You Follow Your Head |
 You’re rational, collected, and logical. Generally, it takes you quite a while to fall in love. In fact, you’ve even been accused of being very picky. While you’re cool, you’re not ice cold. You just know what you want, and don’t mind waiting to get it. |
March 11, 2008
I follow my head (is that a good thing?)
March 7, 2008
Change of Scenery
I just realized that the theme of my blog is exactly the same as an Indonesian celebrity who I particularly don’t really like right now. Sooo, time for change of scenery!
March 5, 2008
What is this world coming to?
While browsing the net for weather news, I came across this piece on detik and found myself stunned. Then it had a related news link that covered this, which even made me more speechless and disgusted at the same time.
What made me even more angry was the fact that the parties involved were not really stupid people. One is village head (Kepala Desa) and the other was a university student. Yikes!!!
Excuse me while I go and throw up my dinner. My stomach cannot take this. 
February 24, 2008
Berbahasa (apapun) dengan baik dan benar
Akhir-akhir ini, di milis keluarga besar Biologi UI berkembang suatu diskusi yang seru tentang penggunaan bahasa untuk komunikasi dalam milis. Ceritanya bermula dari seorang anggota yang menulis dengan Bahasa Inggris campur Bahasa Indonesia dan kemudian dikritik oleh anggota-anggota lain karena bahasa yang digunakan tidak komunikatif dan sulit dimengerti. Dari situ, diskusi berkembang menjadi sebuah diskusi tentang penggunaan bahasa.
Anak-anak Biologi, berdiskusi tentang bahasa? Ibu BSO would be so proud of her students.
Seperti yang terlihat dalam posting ini, saya termasuk “penjahat bahasa”, artinya sering menggunakan campuran Bahasa Indonesia dan Bahasa Inggris dalam komunikasi, baik lisan maupun tulisan. Kebetulan, kompetensi saya dalam kedua bahasa tersebut lebih kurang setara. Tidak tahu persis, karena untuk Bahasa Indonesia tidak pernah ada tes kompetensi berbahasa (walau sekitar dua puluh tahun yang lalu, Bahasa Indonesia saya dapat A dari Ibu BSO, does that count?).
Nah kan, mulai campur-campur lagi. Beberapa anggota milis mengatakan bahwa sebaiknya dalam satu buah posting, penggunaan bahasa konsisten, artinya kalau sudah mulai pakai Bahasa Indonesia, ya sampai selesai pakai Bahasa Indonesia. Kalau pakai Bahasa Inggris, ya sampai selesai pakai Bahasa Inggris. Kalau di awal pakai Bahasa Jerman, harus ada Bahasa Indonesia, karena persentase anggota yang mengerti Bahasa Jerman hanya sedikit :-D. Lalu kemudian ada pendapat lain yang mengatakan bahwa penggunaan bahasa campur-campur sebaiknya tetap dipertahankan, karena kapan lagi kita akan berlatih Bahasa Inggris?
Sebagai orang yang pernah mengajar Bahasa Inggris, saya sangat setuju dengan usul kedua. Kalau melihat arsip-arsip dari blog saya, pasti akan ketemu posting tentang pentingnya berbahasa Inggris. Sebagai pembimbing skripsi, saya sangat setuju dengan usul pertama. Lho, jadinya kita harus bagaimana?
Menurut saya, semua tergantung tujuan kita menulis. Berdasarkan pengalaman, menulis posting sebuah milis atau blog bahasa bisa lebih informal daripada bahasa dalam menulis skripsi atau artikel ilmiah. Tapi sebetulnya, menulis di milis atau blog pun perlu penggunaan bahasa yang baik dan benar karena apapun tujuannya, kita ingin agar pembaca mengerti dengan apa yang kita tulis. Dan kita juga ingin agar orang terus membaca tulisan kita kan? Cobalah melihat blog yang pengunjungnya banyak, misal blog iman brotoseno atau blog si penulis jomblo adhitya mulya. Kedua blog tersebut memiliki gaya berbeda tapi tetap komunikatif dan enak dibaca. Kalau mau meniru, ya tiru lah yang baik seperti itu. Mau blog yang lebih dekat ke warga biologi? Coba baca blog noonathome alumni Biologi.
Saya sendiri punya lebih dari satu blog karena ingin terus mempertahankan kemampuan bilingual saya. Tapi, saya mohon maaf kalau misalnya penggunaan dua bahasa ternyata mengurangi kenyamanan membaca.
Selamat menulis!
December 30, 2007
Guru Galak?
Tugas saya sebagai Koordinator Pendidikan (”Bu Kordik”) membawa saya berinteraksi dengan lebih banyak lagi mahasiswa Departemen Biologi.
Sebetulnya kalau membaca job description yang original, tugas saya adalah meng-koordinir kegiatan pendidikan di Departemen. Tidak sulit.
Akan tetapi, kenyataannya, di lapangan sedikit banyak berbeda . Saya sering multi-tasking, mulai dari tukang ketik, tempat curhat, ‘bemper’ fakultas, ‘algojo’….Basically, kordik itu dianggap sebagai hotline untuk segala urusan pendidikan Biologi.
Departemen Biologi itu tidak besar. Student body 350-400, dosen tetap sekitar 34. Harusnya, sekali lagi tidak sulit. Apalagi kan, mahasiswa Bio itu sebetulnya pinter-pinter, apalagi dosennya.
But aduh ampun, sometimes, ok a lot of the time, I am overwhelmed. Banyak yang berharap (atau expect) kordik akan menyelesaikan masalahnya. Well, here’s the deal–tidak semua masalah bisa diselesaikan kordik, dan semua masalah perlu kerjasama untuk solusinya. Kerjasama dari siapa? Ya semua, dari dosen, mahasiswa, sampai bagian admin.
And that is what we lack… the willingness and ability to work in a team. Sering saya pikir, kita harus outbound training niih. Karena seringkali saya harus pontang-panting sendiri (atau bertiga dengan kadep dan sekdep) padahal sebetulnya kalau saja ada yang mengorganisir, ya bisa lebih ringan kerja.
Tapi, tunggu. Apa hubungannya dengan guru galak?
Begini. Karena beban kerja saya lagi super banyak, jadi suara saya yang sudah keras menjadi semakin keras. Saya tahu, kesan mahasiswa pada saya adalah saya guru yang galak (padahal rasanya ada yang lebih galak lagi dari saya, hehehe). Saya akui, saya adalah orang yang keras. Kalau kakak saya bilang, saya sering mengeluarkan “aura judes”. Hehehe. Mungkin ya. But as I am in my 40s now, I hope I can be more patient with people. Pengennya saya bukan galak, tapi tegas.
Memang, yang (paling) sering terkena “semprotan” adalah mahasiswa. Pasalnya, saya memegang prinsip “toleransi berbanding terbalik dengan jumlah semester.” Artinya kalau dengan mahasiswa semester 1-2 saya masih coba toleran, mahasiswa tingkat skripsi jangan terlalu banyak berharap bahwa saya mengikuti “maunya kalian”. Karena apa yang dilontarkan terkadang tidak logis atau mahasiswa sering ‘ngeyel’. Contoh paling terakhir mungkin adalah saat berunding urusan waktu penyelenggaraan Anemon kemarin. Atau dealing dengan mahasiswa peserta Kerja Praktek.
Beda ya dengan ibu kordik yang dulu? ya iyalah, orangnya beda :-). Beban kerja saya dengan kordik yang dulu juga beda. Cara saya handle masalah, apa lagi. Hal ini yang sering menyebabkan saya dicap ‘guru galak’, dosen killer, muka jutek dll.
Hehehe, ikhlas deh, terima itu. Saya coba berusaha untuk mengurangi “ke-jutek-an” saya. Terutama semester ini, rasanya kesabaran saya diuji sampai ke suatu titik yang tidak pernah saya bayangkan sebelumnya ada di dalam diri saya. Saya juga merasa kok, pengajaran saya tidak optimal. Seperti stuck di suatu tempat. Tidak bisa memotivasi mahasiswa dengan baik. Banyak nyap-nyapnya. Akibatnya muka judes sering dipasang.
Cuma, kalau boleh saya kritik mahasiswa, tampaknya mahasiswa juga tidak se-curious yang saya harapkan. Dipancing tanya, banyak diam. Pengamatan praktikum, banyak tidak ikutnya. Terus terang saya kaget tapi ya itulah mahasiswa. Saya tidak menginginkan anak-anak manis yang hanya duduk terima perintah saja, tapi berhadapan dengan mahasiswa-mahasiswa yang kurang motivated juga not fun.
Belum informasi tentang proses pendidikan, lebih senang mendengarkan “Kata senior”, “kata teman-teman”. Informasi cepat berkembang dan penuh bumbu-bumbu kecap. Akibatnya, informasi yang sampai ke saya, sudah sedemikian terdistorsaya sering ‘meledak’ dulu, baru kemudian saya berusaha menenangkan diri. At the very least, mahasiswa diharapkan tanya ke Penasihat Akademik. Tapi, seringkali PA juga dibypass.
Life is a journey. This part of my journey was full of unexpected twists and turns, peaks and valleys. Akhir semester, kebetulan akhir tahun 2007 juga, jadi merupakan momen yang tepat untuk look back and reflect. Kalau cerminnya berdebu, ya dibersihkan dulu 
Selamat Tahun Baru 2008!
December 14, 2007
On this day… (December 14th)
A baby girl was born to young couple. Dad is a university teacher/lecturer, Mom is a housewife/stay-at-home-mom…
The baby grew up in Jakarta and Los Angeles. Her childhood was filled with love and happiness (eventhough she lived in a not-so-good neighborhood in LA). She played with Barbie, dollhouses, and loved her Charlotte’s Web book so much it became tattered and torn. She also obsessed over Donny Osmond (Hey, what girl didn’t obsess over Donny??)
Growing up, she also had dreams of becoming a psychologist, and a doctor (Saving people’s lives is so cool, doncha think?). Life as a teenager was spent at an all girl catholic school, complete with nuns and all :-). Still labeled a bookworm, a lot of Enid Blyton, but also some Danielle Steel and Sidney Sheldon became her reading.
Then Fate brought her to the wonderful world of microbiology and education. It was her “Plan B” but what a journey it has been! A lot of peaks and valleys along the way but never a dull moment whenever you’re with students
She was blessed with the chance to live in different countries, from America to Japan to Germany, and met a lot of people that would shape her personality and give her the oppportunity to ride trains in London, New York, Paris, Tokyo and Berlin. Along the way, she developed an obsession with Figure Skating, German Bread, Pasta, and Takoyaki Her spiritual journey has brought her to the Holy Land of Mecca not once, not twice, but three times, a fact that continues to amaze her and count her blessings.
Her friends are truly a treasure she cherishes the most after her family. The friends go beyond borders, a real global community.
Finally, her family. The young lecturer Dad is now a retired professor Dad, still teaching, still leading the way for the younger generation. The stay at home Mom is still home, her body somewhat broken but not her spirit, her two brothers, now with their own families, giving her the “Fantastic Four” that is her two nieces and nephews. They are her most valuable possessions.
Now, 41 years later, she looks back and says… “What a wonderful life I have had, and hope to continue having. Thank You Allah for all the You have given and may the rest of the journey will be as fulfilling and exciting!”
(with apologies for a truly selfish, egotistical, and narcissistic posting)
December 8, 2007
Dosen, ya?
“Sori ganggu, lagi ngajar ya?”
“Kok tidak libur, kan mahasiswa libur?”
Dua pertanyaan di atas adalah pertanyaan yang sering saya peroleh kalau sedang ngobrol dengan teman-teman yang tidak seprofesi. Tetangga-tetangga saya tuh, hobi banget bertanya seperti itu. Biasanya saya cuma senyum-senyum saja, malas menjelaskan scope kerjaan saya yang sebenarnya. Bisa pusing. Ibu saya sendiri sempat bengong juga kalau lagi lihat saya beres-beres mau berangkat ke daerah A, visit ke universitas X. Padahal ibu saya sudah “terlatih” hidup dengan bapak saya (yang juga dosen-turned-something-else) selama puluhan tahun.
Mungkin masyarakat kita memang terbiasa membentuk stereotype tentang profesi tertentu. Kalau guru/dosen, pasti cuma ngajar mahasiswa, kalau mahasiswa libur, ikut libur.
Ada sih, guru/dosen seperti itu. Tapi kami di Departemen Biologi yang tercinta, umumnya tidak.
So, jadi dosen, ngapain aja sih?
Wah, macem-macem. Ada yang jadi direktur LSM, jadi dekan :-), buka usaha budidaya anggrek, busana muslim… yes, we are a multi talented group! Saya sendiri? Sekarang sibuk ngurusin orang pinter
Tapi memang, tugas utama seorang dosen sih, tetap di pengajaran dan penelitian. Kalau mau ngaku dosen, ya harus ada ngajar nya. Penelitian pun, melibatkan mahasiswa. (and yes, I realize I haven’t been in the lab for a long time now). The transfer of knowledge is key.
So being a teacher is who we are, not just what we do.
So, the next time you call me, jangan langsung nanya “Lagi ngajar ya?” karena belum tentu sedang mengajar. Bisa saja saya lagi nongkrong di mall minum kopi, atau lagi…asyik blogging!
I wish I had more time to blog!
November 18, 2007
A small fish in big pond…
Previously, I was a “big fish in a small pond”, but now, I’m a “small fish in a big pond” …
October 20, 2007
Re-taking the TOEFL test, or, is this really the way to spend your long vacation?
I just spent a morning taking the Next Generation TOEFL, aka the Internet-Based TOEFL.
Why take the TOEFL test again? Why on the last weekend of the Idul Fitri vacation?
I’ll answer the 2nd question first. It was an easy choice, because I didn’t want to take the test when I was stressed out from work issues. Plus, since registration is now online, it was very easy to register and arrange a test date. No more navigating the awful parking garage at Menara Imperium, yay! We could choose test centers according to location. Drawbacks of this new registration system? Well, you gotta have a credit card for registration purposes because otherwise you’ll have to wait for banks to open.
As for the first question… well, there is more than one reason. You can say it’s for both professional and personal reasons. It never hurts to have a valid TOEFL score in your pocket (you never who’s gonna offer you an all inclusive scholarship for grad school). Does it have to be the International TOEFL? No it doesn’t have to be the International TOEFL, but I doubt I can find the time to register for an institutional TOEFL on campus.
So what was the test like?
All information about the test can be found here. You can register, buy practice tests, and you have one time access to a sampler test. No need to look at other websites offering information.
The test itself is radically changed. All four skills of the English language Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing are included in test. The last time I took the TOEFL (a decade ago!!!) spoken English was tested separately and written English was not on every test. My guess is that 1) wants a more efficient way of testing and 2) TOEFL wants to challenge the ‘other’ English Proficiency Test, namely the IELTS. If someone from ETS reads this they’ll probably correct my statements. Because of this, the length of test is also longer, about 4 hours. You also need to be very familiar with computers because otherwise you’ll have difficulty in taking the test.
So, so, how was the test?
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. To have a high TOEFL score ( >550, a requirement for post graduate study in the US), you need to expose yourself to as much English as possible. This is the only way. Taking a TOEFL preparation course will not help much if outside the course you do not practice your English skills. Use the prep course as just one way of disciplining yourself for practicing but actually, you can save a lot of money by practicing yourself. Those of you at the Dept of Biology, UI, you can use me as a living practice object
The TOEFL test is difficult. I can say that much, and I used to teach English :-). However, if you are an undergraduate student and have read some university text books, you have an advantage, because the test material is basically university level texts. There is no structure section anymore so grammar is not specially tested.
The first session of test is Reading and Listening. Again, if you are a university student, you’re in luck, because the reading passages are taken from university textbooks. Also, if you have passed an Academic English course at your university with a good grade, chances are you can get a decent score in the reading section. You really need to concentrate on the Listening part, because they now use simulation of university classes as listening material. Thankfully, you can take notes.
After a ten minute break, you continue with Speaking and Writing section. Don’t worry, if you take the International TOEFL, all the test centers have a good quality language lab with good quality audio visual equipment. (I certainly hope it’s a requirement!). You can hear the people speaking quite clearly. The key word here is concentrate. Listen to all the directions, and think carefully before you answer.
A special note about writing. One of the main weaknesses of Indonesian education is that we don’t get enough writing practice, even in Bahasa Indonesia. I hope this is being corrected in the new curriculum but anyway, writing, in any language is about organizing thoughts and synthesizing sentences. You need a lot of practice for this. The best approach in my opinion is to make an outline of what you want to write before you start. Some people have the gift and talent of being able to create paragraphs that interconnect beautifully while others need more practice. If you fall in the latter category, start practicing.
The TOEFL is an indicator of your English competence. One would say it’s ‘just an indicator’. My brother told me, “well if you can laugh at the jokes on ‘Friends’, you can get a high score”. That’s true, because that means you can process the jokes in your mind and respond accordingly. One of my American friends told me that “TOEFL is indicator of how well you can function in English.”
Yes, you need to be prepared when you take the TOEFL. But practice doesn’t mean spending money on expensive courses. Before shelling out millions of rupiahs for a TOEFL prep course, consider just practicing regularly to all kinds of English skills. Listening to music, watching TV, movies (without subtitles), reading books (no translations!). Try to practice with a partner (for this you can hire a teacher if you wish, I think it’s cheaper :-)). Make it fun.
So, hope you all had a good vacation and ready for the workweek on Monday :::aaargh:::
October 17, 2007
Tell them, show them NOW, because you never know…
I’ve been meaning to talk about this for awhile, but couldn’t find the moment to sit down and write. After a series of playful posts, and the momentum of Idul Fitri, I think it’s time to write about something a bit serious.
In my relatively short life (relative being the key word), I’ve already lost a good friend and came close to losing another friend last year. Believe you me, both experiences made me stop and think about that line between living and… well, not living.
It’s such a thin and indistinct line. When my friend died 6 years ago, it was so sudden, I found out about it two days after she died (and was already buried). To say it was a shock was putting it mildly . I took the task of informing other friends and all calls had prolonged silences. We were all speechless. She was a classmate and when your class only consists of 13 students, losing one means a lot.
Then a year ago, another friend went into the hospital for surgery and almost did not make it out of hospital. Not sure what happened post-op, but it appeared she got an infection and went into a coma. She was pregnant at time, and her baby didn’t survive. Doctors were already pessimistic, giving the ‘we’ve done all that we can’ speech and told those who were there (but oddly not the family) to just pray for the best. Well guess what, the power of prayer proved the doctors wrong. Call it what you want: hand of God, takdir, divine intervention, but Subhanallah, she slowly came out of the coma and recovered, completely. Today she’s up and about, working normally, not showing any signs that she wasthisclose to death last year. You can read more about her experience here.
This brings me to my point of the post. When someone close to you dies, and you no longer can communicate with them, you are often filled with regret. I felt that six years ago. Even though we already were living different lives, but I regretted not talking to her more often. All I needed to do was pick up the phone and I didn’t do it. Then she died and when I realize I couldn’t call her again, it left a hole in my heart.
Last year, that almost happened. During the dark days of waiting in front of the ICU, between praying and texting friends, seeking comfort, I felt a deep sense of regret of not meeting her before she went into the hospital. We usually meet up for coffee and gossip every one-two months, and we were scheduled to meet before she went into the hospital but couldn’t match schedules. So when I found out she was in the ICU, one of the things that came to my mind was “why didn’t we get together before this? What if I don’t see her again?” You know, the usual cliches…
So friends, readers, if you don’t want to regret it, tell your closest and dearest to you how much they mean to you. If you can’t verbalize (I sometimes have trouble), then show them in your own unique way. Do it now, don’t delay, because you never know when the time comes for us to be separated by the inevitable.
You just never know.
