Journals
Monday,Aug 30 2004, 07:29:49 AMPART 19: MERDEKA!!! INDONESIAN 59TH...
PART 19: MERDEKA!!! INDONESIAN 59TH INDEPENDENCE DAY
AUGUST 17, TUESDAY
We had sport contest at school since last week. And on this day, to commemorate the country's liberation from the colonizers (Dutch) and attackers (Japan), all schools, all public and govenment branches raised their flag and sing their National Anthem.
Their flag has red on top of the white. Its from the Netherlands flag, actually, to symbolize the loss of their power over the East Indies (name before it became Indonesia) and to humiliate the Dutch by tearing out the Blue stripe. Then followed by the declaration of Independence by Sokearno.
The flag rasing ceremony was lead by Megawati in her Presidential Palace in Jakarta.
Cultural and historical presentations are being held the whole month long all across the nation.
AUGUST 18, WEDNESDAY
The Grade6 students from section A and B went to Trawas, a small town from the outskirts of Mojokerto, near Pacet, it is 1 and 1/2 hour (approx 30 km) West of Sidoarjo.
The owner of the school, Ibu Lina, has coordinated with some farmer so that the students can harvest carrot and corns by themselves. They were all exited to have a personal experience with nature.
AUGUST 19, THURSDAY
AIESEC Recruitment Day to Freshmen at University of Surabaya
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2004 15:26:13 -0700 (PDT)
From: Universitas Surabaya
Wednesday,Aug 25 2004, 10:33:54 AMPART 18: ISLAM (& My Minor Surgery) FOREWORD:
PART 18: ISLAM (& My Minor Surgery)
FOREWORD: Whatever you are about to read in this journal is about my own personal study about the two major religions – Islam and Christianity (Roman Catholic, Born Again Protestant, Roman Orthodox, Jews, and other Christian Minorities) – and it is not to destroy each other or in favor of the other. I have had and have been studying other religions before and as I always will be. I am a Catholic and I believe that there is only one Supreme Being. We have the same God, Allah, Yahweh, Deus, and Father but we worship Him in different ways according to the region’s history, culture, belief and practice. But in the end there is only One.
“Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him only shalt thou serve.” (Matthew 4:10)
“Say: He is God, the One.” (Al-Quran 112:1)
ISLAM is a peaceful and universal religion. Mohammed (peace be upon him) is the last prophet sent by Allah (God) as the fulfillment of the prophecy (in the New Testament) as told by Jesus:
“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the SPIRIT OF TRUTH is come, he will guide you into all truth,” (John 16: 12,13) (in Christianity, He was referring to the Holy Spirit of the Divine Trinity)
God revealed to him (Muhammad) “This day I have perfected your religion for you and completed My favour unto you, and have chosen for you as religion Al-Islam.” (Al-Quran 5,3)
“Jesus said, ‘The name of the Comforter is ADMIRABLE, for God gave him the name when he had created his soul, and placed it in Celestial Splendour. God said: ‘Wait MOHAMMAD, for thy sake I will create a paradise… When I shall send thee to the world, I shall send thee as my MESSENGER OF SALVATION…’ Mohammad is his blessed name “ (Gospel of Barnabas – from the Dead Sea Scrolls)
(this is one of the lost gospels during the early Christian Era. But Barnabas was never a disciple of Jesus. He was writing for another disciple. After his scrolls was found in the banks of the Dead Sea, questions was raised about the validity of what have Jesus said and done in the New Testament)
In Islam, JESUS is recognized as a great Prophet of God and as a mortal man:
“He (Jesus) said: Lo! I am a servant of God. He hath given me the Scripture and hath appointed me a Prophet” (Qur’an 19:30)
“The likeness of Jesus with God is truly as the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust, then he said unto him: Be! and he was.” (Qur’an 3:59)
MOHAMMAD is the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, the Messenger of God about whose coming Jesus had given the good news. He is called ‘Al-Amin’ the Trustworthy, the Faithful. He was raised to represent the essential message of all the prophets (including that of Jesus, Moses, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, etc). He had come to complete, not to destroy, the work of the earlier prophets. He did not resort to miracles, which may win over the few who witness them.
Jesus did not live long enough to give chance to put into practice many of His precepts and teachings. (in Islam, Jesus was not or never was crucified on the cross by the Romans and Jews). He did not have the chance to enlarge His teachings to cover all situations in life and as a Prophet. Muhammad did. He lived as a son, a husband, a father, a poor worker, a citizen, and an advocate, a man with authority, a leader, a soldier, a businessman, a judge, and a ruler.
He was born in Arabia in the year 571 C.E. (Christian Era), took a wife named Aisha, migrated to Medina to escape from persecution and started to build a state there. He conquered Mecca and built a nation. He passed away in 632 C.E.
He left behind a Quran. It contains nothing but the revelation received by Muhammad which came to him in fragments from time to time. He asked his disciples to write them down, to commit it to memory and also to preserve in their hearts (hafiz).
Abu Bakr, the first Caliph, assigned Zaid ibn Thabit to collect all the original writing on parchments or pieces of leather, compared them with what the followers of the Prophet had learnt by heart, and compiled a copy called Mus’haf (bound leaves).
Usman, the third Caliph, ordered 7 copies of the Mus’haf and sent it to different centers of the Islamic world. One copy still exists in Tashkent, Russia. It is no doubt about the genuinity and authenticities of the writings in the Quran are the words given by God and words by Mohammad himself.
With regard to the Holy Bible, the first four Gospels to be precise, were written between 70 and 115 C.E. on the basis of some of those lost documents.
Mark – was written 40 years after the crucifixion of Christ
Matthew – was written in Greece in Antioch about 90 C.E. (Christian Era)
Luke – was written somewhere in Greece about the year 80 C.E. for Theophilus, a Roman Official
John – was written at or near Ephesus between 110 and 115 C.E. by some unknown writer
Mark, Matthew and Luke are called “the Synoptic Gospels”. Together with the Fourth Gospel, they could be and were actually changed by the copyist of the different sects. They were accepted by the Hebrews, and joined them together with their other gospels. They were included in the Canon in the late 2nd Century. After they were canonized and declared Word of God, changes continue to be made in them.
Early Christians built a religion in Rome with the permission of the Emperor (I forgot who, im sorry) but with some conditions:
That they must make an image of God same as the god Zeus, Hera, Athena, etc,
Wear robes, toga, fish tail cap (only used by Pope, Cardinals and Arch Bishops) and skull cap as of that a temple priest,
Write the Holy Scriptures in Greek, later in Latin,
Later they build churches using Roman architecture, and using elegant materials.
In short, to accept the Roman culture and manner of worshipping a god. That is how we got St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican City in Rome.
But later on, when Constantine built the Byzantine Empire in the far eastern side of Europe, which is now Constantinople. They built another religion very much the same to the Roman Catholic but not recognized by the Roman Pope – its Orthodox Catholic.
The Turks reclaimed that land and now it’s a part of Turkey. Same as the “Holy Land” where Islamic people took back control of their land from Roman Empire, the Jews and early Christians. It was followed by “Holy Crusades” to reclaim the land because it is the birthplace of Jesus. That is how Jerusalem has the three major religions: Islam, Jews and Catholic.
And when it reached the shores of England, some people protested against the church and built their own religion – the Protestants.
In those eras where early dawn of civilizations arises, Catholicism spreads all across Europe. But only a priest can hold, read and own a bible. Worshippers, common people even layman are not allowed to have a copy. Being found guilty means punishment or even death. One man defies by translating the manuscripts from Latin and made copies so that the people would know the truth. When the church found it out, all copies were recalled and burned it. After a few centuries, it was made available to the public. Centuries has passed, the contents of the Holy Bible were translated to many different languages and dialects all across the globe. In each branch of Christian religion has their version of the Bible. It was King James II who asked the scholars to have their own version of the Bible for the Protestants.
Now t is said that the Holy Bible that we have right now is just a ‘word of man’ and not the true Word of God because:
Jesus speaks Aramaic (used in the Middle East during His time and now a dead language)
The disciples wrote the gospels years after the death of Christ, and it was in Greek
Some made it from other documents which are now lost
Many revisions and editing was made during the early Christian Era
We don’t know why the early Popes doesn’t want the public to read or own a Bible
The context were changed when translated to different languages
In the Jewish Bible, they use their own language but I honestly don’t know if there were also changes.
Compare to the Qur’an, they have preserved the language and context in the language which was used by Mohammed. That is why if you are a Moslem, regardless of nationality, you are required to learn Arabic language. It is taught in school. Then Qur’an-reading is also learned while they are still young so each can memorize passages by heart.
AUGUST 10, TUESDAY
My First Experience of Religious Discrimination
In Al Muslim, all teachers and staff are nice and warm. I greet them “Assalammu ‘Alaikum” (Peace of Allah be upon you) and they reply back with “Alaikum-mussalam”.
But when I went to this class to teach and greet the students, I told them the English translation of that greetings and what “Allahu Akbar” (God is the Greatest) means.
The teacher asked for a moment and asked me about my religion.
I said I am Catholic.
He suggested nicely that next time if I could use “Good Morning” instead of that greeting because not all people inside the class are muslim (he was referring to me). Then he told the class that if maybe I decide to embrace Islam as my religion, then I can teach freely about God.
I just said okey.
Later on, he asked me why I am working here.
I said im a friend of the son of the owner of this school. And I am here under Surabaya University as a Cultural Exchange Student. So I am studying the Indonesian culture but they provide me with a job so I can support myself. (I don’t know if he understands what I just said that I am here not to spread my religion or change my religion or to make blasphemy about their religion. I am studying culture by observation and teaching English)
So I took his advice. From then on, I greet everybody with good morning, good afternoon and good-bye even if they greet me with Assalammu ‘Alaikum, I don’t go to the Jum’atan anymore even if the Imams ask me to follow next Friday, and I stopped learning Arabic.
AUGUST 11, WEDNESDAY
Last week I asked Fadil to find me a doctor. His aunt told us to go to a Polyclinic (Out-Patient Department) of one of the biggest public hospital (rumah sakit). Just like the other OPD sections, you have to register, pay cheap, wait for your turn, wait to be checked up by a ‘resident’ (a student doctor), then the specialist or a real doctor will see you, and he will dictate the resident doctor what to do with you.
I had a ‘cyst’ removed from my left forearm. This is my third time in this forearm. But my fifth minor surgery. First one was 1992, 1994, 1998, 2003, and now. Well, im used to needles and scalpel and stitches already. When I am 80 (if im still alive) I will look like Frankenstein monster. HAHAHA!
My doctor in the Manila told me that it is sebaceous cyst (I don’t want to use the term Tumor, it sounds scary to me after surviving a Malignant type of Sarcoma 2 years ago). Cyst is an oil gland, which is near the hair root in my skin, closes its pore, maybe due to pulled arm hairs, but keeps on producing sebum (the white sticky oily substance found also on the face or nose) so the capsulated gland keeps on growing until it is visible under your skin. By the time a visible cyst becomes tender on touch, I have it removed immediately. As of now, I still have one left of my left forearm and 2 on my right forearm. Saving it for next year.
Oh the patient’s bed doesn’t have a bed sheet or any pillow. I was on a prone position – head and chest down – coz the cyst was under or located at the back of my forearm. So I don’t know if patient before me was reverse position, meaning his foot was on the side of my head. Then I wasn’t comfortable coz I have no pillow to rest my head and shoulders. They not even provided a towel roll. But never mind, I doubt if that is also disinfected.
The team, a male doctor who opened and removed the cyst, a female doctor who closed up the wound by stitching, a female doctor as an interpreter, a head doctor who only supervises, and a head nurse who was sleeping on the other side of the room.
It took the guy 30 minutes before he can get the cyst, usually its just 20 minutes. Then the anesthesia was wearing off when they were closing it up. I can feel the needle and the pull of the thread. I just bite my lip, hold a grip and hold my breath.
And when they are finished, (it took them 45 minutes all in all) I saw gauze with a lot of blood. So I thought they made a big opening and too deep because the guy had had a hard time to get the cyst. And when I got home and try to see what they made, the incision is transverse to my arm, not longitudinal, so I cannot fold my arm fully coz it might open, and the stitches, its near the end of opposite sides, so the middle portion can open up if I get into some accident. Ggrrr.
After 5 days, im correct. One of the stitches’ knots was unwinding in my sleep. So I didn’t go back to those doctors and have the last stitch removed by myself after another week.
Wednesday,Aug 25 2004, 10:31:57 AMPART 17: A PUBLIC SCHOOL, MY DAY, MY SCIENCE...
PART 17: A PUBLIC SCHOOL, MY DAY, MY SCIENCE CLUB & MY NEW BOSS
JULY 17, THURSDAY
Al Muslim goes to a public school in the outskirts of the city to give away some school materials and snacks for their muslim brothers. Tambakoso Elementary School is located in North east side of Sidoarjo but very close to the South of Surabaya. Only a river divides the two cities. Most of the people here are fishermen coz there are fishponds around this town and it is near the sea. This is the area which I saw from the airplane when I was about to land Surabaya International Airport (in Sidoarjo’s soil).
Tambakoso Elementary School is a muslim elementary public school for the community. It’s a small school with a small front yard. I said we have a school like this in my country. But when I entered the rooms, you can see the wall finishing breaking down so that the red bricks are now exposed; the paint is very old and faded, there are no window panels, just open all the time covered by wire screen, they don’t have lighting system and the floor is not tiled. In one of the rooms, the beam supporting the roof has given in and standing still just by adding supports. Yup! Its feels like im back in my country. But the ironic thing is, this small town is a bit isolated but located only 15 minutes from the busy streets of Sidoarjo and Surabaya. Its not a remote province.
In public schools, the female are not required to wear a jilbab, its up to the parents and the child if they want to observe the Islamic law. But most doesn’t wear it. But all public and private school that follows the government curriculum must follow a national uniform. There are 3 sets of uniforms and all the students wear the same set on the same day – nationwide.
Private schools which are Catholic, Protestant or Chinese owned can have their own uniform design. These schools are not requiring their students not to use their shoes inside the classroom coz they don’t need to pray inside the classroom. Its on the school or teacher’s discretion if they want to keep their Javanese practice.
In universities, male cannot wear sandals and females must use covered sandals. They do not have daily uniforms but they do have “University Coat” for formal and special events. But then again, they do wear sport shoes or sneakers with that. Adduuuuhhhh!!!
AUGUST 2 to 6, MONDAY to FRIDAY
My day…
4:45 am
boil (rebus) water for coffee, cook (masak) breakfast (sarapan)
exercise (olaharga), eat (makan) breakfast, smoke (rokok),
toilet rituals, bath (mandi), dress up,
put out the laundry, smoke
6:40 am
one of the staff, Mr. Wahyu, picks me up. He lives 2 blocks away from me. He is my jemput (fetch) and antar (delivery) or nunutan (a service transpo from someone you know but you don’t have to pay)
I put on sun block, then jacket, handkerchief on my nose and mouth; tie it behind my neck and a helmet.
7:00 am
Morning Ceremony at school (Upacara)
Once I enter the school, I do not smoke. If I want, I will borrow motorcycle to go out to the gate which I told you, about 500 meters from where I work. I will smoke 2 sticks asap then come back. But it is always hot under the sun. Later on, I stopped going out.
I DO NOT smoke for 10 hours!!!! Sha-Allah!!!
4:00 pm
go home with Mr. Whayu again. When I get home, I can smoke again. But I get dizzy!!!
Dulu, aku memrokok 5 atau 7 pak tiap minggu. Sekarang 3 aja!!! Meganpa bagitu???
(I used to smoke 5 or 7 packs per week, now its just 3 packs!!! Why is it like this???)
I rest or take a snack, smoke, while watching tv, smoke
6:00 pm
smoke
buy food (makanan/ ulam is also in Javanese word) from outside as bungkus (tied/pack or take out) then eat at my boarding house, coz its with free rice there, smoke
if I am bored, I eat outside with friends in one of the warung-warung (sidewalk food stalls/tents) or depot-depot (eateries) or rumah makan (house eat or restaurant), smoke (the plural form here is that you have to repeat the word)
8:00 pm
smoke, take a bath, smoke, watch tv (tonton),
smoke, talk (nyomong) to boardmates, smoke
9:00 pm
smoke, prepare the bed (siap kamar),
smoke, gargle, go to sleep (tidur) – end –
I have to sleep early coz I wake up early. I am with the same sleeping habit that of a muslim.
AUGUST 7, THURSDAY
First Science Club. I got 80 students ( 50 elem, 30 jr hs)
I prepared the laboratory yesterday but they cant all fit in so we temporary used the canteen eatery.
First, the elementary principal made a short talk, and then Ms. Dini (Sr. science teacher) followed by me. I made a short introduction about science, observations, scientists, scientific method, and what is ahead for them here in the club. Ms. Dini translates it for me.
The owner of the school saw our situation so she immediately decided to take the classroom next to the laboratory (which is Ms. Dini’s classroom) to make it bigger. They tore down the divider and Ms. Dini evacualted/ transferred to another room upstairs. Now the lab is double the size. I have to put it up all over again. The owner purchased 3 new cabinets, laboratory tables and chairs, and provided us money for buying whatever we will need.
In the following days, we go out of the school to buy things to set up the lab. When I am inside the lab to clean and set it up, I find myself alone. It seems like that I am the only one who wants to make the lab presentable. Me and my big mouth.
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Let me tell you about the owner of the school, my new TN. Her name is also Lina (same as my former boss in Little Star).
Ibu ( means madame, ma’am, mother, miss, misis, grandma) Lina is a soft-spoken person, very patient, understanding, calm, and relaxed. Her business partner is her brother who also owns two other Al Muslim school in Semarang (central java) and Bandung (west java). They have a brother in the USA and provide them books by package delivery.
Ibu Lina starts her day with a prayer with her family, then goes to the market to personally buy ‘tons’ of food for the school. Everyday is different – a balanced diet and very nutritious. She have servant cooks at helper boys at home then they bring it to the students for lunch.
Ibu Lina visits the school almost everyday but doesn’t have to stay long. She also attends to family matters, and to their relatives. She has 3 school principals: one for Playgroup/ Kindergarten, one for Elementary, and one for Junior High School. She trusts them coz the have been working for her for a long time already. All of them are warm, kind, accommodating, pleasant and patient. Its an Asian behavior.
She also has another small school, a day care, for the less fortunate. She gives more to the children than what the parents are paying for. It’s a charity work for the less fortunate muslim children. Its an Islamic responsibility towards their brothers.
Ibu Lina treats all students as her own children. She is the mother for all. She often visits the class to discuss about leadership and responsibilities. The small children takes her hand and they put it on their cheek but some put it on their forehead. It is also the Filipino tradition called “mano” or “bless” by giving respect to the elders. Some elders put their hand on the head of the child (but not in Buddism where head is sacred).
If I come to her place, I always come home with a food from her. Yum Yum.
Wednesday,Aug 25 2004, 10:22:59 AMPART 16: A NEW HOME & A NEW TRAINEESHIP JULY...
PART 16: A NEW HOME & A NEW TRAINEESHIP
JULY 13-14, TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY I was looking for a boarding house around the Surubaya University under the hot sun.
JULY 15, THURSDAY I transferred to a new boarding house. The room is ¼ of my room in Little Star.
no air con, with bed, mattress, bed sheet, pillow, pillowcase, table, chair, cabinet with mirror,
bookshelf rack, clothes hanger rack, curtains free rice and water, and use of ref, stove and utensils
servants will wash and iron all our clothes, except underwear 4 common toilet with shower and a bowl seat, not Jongkok (bowl mounted lowly on the floor)
common dining room and kitchen 2 living rooms with 2 televisions (up and down)
with keys, no curfew 10 rooms/ boarders– half are students, half are working already; half are Chinese, half are native all has motorcycles, except me,
I can borrow it or they drive me Ibu Kost (mother boarding house –> caretaker) with her family are muslim
Monthly rent Rupia 350,000 (USD 39 = PhP 2177)
JULY 20, TUESDAY I went to my new traineeship for the first time. The name of the school SEKOLAH DASAR AL-MUSLIM at Raya Warung Asri 39F at Sidoarjo near the boundary of the southern part of Surabaya. It is a full (whole) day school. There are only 3 full-day schools in Surabaya and Sidoarjo namely: Al-Muslim, Al-Falah & Petra Catholic School.
It is 20 to 25 minutes by bemo (public transport, smaller than Jeepney) but with 3 short rides, pindah-pindah (transfers); or 15 minutes by motorcycle from my boarding house. But this is my first week, I said I usually go to work at 8pm then I will take bemo. So they let me to be late.
Total population including the staff, admin, teachers, students and service people: 800 ++
Land area: approx. four (4) blocks of a neighborhood community
JULY 22-24, THURSDAY to SATURDAY I take back what ever I have said about and against the motorcycle drivers that they are reckless, lacks discipline, do not yield, over takes on the opposite lane, driving between lanes, swerving or shifting lanes, standing too close to other vehicle, etc. On this day drove all the way from my boarding house to the school without driver’s license (I never had one even when I was in the Philippines). I just put on my jacket, a handkerchief on to cover my nose and mouth (dust causes me pimples –jerawat- and allergic rhinitis which make me sneeze and have a running nose), and a helmet (it’s a requirement, but I like the one with visor so the dust wont get into my eyes coz I already got eye dries and easy to be irritated). Nobody would know that I am a foreigner if I dress up like an Indonesian. My face looks the same with the rest, meaning a mixture of native and Chinese.
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At school, I was introduced to the Science and English teachers coz I will work with them. On this week, I observe the people, their habits, tradition and religion:
- They greet each other by “Assalammu ‘Alaikum, wa rahmatu-l-Lah ii-wah barakatuh” and reply “Alaikum-mussalam”
- raising of the flag (Upacara) every Monday, singing the National Anthem “Hari Besar Nasional” and some heroic or patriotic songs, followed by reading the speech during the Liberation in 1945
- Tuesday to Friday recitation of prayer (Asmaul Husna) and oath (ikrar)
- Teachers wear uniform, all females must wear veil (jilbab) and long sleeves
-Do not touch the females, unless they are the one to offer their hand for shaking (which is a western culture).
- If a male is to greet them, just put your palms together, bow slightly then put both hands on the chest.
- Male shake hands then put the hand to the left chest or close to the heart
- During meal and praying, male and females are separate
- No shoes are allowed inside the classroom. All bare footed. Its Javanese practice. And they also use the room or praying so it must maintain as clean as possible. But not in the offices.
- Put the shoes on the racks located along the corridor and use sandals while at school.
- No air con, there are fans but they do not use because the doctors advise them not to stay under or in front of it, it will get them sick (I don’t know why, the sun is hot but less humid compare to the Philippines. Back in my country, if it is hot, we stay directly to the fan or at least have a moving air inside the room), there are fluorescent lamps which they also don’t use (the sun is bright outside and adding light inside the room will make the room warm. If there is light energy, there is heat produced)
- During break time, almost all boys play soccer almost anywhere, without shoes and under the sun.
- Sit on a chair or on the floor while eating and drinking – meaning do not stand or walk if you are biting or chewing or drinking (it’s a practice only in this school)
- Free snacks from the parents of the students, one student bring food for his/her whole class everyday, so it’s a rotation.
- Free lunch provided by the school
- Noon prayer is 11:30 and afternoon is at 14:30. Everybody has a carpet with Arabic inscriptions, a print of a mosque or the Black Stone Tabernacle in Mecca.
-1 washroom for each floor for ‘wudhu’ (cleaning before praying), washing plate after eating, washing hands and face, but with a wall divider to separate male and female. Male area is immediately after entering and the female area cannot be seen by the male.
- Jum’at (means Friday in Arab and it is used in Indonesia and Malaysia) is a day of obligation for Islam to hear Qur’an scriptures or saying of Muhammed and the preaching of an Imam (equivalent to a pastor or priest) at noon time – it is called Jum’atan
- I join the Jum’atan coz all the male are there, the female prays separately. 10 years ago, I went to a mosque in Quaipo, Manila and studied Islam personally. I know the procedure and the prayer. But its been a long time so I cant pronounce it correctly. The male teachers said it doesn’t matter, someone will recite it so I can just follow by hearing the Imam. So I perform the ‘sholat’ (prayer).
- Normally, the Prayer Call (Adzan) are at 12 noon, 15:00 and 18:00 in the Philippines, Sulawesi, Bali and East Java because they belong to the same time zone (WITe – Middle Indonesian Time). But the whole Java Island takes one time zone, the one from West & Central Java (WIB – West Indonesian Time) coz that is where the majority of the island belong. So East Java is 1 hour behind.
If East Java Muslim prays at 11:00 WIB to follow 12:00 WIT, its too early for them. If they pray 12:00 WIB, its too late that the sun has long past its zenith. So they follow the Sun Time, technically its:
WITe (Phil, Sulawesi, Bali) 12:00, 15:00, 18:00. For East Java and Kalimantan (Borneo) 12:30, 14:30, 17:50
WIB (Central and West Java, East Sumatra) 12:00, 15:00, 18:00. - The Adzan are recited from all mosques from all sides and all sizes in all towns or cities.
- Adzan are also played on air on radio FM, radio AM and national tv stations
My Responsibilities:
@ Make a program for Science Club (first ever in this school) as the Adviser
@ Buy materials for the laboratory and set it up
@ assist Science Teachers and English Teachers while teaching by using a method different from theirs or a new method which I was using in the Philippines.
@teach English during 1st and 3rd week of the month in all levels Grade 1 to 6 (Elem) and Grade 7 to 9 (Jr. HS)
@ teach Science during 2nd and 4th week of the month in all levels Grade 1 to 6 (Elem) and Grade 7 to 9 (Jr. HS)
@ teach English to teachers during their free time
@ If I have spare time, I would go to the Playgroup It sounds simple but its not. Although I am the only teacher who has his own table in the “owner’s office” with air-con, and a computer (but I am alone coz she rarely uses this office, they have the new office at the Playgroup Area), I walk up and down the elementary building, go to the high school building by walking 50 meters, go to the class one after the other, talk, teach, say “repeat after me” then pronounce the words and sentences, demonstrate the conversation and practice it with the students, play, laugh, etc.
Its like the old times when I was back in Manila working in a regular school. I like this much better. I like getting tired by doing and accomplishing a lot of things rather than getting tired by teaching only 1 or 2 students or by just sitting the whole day doing nothing.
Wednesday,Aug 25 2004, 10:21:12 AMPART 15: I QUIT! JULY 12, MONDAY Last week I...
PART 15: I QUIT!
JULY 12, MONDAY
Last week I had a hang over from my vacation for one week. I was lazy.
Little Star opened 1 week early than the rest of the schools. We only have 5 students. So I must take care of them coz if they don’t register this week, it will be my fault. But the teachers only have the lesson plan for the first 2 weeks, and the two other levels don’t have any lesson plans yet but it will start also this week. But then the teachers are not ready, not enough training and knowledge in teaching, they haven’t got any long vacation, the facilities are not complete.
So I questioned Ms. Lina why is it so.
She makes the lesson plans, not the teachers.
She wants to do it so that she can please the clients (parents). If the parents don’t like the lecture, she will make the next week’s lesson to satisfy the customers.
But I know she doesn’t want to lend her books at school coz it might be damaged, and
she doesn’t want to photocopy it coz the teachers might read it and steal the idea.
But then I argued:
We could have prevented these if we have had a 1 month break to prepare at least 3 months lesson plans for all levels before opening.
She dared me that she will make the lesson plan for Toddlers for 6 months by Saturday but I must also submit 6 months lesson plan for Baby.
I said to her to finish the Toddler, Kindergarten and the Adult Conversation Course by Saturday.
She said, its impossible, just the toddler for her and Baby for me.
I said its impossible and its to late to do that anymore. (Im not stupid you know, she will let me work tirelessly while she will just ask somebody to type for her or make excuses that she has other businesses to attend to if she cant make it to the deadline) We are now suffering from the consequences for not preparing well last month. I asked where are the music room, gym room, and computers.
She said why I didn’t fill up any request form and give it to her. Well she knows what the school needs. She has the car to go to the mall and look for the toy, and the money to purchase it. But she said she have just ordered new toys.
I have given up requesting coz when I asked for a bulletin board, I asked the messenger to buy the softboard (cork board) but after buying, my boss was mad for buying an expensive board, why didn’t we just buy a Styrofoam, she said. And the computer, just keep on transferring to another table or to the other branch. And the musical keyboard, she asked one of the teachers to bring her own keyboard and use it for teaching the kids. But im sure if she talks to the parents she will say “yes we have computer room, music room and gym”.
She said that I am the only person who always argues with her; that I have so many complaints to her and about her (maybe I am the only one who stands up against her and all her workers are just followers). I said that I am a perfectionist. She gives me task and I ant it to be perfect to satisfy her. But she is not helping me to help build the school.
She mentioned again about “the way she work and handle people around her”, “this is the Indonesian way”
IS IT? Or its just her? Or is it being Chinese? She runs 3 businesses, talks over two cell phones all the time at the same time even while talking with her, in a meeting, eating, or driving, and even at home late at night she works. After getting a divorce, I don’t know when or the reasons why, she don’t have a night life, social life, love life, past time or leisure, hobby, vacation or even a short time to rest. This is a typical business-minded Chinese regardless of nationality. Indonesian people (the natives) are easy-go-lucky and care-free like the Filipinos.
She also mentioned about leadership (she talked to me about this for the first time I got a problem with her, and also again with the same contents and context when 1 female teacher almost resigned – its her technique to boost up your ego by her encouraging words when you are down), that I am still young and not suited as the leader in her school.
I said, I might not be a good leader for her but I can be a good leader someplace else. And I can use my skills where it is utilized best and needed.
She said that if I am not satisfied, its up to me.
We argued for 1 hour then I calmed down, being passive, as she kept on talking for another 1 hour. She just stopped when I said I need to go to the bank to get my ATM card.
I closed my account coz they deduct Rp7000 (US 0.07 cents) monthly for the Administration Fee coz they have a lot of services offered like ATM branches anywhere, pay thru card for shopping or grocery, pay bills, etc. I want to save money, not to spend it or to be deducted by somebody. It was my boss who brought me to this bank 2 weeks ago without telling me there are charges. And besides I will need cash this month.
I proceeded to University of Surabaya to tell the Aiesecers that I have finally decided to resign from that school. I have given 3 chances already to work things out and this will be the last time. I cant work in that kind of situation anymore.
That night, my other boss, Ms. Melya, went to my place together with her husband and asked me what happened this morning, I told her everything and I said im leaving.
She tried to convince me to stay but I said that I would still like to work and continue what I have started if it is only for her, only if she is the sole owner. (maybe I have said that to make her feel better or to show that her business partner is not a good boss). Her husband agreed as they talk in their language and saying that there is lack of communication and miscommunication between her business partner and me.
After talking for 1 hour, I said I have made up my mind. I will find another place to stay and leave before the end of this week. We shook hands.
I never saw the owners until I left on my last day.