Apa yang disebut-sebut itu memang benar...

Baca kalimat ini:

"Jika mampu mengikhlaskan, maka sesungguhnya itu adalah kebahagiaan sebenarnya."

Walaupun sering kali saya mendengar bahwa keikhlasan adalah hal terpenting dalam setiap aktivitas, namun baru kali ini saya mengalaminya sendiri. Sulit memang, tapi ketika hati ini sampai pada tahap mengikhlaskan, then everything will be very okay. Sesak dada dan gelisah seakan hilang begitu saja, tergantikan dengan rasa lega yang luar biasa. Hei, lihat! Saya bukan orang tersial di dunia ini, karena sesungguhnya tidak ada orang yang sial. Semua orang mendapatkan apa yang diusahakan dan telah menjadi bagiannya. Nasib saya justru masih lebih baik dibanding orang lain di sekitar saya yang kehilangan harta benda, keluarga, bahkan jiwanya dengan cara yang tidak disangka-sangka. 

Apa yang membuat saya galau tempo hari, juga ternyata bukan hal besar yang pantas membuat saya galau. Bahwa saya sudah melakukan yang terbaik itu mungkin benar, bahwa sudah banyak yang saya korbankan, itu juga benar, namun jika setiap kesulitan bermuara  pada IKHLAS, maka biarlah Dia yang mengganti semuanya dengan sesuatu yang lebih baik, insya Allah.

Kalau kata Babe, SUCI 3, "Aaah, sudahlah!" :))

*beautifulskyisunreplaced*

Different way

There are so many people we live with and some thinks different way and walk different paths with us. Maybe it's too selfish to make them think the way we think or make them go the way we go. Let's just blend and keep the way we are. In a good way of course :)

I'll Never Know

In life, it's always about courage.
No matter how difficult or simple it is. It's only about it.
Many stories convey it. Now and then, I consider it will never change.




Dare to taste some new delicacies eventhough it tastes real bad.
Dare to jump even when it causes us fall down to the ground and hurts.
Dare to win, also dare to lose.
Dare to have big dreams and chase them with all efforts.


All and all, to be dare is our reason to stay alive for me.
Eventhough, I'm not always have the thing along with me all the time.


I'll never know until I try :).

Amazing Birthday

Actually, I'm not a kind of person who like to celebrate any special events, even if it is birthday. I never have any special plans to face my coming birthday. Usually, I have only simple plans to manage my life any better, more well-organized me, but the plans never has well ending, though *sigh.

Since I am not in my early youth, birthday is become common occasion happens every year, nothing more. Today, maybe really AMAZING BIRTHDAY for me. My lovely students surprised me with their extraordinary plans that absolutely made me speechless. Big thank you for my students. I love all of you!!

This was an unforgetable birthday.

What a nice birthday cake :)

Huge thanks to them, muaah

Alhamdulillah, it will never happen, if Allah stops loving me, even for awhile :)

Tolong !!

Sebenarnya, setiap orang pasti butuh pertolongan. Mulai dari bayi merah, anak-anak, hingga orang dewasa seperti saya. Tapi ini saya yang ingin berteriak!

Sekitar dua atau tiga hari yang lalu, anak-anak saya di sekolah, menceritakan tentang boy band anak-anak (Ehm, cocok gak ya? Pokoknya mah, anak-anak yang nyanyi berkelompok) dan menyodorkan video klipnya. Seperti kita tau, sekarang ini lagi heboh-hebohnya boy band. Saya penasaran, ini boyband anak-anak, lagunya kayak apa?

Dalam bayangan saya, mereka ini akan serupa dengan Trio Kwek Kwek, Bondan (Si Lumba-Lumba), Agnes (Bala-Bala) atau Eza dan Agnes (Yes!). Yah, pokoknya, anak-anak yang menyanyikan lagu anak-anak juga. Tapi ternyata, bukan loh! Lagu dan video klipnya tidak berbeda dengan lagu orang dewasa yang kasmaran. Pantas saja ya, anak-anak sekarang menjadi dewasa sebelum waktunya.

Okelah, kalau anak-anak mendengarkan lagu orang dewasa, setidaknya bisa diarahkan bahwa itu hanya untuk orang dewasa. Anak-anak belum waktunya. Jika mereka dewasa nanti, baru boleh. Tapi ini, lagu orang dewasa, dinyanyikan anak-anak, tentunya persepsi anak-anak juga akan berubah kan?

Buat saya, anak-anak punya masanya sendiri untuk menjadi anak-anak dan satu saat nanti, insya Allah akan menikmati rasanya menjadi orang dewasa. Tidak perlu dibolak balik, karena tidak ada gunanya. Hormat dan salut saya pada pencipta lagu anak-anak yang konsisten dalam berkarya. Semoga rezekinya senantiasa berkah. Amiin.

Oleh-Oleh Lokakarya

Liburan kemarin saya ikutan lokakarya di Jakarta tentang Pendidikan Inklusif. Apa itu pendidikan inklusif? Artinya, sistem pendidikan yang mengakomodasi semua potensi peserta didik. Biasanya, ditandai dengan adanya siswa berkebutuhan khusus di dalamnya, tapi sebenarnya tidak selalu juga.

Ada tujuh narasumber yang super di dalamnya. Saya tidak perlu menyebutkan namanya satu persatu ya, disini saya hanya akan sharing oleh-olehnya, tidak perlu disebutkan pemberi oleh-olehnya. Mudah-mudahan bermanfaat terutama untuk para orang tua.

1. Setiap anak itu unik. Jadi pembanding setiap anak ya, sebaiknya dirinya sendiri, bukan temannya, kakak atau adiknya, apalagi orang tua dan gurunya. Ini mah udah beda zaman tentunya.
2. Potensi anak yang berbeda-beda, perlu disikapi dengan bervariasi pula. Misalnya, anak yang hobi berlarian kesana kemari dengan yang suka berbicara disikapi dengan berbeda pula. Ini artinya, mereka punya jenis kecerdasan yang berbeda. 
3. Jika respon anak terhadap sesuatu salah, maka yang perlu dilihat adalah yang memberi stimulus. Apakah stimulusnya sudah tepat? Biasanya anak hanya akan bereaksi sesuai stimulus awal yang telah dipersepsinya.
4. Hargai anak, sekecil apapun prestasi yang dibuatnya. Ketika seorang anak membantu ibunya mencuci piring dan hasilnya sebutlah kurang bersih, pujilah dulu, baru beritahukan kekurangannya. “Wah, rajinnya Adek, bantu ibu. Nih, nanti kalo masih ada sabunnya, dikasih air lagi ya…”
5. Perhatian dan kasih sayang orang tua berperan sangat besar dalam pertumbuhan dan perkembangan anak. Klise ya? Tapi praktiknya tidak mudah. Banyak anak yang merasa lebih dekat dengan pekerja rumah tangganya dibandingkan dengan ibu atau bapaknya sendiri. Ditinggal dua hari sama mbaknya kelimpungan, padahal ditinggal orang tuanya berminggu2, biasa saja.
6. Dengarkan anak. Saya punya siswa yang senang sekali bercerita pada teman dan gurunya (termasuk saya), namun tidak pernah bercerita sedikit pun pada orang tuanya di rumah. Selidik punya selidik, ternyata, ya itu, anak ini merasa tidak didengar ketika berbicara dengan orang tuanya. 

Sebenarnya, semua hal yang kurang dari orang tua, tidak sengaja pastinya ya, yang namanya orang tua kan sebenarnya selalu ingin yang terbaik untuk anak-anaknya. Mulai sekarang, ada baiknya, sebagai orang tua belajar dari anak-anak. 

Not To Mention

It's not to mention that I want to make everything less.
It's not to mention that their problems are always easy for me.
It's also not to mention that they don't have a right to be my priority, because they always do.

I just try to make them to see their problem as light as they can.
I just want them to be strong in dealing with any kind of problem.
I just want them to be wise in facing their problem.
All I want is, they take all lessons they got from the problem and forget other's bad behave to them.

I am adult and I take my part in taking care of my children,
once again, not to mention myself as a child.

I'll try my best in it, while I learn a lot of things from them also.

Responsibility

People will get their responsibilities along with trust from others. We will be good and worthy person, if we can take the responsibility well or at least do our best in doing it, with all the power we have.

Neglecting responsibility can cause bigger problem than we ever thought before. Student under our responsibility can be hurt phisically or mentally. Phisically hurts can be cured by some medicine and treatment, how about mentally? It also can be cured, but maybe it can't be healed perfectly, even if it could, it may take a whole life and time they had.

Hope there's no other irresponsible act that cause to something bad to others. Wishfully...

Movie is Learning while Feeling Entertain

My friend posted an interesting article into her blog. She wrote about her favorite movies. Well, it tickled me to post about mine here. Well, we have some things in common, but let's see whether we have the same taste in movies..

For me, movies travel me to unfamiliar places, stronger characters, inspirations of life, impossible moments become possible and also learn many expressions of languages.
Of course, I've watched many films and some of them, I don't remember the title though :)).

• 1st, I like a lot Serdadu Kumbang. It's Indonesian movie, about education and oh, the characters are strong and it's highly recommended for every teachers and educators in my country.
• 2nd, Laskar Pelangi. Still Indonesian movie and still about education. I think the launch of it is the awakening moments of high qualified Indonesian film.
• 3rd, Frequency. About time travel and fix the past for better future. It's impossible, but that's why I like the movie..:))
• 4th, Kungfu Panda. Fat and meaningless panda became very good in kungfu. What other reasons I should say about why I like the movie?
• 5th, Freedom Writers. Film about education. A young, high dedicated teacher who is willing to teach her students and save their future. Based on true story.
• 6th, SWAT. Full of tense film, just like it!
• 7th, Last Samurai. Here, an American admit that Japanese strives hard in doing their daily life.
• 8th, My Sister's Keeper. Taught me about love and the meaning of family.
• 9th, Sixth Sense. The unexpectable ending is really...owh!
• 10th, Hachiko A Dog's Story. Loyalty is also something even for a dog.

Those movies are not mentioned based on the rank. I just mentioned what comes on my mind :)
Finally I can write in a very hectic moments before the report :)

General Election at School (part 2)

Today is the day. We vote for the candidate. Honestly, the student I chose didn't win, but the winner is also satisfying (at least for me :)). The winner who got the most vote is number eleven (11).

Briefly, my students were so excited having the election. They make a (chaos) line before getting the letter, but they did it happily.

The 12 parties.

General Election at School

Tomorrow, we'll have general election (Pemilu) at school. There are 12 political parties which were made by my students. They already announce and promote their party to their friends and all 5th graders.

I can't wait to see who will be the winner of this election. Hmm, which one will I choose? It's secret, but I will choose a party with good performance in promotion.

Planetarium and Fatahillah Museum

Last Wednesday, I had school visit to three places, they are Ministry of Foreign Affair, Fatahillah Museum, and Planetarium. I won't tell about the Ministry of Foreign Affair in detail, it isn't tourism object anyway, but here is our photo.

in the Ministry of Foreign Affair

About Planetarium, well I will tell little about it. In Planetarium, we have an hour show about universe, planets, sun, meteor, meteor shower and else. It's quite amusing since I have no idea when I will experience it by myself. I mean going out of the earth and see planets are going around the sun, so does the satellites to the planets. In a moment, I felt like I was in the daily night life, looking at the sky and the stars are amazing. You can find more info about it here.

Planetarium

If you like to go to the museum like I do then you will agree with me that Fatahillah Museum is really historic and quite well-organized for a museum in Indonesia. Fortunately, I was there with my students, so we had two nice and friendly guides with us. I went around with the girls, so you will see many cute girls here with me ;). Okay, let's start, the museum is located in the west part of Jakarta. It is very strategic, near to the Jakarta Kota train station and also many other museums, like Mandiri Museum, Ceramic Museum and Wayang Museum, also there is a West Jakarta's Post Office across with the same type of building with Fatahillah Museum, so it's like you go to one place and get more than one experience, isn't it good?

Post office across it

First look in the outside the museum, you will see that Fatahillah Museum which is also known as Jakarta History Museum or Batavia Museum, you will see an ancient Holland building with wide front yard. For me, it is awesome. It's the look of the museum.

Fatahillah Museum

Around the museum, there are many bicycle for rent, also with colonial style, ancient bike and tandem along with with ladies hat, so nice...:). Unfortunately, I was so tired, so that I didn't rent a bike like my students did. In this case, age talks a lot :)). Well then, it's better you go yourself to these places and enjoy!

Let's ride bike

with the nice guide and Hermes :)

I Don't Know

Recently, I have many things on mind. I don't know how is it to be depressed and don't like to be. Getting angry with no reasons. Start to have wrinkled face in front of people I love. At that time, all I want to do is only listening to songs and musics I like and also murottal to conquer my feelings. Anyhow, I feel uncomfortable with such senses.

Many things need to be solved and I need to be happier. I need to say this to myself, happiness is mine. To be happy or not is my decision. Nobody can make me happy or sad. This is purely my decision. Even though, sometime things are not always this easy.

Being strong doesn't mean I have to smile every single day in facing my problem and stuffs, but avoiding myself to be such an annoyed person to anyone I know. Oh, come on, there's always ray of lights after the storm. Make it simple, make it fun, make me happy...

These Two Days

For these fantastic two days, I am learning to play a music instrument as a presentation for my students' graduation. I like it....! It's my second chance learn music instrument. The first one is around thirteen years ago. I learned how to play guitar for the vocal group in art subject. It was successful, though. Now, I'm learning calung! I'll tell you more about it. Just wait, complete with photos! See you...!

Teacher Sertification

Recently, the topic in my school is about the title I wrote. At first, when I heard about it, what's on my mind is teacher sertification=professional teacher. Am I wrong? Nope, not at all! What I'm thinking is right :). So, if a teacher gets the sertification, he or she will have a mark as a professional teacher and also get intensive teacher training as an effort of the government to create professional educators. Beside that, there is another benefit when a teacher gets it. He or she will get an extra salary, compile in a year. Just count it! What a big ammount of money is it for teacher! No wonder, many teachers who have ever talked about it with me, will stress the insentive of it. I wonder, how could they? Is the salary they get every month is too low? I don't think so, because government teachers already have salary raise many times.

I just wanna say that, how lamentable when teachers only think about the insentive they will have from the sertification, instead of becoming professional teachers. I understand that money will be very seducted, but number one priority should be the quality itself.

This is my suggestion to all my teachers who are also my friends who get their sertification this year. Congratulation and good luck for you all! :)

Extra...

As a teacher, I deal with many types of students. Fortunately, most of them are nice. For this entire time being teacher, I feel like it's a bless for me. I'm learning many things, academically or non academically, like patience, forbearance, and time punctuality. In short, I spend good times as a teacher, eventhough, it can be said that being a teacher is coincident. I didn't take education major for my bachelor degree, unless it was my childhood ideal. Yeah, when I was a child and didn't have many friends as I am introvert little girl, I think my teachers are my idol. Since almost all teachers are kind and friendly.

Back to my students, lately the girls are (I consider) too much in dealing with others. They tend to easily cry because of small things, being hurt just because a game played. I don't mean to underestimate their problems. I know everybody have their own problems. I compare their problem with the problem faced by my previous students in their age. 

All I wanna say is, I don't want them to take something too seriously when it's not necessary. Their journey is still long and windy. They have to be strong and forbear for every obstacles they will face in life. 

Be strong, kids! You have to be, from now and then...

Jadi Pelajaran

Pernahkah Anda melihat seorang anak menangis sambil teriak sekaligus merajuk minta sesuatu?

Saya pernah, baru saja tadi dan (shamely) anak yang menangis itu adalah keponakan saya :(.

Ceritanya begini, malam ini saya jalan-jalan sama keluarga saya (ibu+saudara-saudara) di salah satu mall di Jakarta Utara. Rencananya memang sengaja ke mall itu karena ada arena bermain anaknya. Sejak berangkat, si ponakan yang berumur 3 tahun lebih sekian bulan ini memang pingin banget main. Tapi kita memutuskan makan malam dulu. Selama acara makan malam, ponakan kecil ini malah sibuk mainan sumpit dan ngacak-ngacak, disuruh makan malah mainan di bawah meja. Dibilangin malah kabur dan melawan. Intinya dia tidak menurut, sehingga kami pun kompak tidak menuruti kemauannya untuk main. Lalu terjadilah insiden itu (lebay deh bahasanya!). Si ponakan nangis sambil meratapi mandi bola. Coba dibilangin lagi sama ayahnya, malah marah-marah, mamanya dipukul (saya paling nggak suka liat anak kecil dipukul orang dewasa, tapi ternyata miris juga kalo terjadi sebaliknya). Selama perjalanan pulang, si ponakan yang terus nangis, dicuekin. Lama-lama dia diam juga. Asli, nggak tega banget. Pengen meluk atau menggandengnya, tapi ah, mudah-mudahan ini memberinya efek jera agar lebih menurut lain kali.

Selidik punya selidik, ternyata memang benar bahwa semua tingkah polah dan karakter anak terbentuk dari lingkungannya. Setiap hari dia bergaul dengan teman-teman yang sering melawan orang tua jika keinginannya tidak dituruti tanpa ada timbal baliknya. Ditambah lagi kedua orang tuanya, yang tidak lain adalah kakak saya dan istrinya, senantiasa memberikan dengan mudah apa yang dia inginkan, bahkan hampir setiap pekan ke mall untuk main di arena bermain, termasuk mandi bola, beli baju atau mainan. Jadi wajar kan, kalau sekarang dia ngambek?

Pelajaran besar buat saya, tidak selalu menuruti keinginan anak itu akan berbuah baik. Bisa jadi maksudnya untuk menyenangkan si anak agar tenang, tapi malah jadi bom waktu yang siap meledakkan anak.

Konsistensi juga penting dalam mendisiplinkan anak. Jangan gentar dengan air mata! Jika gentar, mereka akan memanfaatkan kelemahan itu. Ingat dulu, walaupun anaknya sampai guling-guling di pasar sambil nangis, ibu saya tidak lantas mengubah kata 'tidak' jadi 'ya'. Dua jempol untuk beliau!

I Feel So Blessed

Yesterday, I went to special school for disabled students. I was there to meet one of the teacher to talk about one of my low vision student that needs to be trained to use braille letters. Then I found something more than just the talk. Below is braille writings. I don't know how to read it yet :). But anyway, I feel blessed for who I am now and yesterday was my outstanding experience.

Braille instruments

Table tennis for the blinds

Chess for the blinds

Hemmm

Two days ago, I was so surprised and upset about how people can be so irresponsible to things that they have to be responsible of and it influence other people's life. It's astonishing that the way people think is actually not the same as me (well, no one, right?). But, since we have the same occupation, I think they will be more responsible to something they should. I don't have educational background as them yet , but why then they do such things that show how they don't deserve to be.

I think nobody choose to be irresponsible person consciously, but what we or they do shows certainly what we have chosen in our life. Sometimes it's bothering me a lot, but what can I do?

Mobil Mewah Sang Wakil Rakyat

Kemarin sore saya lihat berita di satu televisi swasta. Beritanya biasa aja, tentang mobil mewah wakil rakyat. 
Biasa? Ya iyalah, apa sih yang luar biasa di negeri ini? Segala hal pernah terjadi, disorot mati-matian oleh media, lalu hilang begitu saja. Entah bagaimana penyelesaiannya. 

Apa definisi wakil rakyat? Dari wikipedia bahasa Melayu, saya menemukan definisi ini:

Wakil rakyat adalah seorang yang dipilih dalam pilihan raya (Pemilu) untuk menjadi wakil penduduk di kawasan pilihan rayanya (constituency). Mereka mempunyai tanggungjawab yang penting iaitu untuk menyuarakan masalah masyarakat di kawasan yang mereka wakili.

Tapi yang membuat miris adalah, wakil-wakil rakyat yang kita pilih itu ketika diminta pendapat tentang mobil mewah dengan harga "wah" (baca:hingga satu miliar lebih) yang dimiliki wakil rakyat, menjawab dengan jawaban yang "nggak banget deh" buat seorang wakil rakyat.

 "...tidak apa, yang penting kan bisa kebeli..." 

(saya) gubrak! (kalo beras kebeli gak ya, sama rakyat?)

"Kan ada fasilitas kredit."

(saya) gedubrak! (kalo bayar sekolah bisa dikredit gak?)

"...wajar, kalau anggota dewan (baca: wakil rakyat) memiliki mobil seperti itu..."

(saya) errrghh! (Wajar nggak, kalo banyak rakyat kelaparan?)

antri minyak tanah

Kebayang kan, kalau wakil rakyat yang seharusnya ada di barisan terdepan memperjuangkan hak rakyat dan berempati terhadap penderitaan rakyat, justru bersikap seperti itu. Lalu, kita harus mengadu pada siapa lagi?


Rakyat yang semakin miskin hanya disanjung dan dielu-elukan ketika musim kampanye. Setelah itu, "terserah mereka". How poor we are...


Jelaslah kita telah salah pilih, mungkin kita dulu terlalu polos dan percaya pada kata-kata mereka dalam kampanye? Atau dulu mereka yang terlalu polos dan menjanjikan beragam kebaikan pada kita? Mereka belum tahu kalau ternyata duduk di kursi empuk itu luar biasa enak dan melenakan. Entahlah.
Semoga rakyat negeri ini cukup tangguh untuk menghadapi kehidupan dan kesengsaraan. Berdampingan dengan mobil mewah wakil rakyat yang melintas di depan hidung mereka.

rumah kecil, rakyat kecil

mencari sesuap nasi dari tumpukan sampah?

*Semua gambar diambil dari "Penelusuran Google"