I LIKE WHAT YOU HAVE

Ajeng is Indonesian woman. She has a new friend from USA. Her friend’s name is Paula. Paula is spending her holiday in Indonesia. She is staying in a hotel near Ajeng’s house.

Last Saturday afternoon, both of these two ladies went to the beach. When they arrived, lots of people had been there. Some of them were the people from other countries. “Hmm… I like the weather like this. The sun shines brightly, the weather is so hot. It’s the perfect time to lay on the sand and toast my skin,” said Paula excitedly. Ajeng just smiled and they changed their clothes.

Afterward, Paula laid on the sand. She seemed enjoying the sunshines touch her skin. Meanwhile, Ajeng was sitting on the shady spot under a tree. She enjoyed the beauty of the sea from under the tree. Paula saw Ajeng and she approached her.”Hey, why are you sitting here? Let’s enjoy the sunshine on the sea-shore!” persuaded Paula.

“Oh..no..no..! I had better sit here. I’m afraid my skin will be darker,” said Ajeng.

“Ha..ha..ha.., I want my skin to be tan and you are afraid to be brown, said Paula while sitting beside Ajeng.

“Most of women here expect to be white. They use whitening cream and even having white injection to change their skin color to be white. We consider white is more beautiful than other skin color. Some have been bored with brown skin,” explained Ajeng .

Paula smiled. “Most people expect what they don’t have,” she added.

After spending three hours in the beach. Both of these two ladies went back home. Ajeng invited Paula to have dinner with her family. “Paula, would you have a dinner with my family? My mother has cooked some special dishes,” asked Ajeng.

“Yes, with pleasure.”

When they arrived, Ajeng’s mother welcomed Paula warmly. She shook hand with Paula as a greeting. She doesn’t speak a word to Paula because she doesn’t speak English. Ajeng and Paula came into the house.But then, Ajeng’s mother drew Ajeng hand and said, “Ajeng, perhaps Paula doesn’t know that we don’t wear shoes at home. Let her know politely!” Ajeng’s mother said in Bahasa Indonesia.

“I’m sorry Paula, but we don’t put on shoes at home,” said Ajeng. Paula stared at her shoes. “Oh..yeah, I’m sorry. I didn’t know it before.

“That’s ok. Let’s go to the dining room. Ajeng guided Paula to dining room where all the members of Ajeng family had sat there. There are some special dishes at the table. Thay enjoyed the dishes after praying. “What is this green dish? Is it a porridge? Paula asked.

“Oh, no, it’s cassava leaves. We pound it and then we boil it with coconut milk and some spices, “ explained Ajeng .

“I think I’ll try the sattay first.” Paula tasted the sattay, “God, it’s so spicy!” She directly drink the water.

“Sorry, Paula. Most of people here like spicy food so my mother cooks it spicy.

“Never mind, I try this one. Hmm.. it’s nice . By the way, why don’t you put on shoes at home?”asked Paula while enjoying the dishes.

“We think it’s impolite. If we come to our friends’ house but we don’t take off our shoes, the hosts will think we are so arrogant. But, I think it’s because of the weather here. It’s so hot so if we wear shoes at home, it will be uncomfortable,” explained Ajeng .

“Oh… I see. But, I see most of you wear slipper not shoes, don’t you?

“Yes. Paula, is it snowing in your country now?

“No, it’s summer now. Why? Do you want to see the snow?”

“Yes, I expect to see the snow someday.”

“He..he.., I ‘ve been bored with snow,” said Paula .

After finishing dinner, Paula heard Ajeng belching. “Auchh… Ajeng, that’s not good,”said Paula . Ajeng wondered. What’s wrong? I didn’t do anything.

“You just belching, that’s so rude,” said Paula.

“Oh..you mean belching. I’m sorry if it’s not good for you. We often do it here. It means we enjoy the food.

“It’s rude in my country,” said Paula

Both of these two ladies still talking about the different between east and west culture, including the impolite thing to ask an old woman about her age in west culture but it’s an acceptable thing in Ajeng’s country.

The text above is only illustration/fiction but based on little research. Sometiomes something that we posses is the thing that other people like/want. Things that we think good in our environtment is not always good in other places.

IN THE BUS

Bus is a means of transportation to carry people from one place to another place. Not only passangers get on to bus but also thief, robber, and hypnotist.

I got into a bus. A man got into the bus too. He sat in front of me. He was holding a cage covered by a brown paper. We didn’t know what was inside the cage until we heard a bird singing national anthem. All the passangers were surprised. “What a great bird!”

Two passangers (men) seemed interest to the bird. They began to ask the bird owner sort of question as they knew it was a rare and expensive bird. One of these two men wanted to buy the bird but the owner refused it because the bargain price does not suit him. The bird kept on singing with its beautiful voice. It could sing many songs well. I was amazed but I still wondered what kind of bird which could sing so beautiful.

Suddenly, the owner greeted the a passangers (a woman). This woman seemed had just shopped because she carried many shop bags. The owner tried to sell the bird to this woman. He made conversation with this woman until she gave up a lot of her money to buy the bird. After that, the owner got off with the previous two men who interested to the bird. The woman was holding the cage. But, 5 minutes later, we didn’t hear the bird sing anymore. All the passangers asked the woman to open the brown paper.

“What a bird!” said all the passangers. Everyone knew that bird was so cheap. The woman looked so weak and pale because she had spent a lot of money just for a cheap bird who couldn’t sing at all.

When I got off, I still wondered from where was the bird voice. Did he have a cassete on his pocket? What a creative trick! It will be better if he use it to entertain people not for foolin and take away other money. Sometimes, we can get good and bad experience in bus.

THINGS WE CAN LEARN FROM ANIMALS

Have you ever paid attention to a certain animal? Or if you have a pet at home, you can pay attention to it and find something special that you can learn from it.

1. Dog is a very loyal animal to his master.

I have a dog and he liked to go away from home for many days and then come back again. My father was worry that someday the dog went away and never come back anymore because he loves that dog. So, he tried to stop the dog by hurting him. Yes, it worked ( I hope anyone who read this note will not imitate what my father did). Since then, he never go away anymore. But, things that supprised me that is, my dog never hates or afraid to my father. Everytime my father goes home, he always wave his long tail as a symbol of friendship. Then, when my father is sitting, he begins to smell my father’s hand and feet; it’s like saying “are you okay?” or “are you tired?”.

The things that I don’t like from my dog is he has many children from many female dog; in a year he has children from my neighbour’s dog who live in my left house and then the next year he has children from my neighbour’s dog who live in my right house. I can’t imagine if he were a man, he must have much money to fund his two wives.

2. White dove is a loyal animal to his partner.

I ever heard that if one male or a female from a couple of white dove died, the other one will live alone forever without couple because he only have one partner in his life. I know now, why most of the wedding invitations that people had given to my family have pictures of a couple white dove behind it. It’s because of white dove is a symbol of sincere love, so they expect their marriage like white dove (once in a lifetime).

3. Ant is a very deligent or hard worker animal.

I often watch ants and I seldom find them sleeping. They always move here and there to get some food. I think I have to remember ants whenever I am sleepy or lazy to do something.

4. Eagle is a strong bird.

When the strong wind blows, an eagle will not fly low or change his direction, but he keeps on flying; he flies higher. We can learn from an eagle in our life. When we have problems, we tend to be down or change direction(escape from the problem). If we do like the eagle do; when we have problems, we through the problems then we will move up one stage in life (we will be mature one stage in life). I think I have to learn to be an eagle.

That’s all my writing. I hope it will be usefull for anyone who read this note.

Nova

'HAVING CANDLELIGHT DINNER ALMOST EVERYDAY ???'

In my country, especially in my city, we often do candlelight dinner almost everyday. Normally candlelight dinner is covered by a romantic athmosphere.Not so happened in my city! When people have candlelight dinner, they are covered by upset athmosphere ; they scold, they mock, they are angry and they say “ I Always Pay The Electricity Bills On Time But Why Still ‘BLACKOUT’?? Now, we are eating by the candlelight !

I also often see some comments of some Indonesians on facebook about Blackout

1. “Again!!!! Black out in my area !!!”
2. “ What should I do when Blackout??? Everything is dark. I had better go to sleep.”
3. “ I had better do something when Blackout than scolding,mocking or showing my anger?”
4. “It’s raining and it’s blackout!!! So complete !!! “
5. “ I can’t do anything, it’s dark !!! “

Those are some comments that I read on FB. We have been facing the electricity crisis since four years ago. During the last three years, we had black out for 4 or 8 hours a day. Every area had blackout in turn. Many complaints has been delivered to the Electricity Company and the government, but still this problems hasn’t solved yet but thank God now we only have black out for an hour in certain day.

The worst impact is for the students. They want to study ;they want to do their homework but it is hindered by Black out! They can not read clearly in candlelight.

My city is the third biggest cities in Idonesia. I think it breaks the record to save this world from Global Warning. Why ??? Because there’s a day for the people in this whole world to turn out the light for an hour in a day. It aims to save the world from Global Warming! We are here turn out the light almost everyday for 4,8 at least 1 hour. Should I be proud of my city???

Nova

WE ARE A FOOTBALL PLAYER IN LIFE

I love to watch football but only when FIFA World Cup.It means I watch football once in a four years. Even only 32 countries played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup but all over the world watch it and celebrate it. The hottest news in a country can be shifted by The World Cup News because most people talk and talk about football. People gather together in a certain place to watch The World Cup. That’s the spirit of football.

I personally supported German team to win this champion. I was dissapointed when I watch the round quarter final where Germany meet Spain. Spain beat Germany, 1-0. I’m not the football observer, but I can feel and see that German team played as not as good before(when Germany against Argentina). I don’t know the reasons, is it because of one of their striker didn’t play OR because Spain was too strong. Actually, a football team is not only compete with other team but they are also compete with the time.

I noticed something from Spain team (When Spain against Germany in round quarter final). Spain team played as though as they are the winner. They played like a champion. I can feel their spirit. They fell but raised up again; They kicked the ball to the wrong direction or the goal keeper caught the ball but they try and try again. When there was attack from other team, they defense their Goal. They didn’t let other team to possess the ball. And finally, they made a goal and this goal has brought them to the final and become the real champion in FIFA World Cup 2010.

We are like a football player in our life. Every people has a goal in certain aspect of life. We may have a goal in our job, in our study, in the marriage life, in friendships and even in our faith to God. But, sometimes we fall or get attack from others when we want to reach our goal. We can do what a football player do. When we fall, we raise up again.When we try to reach our goal but not yet success, we can try and try again. When other people attack or try to make us down, we can defense ourselves by a positive thinking. Till finally, we can make a goal; then become a champion.

Nova

YOU ARE A WOMAN WARRIOR

WOMAN WARRIOR

Nowadays, a woman warrior does not fight physically but she has weapons. Her weapons are her strength, her spirit, her love, her tenderness, her patience, and her faith to God.

You are a woman warrior if you are a single mother and fight to raise up your children.

You are a woman warrior if you are a widow and fight for your living.

You are a woman warrior if you fight against the disease.

You are a woman warrior if in uncertain condition , you still put your hope to God.

Last week, I got an email from a friend of mine. He says that his friend had a breast cancer. He lead me to a blog which is written by his friend. When I read that blog, I many times brushed my tears away. There’s a sentence which caught my eyes, it is written “it’s ruin my career and life”, I think I can understand her feeling but one thing that I can see from her blog that the cancer does not ruin her spirit/passion to recover. She is an optimistic woman and I know she can through it all. She is one of woman warrior!

My grandmother fought to raise up her five children after her husband passed away and she made it well. She was a good cook and when I asked her to cook, she did it for me. She taught me about faith to God when my parents didn’t do. Every night, I slept with her. I ever asked her ”why do you always sing praise song every evening?” She answer,” I always miss being in church.” She is with our Father now. I will always remember her love, her passion and her hope to God. She is a woman warrior!

A woman warrior is the woman who fight for something by her strength, passion, love, tenderness, patience) and put her hope to God.

Nova

THE SPIRIT OF RED WHITE FLAG

Notes for Readers

August 17^th is the date that will always be memorized by all Indonesians. You can feel the spirit of Red White Flag on this date in Indonesia. INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Besides ceremony that you can see in most of the place here, you can also see many contests and competitions are held here. Some of the competitions are held before August 17^th. This contests and competitions are aimed to grow and show the spirit of Red White Flag. Red means brave and white means holy.

Some contests and competitions which are held in every year are : tug of war, sack race, mounting nut, marble race, cracker eating contest, balloon breaking contest, singing contest, kebaya and batik contest, traditional dance competition, cooking competitions, etc. You can choose some competitions that you are interested in and join it.

Mounting Nut

I was born in the country which has diverse culture and religion. Indonesia has more than thirty tribes and five religions where every culture/tribes has its own language. We live side by side peacefully. I still remember what my primary teacher advised us; she said “THE PERSON WHO OBEY HIS GOD IS THE PERSON WHO RESPECT OTHER RELIGIONS.” Although, there are some arguments and terrorism but so far, we still can hold each other.

I live in Sumatera island, that is in North Sumatera. We still have Kalimantan island, Java island, Sulawesi island, Irian Jaya island and Bali is one of our small island. One thing that I miss to see in my country is the good progress.

Map of Indonesia

If you ask me, “Nova, what have you done for your nation/country?” I only can do a little for my country, I write information about my country so that if there are people who don’t know Indonesia, at least they know it from my writing above. INSPIRING INDONESIA!!

Nova.