as the rain kiss the sea

Memulai hidup baru (sementara) di Baltimore - epi 2

2012-01-15T07:55:00.008+07:00

Wah ternyata aku diminta mbak Dina bikin sambungan cerita hehehe..
Maaf mbak Dina, aku ga sibuk twitter-an kok, cuma iseng wae kuwi.

Yo wis iki critane dimulai seko ngendi yoooo...

Jadi akhirnya kami bertiga jadi berangkat bareng. Tanggal 19 Agustus kita ke Jakarta pake Garuda jam 2 siang, buat disambung naik Qatar Airways jam 1 pagi. Yang nganter ke Bandara banyak, ibu, adik2-ku berempat, bapak ibu mertua, ipar, dan sepupu suami. Hiks hiks aku nangis2 kala itu.. Mbok2en.. Terutama ketika meluk ibu-ku. Soalnya aku tahu, ibuku skrg sudah kesepian, anaknya delapan udah gede kabeh. Jadi rumah Kotagede udah kaya empty nest. Dan hiburan dia adalah cucu satu2nya (Nana-ku) yang selalu berkunjung di akhir pekan.

Ini Nana sm ibu-ku. Hiks hiks...

Nana sama mbak Alina, yg nggak terpisahkan sebelum brangkat. Maklum ini saudara sepupu baru ketemu 2 bulan, stlh mbak Alina balik dr Jepang.

Si Nana mah seneng-seneng wae. Dia ga berenti ketawa2 becandaan sm adik2ku. Dia ketawa2 digendong Pakdhe Ali, pakdhe kesayangannya. Ga tau dia, kl habis itu bakal lama sekali ga ketemu. Padahal anakku ini, tiap sore kalo denger pakdhe-nya udah pulang, dia akan malu2 mencari pakdhe-nya buat diajak maen.

Ini Nana sm pakdhe Ali

Kita ke Jakarta cuma diantar Yangkung (bapaknya mas Arka). Dan waktu berpisah sm Yangkung di pintu imigrasi keberangkatan Internasional, aku semedhot lagi dong. Tapi kok bapak karo anake dhewe malah ngguya-ngguyu ae yo (maksudnya Yangkung sm mas Arka).

Dianter Yangkung ke Jakarta...

Akhirnya kita tinggal bertiga deh. Si Nana jatuh tidur di ruang tunggu, dan dia tetap tidur waktu boarding tiba. Ya Allah, ternyata pesawat segede itu memang benar2 penuh lo. Kayanya pada pulang dari liburan summer nih. Syukur alhamdulillah banget berarti, suami sm Nana-ku bisa dapat tiket juga, meskipun agak mahal.

Aku lupa kapan Nana bangun tidur. Tp habis bangun, dia mulai lah nonton video ga habis2. Dia nonton Dumbo sampe 5 kali, trus mewarnai, nempel stiker, sm makan es krim. Ga ada rewel-rewelnya hehehe.
Pas transit di Doha, si Nana juga cengar-cengir. Transit cuma 2,5 jam ternyata mepet banget hehe.. Cuma buat sikat gigi cuci muka, trus mbersihin makanan centang perenang di miscellaneous bag kita. Abis tu dah ngantri lagi deh buat boarding. Dan selanjutnya kami terbang 14 jam lagi ke Washington International Airport. Ternyata, terbang 24 jam itu tidak menyenangkan hehe.. Udah capek sekali, krn mobilitas terbatas. Si Nana baru rewel di 2 jam terakhir perjalanan.

Kita sampe di D.C. jam 5 sore. Dan dijemput sama temen Yangkung buat nginep sebentar di rumah mereka, istirahat. Keesokan harinya, barulah kami diantar pake mobil ke Baltimore (1 jam perjalanan).

Karena sebelum berangkat kami belum berhasil menemukan rumah, jadi kami sementara nunut tinggal di rumah Bonnie. Bonnie dan suaminya adalah pasangan usia 50-an yg ketiga anaknya sudah besar. Jadi rumah Victorian besar mereka memiliki kamar2 kosong. Dan kamar2 itu diiklankan oleh Bonnie di website JHU untuk short term housing. Saya kirim email berpuluh2 cari housing, yang nyantol ya cuma sama Bonnie ini. Bonnie baik sekali, krn dia mau nerima kita sbg family, padahal kamar yg dia tawarkan sebenernya nggak convenient buat ditinggali sbg family. Tapi dia paham bahwa kami kepepet dan dengan senang hati menyediakan ekstra bed buat Nana.
Memang sih, jadinya harus share kitchen sm dining room dengan Bonnie. Tapi keluarga ini sangat baik dan hangat. Pasangan ini bahkan pernah ke Indonesia, ke Sumatra. Mereka pernah jadi sukarelawan buat pengungsi Cambodia. Peter (suami Bonnie) adalah practicing physician dengan gelar PhD homeopathy dari Swiss. Jadi dia mempraktekkan kedokteran komprehensif dan naturalis. Kliniknya di Ruscombe tampaknya adalah klinik niche, buat orang2 kaya yang pengen back to nature healing hehe... Mereka juga vegetarian, numbuhin sayuran sendiri di musim panas, dan membikin kompos di halaman.

Kami akhirnya jatuh cinta sama neighborhood sekitar rumah Bonnie, yaitu kawasan Mount Washington. Neighborhoodnya menarik dan indah. Rumah-rumah Victorian besar dan tua dengan halaman yang sangattt luas dan pohon2 besar menjadikan kawasan ini sangat indah. Masih ada hutan2 kecil, dan kita bisa sering berpapasan dengan kijang2 bergerombolan. Dan tentu saja tupai2 yg sangat banyak.

Ini nih tempat tinggal sementara kami, bagus banget ya.. Tapi banyak yg lebih bagus lagi.. Unik-unik dan klasik banget bangunannya..

Kemudian kami tahu bahwa kawasan itu ternyata memang neighborhood buat orang2 kaya, pantas saja rumahnya bagus2 sekali. Daerahnya juga sangat aman. Yang terpenting lagi, kawasan itu masih masuk Baltimore City lo! (Gumun aku, soale bentuknya masih rada hutan2...). Jadi nggak terlalu jauh sama kampus saya yg di-downtown Baltimore City. Dan shuttle kampus juga melayani Mount Washington, karena di Mt Washington ada cabang Johns Hopkins at Mt Washington dan juga Mt Washington Pediatric Hospital yg bekerja sama dengan Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Jadi saya setiap hari bisa naik shuttle kampus untuk ke kampus saya di East Baltimore. Lumayan ngirit biaya transport. (Kalo beli student pass buat MTA, sebulan 49 dollar). Dengan shuttle ini, kita membutuhkan waktu 20-25 menit untuk sampai kampus.

Program saya segera mulai pada tanggal 22 Agustus (dengan orientasi). Jadi saya belum sembuh jetlag udah ke kampus tiap hari hehe.. Tanggal 25 Agustus perkuliahan full udah mulai. Tanpa ampun. Sistem di Hopkins adalah quarter. Tiap tahun akademik ada empat quarterly term (1st term, 2nd term, 3rd term, 4th term). Tiap term cuma berlangsung 2 bulan. Dan tiap term kami minimal harus ambil 16 kredit (kira2 4 course lah ya, kl tiap course itu 4 kredit). Jadinya tiap bulan tuh ujian hiks hiks.

Bulan2 pertama, saya belum bisa konsentrasi. Karena kami masih berstatus short term housing di rumah Bonnie. Meskipun mereka baik sekali, tapi tentu saja lebih nyaman kl udah punya rumah sendiri, bukan hanya kamar. Sementara sy belum nemu2 juga rumah yg cocok.
Sangat penting bagi kami untuk menemukan neighborhood yg cocok, karena Baltimore City nggak semua daerahnya aman ditinggali. Downtown Baltimore (East Baltimore), tempat kompleks kampus saya, terkenal sebagai daerah dengan kriminalitas tinggi. Banyak sekali rowhouses terbengkalai dan kumuh di downtown. Kadang ada penembakan atau perampokan di area yg hanya berjarak beberapa blok dari kampus. (FYI, Baltimore tu 60% populasi adalah African American). Makanya di sudut2 selalu ada satpam kampus dan polisi. Saya nggak berani pergi jauh2 kalo nggak bisa lihat polisi/satpam hehehe.. Jadi sepertinya nggak mungkin saya tinggal di sekitar situ.

Ada satu alternatif yg layak dipertimbangkan, yaitu daerah Charles Village yg dekat dengan Johns Hopkins Homewood Campus. Charles Village (dan Homewood Campus) hanya berjarak 15 menit utara-barat kampus saya. Meskipun di downtown juga, tapi suasana-nya beda, lebih baik. Lebih pantas sebagai daerah mahasiswa lah. Ada banyak eatery, toko buku, kafe2, taman. Banyak mahasiswa jalan2 dengan santai, naik sepeda. Dan juga banyak museum di sekitar situ. Night lifenya juga asyik kayanya.. (Idihhhh kaya bujangan aja nih hehehe). Cuma masalahnya, nggak ada sekolahan yg lumayan bagus di downtown itu.
(TERNYATA oh ternyata... di Amrik tu ga semua sekolah-an bagus lo.. Ga kaya di Jepang ya, ato UK, yg standar. Di sini, sekolah-an di downtown biasanya dihindari, krn mutunya jelek dan muridnya adalah anak2 yg tinggal di downtown tentu saja. Dan mereka yg tinggal di dwontown biasanya dr golongan sosial ekonomi rendah, dan Black American. Di sini segregasi tempat tinggal tinggi. Ada daerah 'putih', 'hitam', 'yahudi'.)

Atau bisa milih tinggal di County (kabupaten). Dan keluarga Indonesia di sini kebanyakan pada tinggalnya minggir di county. Sebagian besar tinggal di White Marsh. Sayangnya, tentu saja jauh dari kampus. Dan kami belum punya mobil. Kalau ke kampus naik bus, saya bisa tua di jalan. Karena bus-nya kadang harus ditunggu lama..

Jadi mimpinya sih tetep di Mt Washington. Aman, bagus, sunyi, dan elementary-nya bagus. (Kalo buat bujangan sih ga cocok ya pertimbangan ky gini). Dan karena di City, elementary-nya punya pre-K. Jadi Nana September depan, krn udah 4 tahun, bisa masuk pre-K yg gratis itu. (Maklum ortunya ga punya duit. Kalo mau masukin ke child care di Hopkins, bisa bangkrut.)

Tiap hari saya cuma resah terus melototin craiglist, advertisement baltimore sun, dan padmapper buat cari apt. Selalu berharap di Mt Washington ada penawaran. Cuma karena di daerah kaya, sewanya relatif mahal, huks. (Kami mematok, maksimal bayar sewa 850 dollar per bulan, biar ga bangkrut hehe..). One bedroom apt di Mt Washington, sewanya berkisar 900-1000. Kalo di-downtown sih lebih murah ya. Kisarannya 700-900an. Kalo student yg sharing rumah, bisa lebih murah lagi, sekamar bisa 450-600 aja, udah termasuk internet.

Kami udah mau putus asa, dan memutuskan mau di Charles Village aja dulu. Sudah sempet viewing apartemen di daerah situ. Udah lihat neighborhoodnya dan lumayan aman tampaknya. Deket Punjab lagi (toko Pakistan yg jual makanan Asia dan daging halal). Kami mikir, yo wis sementara di sini dulu aja deh. Ntar kalo Nana mau masuk sekolah bisa nekat pindah dan mbayar apartemen mahal di Mt Washington, biar Nana bisa masuk sekolah di Mt Washington Elementary (karena public school pake zoning). Sewanya juga lumayan , 800/bulan meski harus install internet sendiri. Dan apt-nya kecil pol hehehe.

Tapi, ketika udah mau telpon finalisasi sewa, saya iseng2 buka padmapper lagi. Dan jeng jeng jeng! Ada penawaran sewa basement apartment di Mt Washington, dengan sewa cuma 700/bulan udah plus internet! Letaknya pun cuma 2 blok dari rumah Bonnie! Wah, saya masih bisa jalan kaki nih ke Pediatric Hospital buat naik shuttle kampus!

Saya langsung ng-email si pemberi penawaran. Dia balas dengan cepat. Suami langsung viewing apartemen, jalan kaki sm Nana (saya ke kampus). Asyiknya, deket dari rumah Bonnie. Kata suami OK. Aku udah OK aja (padahal belum sempet lihat hehe..) Saya udah percaya aja sm suami (biasanya saya rewel). Menurut saya, itu adalah penawaran yg too good to be true. Murah banget, tapi di Mt Washington.

Turns out, si pemilik sering bolak-balik ke Indonesia buat surfing. Walah, kemana2 kok ya kebetulan ketemu orang yg tahu Indonesia. Rumahnya penuh foto2 dari Indonesia. Yang punya pria muda lajang tapi baik sekali (maksudnya luwes gitu, ga kaku, pdhl masih muda dan lajang, tp pengertian). Mungkin karena dia pernah ke Indonesia dan suka traveling. Jadi lebih rileks gitu. Orang Yahudi sih, hehe. Tapi dia malah bilang bangga gini, "Wah, nanti apartemen saya multikultur sekali lo. Great. Di lantai atas, mereka Christian, di tengah saya, Jews, dan kalian Moslem".

Kami lgsng finalisasi sewa, takut keduluan orang. Karena yg punya individu, bukan manajemen properti, jadi negosiasi dan paperworknya nggak ribet. Cuma tandatangan kontrak sama pemilik. Ga pake periksa credit history hehe. (Belum punya credit history juga). Bahkan dia dengan senang hati membayarkan rekening gas dan listrik kami atas namanya, karena saya malas ngurus paperwork buat ganti tagihan ke nama saya dari nama dia hehehe. Jadi tiap bulan dia mbayarin tagihan kami, nanti kami ganti bersamaan dengan bayar sewa apartemen tiap bulan.

Kebaikannya ga berhenti di situ. Dia mempersilahkan kami untuk move-in secepatnya di tengah bulan Oktober, dan sewanya baru dihitung mulai bulan November. Suami saya udah nggak sabar bo buat pindah rumah hehe.. Dia pengen masak2 dengan bebas di apartemen sendiri. Kayanya mau masak trasi nih..
Trus laundry aja, si pemilik yg cover listriknya. Kami juga bisa makai barang2 ala MacGyver-nya dia yg 'pating pethutuk' di basement.

Memang, apartemen kami di basement. Mungkin dianggap nggak nyaman, dan hanya buat orang yang ga punya duit buat mbayar sewa di floor. Tapi, si pemilik ini tampaknya jago konstruksi rumah. Meski di basement, apartement kami terang di siang hari (bisa memakai sinar matahari untuk pencahayaan siang), sangat hangat di musim dingin ini, dan sangat lapang rasanya. (Ya iyalah.. soalnya kita ga pake perabot hehe...)

Tapi beneran loh... Kamar mandinya decent, storage-nya cukup, dapurnya meski kecil tp fungsional dengan storage yg cukup juga. Living roomnya juga cukup luas, bisa dipakai sebagai second bedroom.

Akhirnya kami bisa lega menata hidup di perantauan, setelah dapat apartemen murah yang nyaman. Dan karena letaknya hanya 3 blok dari calon sekolahnya Nana, saya sudah senyum2 sendiri membayangkan bisa walk Nana to school tiap pagi. (Bukan walk the dog lo yaaa).

Kami, insya Allah sudah betah banget di sini. Semua sudah tertata.
1. Ada banyak keluarga Indonesia di Baltimore. Kebanyakan sudah permanent resident atau malah citizen. Kerja di sini. Jadi kami mendapat banyak teman dan keluarga baru yang sangat baik2 dan membantu. Tiap bulan ada pengajian, bisa berkumpul silaturahmi dan makan bareng2 masakan Indonesia. Kami juga sekali2 diantar teman untuk belanja bulanan di Asian market yang lumayan jauh. (Bisa sih belanja sendiri, meski harus naik bus 1 jam dan nggotong belanja stok 2-3 minggu pake tas Ikea yg guedhe itu...)

2. Kebutuhan akan bahan masakan ala Indonesia sangat gampang dipenuhi di Baltimore. Ada Hanahreum Market (Korea) yg sangat lengkap dan sangat murah. Daun pisang, bunga pisang pun ada, bahkan kimpul dan gembili ada. Cuma jauhnya itu lo, satu jam lebih nge-bus. Tapi worth it lah kalo kesana. Luengkap dan murah-murah. Ada Potung yang menyediakan bumbu2 Indonesia lengkap. Pemiliknya bangga sekali karena toko ini memang lengkap hehe. Indomie sebungkus cuma 39 cent. Trus ada krupuk2. Ikan asin tipis yg gurih kriuk2. Dia juga punya daun salam sm daun jeruk. (Sulit banget nemu daun2 itu di sini). Tapi sayang, dia ga punya injet! Hehehehe... Jadi rasanya malah masak di sini lebih gampang drpd masak di Indonesia.

3. Daging halal bisa dibeli di Punjab. Tapi mahal. Seekor ayam utuh harganya 5 dollar. Untung ada ibu2 pengajian Indonesia. Saya bisa ikut beli rombongan, ayam utuh cuma 3 dollar seekor. Ada juga daging sapi giling dan fillet chicken breast. (Mereka beli di supermarket kulakan khusus buat business owner, belinya nunut kawan yg punya restoran apa ya.. Soalnya kalo bukan business owner ga bisa jadi member dan belanja di situ)..

4. Untuk beras, tepung, gula, sereal, keju, mentega, bumbu2 besar, kita belanja di Sams Club. Dia warehouse gitu sih, clubnya Walmart. Kalo mau belanja di situ, harus jadi member. Bayarnya 40 dollar untuk membership 2 tahun. Tapi belanja di situ murah sekali, krn ya warehouse (gudang) gitu konsepnya. Kalo beli tapi harus dalam jumlah besar tapi (bulky buying). Jadi beli tepung tu kemasannya 10 ponds-an, gula juga. Sereal sekotak guedhe itu... Mentega 5 ponds-an. Keju 10 ponds-an juga. Bisa buat dua bulan hehehe. Murah sekali tapi. Cuma kasihan suami saya, karena dia yg selalu belanja ke situ. Anak istrinya disuruh di rumah aja, biar nggak kademen dan capek. (Memang suami saya itu pengorbanannya luar biasa.. huks). Jadi dia harus angkut beras 25 ponds, dipanggul naik bus, trus harus jalan ke rumah 1 mile dari halte bus. Hehehe...

5. Kita belum jalan2 hehe.. (sok ngintip FBnya temen2 yg sekolah di LN juga, minggu2 pertama aja udah pada kemana2..) Maklum ga ada budget hehe. Paling kita 2 kali ke Washington D.C. karena Yangkung kebetulan sekali dapat tugas ke DC, bisa nengok kita dua kali dalam waktu 1,5 bulan. D.C. itu lebih menyenangkan drpd Baltimore hehe.. Lebih bagus, bersih, kelihatan lebih modern. Metronya juga bersih banget dan frequent.
Memang Baltimore kota tua sih. Cuma katanya kalo di Inner Harbor (Baltimore kota pelabuhan), bagus sekali. Sayangnya, kami belum sempet ke sana. Padahal tinggal naik City Circulator yang gratis. Hanya males, udah dingin hehe.. Ntar kena angin laut tambah dingin dong...
Kalo pergi buat belanja dll. kita sementara mengandalkan MTA. Day pass-nya seharga 3.5 dollar, bisa dipake seharian buat naik bus, light rail, atao metro-nya MTA. Kalo light rail dan metro masih lumayan convenient. Tapi bus-nya itu, kadang nggak nahan jadwalnya hehe..
Tahun depan, kalau suami udah mulai juga sekolahnya, kayanya kami perlu memikirkan beli mobil, terutama buat emergency njemput2 Nana. Karena di US sini, kecuali di DC ato New York, kayanya susah kl ga punya mobil. Soalnya orang US tu sprawling hobinya.

6. Si Nana sudah baik2 saja. Dia betahhhh sekali hanya tinggal di rumah. Sehari-hari sama bapaknya. Sudah menguasai laptop bapaknya. Tiap hari dia belajar sendiri dari Cbeebies dkk. Udah belajar bahasa Inggris sendiri. Sehari2 denger video bahasa Inggris di internet, tahu2 dia udah picking kata2 dalam bahasa Inggris. Padahal kami nggak pernah ngajarin dia atau kasih tau.

Saya dulu mikir kalo belajar bahasa itu kudu interaktif. Ketemu orang trus ngomong. Tapi tyt anak kecil cuma dari nglihat aja udah tahu artinya dan udah bisa picking bahasa, tanpa intervensi dr orang lain! Lucu ya...
Dia juga udah belajar alfabet, pake program Cbeebies yang lucu banget itu. Metode nya phonic, buat baca in English. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/alphablocks/)
Padahal belum saya ajarin baca dlm bahasa Indonesia, gimana tuh ya...Tapi saya juga jadi suka tuh sama metode phonics. Cute banget, dibunyiin.
Mudah2an besok waktunya masuk Pre-K, Nana udah cukup bahasa Inggrisnya.

Memulai hidup baru (sementara) di Baltimore - epi 1

2011-11-28T05:52:00.002+07:00

Lamaaa sekali saya nggak update blog ya hihi.
Sampai passwordnya lupa!

So, to make the introduction short.
I got the scholarship from Dikti. I can't believe it that they approve to pay my tuition fee. It is 41,000 dollars per year.
I am always an "easy to cry" girl..

When they interviewed me, they said ,"Your tuition fee is too high. We can send two people instead with that amount of money"
After that interview, I cried on Damri bus, on my way back to Cengkareng airport.
I told myself I have to let go, as I have tried my best and I have reached my dream.
I have to let go..
Then after the silent cry, finally I could make up my mind and I was ready to let go my chance to study at Hopkins.

Then I got it. The scholarship. But my heart had been so light & thankful with resignation, so it was just sweet acknowledgement.

Then, all the chaos took the stage. I had to get my I-20 issued by Hopkins. And my heart just kept worrying because it was only 1.5 month before my plan for departure. How can I get it done by then? And will there be enough time to process my Visa?
There are myths & stigmas around US visa application process.
And at that time I was as busy as hell completing the data cleaning for our West Java research. And I had to travel Jogja-Jakarta almost every week because we had a training program on Human Resources for Health in the Ministry of Health.

I applied for US Visa only 1 month before my planned date of departure. (This is because I have to wait for my I-20 to be issued. And to issue the I-20, the destination university needs the proof that I can pay the tuition fee & living cost for a year. And to get the proof of funding, I have to wait the Dikti interview result. Blah.) Thank God the application can be neatly completed online. It was impressive! There's no hassle of going back and forth to the Embassy to complete the application. All you need to do is to have all your document & information ready, then you can submit it online.

I was worried that I could not get any appointment date for interview. They said the date is always quickly filled. But fortunately US Embassy in Jakarta has special date for student visa application. They reserve Monday for student visa application. So if you want to apply for F or J visa, and you have got your I-20 or DS-2019 form, you are guaranteed to get the spot for interview every Monday.

The interview was as short as it could be, I guess. The interviewer (a sweet African American lady) behind the glass pane only said: "Impressive, you're going to Johns Hopkins. It is an excellent program". (OK, I admit that I was so proud of myself at that time)...
She only asked me who will pay my education. It was only 1 or 2 minutes long interview, and then she gave me that white paper: "Congratulation, your visa application is accepted".

Wow! It was so easy! Boo, I wonder where all the rumors come from. Or, maybe I was just so lucky. I guess it's because Hopkins. They can't reject somebody who is going to Hopkins :)

But, after the good news, there came the bad mistake.
When I tried to make visa appointment for my husband and daughter (dependent can only apply for visa after the principal get their visa, so my husband & daughter can only apply after I got my visa); I just found out that they were entitled as "no show case" and they can't register immediately.

Then I got to understand what has happened.
So apparently, I made mistake when I made appointment for my self. There was a button "Add Your Family" during online appointment. I was assuming that since my family would apply for visa too later (after I got my visa), I should add them here. (And actually there was a brief explanation saying something like this: If you want to make appointment for your family too, add them.)
That's why when I signed in to the Embassy on my interview day, the officer asked me why my husband & daughter didn't come with me, because their name had been registered in the appointment list.

So I think the button is too confusing & misleading. The procedure says that dependent can apply after the principal get the visa. But the button just confused me. And why the system allowed us to apply together (and they even asked me why my dependent didn't come with me) if the procedure says you can't do so...

So, my husband and daughter were entitled as "no show" as they've been in the list but they didn't come. I had to make calls to the visa center and they said I have to wait 3 days until they can register again! Oh my God, it was only 2 weeks before our planned date. And I've got my ticket issued.
After 3 days the case hadn't been solved, they still couldn't register. I grew very upset I cried ! (what a shame). This was because that day I just found out that the tickets for the planned date were sold out. I was upset that we could not get together in the same flight. I can't imagine I'm being alone during that 24 hours journey, and my husband & daughter have to struggle themselves in separate flight! How if Nana wanted to go to the toilet? Can my husband take care of her?

But then I said to myself I have to stay calm. I've gone this far and I can do better. I called the center again, and after nervous hours of waiting, they cleared the case at 10 a.m. in the morning (it was Wednesday). But the date in Jakarta Embassy was filled, so we applied for interview in Surabaya Consulate, thank God it was still available. It was even better, because in Surabaya Consulate, the day for student visa is Friday. So we didn't need to wait until Monday (next week).

We did use our father and father-in-law connection to issue my husband & daughter visa faster. We got the passport back (with US visa stamp in it) in Monday. Can you believe it? They're so nice! The interview was only on Friday, and they told us we could have our visa on Monday!!

And I was so thankful when I found out that there were two tickets left. Apparently, some tickets had been re-released. And we were able to book the ticket and have the ticket issued after my husband got the visa. (We only buy one way tickets, that's why the travel agency need our visa first before they can issue the ticket).

Was it a coincidence, that there were only two tickets left? Exactly the amount we needed?

We were too busy & dizzy preparing our departure that we didn't have proper time to contemplate.

Suddenly, when all were set and there was nothing to worry, I felt so heavy & empty at the same time. There was huge black void inside me.
It was Ramadhan month. And it was only 10 days before Idul Fitri. And we were going to leave our family.
I can't believe I haven't had time to really think about it.

I am the first child in my family. And I'm the one who always take care of my siblings and my mother. What will happen to my little brother & sister, will they be able to take care themselves & their study? Will my mother be lonely, her only granddaughter will leave for two years? Who will accompany her to do big shopping & to attend wedding party when my father can't go?

And there is Nana. She was so spoiled because she is the only little girl in our two big family. Nana is the only granddaughter for my mother. She is the second granddaughter for my mother in law, but the first granddaughter was in Japan before & she is big girl now. Nana always has her aunties & nannies around. They will accompany her all day playing. They will bring her to swimming pool, playground, supermarket, big malls to play. They will shower her with toys and candies & chocolates.
And she has her favorite: Ultramilk chocolate milk. (I'm not sure I can afford to buy her individual chocolate milk in the US..)
And she was so spoiled that she can't eat herself. You had to feed her, while she watch the TV! (Shame on me).

And we will leave, just three of us. And I will be studying all day at school. I was afraid Nana would be a difficult girl (she is sometimes very difficult, just like me..). That she would cry all day for her chocolate milk. That she would cry because she miss her nannies. That she would ask to go to the mall to play there.

That she would be lonely, and misery

(bersambung)

HOPKINS!!!!

2011-05-19T19:33:00.005+07:00

Saya malu sekali mengabaikan blog ini. Meskipun saya punya banyak excuse, tapi saya tidak mau excuse. Menulis seharusnya menjadi kebiasaan, yang menyenangkan sekaligus rewarding.

Banyak sekali hal2 terjadi selama ini. Saya baru saja menyelesaikan penelitian di lapangan (maksudnya saya turun ke lapangan bener2, ga cuma duduk di meja bikin proposal dan kuesioner.) Penelitian ini tentang tingkat penggunaan fasilitas kesehatan untuk persalinan. Penelitian di Cileungsi dan Sukamakmur (Bogor) yang meskipun singkat, memberikan banyak pelajaran buat saya. (Kapan2 mudah2an bisa saya tuliskan terpisah)…

Dan saya punya berita besar sekali…

Saya diterima untuk sekolah master selama 2 tahun di Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland!!!

Ya ampun… ini adalah benar-benar mimpi yang terwujud.

Dulu waktu saya memilih fakultas kedokteran untuk S1 saya, itu sebenarnya bukan mimpi saya. Saya cuma tidak tahu saja mesti kemana setelah SMA, dan karena banyak teman2 saya mendaftar ke situ, akhirnya saya ikut2an.

Tapi ini beda… Setelah saya menjalani sekolah di kedokteran, saya menemukan bahwa ada bidang kesehatan masyarakat (public health) yang sangat menarik. Yang tidak hanya bicara masalah biologis medis, namun melibatkan sosial, ekonomi, budaya, politik, dll. Saya yang dikenalkan oleh Bapak pada isu2 sosial sejak kecil, menemukan bahwa public health akan jadi area kerja saya. Saya memutuskan tidak akan berpraktek klinis, di rumah sakit. Saya ingin bekerja di masyarakat, dalam area preventif dan promotif. Saya percaya, saya bisa memberikan impact yang lebih luas dan murah lewat public health dengan pencegahan penyakit dan promosi kesehatan, dibandingkan dengan penyembuhan (area kuratif).

Saya terutama sangat tertarik dengan kesehatan reproduksi, karena menyentuh esensi dasar manusia, serta kuatnya empowerment dan equity dalam prinsip2 kesehatan reproduksi. Bahkan saya harus bekerja cukup keras untuk menyelesaikan proyek skripsi pribadi saya mengenai kesehatan reproduksi remaja di pesantren. (Karena waktu itu, teman2 saya tinggal mengikuti proyek penelitian milik dosen, tidak perlu memilih tema dan instrumen sendiri).

Saat itulah, saya mengenal Johns Hopkins (JHSPH). JHSPH adalah sekolah public health yang konsisten menjadi nomor satu di US, terutama program MPHnya yg merupakan flagship. (Hasil terakhir tahun 2011 kemarin pun masih menempatkan JHSPH di nomer satu). School of Medicine-nya juga merupakan sekolah kedokteran terbaik, dan banyak film-film kedokteran membuat tokoh2nya sebagai lulusan Hopkins (misalnya serial House).

Tapi bukan cuma itu yang membuat saya tertarik dg Hopkins. JHSPH memiliki program yang sangat pas dengan minat saya. JHSPH memiliki Dept. of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, dengan program Master of Science in Public Health untuk Population and Family Health; Reproductive, Perinatal, and Women’s Health, dan Adolescent and Sexual Health. Dan saat saya melakukan riset mengenai program JHSPH, ternyata JHSPH menawarkan course2 yang sangat mendasar dan komprehensif. Saya ingin mendalami kesehatan populasi dan memahami demografi, JHSPH nampaknya menawarkan course tersebut.

Dan tentu saja yang menarik adalah, JHSPH mengundang banyak sekali donor dan institusi2 (seperti Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) untuk melakukan riset, jadi pasti akan banyak pengalaman riset di sana. Selain itu, program 2 tahun ada internshipnya, jadi pastinya akan sangat bermanfaat.

Saya bermimpi dapat sekolah di sana. Namun mimpi saya itu saya rasakan seperti mimpi di tidur2 ayam. Maksudnya saya cuma ngimpi doang, pengen aja gitu, nggak ngebet bgt. Karena saya berpikir, no way banget lah saya bisa sekolah di sana.
Pokoknya nggak banget deh, karena itu sekolah terbaik di US, lebih baik dr Harvard yang lebih popular (pasti banyak yg belum pernah dengar ttg Hopkins kan? –kecuali mereka yg tertarik public health-). Selain itu, biaya sekolahnya sangat tinggi, melebihi yg lain deh. Kalo sekolah2 lain paling cuma 20-30 rb dollar, JHSPH sampe 43 rb dollar/tahun.
Saya sering menyambangi web JHSPH, melanggan majalahnya (bagus sekali majalahnya!!!). Dan saya sempat membuat link majalah di FB saya, dan saya mengatakan, peluang saya ketrima di JHSPH adalah one in a million, jadi saya cukup memuaskan diri baca2 majalahnya saja. Itu karena saya benar2 tidak ada bayangan bahwa saya dapat diterima di Hopkins.

Namun, saya masih berusaha untuk apply sekolah di Amerika Serikat. Mengapa AS? Karena banyak school of public health di AS yang memiliki program yang saya minati. Dan entah saya pengennya di AS aja, programnya lebih mantap dan course-nya banyak. Jadi saya berharap mendapat banyak ilmu di sana. (Padahal teman2 saya di fakultas kedokteran UGM banyak yg sekolah di Eropa dan Jepang. Saya serasa lone fighter di sini).
Saya juga terancam karena tiap saya pulang ke rumah Bapak Ibu, selalu ditanyai Bapak, “Kapan kamu sekolah lagi? Kalau bisa ke LN”. Apalagi ketika adik saya udah dapat sandwich ke Norway, makin mendesak lah Bapak saya. Males banget kan?

Dosen2 di kantor juga sudah sering nanyain, “kok kamu masih di sini terus sih? Kapan sekolah lagi?”… Agak setres deh, heheheh… Apalagi memang banyak yg udah dpt sekolah. Padahal saya belum juga 2 tahun di UGM lo…
Huhuhu.. tahukah, saya ini lagi dalam proses memenuhi kriteria sebagian besar school of public health: yaitu SUDAH BEKERJA MINIMAL 2 TAHUN.
Saya mulai proses saya dengan meneliti program2 yang saya minati dan syarat2nya. Ada empat sekolah incaran saya (yang punya program kespro):
- Johns Hopkins
- Emory University School of Public Health
- Mailman School of Public Health (Columbia University, New York)
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Namun saya tambah satu lagi University of Iowa, karena mertua pengen nostalgia di sana hehehe. Tapi kalo saya ndaftar di Iowa, saya harus rela apply program Biostatistika (WHAT????). hehehehehe. Karena di Iowa ga ada program kespro, yg paling menarik buat saya ya cuma biostatistik

Sejak tahun kemarin saya sudah mulai nyiapkan ini itu, dengan kecepatan yang lambat, hehe. Nggak ngoyo banget.
Pertama, saya menerjemahkan dokumen2 esensial saya, dengan penerjemah tersumpah yang muahal-e rek!
Kemudian, saya apply beasiswa ini itu. (Dan sampe sekarang ga ada yang tembus!!!).
Ketiga, saya mengurus credential ijazah S1 saya (di Johns Hopkins perlu itu.. Mahal juga).
Selanjutnya saya ambil iBT TOEFL di bulan Oktober.

Yang paling berat adalah ambil ujian GRE di bulan Desember. Susah, mahal, harus di Jakarta pula. Dan yang membuat banyak orang males dan ga mau apply sekolah ke AS adalah tes GRE ini. Kalo ke Eropa kan ga perlu GRE ini.
(FYI, GRE itu adalah sebenar2nya Tes Potensi Akademik in English.)

Kemudian, yang paling berat ternyata minta surat rekomendasi hehe. Soalnya saya tu orangnya sungkan-an dan ga pede-an. Jadi minta surat rekomendasi ke dosen2 tu beraat bgt rasanya. Apalagi kalo udah minta berkali2. Biar dosen2 ga bête, saya minta sekalian 3 surat rekomendasi untuk ke-3 univ yang mau saya apply. (Karena saya hanya bisa ngejar deadline 3 uni, saya sementara berniat ndaftar ke Hopkins, Columbia, dan Iowa).

Saya pertama kali mengirimkan aplikasi ke Iowa. Itu adalah kota di tengah ladang jagung di Midwest America. Saya apes, karena dokumen saya terlambat hampir 1 bulan, dan akhirnya sampai melampaui deadline. Namun setelah saya telpon, mereka mau menerima dan memahami. (UPDATE: sampai sekarang saya belum dapat kabar dari Iowa, hehe...Katanya mereka butuh 4-8 minggu untuk review lamaran saya)

Seminggu kemudian, saya kirimkan dokumen2 saya ke Hopkins. (deadline 1 May, saya kirim 27 Maret). Alhamdulillah sampai dalam 5 hari. Tapi saya baru men-submit aplikasi online saya pada 4 April. Jadi dokumen pendukung saya datang duluan dibandingkan aplikasi saya.

Jadi, ini saya waktu aplikasi ke sono sini itu dodol banget deh. Karena saya ga punya uang (kan belum berhasil dapat beasiswa sampe sekarang). Mikirnya pokoknya ndaftar dulu, kalo ketrima mudah2an uang bisa dicari hehe. Terus saya juga ga terlalu berharap lah. (Maksudnya berharap iya, tapi ga ngebet hingga kalo misalnya ga ketrima yowes lah gpp..)

It was simply to try, cuma mengobati rasa penasaranku yang terus bergaung di pikiran: “Kalo saya daftar ke Hopkins, diterima ato ga ya..”. Kan kalo ga pernah nyoba, ga akan tahu jawabannya, bisa2 saya kurus karena penasaran nih.
Saya ga berharap banyak, justru sy berharap untuk lamaran saya ke Mailman dan Iowa. Mailman karena di New York (addict Gossip Girl dan Sex and the City, pengen liat Upper East Side, Manhattan, Central Park). Iowa karena ga terlalu tinggi2 amat, jadi lebih mudah gitu… meskipun I’m not sure bisa ga ya mendalami biostatistik.

Pokoknya saya bener2 tanpa beban ketika nglamar ke Hopkins. Dan saya selalu menjawab gini ketika ditanya mendaftar kemana: “Jangan diketawain yaaa.. Saya daftar di Hopkins”. (Sambil merasakan bahwa saya sangat naïf).

Maka, ketika pagi2 tanggal 12 April (di rumah, belum mandi) saya membuka email dan menemukan email dengan subyek “Your JHSPH Application” dari Ms Wendy Rumrill, saya pikir “ah paling ditolak, kok cepet banget”.
(Karena saya pernah ndaftar Erasmus Mundus dan segera dapat jawaban 1 hari kemudian, hasilnya ditolak).

Saya download tuh surat, dan saya benar2 gemetar dan histeris ketika tahu saya diterima!!! Saya mondar-mandir sendiri kebingungan Bener ga nih? Saya buka web aplikasi, dan saya memang diterima!! Dan mereka cuma kasih 2 hari untuk mengetahui keputusan apakah saya menerima tawaran mereka atau tidak....

Keputusan itu benar2 tidak saya sangka. Praktis hanya 8 hari dari application submission saya. Padahal dari notice-nya disebutkan bahwa saya harus menunggu 8-10 minggu untuk mendapatkan keputusan. Dan Hopkins!!! Kaya ketiban bulan… (Sampai tercetus di pikiran saya: kok gampang banget, gini aja bener??).

Mertua saya sempat berpikir itu semacam scam, tp beliau berhasil teryakinkan setelah saya menelpon Hopkins langsung. Dan 2 minggu kemudian surat asli (penerimaan) sampai ke rumah.

Saya segera menghubungi big boss saya, bertanya apakah yang sebaiknya saya lakukan (Karena saya belum pegang beasiswa, mikir dong bisa bayar darimana.. 400 juta…) Beliau meyakinkan saya, untuk menerima saja. Biaya kuliah insya Allah gampang dicari dan akan banyak yang membantu.

dr Mub***** the Evil (hehe) yang sering meledek saya pun bahkan dengan bersungguh2 bilang mendukung saya. dr Mub***** ini yg sering menyambangi ruangan saya dan selalu menggelitik diskusi dengan melontarkan kontroversi-kontroversi, sebagaimana di kelas dulu saat S1. Memang beliau orang yg sangat cerdas, keliatan sih, genuine dan free thinker. Beliau dulu S3 di Brown, tp tidak selesai gara2 krismon 2008. Beliau sering meledek saya “diracuni sm big boss untuk belajar biostatistik, demografi, dan kespro”; kemudian “kalo belajar itu semua, itu bukan bidang keilmuan yang pantas didalami, nanti hanya jadi alat”, dll. Tapi saya tahu, beliau hanya mancing. Dan beliau sangat tulus, jujur.

Nah, sekarang, saya menunggu surat kontrak dengan universitas, agar saya bisa mendaftar beasiswa unggulan Dikti yang deadline-nya 31 Mei ini. Saya merasa kebetulan2 ini sangat pas. Pas saya membutuhkan beasiswa, ternyata Dikti buka skema beasiswa baru “Beasiswa Unggulan” yang batch pertama untuk mereka yang akan berangkat periode Juli-Desember.
Dan mereka akan membiayai tuition fee at cost. Berapapun akan dibayar.

But, now I’m really burdened by it. Misalnya, saya berhasil mendapatkan beasiswa ini, saya dibiayai negara untuk sekolah mahal ini, yg kalau dikonversi untuk membiayai sekolah dasar, bisa dapat berpuluh2 anak.
Ntar kalo saya kaya anggota DPR yang ga bener gimana dong? Ga amanah dengan uang Negara. Now I have to work really hard!!!

Doakan teman2 yaa.. semoga saya bisa menjalani semua ini…
Dan kalau ada yang lagi mimpi.. teruskan mimpi dan hati-hati, ternyata mimpi bisa jadi kenyataan!!!
Dan please, coba dong pada ndaftar ke US, buat nemeni saya. GRE is worth to try kok, hehe….

P.S.:
Dan saya tidak jadi submit aplikasi saya ke Mailman, pdhl GRE dan TOEFL saya sdh sampai, rekomendasi sudah di tangan. Ngirit uang pendaftaran nih. Lgpl dipikir2.. kalo saya jadi ketrima di Mailman, trus hidup di NY, apa bisa mbawa Nana. Biaya hidup di NY selangit deh. Baltimore lebih mending, lebih murah, setengahnya.

KANGEN

2011-03-21T13:14:00.002+07:00

Tiba-tiba, siang tadi saat menyetir mobil menuju kantor...
Wajah simbahku terbayang.
Dan aku merasa kangen luar biasa.

Kangen sekali...
Dan rasanya sedih dan ngilu...

Aku menangis...

Does she want to tell me something?

Aku berharap beliau bahagia di sana....

Cita cita saya

2011-01-13T12:57:00.002+07:00

Cita-cita saya laughable, yaitu pengen masuk dalam kolom "Sosok"-nya Kompas.

Saya suka sekali dengan kolom itu. "Sosok" selalu menampilkan orang-orang yang inspiratif bagi saya.

Eh, eh... ternyata, Bapak saya masuk "Sosok" hari ini. (Setelah sebelumnya romo Yatno dimuat dalam "Sosok").

Aih aih.. mas Arka, aku bisa nggak ya, suatu saat dimasukkan dalam "Sosok"...

Pengalaman Tes TOEFL iBT (2)

2011-01-13T12:42:00.005+07:00

Setelah belajar dengan giat, mari saatnya menghadapi "the real test", hue hue.

Jadwal tes saya adalah pukul 11.00 dengan perkiraan waktu tes 4 jam.

Hari itu, saya kebetulan mendapatkan undangan untuk syawalan dengan keluarga mahasiswa Nahdlatul Ulama (KMNU) di Masjid Ibnu Sina, di kampus Fakultas Kedokteran saya. Saya sempatkan menghadiri acara tersebut dan berencana akan meninggalkan tempat pada pukul 10.30 untuk ke tempat tes yang membutuhkan waktu kira-kira 10 menit untuk mencapainya.

Sesampainya di sana, kita akan diminta menandatangani surat pernyataan. Kemudian menunggu lagi untuk diambil foto diri dan mengecek identitas. Ternyata yang ikut tes hari itu ada 10 orang.

Nah, Anda boleh agak berdandan di hari itu. Biar agak cerah dikit. Hehe. Soalnya foto yang diambil memakai kamera kecil komputer itu hasilnya sangat jelek, hehe. Saya tampak sangat murung dan buram. Fotonya gelap!! Hue hue.. Pokoknya lebih parah dari foto SIM, bahkan!! (Padahal foto SIM itu saya pikir sudah foto terjelek!!)

Oya, jangan lupa barang terpenting untuk dibawa! KTP atau Paspor, untuk menunjukkan Anda benar-benar orangnya, bukan joki, apalagi Sonny Laksono ;p. Dan jangan kuatir tentang pensil 2B, penghapus, atau kertas, dll. Anda tidak akan diperkenankan membawa apapun ke dalam tempat tes, hanya kartu identitas saja. Nanti Anda akan disediakan beberapa pensil dan kertas coret-coret dari penyelenggara tes.

Tapi ternyata kita baru mulai dipersilakan masuk ruang tes jam 11 lebih. Kayanya lebih longgar, ya? Tapi the best advice is to arrive on-time, to anticipate things better.

Diumumkan bahwa tes akan berlangsung kira-kira empat jam dengan jeda 10 menit setelah reading dan listening section. Saya menghitung waktu. Tampaknya saya harus memanfaatkan waktu yang sedikit itu untuk sholat dan ke kamar mandi. Bisa tidak ya?

Kemudian kami masuk dan dipersilakan mencari tempat duduk yang sesuai dengan identitas kita (dengan melihat layar komputer, ada foto kita yang sudah diambil di depan tadi). Alhamdulillah saya mendapatkan tempat di pinggir. Jadi mudah untuk keluar masuk dan tidak mengganggu peserta lain.

Udaranya cukup sejuk karena AC, namun tidak terlalu dingin. Saya memakai baju berlapis cardigan, untuk mengantisipasi kalau2 ruangan disetting terlalu dingin.

Kemudian kami mendapatkan kesempatan untuk berlatih menggunakan komputer dan familiar dengan menu2 komputer. (Meskipun pastinya kita sudah belajar fitur2 itu dari buku. Tapi real experience memang tetap berbeda kok). Kemudian kita juga dipersilahkan mencoba headset dan meng-adjust volume. Juga mengecek apakah suara kita cukup keras untuk dapat direkam dengan baik. Saya tidak familiar dengan semua itu, hehe. Jadi saya meminta bantuan petugas. Pokoknya pastikan Anda sudah familiar dan siap dengan komputer Anda.

Setelah siap, peserta boleh memulai. Eh, ternyata memang akhirnya peserta bisa memulai dengan waktu yang berbeda-beda. Jadi tidak perlu serentak. Tergantung seberapa lama kita menggunakan waktu di awal untuk berlatih dan mengakrabi suasana tes.

Oiya, ini adalah detail organisasi waktu:

Reading
3-5 Passages, 12-14 question each
60 – 100 minutes

Listening
4-6 lectures, 6 questions each
2-3 conversations, 5 questions each
60 – 90 minutes

BREAK

Speaking
6 tasks: 2 independent and 4 integrated tasks
20 minutes

Writing
1 integrated task; 20 minutes
1 independent task; 30 minutes

1. READING
Bagian pertama adalah Reading. Sama dengan bagian Reading di TOEFL-Like atau TOEFL ITP. Tidak ada masalah berarti yang saya temui.

2. LISTENING
Untuk Listening, ada banyak lectures dan conversations. Dan panjang-panjang. Hue hue. Dan untuk lecture, ada beberapa bagian lecture yang memperkenalkan istilah atau konsep baru. Nah biasanya di layar akan muncul kata itu, agar kita bisa tahu tulisannya. (Waktu saya tes, ada lecture tentang suatu spesies molluska, yang namanya kemudian ditampilkan di layar, seperti ketika dosen menuliskan kata-kata sulit di papan tulis itu loo).

Kata-kata itu harus diingat beserta arti dan konsepnya, ya. Karena biasanya ditanyakan.

Hati-hati juga ya. Anda harus jaga konsentrasi di section ini. Karena akan mudah sekali kehilangan arah pembicaraan ketika Anda lengah sedikit saja. Dan bisa membuat Anda tidak dapat menjawab pertanyaan.

Kaya'nya yang paling baik adalah benar-benar mendengarkan. Jangan membuat catatan terlalu banyak. Sedikit saja, yang penting2 sekali. Bila Anda memahami dan mendengarkan sungguh2 tanpa putus konsentrasi, mungkin (?) Anda tidak butuh catatan banyak-banyak, meskipun lecture-nya panjang banget.

Jadi jangan bernafsu mencatat banyak2 karena Anda bisa kehilangan pembicaraan.

3. BREAK

Setelah kedua section selesai, segera ada tanda Break dengan penunjuk waktu dengan hitungan mundur dari 10 menit. Saya waktu itu agak bengong, hehe. Hanya berkedip memandangi detik-detik itu counting down. Belum benar2 menyadari apa artinya. Segera setelah saya sadar bahwa ternyata waktu istirahat di-counting down di komputer, saya terbirit-birit ke kamar mandi untuk BAK dan sholat. Waduh waduh... Saya cemas bila tes selanjutnya berjalan segera setelah waktu habis. Saya bisa melewatkan hal penting!

Karena mulai tesnya berbeda-beda, jadi istirahatnya juga berbeda-beda. Saya keluar nomer 2. Ada seorang yang keluar duluan sebelum saya. Yang lain tampaknya masih mengerjakan tes. Agak tidak enak membuat sedikit keributan dengan beranjak dan membuka pintu ketika yang lain baru berkonsentrasi.

Setelah sholat saya segera kembali ke tempat tes. Waktu yang tersisa 1,5 menit. Saya menunggu waktu berkedip sambil merileks-kan pikiran saya. Saya agak berdebar-debar dengan section berikutnya, Speaking dan Writing!.

Eh ternyata, counting down itu tidak se-seram itu lo. Maksudnya ketika counting down selesai, masih ada layar yang meminta kita mem-validasi identitas kita. Dan beberapa prosedur lain. Jadi tes-nya tidak langsung mulai. Jadi jangan kuatir kalau terlambat sedikit.

Saya tidak mengerti prosedur2 tadi sehingga saya kembali meminta tolong petugas. (Di buku tidak disebutkan sih).

Segera setelah semua prosedur selesai, kita bisa memulai section Speaking.

4. SPEAKING

Saya mulai Speaking ketika peserta lain baru keluar satu persatu untuk Break. Jadi ruangan lumayan kosong. Dan ternyata itu membantu saya untuk PD dan konsentrasi. (Saya baru menyadarinya di akhir section Speaking.)

Pastikan speaker Anda cukup dekat dengan mulut Anda. Gunakan waktu 15 detik untuk memikirkan respons Anda. Waktu persiapan itu ternyata berguna sekali.

Kontrol diri agar tenang dan leluasa. Kemudian mulailah berbicara dengan jelas dan cukup lantang (jangan menggumam). PD dan cuek sajalah. Jangan terlalu terburu-buru berbicara. Nanti malah tidak jelas.

(Dari posting sebelumnya, saya memberi tips agar kita mempelajari dan MENDENGAR contoh-contoh respons. (Bisa didownload di mana-mana contoh2 itu).Dari situ saya tahu, bahkan fluent speaker/native pun respons-nya tidak sempurna. Kadang berjeda "emm", "uhh" untuk berpikir atau berkomprehensi. Yang penting respons Anda jelas, well-paced, menjawab pertanyaan. Tidak perlu jawaban yang sophisticated. Jawaban dengan pilihan kata/ide-ide sederhana juga mendapat poin tinggi asal komprehensif dan dimengerti).

Keuntungan dari memulai lebih awal ketika mengerjakan tes bisa dirasakan ketika Speaking ini ternyata! Saya mengerjakan section Speaking ketika yang lain sedang istirahat. Jadi lingkungannya tenang dan membantu konsentrasi saya.

Ketika peserta lain memulai section Speaking, baru terasa ributnya ruangan, hehe. Soalnya memang pembatasnya kan cuma minim. Kita juga berdekat-dekatan. Dan tentunya setiap peserta mesti ingin berbicara lantang biar tertangkap mikrofon dengan baik. Jadi suara peserta lain bisa memasuki konsentrasi kita. Apalagi kalau kita tergoda menganalisis jawaban peserta lain. Kok mereka fluent dan bagus2 banget ya?

Wah itu bisa bahaya, karena kita bisa hilang konsentrasi dan sekaligus jadi ga PD untuk ngomong. Nanti kalau didengarkan yang lain juga bagaimana? Terus mereka tahu kemampuan kita yang terbatas ini?

Makanya, ternyata lebih enak memulai duluan. Dan ketika memulai, lupakan semua peserta lain. Konsentrasi penuh!!

5. WRITING

Ketika menulis untuk integrated task, jangan cuma copy paste text. Hehe...

Sebaiknya Anda merancang dulu gambaran awal esai Anda,(bisa dilakukan sambil terus menulis) agar tulisan Anda terstruktur dengan baik, koheren, dan mudah dikomprehensi. Daripada nulis banyak tapi lompat-lompat tidak beraturan kan?

Rule menulis juga universal, ada pembukaan, isi, dan penutup/kesimpulan. Ada ide utama yang dijelaskan dengan ide-ide pendukung atau contoh-contoh. (Semua sudah dipaparkan di buku2 persiapan iBT, dengan baik).

Saya berlatih menulis memang, tapi saya tidak berlatih di bawah batasan waktu. Ternyata di tes yang nyata, waktu 20-30 menit itu cepat juga lo. Karena saya banyak mengubah-ubah urutan paragraf/kalimat untuk membuat esai lebih mengalir. Kadang2 juga tiba-tiba ada ide yang muncul di tengah jalan.

Namun pastikan bahwa Anda meluangkan waktu 5 menit untuk mereview secara keseluruhan tulisan Anda dan memperbaiki kesalahan-kesalahan yang Anda buat.

Oiya, sebagian besar tugas tes ini adalah INTEGRATED TASK, jadi Anda menjawab pertanyaan dengan menggunakan kombinasi kemampuan Reading, Listening, dalam section-section yang ada.

Jadi misalnya, untuk menjawab salah satu tugas Speaking, Anda harus membaca sebuah paragraf, kemudian diikuti dengan mendengarkan kuliah/diskusi yang mungkin membahas/mendebat kelemahan konsep-konsep yang diuraikan di paragraf, kemudian Anda akan menceritakan kembali diskusi di kelas tersebut dan membandingkannya dengan paragraf yang Anda baca. Atau membaca suatu pengumuman suatu kebijakan, kemudian mendengar pembicaraan dua orang yang membahas kebijakan tersbut (biasanya setuju atau tidak setuju), dan Anda akan menceritakannya kembali sambil menambahkan opini Anda sendiri.

Hasil tes dijanjikan keluar 2 minggu setelahnya, bisa Anda lihat secara online lewat akun TOEFL Anda. (Diberitahukan lewat email). Namun ternyata hasil tes saya segera keluar dalam waktu 8 hari. Lebih cepat. Kemudian laporan resmi lewat surat akan datang kira-kira 1 bulan setelah tes.

UPDATE: Ternyata nasihat saya untuk mulai lebih awal dibandingkan peserta lain (dengan alasan pas Speaking nanti kita bisa bicara sendiri, nggak keganggu suara orang lain), ternyata TIDAK BERLAKU UNTUK ORANG LAIN. Ada yang malah nervous karena bicara sendirian sedangkan yang lain diam, jadi ngerasa didengerin dan dinilai sm orang lain di sekitarnya. Terus jadinya malah nggak lancar ngomong.

JADI, tampaknya harus DIPIKIRKAN DULU, apakah kamu nyaman ngomong sendiri di kala yang lain diam (dengan keuntungan nggak berisik), atau kamu lebih PEDE ngomong bareng teman2 kamu.

Pengalaman Tes TOEFL iBT (1)

2011-01-13T10:49:00.002+07:00

Saya ingin menceritakan pengalaman saya mengambil tes TOEFL iBT. Saya memerlukannya untuk mendaftar sekolah, dan karena Indonesia sudah diperkenalkan dengan iBT, maka TOEFL CBT dan PBT tidak bisa berlaku lagi.

Karena saya sulit sekali memaksa diri untuk belajar TOEFL (dan saya terus menunda-nunda hingga saya membenci diri saya sendiri), saya memakai strategi yang "nekat" (namun saya akui itu kekhasan saya).

Saya nekat saja mendaftar untuk tes TOEFL, dan memutuskan memilih tanggal sedekat mungkin (3 minggu adalah waktu yang cukup masuk akal). Saya pikir, jika ada deadline yang tampak di depan mata, saya bisa merasakan sense of urgency dan akan belajar dengan lebih serius. (BUT, the strategy was proven to be wrong. Hehe. I was procrastinating till the last killing minutes). Saya harus membayar 1,7 juta untuk mengambil tes itu. (BIG money!! dan ETS memonopoli-nya. Oh, bother!).

Saya mengambil tes di REAL English Kotabaru. Nomer telepon-nya (0274) 514700, 547588. Kalau ingin daftar tes, bisa telepon dulu tanggal tes yang tersedia. Namun sebaiknya dilakukan jauh2 hari, karena pendaftarannya kan online langsung ke ETS. Jadi bisa saja kursinya sudah habis.

Sebenernya kita harus mendaftar individual dengan kartu kredit. Tapi Real English menawarkan jasa mendaftarkan kita dengan kartu kredit mereka. Nah, kita membayar ke REAL English sebagai gantinya (1,7 juta itu plus uang administrasi 200 ribu yang dikutip Real English). Nanti mereka akan memberikan detail akun TOEFL kita di ETS, agar kita bisa mengedit profil kita, dst.

Saya sudah familiar dengan bentuk iBT, dan sudah sering membuka buku2 latihannya. Namun saya belum benar2 serius mempersiapkan untuk "the real test itu". Saya paling nervous dengan Speaking section, dan bertanya-tanya apakah saya bisa menulis dengan baik di Writing section. Kedua section itu baru dan berbeda dibandingkan dengan TOEFL PBT atau CBT, apalagi TOEFL ITP (yang sudah saya coba berkali-kali).

Saya memiliki buku2 TOEFL iBT dan CD-CD latihannya dari kakak ipar saya. Baik sekali ya dia? Padahal saya dijamin tidak akan pernah rela mengeluarkan uang untuk membeli buku-buku itu, karena mahalnya minta ampun, hehe. Saya tahu internet menyediakan semuanya secara gratis. Hehe. (Kalau ada yang lagi siap2 mau tes iBT dan membutuhkan materi2 gratis, bisa menghubungi saya).

Tips saya:
1. Kenali dulu apa itu iBT, format tes-nya, apa yang akan kita hadapi nanti, dst. Ingat, ada section Speaking dan Writing yang cukup menantang. Kalau sudah familiar, itu lebih mudah untuk Anda. We will perform better when we can anticipate something, right?

Buku2 TOEFL iBT yang ada sudah sangat bagus dan membantu sekali. Di buku2 itu disediakan tips-tips yang memang truly helpful. Jadi jangan kuatir. Dan format serta jenis pertanyaan/tugasnya benar2 serupa. Jadi kalau rajin berlatih pasti bisa.

2. Untuk section Speaking, carilah topik-topik Speaking sebanyak-banyaknya, bisa diketik di Google "TOEFL iBT Speaking topics" atau semacam itulah. Saya kemarin mengumpulkan hampir ratusan hehe. Lebih bagus lagi kalau disertai contoh response-nya, jadi kita bisa tahu kira-kira response apa yang diharapkan.

Topiknya mirip-mirip kok. Tapi ya, itu harus sering berlatih. Kalau berlatih Speaking juga harus diomongkan, jangan cuma dipendam dalam hati, untuk melatih fluency dan naturalisasi (Halah!!). FYI, ketika Speaking, Anda hanya mendapatkan waktu 45-60 detik untuk berbicara, dengan 15 detik persiapan. Jadi, coba bayangkan pressure-nya. Jadi, Anda harus pastikan Anda cukup fluent dan tidak panik agar bisa memenuhi batasan waktu tersebut.

Pokoknya, kalau soal organisasi dan isi response kita di Speaking section itu gampang. (Anda bisa mendapatkan banyak tips dan clue dari buku2 persiapan TOEFL iBT itu). Tinggal maslaah fluency, yang harus dilatih benar2.

3. Sama juga dengan section Writing. Sebaiknya Anda mengumpulkan sebanyak-banyaknya topik Writing. Juga, lebih baik lagi dengan contoh response-nya. Semuanya mirip-mirip dan familiar. Kumpulkan vocabulary yang umum dipakai dengan variasi-variasinya. Misalnya, "think". Tulisan Anda akan membosankan bila Anda memakai kata "think" di seluruh tulisan Anda. "Think" bisa diganti dengan "believe, feel, consider, deem, judge,suppose, assume, imagine, sense". (Bisa dilihat di Thesaurus online).

Bacalah dengan seksama contoh-contoh respons untuk tugas Writing ini. Anda akan dapat merasakan apa yang diharapkan dari pemberi tes agar mereka memberi Anda nilai yang bagus.

Writing section terbagi menjadi dua: independent writing sama integrated task. Masing-masing diberi waktu 30 menit dan 20 menit. Tampaknya lama? Tapi ternyata cepet juga lo! Karena kita harus memikirkan bagaimana kita mengatur esai kita biar mengalir secara koheren.

4. Untuk section Listening, BEWARE!!! Hehe. Soalnya ternyata Listening-nya panjaaaang banget. Apalagi di bagian mendengarkan kuliah Profesor. Kayanya bisa hampir 10 menit, hehe. Inilah kesalahan saya. Saya agak takabur dengan kemampuan Listening saya (hasil tes TOEFL ITP berulang2 itu..) sehingga saya melewatkan untuk belajar Listening. Memang Listening-nya tidak masalah. Namun karena panjangnya script yang harus saya dengar, saya kadang kehilangan konsentrasi hingga akhirnya kehilangan arah pembicaraan. (Dampaknya tidak bisa menjawab pertanyaan kan?) Akhirnya nilai Listening saya menjadi rendah.

Lagipula, karena panjangnya pembicaraan dan banyak hal yang harus diingat, kita akhirnya tergoda untuk mencatat. Ketika mencatat itulah, kita sering kehilangan arah pembicaraan, karena konsentrasi bercabang. Jadi to take notes or not? Mmm, pertanyaan yang sulit, hehe.

5. Kenali "Rubrics" (standar skoring untuk Speaking dan Writing). Jadi, respons kita untuk kedua section itu dinilai secara komprehensif, bukan per-komponen, yang dinilai berdasarkan "Rubrics" tersebut. Ketik aja "iBT rubrics" di google untuk menemukannya. Untuk Writing, range skor adalah 0-5, sedangkan Speaking 0-4, yang nantinya akan dikonversi menjadi nilai resmi antara 0-30.

6. Karena nilai TOEFL iBT harus dikirimkan langsung oleh ETS ke sekolah yang kita daftar, maka sebelum tes sebaiknya kita sudah tahu sekolah mana yang akan kita tuju dan kode sekolahnya. Karena dengan uang 1,7 juta itu, kita mendapatkan 4 score report gratis yang bisa dikirimkan ke empat institusi yang berbeda. Dan keempat institusi itu harus dituliskan sebelum tes. Kalau sesudah tes baru dituliskan, tidak bisa. Harus membayar lagi (sekitar 180 ribu per score report). Kalau tidak dipakai sayang kan?

Namun kalau belum punya sekolah yang dituju juga gapapa sih, hehe. Skor TOEFL iBT bisa dipakai hingga 2 tahun setelah tanggal tes. Selama itu, kamu bisa minta ETS mengirimkan skor ke sekolah2 pilihanmu (dengan membayar lagi tentunya).

Ini tips saya. Pengalaman on test day akan saya tulis di posting berikutnya.

UPDATE: Jika ingin minta materi Tes TOEFL iBT bisa email ke saya: ifta_choiriyyah@yahoo.com

2011-01-13T00:23:00.003+07:00

while you're awake

or sleeping

cup cup

THRIFTING (2)

2011-01-12T23:29:00.006+07:00

Untuk transisi dari mahasiswa menjadi emak-emak yang ngantor, saya perlu sedikit meng-adjust gaya. (Halah!!). Yah pokoknya biar agak pantes dikit, lah. Dan mau tidak mau harus belanja baju.

Untungnya saya sudah kenal namanya thrifting (atau awul-awul bahasa Jawanya.) Jadi solusi saya untuk menghemat uang dan tetap wangun adalah dengan membeli baju bekas.

Di Jogja memang banyak juga toko baju bekas. Namun harganya sudah mahal dan sulit menemukan baju yang sesuai dengan profil saya. (Halah lagi!)

Jadi, ketika saya pergi ke Jakarta awal Desember kemarin untuk ujian GRE, saya tekadkan untuk pergi ke Pasar Senen. Mau apa? Ya hunting baju bekas.

Pasar Senen itu terletak di belakang Atrium Senen. Naik Transjakarta juga bisa. Langsung ke Pasar Senen-nya malah. Dan setelah kebakaran dan direnovasi, pedagang2 baju bekas Pasar Senen sekarang tidak lagi menempati area di luar gedung yang panas dan sumpek. Mereka sudah pindah ke dalam gedung yang luas dan agak nyaman.

Jadi, tampaknya bila berbelanja di sana sendirian juga sudah aman dan nyaman. Kemarin ketika ke sana, mulanya saya takut dengan bayangan waktu dulu Senen masih liar. Ternyata sekarang sudah tertata rapi dan tidak terlalu ramai. (Saya datang Sabtu siang padahal).

FYI, Pasar Senen ini menjual baju2 bekas (?) (atau reject?) dari Korea, Jepang dan mungkin Amerika(?). Dan saya selalu menyukai baju model Jepang, lucu namun klasik konservatif. Ada kesan vintage juga. Dan mutunya sangat baik. Jadi meskipun dikata bekas, kalau pintar memilih dan jeli, pasti dapat barang bagus yang tiada duanya. Murah lagi!!! (Saya selalu mendapat compliment ketika memakai baju2 itu." Bajunya lucu!" Hehe. Kalau saya bilang harganya cuma 20ribu, yang kasih pujian langsung membelalak tak percaya dan iri sama saya).

Dan pengalaman belanja-nya juga lumayan seru. Banyak abang-abang berteriak"Goceng goceng!! Baru turun, baru turun!! Dipilih dipilih!!" Dan mereka berlomba berteriak sekeras-kerasnya. Kadang2 bikin kaget.

Dan jangan kaget ya, kalau pedagangnya banyak banget! Apalagi baju-bajunya!! Buanyaak sekali yang bisa dipilih. Bukan hanya baju, Anda juga bisa menemukan seprei, sarung bantal, dll disini.

"Baru turun" berarti bahwa ada barang yang baru datang ("turun") dari pelabuhan. Barang2 itu memang datang dalam bentuk bal-balan besar. Nah, kalau barang baru turun, itu berarti Anda berkesempatan besar mendapatkan barang yang bagus2 dan lebih murah (karena belum dipilah pedagang dan belum diambil pembeli lain.)

Oya, penjual baju2 bekas itu ada di dua lantai. So make sure kalian ke lantai keduanya ya. (atau ketiga ya? Saya bingung dengan penamaan lantai di situ). Juga ada blok khusus buku2 bekas. Namun sayang saya tidak sempat menjelajahinya.

Dan jangan lupa menawar harga. Anda mestinya dapat harga murah. Untuk gaun panjang, bisa dibeli dengan harga 20-25 ribu. Blazer2 yang lumayan bagus mungkin sampai 30 ribu. (Bayangkan penghematan yang Anda buat. Blazer baru paling murah kan seharga 150 ribuan). Ada beberapa baju yang ditawarkan seharga 5-10 ribu. Namun memang sudah tidak lengkap. Tapi untuk yang jeli, mungkin bisa juga dapat barang yang masih bagus.

Dan yang terpenting, cek dengan hati2 barang yang Anda beli. (Misalnya ada sobekan kecil, kancing lepas, resleting macet, noda kecil, dll.) Maklum, ini kan barang bekas.

Kadang2 memang baunya tidak menyenangkan. Namun kita akan mencuci baju itu baik2 kan sebelum dipakai?

Memang ada wacana mengenai baju impor yang tidak sehat atau mematikan industri pakaian dalam negeri. Namun menurut saya, ini adalah alternatif lain saja. Untuk menghargai dan memanfaatkan barang2 buangan itu, sambil menghemat uang. Sayang kan? Hehe...

Ini beberapa baju yang bisa ditemui di sana. Saya hanya mampu menawar paling rendah 17.000 untuk sehelai baju.

THRIFTING (1)

2011-01-12T22:39:00.008+07:00

"Thrifting refers to the act of shopping at a thrift store, flea market, garage sale, or a shop of a charitable organization, usually with the intent of finding interesting items at a cheap price.

A larger philosophy permeates the act of thrifting which celebrates the recycling of formerly-owned items, finding new use and new love for vintage material goods which had been thrown out, and the thrill of imagining what the former life of the item was like." (Wikipedia)

Saya pertama kali menemukan buku-buku misterius itu di Gramedia. Saya heran, di Gramedia kok ada buku2 import yang kelihatannya bekas, dengan harga yang sangat murah.

Sebagian besar buku2 tersebut sudah tua dengan judul2 yang mungkin tidak menarik. Tapi kalau kita sabar memilah satu persatu, kita akan menemukan sedikit harta karun terselip, menunggu untuk ditemukan.

Saya selalu bertanya-tanya dari mana buku2 itu berasal. Di setiap buku itu ada stiker biru kotak bertuliskan “BOOKS. It’s a great deal”. Saya berpikir, mungkin ada orang dari luar negeri sono yang berbisnis buku2 bekas seperti ini, diekspor ke sini.

Saya hanya bisa bertanya2 sambil terus mengumpulkan buku2 tersebut. Harganya sangat murah, kondisinya masih sangat sempurna. Saya selalu kegirangan ketika menemukan buku2 yang sangat saya inginkan namun hanya dapat saya impikan saja, karena harganya mahal. Jika memesan lewat Amazon, saya juga tidak punya kartu kredit.

Saya sering ke Gramedia, namun setelah itu jarang menyambangi rak khusus buku2 impor bekas tersebut. Saya pikir, buku2 itu akan lama sekali diperbarui. Saya tidak mengharapkan ada buku2 lain yang akan datang.

Tapi kemarin, saya iseng menyambangi rak itu lagi, setelah sekian lama. (Mungkin 3 bulanan). Saya girang sekali ketika saya menemukan bahwa rak2 itu tampaknya sudah di-stok ulang. Saya jadi seperti orang gandrung, dengan nafsu mengubrak-abrik rak-rak itu.
Dan benar!! Saya menemukan banyak buku2 yang saya idam2kan.

Setelah membayar, saya baru mengamati struk belanja saya. Ternyata ada titel “Effhar” di setiap buku yang saya beli. Sampai di rumah, saya iseng mengetik “effhar” di google. Berharap mendapatkan clue dari mana buku2 itu berasal.

Wah! Ternyata pemasok buku2 itu ada di Semarang! Dan mereka memperbarui koleksi buku2nya setiap bulan dengan mendatangkan buku2 bekas dari luar negeri.

Kita juga bisa memesan buku lewat web. Jika buku yang kita cari tidak ada, kita juga bisa memesan kepada administrator agar dicarikan. Mereka juga melayani pembeli yang ingin datang langsung ke lokasi untuk mencari buku2 di toko buku mereka.
Webnya ada di sini.

Selain di Jogja, mereka punya banyak booth di kota2 lain lo. Bisa dilihat di sini.

Kalau di Jogja, kamu bisa menemukan buku2 mereka di Gramedia Sudirman, Carrefour Jalan Solo dan Carrefour Ambarrukmo Plaza, serta Togamas Jalan Solo dan Togamas Galeria (namun kalau di Togamas hanya ada novel2 dewasa. Tidak ada buku anak2).

Cerita lain tentang Books ada di sini.

Mau lihat buku2 yang sudah berhasil saya kumpulkan?
Semuanya untuk Nana, tentu saja. Hehe.. Tawaran yang paling menarik dari mereka memang tampaknya buku2 anak.

Ini adalah seri Alphapets dari Grolier. Aku bisa nemu empat karakter! Buku ini lucu. Nama-nama karakternya juga membuat takjub. Ada Emmy the Exaggerating Elephant yang suka lebay, Perry the Polite Porcupine yang manner-nya kaya Earl/Duke dari Inggris, Albert the Absent-minded Alligator, Herbie the Happy Hamster, Delilah the Demanding Duck, dll. Buku ini mengenalkan huruf2 dan nilai2 moral/karakter untuk anak2.

Kalau ini dr Seuss.

Kayanya mereka punya banyak buku dr. Seuss. Harganya murah saja. Cuma 25 ribu (Kalau beli baru sekitar 50-100 ribu, di kinokuniya atau ak.sa.ra.).

Ini buku2 yang lain.

Ada I SPY (Nana suka banget buku ini. Katanya bukunya lebih susah dari Wally, hehe). Terus Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Do You See dengan ilustrasi dari Eric Carle. Juga buku tentang rain forset yang gambarnya baguus banget. Dan buku yang vintage banget dari Jan Brett, Town Mouse Country Mouse. Semuanya 25 ribu aja juga!!(Kalau beli buku Eric Carle itu bisa seharga 75 ribu). I SPY-nya 15 ribu.

Ini dalemannya Jan Brett yang vintage banget itu.

Bagus banget ya gambarnya? Membuatku pengen jadi ilustrator.
Oiya, Jan Brett punya web yang menyediakan free printable yang vintage banget untuk anak-anak di sini.

The best find-ku adalah bukunya Planting a Rainbow karya Lois Ehlert. (Aku baru2 ini memesan buku2 Lois Ehlert ke mbak Mega, tapi belum dapat. Bukunya bagus2 dan colourful banget sih. Eh malah nemu yang murah di Gramedia.

Lihat dalamnya, bagus kaan?

Makanya judulnya "Planting a Raibow"

Lumayan juga untuk menambah koleksi buku dengan harga yang murah.
Kalau udah kenal barang bekas, biasanya malas beli barang baru, hehe.

Semoga info ini bermanfaat buat Ibu-ibu yang suka mengumpulkan buku2 untuk anaknya, di saat harga cabe mahal. Hehe..

lebih dari kesepian

2011-01-12T11:45:00.002+07:00

Atul Gawande menulis lagi di New Yorker. Dan selalu saja aku menemukan hal baru dari tulisannya. Ternyata efek kesepian, pengasingan, isolasi itu jauh lebih dahsyat dari sekedar kesepian. Kalau mau membaca (panjang sihh) ada di sini.

Mungkin seperti itu juga dengan kemiskinan. Kemiskinan tidak hanya merampas rasa kenyang di perut.

Betapa hatiku hari-hari terakhir ini begitu berat ketika membaca Kompas.
Suami istri di Jepara yang kehilangan enam anaknya (!!!) karena mereka hanya bisa makan tiwul ampas singkong, yang ternyata bersianida.
Suami istri di Cirebon yang sepakat bunuh diri karena berat menanggung kemiskinan, meninggalkan 3 anak mereka.
Ibu-ibu yang payah mengumpulkan kertas bekas hanya untuk mendapatkan 8000 rupiah per minggu.
Suami istri di Brebes yang sudah renta, dengan istri yang cacat. Padahal biasanya mereka bekerja sama menganyam untuk mendapatkan penghasilan 30.000 per minggu.

Bagaimanakah kita menghadapi berita-berita seperti itu? Apa yang bisa aku lakukan? Dosa apa yang aku perbuat dengan berdiam saja seperti ini?
Apa yang seharusnya aku lakukan?

Semua itu membuatku lumpuh.

Nana manis sekali

2011-01-12T09:52:00.000+07:00

Aku tinggal di rumah hingga hampir jam 10 pagi hari ini. Sebenarnya malas sekali pergi ke kantor. Ingin menemani Nana. (Bapak sudah pergi ngantor jam 8 pagi. Ngantor!! Hehe..)

Kami belajar angka, 1 sampai 4 dengan buku "Mengenal Angka dengan Thomas". (Nana sudah tertarik untuk belajar angka dan menghubungkan dot to dot. Dia pasti akan mencari titik-titik yang bisa dia hubungkan. Dia masih memakai tangan kiri. Kayanya aku hampir yakin dia left-handed.)
Kemudian kami menyusun puzzle. Terus Nana tiba2 mengambil krayon wajah yang lama sekali tidak dia keluarkan. Dia mencoret-coret tanganku. Katanya itu huruf A.

Kami membaca dua buku. Bobi si Burung Hantu dan Aldo si Anak Ayam.

Jam 9 kurang Nana baru mau mandi. Hehe. Dia memilih baju bertumpuk2 dengan kombinasi warna yang aneh.

Ketika aku bersiap-siap, Nana berkata dengan nada melo' yang biasa dia pakai: "Ibu mau berangkat ke kantor ya..."

" Iya, tapi nanti sore kan Ibu pulang"

Nana memutuskan memakai parfum yang baunya dia paling suka (Eskulin?). Terus memilih sandal Kungfu Panda yang geripil.
"Wah, Ibu pikir Nana mau pakai sandal pink", kataku.
"Enggak, Nana kan mau dada sama Ibu ke depan", Nana menjawab dengan (biasa) tidak nyambung.

Nana berlari-lari mendahuluiku.
"Mbak Nana bukain pintu ya, Ibu", Nana membukakan pintu garasi buatku. Kemudian dia berlari ke depan mendorong pintu pagar.
"Mbak Nana bukain pagernya juga," dia nyengir.

Aku kesulitan mengeluarkan motorku yang terhalang motor dek Wiwit.
"Kita keluarkan motor Ibu dulu ya.. Susah nih."

Nana membantu dengan memegangi pintu garasi dan mendorong ban motorku. Hihi. Dia nggak takut kotor untuk hal-hal seperti itu. (Tapi kalau memegang makanan yang akan nempel di jari, pasti dia akan menolak!)

Wah, aku jadi tersentuh sekali.

Padahal kan aku mau ninggal Nana. Tapi dia malah membantuku.

Setelah aku di halaman, Nana berdiri dengan manis di tepi.

Seperti anak-anak kecil yang bersiap menyambut presiden itu looo, yang berjajar di tepi.
Atau seperti anak-anak kecil yang berdiri di depan pemain-pemain sepak bola yang akan bertanding.

Jadi pengen cium dan peluk Nana sekali lagi.

Akhirnya kami ber dada-dada. Pokoknya seperti itu. Seperti anak-anak dada-dada sama presiden. Lugu dan setia. Pokoknya manis sekali....

Fox in Socks

2011-01-06T16:14:00.002+07:00

Knox in box.
Fox in socks.
Knox on fox
in socks in box.

Socks on Knox
and Knox in box.

Fox in socks
on box on Knox.

Chicks with bricks come.
Chicks with blocks come.
Chicks with bricks
and blocks and clocks come.

Look, sir. Look, sir.
Mr. Knox, sir.
Let's do tricks with
bricks and blocks, sir.
Let's do tricks with
chicks and clocks, sir.

First, I'll make a
quick trick brick stack.
Then I'll make a
quick trick block stack.

You can make a
quick trick chick stack.
You can make a
quick trick clock stack.

And here's a
new trick, Mr Knox....
Socks on chicks
and chicks on fox.
Fox on clocks
on bricks and blocks.
Bricks and blocks
on Knox on box.

Now we come to
ticks and tocks, sir.
Try to say this
Mr Knox, sir....

Clocks on fox tick.
Clocks on Knox tock.
Six sick bricks tick.
Six sick chicks tock.

Please, sir. I don't
like this trick, sir.
My tongue isn't
quick or slick, sir.
I get all those
ticks and clocks, sir,
mixed up with the
chicks and tocks, sir.
I can't do it, Mr. Fox, sir.

I'm so sorry,
Mr. Knox, sir.

Here's an easy
game to play.
Here's an easy
thing to say...

New socks.
Two socks.
Whose socks?
Sue's socks.

Who sews whose socks?
Sue sews Sue's socks.

Who sees who sew
whose new socks, sir?
You see Sue sew
Sue's new socks, sir.

That's not easy,
Mr. Fox, sir.

Who comes?...
Crow comes.
Slow Joe Crow comes.

Who sews crow's clothes?
Sue sews crow's clothes.
Slow Joe Crow
sews whose clothes?
Sue's clothes.

Sue sews socks of
fox in socks now.

Slow Joe Crow sews
Knox in box now.

Sue sews rose
on Slow Joe Crow's clothes.
Fox sews hose
on Slow Joe Crow's nose.

Hose goes.
Rose grows.
Nose hose goes some.
Crow's rose grows some.

Mr. Fox!
I hate this game, sir.
This game makes
my tongue quite lame, sir.

Mr. Knox, sir,
what a shame, sir.

We'll find something
new to do now.
Here is lots of
new blue goo now.
New goo. Blue goo.
Gooey. Goeey.
Blue goo. New goo.
Gluey. Gluey.

Gooey goo
for chewy chewing!
That's what that
Goo-Goose is doing
Do you choose to
chew goo, too, sir?
If, sir, you, sir,
choose to chew, sir,
with the Goo-Goose,
chew, sir. Do, sir.

Mr. Fox, sir,
I won't do it.
I can't say it.
I won't chew it.

Very well, sir.
Step this way.
We'll find another
game to play.

Bim comes.
Ben comes.
Bim brings Ben broom.
Ben brings Bim broom.

Ben bends Bim's broom.
Bim bends Ben's broom,
Bim's bends,
Ben's bends.
Ben's bent broom breaks.
Bim's bent broom breaks.

Ben's band. Bim's band.
Big bands. Pig bands.

Bim and Ben lead
bands with brooms.
Ben's band bangs
and Bim's band booms.

Pig band! Boom band!
Big band! Broom band!
My poor mouth can't
say that. No Sir.
My poor mouth is
much too slow, sir.

Well then...
bring your mouth this way.
I'll find it something
it can say.

Luke Luck likes lakes.
Luke's duck likes lakes.
Luke luck licks lakes.
Luke's duck licks lakes.

Duck takes licks
in lakes Luke Luck likes.
Luke Luck takes licks
in lakes duck likes.

I can't blab
such blibber blubber!
My tongue isn't
made of rubber.

Mr. Knox. Now
come now. Come now.
You don't have to
be so dumb now....

Try to say this,
Mr. Knox, please....

Through three cheese trees
three free fleas flew.
While these fleas flew,
freezy breeze blew.
Freezy breeze made
these three trees freeze.
Freezy trees made
these trees' cheese freeze
That's what made these
three free fleas sneeze.

Stop it! Stop it!
That's enough, sir.
I can't say
such silly stuff, sir.

Very well, then
Mr. Knox, sir.

Let's have a little talk
about tweetle beetles....

What do you know about tweetle beetles?
Well...

When tweetle beetles fight,
it's called
a tweetle beetle battle.

And when they
battle in a puddle,
it's a tweetle
beetle puddle battle.

AND when tweetle beetles
battle with paddles in a puddle,
they call it a tweetle
beetle puddle paddle battle.
AND...

When beetles battle beetles
in a puddle paddle battle
and the beetle battle puddle
is a puddle in a bottle...
...they call this
a tweetle beetle
bottle puddle
paddle battle muddle.
AND...
When beetles
fight these battles
in a bottle
with their paddles
and the bottle's
on a poodle
and the poodle's
eating noodles...
...they call this
a muddle puddle
tweetle poodle
beetle noodle
bottle paddle battle.
AND...
Now wait a minute Mr. Socks Fox!

When a fox is
in the bottle where
the tweetle beetles battle
with their paddles
in a puddle on a
noodle-eating poodle.
THIS is what they call...

...a tweetle beetle
noodle poodle bottled
paddled muddled duddled
fuddled wuddled
fox in socks, sir!

Fox in socks,
our game is done, sir.
Thank you for
a lot of fun, sir.

Oh, the thinks you can think!

2011-01-06T13:05:00.004+07:00

You can
think up
some birds.
That's what you can do.
You can think about yellow
or think about blue...

You can think about red.
You can think about pink.
You can think up a horse.

Oh, the THINKS you can think!

Oh, the THINKS
you can think up
if only you try!
If you try try,
you can think up
a GUFF going by.

And you don’t have to stop.

You can think about SCHLOPP.
Schlopp. Schlopp. Beautiful schlopp.
Beautiful schlopp
with a cherry on top.

You can think about
Kitty O’Sullivan Krauss
in her big balloon swimming pool
over her house.

Think of black water.
Think up a white sky.
Think up a boat.
Think of BLOOGS blowing by.

You can think about Night,
a night in Na-Nupp.
The birds are asleep
and the three moons are up.

You can think about Day,
a day in Da-Dake.
The water is blue
and the birds are awake.

Think! Think and wonder.
Wonder and think.
How much water
can fifty-five elephants drink?

You can wonder . . .
How long
is the tail
of a ZONG?

There are so many THINKS
that a Thinker can think!

Would you dare
yank a tooth
of the
RINK-RINKER-FINK?

And
what would
you do
if
you met
a JIBBOO?

Oh, the THINKS
you can think!

Think of
Peter the Postman
who crosses the ice
once every day –
and on Saturdays, twice.

THINK! You can think
any THINK
that you wish . . .

Think
a race
on a horse
on a ball
with a fish!

Think of Light.
Think of Bright.
Think of
Stairs in the Night.

THINK!

Think a ship.
Think up a long trip.
Go visit the VIPPER.,
the Vipper of Vipp.

And left!
Think of Left!
And think about BEFT.
Why is it that beft
always go to the left?

And why is it
so many things
go to the Right?
You can think about THAT
until Saturday night.

Think left and think right
and think low and think high.

Oh, the THINKS you can think up if only you try!

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

2011-01-06T12:55:00.002+07:00

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along.
You’ll start happening too.

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.
You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t.

Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.
You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.
And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

No! That’s not for you!

Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!

Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.
And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.
You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?

Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

Kid, you’ll move mountains!

So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

Epidemic of loneliness

2010-12-23T16:50:00.004+07:00

Katanya, Christmas season bagi orang2 luar negri sana malah semakin memicu perasaan kesepian.

Ini adalah pemenang Wakley prize, tentang kesepian seorang janda.

will.be.3

2010-12-21T10:09:00.002+07:00

My girl will be 3 next year. She has grown wonderfully. She is no longer very attached to me. Her favorite now is mbak Yani.

But she keeps behave sweetly. She reads stories for me. She hugs me often. And wet kisses me. And she eats well now.

I love her curly end-hair. Her smell in the morning. And her enormous giggles. And her tummy is still rather bumpy, like baby's tummy.

I love her so...

The images are from this book.

The Stampede: Cambodia

2010-11-25T12:14:00.003+07:00

It is so tragic to learn the latest tragedy that happened in Cambodia, that mentioned to be the worst tragedy in Cambodia after Pol Pot regime. The water festival who was supposed to be the most magnificent victory celebration, turned out a fatal stampede.

I feel anguished to watch the video on TVs. And my heart and thought are with everyone who has lost a loved one.

This should have been avoidable, OR NOT? We -Indonesian- have seen a lot of tragedy like this, although in much smaller scale. But that doesn't undermine the experiences to be shared and learned. Still, people die this way, helplessly. And even the number of the victims just grows larger and larger.

Please, please no more crowd gathering like these. Especially for us, Moslem, who celebrate Idul Fitri and Idul Adha every year. Alms and meats distribution during those occasions always draw a lot of people. Old and young, even babies.
Giving alms is of course a great deed, but we should think better way to deliver it to people in need. A way that is more humane, respectful, and dignifying.

Don't let people wait under the direct sunlight, in heavy crowd, for hours. Don't distribute coupon or create queue. Instead, please deliver the alms to their door, one by one.

And I come to learn my other fear. Previously I committed that I'm kind of paranoid to be under billboard. Now, I think I'm having crowd phobia.

Merapi: Pengungsi

2010-11-11T12:27:00.002+07:00

Beruntung sekali Jogja memiliki universitas dan para mahasiswa, para pengajar.
Dan Jogja merupakan sebuah kota, yang bisa dicapai dengan mudah.

Barang, tenaga, uang, mudah digerakkan untuk kebutuhan para pengungsi.
Coverage media juga sangat baik, untuk membantu mobilisasi bantuan dan update kondisi terkini.

Selama berinteraksi dengan pengungsi Merapi, aku belajar banyak hal:

1. Mereka benar-benar merasa tercerabut dari akarnya, terutama para penduduk di lereng-lereng terdekat Merapi.
Dua orang nenek bercerita padaku, dengan mata berkaca-kaca, bahwa selama ini sejak bayi hingga bercucu banyak, mereka tidak pernah meninggalkan dusunnya yang hanya berjarak 4 km dari Merapi. (Mereka tinggal di dusun Selo, Boyolali). Seorang dari mereka bercerita, bagaimana dia setiap malam masih termangu-mangu sedih tidak percaya, ketika sadar dia kini tidur di rumah orang, di dusun yang tidak pernah dia jejak, jauh sekali dari dusunnya.

2. Merapi sudah jauh sekali dari tabiat-tabiat yang biasanya dikenal penduduk di sekitarnya.
Banyak yang berujar, betapa mereka terkaget-kaget dengan perilaku Merapi yang sangat berbeda dengan yang mereka kenal. Sepanjang ingatan mereka, Merapi tidak pernah begitu dahsyat, hingga memaksa mereka mengungsi begitu jauh. Dan banyak sekali yang merasa trauma dengan dahsyatnya letusan Merapi. Beberapa pengungsi yang kuperiksa memang menunjukkan gejala stres yang diwujudkan dengan keluhan fisik seperti berdebar-debar, perut mual, nyeri ulu hati, hingga sering BAB dan susah tidur.

3. Kita memang tidak bisa begitu saja memaksa penduduk untuk turun mengungsi. Mungkin kita hanya bisa mengerti jika kita juga mengalaminya sendiri.

Ternak (sapi, kerbau), meskipun hanya hewan, ternyata memang begitu dicintai oleh penduduk. Bukan hanya karena nilai ekonominya (penghasil susu, investasi, tabungan), namun lebih dari itu. Ternak-ternak itu sudah menjadi bagian keluarga mereka, yang dipelihara dan begitu dicintai sehingga berat sekali untuk meninggalkan mereka. Penduduk selalu cemas dan kasihan akan nasib ternaknya yang ditinggal sendiri ketakutan, tanpa makanan.

Aku, yang hanya mendengar cerita seorang peternak sapi saja, bisa merasa sangat sedih dan memahami ikatan cinta antar mereka. Bagaimana si Bapak yang ketika mengungsi berpamitan dan meminta maaf kepada ternaknya. Sapinya juga kelihatan mengerti dan melenguh sedih. Ketika si Bapak pulang ke rumah dua hari kemudian, dia begitu gembira dan si Bapak menghujani sapinya dengan ciuman2. Bapak bahkan merelakan setandan pisangnya untuk si sapi.

Dan ketika dia bercerita, si Bapak berkaca-kaca.

Jadi, memang di masa datang, kita harus benar2 memikirkan juga evakuasi hewan serentak dengan manusianya.

Sebentar lagi Idul Adha, bagaimana ya, kalo Kementrian Agama atau MUI mengeluarkan anjuran agar sapi2 tidak usah disembelih untuk dikorbankan, namun diberikan hidup2 ke peternak sapi yang kehilangan sapi2nya. Menurutku sih, itu lebih utama.

And last,

Suamiku kuputuskan jadi relawan of the year. Soalnya dia begitu baik, menjaga anakku di rumah, sementara aku wira-wiri nggak jelas. Dia rela tinggal di rumah, menemani anakku bermain, menyuapinya, dan menidurkannya. Pembantuku minta mudik pada hari Jumat, setelah letusan besar itu. Ortunya panik melihat tayangan TV yang agak lebay itu. (Masih ditambahi tayangan Silet yang tidak sensitif itu!!!) Nana juga menempati urutan kedua. Ketika kuajak muter2 ke pengungsian, dia tidak rewel. Padahal harus melihat kerumunan orang2 yang tidak dikenal.

Merapi: Detik-detik pengungsian

2010-11-06T19:22:00.003+07:00

Ada cerita dari mas dokter Ian tentang kejadian Kamis malam ketika Merapi meletus besar. Bisa dibaca di sini.

Tadi siang kami ke Stadion Maguwoharjo, yang menampung pengungsi Merapi paling banyak. Banyak sekali yang datang memberi bantuan, baik perorangan maupun kelompok. Ada dua mbak-mbak membawa bungkusan besar pembalut wanita. Bahkan ada yang menyumbang bungkusan mi bakso kuah!! Benar-benar mengagumkan. Semua diterima dengan tangan terbuka.

Semoga semua pengungsi bisa bertahan, dengan uluran kasih yang tak terputus dari segala penjuru buat mereka.

Untuk mengetahui kondisi terkini Merapi, sekaligus mendengar Jaringan Komunikasi Balerante, dan memantau kebutuhan para pengungsi, bisa klik di sini.

Lengkap di situ!!

Merapi: Update

2010-11-05T10:47:00.004+07:00

Kemarin-kemarin, kupikir cukup menyenangkan mengikuti aktivitas Merapi setiap hari. Bisa jadi jeda sejenak dari hidup yang rutin dan membosankan.

Kapan lagi kami mengalami letusan Merapi, yang terkenal di seluruh dunia, setelah sebelumnya merasakan jadi pengungsi gempa 2006?

Namun, sekarang, it is not fun anymore!!
Tadi malam, aku masih melek sampai jam 12 malam. Nonton teve dan Petir. Lamat-lamat terdengar gemuruh. Kupikir gludhuk. Tapi setelah kupertajam, itu bukan gludhuk. Suamiku juga mengiyakan: itu Merapi! Semakin lama, suara gemuruh semakin kencang, dan kaca bergetar! Kami belum pernah mendengar gemuruh ini sebelumnya. (Rumah kami kira2 25 km dari puncak Merapi). Gemuruhnya benar2 terlalu sering dan keras.

Aku jadi ketakutan. Kemudian terdengar suara rintik-rintik di luar. Hujan kerikil!! Deras. Lama-lama diikuti suara yang lebih halus. Sekarang hujan pasir. Dan lebih deras lagi. Suaranya seperti rintik hujan, namun berbeda karena berbunyi kritik-kritik. Dan gemuruh juga masih sering terdengar. Udara berbau seperti kembang api terbakar.

Berita terakhir yang kami tangkap dari TVOne, zona aman diperluas 20 km.

Aduh gawat sekali!
Pos ronda membunyikan kentongan.
Kemudian malah mati lampu.
What a night! Padahal kami harus memantau berita di TV.

Aku memutuskan mengepak surat2 penting dan buku2 tabungan. Baju Nana juga. Hanya berjaga-jaga.

Karena gelap, tidak ada listrik, jadi kami tidak tahu apa yang tengah terjadi.

Tetangga depan rumah malah sudah bangun dan mengungsi. Hue hue. Tante Wiwit turun dan bertanya: "Gimana nih, temanku yang di Condongcatur mengungsi. Aman nggak ya di sini?"

Aku menelepon Bulik-ku yang berada di pengungsian Wukirsari. Aku ingin menawarkan agar beliau ke rumah kami saja. (Pada letusan pertama, beliau sudah mengungsi ke Kotagede, rumah ibuku. Namun setelah 5 hari di Kotagede, Bulikku memutuskan ke barak pengungsian untuk merawat anak-anak didiknya dengan memberi pelajaran nonformal. Bulikku guru TK, tinggal di Balong, Umbulharjo. 8 km dari Merapi).

Tapi Bulikku tak kunjung bisa dihubungi.

Mas Arka mencari frekuensi radio. (Untung sekali ada radio kecil itu). Menemukan frekuensi komunikasi Handy Talkie entah punya siapa. Tampaknya komunitas relawan?
Dari situ kami tahu situasi terkini. (Dan serasa dalam suasana perang. Berbaring dalam gelap mendengarkan siaran radio nonfromal. Well, lumayan menyenangkan).

Ternyata Jalan Kaliurang padat karena banyak pengungsi yang turun. Jadi tampaknya memang lebih baik di rumah. Lagipula hujan pasirnya benar2 deras. Pasti lebih berbahaya berada di jalanan.

Pukul 2 kurang, hujan pasir berhenti.
Aku tertidur.

Listrik baru menyala jam 8.30 keesokan harinya, ketika kami sudah nyaris mengungsi karena di rumah sudah kehabisan air!

Melihat TV dan internet. Ternyata casualtiesnya lebih besar dari kemarin, bahkan!!

Sedih sekali...
Aku memutuskan tidak masuk kantor. Menunggu rumah saja. Takut berpisah dari Nana.

Bulik sudah aman di Kotagede. Pagi2 subuh tadi, keluarganya sudah sampai di rumah ibuku.

Namun menyedihkan sekali satu desa diterjang awan panas dan lahar dingin.

Ya Allah...

African Baobab

2010-11-04T11:29:00.004+07:00

I was always very curious about baobabs since I read it in The Little Prince.

What? Baobabs? What a mighty name! Even the name itself tells a lot!

The passages about baobabs are very darling, I am very touched to learn how the Little Prince was very concerned that his planet would be invaded by biggest baobabs ever. And how he was so much relieved to know that sheep eats little bushes, including tiny baobabs buds, so the buds won't have a chance to grow.

"It is true, isn't it, that sheep eat little bushes?"
"Yes, that is true."

"Ah! I am glad!"

I did not understand why it was so important that sheep should eat little bushes. But the little prince added:

"Then it follows that they also eat baobabs?"

I pointed out to the little prince that baobabs were not little bushes, but, on the contrary, trees as big as castles; and that even if he took a whole herd of elephants away with him, the herd would not eat up one single baobab.

The idea of the herd of elephants made the little prince laugh.

"We would have to put them one on top of the other," he said.

But he made a wise comment:

"Before they grow so big, the baobabs start out by being little."

"That is strictly correct," I said. "But why do you want the sheep to eat the little baobabs?"

He answered me at once, "Oh, come, come!", as if he were speaking of something that was self-evident. And I was obliged to make a great mental effort to solve this problem, without any assistance.

Indeed, as I learned, there were on the planet where the little prince lived--as on all planets--good plants and bad plants. In consequence, there were good seeds from good plants, and bad seeds from bad plants. But seeds are invisible. They sleep deep in the heart of the earth's darkness, until some one among them is seized with the desire to awaken. Then this little seed will stretch itself and begin--timidly at first--to push a charming little sprig inoffensively upward toward the sun. If it is only a sprout of radish or the sprig of a rose-bush, one would let it grow wherever it might wish. But when it is a bad plant, one must destroy it as soon as possible, the very first instant that one recognizes it.

Now there were some terrible seeds on the planet that was the home of the little prince; and these were the seeds of the baobab. The soil of that planet was infested with them. A baobab is something you will never, never be able to get rid of if you attend to it too late. It spreads over the entire planet. It bores clear through it with its roots. And if the planet is too small, and the baobabs are too many, they split it in pieces . . .

"It is a question of discipline," the little prince said to me later on. "When you've finished your own toilet in the morning, then it is time to attend to the toilet of your planet, just so, with the greatest care. You must see to it that you pull up regularly all the baobabs, at the very first moment when they can be distinguished from the rosebushes which they resemble so closely in their earliest youth. It is very tedious work," the little prince added, "but very easy.

Yesterday, I found out from local newspaper that, indeed Indonesia has African baobabs Adansonia digitata) tree!!

There are nine trees that grow in sugar plantation area in Subang. It is believed that the tree was brought to grow there from Africa by Dutch people. The trees are estimated to be over 100 years old. Local people identify the trees as Ki Tambleg/Asem Bhuto (Giant Tamarind).

Wow! I don't know that the trees can be grown here.

And the trees now are going to be moved to Universitas Indonesia Depok Campus area for conservation purpose. I wonder how they'll move those big trees!!!
The trees are awesome, you can follow the discussion about the project here.

Do you think the Little Prince will be sad to know we conserve nine big baobabs?
I think we don't need to worry. Our planet is so big, not like the Little Prince's planet that split easily. We need more beautiful baobabs here. I hope they can get the seeds and grow more baobabs bud. They can grow them in Bogor Botanic Garden or Bali Botanic Garden.

Merapi

2010-10-27T15:03:00.007+07:00

It is so sad and regrettable that, despite the widespread anticipation and awareness, casualties happen. I was shocked to learn that more than 20 people were dead. I thought that they were all being evacuated.

I read in newspaper that experts were sure that Merapi will erupt at any time soon and warned accordingly. The district administration was also ready, evacuation camp had been set up. People who live as far as 10 kilometers from the volcano were being evacuated accordingly.

And it still happened, people died. And the number of the victims are larger than 2006 eruption. And now Yogyakarta loses the very central part of Merapi, a humble devotee, Mbah Maridjan.

I admit that I regret his decision to refuse to leave. And regret the people who didn't leave early, for they were attached to their home and thought Merapi would wait a little longer.

I regret a lot. Although I know Mbah Maridjan was just trying to be faithful to his role. He believes in the good intention of God and the nature. He embraced Merapi eruption as "ewuh" or "nduwe gawe", expressing his love to his very homeland.

But I still think that he could be alive and still be faithful. And still being here.

But I respect him. Is it possible to respect his stance but to keep regret this all?

I think of him as my own grandfather. Now, who will love Merapi as mbah Maridjan does?

Europe on Screen 2010

2010-10-26T13:15:00.004+07:00

Le Centre Culturel Français de Yogyakarta / Lembaga Indonesia Prancis is participating in "Europe on Screen 2010" program on 29-30 October 2010. Actually it is a part of European film festival roadshow that will take place in 7 cities.

This year theme is "Europe in Motion", and 40 movies from 24 European countries will be screened.

In Jakarta, there are several center who take part in this program, i.e. Istituto Italiano, Centre Culturel Français, GoetheHaus, Erasmus Huis, and Kineforum. The event in Jakarta will take place between 5-12 November 2010. I am so jealous they are playing more movies there!!

Outside Jakarta, we can enjoy the screen in Yogyakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Banda Aceh, Denpasar, and Semarang.

Here is the schedule of the event:

Friday 29 October 2010
16.30 Magiczne Drzewo (The magic tree) 83 minutes
18.30 O Teleftaios Gyrismos (The last homecoming) 85 minutes

Saturday 30 October 2010
16.30 Ainda há Pastores? (Are there still any shepherds?) 72 minutes
18.30 Jalla! Jalla! 88 minutes

And each has English subtitle!! So no need to worry about understanding it.
And it's FREE!! The capacity for the show is 220 seats.

The LIP Yogyakarta contact:

LIP Yogyakarta
Jalan Sagan 3
55223 Yogyakarta
Indonesia
Tel: 0274 54 74 09
http://www.lipjogja.blogspot.com

The official website is: http://www.europeonscreen.org/
You can peek at the complete schedule and the synopsis.

UPDATE: FOR EVERYONE WHO WISH TO SEE THE MOVIES, YOU DON'T NEED ANY TICKET OR RESERVATION, JUST DROP BY ON THE D-DAY AND GRAB YOUR SEAT!

AED Scholarship

2010-10-26T09:50:00.002+07:00

I met an English teacher when we both took TOEFL iBT. She said she was awarded scholarship from AED, and now in the process of preparing for school application.
She informed me that the scholarship has been ended last year, because it is only a short scheme between USA and Indonesia under Obama's administration.

But last Saturday I read Kompas advertorial page and found the call for AED scholarship application. So they are offering the scholarship this year!

They are offering Master degree scholarships in these areas:
- Public Health
- Education
- Forestry Management, Marine Resources Management, Clean Energy, Water and Sanitation and Climate Change Sector Program

The general eligibility criterias are:
1.Candidates must be citizens of Indonesia.

2.Candidates may not be employed by USAID, have salary paid by USAID, or be an employee of USAID contractors or grantees.

3.Candidates must have at least five pre-retirement years remaining with their organizations after completion of study.

4.Candidates must provide evidence of English ability.

The deadline for submission is 31 December 2010.

Further information and the application form can be obtained in AED's website.

Procrastination Rules the World

2010-10-25T15:00:00.004+07:00

I wonder why the New Yorker published a length-wise article about procrastination, until I read it.

You can read it here.

I don't know how this will affect me. What do you think, will you keep procrastinating after all? For me, the answer is likely YES!!

And a frivolous email auto-response!

It is likely related to the heavy traffic of Facebook, Twitter, LinkdIn, etc.

Missing Mbak Lastri and Mbak Kasti

2010-10-25T10:59:00.005+07:00

Today mbak Lastri and mbak Kasti, our helper, is leaving our house. mbak Lastri has stayed with us for 1.5 years, and mbak Kasti for 1 year. They will go back to their home, Tepus, Gunungkidul. It takes almost two hours ride, plus the dizziness and nausea because of the winding road.

Mbak Lastri said the reason she quit was that she wanted to take a break. I probed further, because I was afraid that she quit because of something wrong happened, or because she didn't enjoy/feel comfortable to work here. She said nothing cause her to leave. She simply wanted to have a break. I asked her whether she'd work somewhere else. She assured me not to worry, she will just stay home, helping her mother farming their field.

And mbak Kasti, being just 17 years old and the eldest of three siblings, said that she needed to stay home to take care of her younger brother and sister. Her mother is working too, away from home, that her siblings don't get proper care and supervision. Mbak Kasti said that they now refuse to study, and she was concerned that they will fail their school. So she decided to stay at home so she'll be able to accompany them.

And I am surprised that my heart feel somewhat heavy, to lose two good company.

I once had a very reliable helper. (Of course, I borrowed her from my parents in law). Her name is mbak Suis. She stayed with my parents in law for almost 4 years, and when I had baby Nana, my mother in law sent her to help me with the daily chores. She stayed with me for a year. And then she got married and left to stay with his husband.

Mbak Suis is a petite woman. And she is so shy and doesn't talk much. And she never complained. And she is so kind that I almost can not wonder how things will work without her. Because Nana was attached to her.

Then we got mbak Lastri as her substitute. She is younger and a whole lot more cheerful than mbak Suis. And she always giggle and laugh loudly. I was so happy to have her, because I need somebody who is more talkative. Nana was 1 year old, and she started rumbling words so I thought mbak Lastri would help her boost her talking ability while I was away.

And mbak Lastri seemed to enjoy her time with Nana. I can feel it that she loved and cared for Nana, too. When she played with Nana, she didn't just be there. She was so engaged to Nana. Mbak Lastri can sing and read the books cheerfully. She knows how to pretend-play with Nana.

I encourage her to read books and magazine about child care. Although she made some mistakes in handling Nana, she improved herself.

And it was fun to have her around. I could always ask her to accompany me to the book store, to the play ground, and to the movie theater. She could play with Nana while I was driving.
She is such a good company.

And mbak Kasti, although she is so young, is so wise and patient, and her soft voice balances mbak Lastri's. She is so kind and tender.

So I was surprised when they both asked to quit. I thought that they would stay longer. Because I felt that we both feel comfortable each other.

So yesterday I bought mbak Lastri books about knitting. She is interested in knitting and wants to learn to make a shawl. I drove her to a knitting supplies shop. There she learned to knit, for free. I got her three bundles of cotton thread. I was sorry that she would leave shortly after. Should she stay longer, I'd be able to take her to the shop for a couple of times.
And for mbak Kasti, I got some story books and science books for her siblings. Hope it will help them to enjoy learning.

Mbak Lastri's substitute is mbak Yani. She is still so young, 16 years old. And she is the only child in her family. She is still so shy and I am thinking about things that will loosen her up a bit. She needs to be relax and cheerful. I hope she will enjoy it being here.
Mbak Yani and mbak Narti (mbak Kasti's substitute) are both crying when mbak Lastri and mbak Kasti leave this morning! What can I do to make them comfortable? Should I take them to the movie theater? Or bring them books from City Library?
Maybe I will take them to learn knitting, too.

And this all makes me to be always fully aware that they are really important to me. And I really wish that I can pay them a good salary. Or at least, I can give something valuable for them to appreciate their tremendous help.

Mas Arka's Thesis Defense

2010-10-20T13:45:00.004+07:00

As I can not announce it to my parents in-law (my husband insists that this will be a surprise for them), I will just tell it here.

The upcoming Big Day for my husband is

Friday, Oct 20. 01.30 p.m.

Hope everything will flow smoothly. He is really in a rush right now. He expected that he would not defend his thesis until next week. But yesterday he was informed that his supervisor is going to take Hajj pilgrimage next Tuesday. Just yesterday! He never knew it before!! So he has to do it before his supervisor leave. Otherwise, he has to wait for February to graduate, doing nothing.

Thank God (again) that he managed to put everything in place timely! Now I can release a big PPFUUH!!

And still, when he come out from the defending room, I can not tell my parents in-law. They will know only on the eve of graduation day! Whatever...

DONE!!!

2010-10-20T10:45:00.005+07:00

My TOEFL Score:

R/L/S/W = 30/26/23/29.

For total 108!!!

I can not believe it! They score me 29 on Writing! Even higher than Listening!
And I should improve my speaking, it is Fair. (And actually I was so nervous anticipating the Speaking tasks!!)

I especially thank God that I don't waste my precious USD 190!

And I really appreciate that ETS publish the score earlier than I had expected. It takes only 8 working days to receive the score.

Small D-day

2010-10-08T15:09:00.002+07:00

I am taking TOEFL iBT test tomorrow, 9 Oct 2010. The test will start at 11 p.m. And it takes roughly 4 hours to finish the test. Pheww!!!

And it is a -not so big actually- Big Day for me.
(Well, it is just TOEFL test, whatsoever. And why does our very life have to be occupied with TOEFL-things anyway?)

But, you can still credit me for:
- Literally, it is more a gamble to me. I paid 190 USD for the test, and I'm not so confident about the result. I don't take any serious preparation until now. Damn!! (Who will I rob next time, if I want to take the test again, should I fail?)
- I am in the middle of this familiar September-October craziness "Biostatistics month". So I have to choose between preparing biostatistics tutorial (I've already forgot those all things!) and practicing for the TOEFL.
- I have decided which schools I would like to apply for. And without proper research!! Gizz...

I need to score 100. I wonder how I can get the score, it is tomorrow! And I keep procrastinating.

And strangely, today I dropped by the City Library, practicing some of the speaking topics. It was like a sudden golden chance for me, to sit quietly, rumbling my words. And to my surprise I think I have improved my fluency.

Wish me luck, everybody!

nama-nama

2010-09-18T11:54:00.002+07:00

Aku hari ini membaca sebentuk nama yang memiliki arti yang sangat menakjubkan.
Tatsuno Kusaba. Berarti "Standing Alone in a Meadow as a Blade of Grass".

Aku selalu suka nama yang berhubungan dengan alam. Meskipun di keluargaku tradisinya adalah memberikan nama Arab yang berarti doa. Namun sebenarnya aku lebih suka nama yang agak Jawa dan berarti alam. Mungkin karena keIlahiahan terlalu tinggi bagiku?
Nama yang mengacu alam selalu terasa sejuk dan membumi, manusiawi bagiku.

Aku pernah menamai anakku dengan suatu nama. Namun ditolak. Akan kusimpan nama itu untuk menamai bunga matahariku.

Adolescent job aid: A handy desk reference tool for primary level health workers

2010-09-07T11:22:00.002+07:00

Great guideline for primary health care provider dealing with health problems of youth.
(Now I wish I was Puskesmas's doctor...)

But but,

I don't think young people would go to Puskesmas to seek help/counseling to their health problems. Health services for young people are practically non-existent here.

But, in case that one day you'd encounter a consultation with a young man/woman, please be kind and read this.

Love Handmade

2010-08-21T12:13:00.004+07:00

I heart everything vintage and handmade.
Handmade stuffs are whimsy and almost magical to me.

And I'm very surprised that handmade products gain growing popularity here in Indonesia. Even Indonesian artists and designers make the most beautiful stuffs!
I previously thought that handmade thingy would find long way to be known here, but then I learned that they are everywhere in Indonesia, already!

I'm kind of jealous when I browse handmade products in Etsy. The craft maker live far away in US, Australia, or Japan. And Japan is heaven for hand crafter!! Japanese artists make the cutest thing you'll never imagine.

Littleloulah sew vintage handmade toddler outfit. So cute.
Idekuhandmade. Bags and pouches. Plush dolls. Irresistible.
Koncoku handmade. All too adorable. Damn!
Retrogogo. Dark and colourful. For young soul.
Calyx handmade. Bags.
ibukiki'shandmade. Pretty.
countrykyra. Country dolls! In Indonesia!

Don't worry. I just like to drop by and peek. I can't purchase them, hehe.
But just to look at those pretty things really makes my day.

Shalat 1 rakaat

2010-08-18T01:24:00.005+07:00

Nana belajar shalat di bulan Ramadhan ini....

(Rukuh-nya dari simbah Kotagede, baru...)

Hehe...anak jaman sekarang, ngajarin sholat yg paling manjur adalah: nyetelin video di laptop! (Aku download-in lagunya Upsy Daisy Yusuf Islam di album I Look I See 2). Dan beberapa video lain, anak2 imut2 yang belepotan baca surat. Trus Nana juga ikut tarawih terus sih. Jadi dia melihat kakak-kakak melakukan sholat di masjid. Identifikasi? Imitasi?

Juga Nana kubacakan buku-buku ttg sholat dan mengaji. Gawatnya, buku seri "Bilingual Board Book for Muslim Girls" dari Mizan dia kira Qur'an.

Jadi tiap habis sholat, dia bilang: "Mbak Nana mau baca Qur'an!", trus berlari2 mengambil buku2 itu dari rak.

Piss dah!

Safari Ramadhan

2010-08-13T11:55:00.003+07:00

Hei hei, ternyata ber-tarawih di luar lingkungan rumah tu membuat suasana yang agak berbeda bagi hatiku. Karena kalau mau tarawih di luar rumah kan kita harus siap2, trus pake mobil, trus jauh, jadi kaya vacation. Menyenangkan, hehe.
(Meskipun kalo aku ditanya mas Arka, kadang indifferent.)

Apalagi Nana udah bisa ditinggal sholat lama. Dia akan berjalan-jalan sendiri di antara shaf jamaah. Hue hue.. Maaf ibu ibu yang digangguin Nana. (Kadang Nana dengan cueknya tiduran di depan orang, pdhl udelnya keliatan.)

Cuma, harus siap2 juga kalo Nana minta pipis.

Nah, kita perginya ke Masjid Syuhada. Udah dua kali. (Yang hari kedua di rumah aja, karena Nana malah bobok pas sore & rewel bangun setelahnya. Jadi mas Arka tarawih di masjid deket rumah.)

Yang td malem ada Coca- Cola kaleng gratis di Masjid Syuhada. (Penting ya?) Booth-nya ada mbak dan mas pake baju koko dan tunik merah. Trus dibagi "Shaf"-nya, maksudnya antrian laki-laki dan perempuan beda. Antrian apa? Bagi2 Coca Cola dong. Yang laki-laki antrinya banyak. Yang perempuan ga perlu antri. Eh, kupikir jamaah ga ada yang minat, tyt mau juga ya Coca Cola gratisan. Maksudnya, ini kan situasi Coca-Cola vs Tarawih, kaya materialisme/pasar vis a vis spiritualisme? Or not? Benar-benar aneh, hehe. (Btw, aku jg nyamber 1 kaleng. Habis ga ada antrian sih hehe..)

Back to tarawih thingy. Asik juga ternyata di Jogja tuh, tarawihnya. Karena pembicaranya top-top bgt. Pak Damarjati Supadjar yang membuka ceramah di hari pertama membicarakan tentang filsafat null, nadzir. (ini bagian yg paling berkesan.)

" Kalau kita sudah menyerahkan rasa kepemilikan kita, menjadi nol. Maka kita berada dalam tahap 'inna lillaahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun'.."
(dicontohkan, di Matematika itu semua huruf yang dibagi nol, hasilnya tidak terhingga).

So when we give up all our possession, we'll be almighty?
Meskipun itu kedengarannya klise, entah kenapa kalimat itu mengingatkan aku akan esensi kita hidup. Terlepaskan dari semua bling-bling tidak penting yang hanya menambah runyam hidup. Ilusi.
(Jiah.. serasa Pat Kai.)

Oyah, jadwal pembicara di Masjid Syuhada dan Masjid Kotabaru ada di blog ini.

Cheer up the fasting month

2010-08-10T12:29:00.005+07:00

I'm rather whiny, now. Maybe because I don't come up with something good and productive lately.

So today I start "Sunflower Growing Challenge" this month.
I guess there are somebody out there who bet I won't make it, to grow sunflower.

Sunflower-Van Gogh

I have Kidstuff and Mongolian Giant seeds. And the Mongolian Giant seeds are very big! I can not imagine how big it would turn out to be. They say it can grows with heads up to 2 feet in diameter and heights up to 3 meters!

But actually I can't imagine where should I put those giants once they really sprout to almighty! Our yard is so tiny!!

And I will plant gladiolus, hollyhocks, zinnia, amarylis, viola, lavatera.
I'm planting rainbow this year.

The Luncheon - Claude Monet

Then have lunch in the garden, with Bapak, Nana, Little Prince, and Christopher Robin.

Sedih sekali...

2010-08-10T10:34:00.001+07:00

tampaknya semua orang sedang bergembira karena akan datang Ramadhan.

tapi aku merasa sedih dan nelangsa.

tidak tahu, mengapa

My Favorite's Ramon Magsaysay Awardee

2010-08-04T12:02:00.008+07:00

They are husband-wife couple, well-known physicist who left their privileged position in the National Institute of Physics at the University of the Philippines to run a wrecked high school in remote area of Bohol.

They invented CVIF Dynamic Learning Program (DLP) and soon their students -who mostly come from poor families- thrive radically.

The foundation cited the Bernidos for “purposeful commitment to both science and nation, ensuring innovative, low-cost and effective basic education even under Philippine conditions of great scarcity and daunting poverty.”

You can read their profile here.

The Central Visayan Institute Foundation website is here.

And I hope they don't reject the award, like several Ahmad Bakrie Award awardees here :D.
Both (the Bernidos and Ramon Magsaysay award) deserve each other recognition!

A Brief Walk to Poopy Land

2010-08-03T15:03:00.009+07:00

When you have a baby, then a toddler, excretion is always an issue!

First
in first two month of your newborn, you have to deal with 12 pees and 4-8 poops a day.

Second
you will find yourself building a doomsday cupboard to deposit your huge piles of diapers.

Third
then you will feel very sorry that you contribute to environmental damage, because you throw away so much diapers.
and when you decide to try those silly plastic poop container, your baby's buttock develop severe rash, just like baboon has.

Fourth
after your toddler reaches one and a half year, you decide it is potty training time.
several accidents, urine smell every where. from potty training chair, potty training toilet seat, regular potty time, etc.
and when you feel like that your toddler is a hopeless case that she will be on diapers forever, suddenly she master it without so much fuss!

Poops and farts are constant source of giggles in our home.
It is, when Nana poops on her pants, she will cry this:
" I'm afraid it will fall down!!"
(she steps on her poops several times because the poops falls when i try to remove her pants.Yuuks.)

It is, when i have to go to the toilet and Nana prevent me to do so.
i will tell her "if you don't let me go, i will poop on my pants! and it is smelly, right?"
then she will shout this: "then, go! go!" in hurry voice and with enormous giggle.

It is, when Nana let go a huge mount of farts!
She can pass a full amount of gas just like adults do!

It is, when we play this game:
" how does Bapak's fart sound?"
" then how does Ibu's fart sound?"
" then, how does Nana's fart sound?"
Imagine yourself, la.

And the world has amazing books on poops and farts.

"Everyone Poops" by Taro Gomi explores every type of poop imaginable. Its size and the owner of the various types of poop from an elephant to a camel.

One said:
"the book is a perfect antidote for jaded adult sensibilities. Admit it -- indulging in a little harmless fixation on bodily functions now and then can be a lot of fun."

Well, I admit. I love to sing this out loud!!
" ayo ngising (let us poop)
ayo ngising (let us poop)
nang kebon (on the backyard)
nang kebon (on the backyard)
tutupi godhong pring (let's cover it with bamboo leaves)
tutupi godhong pring (let's cover it with bamboo leaves)
ben garing (so it will dry)
ben garing" (so it will dry)
(sing it like "Are you sleeping, Brother John")

Well, everyone does poop. And the Pope poops too, of course. And he does poop today, do you think so?

this book starts with this:
"When an elephant farts, the farts are really big."
"BAAROOMM" (there are little boy and his grandpa sitting behind the elephant!!)

This book makes a joyous and noble celebration on farting. Doeng.

P.S.:
I don't mean to be gross or rude. I just want to relax a bit.
I'm sorry if anybody get offended by this.

"I wrote this yook especially for bou..."

2010-08-03T14:34:00.003+07:00

I have a special memory of one particular book.
It is rather sad, actually.
But unbearably so sweet, on the other hand.

Once there was a tree...and she loved a little boy.
And every day the boy would come and he would gather her leaves and make them into crowns and play king of the forest.
He would climb up her trunk and swing from her branches and eat apples.
And they would play hide-and-go-seek.
And when he was tired, he would sleep in her shade.
And the boy loved the tree ... very much.
And the tree was happy.

But time went by.
And the boy grew older.
And the tree was often alone.
Then one day the boy came to the tree and the tree said, "Come, Boy, come and climb up my trunk and swing from my branches and eat apples and play in my shade and be happy."
"I am too big to climb and play," said the boy.
"I want to buy things and have fun. I want some money. Can you give me some money?"
"I'm sorry," said the tree, "but I have no money. I have only leaves and apples. Take my apples, Boy, and sell them in the city. Then you will have money and you will be happy."
And so the boy climbed up the tree and gathered her apples and carried them away.
And the tree was happy.

But the boy stayed away for a long time ...
and the tree was sad.

And then one day the boy came back and the tree shook with joy and she said, "Come, Boy, climb up my trunk and swing from my branches and be happy."
"I am too busy to climb trees," said the boy.
"I want a house to keep me warm," he said.
"I want a wife and I want children, and so I need a house. Can you give me a house?"
“I have no house," said the tree.
"The forest is my house, but you may cut off my branches and build a house. Then you will be happy."
And so the boy cut off her branches and carried them away to build his house.
And the tree was happy.

But the boy stayed away for a long time.

And when he came back, the tree was so happy she could hardly speak.

"Come, Boy," she whispered, "come and play."
"I am too old and sad to play," said the boy.
"I want a boat that will take me far away from here. Can you give me a boat?"
"Cut down my trunk and make a boat." said the tree. "Then you can sail away ... and be happy."
And so the boy cut down her trunk and made a boat and sailed away.
And the tree was happy ... but not really.

And after a long time the boy came back again.
"I am sorry, Boy," said the tree, "but I have nothing left to give you, my apples are gone."
"My teeth are too weak for apples", said the boy.

"My branches are gone", said the tree. "You cannot swing on them -"
"I am too old to swing on branches," said the boy.

"My trunk is gone," said the tree. "You cannot climb -"
"I am too tired to climb," said the boy.

"I am sorry," sighed the tree. I wish that I could give you something...but I have nothing left. I am just an old stump. I am sorry...."
"I don't need very much now," said the boy,
"Just a quiet place to sit and rest. I am very tired."

"Well," said the tree, straightening herself up as much as she could,
"Well, an old stump is good for sitting and resting. Come, Boy, sit down. Sit down and rest."
And the boy did.
And the tree was happy.

It is the full passage of "The Giving Tree" story.

But Shel Silverstein, the writer wrote ridiculous books too.
He played with words, like Dr Seuss did.

Do you understand this poem, then?

Runny Cooks for Linderella

Prince Runny went to the Boyal Rall.
Now he's a busy fellah,
Running 'round with that slass glipper
Cookin' for Linderella.
All nay, all dight, he tries it on
Every girl he meets.
"The only things I've found," he says,
"Are lots of felly smeet."

You can peek some animation from his books here.

Atul Gawande's "Letting Go"

2010-07-28T15:54:00.004+07:00

For everyone who follows Atul Gawande's writing. (He has already had his two books translated in Indonesian, "Komplikasi" and "Better").

He wrote a full length of article in New Yorker.

"Modern medicine is good at staving off death with aggressive interventions—and bad at knowing when to focus, instead, on improving the days that terminal patients have left."

Do you agree?

Btw, I am a New Yorker reader. They provide great articles!!

There is also Summer Fictions: 20 Under 40 that features twenty young writers. So you may find contemporary American fictions featured there.

Random Frank & Gross Facts

2010-07-26T14:30:00.005+07:00

1. I am suffering from what I call "restless leg syndrome" (although medically it is incorrect term for my condition. I simply don't know what it actually is. And to your surprise I never seek advice/ see a doctor for this.)

I experience constant (which means all the time!) pain in my extremities-arms & legs, both right and left. It is a very strong 'pegal-pegal' sensation. When I was a child, I was unable to bear it that I often banged them against the wall. Now I just have to move around or stretch/massage/stroke them against each other to relieve the feeling. The pain will get worse if I don't do any activity, so I have little difficulty to fall asleep.

I read many articles to find some explanation about my condition, but I never find satisfactory explanation. Maybe if I went to neurologist and performed some electromyography, I would have known. But I don't know why I never go. Guess I'm just lazy.

2. I once had a lumpectomy for fibroadenoma. (Plus for a painful ganglion in my wrist joint.)

Yes, when I was in my second year of medical school, I found a tiny bump in my breast. As I don't want to raise great concern to my parents, I decided to visit the surgeon on my own and chose the date of surgery by myself. I remember that the internist who examined me before the surgeon was very cruel. He was mad and shouted at me because I was hesitated to be examined by him. But the surgeon was very polite and nice. He knew young female patient's concern like me, who was ashamed to perform private physical examination. Thank God he invited a nurse as chaperone to reassure and comfort me.

The surgery theater staff were very nice and humorous. They played dangdut music to accompany their task during the surgery!! The lump was removed successfully and without much pain left. And thank God it is benign. But my wrist was awfully painful that I cried. And the effect of anesthetic drug was eery. I felt like I lost my head!

But then I develop other ganglions. Two ganglions disappeared mysteriously. (I guess one ganglion ruptured when my wrist hit the hard floor). Now I still have one ganglion in my left wrist joint. I never consider to remove them by surgery. Unless it develops to be very big and starts to hurt. I'm bored with their constant appearance.

3. I can't swim, so I am a kind of phobic to be aboard in a ship at wide river/lake/sea. I will grasp something tightly and stay still because I'm horrified.

4. I am very afraid to be under big billboard when I'm inside a car. Unfortunately here in Jogja there are millions of billboard. I couldn't imagine if a big billboard fall on me!!
It scares me a lot. So I will start rumbling if I happen to queue the traffic jam under a massive billboard.

5. When I was a child, I drank from bottle ("ngedot") for quite a long time. I had a pacifier that was so worn out but I refused to give them away that my aunt need to throw them to the river. (Worn out pacifier is very soft and delicious to suck at, right? Hehe.)

6. I cry very easily. I hate this. When emotions are high, I couldn't say anything without weeping. I will cry for sweet pictures, old faces, small notes!!! Wheeny meeny!!

7. I didn't shout/scream at all when I gave birth to Nana. It is because I don't want the nurses get annoyed and mad at my screams. Plus I myself feel disgusted to hear woman shouting during labor.
I was silent like a rock. But I crushed my husband's fingers! I grabbed them very tight to endure my labor pain.

8. I don't eat lamb. I just can't. I think the smell is awful and the taste is yuck! Especially, I can not bear gulai and tongseng! I wonder how my cousins can eat head and mouth (and teeth!) gulai.

9. I never cheated in school. Geeky, right? And during high school, I thought I wasn't cool because I didn't cheat. Everyone was cheating and they made it very cool!

10. When I was in high school, I thought I would be anchorwoman. I was crazy about everything related to news-making. Do you remember Anchor Woman Japanese Series? Tamaki Aso? Cute Hideaki Takizawa as Ryu? I love the series.
I still dream about it, to be great anchor woman, but I don't know how to make it true. So why I went to medical school? I guess because I was afraid I couldn't make it.

That's why I love Najwa Shihab. But I don't really get into Tina Talisa or Rosianna Silalahi.

11. I have seven siblings. During junior high, there was a subject discussing about Family Planning. And the teacher asked me how many siblings I have, in front of the class (Lucky me). And the norm was Family Planning, and big family size was of course, stigmatized. Everyone laughed at me and I felt very ashamed.

I was mad at my parents and I once refused to see my newborn sister! It was horrible at that time but now it is easily laughable. Now I'm proud to have many siblings! They are great siblings and have many different amazing characteristics!

When they are all grown up and don't stay at home so much, the house indeed is very empty.

12. I don't know why but I have constant thought that I might die in young age. Scary thought? But it doesn't scare me. In fact, (stupidly) I thought it is rather romantic. Like Soe Hok Gie's. I know I shouldn't think this way, but it just keeps in my mind.
Maybe because I have experienced many deaths in my family, I have cousins who died young.

13. I am a big sleeper. I need my absolute 8-10 hours of sleep. This constitutes a great portion to make me as a very bad person. I could deal with my sleep hour during my clerkship (clinical rotation) period. But now it's hard for me to have little sleep.

Weekender

2010-07-23T14:05:00.006+07:00

Friday is the newspaper delivery day for me. (Means that I get my Jakarta Post delivered to my office.) Why Friday? Because the Bapak who brings the newspaper (I don’t know his name!!! Poor him…) said that he delivers Jakarta Post to anyone else in UGM every Friday too.

Still get confused?

Okay, I’ll tell about this Bapak first. To improve my English, once a while I buy Jakarta Post from the loper in Kentungan intersection. And this Bapak is the only loper who sells Jakarta Post. And he is a friendly person, so we soon got to know each other. I often leave my office late (after 5.00 pm) so I often don’t get a copy because they’ve been sold out. So the Bapak offered me to deliver a copy to my office, daily. I said I don’t need daily copy because I’ve already had 3 newspapers in our house. Plus I feel that I will give him additional trouble to come to my office everyday. So we came to agreement that he would deliver it every Friday.

I anticipate this Friday much, because it is the last Friday of the month, so I will get my Weekender supplementation. And here it comes, meet my anticipation because it took cover of Aming, with a tag “Aming’s X Appeal”. Cunning and witty.

I love the Weekender because it satisfies my fondness of English idioms and phrases. The writers use abundant smart phrases I never know before. And a lot of humor. Especially I love Dalton Tanonaka’s section but he declined two months ago(?). Maggie Tiojakin is also regular contributor here. I love her writing too. Devi Asmarani’s Living & Learning is worth reading too.

Well, most of the articles are talking about urban life’s ups and downs. And you may feel the people who write there lead a funny life. (Otherwise, how they could have those odds experiences worth to be shared to other people?) Or you may find it is just typical magazine, with one trends page, one (seemingly wise but meretricious) reflective page, some artist and fashion pages, and travel section to places that you can’t afford forever. And sometimes I think that this magazine fits to ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ readers only. No offense. Hehe. (I don’t like self help books. And I view ‘Eat Pray Love’ is another self help book.)

But it is still fun. My favorite edition?

I went gaga to read the tag "the New Boy in Town". What a blast. I'm totally smitten. Hehe.
Don’t you think he is like my husband? Just trim down those whiskers. Haihai.

I think I love history

2010-07-22T00:40:00.000+07:00

It takes me a long time to realize that I love history.

Not that kind of history taught in PSPB during our highschool.(Hey!! I totally forgot what does PSPB stand for.) Well, my favorite teachers are history teacher. But that doesn't simply make learning history a fun.(Mr. Marsino in SMP 9 Jogja. I always tell people that Mr. Marsino is like Patih Gadjah Mada! And Mr. Suradi in SMU 3 Jogja.)

I realize it when I contemplate on my books.

1. Anne Frank Diary (Holocaust and Second World War).
I also watch Band of Brothers, Boy in Striped Pyjamas.

2. Persepolis, Chicken and Plums, all by Marjane Satrapi.
This way, I learn about Iran history. How Iran endures many invasions and occupations. From Aryan, Greeks, Mongols. Then I know Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, Mohammad Mossadeq, Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini. The graphic novels offer fun way to learn Iran transitional periods through the eyes of a child (Satrapi herself). Full of anecdotes, ironies, satire, pungent humors...

3. The Kite Runner, Splendid Little Sun, Three Cups of Tea, Selimut Debu.
I get to know and fall in love with Afghanistan through the books. I know that Afghanistan have gone through never-ending sufferings. I learn about the Soviet invasion, Mujahidin armed by US government to fight communist, then Taliban invasion. I learn there are Pashtun and Hazara. I learn that burqa has been worn long before Islam came. That Afghanistan women feel secure and protected to wear burqa outside their house. That Afghanistan women pity their female counterparts on the other side of the world who go outside and do some job.
And against all odds, Afghanistan still hide the most wonderful nature and society, trapped in time, waiting to be found.

4. And I love Gunawan Mohammad's: Catatan Pinggir. And Pramoedya Ananta Toer.

I wish some bold writer will emerge and write Indonesian history in great way.
And to add some fancy fact, American girls can learn the history of their homeland through collectible dolls!! What a brilian thing! Now I wish I am American, who can teach my country history through the magical whimsy of a doll....

Check their website here. You may meet Kaya, Native American girl. 'Meet Kaya' is an award winning book based on her character, who teaches leadership, courage, compassion. Addy Walker, fugitive slave. Kitt Kittredge who faces hard times during Great Depression. Ivy Ling who explains Chinese American history!

They put characters on those dolls! I never know that dolls can be "un-dull", unlike Barbie Mattel. Hehe.

Spend less (for more) hehe

2010-07-22T00:15:00.000+07:00

After disastrous spending on car service and online shopping... (I admit that, my husband)

1. I don't drive my car anymore. I use TransJogja, 3A & 3B. And actually I feel better now, to be aware that I don't waste fossil fuel anymore. It is fun too, as I don't drive, I feel much relaxed just to sit and enjoy the route. And it is faster? I feel so.
But, during lunch time, I can't go anywhere now. But that's good too. It prevents me to waste some more fuel & money. (I'm always tempted to go somewhere to eat, or to drop by Gramedia to peek some new books, or to go to SembilanEnam to collect fancy sewing supplies.)
Yes, that makes life in my office a little bit boring. But we'll find out how to fill the gap.

2. I don't buy lunch anymore.
Now you can see I seriously lead a modest lifestyle, hehe. I calculate that if I skip a lunch, I can save 7,000-10,000 rupiahs a day. Then I can save about 250,000 rupiahs a month. I hope I can claim the money to buy other things, like BOOKS!!!

(Hope my husband read this.)
There are books out there that are worth to purchase for. Especially for my dear Nana. She is visual learner, so I think I just buy her bold books!

But then, I think.... There's impending failure that my parsimony would turn out latent prodigality if I don't take careful measures.

That's why I need my husband. He is the most frugal person in this earth, I believe.

Sigh!

Sticker Activity

2010-07-17T12:51:00.001+07:00

I bought these 10 activity books two weeks ago. They are based on Gilbert Delahaye and Marcel Marlier books, Martine series, my favourite.

(Btw, BIP -one of Gramedia group publisher- is going to publish Tini series again!!! But this time the name will be Tina series.)

And, Nana was very excited to receive the books. And to my surprise, she already can match the sticker with the objects on the books. And she is so quick to find the match!!

She pulled out the sticker.

Put it on the matching object.

She took pose and asked me to take her picture!

And now all the stickers have been put on. (It is because we do the activity everyday. It was the first activity after she wake up.)

Which means, I have to find other books?

Then I found the stickers from our old Playhouse Disney magazine. They are the characters on the magazine, with different costume and a stage to put the stickers on.

The first time she saw it, Nana asked:
"Where should I put them, Ibu?" (Because she is used to place the sticker on the matching object.)

But since it is not a matching activity, I told her:
"You can place it anywhere you want. It is different from those books. We don't have to match them."

But then, look what she did!!! She has her own idea to have fun with the stickers!!

She grouped them so that the same character stand on one corner, each.

Feverish...

2010-07-16T15:58:00.000+07:00

I really want to buy that Dr Seuss books!! Seriously!! I'm dying to want them!!

I remember the first time I was given the books by Ms Tara, theology student from USA who stayed in our house for two months. I was at junior high school. I love the books. The one I remember strongly was The Cat in the Hat. Strange book, indeed. But it strangely attracts me strongly. I don't know why.

Now the books that Tara gave have gone. I don't remember where I put them. Oh, I wish...
Now I want the books again, crazily...

They are there, waiting for me. They are very cheap, for imported books. Because they are apparently not wanted anymore by the book store. (Indeed, they are like old books, but still impressive for me.)

I wonder why nobody grab them. (And I wish they won't.) If they know that the books are treasure...

But, sadly, I can't buy them soon. Because I have spent a lot of money this month that my husband said I couldn't purchase another thing this month. He said next month I can buy them.

But next month is sooo looong!!! Still two weeks to go!!

Everyday I'm nervous, to think that somebody might have caught sight to the books and bought them all before me.

Or that the store decided to take the books away from the shelf because nobody bought them.

Oh, please. Dr Seuss, keep stay there. Wait for me...

Maybe there's not much people who know how great Dr Seuss books are.
Maybe there's not much people here in Jogja who even have heard Dr Seuss name.

But there is still a chance.
That there is somebody in Jogja who loves Dr Seuss, who has known Dr Seuss. Who has searched for cheap Dr Seuss books too. And he may find the books too..

Oh I can't help it.

So I pray:
1. Nobody wants Dr Seuss in Jogja, than me
2. The store will not take them away
3. I get 200.000 extra money this weekend to buy them (I'll get 8 different books by then)
4. My husband will give me an exemption (which is no waayyy!!, but who knows? Miracle happens everywhere).

Why I want the books:
1. I love them, strangely sweet and fit me.
2. They are cheap in that store. Imported books! If I bought them online via Amazon, they will be far more expensive. Maybe 100 times more expensive. And it's difficult to get the books here. Unless you're in Jakarta and have much money to spend!
3. I'll collect it
4. I want to pass it to Nana
5. Once Nana can read, she will find she can read them herself
6. Its fuuuunnnn to read them, the rhymes, the word playing, the odds critters!!

Now I wish nobody read this blog before I buy the books. Hehe

Check Dr Seuss website here.

Picture is taken from Newark Library blog.

Richard Smith on Global Health

2010-07-15T10:09:00.000+07:00

I find interesting article on BMJ blog.

(Oh I love subscribing BMJ! Their notification is great, they compile all information to us and deliver it neatly, so we can get the hottest issue.)

Btw, Richard Smith propose his observation on global health situation. And I think he is straight forwardly right! And he briefly and smartly packed them in ten points.

1. Modern clinical medicine is as out of control as the banks and is unaffordable globally.

He observes the skyrocketing cost of health care. And the major cost driver is not the aging of the population nor the raised patient expectation, but the new medical technologies. It is true that we save more people now, but we pay billions for that. And as we become more ambitious to win over death, disability, and suffering, I expect we will spend lot more in the future.

No surprise about it. But it makes me very concerned. As a doctor who don't practice, I still feel the urge to do the best rigorously to save life, with any mean. We will feel uneasy if we just give up, if we don't use machines and latest drugs available to our patients. We feel there's always chance, with the help of those technologies. But the cost is indeed too high. Is it worth to do so?

2. Inequalities in our world are gross and need to be tackled.

In this point, I remember Andreas Otto, my friend from Umea, Sweden. After he eye witnesses the health situation in Indonesia and compares it with his home country situation, he feels random ironies, and he is quite cynical about it.
He said once,
" Sometimes I feel what I do back home are all nonsense, compared with what I do here. Back home, three or four doctor and one specialist may handle an old lady with skin tags! Skin tag is not harmful, and even it is not a health problem at all!! But we do our best, with latest technologies, laser surgery, etc to remove that skin tag! But here, leukemia patients who are in dire need and struggle for live don't even have enough basic care. Even they can't afford to pay bus fee to go to hospital. Sometimes I feel disgusted, when I remember it. Like we have wasted our knowledge and skills back home."

3. The Victorians eventually couldn’t live with the difference between rich and poor, and we got income tax with substantial transfers of wealth within countries. We now need such transfers between countries.

He proposes that rich countries give aids more to poor countries.

4. You can’t have healthy people without healthy places.

It is indeed a humble statement and indeed, we still undermine the deep meaning of the statement.
We know this, we nod to show our agreement, but we actually don't understand at all about that simple statement. We keep degrade our home, our environment.
And the seemingly easy task (maybe you though: it is easy to make our places healthy. What can be so difficult about that?) doesn't attract experts. Experts are more interested in newest intervention, latest technologies, breakthrough innovation. But actually, the answer of the problem is already there, and it is "easy and simple". Make our places healthy!

5. We may not like to think in terms of money, but we have to pay close attention to costs—returning to the utilitarian roots of public health.

Doctor!! You have to raise financial awareness now. It doesn't mean that you will be materialistic or stingy, but it's about cost effectiveness. And it is essential in public health level.

6. How we die may make a huge difference, and there are positive signs of the compression of morbidity. We must promote the idea that death is normal and a friend.

Rather than spending huge amount of money to experience 'bad death' on hospital bed, why don't we opt to die comfortably at home?

Now I feel uneasy. I remember my grandmother who passed away last year. I insisted that she would receive best drug and best treatment to save her life. As I still had great hope that she still had a chance. Now, I revisit my thought again, but I think I still can't decide. The guilty feeling is on both sides. I felt guilty if I didn't ensure best intervention for her. But I felt cruel too, to "medicalize" her death....

7. New challenges need new ways of thinking and behaving.

He proposes community based health system, rather than hospital based. The idea is great, but I don't really have an idea about this. This will be revolutionary approach, and I'm quiet uneasy because our community now is not as idealistic as yesterday.

8. Ideology can get in the way of progress.

9. Developing countries don’t have to follow the disastrous path of developed countries but can leapfrog their failures.

To leapfrog the failures of developed countries, we should work hard to control tobacco, promote exercise, avoid Western diet & life style.

10. The rich can learn from developing countries.

Really? Hehe.

doctor Addict tells his story

2010-07-15T09:08:00.000+07:00

On BMJ, a doctor addict tells his struggle to addiction. With sterile syringe available, access to drugs, and the power of prescribing, I guess it will be harder to exercise his perseverance.

See the story here.

Tea Party

2010-07-11T23:17:00.000+07:00

Ini kesukaannya Nana.
Main tea party sama miniatur-miniatur kecilnya... Sambil mbacain buku.

Sore itu, yg diajak minum teh adalah Ibu Bebek dan Anak-anak Bebek, dan Pinguin (hasil minjem' dari dik Alif).
Bukunya adalah Kiki si Kelinci.

Nana hafal halaman pertamanya. Dan hafal hewan apa yang bersembunyi di setiap halaman.

Itu buku pop-up. Seri petualangan hewan-hewan. Tiap halaman ada hewan yang bersembunyi. Ketika dibuka penutupnya, hewan itu akan muncul dg gembira!! Baguuss banget. Gambarnya lembut dan natural sekali.

Nana punya empat buku dalam satu serinya ini. Story-line tiap buku si mirip-mirip. Intinya mencari sesuatu, makanya namanya seri petualangan.
Nana suka sekali, karena dia bisa kenal hewan yg lucu2. Ada Oposum, Platipus, dan Burung Raja Udang. Satu hari aku bisa disuruh membaca buku ini empat kali lo.

Makanya Nana hafal banget.

Oh iya, yg paling bawah itu bukunya Eric Carle. Nana juga suka. Bisa buat mbujuk Nana utk makan. (Soalnya ceritanya ttg ulat kecil kelaparan yang makan banyak sekali!!! Haha)

Buku seri petualangan ini bisa kamu dapat di Eureka Book House.
Kalo buku Eric Carle, aku pesen sama mbak Mega, istrinya Ipul temanku. Blog-nya ada di sini. Kalo kamu mau pesen buku impor tertentu, mbak Mega bisa melayani lo. Asyik kan, dicarikan buku yang susah nyarinya di sini?

Left handed?

2010-07-11T23:02:00.000+07:00

Nana tu kalo nulis sukanya nggelosor di bawah.

Trus dia selalu pake tangan kiri. Nggak pernah bisa pake tangan kanan. Kalo diingetin pake tangan kanan, dia akan berdiri, pindah spidolnya ke tangan kanan, trus ngglesor lagi, trus spidolnya pindah lagi ke tangan kiri.

Haha...

Tapi kalo maem dia bisa pake tangan kanan.

Kata Bapak Arka:
Nana nggak left-handed kok. Dia tu ambidextrous.

Yah, syukur deh. Jadi striker dong nanti.

Kami memutuskan tidak akan melarangnya memakai tangan kiri. Yah, meskipun kalo di keluarga besar banyak orang akan memperingatkan Nana agar memakai tangan kanan.

to the Paddy field

2010-07-11T22:19:00.000+07:00

Today, Bapak Arka took us to the Paddy field. It is in our backyard, actually. We can reach the paddy field in three minutes.
Bapak Arka would like to show the river to Nana.

Nana giggled all the way.

A lot of greeneries.

the Paddy..

But we couldn't reach the river. The bushes prevent us. I didn't dare to throw myself to the bushes. Maybe there are snakes.... Haha

So we just see around.

And Nana took my pictures. Practice makes perfect. She now can take picture better.

Haha!! Don't laugh, please. I just posed to make her laugh.

And this picture is just right. I don't have my body cut out.

Then, it was raining so we went home.

Bye bye Paddy field. We'll visit you again next time.

To The Merry Breezy Beach

2010-07-11T12:41:00.001+07:00

Yesterday, we left very early to accompany Eyangkung to Tepus, Gunungkidul. It was a looong journey and the road is winding serpentine. I felt nauseated, so did Nana.

After the meeting with several people (I got a mount, quite literally!!), we went to the beach. It is just 10 minutes away. I don't know the name of the beach. It is in one line with Baron beach.

The beach is beautiful. The white sand and clear crystal water, and the sea rock with beautiful tiny fishes are just perfect, after the long journey. We were so excited. And it was not too crowded. (We arrived at 12.00).

I went down to the water with Nana. She was at first hesitant, refused to be put down. After about ten minutes, finally she asked to touch the water herself.

Here it is the Bandidos. Our body guard. He insisted to provide the umbrella for Nana. And he did it with perseverance.
This time he missed her. She ran too quickly.

Then we set our sand castle. I thought I want to bring them home. Then I remembered that last time mbak Lastri bought beach sand, it became irritating source of messiness. (Maybe it's better if we move here, hehe).

Let's dig the sand.

Then find something to decorate the top of the castle.

This is the landscape of the beach.

Then, she wanted to chase the fishes. But it was so difficult to catch one. So Bapak and Nana just strolled around to see the fishes running here and there.

Then we had lunch, yammy mie ayam and young coconut juice. We took different route when we went back to Jogja. It is Jalur Lintas Selatan, with new road. The contrast between black ashphalt and white rock is beautiful.

But apparently we took the wrong road. It is indeed, the road that lead to Jogja. But the road takes the south side of Jogja. It took us 2.5 hours to reach our home.

Indonesia's maternal health assessment

2010-07-06T14:45:00.001+07:00

Last week I enrolled in 'Training of Trainers on Operation Research: Strengthening Research Capacity and Network in Reproductive Health'. The training was conducted in collaboration between Ministry of Health, WHO, and UNFPA.

It is always fun to learn new things and meet new people. It opens to opportunities.
I hope I can share some here... Maybe later.

The delegate from UGM are dr Rukmono SpOG and me. Apparently I'm the youngest participant. But dr Rukmono is so kind and down to earth. He is such a funny man, indeed. We developed a research proposal to evaluate Maternal and Perinatal Death Audit (with dr Yuana from Litbang MOH and bu Endang from UNS). We plan to finalize the proposal and proceed to get the real fund so we can really conduct our research.

But, I get an interesting paper from dr Rukmono which I want to share here. It is an Indonesia's maternal health assessment, provided by the World Bank.

You can download it here. Enjoy ya!!!

Siddharta Yadav on Women Deliver Conference

2010-06-17T10:51:00.000+07:00

I applied to join the Conference, but I didn't win the scholarship. But I love to read Yadav's post about the conference. Must be very exciting to get there and learn from fabulous people.

Here's the copy of Yadav's post.

Last week, more than 3,000 global leaders working in the field of maternal and reproductive health gathered in Washington, D.C for the Women Deliver 2010 conference. With the theme of delivering solutions for girls and women, the conference focused on sharing solutions that can help us achieve the millennium development goals on maternal and reproductive health.

Young people were one of the focuses of the conference. One hundred young leaders were selected to attend a special youth pre-conference. I was one of them. After interacting with my fellow young leaders, I am amazed by the amount of the work many of them have been doing and its impact in making the lives of girls and women in their communities better.

Most of the young leaders on reproductive health that I met were not from a medical background. This was a bit of a surprise for me. There were maths students, human rights activists, engineers, managers who have been doing immense work to improve the health of women. This made me wonder if we, young doctors and medical students, are lagging behind in advocacy despite our distinct relationship to health and wellbeing. Are we too clinically oriented?

I used to think that as young people we lacked the resources, skills or knowledge to do something meaningful that can make a measurable difference to our communities. I must admit that I was wrong. A young Stanford graduate has improved health workers’ care giving capacity in rural Malawi by more than twice by simple use of cellphones. A young girl from Afghanistan has set up more than 40 women basketball teams in Afghan colleges and uses sports as a medium to make women aware of their basic rights. In nearby Pakistan, another young girl has set up clinics that provide free health services to poor rural women.

So, what is it that young people have that is unique to their age? One of the things that I have noticed is that young people are more open to new ideas when compared with the not-so-young. No idea can be radical enough for a young mind. This is reflected in the numerous innovations that young people come up with to suit their objectives. I was surprised to know of the numerous creative ideas like dancing, music, or other entertainment methods that young people use to get public health messages across effectively.

Young people are also very effective in motivating their peers. They know how to talk to younger people like themselves. They know what programs can capture the attention of young people and what cannot. Yet, more often than not, governments and policy makers ignore the inputs from young people when formulating plans for them. And this, perhaps, is one of the reasons for failure of many programs to target the younger population effectively, especially the adolescents.

Also, it is not always that innovative ideas of young people are well accepted by society. In many countries in Asia and Africa, there are many social, cultural and religious barriers to talking about reproductive health. The ideas of the young may not conform to these barriers. The consequences could be unpleasant. Young people have been arrested, beaten up and have even lost lives for advocating on reproductive health.

I am highly inspired by the young people that I have met during the conference. They have made me realize the powerful role we, young people, can play in achieving the global targets on reproductive health. We are a part of the solution. And I sincerely believe that our voices are being heard.

Competing interests: My expenses for the conference, including air fare and stay, were covered by organisers.

Siddhartha Yadav is a former BMJ Clegg Scholar.
(Original post can be found here)

So, yes! I think our doctor is too clinical oriented that we can't be too creative to give more to society. And working with society is indeed harder than in clinics.

So Doctor needs to say "i don't know' more often

2010-06-17T10:46:00.000+07:00

I copied here the post from retired general practitioner.

“I don’t know.” Three truthful little words which we doctors don’t seem to be able to say to our patients. Why not? Have we joined our patients in believing that there is an answer to every one of their problems and concerns? That there is a diagnosis for every discomfort or unhappiness? Think DSM IV. That there is a magic bullet for every ailment? That randomised controlled clinical trials (RCTs) will tell us which medicine will cure which patient’s illness or alleviate their symptoms?

Why is it so hard for us to say those three simple words to our patients? Is it because, throughout our medical education, we were embarrassed to say them in front of our peers, or that we were mocked by bullying authoritarian teachers if we owned up to a lack of knowledge?

Perhaps I was lucky. I learnt very early on to say “I don’t know.” My father taught anatomy at our medical school. From my third year on, other teachers would turn to me for answers to anatomical questions. I soon learnt that there was no shame in answering, “I don’t know.” I would often cheekily add the rider, “knowledge is not inherited.”

I well remember colleagues who would stumble through a half-remembered, but clearly wrong, answer, or who would guess – with disastrous consequences.

Before joining the general practice in which I eventually became the senior partner, the old founding partner once found me looking up something in a book while a patient was with me. I had told the patient, “I don’t know.”

“You never say that to a patient,” he admonished me in private. “You tell them that their question is complicated, and that it would better for them to return another day when you will have time to explain properly – in the meantime, you look up the answer.”

Let’s be honest: there are questions to which we don’t know the answers. Not only do we, as individual doctors, not know the answers, but nor do our specialist colleagues to whom we might refer our patients, and nor does Google. There are RCTs galore, about almost every conceivable illness (and about many non-illnesses). But none of them can tell us what advice or treatment will benefit the individual patient who is with us at the moment.

I was told in 1989 by the late Victor Chang, after my coronary bypass surgery, that I had “a 70% chance of living for 10 years.” What did that mean? It really meant that I was in one or other category of survivor – those 30 who would die within 10 years or those 70 who would live longer than a decade.

The truth was that Victor did not know which group I was in – but he didn’t say so.

With our patients demanding answers from us, we are, like my late old partner, born in 1900, unwilling (perhaps unconditioned) to say “I don’t know.”

“Should I still be on hormone replacement therapy?” – “Should I have a PSA test?” – “Which statin should I take?’” – “Will I get side-effects from these tablets?” – “Can I safely take the oral contraceptive pill?” and so it goes … Our patients want clear-cut answers; the truth is that we cannot always tell them.

Is it not time to give up our antediluvian pretence at omniscience and learn to tell our patients the truth – “I don’t know?” Is it not time that we conditioned ourselves, and our patients, to learn that life is a lottery, that we are all compelled to take chances, that no human action is risk-free and that we are, quite simply and honestly, unable to truthfully answer many of their questions?

We just don’t know.

Peter Arnold is a retired Sydney suburban general practitioner.

The original post can be found here.

Teaching ABC's

2010-06-16T00:05:00.000+07:00

Nana likes "Aku Mami Kecil" (Little Mommy) from Little Golden Books Collection.
The book is so adorable. It tells a little girl typical day, playing with her dolls.

Nana is so inspired with the book. She likes one page where the little mommy teaches her 'children' ABC's.

So here it is.

Thanks for Tante Dida, for taking this cutest video.

Saturday Cooking Part 1 (?)

2010-06-13T02:16:00.000+07:00

I don't cook for so long time, maybe in the Ice Age. And it hurts my soul badly (halah!!). Somehow I still dream of being Goddess of Kitchen in my own house. And if I cook, I only do it at Saturday. And I don't cook serious food. It is just cupcakes, soup, or little snacks.

Now I remember, my last real cooking session was two days before I birthed Nana!!
That Saturday, two friends visited me after my plea that I was deadly bored being home. So I cook for them. Some sauted potatoes, cabbage wrapped meatball, and chocolate pudding. And they were so delicious. And it was two years ago!

I love baking too. It is refreshing and fun. Especially if we do it together. With Bapak and Nana.

So today I decided to bake cupcakes (again and again). Well, I can't help. I got addicted to cupcakes.

Here is the finished mixture. I don't tell you the whole procedure because it will be so messy ;p. I like the neat finishing.

Can you see the mixer? I think she is so ooold. Look at her brown color.

I love to sprinkle raisins.

So where is Bapak and Nana? They snack on strawberries!!

Yes!! That is my husband. He is a Bandidos. Just put a black eyeglasses on him. But he is a real kindest husband.

Here, Nana help me put the paper cup on the tray

But she is distracted by the raisins. She keep pinching on it.

And she eat a lot of raisins!!

But she remember to set aside some raisins to be put on top of the cake

And this is how they turn. Ready to bake.

They turn out so soft and deliciously pristine!! We got 26 cupcakes so I asked my husband to bring some for his friends in Hiddenleaf.

I should bake more often I think. It is so rewarding. And it heals. The smell of fresh baked cakes...

Nana 2 years and 3 months old

2010-06-13T01:33:00.000+07:00

So long I don't write about my little baby.

She outgrows anything noW!!!

See what she can do as a 2 years todd.

1. Make bubble (from magical blowing machine his Bapak made for her)

She is so serious! (In this distance you may notice her itty bitty flat nose, hehehe).

2. Build Lego Duplo (with little help from Ibu)

This Duplo is a gift from Mbak Alina. Of course Ibu can't afford it. But Mbak Visi said it is much cheaper in Japan, so se bought one for Nana. Thanks Budhe Visi & mbak Alina.

3. Sew on her Ibu's lap

(the sewing machine is not my mother's sewing machine. It is from my mother in law, she got it as a gift from SPG in the mall. I am still strunggling to use it. And I haven't suceeded yet.)

4. Every 2 years todd can do, ride tricycle.

Nana was so eager to have a cycle. She often sees Mbak Sazhia rides it around our neighborhood. I couldn't stand the look in her eyes. I could see that she really wanted it! But she never ask for something anyway. (which make it worse haha!!) Then we decided to pick Mbak Alina's bicycle in Plosokuning. (actually Mbak Alina's bicycle was too tall for Nana). But then we found a perfect sized tricycle in Plosokuning garage. Apparently Mas Dian collected and kept the tricycle from Malangrejo. It was Nisa's, Mbak Tutik's daughter. But as she will be away in Newcastle for around 4 years, so we borrow it now. Thanks Mbak Nisa!!

She has so much fun with it. We always bring it when we visit my parent in Kotagede. She can ride it outside. In Mino, as we don't really have a front yard (which is so regretful for me) she just can ride it inside.

5. She wears her own clothes. And she loves DressUp.

She tried to wear her giraffe jacket. She mastered it quickly.

This, she put her feet in big English Princess boot. It will take so long for her to outgrow the boots. I bought it in 6 years old girl size. LOL!

When I asked her to take a pose, she did this:

6. She's happy!!! Full of laughter!! and she likes to swooosh down

I love you Nana. And bapak too. XOXOXOXO

Jip and Janneke are playing together

2010-06-11T13:16:00.000+07:00

Jip was walking in the garden and he was so bored. But look, what did he see there? A little hole in the hedge. What would there be at the other side of the hedge, Jip wondered. A palace? A fence? A knight?

He sat down on the ground and looked through the hole. And what did he see? A little nose. And a little mouth. And two little blue eyes. There was a girl. She was as tall as Jip. "What's your name?", asked Jip. "Janneke", the girl said. "I live here." "Yesterday you didn't live here yet", Jip said. "Today I live here", said Janneke. "Will you come and play with me?"

"I will crawl through the hedge", Jip said. And first, he put his head through the hole. And then, one of his arms. And then, his other arm. And then, he got stuck. And Janneke pulled one of his arms. And then his other arm. But it didn't help. Jip was stuck. And Jip cried. And he screamed.

There was Jip's father, walking to them in one garden. And Janneke's father in the other garden. And together, they helped Jip out of the hedge. "So", Jips father said, "now you have a girl next door. But you should first leave through the front door and enter through the front door at Janneke's. Then, you can play together."

And so it happened. Jip and Janneke played together. One day in Jip's garden. The other day in Janneke's garden. And they played house.

what is a LUXURY

2010-06-10T13:11:00.000+07:00

In the chaotic nature of our lives, there are literally dozens (if not hundreds) of priorities that come before social changes. These include paying the mortgage, keeping the kids safe, getting a promotion, caring for an ailing parent, holding a marriage together, etc. Worrying about social change issue is, quite frankly, a luxury

Pam Scott, the Curious Company

Family Planning is Back

2010-06-09T11:59:00.000+07:00

Family planning, which slipped from global health's radar in recent years, is back. Here's why.
(Begitulah yang aku baca dari ringkasan majalah John Hopkins Public Health Magazine). Very interesting headline for me. So I proceed to click the link. So here's why.

The report summarizes that worldwide we experience 50% increase in contraceptive use within 50 years. (Which is -for me- still surprisingly low. I'm kind of expecting it will be 80% increase). But countries like China, South Korea, and Thailand have higher contraceptive prevalence rate, around 80%). Indonesia? It's about 60%. And family planning has prevented 188 million unwanted pregnancies!! (Well, that's a lot!. If the 188 million pregnancies ended with delivery, I think we would have needed another whole Indonesia to provide shelter and food for them.)

Despite its success and contribution to human well-being & prosperity, support of family planning has declined recently. And the situation everywhere is very much the same.
Family planning is considered "non money generating" (although actually it is "money saving", which is beneficial) for some state administrator in Indonesia, so it is neglected. Like when I talked with the District Chief of Family Planning in P regency, where we conduct research on the quality of family planning. He said that his regency is currently focusing on generating money (PAD: Pendapatan Asli Daerah) that even hospital and other health facility (including Puskesmas as the smallest unit) are encouraged to generate more money. And rather than generate money, his division (Family Planning) spends a lot of money for providing free contraceptive, so it is difficult to make family planning appealing. And the performance of family planning is hardly sustained.

Amy Tsui PhD says that generally US has been the leading vice on family planning. So when in the US family planning became politically linked with abortion in the 1990s, it was severely threatened.

But the very much praised (here in Indonesia, of course) Mr Obama decides to arrange the family planning comeback. US government begins to reinvest in contraception and maternal-child health. Hillary Clinton announced the US commitment and dedication to international family planning, with Mr Obama requested $716 million for family planning & reproductive health for fiscal year 2011. (Then I remember Mr S was invited by USAID to Jakarta recently, to talk about reproductive health issues that will be addressed by Obama during his [of course embarrassingly postponed again] visit to Jakarta).

The International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP) in Kampala Uganda (and as the first meeting of its kind in 15 years) launched 3 year collaborative effort -Advance Family Planning- to revitalize international family planning. And the conference was organized by Gates Institute, which is now the most recognized institution I think. So I think family planning now gets proper (or maybe great) publicity. And as the 'messenger' is the great Gates family, the message will be heard widely & more attentively.

And now as adults like numbers, (Adults need to be convinced with numbers. It gives them sense of confidence and scholarly.) here is presented the statistics of family planning:

THE UNMET NEED

215 million
Women who would like to delay or prevent pregnancy, but do not use effective contraception

1.8 million
Deaths of children under 5 that could be prevented by spacing births 3 years apart

One-third
Proportion of annual pregnancies that are unintentional

$3.9 billion
Expenditure that would provide enough contraceptives to prevent 23 million unplanned births and 22 million induced abortions

DEATH AND BIRTH

1 in 25,000
Chance of a woman dying in childbirth in Italy

1 in 63
Chance of a woman dying in childbirth in
Afghanistan

1.3
Average number of children per woman in Portugal

7.4
Average number of children per woman in Niger

GROWING DEMAND

40 percent
Estimated increase in demand for contraceptives in the next 15 years

(All statistics are global unless otherwise specified.
Sources: The Lancet, PRB, UNFPA, WHO)

About Homeschooling

2010-05-21T15:37:00.000+07:00

I have heard about homeschooling many times, but I never thought about it seriously anyway. As I thought it was rather an "elite and exclusive" idea for me.

But even now I find homeschooling is relevant and contextual for my situation. My two year old is getting smarter and smarter. And I feel the need to somehow 'educate' her (in gentle way). I always feel sad that I have to leave her 9 to 5, sometimes only with her Nanny. (although my dear husband back-up me some days in a week). I feel like she is ready and want to know some more, experience some more, make friends, etc.

And she likes it very much, to see friends in kindy. To sit with others in table. To play little mommy with dolls and kitchen utensils.

Then I search some playgroup sites and the costs are jaw dropping!!
Even the Islamic playgroup is the most expensive of all. Enrollment fee is about 3-8 million rupiahs. Monthly fee is about 250-500 thousands rupiah. Wow!!Even it is way more and more expensive than university's fee.

Well actually I have already opted for Bambini Montessori or Sekolahku My School. They are less expensive, but still I feel doubtful. Actually, I am concerned about my father's opinion if he knew about me enrolling my baby to this 'expensive' playgroup for the 'haves'.

Haha. He is kind of cynical about expensive playgroup.

Of course I still have option for less expensive and less ambitious one. Like two playgroups near our home. They are Muhammadiyah based school, and are more affordable. Enrollment fee is only 1 million rupiahs, and monthly fee is only 100 thousands rupiahs.

But, when I visit the class, I don't feel like to see my toddler sitting neatly, learning to write ABC or 123. They already teach toddlers alphabets and numbers! Of course nothing really bad about that. But, they teach it by asking the toddlers to sit in table, holding pencil and piece of paper.

Toddler is supposed to play. Not sitting in table.

Well, I know I cannot complain about this. I am the one who leave my baby at home. And now I hope for someone else to nurse my baby perfectly?

Expensive playgroup treat the babies right. I love the way they handle toddler's natural way of learning, by playing. But it is just too expensive for me.

So, now homeschooling is in my mind. It is not about any idealism or complexity. It is not about I don't trust traditional school anymore. It is not about high profile discussion about the decadent school life. It is just, I cannot afford formal traditional school. And homeschooling is much cheaper.

Three million rupiahs enrollment fee can be spent better. Even 3 thousands rupiahs is a huge amount of money to be spent wisely.

I thought, rather than give the money to someone else I'd spend it for Nana's. If I can teach university's student, I think I can try to teach my own baby. In fact, I am her mother, right? And internet, really does great role!! Type "2 years old preschool activities", you can find incredible sources for your 2 years old. For free. Oh how I really loove internet!

Yesterday, I buy some beautiful books for Nana. I got 8 books and they only cost 200 thousand rupiahs. If I pay it for play group's monthly fee, Nana cannot own her own books. I printed out free-printable materials. Paper dolls, crafty projects, stories, everything! For free.

And I gathered many ideas about activities for toddler. And the activities are simple, fun, and cheap!!

Yeah, yeah. Nowadays, you have to be a really smart mother...

Dreaming of...

2010-05-19T16:24:00.000+07:00

Soleil Boutique

2010-05-17T10:31:00.001+07:00

Remember my cutest Japanese sewing books I got so many months ago?

Whenever I have spare time in weekend (usually at my Mother's house, with my Mother and my Sisters nurse Nana for me :)..), I copy some patterns and I sew some dresses for Nana. My mother's sewing machine is soooo ooold, that sometimes it got cranky). But she has done good job those yesteryear, and now she still does. Although I have to treat her carefully and supply her with a lot of lubricating oil.)

Sewing is just so relaxing, and very rewarding! Plus, it saves money. I don't need to go to malls or food places on weekend days to refresh my mind. I can save a lot from not buying those dresses. (Ups, actually I still buy a lot (of fabrics)! I pile them high in my room.)

Those two are for Nana's big sister, Alina. She is 8 years old now, I make them 130 cm girl size. Eyangti is going to visit Alina this May, so I need to pack a gift for her, right? Well, if I couldn't go to Japan, at least my handmade dresses will. (I hope Alina will wear it and Eyangti will photograph her wearing it in Sapporo's garden, picking cherries.)

Poor me. Hehe.

I love the top and the dress. They are so vintage, aren't they? In Jogja, it is hard to find great fabrics. But recently, there are many fabulous fabrics here. And there are A LOT of POLKADOTS FABRICS!! In every colors you can imagine. Red, brown, blue. Tiny dots, or larger dots. And check fabrics! Even you can have the fake famous Burberry check print here. Haha..

And I wonder why, but all the fabrics shop in Jalan Solo treat every costumer nicely now. They give you free iced tea/softdrink. (It used to be that they just serve drink and sofa cushion for costumers who spend a lot). I cannot wait for another episode of fabric hunting.. in Bandung, this end of May. Finger crossed I will go to Bandung!!

I love the purple rose top. It is from Paris cotton. Well, it is 40.000/meter but I only need 1 meter for the top.

And the dress is purple too. (I Love Purple!!) It is Japanese cotton, for only 30.000/m and the dress needs 1,5 meters. And I love how it ends with the bow. The different color makes the bow stand out.

Actually I planned to make the bow from purple polkadot fabrics. But I left it in my home (and my husband can't find it and deliver it to me to Kotagede). And I need to finish it so I can give it to Eyangti when I get back to Mino. So I use the left-over fabric. But it is still great right?

Here some dresses I made for Nana. They look boring, uh? Actually they are nice dresses. The picture don't do the justice, haha. I'm poor in taking pictures! And they look nicer when worn by my daughter.

But Nana refused to pose for me. And she feels like she don't wanna wear those dresses anymore. (I bought her polkadot tops in 4 different colors and she insists to wear it everyday, now. So chances are, you will find her wear those boring polkadot tops everyday.)

The red check dress. My favorite. Very adorable when matched with blue legging.

The black check dress. It is so lovely and girly. Love the knee-fall.

The flower dress. Ugly picture, pardon me. But in fact, it is very adorable on my daughter's. Perfect for gardening.

Do you want some? You can order to me. I plan to open my own girl dress line, after my sister graduate from Pesantren. She is good on sewing. We will collaborate to start our business. I will need a good Singer sewing machine. (But it is 3 million rupiahs...) And a pile of Japanese book patterns (hehe, I will ask for Eyangti to bring them for me). And I need a lot of travel to Bandung for fabric shopping!!

Of course the brand is SOLEIL.

Jip dan Janneke bisa bermain dengan Ibu

2010-04-28T12:44:00.000+07:00

Tentu saja, semua orang sudah mengenal dengan baik Belanda dengan segala inovasinya. Image Belanda sebagai negara yang modern dan tidak konvensional juga sangat kokoh. Namun Belanda ini juga menjadi negara dengan paradoks-paradoks yang lucu dan menggelitik.
Misalnya, Belanda mengadopsi pendekatan yang liberal dalam isu-isu seksual. Belanda bergabung dengan segelintir negara lain dengan mengakui kesetaraan hak-hak pasangan sejenis dengan pasangan lawan jenis pada tahun 2001. Pil kontrasepsi gratis dan bebas tersedia bagi siapa saja - bahkan bagi remaja yang belum menikah - tanpa stigma dan diskriminasi, sejak beberapa dekade yang lalu. Pelayanan aborsi juga sangat mudah diakses dan bukanlah suatu kontroversi politik sejak lama – suatu isu yang bahkan sampai saat ini masih menjadi dagangan kampanye presiden di Amerika Serikat. Namun, secara mengejutkan tingkat kehamilan dan aborsi pada remaja di Belanda selalu menjadi yang terendah di dunia. Tentu saja ini menjadi semacam keanehan yang hampir-hampir menggelikan dan membuat berbagai perdebatan mengenai isu remaja dan seksualitas tampak absurd, jika diletakkan pada konteks situasi Belanda.

Ya, bagaimana tidak? Saat orang-orang lain meributkan mengenai baik buruknya efek akses kontrasepsi dan aborsi terhadap perilaku seksual remaja, Belanda dengan tanpa repot-repot memberikan semua itu.
‘Gitu aja kok repot’, mungkin pikir para pembuat kebijakan di Belanda? Hehe. Dan yang paling menggemaskan adalah, lha kok tingkat kehamilan dan aborsinya tetap selalu menjadi yang terendah. Padahal yang lain masih repot menangkis cemooh pihak yang kontra-aborsi, yang menyodorkan bukti tetap tingginya tingkat kehamilan meski layanan kontrasepsi dan aborsi bebas tersedia. Lagi-lagi Amerika Serikat menjadi contoh, kontrasepsi sudah tersedia luas namun tingkat kehamilan dan aborsi terus meningkat. Nah, tentu saja kan semua orang iri dengan ‘pencapaian’ Belanda ini. Apa sih ‘faktor Londo’ yang menyebabkan semua itu?

Dan saya semakin geleng-geleng dan bingung, karena ternyata masyarakat Belanda sebenarnya masih ‘relatif’ tradisional dan konservatif. Itulah yang membuat tingkat kehamilan dan aborsi selalu rendah. Hukum boleh dibuat liberal dan pandangan boleh sekuler ekstrem, namun norma tradisional masa lalu ternyata tetap mengikat. Semua itu boleh dibilang ‘against all odds’.

Nah, kalo pikiran ‘lurus’ kita diajak untuk menyandingkan ‘legalisasi kontrasepsi dan aborsi’ dengan ‘kebahagiaan anak-anak’, pasti akan makin kacau. Pikiran komikal kita sebagai orang tua konservatif (mungkin lho) akan memunculkan bayangan seram mengenai membesarkan anak di negara dengan akses aborsi yang luas. Tidak mungkin bahwa anak (dan orang tua) paling bahagia hidup di Belanda! Namun survey UNICEF ‘Report Card 7, Child Poverty in Perspective: An Overview of Child Well-being in Rich Countries’ - yang menjadi laporan pertama mengenai kesejahteraan anak-anak dan remaja di 21 negara industri – menyatakan bahwa anak-anak Belanda adalah anak-anak paling bahagia.

Ah, saya suka ide survey ini. Di antara hiruk-pikuk orang dewasa yang membandingkan tingkat literasi, GDP, tingkat demokrasi dan kesetaraan gender, ternyata ada yang mau repot menanyakan ‘Seberapa bahagiakah kamu?’ kepada anak-anak. (Dan saya membayangkan Lionel Messi sebagai Goodwill Ambassador UNICEF berkeliling Eropa bertanya kepada anak-anak yang main kuda-kudaan di punggungnya: ‘Hey, kamu bahagia nggak sih tinggal di sini?’).

Dan tentu saja anak-anak yang bahagia dibesarkan oleh orang tua yang bahagia dan lingkungan yang membahagiakan pula. (Hampir-hampir seperti filsafat aliran ‘Tao of Pooh’ hehe). Nggak mungkin kan orang tua yang depresi dan tertekan dapat menularkan kebahagiaan bagi anak-anak?

Survey UNICEF tersebut menilai enam dimensi pokok, yaitu kesejahteraan material, kesehatan dan keamanan, kesejahteraan pendidikan, hubungan dengan keluarga dan teman, perilaku beresiko, dan pendapat subyektif mengenai kesejahteraan.

Nah, Belanda memiliki gabungan nilai yang tinggi dalam dimensi-dimensi tersebut. Ngiri banget nggak sih? Belanda tetap menikmati perkembangan ekonomi dan industri yang mengagumkan tanpa kehilangan kebahagiaan anak-anaknya! Bahkan Inggris dan Amerika Serikat hanya berhasil menduduki peringkat ke-20 dan ke-21. Ini membuat Belanda menjadi negara yang sangat menarik untuk dipelajari, dijelajahi, ditinggali, dan (mungkin) dicintai.

Memang mudah membayangkan anak-anak akan tumbuh bahagia di Belanda. Susu dan kejunya enak, dan bunga-bunga ada dimana-mana. Kegiatan bersepeda dan outdoor activity terbuka luas, sehingga anak-anak tidak hanya bermain di mall dan mengalami kegemukan. Guru di sekolah tidak terlalu menuntut dan tidak ada kemacetan yang memaksa anak-anak untuk bangun terlalu pagi agar tidak terlambat sekolah. Anak-anak pun jadi bertingkah laku lebih manis dan remaja cenderung tidak suka membuat masalah. (Namun tentu saja Jip dan Janneke yang menggemaskan boleh menjadi perkecualian)

Nah, ada satu fenomena lagi yang sangat menarik dan luar biasa! Tradisi keluarga masih kuat dan ‘motherhood’ (peran keibuan) masih menjadi norma. Para ibu di Belanda (dan bahkan para bapak) meluangkan lebih banyak waktu dengan anak-anaknya. Hal ini karena 3/4 wanita pekerja dan 1/6 pria pekerja di Belanda bekerja secara paruh waktu. Ini merupakan proporsi pekerja paruh waktu yang paling besar di Eropa.

Memang, Belanda adalah negara yang ‘ramah’ dan akomodatif terhadap pekerja paruh waktu. Bahkan pemerintah Belanda menerbitkan peraturan khusus tentang pekerjaan paruh waktu. Dan menurut saya, ini adalah inovasi Belanda yang sangat berani.

Bagaimana tidak? Sebagai suatu negara industri yang sangat aktif, produktivitas mestinya menjadi ideologi utama. Dan pikiran ‘normal’ kita tentu akan berasumsi bahwa pekerjaan paruh waktu dapat mengancam produktivitas. Namun pemerintah Belanda berani berkomitmen dan mengambil jalan yang luar biasa. Pemerintah Belanda menghilangkan batas minimum jam kerja untuk gaji standar minimal, mendorong majikan untuk memberikan perlakuan yang sama seperti pekerja penuh waktu. Pekerja boleh mengurangi atau meningkatkan jumlah jam kerja selama hal itu tidak mengganggu pencapaian. Waktu kerja juga dapat dibuat fleksibel. Pendekatan tersebut ternyata tidak mengendurkan produktivitas, bahkan makin memberikan keseimbangan bagi kehidupan kerja dan kehidupan pribadi.

Nah, kalo menurut kalian, kebijakan itu bagus nggak sih? Atau malah ada yang berpendapat bahwa peraturan itu nggak adil gender? Masa perempuan banyak yang 'cuma' jadi part-time worker aja sih? Meskipun sudah dibuat setara, tapi mestinya tetap saja kesempatan promosi dan pengembangan karier lebih besar bagi full-time worker. Misalnya begitu?

Menurut kalian, apakah Belanda harus tetap mempertahankan norma keluarga dan tradisi keibuan? Apakah wanita tetap harus menjadi penanggung jawab utama kesejahteraan anak?

Apa yang akan kalian bayangkan jika Kartini menjadi seorang ibu di Belanda? Apakah dia bahagia? Anaknya bahagia? Bila demikian, bercerita tentang apakah surat Kartini kepada Stella Zeehandelaar?

Kalau aku sih, membayangkannya saja sudah bikin bahagia. Soalnya aku adalah ibu yang bekerja penuh waktu. Padahal anakku baru dua tahun. Dan dia lucu sekali. Aku sedikit banyak memimpikan pekerjaan paruh-waktu.

Aku jadi penasaran, filosofi kuat apa yang mendasari Belanda mau mengadopsi pekerjaan paruh-waktu? Apakah Belanda ingin warganya mendalami kehidupan yang lebih bermartabat? Apakah Belanda sadar akan ancaman stress pekerjaan dan kehidupan yang tidak seimbang? Apakah Belanda sudah menyadari jebakan fatamorgana industrialisme dan kapitalisme? (Hehe) Apakah Belanda tahu bahwa ada nilai-nilai yang patut dipertahankan? Apakah Belanda bermeditasi dan mendapatkan pencerahan seperti Elizabeth Gilbert? (Jadi serius gini, ya? hehe)

Bila aku membayangkan implikasi 'kemurahhatian' pemerintah Belanda ini, sepertinya akan luar biasa. Hal ini bisa mengubah cara hidup kita dan hubungan kita dengan orang-orang sekitar dan alam. Misalnya, seorang profesor pedagogi yang bekerja paruh waktu. Di waktu luangnya dia memutuskan menjadi relawan di tempat penitipan anak kaum imigran. Atau perawat Puskesmas yang bisa memakai waktu luangnya menjadi musikus grup Kiai Kanjeng. (Hehe..)

Juga banyak ibu dan bapak seperti aku. Yang bisa berbagi dengan anaknya. Bisa berpartisipasi dalam 'Parent led class' di sekolah.

Terus kita nggak lagi 'berpura-pura' bahwa hal paling penting dari hidup kita adalah pekerjaan. Nggak merasa berdosa dan kekurangan ketika jam kerja kita hanya 5 jam sehari. Nggak perlu merasa aneh dan tidak pada tempatnya ketika kita nongkrong di taman bacaan jam 10 pagi. Dan yang sangat penting,

kita tidak membutuhkan midnight sale atau early morning sale!

Hmm, tetap saja, anak-anak Belanda menjadi anak-anak paling bahagia. Pino yang biru pun bahagia, meskipun bulunya tidak kuning seperti Big Bird, sepupunya. Bersama Purk, Ieniemienie, dan Tommie; mereka bernyanyi seperti ini:

Drie kleine kleutertjes die zaten op een hek
bovenop een hek.
Drie kleine kleutertjes die zaten op een hek
op een mooie warme dag in september.

Waarover spraken zij, die drie daar op dat hek
bovenop dat hek.
Waarover spraken zij, die drie daar op dat hek
op die mooie warme dag in september.

't was over krekeltjes en korenbloempjes blauw
korenbloempjes blauw
't was over krekeltjes en korenbloempjes blauw
op die mooie warme dag in september.

(Three little toddlers were sitting on a fence,
On top of a fence.
Three little toddlers were sitting on a fence,
On a nice warm day in September.

What were they talking about, those three on the fence,
On top of a fence.
What were they talking about, those three on the fence,
On that nice warm day in September.

It was about little crickets and cornflowers blue,
Cornflowers blue.
It was about little crickets and cornflowers blue,
On that nice warm day in September.)

Jadi, buat yang sudah jadi emak-emak dan mau sekolah di sana, ga perlu khawatir kalau harus memboyong budak-budak kecilnya ke Belanda. Atau buat kita-kita yang mau mengulangi (atau memperbaiki) masa kanak-kanak, boleh lo jadi infantil sedikit.

sumber gambar:
http://www.anjelicasboudoir.com
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3164/2762912478_1ce4d5daf3.jpg?v=0
http://www.nldata.nl/laurentius/laurentius/cgi-oic/pagedb.exe/..%5C..%5Cuimages%5Csesamstraat.gif

Farewell for A Friend

2010-04-14T10:41:00.000+07:00

I made friend with him just after our clinical rotation started.
Before, I just knew that he was a good sincere man.

In fact, he was.
Calm and sincere,
just like a whisper in a balmy beach.

We didn't exchange conversation too much.
And nobody will consider us as best friend.

I just knew he was my real friend,
at heart.

I guess it was the way he smiles,
and talks,
like nothing matters.

Like that night, when I called him.
" Will you graduate with us"?

He just laughed.
Like nothing matters
at all.
" I still have many rotation to finish. I will just enjoy this.
But, thank you for asking, really".

And that was my last real conversation with him.
Next, only on Facebook's page or Goodread's.

He invited me, his beautiful daughter invited me too.
She is just three years old.

He is...
my friend
at my heart.
Although you may have to dig deeper to find him

Until this morning,
They said he has passed away.

14 April 2010.

The night's getting old // To Him, i have my soul sold // but I have been told
His last Buzz, a haiku
The date was 13 April

He played with his daughter until 2 a.m.
He slept and couldn't be waked anymore.

Can I say that it is beautiful death?
But it is so mean.

People are supposed to sleep well,
then wake up and smile to his wife lying next to him,
and kiss his daughter a good morning...

And he has just had another baby daughter, two months old...

Farewell, Rizalul Fikrie.

March of Happiness

2010-03-17T14:53:00.000+07:00

Dear all,

March is fully stuffed with happiness!!
My dear baby girl is reaching two. (Happy but a bit sad too... I want her to be my lil baby always...)

And our marriage counts three this March!

And my father and my father-in law reach 57 and 63 years old in March too. They share the same birthday!

Ibu read newspaper for me!

2010-03-17T14:41:00.000+07:00

I am a newspaper addict, and I cannot live a day without reading it. Kompas is just too tempting, an Jakarta Post is a crisps!
As Eyangs usually read the newspaper in the morning, I cannot bother them. So I will have to take opportunity to read them in the evening.

Usually I am home at 5 p.m., sometimes more when Mr S ties me to my chair for a sudden deadline. And when I'm home I will expect that my daughter Nana will request for my nursing. She is two year old now, but I still breastfeed her, maybe for another 6 months.
And from the breastfeeding activity, I found a new habit. Do you know how boring it is just to breastfeed your baby? Especially when she latches on your breast for so long time?
Well, when she was just so tiny, it was nice just to stare her, rub her, kiss her, sing for her, talk to her. But as she grow bigger and bigger, I dont know why it didn't work anymore.

So I found out that reading is a fun activity to do during breastfeeding. And my baby get accustomed to it that she no longer protest it. She can latch as long as she want, and I can finish my reading. And I read anything during breastfeeding, from newspaper until journal abstracts. And even before breastfeeding, I will search for papers waited to be read. Nana will patiently wait for the paper before getting her milk! LOL!!

And if you consider reading during breastfeeding (instead of creating a bonding with the baby) is awful, to make it worse, the rule of Minomartani's house about newspaper reading are:
Don't read newspaper on the bed. It will attract rodent and crawling critters. The dust will worsen the allergy my husband suffered from, and the 'ink-dust' is carcinogenic!

I think I have violated the rule badly!

One day, Eyangkung proposed Nana to play with him. (As Eyangkung is rarely at home during the day, she is usually not so eager to join her Eyangkung. She will refuse to play with him).

Eyangkung : " Nana, come to my room? I will read you a story. Eyangkung can tell a beautiful story for you" (pleading, offering hugs)
Nana : "No."(busy with her plate)
Eyangkung : "Why don't you want to come? I miss my granddaughter" (still proposing)
Nana : "No, I don't" (yell)
Eyangkung : "Does your Ibu tell you a story before bed?" (it is more sounded like " I can tell a story better than your Ibu. Even I don't think your Ibu tell you a story." gee)
Eyangti : "Ibu read a book for you right? What book does your Ibu usually read for you? Bobo, right?" (In other words: Her Ibu don't tell her stories, she read it from a book. Means she don't have much imaginative mind.)

And I don't know why I was so anxious of Nana responses, then she came with an embarassing answer, that I cannot believe it would come from a two year old girl. And she was awfully right!

Nana : "Ibu read a newspaper for me".

Later, when I told my husband about the drama, he giggled erroneusly. And Nana wickedly kept saying "Read newspaper! Read newspaper!" and join the laughter as if she knew the whole joke.
Do you think she knows?

My Poor Page

2010-01-20T15:02:00.000+07:00

Apparently I am not a so dedicated blogger. It feels so wrong that I have not posted anything for so long time. Actually I have many things waiting to be written, but my work days are full blown to be what so called -catastrophic body and mind destruction- plus persistent energy malnutrition I suffered. It just feels like I can not expect any prospect to write a nice line.

But my dear Princess just keeps growing excellently and she behaves very nicely. She can maintain herself, to be self sufficient without her Mummy almost all her active time. She is totally utterly scrumptious.

And my dear Husband is so wonderful that I cannot expect anything better.

Just how things settled down by themselves!! Wonderful!

And the stragest thing of all is I HAVE AN IDEA TO LEARN FRENCH!!

I'll eat you, cute french toast!!

ibu itu seperti ini..

2009-12-24T15:47:00.000+07:00

Aku selalu saja menangis kalau membaca posting-an Sheye Rosemeyer mengenai kenangan putri ketiganya... Dia bisa melukiskan hatinya dengan kata-kata yang indah sekaligus menusuk. Aku tidak tahu bagaimana dia bisa menghadapi hari-harinya dalam bayangan kerinduan dan penantian yang lama dan tak tertanggungkan...

Aku juga seorang ibu, yang sedang terpesona oleh cinta yang bisa diberikan oleh seorang anak. Dulu, aku tidak rela bahwa bayiku akan merebut waktu berduaku dengan suamiku. Dulu aku percaya bahwa cintaku pada suamiku akan selalu lebih meraja dibandingkan kepada bayiku.

Tapi makhluk kecil itu setiap saat meniupkan keajaiban. Dia sangat lembut menjaga hatiku dan sangat manis membelai cintaku.
Dan dia begitu membutuhkanku, setiap saat. Dan panggilannya kepadaku adalah hal termanis yang pernah kudengar.

Dan aku memuja jari kaki kecilnya, perutnya yang agak membuncit, lengannya yang kecil, dan rambutnya yang selalu harum...

Aku tidak akan kehilangan bayiku... Bahkan aku sampai berpikir tidak akan bisa menduakannya untuk seorang bayi yang lain.

Tapi, ibu ini kehilangan bayinya, ketika dia berusia 3 tahun. Aku bisa membayangkan bagaimana memiliki seorang putri berusia 3 tahun. Oh, itu pasti sangat indah...

Ketika dia dapat berbicara banyak hal, memuji banyak hal, menyukai baju2 putri, menyukai warna pink, menyebutmu MissMummy, dan membisikkan iloveyousomuchmummy....

She always has my tears...

Informasi Beasiswa 2010

2009-11-12T13:13:00.001+07:00

Bagi2 informasi nih...

Ada beasiswa ditawarkan dari USAID dan Erasmus Mundus...

USAID bekerja sama dengan AED menawarkan beasiswa untuk belajar di Amerika dengan tawaran program :

1. Master Degree in Education and Human Development
2. Master Degree in Public Health
3. Master Degree in Environment Studies
4. Bachelor, Master or PhD Degree in Economics
5. Master Degree in Public Affairs/Public Policy/Political Science/Public Administration/Non-profit Management or related field

General requirements :
- Relevant work experience and commitment to Indonesian development
- At least 5 pre-retirement years after completion of study
- Indonesian citizen
- Complete the application form and attach CV, copy of ID card and one-page essay
- Attach a nomination letter from current institution of employment
- Attach 3 recommendation letters from person other than the person who provided the nomination letter
- Attach the result of English Test score (ITP TOEFL or IELTS)

Untuk informasi lebih lanjut bisa mengunjungi www.aed.or.id dan tenggat waktunya 1 Januari 2010.

Erasmus Mundus scholarship programme yang dibiayai European Commission menawarkan beasiswa untuk tahun 2010 untuk :
- Graduate students to undertake Erasmus Mundus Master Course in at least two or more universities in two or more EU countries
- Scholars/ Academicians/ Researchers to conduct teaching and research periods of three months at two or more universities in two or more EU countries

General information on application procedures can be obtained from
http://www.delidn.ec.europa.eu/en/special/erasmusmundus.htm
or a blog maintained by Erasmus Mundus Alumni in Indonesia
http://emundus.wordpress.com

Individuals interseted in an Erasmus Mundus scholarship must apply directly to the selected Erasmus Mundus Master Courses which are available at
http://eacea.ec.europe.eu/erasmus_mundus/result_compendia/selected_projects_action_1_master_courses_en.php

The EC also provides fellowships for Doctoral candidates for an Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate (EMJD) degree. These doctoral-level training and research programmes will offer fellowships covering up to three years of doctoral activities. The available EMJD and further information can be obtained from
http://eacea.ec.europe.eu/erasmus_mundus/result_compendia/selected_projects_action_1_doctorates_en.php

Eh...

2009-11-12T10:09:00.000+07:00

Habis aku keluar dari kantor Mr. S, tiba2 ada ibu mahasiswa S2 yang lagi berdiri di stand kopi di koridor ruang menyapaku.

" Halo Ibu, udah nikah ya?"
(aku dipanggil Ibu..)

" Udah Bu"
" Udah punya anak?"
" Udah, Bu"
" Berapa"
" Baru satu, Bu"

(Kenapa ya, tau2 tanya aku udah nikah belum... Takut nih mau dijodohin sama anaknya.)

Ibu itu berkata lagi sambil ngaduk kopinya, " Ibu manis ya.."
"Eh?"

"Iya, Ibu tu udah manis, masih muda, ngajarnya enak lagi", diiyakan teman2nya..

"Eh?" (lagi)

FYI, aku cuma sempat mengajar mahasiswa S2 Minat KIA satu kali. Dan dicecar pertanyaan bapak2 yang nggak mengerti keteranganku, sehingga malah pertanyaannya membingungkanku. Tapi setelah kuterangkan sampai ngotot berkali2, mission accomplished.

Ibu.. ibu..
Well, I admit, her remark makes my day. Haha!!

my Books have arrived.....

2009-11-11T21:01:00.000+07:00

Aku itu suka sekali dengan baju2... Apalagi sudah punya anak perempuan yang centil.
Dan aku suka menjahit. (Nah, ada yang terkejut? Tampaknya tidak..)
Sayangnya di Indonesia tu ga ada orang yang nerbitin buku tentang cara menjahit baju anak2. Di Gramedia yang jual buku2 ketrampilan dari Jepang, adanya cuma ttg beading, paper crafting, knitting, crocheting. Ga ada yang ttg sewing...

Kalo browsing di internet, yang punya ya org2 Amerika dan Jepang. Kalo blanja online, aku ga punya kartu kerdit atau PayPal...

Entah bagaimana aku mendapat ide brilian untuk mengontak Kinokuniya di Jakarta.. Ternyata mereka bersedia membuat order khusus untukku (padahal mereka ga punya stok buku itu. Hebat ya... Aku pernah kontak Gramedia, dijawab pun enggak.)

So, aku memesan tiga buku tentang fashion anak2. Dan ketika mereka datang... aku sangat senang sampai ga sabar membukanya. (Bungkusannya rapet banget dan susah dibuka).

Memang jadinya agak mahal sih di Kinokuniya (tokonya aja di PIM gitu..) Dua buku label-nya dari sono 1300 Yen (kira2 130 ribu rupiah) tapi aku kena bayar 260 ribu rupiah. Tapi aku senang aja jadi ya... kurelakan hehe.

Nih sampulnya,

Itu judul2nya (dari bawah) : Kids Tunic and Dress for Beginners, trus Girly STyle Wardrobe, dan Dressy Little Girl. (Ya aku tahu.. girly banget deh..)

Nah, ini model2 bajunya...
Cantik2 banget, meski simpel. I'll definitely make this one for Nana

Ini lagi...

(oke aku tau aku ga bagus motonya.. jadi ikut ga bagus gambarnya..)

Nah aku jadi mborong kain banyak2 di Jalan Solo.. Habis kainnya lucu2 dan murah2 lo di Megah. Dapat servis air dingin gratis lagi...

Ni kain kotak2 yg super cute

Dan bunga2 yang asik sekali untuk gadis kecil

Oke, mari menjahit. Buku2 itu sangat bagus. Meski dalam kanji, kita tetep bisa ngerti karena gambar step by step-nya yang detil. Dikasih paper pattern lagi..

Sewing cannot be easier than this

Lancet/Global Forum essay competition 2009

2009-11-11T14:21:00.000+07:00

Jurnal The Lancet membuat kompetisi menulis untuk peneliti dan penulis muda dengan tema inovasi kesehatan. Pemenangnya sudah diputuskan, terdiri dari delapan essay yang sangat cerdas. Sayangnya dua esai ditulis dalam bahasa yang tidak kumengerti (Prancis dan Latin, kayanya)...

Buat teman2 yang tertarik membaca, bisa lihat di sini. Harus subscribe Lancet si, kalo yang belum. Tapi gratis lo. Ayo yang belum langganan Lancet, cepet daftar. Karena isinya bagus sekali..
Ada Series tentang berbagai topik, informasinya sangat bonafid. (Dan kami di sini sedang menyiapkan workshop penulis untuk Lancet Series on Southeast Asia)

Aku suka sekali dengan artikel milik Bianca Brijnath yang berjudul PENS AND NEEDLES. Dia menganalogikan pena dengan jarum secara cerdas.

" Understanding the mechanics of pens and needles dispels some of the myths surrounding injections. The hypodermic syringe is, as a cultural artefact, invested with meaning beyond its functionality. It inspires fear and loathing, fascination and curiosity. People are rarely ambivalent about injections. In a Delhi slum, I meet a woman who refuses to get her children immunized. The community health nurse brings the vaccines and needles into the slum, the cost is less than 2 US cents, but still she will not come. She is afraid of needles. In other hospitals I meet people who insist on injections; it is their cure for everything. Ignorance about injections drives both phenomena. A stronger connection between the needle and the pen could counteract this. Our lives are defined by fluid: the medicines and blood in syringes that are pushed into or pulled out of our bodies describe our condition – we are high, low, weak, strong, pleasured or pained. The needle is like a body pen, and through its bruises and scars we read immunizations, infusions and addictions. The ink in pens leaves scratches and blotches among the words that describe the histories of our lives. We read that history on paper and occasionally on our bodies. The pen is a paper needle, just as the needle is a body pen."

Bianca mendorong kita untuk memberi kesempatan kepada orang2 miskin dengan memberi "pena" (secara simbolis bisa diartikan sebagai pendidikan dan pemberdayaan). Simak pernyataan tulusnya

"As researchers, we understand possibilities, and we strive to fulfil our potential. We work on populations and with people, always recording data. We write, draw, calculate and calibrate in books, policies, journals, newspapers and essay competitions. Knowledge dissemination is the aim. But how often do we give our participants, especially poor people, the opportunity to come along on this journey to contribute to human knowledge? How often do we give our participants adequate compensation for the richness and depth of information they have given us?"

Artikel Rafael van den Bergh, 'WHO IS AT THE RECEIVING END OF OUR INNOVATION?' juga sangat menggigit.
Rafael mempertanyakan kegunaan inovasi-inovasi bioteknologi (yang juga dia kerjakan, karena dia mahasiswa PhD dengan major bioteknologi) yang memakan biaya jutaan dollar terhadap masalah2 orang2 miskin di negara berkembang.

" But do they? Do they really? Is innovation in research, the constant development of new ways of doing science, really the answer to the problems of the developing world? Or are we maybe fooling ourselves (and our funders), and is the application of ground-breaking, cutting-edge technology in resource-poor settings no more than a justification for us to use this technology without actually delivering a return for the people in the afflicted regions of interest? Certainly there are returns for the researchers in question, in terms of high-ranking publications, patent applications and scientific status, but how much of this flows back to the people who are actually targeted? And, more importantly, are these innovative, high-tech approaches to solve existing issues really what we are waiting for? "

Bahkan Rafael memakai istilah yang sinis 'newest toys that we would like to play with'

" Nevertheless, I cannot help but feel frustrated about our focus on technological innovation as the be-all and end-all solution for the developing world’s problems. On the one hand is the frustration that opportunities are being missed. While money is being spent on academic, publication-oriented questions (albeit interesting ones), many problems could actually be solved using existing knowledge and technologies (albeit decidedly unsexy ones). On the other hand is frustration (but this may merely be a private gripe of mine) concerning the dubious phrasing used in all project applications everywhere, in which new-fangled technologies are being pushed forward as the solution to all the developing world’s problems, when in fact they are just the newest toys that we would like to play with."

Dia curiga dan khawatir bahwa penelitian-penelitian yang kita lakukan justru self-serfing aja, memenuhi ambisi kita sendiri sebagai akademisi dan peneliti dengan track record penelitian yang ambisius.

" What I am questioning, however, is our focus on technological innovation as the quintessential solution to many of the developing world’s challenges, a habit that, in the long run, may be more self-serving than public interest-serving. Selecting the best strategy for providing optimal health care for all while disregarding our own academic or other track records may be our biggest challenge yet."

Tulisan-tulisan itu diselesaikan dengan baik. Dan mereka menangkap makna 'inovasi' dengan cara yang sempurna berbeda dan cerdas.

buat teman2 yang lagi berjuang

2009-11-10T14:05:00.000+07:00

Sering menemukan keluhan teman2 yang kelelahan bertugas di rumah sakit atau klinik, dengan pasien2 yang terus berdatangan, lembar follow up dan resep yang harus ditulis, dan on call yang melelahkan...

How I would like to experience that too..

Can I post a little joke?

Seorang dokter junior menjalani perawatan di RS karena sakit. Teman-temannya bikin joke dengan menandatangani formulir “do not resuscitate” untuknya, dengan justifikasi “attempt would be futile, quality of life is already poor, because life is not worth living as a foundation year one doctor.”

i need a reliever

2009-11-06T16:26:00.000+07:00

She said this : 'Like into the stratosphere of ridiculously precious...'

I always love toddler tiny yet bumpy legs. They are ridiculously precious indeed...

for my grandmother...

2009-11-06T15:45:00.000+07:00

I lost my dear grandmother at 14th October. The vivid feeling of grave and -oh no, guilt- have already faded now.
But I wanna remember her now, in dearly manner.

Why regret always come late? Why do we always fail to realize that something is special and priceless? Then when we come to realize, that thing has already gone?

I never fail to realize that my grandmother always care for me in her particular way. She always mention my name. She ask me to come to visit her when she cant see me for a long time.She gave me a lot money, more than to any of her grandchildren.
She's so proud of me being a medical doctor.

She had a stroke attack just two year ago. It was when I'm 6 month pregnant. She recovered soon and gained her ability, except that she was slower and more easily to get tired.

Then she came to live with my father and my mother. Cause she's 'slightly disabled' now and no one can take proper care of her in her home in Bantul.

She's fussy and demanding a lot. And she always wanted full attention from us. She became so sad if nobody around her to accompany and talk to her. She did everything that a lonely and disabled old woman did.

I was easily get frustated and distracted by her behavior. And usually I avoided her to minimal contact. (And I was having a little baby then I got busy with the baby).

But sometimes I just missed her and felt a deep love for her.
I'd like to bring her to take a short walk in the morning. I'd bring her sweet soft crunchy pear fruit she adore. I'd like to buy her fragrant baby talc powder she likes. She was able to make some funny jokes too.. Made me giggle in tears.

And sometimes I made promises to bring her to a picnic or a journey.I wish I could entertain her lonely heart. But I dont know how to entertain a grandmother. I only know supermall, movie theatre, restaurant, playground to entertain.
And those all wouldnt suit her, right?
I ask you, if you wanna make your grandma happy, what will you do then?

And when she complained about bad sight, I suggested her cataract surgery. And she had her right eye operated. Poorly, she complained about no improvement of her sight.And I was so sick being constantly asked by grandmother : "I have already been operated, but why my sight just didn't get better?"

Oh dear, I'm in tears now...

And in last Ramadhan, she asked to go home to Bantul. She wanted to celebrate Idul Fitri there. She was in full health. Walked rather fast now. She began to like walking. She woke up very early and took bath at 3 a.m. She did everything herself, and in sufficient ways. And she might have better sight (cause she mentioned that she was able to read the road sign).

I didnt see her until Idul Fitri. When I visited her, she had a swollen right cheek. My aunt said she had it for 2 days. Maybe parotitis or gum infection. So I prescribed some medication.

Dear, grandmother. She should have been happy cause its Idul Fitri, but she just laid in pain...

I was shocked, cause she's so healthy when I last saw her. I brought her a giant Korean pear to please her. But I thought she couldnt eat that, with that swollen cheek.

So days pasesd, then my aunt called me to pick up my grandma, coz nobody could take care of her. My aunt had fallen from motorcycle and had broken clavicle.

I picked my grandma, her cheek was still swollen. I didnt further think, why her cheek didnt recover easily... I wish I had thought that way.I prescribed her again.

Then some days after, I visited her. My mother called me cause my grandma swollen cheek now became very hard and tense. It became abscess so it would need an incision. And I was afraid it would be full-blown infection.

So I rushed my grandma to hospital. She got antibiotic intravenously. And maybe they will perform small incision.

My grandma was so obedient. When I told her : "Mbah, you'll have to stay couple days in hospital. And maybe the doctor will perform small surgery to incise your swollen

cheek", she just say yes. She didnt complain.

I visited her often. I called the nurse everyday to know how she's improving. I was so glad that she recovered soon and she could eat comfortably.
But what annoyed me was that she's diagnosed with diabetes.

I was angry with myself that I missed up years to suspect her for having diabetes. I felt so dumb and stupid.

She had had strokes attack. And she had cataract. These should tell me something. This should bring me to suspect something. And even the doctor who take care of her missed it too.
She was always in touch with doctor, medicine, hospital after the stroke attack and nobody suspect her on having diabetes! And me not.
No wonder her cheek didnt recover soon. High blood sugar feed the bacteria well and weaken the immune cells. And she was old lady, and old age weaken the immune cell more.

So after one week stay at hospital, my grandmother was permitted to go home. She was recovered. She was rather happy, ate a lot, and very very obedient. She didnt complain a lot, like she used to do before.

A week after, my mom told me to come coz my grandma complained that she
felt sick and felt like faint. I was distracted and thought why dont they just bring her to see doctor?

I said I cant go until tomorrow. That time I was preparing present for my friend who just gave birth recently. And I felt rather to go to my friend house (I missed the chit chat and giggles) than take my grandma complaint. (I just thought : Oh dear, what else now? She started complaining again).

I thought nothing was serious.

Then when I was at baby shop, my father called me that my grandma fell unconscious and she was likely in coma state (I heard her surrounding cite Yasin verses)

I rushed by taxi with sleeping Nana in my arms.

When I came, my grandma was snoring (like the breath of deep coma). I checked her pupil and its unresponsive. My family decided not to take her to hospital cause Its likely she would pass away and nothing would do good to bring her to hospital.

I was rather reluctant. I was medical doctor and always wanted to do something. At least I wanna know what make her unconscious suddenly. I was curious, maybe we could do something for her and saved her.

But they have decided, so I just sat and accompany my grandma. I rubbed
her body.

After hours of waiting (3 hours) then suddenly my grandmother moved her legs and hands. And she moaned. And her eyes became responsive! She followed my flashlight.

I told my family that we need to get her to hospital, no matter what.

So we rushed. In ER we found out that she was experiencing hypoglycemia. (Her blood sugar just 40 - normal is above 90).Soon after the nurse injected her with dextrose, she woke up. She managed to recognize me and my aunt. I was so happy until I laughed in tears. I asked her how she felt, whether she was in pain. She just said she felt limp but now she felt better. She didnt feel any pain .

I was so thankful and I kissed her a lot.

So, she took diabetes drug and she experienced hypoglycemia. I wondered how it happened. My mother told me that grandma didnt take the drug this morning and she ate well. How could she experience hypoglycemia?

I was so sad, cause I failed to identify her symptoms. (My sister previosuly told me that my grandma felt like faint and always seemed hungry. Those all are signs of hypoglycemia). And I didnt think of noting my mother the danger of hypoglycemia for somebody who take sugar lowering drug.

Stupid me. Oh grandma, forgive me of being ignorant. I never had a glimpse of thought about that all! How come?

My grandma was brought to the ward. They would observe her couple of days.

She seemed allright. I made a joke about her and she laughed. I kissed her again. I was so happy.

But then I had to go home cause left Nana and now she cried looking for me.

But that was the last time I see her conscious. And I wish I could talk to her more....

My aunt accompany her that night. My grandma was conscious for 10 hours. They chatted a lot. And she ate well too. She slept at 2.30 a.m and when my aunt woke her for morning prayer, she couldnt be awaken.

She was in coma for 4 days. She simply deteriorated. She experienced sepsis. Which was bad for her coz she was elderly. Elderly are unlikely to fight sepsis. She experienced multiorgan failure.
And I visited her everyday helpless.
And I always experienced heavy headache everyday I came home. And I cried a lot every night, for my ignorance.

I was in my office when they told me that my grandmother had passed away. I managed to give a document to my colleague, asked permission to leave, then I burst in heavy tears in my car.

I cried when she was brought to cemetery.

I hope now, she's happy there. And she has better life there. And she has comfort place to wait there.

I will send her Yasin gift. I hope they give her everything she wants. She was a diligent prayer, even when she's so sick.

I learn that I love her too much.

And if you still have a grandparent.. Please visit them more often. Spend time more with them. Laugh a lot with them. Hug and kiss them. Or you'll regret someday...

ga penting

2009-10-14T14:12:00.000+07:00

Tadi aku liat mobil parkir di samping jendela ruanganku dan di dalamnya ada setir mainan yang lucu banget. Ditempel ke dashboard samping tempat duduk sopir, pake lakban yang banyak.

Aku pengen banget ngrampok mobil itu. Heck? Iya! Mecahin kacanya trus ambil tu setir2an.

Di mana sih bisa beli setir mobil mainan? Dicari di toko langganan ga ada.

Soalnya Nana tu sekarang udah ga manis lagi kalo duduk di carseat. (Dulu kalo duduk di carseat anteng banget, kaya orang takut kelempar dari mobil heheh). Sekarang dia gampang rewel. Trus njejak2 dashboard. (Dashboard-nya jadi jelek kena sepatunya Nana).

Aku jadi repot kalo cuma pergi berdua sama Nana. Repot megangi, neriakin, manuver ambil barang jatuh, dst. Takut kecelakaan huhi.
Kupikir kalo ada setir2an yang rame gitu, dia mungkin bisa pura2 nyetir jg. Dan jadi gadis manis....

setelah miss mummy pulang

2009-10-02T18:45:00.001+07:00

Hore, ibu pulang. Loh loh, kok ibu malah mengeluarkan kamera?
Oke deh.. aku ngalah. Bergaya dulu juga boleh!

Loh loh, kok lagi..?
Ibu masih asik pengen motret Nana. Habis mukanya Nana licin banget hbs mandi.

Muka Nana udah mulai sebel.

Nana ngamuk-ngamuk. Udah minta mimik mimik, ibu masih aja jeprat-jepret.
Haisyat!!!

Aduh, ibu!! Ogah ah.. Bwuyswayh!!!

Ibu menyerah. Nana nempel.

Minutes later...

Love her little toes...

fancy shoes make the day happy

2009-10-02T12:20:00.000+07:00

i say so...

hehe..

aku baru butuh sepatu.

yang satu udah jebol jelek banget.

yang satu mahal dan bagus (diberi mertua) jadi sayang kalo aku pake, takut jebol.

juga untuk meredakan kepenatan otak yang terlalu banyak berurusan sama biostatistik.

tapi takut...

nanti bisa lirik2 sepatu toddler lagi.

bahaya.

they're just so cute.

ntar kalo aku ambil satu lagi gimana, hayo?

mourn fever

2009-09-16T14:37:00.000+07:00

Dulu waktu masih berdua saja sama mas Arka dan tinggal berdua di Plosokuning, kami selalu berbelanja di Superindo Jl. Jend. Sudirman. ("Kenapa nggak di pasar tradisional? Ngasih orang kecil." Ibuku protes)
Yah begitulah... Kami hanya bisa berbelanja di sore/malam hari, jadi nggak mungkin ke pasar tradisional yang buka pagi. Sekalian pula mampir, karena dekat kampus.

Tapi di Superindo tetap saja aku menemui hal yang unik dan kontras. Di Superindo situ, biasa ada anak laki-laki kira2 kelas 4 SD, jualan koran dan majalah. Aku sering membatin kalau melihatnya, apa iya jualannya laku. (Di depan Superindo sendiri ada stand yang menjual majalah2 beraneka. Jualan anak itu kalah deh). Aku juga suka nggak tahan melihat kehadirannya. Karena aku suka merasa kasihan. Sedangkan mas Arka nggak merasa segitunya. (Bahkan kadang dia sengaja mancing aku dengan memberi komentar sirik tentang anak-anak seperti itu. Uh dasar!)

Biasanya anak itu akan duduk di pojok, mendekap korannya yang nggak seberapa (kalau misalnya terjual habis pun, kayanya untungnya juga kecil sekali..). Mukanya dekil agak cemong. Matanya (kenapa mesti) sendu dan surup. Kadang dia berbaring nggelosor di dekat pos tukang parkir. Aduduh.. kalo gitu, aku kadang mbeliin dia minuman atau jajanan di dalam. (Aku pernah melihatnya masih berusaha menyedot karton minuman yang sudah habis isinya). Sekali dua kali aku membeli korannya tanpa minta kembalian.

Uh, benci... Aku kadang benci diriku yang sok kasihan sama orang. Trus sukanya ngasih charity yang nggak berguna.

Trus ada lagi yang aneh. Persis di depan pintu Superindo, ada nenek2 yang jualan! Nenek itu udah tua sekali kayanya, rambutnya putih semua, keriput. Bajunya lusuh. Dia menggelar tenongannya yang cuma satu (dan cuma sebesar ember sedang) di pinggir lalu lalang orang keluar masuk supermarket. Jualannya : bawang merah dan bawang putih. Bawang merah-putih itu dibagi dalam bungkus plastik sekiloan. Heran lagi, kasian juga. Emang ada yang beli juga ya? Di dalem aja bawangnya besar, seger, melimpah. Bawang ibu itu kecil, keriput, kering. Terus kenapa beliau juga milih berdagang di situ? Nggak di pasar?

Atau dia sebenarnya nggak berdagang? Tapi mau menarik belas kasihan dengan cara yang halus? (Pikiran burukku..)

Aku pernah iseng beli bawang merahnya. (Lagi2 nggak tahan, selalu melihatnya di situ. Dan wajahnya lumayan tulus nggak menyiratkan pengharapan apapun). Aku mengacungkan uang sepuluh ribu. Ternyata dapat dua plastik bawang merah (yang isinya sedikit pula, paling2 cuma 20 biji kecil2).

Hehe, aku kaget. Mahal banget ya bawang merahnya. Kecil dan keriput.
Perasaanku benar-benar bingung waktu itu... Entah apa pengharapanku atau bayanganku... Atau asumsi-ku. Semua penilaian jadi tampaknya kabur ga jelas.. Dan mas Arka semakin sinis hehe..

Kemarin aku ke Superindo Sudirman lagi setelah sekian lama. (Superindo Jalan Kaliurang sudah buka, dan sangat dekat dengan rumah mertuaku di Minomartani). Nenek itu masih jualan di situ!!
Masih jual bawang merah dan bawang putih. To my surprise, ada satu item jualan lagi. Beliau jual telur bebek (?), digelar di dalam besek. Telurnya yang dijual cuma 5 butir! Mana kotorannya masih melekat gitu, belum dibersihkan. Jadi masih asli.

AKu benar-benar nggak tahan lagi dengan permainan pikiran dan perasaanku... Jualan yang begitu sahaja dan sederhana apa adanya. Vis a vis sama supermarket besar yang melimpah dan berkilau.

Jadi ingat di Kotagede, kampung kelahiranku. Di trotoar Jl. Mondorakan, ada ibu2 yang jualannya begitu sederhana. Beliau menjual kacang rebus (dalam jumlah yang sedikit, disebar di tambir), juga rebusan kimpul dan umbi2an sederhana yang tidak kukenal namanya karena ndeso sekali, yang jumlahya paling cuma 5-8 biji, juga jagung rebus yang sudah dipotong2 (bukan utuh!).

Uh oh, aku belingsatan tidak nyaman.

Mengapa begitu banyak orang yang harus mencari penghidupan dengan cara2 yang tidak pernah kubayangkan bisa menopang hidup mereka?

Dan, semua menyiksaku...

Belum cukup?
Di pojokan jalan di Perumnas Minomartani ada bapak tua kurus yang duduk begitu saja di samping papan yang bertuliskan "Menerima Nasi Kering, Dibeli Rp 1.000/kg". Hanya. seperti. itu.

Buat apa ya? Lagipula beliau tidak tampak seperti penjual/pemasok nasi kering. Aku berpikir bahwa dia justru mau membeli nasi kering untuk dikonsumsi sendiri. (Karena tidak mampu beli beras). Karena beliau begitu dekil dan kurus.

Kemudian aku sepanjang malam akan mendengking-dengking kaya orang sakit wudun, memikirkan bahwa aku ingin tahu begitu banyak tentang orang-orang itu. Bagaimana mereka bertahan hidup, bagaimana mereka menahan lapar? Bagimana mereka berjuang memperebutkan sisa-sisa rejeki yang dibuang orang yang kelebihan.

Padahal kalau aku tau, pasti aku tambah sakit.

Selamat Idul Fitri.

Semoga Tuhan menjamin semua yang dikasihi-Nya.

paid to learn

2009-09-10T15:14:00.000+07:00

aku senang bekerja di tempatku sekarang.

meski nggak mudah dan harus berani mencoba apapun.

dan pekerjaan teraneh di dunia,

dibayar untuk belajar.

tapi bukan beasiswa loh...

s i d d h a r t h a

2009-09-08T21:01:00.000+07:00

Differently than before, he now looked upon people, less smart, less proud, but instead warmer, more curious, more involved. When he ferried travellers of the ordinary kind, childlike people, businessmen, warriors, women, these people did not seem alien to him as they used to: he understood them, he understood and shared their life, which was not guided by thoughts and insight, but solely by urges and wishes, he felt like them. Though he was near perfection and was bearing his final wound, it still seemed to him as if those childlike people were his brothers, their vanities, desires for possession, and ridiculous aspects were no longer ridiculous to him, became understandable, became lovable, even became worthy of veneration to him. The blind love of a mother for her child, the stupid, blind pride of a conceited father for his only son, the blind, wild desire of a young, vain woman for jewelry and admiring glances from men, all of these urges, all of this childish stuff, all of these simple, foolish, but immensely strong, strongly living, strongly prevailing urges and desires were now no childish notions for Siddhartha any more, he saw people living for their sake, saw them achieving infinitely much for their sake, travelling, conducting wars, suffering infinitely much, bearing infinitely much, and he could love them for it, he saw life, that what is alive, the indestructible, the Brahman in each of their passions, each of their acts. Worthy of love and admiration were these people in their blind loyalty, their blind strength and tenacity. They lacked nothing, there was nothing the knowledgeable one, the thinker, had to put him above them except for one little thing, a single, tiny, small thing: the consciousness, the conscious thought of the oneness of all life. And Siddhartha even doubted in many an hour, whether this knowledge, this thought was to be valued thus highly, whether it might not also perhaps be a childish idea of the thinking people, of the thinking and childlike people. In all other respects, the worldly people were of equal rank to the wise men, were often far superior to them, just as animals too can, after all, in some moments, seem to be superior to humans in their tough, unrelenting performance of what is necessary.

Slowly blossomed, slowly ripened in Siddhartha the realisation, the knowledge, what wisdom actually was, what the goal of his long search was. It was nothing but a readiness of the soul, an ability, a secret art, to think every moment, while living his life, the thought of oneness, to be able to feel and inhale the oneness. Slowly this blossomed in him, was shining back at him from Vasudeva's old, childlike face: harmony, knowledge of the eternal perfection of the world, smiling, oneness.

in my room

2009-09-08T20:42:00.000+07:00

ini lagu kesenangannya Nana, saat si Mumble 'bobok' di ceruk es...

There's a world where I can go and tell my secrets to
In my room, in my room

In this world I lock out all my worries and my fears
In my room, in my room

Do my brooding and my scheming, lie awake and pray
Do my crying and my sighing, laugh at yesterday

Now it's dark and I'm alone but I won't be afraid
In my room, in my room, in my room, in my room,
in my room, in my room

i heart statistics

2009-09-01T15:57:00.000+07:00

These past 4 weeks and several upcoming weeks I am and will be
struggling with an old friend.
(but this old friend i never get acquainted with- i wonder where was I during my 4 years of medical education that i dont know this local celebrity).

The old friend is statistics - to be particular it is biostatistics!

I'm learning with great anticipation and fear of mathematical stuff
involved in biostatistics. (Indeed Mr.A, my colleague said once to me : Statistics is when love and hate collide)

Actually i dont know where's the L O V E in statistics.

So What the hell is going that Im voluntarily involved in this dirty stuff (dirty)?

I tell you why...
Now im working with this guy, Mr. S. I told you he's greatest guy I admired so much during my yesteryear of medical education. This guy once presented in front of our class about public health issues in reproductive health gallantly. (You should know that Im easily amazed with those 'public health' things). And he's John Hopkins University fellow. And he's chief deputy of BKKBN at that time.

Then after I graduated i proposed to be his assistant, so I can learn a lot of thing from Mr. S. Then I will have better direction and wider perspective to
take public health major.

Later I found out that (why I always know later?) he's a biostatistician and demographer, his master and doctoral work both majoring in biostatistics.

So now you find me learning biostatistics everyday?

Yes!! My everyday jobs will include : construct biostatistics course syllabus, edit biostatistics presentation lecture, attend his biostatistics class, edit his article to be published in journal (of course the analysis utilizes biostatistics), translate his biostatistics book (from English to Bahasa).

Still not enough? This later job pushes me to my very edge to learn biostatistics : I'm involved in biostatistics practical session for undergraduate student. As what? As an instructor! This is mission impossible.

Im with Z E R O knowledge. To be a biostatistics practical session instructor.

I confirmed this with Mr. F, he's the guy who is responsible for 'all biostatistical stuff' in our office.

I went to him with puzzled face.
He said nicely,
' Be calm dear, Ifta. It's just the way things work here. Take me as example. when I first work here, I know barely anything. But Mr. S asked me to do this and that without asking me whether I was able to do it or not. Then I had to finish my job right? Then I just did it, learning by doing. Then I got used to his ways of improving his staffs skills. Just trust Mr. S that if he asked you to do something then he wanted you to gain new skills and knowledges needed to increase your competence. He want to see you improving'

What a dear acquaintance.

The funniest part of this is : One day Mr. S told me if I understand biostatistics well and add it up with my present knowledge then I will have a whole world and everything will be just easy and bearable to me.Another day, Mr. F asked me whether Mr. S had said the very same thing to me, that by learning biostatistics the world will be in my hands!
Likely that Mr. S often use the encouragement to push his colleagues to learn biostatistics.

So you can see me every night lay nicely in my throne. Nesting like a lazy mummy bird waiting for her eggs to hatch.The throne is consisted of 6 pillows and 3 bolster, arranged magically by my kindest husband to be my dear BIOSTATISTICS THRONE. And thanks to my dear husband that he's keen in mathematics and statistics so it will be easy for me to get some handy assistance from him.

And the flippery toddler named Nana will fly from one side to another side. And this toddler will keep whining and mumbling. She has learned to say one word vocabulary. One day she made up (by chance of course) to say one complete sentence : Ibu Nana mau lengkeng.

My husband was so delighted, he said : 'Nana, if you learn to say full sentences, then your requests will be better understood, and it might be easier to get your request fulfilled by then'

Then I added him gleefully : " Yup!! Plus put a little biostatistics,
then the world is in your hands, Nana!"

And by the way,
Do you know another local celebrity, a statistical test splendidly named as Kolmogorov-Smirnov test? I dont, until just now.
I dont understand why stuffs like these tend to have appealing names!!

You will survive with these top tips

2009-08-31T09:42:00.000+07:00

Aku kan langganan gratis BMJ. Ada feature 5 minutes for Junior Doctor. Lumayan loh buat belajar lima menit gitu...

Ada artikel yang lucu dari doc2doc mengenai tips survive saat jadi dokter baru. Lucu deh...

Please visit here

Sugar

2009-08-30T14:26:00.000+07:00

Sugar, ah honey honey
You are my candy girl
And you've got me wanting you.
Honey, ah sugar sugar
You are my candy girl
And you've got me wanting you.
I just can't believe the loveliness of loving you
I just can't believe the one to love this feeling to.

When I kissed you, girl, I knew how sweet a kiss could be
(I know how sweet a kiss can be)
Like the summer sunshine pour your sweetness over me
(Pour your sweetness over me)
Sugar, pour a little sugar on it honey,
Pour a little sugar on it baby
I'm gonna make your life so sweet, yeah yeah yeah

Ah sugar, ah honey honey
You are my candy girl
And you've got me wanting you.
Oh honey, honey, sugar sugar ..
You are my candy girl ..

My Girl

2009-08-30T14:09:00.000+07:00

She is a beauty
Bright fair skin
Pure smile, as pure as water

I love her secretly
Forgive me for my lacking of affectionate words and gestures

She didnt know
And now she hasnt, too
And she will never know

That I love her

We're in same class in high school
We share same birthday
Good friend but nothing went too far

Then we went to different faculty
She had bunch of good friends
And a special girl whom she could talk to about her problems

She never talks deeply to me
I never know her problems or sorrow
She was quiet
And I was lacking of affection
to show her
that I care

I was surprised that I felt heartache
Coz she didnt come to me to tell her stories
She had someone else

Then I got married
Then so suddenly her mother taken by God
by unfair accident

I was afraid of meeting her
Didnt know how to ease her sorrow

But she's tough
And she went on

Then she married a guy
She never told me about before
Loving and darling husband

And yesterday,
I visited her
She got a baby girl
So pink and soft and pure and beauty full

Likely, the baby is named after her mother
Her mother, whose name is similiar with my name

I love her more and more

Now she's happy

Big happy for you, my secret girl...

Ke Dlingo

2009-08-30T11:24:00.000+07:00

Uh aku jadi inget ketinggalan nge-post cerita ini...

Hari Minggu kemarin, aku mengajak mas Arka dan Nana nengok Desi. (Ingat Desi? Bayi kecil yang terpaksa kehilangan lengan kanannya karena tergulung roda sepeda motor?).

Ada titipan dari kawanku yang harus kusampaikan kepada Desi. Sori ya kawan, nunggu sebulan dulu baru sempet kuantarkan.

Perjalanan ke Dlingo berlangsung cepat saja. Nggak kaya waktu pertama kali aku kesana dulu, terasa jauh sekali.

Dua hari sebelumnya, ketika kuhubungi, ternyata Desi sudah menetap di Dlingo, bersama kedua orangtuanya. Jadi aku lumayan lega. Kutanyakan lewat telepon, bapak ibunya sudah akur kembali. Syukurlah, Desi membutuhkan dua orang tua!

Sampai di rumahnya, kami disambut Ibu dan Desi yang baru bangun tidur. (Oya, dia akan berusia 7 bulan tanggal 3 Juli nanti). Tampaknya cukup ceria, bayi itu.
Keluarga kecil itu menempati bilik kecil di sisi kanan rumah, berbagi dengan orang tua Bapak. Kulihat, biliknya penuh perabot. Wah, ternyata sejak dua minggu yang lalu Ibu boyongan ke Dlingo!
Seluruh barangnya di Gombong diangkut ke Dlingo. RUmah mereka di Gombong benar2 dikosongkan. Kursi, TV, dipan, kompor gas, speaker, semua dibawa. Keluarga itu benar2 sedang menata hidup, berniat menetap di Dlingo.

Aku lega sekali! Orang tua Desi sudah akur kembali, dan mereka memulai kehidupan lagi.

Bapak datang, dia selesai memuat batu pesanan orang.
Jadi, Bapak sudah mendapat pekerjaan! Dia memecah batu di ladang. (Banyak sekali batu di Dlingo). Batu2 itu ia kumpulkan dan dijual kepada siapa saja yang membutuhkan. Bapak mengaku, sekarang tiap hari ia dapat memenuhi kebutuhan sederhana mereka. Sedikit-sedikit.

Betapa mengagumkan ya, manusia itu bertahan hidup!

Bapak bercerita, sedang membersihkan ladang sedikit2. Keluaga itu berencana membangun gubuk kecil yang terpisah di ladang itu. Tanah sudah diratakan, namun Bapak perlu menabung sedikit2, untuk membeli kayu2 dinding dan atap rumah. Harganya lumayan mahal saat ini. Tapi, nampaknya Bapak yakin mereka akan dapat mewujudkannya, meski pelan2.

Kulihat juga, Bapak sudah memegang sepeda motor. Katanya menerima tawaran temannya, yang menggadaikan sepeda motor dengan harga murah.

Kemudian kami mengobrol tentang tanaman di ladang, tentang kayu2 yang bisa ditanam, tentang ternak yang bisa dipelihara.

Bapak ingin memelihara kambing. Namun itu nanti, katanya. Belum ada tempat yang cukup layak untuk kambing2nya. Nanti, setelah rumahnya berdiri.

Ibu, lebih menggembirakan lagi!

Dia tidak berniat lagi pergi bekerja lagi di luar negeri (Ibu dulu jadi TKW, selama sebelas tahun, meninggalkan anak pertamanya dari suami pertamanya dalam pengasuhan saudaranya.)

missing her...

2009-08-11T16:01:00.001+07:00

Kangen banget sama Nana

She's unbearably sweet...
Jadi pengen beliin sepatu yang bagus banget...

Sepatunya Nana tuh jelek-jelek...

clueless

2009-07-21T20:29:00.000+07:00

malam ini Nana boboknya kepagian. Jam 18.30 udah tidur. Padahal biasanya aku harus 'perang' sama dia.
Dari ganti baju tidur, menyingkirkan benda2 besar yang tidak diijinkan di atas tempat tidur, sampai mematikan lampu.

(contoh fragmen ritual pergi tidur)
nana : mimik mimik...
miss mummy : yu mimik yu..
nana : ayun ayun (payung.. minta bobo sambil pegang payung)
miss mummy : nggak nana.. Payung nggak boleh di tempat tidur lagi.. Udah mau bobo
nana : dajah..
miss mummy : oya.. Kalo gajah boleh naek (Gajah adalah boneka sebesar Nana, yg empuk dan manis)
nana : uwa uwa uwa...(kura2 jg sebesar Nana, so bayangkan..)
miss mummy : oya kura-kura juga boleh bobo di sini

Wah tapi tadi dia langsung merem. Jadi aku banyak waktu luang nih..
Trus ngobrol north and south sama mas arka. (This is the kind we used to do when we're just two of us. Ngobrol nggak jelas dan nggak penting berjam-jam, cekikian terus berdua)

Temanya : Nana bobo di boks.

So ceritanya, Eyangti mengamati Nana yang sering bintil-bintil di pagi hari. Suspeknya tentu saja nyamuk yang suka nggigit. (Oya, Eyangti-mertuaku, itu supergrandma, sangat perhatian dan cermat terhadap semua. I adore her much for her perfect home management)
So Eyangkung, mengutarakan pesan mbak Visi (kakak mas Arka) agar kami menggunakan boks besarnya Alina (putri kecil mbak Visi yang sudah 7 tahun)untuk Nana.
Agar Nana nggak digigiti nyamuk, karena boks itu berkelambu. Plus agar bebas dari kekuatiran nana jatuh waktu tidur.

(FYI, kami tidur dengan spring bed tergelar di bawah, tanpa ranjang, hanya dialasi karpet. Gara2nya Nana pernah dua kali jatuh dari tempat tidur yang tinggi.)

Mas Arka nggak setuju. Dia nggak suka sama ide boks yang berjeruji itu. Lagipula, Nana tu lasak banget kalau tidur. Kalau di boks malah takut mbentur2 atau kejepit jeruji.

Wah tapi, tentu saja, seperti biasa Eyangkung dan Eyangti punya argumen yang sangat2 jarang, yang tak akan pernah kupikirkan.
(I'm less organized mother than my parents inlaw)

Argumen satu adalah, Nana tidur di bawah, tanpa ranjang, bisa bikin gampang pilek. (Karena sentuhan dengan lantai yang dingin secara langsung.)

Argumen dua adalah, karena di bawah juga serangga2 yang sering melata jadi lebih mudah menggapai Nana (kan nggak perlu naik ranjang dulu).
OMG, aku jadi geli mikir Nana dirubung kecoa dan dirambati tikus.
I really never think bout that.

Argumen tiga adalah, di bawah, CO2 lebih banyak terkumpul dan mengendap (kan lebih berat) so nana mungkin menghisap lebih banyak CO2.
This is extraordinary! Aku terperangah mendengarnya!
Aku kan nggak pernah sama sekali kepikiran seperti itu.

So.. aku terbengong2 mencerna info terakhir yang kedengarannya sangat ajaib bagiku.
Aku benar2 sesaat membayangkan Nana selama ini tidur dengan menghisap lebih banyak CO2.. Sesaat aku takut otaknya teracuni CO2 dan mungkin membuatnya jadi balita yang bodoh dan nakal.

Tapi as always mas arka selalu bisa mengelak dari such a thing. So he skipped that seemingly scientific facts.

Giggle giggle...

Aku jadi ketawa.
dan betapa tadi kita terus membicarakannya sambil tertawa terus menerus..

Aku jadi inget kebodohanku.

Inget pelajaran IPA waktu SD yang memaparkan fakta bahwa tumbuhan menghasilkan Co2 waktu malam hari.
Dan aku ingat guruku pernah menyarankan agar kalau malam hari jangan tidur di bawah pohon, karena pohon akan mengeluarkan banyak CO2.

(Dan literally, aku membayangkan the tree pouring down its CO2 on us.. make us gasping for air). Ouch ouch..

Its weely reely unbearable!

Tapi, sekali lagi..
Kayanya otakku deh yang teracuni CO2.. Hehe..
I can never make up all those possibilities in my narrow minded brain. Though maybe the facts are flaws and silly hoaxes. But, they still encourage us to give full protection to your child.
What makes you a perfect Mom?

r e a l

2009-07-14T10:58:00.000+07:00

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

Konservasi Alam dan Kesehatan ala Kinari Webb

2009-07-09T15:48:00.000+07:00

KOMPAS, Rabu, 8 Juli 2009

Pelestarian hutan dan habitatnya tak melulu berkutat pada apa yang ada di dalam hutan itu. Justru dengan gerakan nyata, peduli memperbaiki kualitas hidup masyarakat di sekitarnya, kelestarian hutan bisa terwujud.

Pemikiran inilah yang mendorong dokter asal Amerika Serikat, Kinari Webb (37), mendirikan lembaga nirlaba Alam Sehat Lestari atau Asri yang memberikan pelayanan kesehatan di Sukadana, Kabupaten Kayong Utara, Kalimantan Barat, berbatasan dengan Taman Nasional Gunung Palung (TNGP).

Begitu melangkahkan kaki ke halaman Klinik Asri, sebuah pengumuman terpampang di depan klinik, ”Bisa bayar biaya berobat dengan barang atau kerja di Klinik Asri”. Di bawahnya, terinci kerja yang dimaksud, meliputi bekerja di kebun organik Asri atau di klinik.

Pekerjaan di kebun organik antara lain membuat bedengan, membersihkan rumput, mengisi kantong plastik, menanam bibit, dan menyiram tanaman. Adapun pekerjaan di klinik antara lain mencuci seprai, menyetrika pakaian, membakar sampah, menggulung kapas, dan menyiram bunga. Untuk pekerjaan selama tujuh jam sehari, klinik Asri menghargainya dengan upah Rp 50.000.

Sementara itu, barang yang bisa digunakan untuk membayar biaya pengobatan adalah kotoran ternak, bambu, atap daun, tanaman bunga, ayam, beras, sekam, dedak, cangkang telur, hingga kerajinan anyaman, di antaranya tikar pandan dan bakul. Barang lain yang bisa digunakan untuk alat pembayaran adalah bibit buah-buahan.

”Tak semua orang mampu membayar biaya pengobatan dengan uang, apalagi sebagian besar dari mereka itu masyarakat pedesaan yang kurang mampu. Mereka bisa membayar dengan tenaga atau barang yang dimiliki,” kata Kinari menyampaikan alasannya menerapkan pola pembayaran tak lazim pada era modern ini.

Lantas, mengapa barang yang digunakan untuk membayar juga tak lazim? Ternyata, barang yang bisa dibayarkan itu mendukung program konservasi alam yang dia kembangkan melalui kebun organik. Kotoran hewan dan cangkang telur menjadi pupuk organik. Ayam, dedak, sekam, atap daun, dan bambu digunakan untuk mengembangkan peternakan kecil yang mendukung kebun organik. Adapun bibit tanaman untuk merehabilitasi hutan.

”Klinik bukan program utama. Klinik ini kita pakai untuk program yang lebih besar, yakni konservasi hutan. Klinik menjadi alat untuk memotivasi masyarakat menjaga hutan,” katanya.

Klinik Asri juga mengembangkan sistem insentif bagi masyarakat desa sekitar yang peduli dengan kelestarian hutan. Insentif itu berupa pelayanan ekstra layaknya puskesmas keliling dan memberikan potongan harga.

Penentuan layak dan tidaknya desa mendapatkan insentif itu dilakukan Asri bersama Balai TNGP. Setiap bulan mereka bekerja sama membuat penilaian dan pemetaan, desa mana yang prokelestarian hutan (dikategorikan Desa Hijau) dan mana yang tak menjaga kelestarian hutan (Desa Merah).

Dikategorikan Desa Hijau jika masyarakatnya tak menebang pohon secara liar, membakar lahan hutan, memburu hewan, dan melaporkan tindakan pembalakan liar oleh warga lain. Jika yang dilakukan sebaliknya, desa tersebut dikategorikan Desa Merah.

Pola insentif ini efektif mendorong masyarakat menjaga hutan. Sejak Klinik Asri didirikan Kinari pada Juli 2007, dari 23 desa di sekitar TNGP yang terlayani, semakin banyak yang masuk kategori Desa Hijau.

Meneliti orangutan

Ketertarikan Kinari melakukan konservasi hutan di kawasan TNGP berawal dari peran yang disandangnya sebagai peneliti Universitas Harvard. Ia datang ke Indonesia dan meneliti keberadaan orangutan (Pongo pygmaues wurmbii) di TNGP pada 1993. Topik penelitiannya adalah ”Kepentingan Orangutan untuk Semua Ekologi di Hutan”.

Dari penelitiannya itu, ia menyimpulkan, jika orangutan punah, banyak pohon juga akan punah karena persebaran beberapa biji dan penyerbukannya dibantu orangutan. Ada rantai kehidupan di hutan yang akan putus jika orangutan punah.

Meski mengetahui kelestarian orangutan penting bagi kelestarian hutan, ada pengalaman yang membuat dia berpikir bahwa kualitas hidup masyarakat sekitar hutan juga penting bagi kelestarian hutan. Untuk yang satu ini, dia berterima kasih kepada Pak Tadin, warga setempat yang membukakan mata hatinya lewat ”pengalaman tragis” di hutan.

Suatu ketika Kinari masuk hutan dan Tadin membukakan jalan untuknya dengan sebilah parang. Telapak tangan kanan Tadin terluka oleh sabetan parangnya sendiri. Ia tak menduga, Tadin yang bertubuh besar dan piawai menjelajah hutan justru berteriak histeris seolah-olah hampir mati. Padahal ia tahu, hanya dengan membersihkan luka, memberinya antibiotik, dan menutup luka itu sudah bisa menyembuhkan luka Tadin.

Usut punya usut, minimnya pemahaman Tadin tentang kesehatan dan sarana kesehatan di wilayah itu membentuk pola pikir Tadin bahwa luka bisa membuat dia mati. Dari pengalaman itulah, tahun 1998 Kinari memutuskan kembali ke AS dan melanjutkan pendidikan kedokteran di Universitas Yale.

Selama menjalani pendidikan itu, ia sempat kembali ke Indonesia menjadi relawan, membantu penanganan korban tsunami di Aceh. Setelah lulus, panggilan hati kembali membawa dia ke Indonesia.

Bersama dokter gigi Hotlin Ompusunggu dan dokter Romi Beginta, keduanya dari Indonesia, serta sejumlah dokter dan tenaga medis, Juli 2007 ia mendirikan Klinik Asri. Kinari tak secara langsung menangani pasien, tetapi lebih menempatkan diri sebagai teman berdiskusi bagi para dokter dari Indonesia.

”Pendanaannya 40 persen dari hibah dan 60 persen dari donatur perorangan di luar negeri,” kata Hotlin.

Untuk mendapatkan donasi guna membiayai klinik, acap kali Kinari dan Hotlin pergi ke sejumlah tempat di AS dan mempresentasikan programnya. Sejumlah kerajinan anyaman tradisional yang diperoleh dari pembayaran masyarakat juga dijual ke luar negeri dan sangat diminati.

Setelah dua tahun berjalan, Klinik Asri melayani lebih dari 7.000 pasien, atau sehari sekitar 30 pasien. Setiap rekam medis pasien disimpan dalam bentuk dokumen dan di komputer, lengkap dengan data diri dan foto pasien.

Pelayanan kesehatan yang diberikan juga semakin lengkap. Ada pelayanan kesehatan umum, kesehatan gigi, persalinan, laboratorium, rawat inap, dan apotek. Dengan 3 dokter dan 22 staf medis, Klinik Asri juga memberi pelayanan panggilan 24 jam.

Klinik Asri juga bekerja sama dengan sejumlah lembaga, seperti Lions Club dalam membagikan 1.000 kacamata. Klinik pun berupaya memberdayakan masyarakat dengan merekrut dan melatih para ibu menjadi relawan pemantau pasien tuberkulosis dan membagikan obat cacing.

Biodata

• Nama: Kinari Webb • Lahir: Michigan, AS, 11 Januari 1972 • Suami: Campbell Webb (41) • Pendidikan: - Program Biologi, Reed College, Portland, 1993-1998 - Fakultas Kedokteran, Universitas Yale, New Haven, 1998-2002 - Spesialis Kesehatan Keluarga, Contra Costa Regional Medical Center Family Medicine Residency, Martinez, California, 2002-2005 • Pekerjaan: - Peneliti orangutan dan Manajer Penelitian Universitas Harvard di Kalimantan Barat, 1993-1994 - Tenaga Teknis Penanganan Medis Darurat di Alam Terbuka, Carepulus Ambulance Service, Lebanon, 1997 - Pelatihan Spesialis Kesehatan Keluarga, Universitas California Davis, 2002-2005 - Asisten Profesor Klinis pada Kesehatan Keluarga, Universitas California Davis, 2006 - Pendiri dan Direktur Program Alam Sehat Lestari, 2006-kini

diambil dari http://cetak.kompas.com/read/xml/2009/07/08/03091654/konservasi.alam.dan.kesehatan.ala.kinari.webb

Beasiswa Ford foundation terakhir

2009-07-03T20:58:00.000+07:00

TAWARAN BEASISWA

Ford Foundation melalui International Fellowship Program (IFP) kembali membuka kesempatan bagi anggota masyarakat yang kurang memiliki kesempatan untuk menempuh pendidikan tinggi untuk mendapatkan beasiswa penuh melanjutkan studi Pasca Sarjana di perguruan tinggi tertentu, baik di dalam maupun di luar negeri.
IFP bertujuan membantu individu yang memiliki potensi kepemimpinan dan berkomitmen untuk membantu kelompok masyarakat yang kurang memiliki akses dan/atau berasal dari kelompok tersebut. Bidang ilmu yang ditawarkan adalah sebagai berikut : seni dan budaya, pendidikan dn keilmuan, media, hokum dan penegakan hak asasi, ilmu social dan lingkungan, kajian-kajian pengembangan masyarakat dan bidang keahlian lainnya.

Program beasiswa IFP yang telah berlangsung selama sepuluh tahun berhasil menyekolahkan 281 putra-putri Indonesia dari 32 propinsi. Tahun ini merupakan kesempatan terakhir bagi pelamar beasiswa IFP di Indonesia, jadi jangan lewatkan kesempatan berharga ini.
Persyaratan
- Pelamar harus warga Negara Indonesia dan bertempat tinggal di Indonesia
- Telah menyelesaikan program studi Sarjana/S1 atau PascaSarjana/S2 dengan prestasi yang sangat baik
- Memiliki pengalaman berperan aktif dalam masyarakat atau komunitasnya minimal selama 2 tahun
- Memiliki rencana kerja dan berkomitmen untuk melaksanakannya setelah menyelesaikan masa studi
- Nilai bahasa Inggris tidak menjadi syarat mutlak dalam proses pra-pendaftaran
- Tidak ada batasan usia
Penyerahan formulir pra-pendaftaran paling lambat adalah tanggal 1 Agustus 2009 (cap pos). Formulir pra-pendaftaran dapat diperoleh secara langsung di kantor kami, melalui website,e-mail atau surat ke:
The Indonesian International Education Foundation (IIEF)
Menara Imperium, lantai 2B, Suite B
Jalan H.R. Rasuna Said Kav 1. Jakarta 12980
Telp. (62-21)831-7330;Fax.(62-21)831-7331
Email:ifp@iief.or.id
Situs web:www.iief.or.id/ifp

Life style!!!

2009-07-03T20:55:00.000+07:00

Ulang Tahun di Spa
Pada 2 Mei 2009, spababy untuk pertama kalinya menjadi tuan rumah perayaan ulang tahun anak-anak. Bri***a, merayakan ulang tahun ke 5 mengusung tema Bri***a’s Fashion Show. Sebanyak 20 gadis cilik diundang untuk berdandan bersama mulai dari mak up, tatanan rambut sampai menikur. Bagi yang belum mendapat giliran dapat menikmati hidangan jus dn kue kecil. Puncak acara adalah ketika para nona cilik berbaris dan bergantian berjalan di karpet merah bagai peragawati memperagakan busana. Senyum lebar anak-anak pertanda mereka sungguh menikmati jamuan pesta ulang tahun yang lain dari yang lain.

AB edisi 29 Juni-12 Juli 2009

Aku tidak tahu, orang tua gadis itu berpenghasilan berapa… Spend that amount of money (berapa ya dia habis buat bikin gituan) for that little girl. Dan besok, gadis itu mau tumbuh seperti apa…
Dan haduh-haduh… Makin nggak karuan aja dunia ini. Anak kecil dihela biar jadi kaya orang dewasa. Dan orang dewasa sekarang makin kekanak-kanakan.
Dan plis-plis.. Kita tahu, anak umur 5 tahun gitu suka dress up niru ortunya. Bagian tugas perkembangan juga. Kalo di kamar, masih oke lah. Pake stuff-nya si Ibu. Ini dipamer2in, ngundang2 lagi… Mbok ya, tahu deh. Life style kita makin kacau aja ya..
Jadi aku menyesal langganan majalah AB. Dulu waktu Ibuku langganan, kuingat majalah ini bagus menjelaskan perkembangan anak. Jadi setelah mau punya bayi aku pingin langganan lagi. Ternyata sekarang majalah ini pangsa pasarnya orang2 berduit. Rubrik belanja dan gaya-nya aja selalu diisi barang2 mahal. Misalnya neh, gaya masuk sekolah, ditampilinnya baju2 Guess, Zara Kids, Contempo yang sepotong celana aja 700ribu, blazer kecil aja 800rb. Ya Tuhan..
Mana informasinya juga nggak terlalu menggigit. Meskipun banyak dan lumayan berguna juga sih. Tapi, terkadang membacanya merasa dicekoki lifestyle semacam itu...

So, aku beli aja Nakita. Hehe. Sebut merek terang2an. Habis ni majalah bagus banget sih. Informasinya TOP, gendut, nggak pelit. Harganya murah lagi, 6-7ribuan. Murah banget kan? Meski murah, isinya sama sekali nggak murahan. Mana bonusnya tu lo, buklet2 yang penuh pengetahuan yang sangat berguna! Bisa buat contekan bahan mengajar-ku..
Baca Nakita, tiap bulannya ada aja yang baru. Trus dia bikin buku juga. Dan aku udah koleksi buku2 Nakita. Bagus-bagus banget.
Misalnya : Perkembangan janin dari Minggu ke Minggu, Perkembangan Bayi dari Bulan ke Bulan, trus Persiapan Kehamilan.
Nah, yang mau terbit, tentang permainan untuk anak-anak, buat stimulasi tumbuh kembang. Judulnya : Stimulasi Otak untuk Kecerdasan, launch 6 Juli ini. Aku mau beli!
Kayanya ajaib, Nakita tu tahu aja yang kita butuh.

Membuka Kunci Masa Depan

2009-07-03T13:19:00.000+07:00

Kemajuan suatu bangsa lebih ditentukan oleh kualitas penduduk ketimbang tanah yang subur dan sumber daya alam melimpah. Dengan premis yang diyakini banyak ahli itu, bagaimana memperkirakan masa depan suatu negeri dengan lebih dari separuh angkatan kerja hanya berpendidikan setingkat sekolah dasar?

Data Lembaga Demografi Universitas Indonesia memperlihatkan, 58,36 juta dari 111,47 juta angkatan kerja di Indonesia hanya berpendidikan setingkat SD (lulus dan tidak lulus). Sekitar 19,91 persen berpendidikan setingkat SMP, 20,7 persen setingkat SMA, dan 5,05 persen perguruan tinggi. Sampai tahun 2030, sebagian besar angkatan kerja kita masih akan berkarakteristik pendidikan SD ke bawah.

Dari jumlah angkatan kerja itu, angka pengangguran terbuka ”hanya” 9,39 juta. Sebanyak 102,55 juta berstatus bekerja, tetapi 33,26 persennya bekerja kurang dari 35 jam seminggu dan 59 persennya kurang dari 45 jam. Itu artinya setengah menganggur.

Sebanyak 60-70 persen yang bekerja terserap di sektor informal, dengan upah minimal, tanpa jaminan kesejahteraan. Kalau tak ada intervensi, mereka akan terus terperangkap dalam lingkaran kemiskinan.

Yang bekerja di sektor formal, seperti industri manufaktur, umumnya hanya menjadi buruh. Klasifikasi Baku Jabatan Elektronik 2002 yang dikutip ahli demografi, Sri Moertiningsih Adioetomo, menunjukkan, separuh pekerja di sektor elektronik adalah operator dan perakit dengan produktivitas serta nilai tambah yang minim. Hanya 0,7 persen mampu menduduki posisi manajerial dan 0,6 persen di posisi profesi.

Isu krusial

Kualitas penduduk merupakan isu krusial untuk menangkap kesempatan yang terbuka. Namun, dengan profil yang diuraikan di atas, sulit berbicara tentang penduduk yang berkualitas. Sulit pula berbicara tentang pertumbuhan ekonomi yang genuine. Keduanya berkelindan. Peningkatan kualitas manusia membutuhkan pertumbuhan ekonomi—meski bukan satu-satunya—tetapi pertumbuhan ekonomi tak mungkin terwujud tanpa dukungan manusia yang berkualitas.

Kedua hal itu tidak dimungkinkan tanpa upaya mengendalikan jumlah penduduk melalui program kesehatan dan Keluarga Berencana (KB) berperspektif jangka panjang, menyeluruh, dengan pendekatan siklus kehidupan (life cycle approach).

Ini mencakup pendidikan dan sistem pelayanan kesehatan sejak bayi dalam kandungan hingga akhir hidup manusia dewasa, dengan pelayanan berstandar dan merata ke berbagai pelosok. Kebijakan industri juga harus mempertimbangkan karakteristik tenaga kerja yang ada dan berbasis pada kekuatan sumber daya domestik.

Untuk itu seluruh sumber daya dan upaya harus dicurahkan untuk meningkatkan kualitas modal manusia, baik dari segi pendidikan, kesehatan, kecukupan gizi, kemampuan berkomunikasi, menguasai teknologi, maupun aspek-aspek sosial budaya lainnya (human capital deepening).

Kebijakan publik terkait human capital investment membutuhkan kebijakan lintas sektoral dengan pendekatan life cycle approach karena ini merupakan investasi sosial jangka panjang yang hasilnya baru bisa dirasakan dalam 30 tahun.

Hakikat kependudukan

Kependudukan merupakan persoalan yang rumit dan kompleks, tetapi sangat menentukan masa depan suatu bangsa. Begitu dipaparkan para ahli terkait masalah kependudukan, seperti Sri Moertiningsih Adioetomo, Muhadjir Darwin, Ascobat Gani, Nina Sardjunani, Erna Witoelar, dan Ida B Permana.

Kebijakan kependudukan tak bisa lagi direduksi sebagai Program KB dalam arti sempit, mengurus kontrasepsi. Dalam demografi ada ”window of opportunity” yang hanya terjadi sekali dalam perjalanan suatu bangsa.

Jendela peluang akan menutup kalau kualitas pendidikan, gizi, kesehatan reproduksi, kesehatan masyarakat, dan kesempatan kerja tidak meningkat serta tidak ada sinergi dalam perencanaan pembangunan. Cost of no action membuat ledakan penduduk usia kerja tak mengarah pada terbukanya jendela peluang; sebaliknya, menuju pintu bencana

Lembaga Demografi UI memperkirakan, ”window of opportunity” terjadi tahun 2020-2030. Pada kurun waktu itu, rasio ketergantungan mencapai titik terendah, yakni tiga orang dalam keluarga menanggung satu orang di keluarga. Setelah tahun 2030, Dependency Ratio akan naik lagi karena meningkatnya proporsi penduduk usia lanjut.

Terbukanya jendela peluang mengisyaratkan tingkat kesuburan (TFR) antara 2,01 sampai 1,87 pada 2020-2030. Di sini Program KB berperan melapangkan jalan menuju jendela peluang. Bonus demografi hanya akan terjadi kalau ada upaya rekayasa demografi dibarengi peningkatan kualitas manusia penduduknya.

Tak terlalu cerah

Jumlah penduduk usia kerja tahun 2020-2030 diperkirakan mencapai 180.380.00 dan 192.630.000 kalau TFR menurun. Penurunan TFR akan menurunkan jumlah penduduk dari 332 juta (TFR 2,35) menjadi 288 juta (TFR 1,85) pada tahun 2050. Ada hal spesifik terkait dengan ini, yakni turunnya angka kematian ibu melahirkan (AKI), kesehatan reproduksi, dan penghapusan kekerasan terhadap perempuan

Namun, dalam dua survei terakhir, tingkat fertilitas (TFR) masih bertengger di angka 2,3. Artinya, setiap keluarga rata-rata memiliki 2,3 anak. Kalau melihat sensus tahun 1990, seharusnya saat ini TFR sudah turun menjadi 2,1.

Meski demikian, semua ini tak cukup berarti kalau persebaran penduduk tidak merata—artinya pertumbuhan lapangan kerja juga tidak merata—dan ancaman infeksi menular, khususnya malaria, TB, dan HIV/AIDS, terutama pada warga usia produktif, tidak diantisipasi.

Fenomena kemunduran juga membayangi terkait ideologi. Bahkan ada partai politik yang terang-terangan kampanye anti-KB. Pandangan pronatalis juga menguat pada era otonomi daerah seiring dengan menguatnya identitas dan besarnya dana alokasi umum yang bergantung pada besaran jumlah penduduk.

Membaca sejarah tentang punahnya sejumlah bangsa, collapse pada zaman ini juga ditengarai oleh ledakan pertumbuhan penduduk dibarengi kualitasnya yang rendah, penyakit, perang, dan perebutan kekuasaan yang terus-menerus serta kehancuran lingkungan dan sumber daya alam.

Kunci masa depan ada di tangan kita. Yang dibutuhkan adalah pemimpin visioner yang sungguh-sungguh memahami persoalan, punya perspektif (kesejahteraan) jangka panjang, dan tidak terjebak pada politik kekuasaan….

dari http://cetak.kompas.com/read/xml/2009/07/02/05185321/membuka.kunci.masa.depan

Award Perdana

2009-07-03T11:57:00.001+07:00

Oh, terima kasih Nadya, aku dapat award nih.. Love you love you..

Akhirnya kupasang dengan cara paling konvensional yang kutau.

Hehe...

Semoga aku bisa bikin posting yang bagus2 kaya Nadya & teman2nya...

Ngimpi ke John Hopkins

2009-06-29T10:22:00.000+07:00

Halah!

Susah banget kali ya.. masuk John Hopkins.
Tapi publikasinya Center for Communication Programs JH membantu sekali...
Favoritku, selain How to Mobilize Communities for Health and Social Change,
adalah A Field Guide to Designing a Health Communication Strategy.
Downloadnya juga ga per-chapter. Jadi friendly banget.

Aku jadi tau ilmu komunikasi dari sini.

Dan ternyata bikin program kesehatan pun perlu branding yang top juga.
Itu juga mempengaruhi pemanfaatan layanan kesehatan.

Kalo aku jadi active user produk2nya John Hopkins nanti digampangin
nggak ya masuknya, hehe

Air Hujan dan Kita

2009-06-27T00:34:00.001+07:00

Ayo kita ke Gunung Kidul!!