WHEN THE SMARTS ARE NOT RICH

This is my primary school friend, Tutik. When in the first year to the third in primary school, she was absurdly foolish. She couldn’t read when all her friends had been able to read smoothly. Moreover, if teachers taught maths, she certainly could not afford the problem given by the teacher. But wonders happened to her. In the fourth year, she became very prominent in each lesson. Not only in Indonesian and science, in Mathematics she was most proficient. We, who originally mocked her, respected her. Tutik continued to most favorite junior high school in our city. In that school she was not invincible. Still number one. From the junior high school, she continued to the most favorite high school in our city. And when she was in high school, she could not be dammed. Her intelligence was promulgated outside the school walls. I, an SMK student, amazed when I was aware that almost every person knew Tutik because of her intelligence.
But unfortunately, the brilliant student was obstructed by poverty. Tutik’s mother was widowed. She sold fried fish in the market. Tutik desired to continue her study in IPB, her dreamed college, but she couldn’t. She could only attend school at a local university, which is not good in quality. But, even called as a school that is not good in quality, Tutik entered it with great difficulty. To pay for any monthly fees she must pay it by becoming a teacher in private schools.
Fortunately Tutik ingenuity was not lost just because she could not attend school in IPB. When he finally graduated from the school, she passed the CPNS test to become a high school teacher in the village.
Tutik can be quite successful. If I have a friend like Tutik, I believe many people have friends, neighbors, brothers who have not enough money to study in university. I can not imagine how many intelligent people in this country who are not able to show their ingenuity to the world. They should become doctors, engineers, lawyers who are able to work with the most brilliant works, but they only become a laborer because they cannot get higher education.
I can not imagine what would happen if every intelligent person in this country was born from a poor family.

INSIGNIFICANT DEVOTEE

Because beauty is adored and hunted by every person, then each person also wants to be beautiful. Because the intellect is welcomed by people, then each person also wants to be smart. Because the richness is praised by every person, then each person shall have a desire to be rich. Because the position means the glory, then each person dreams that they have position. All people hope that all praises are for them. So each person dreams to have beauty, intellectual, wealthy, and position.
No. It is not blamed for people if they true struggle to get it through the praiseworthy way. If people get it through the right way, through hard work, sacrifice, sweat and exhaustion, it is commendable. But if all of those are found through a shortcut, without hard work, and are applied within a few days or even a few hours only, it is blamed for the humanity. Not the glory.
I met a woman. Perfect beauty. She uses long hours resistant perfume. It can prevent perspiration odor. Fine clothes. Certainly expensive price. She wears the flashy jewelry. Her smile is sweet. When she talks to someone, she makes him proud. She was humble. Her steps are accompanied by smile. But all of those are done when she needs people, when she needs people in her surrounding areas, the ordinary people. While she no longer needs the people, she returns to her original mold. It is she who only wants to interact with her peer.
I meet a seemingly clever man. He wears simple clothes. He wears no special accessories. Ordinary man. But he is too silent. He speaks when it is necessary. It appears that he was an extraordinary thinker who worked hard with his brain for the mankind. He never interacts with the meatball seller, with a coolie, with the scavenger, his neighbors. If he spoke, he uses a language which is not understood by those people. That is why he does not talk. Not useful for him to speak the paltry. Just wasting time. His level is the scientific journals, the graduate-level lectures. What can be donated by a coolie for mankind? meatball seller only works for himself and his family. He, the cleverest, works for all people including the meatball seller. People of this rank are the noblest. No one knows if the Doctor forges his scientific work. He studied in only one semester university.
I had a talk with a fat man. Each time, his speaking topic is only about political issues. Problems of people. But he talks the most piercing when the discussion switched to his salary increasing. He wants one hundred million rupiah a month when the people who was wanted to be prosperous wrestle with hunger.
I get around my town and see the row of schools. The schools race to beautify themselves. They have high fences. Magnificent new buildings. At the board, written the words that show the standard of the school. National or international standard. Students, as well as teachers walk, drive with pride. Self determination as a bright future for the nation make a certain kind of aglow face.
From these schools, graduated beautiful women, intellectual man, and powerful politician. I do not know if I have to be ashamed or proud.

CHOICE

Choose one of these: “you fight and become a looser but then you get information, very useful information for the next fighting. Or you just stay home, not fighting. Not becoming a looser or a winner.
I hope you will choose the right choice.

LOOSER

My students attended an English competition.
And they didn’t win it. They looked very disappointed.
What should I say to relieve them?
I said:
“You had tried. And you had tried your best. God gives us a time to win so we can taste victory. And God also gives us a time to loose so we can taste failure.”
“Soon we will realize that the most perfect is God”
I hope they will be relieved.

DEBATE CONTEST

Becoming an adjudicator in an english debate contest makes me aware. Two groups which are in the debate stage should explore the topic deeply and equip themselves with various valid data. If not, one of them will be the looser.

LAZINESS

Most of my students are lazy to study. They have many reasons when I ask why. Anytime I ask them to study even in fifteen minutes. I think it is better than never. I hope they will listen and do what I ask them to do.

GOOD JAVANESE OR GOOD INDONESIAN

We are Javanese. Among the Javanese, we show our respects to older people by using higher lever of Java language (krama inggil) when we talk to them. Often my students can’t use the proper Javanese when they talk to their teachers.
So, often I say:
“Students, say it in good Javanese. If you can’t, use your good Indonesian. Okay?!”