. Izinkanlah mulai dari sekarang, hamba akan mendapatkan sebanyak-banyaknya manfaat dari itu semua, baik untuk kebutuhan hidup hamba, kebutuhan proyek pendidikan yang hamba pimpin dikemasyarakatan ini, serta untuk pertemanan dan persahabatan, juga untuk bersedekah bagi orang yang fakir dan miskin serta orang yg tersesat atau yang dalam kesesatan oleh segala macam kekuasaan hidup yang sebenarnya hamba tahu hanya Engkaulah yang menguasai sumbu porosnya, tanpa mengurangi rasa hormat saya kepada pendahulu-pendahulu hamba, baik para leluhur, para rasul dan nabi serta tokoh-tokoh dunia maupun kakek-kakek dan nenek-nenek, ayah dan ibu, serta guru-guru hamba, bagaimanapun mereka semua adalah pernah menginspirasikan kebaikan dan kebenaran dalam perjalanan hidup hamba ini. Hamba…, agar senantiasa ingat, tujuan hidup hamba adalah kembali, kembali dan kembali atau pulang, pulang, dan pulang ke rumahMu, kembali kehadliratMu, kembali dalam KuasaMu, karena hamba merasa lelah dan lelah bila harus senantiasa merasa bisa menjalani seluruh kehidupan ini tanpa terus-menerus memegang aturanMU/ Rumus kehidupan yang Engkau tetapkan, atau Takdir yang engkau tetapkan. Berilah hamba senantiasa kesempatan mengembangkan pemahaman dan kesadaran hamba sebagai bentuk rasa syukur hamba sebagai insan yang Engkau sayangi, sebagai bentuk puji-pujian hamba kepadaMu, sebagai amal dan ibadah hamba kepadaMU. Dan perkenankanlah, terimalah seluruh amal dan ibadah hamba ini baik bernilai ataupun tidak bagiMu. Pada seluruh kesalahan, kekeliruan dan kesombongan, kepelitan dan sok kedermawanan yang hamba miliki, serta rasa terlalu percaya diri hamba ini selama ini, hamba memohon ampunanMu, Mohon mohon ampun hamba ya Allah, beri maaf lah hamba dan janganlah Engkau sampai murka dan tak berkenan lagi menjagaku, membimbingku, memberi petunjuk padaku, memperkaya materi dan spirit serta jiwa dan qolbu hamba. Jumpakanlah senantisa hamba dengan kenalan-kenalan yang Engkau memang sengaja jumpakan bagi kemanfaatan hidupku dan hidup kami semua manusia ciptaanMu. Jumpakanlah hamba dengan para sahabat dan murid-murid serta anakku yang baik dan konsisten terhadap nilai-nilai kemanusiaan, keTuhanan, kebangsaan, kebudayaan, kodrat alam serta kemerdekaan, jumpakanlah hamba dengan saudara-saudara hamba yang Engkau ridlokan untuk dapat kami semua saling memperkaya materi hidup dan kejiwaan serta ilmu pengetahuan diantara kami semua, Janganlah engkau jumpakan aku dengan para syaithan, manusia sial dan manusia yang tak berakal dan tak berkesadaran, makhluk yang Engkau nyatakan terbuang, terkutuk dan tercampakkan dan disesatkan oleh kekuasaanMu. Bila menurut versi pemahaman kebanyakan orang, izinkanlah hamba untuk yang kesekian kalinya menjalani kehidupan ini mulai dari awal yang baik dan terpelihara dengan segala kebaikan dan kebenaran dan akan senantiasa mendapatkan kebaikan serta kesejahteraan yang abadi dan diridloi olehMU ya ALLAH.

Bila dalam doa hamba ini terdapat kesalahan atau kekeliruan pernyataan dan permohonan, maka, sebagai insan yang tidak memiliki daya apapun dalam menetapkan takdir, nasib dan peruntungan, hamba memohon dengan sebenar-benarnya permohonan kepadaMU ya ALLAH yang Maha Besar, Maha Agung, Maha Kaya, Maha Pengasih dan Maha Penyayang, Maha pengampun dan Maha Menetapkan, senantiasa tetapkanlah hamba dalam ketetapan pemahaman yang Engkau ridloi, berikanlah hamba rezqi yang nikmat dan dapat hamba nikmati dan tidak merugikan bagi hamba, bermanfaat serta dapat menjadikan hamba mulia bagiMU, atau setidaknya Engkau berkenan atas seluruh amal dan ibadah hamba yang sangat sederhana ini dan tidak ada apa-apanya ini bagi seorang Maha Pencipta seperti Engkau ya Allah.

Ya Allah…rabbana atina fiddunya hasanah wafil akhirati hasanah, waqiina adzabannar,

Bismillah..bismillahirohmanirrohim..bismillahittawakaltu allallohu la haula wala kuwata illa billahil aliyil adhim…

Hamba bergerak kembali menuju tempat yang Engkau sudah jadikan ketetapannya bagiku. Bimbinglah hamba senantiasa dalam meniti jalan kehidupan hamba ini agar hamba Engkau perkenankan sampai kembali kepadaMu. Ya Allah, hamba bergerak menuju pulang……sekali lagi bismillah…….

Subhanarobbika robbil izzati amayasifun wassalamun alal mursalin walhamdulillahirobbil alamin. Astagfirrulloh…astagfirulloh…astagfirulloh…..Allohu Akbar!!!

Medan January 5, 2009, the terrace of Ar-Rachman School Building or Tikarya University, Gaperta Ujung.

An idea how to teach easily with complexity:

An idea how to teach easily with complexity:

Towards an ecological or habitual action perspective on language teaching (Dec 31, 2008-Ar-Rachman FD-Elementary-School, Medan)

Peace be unto you and Allah’s mercy and blessing as well

ASSALAMU’ALAIKUM WR.WB.

The speaker surveys recent trends in language teaching thinking in terms of the distinction between the technological and ecological perspectives on teaching and learning. The ecological perspective on language teaching focuses attention on the subjective reality which various aspects of the teaching–learning process assume for participants, and on the dynamic interaction between methodology and context. It thus confronts us with the complex and multifaceted nature of teaching and learning as they are actually lived out in specific settings. In this way, it makes it necessary to adopt a “local“ approach to pedagogical decision making. Subsequent to a survey of the trends which have led to the emergence of the ecological perspective, the article focuses on the factors that need to be taken into account in the practical realization of an ecological approach to language teaching. These include a re-evaluation of the relation between theory and practice, the development of a research agenda capable of accessing the complex human realities of teaching and learning, and a rethinking of the bases of pedagogical decision making.

Author Keywords: Complexity; Ecological approach; Habitual Action; Appropriate methodology; Course development; Localness; Dynamics

In our life these days we found lots of difficulties when we have to educate our students in directing them to the meaning of understand logically. For those students who have well-organized family lifestyle it is not hard to provide them with any-kind of education because they have got challenging in their mind since they found that at their home they have been often finding such challenging. We can find many educated parents are wisely accompanying their children in learning, but what about the disorganized family/ or non well-organized family? Include the non educated nor care parents? Well, the assignment of the teacher at school are in charge now. As the common human being, we, the teachers are also the ones with lots of our personal burden anyway, but as the educators I believe that the educators or we are having lots of strategic or tactics in approaching, directing, managing and pointing our students to the integrated targets of educating. As it is stated above “In this way, it makes it necessary to adopt a “local“ approach to pedagogical decision making. Subsequent to a survey of the trends which have led to the emergence of the ecological perspective, the article focuses on the factors that need to be taken into account in the practical realization of an ecological approach to language teaching.” I really want to show you how easy it will be if we have got more preparations in accompanying our students understanding. Never ever try to make them feeling complicated in understanding by logic or force their brain to think..!! Try to be wiser and bring them to the more humanistic way of approaching such as HABITUAL ACTION, or let them think by themselves after we have provided them with many or some good habits which are directing them to understand. As my limited position, as the language teacher, let me show you some of my ways of teaching in the meaning of approaching thru habit and then you will see then that they will have been better in understanding because they have known or at least they know it though the might not really understand them logically yet.

Well, teachers, enjoy yourself in teaching and Happy New Year !! Success will always be with you so long you are still the care and dedicated teachers, Good Luck!!!

And Peace be unto you and Allah’s mercy and blessing as well.

WASSALAMU’ALAIKUM WR.WB.

December 31st, 2008 or the last day of 2008 at the terrace of the Post Graduate Build.
of the University of Dharma Agung, Medan, North Sumatera, Indonesia