Indonesian Poem; Love Anthology

Bunga Rampai Cinta

(Love Anthology)

By: Denny Nugraha

Hati ini pilu terbawa kalbu

Tenggelam jiwa duka-lara

Setitik rasa diatas debu

Cinta, masih enggan menyapa

Sekira ada secuil asa

Mampu merajut daya

Satu kata tak berwarna

Menjalin rasa fatamorgana

Kini, tak ada makna

Menghujam diri hampa

Hilang tanpa suara

Hanya raga tak berdaya

Essays dan Diaries Bahasa Inggris: SOCIOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL FOUNDATION OF EDU...

Essays dan Diaries Bahasa Inggris: SOCIOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL FOUNDATION OF EDU...: SOCIOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL FOUNDATION OF EDUCATION Translated by: Denny Nugraha Department of English Education  5 th Semester ...

SOCIOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL FOUNDATION OF EDUCATION

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SOCIOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL FOUNDATION OF EDUCATION

Translated by: Denny Nugraha

Department of English Education 5^th Semester

From the book of “Landasan Pendidikan” (the foundation of education) written by Dr. Asep Kurniawan, M.Ag

The State Institute of Islamic Studies (IAIN) Syekh Nurjati Cirebon

Introduction

            An educational institution and its educational program will reflect the life and culture of its society, circumstances of socio-culture will not be separable from it. Sociological and anthropological foundation of education namely are discussing about the concepts of education in society contexts and its culture, the relation between education and society, the relation between education and its culture, also various environments of education which exist in the society. Therefore, the study of sociological and anthropological foundation are viewed important for those of educator, especially for teachers.

The Concept of Education as A Process of Socialization and Enculturation

1.        Individual, society, and culture

An individual is personal human that has characteristic as unity that cannot be divided, has differences with others or unique, also has freedom to take the decision or action to the choice and his/her responsibility (autonomy). Society is defined by Ralph Linton as “every group of human that has lived and cooperated for long time so they can organize themselves and perceive themselves as one social unity with boundaries that are formulated obviously.” Affirmatively with the definition from Ralph Linton, Selo Sumardjan defines society as “people which live together and which result culture” (Soerjono Soekanto, 1986). From two definitions of society above, here are four elements that must exist in society:

1)        Human that live together.

2)        They do social interaction for long time.

3)        They have awareness as one unity.

4)        They constitute a certain system of living together that results culture, thus every individu in the its inside feels linked one another.

Human live socially and earn culture. Culture is “the whole system of idea, action and work result from the society’s life that is became the own of human by learning” (Koentjaraningrat, 1985). There are three form types of culture. Those are:

a.       The form of culture as a certain complex of ideas, thoughts, values, norms, rules, etc.

b.      The form of culture as a certain complex of patterned behavior activities of human in the society.

c.       The form of culture as the things of human work result.

Between individual, society and its culture cannot be separable. This is in the same manner as we understood that every individual lives socially and culturally, though the society itself is shaped from individual. Society and culture influence individual, conversaly society and culture are also influenced by individual that build them.

In the society there are social structure, Komblum defines it as “the recurring patterns of behavior that create relationships among individuals and groups within a society”. In social structure above every individual has certain status and role. Status is a state of someone in a certain social structure. For example, in a school organization structure someone may have a status as the headmaster, teacher, student etc. According to Ralph Linton, status is a collection of rights and duties of someone appropriate with his/her state. Whereas role is fundamentally dynamic aspect of certain status. Someone is said doing his/her role if he/she conducts his/her rights and duties agree with his/her status. Status is divided into two types, those are: (1) status that is achieved since the birth or is given to individual (ascribed status), (2) status that is gained, namely status that needs certain quality that is obtained through certain efforts or competition (achieved status) (Kamanto Sunarto, 1993). The example of ascribed status are: status as child, status as man, woman, etc. Whereas the example of achieved status are: class champion, scholar of education, madrasah ibtidaiyah teacher, etc.

In order to fulfill the need or to achieve his/her objectives, every individual or group conducts social interaction. Within that social interaction they do various social actions, namely individual behavior that is done with considering and orienting to other individual behavior to attain certain purpose. Social actions which are conducted by individual should agree with his/her status and role, and also expected to be appropriate with the culture of his/her society. The society demands this with no exception in order to create conformity and homogenity. Conformity is the form of interaction that every individual in the inside acts towards other individual appropriate with the expectation of group or society, whereas homogenity is the existence of equality/similarity in the values, hopes, norms, and individuals behavior in their society.

If in social interaction, social actions that are done by individual are not appropriate with value system and the norms or culture of their society, then the involved individual will be seen as doing deviant behavior or social deviant. Towards the doer of such deviant behavior or social deviant, people/society will expel him/her, even they (society) will do social control, namely what has been defined by Peter L. Berger as “various ways that are used by the society to organize its resistant members” (Kamanto Sunarto, 1993).

2.        Socialization and Enculturation as Education

As explained above, one of the element of society is the existence of social interaction. Social interaction implicates reproduction so the society has scions. This means the society has young generation that will be the next generation from the previous generation. In line with scion or contemporary generation, with the purpose especially in order to maintain the conformity and homogenity inside the society, and generally to keep the progress of existence of society and its culture, thus towards its young generation, it does what is in sociology called socialization, or what is in anthropology called enculturation.

As we understood that human is different with animal which the act/behavior is controlled by instinct that is gained since the birth. At the time of birth, human baby is in zero power, because the instinct that is brought when his/her birth is relatively incomplete. A newborn human baby , although he/she has had ascribed status as a child, yet he/she has not recognized that status and his/her role. He/she also does not know and is not able yet to do kinds of other status and role within the society that he/she should achieve (achieved status). Thus also about the culture of his/her society, he/she does not have yet system of value, norms, knowledge, custom, also does not know yet and is not able to use properly various things as work results of his/her society. Human child should learn relatively for longer period of time to be able to conduct various kinds of role that appropriate with his/her status and with culture of his/her society. Kinds of role must be learned by human child (individual member of society) through the process of socialization; and about the culture is also needed to be learned by him/her through the enculturation. If he/she does not experience the socialization and or enculturation, he/she will not be capable to interact socially, he/she will not be able to do social actions that agree with his/her status and role also the culture of his/her society. For instance, the behavior of children that live with animal as stated by Anne Rollet.

Viewed from the perspective of society, socialization and enculturation are the function of society in order to deliver every individual - particularly young generation – into social life and culture. Also viewed from the perspective of individual, in the process of socialization and enculturation every individual appropriate with his/her status is demanded to learn about various kinds of role in the context of culture of his/her society, so that they can live socially and culturally.

According to Peter L. Berger that “socialization is a process where children learn to be member that participate in the society ” (Kamanto Sunarto, 1993). What is learned by individual through this socialization are roles. Within the process of socialization, individual learns to know the roles which have to be undergone by him/her also the roles which have to undergone by others. Through the mastering of roles which exist within the society, individual will be capable to interact with other people. Whereas enculturation is a process where individual learns about how to think, how to act, and how to perceive what reflects the culture of his/her society. Herkovits stated that socialization shows the process of individual integration into a social group, whereas enculturation is the process of acquiring cultural competence to live as the member of such group (Imran Manan, 1989).

As explained above that the definition of socialization which is used in sociology seems to have different meaning with the definition and the meaning of enculturation which is used in anthropology. The definition of socialization emphasizes to the roles-taking. Whereas the definition of enculturation emphasizes to the acquiring of cultural competence. Yet in the real life, actually in the socialization there adheres also the culture. Because, the culture that determine the direction and ways of socialization which is done by the society. Therefore within the process of socialization truly happens also the process of enculturation (customization), in which within the enculturation, an individual learns and adapts his/her thinking’s world and behaviors with the customs, norms system, and rules that exist in his/her culture (Koentjaraningrat, 1985). Thus also conversaly, that within the enculturation actually happens also the process of socialization.

Conclusion

            Education is managed to students for they can live socially and culturally. Therefore, if we view education from the perspective of sociology, it is identical with socialization, whereas if we view it from the perspective of anthropology, it is identical with enculturation. Because in the process of socialization fundamentally there happens the process of enculturation, and conversaly that in the process of enculturation there happens also the process of socialization, so that within this context, education fundamentally involves socialization and enculturation.

Establishing Commitment to Improve Students’ Writing Skill through Writing Across Curriculum (WAC)

Establishing Commitment to Improve Students’ Writing Skill through Writing Across Curriculum (WAC)

By: Denny Nugraha

Department of English Education 5^th semester

The State Institute of Islamic Studies (IAIN) Syekh Nurjati Cirebon

Introduction

            This paper will review the importances of establishing commitment to improve students’ writing skill since elementary school. The policy of writing across curriculum (WAC), based on the book of essays “Islam, Culture, and Education” is offered by the late Chaedar Alwasilah because it is the best approach to develop students’ writing skill in every school subject. This policy cannot work well if there is no collective endeavor from many parties involved such as teachers of all subject as they have moral obligation to teach and educate their students in school. Parents should also render a significant contribution in improving their children writing’s skill in home. Thus, the approach requires a strong commitment from all parties as explained above.

            The policy perceives writing as the central learning tool of all subjects in school. However, as Alwasilah (2014) stated that writing is often perceived as the most difficult skill by students to learn and teachers to teach. Yet every parent and teacher believes that writing is a teachable and learnable skill, by it is taught and learned in a correct approach. Considering that it is the crucial skill that has to be acquired by students for their success in the future. Therefore, students should be equipped with the proper writing skill since elementary school. Writing across curriculum (WAC) has three important functions as an approach to improve students’ writing skill: building self-awareness, emerging creative and critical thinking, and actualizing self-existency.

The Importances of Writing Across Curriculum (WAC) approach

            Firstly, writing constitutes an act in which students do like speaking in daily conversation. It represents the language and expression that determine individual character and moral of students. In addition, as Alwasilah (2014) explained that writing holds everyone responsible for their words and ultimately makes them more thoughtful and responsible human beings. For instance, when students do writing personal experience in their language, they will think that what they write should be adapted from their real experience. They cannot possibly write it if it is not what they feel and do in the past. Thus, it implies that writing can develop self-awareness and responsibility in communicating their words namely by thinking before acting.

            Secondly, writing leads to the important change in students’ life socially. It emerges creative, innovative, and critical thinking that are useful in society context. It is the main purpose of writing that students are expected to be more creative and critical in expressing their ideas. Because writing (academic writing) needs long time to be mastered, so it should start from childhood. Even simple general/non-academic writing like personal experience or diary is useful to develop individual coordination of mind. Simultaneous practices of those writing generate and lay the groundwork for professional or academic writing. Teachers and parents should show appreciation to students’ writing result by giving feedback (writing sincere comments, impressions) and by showing interest to help them.

            Thirdly, writing helps students actualize themselves as expected in academic as well as in non-academic contexts. Through writing across curriculum approach, students will be ready to enter the higher level of writing in college. Unconsciously, they have mastered the basic knowledge and informed understanding of writing during elementary school until high school. Continuous reading and writing for pleasure are needed because writing skills can only be developed through much reading and practice of writing. Students should be encouraged to reading simple short story, pictured-story and other literary works. As stated by Alwasilah (2014) that fiction is sometimes a more valuable source of information about the natural world than even scientific textbooks.

Conclusion

            In conclusion, writing across curriculum (WAC) is aimed to be the proper way in improving writing skill. Elementary level is intended to provide students with basic reading and writing. So that, every teacher of all subject in elementary school should be conditioned to support this objective by assigning students the task of writing appropriate with the subject. In addition, Alwasilah (2014) reported that almost all courses in college classes require students to write assignments on certain topics such as research, chapter and book reporting. Therefore, it is important for students to master as early as possible the basic of writing before entering college. Finally, they graduates from college without problem in academic writing and then they are ready to face professional world of job.

References:

Alwasilah, Chaedar. 2014. Islam, Culture, and Education. Bandung: PT Remaja Rosdakarya

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MY STUDY TOUR

PERSONAL RECOUNT

MY STUDY TOUR

          Let me remind you about my experience when I went to Jakarta in a study tour two years ago. At that time, I was in second grade of senior high school. My friends and I also with our teachers went to Jakarta by buses. There were approximately six buses brought us to Jakarta. We were leaving Cirebon at 9 o’clock p.m.

            We were on the way to the first destination about six hours. We arrived first at Kubah Mas in Depok to do pray subuh. It was the first time I have been there. The building and the park was so great and beautiful. We were very excited to this place. At the moment, we took a bath too before we continue our tour to Jakarta. finally, we left Kubah Mas at 7 a.m.

            Then, we continued our tour to Jakarta city. But in the middle of tour, we had to stop for having breakfast first. We had breakfast at Padang Restaurant. It is located on Margonda Raya street Depok. After that, we left the restaurant at 9. We were full and soon we continued the tour again.

            After almost an hour, finally we entered Jakarta. It was actually late from the plan because we got a terrible traffic congestion. Directly we went to Ragunan zoo our first destination in Jakarta. The zoo was not so crowded because that was not holiday yet. We enjoyed the zoo and took a rest until 1 p.m. then we continued the tour and left the zoo.

            The last destination was Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII). The rain fell when we got there. So, we waited the rain while having lunch. We had lunch at a mini restaurant in Taman Mini. It was the second time I have been there. I enjoyed the view and beautiful park. But we had to back to Cirebon soon. We left the park at 5 a.m.

            I was very tired at that time. So, I slept away in the bus on the way hometown. The distance between Jakarta and Cirebon is about  It took about five hours and then we reached our town. However, I was very happy on my study tour. So that, I really want to go there again next time.

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EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT AND PATTERNS OF SOCIAL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES

EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT AND PATTERNS OF SOCIAL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES

Translated by: Denny Nugraha

From the book “The foundation of islamic education’s lectures book” by Mr. Asep Setiawan

IAIN Syekh Nurjati Cirebon

1.        Educational Environment

a.       Informal, Formal, and Nonformal Education

Education was lived lifelong by individual person. Education takes formally, informally and nonformally forms in every educational environment. Thus, there are three kinds of educational environment: environment of informal education, environment of formal education, and environment of nonformal education.

1)      Environment of Informal Education

Informal education is education which holds naturally in daily life. Informal education is education which happens in family, childhood, workplace, activities of ritual religion, custom-habit, culture society and so on.

a)      Informal education in family

Family is the smallest social unit that is universal, itmeans it exist wherever in every places. In narrow meaning, family is the smallest social unit consists of two people (wife-husband) or more (dad, mom, and children). In wide meaning, family is social unit that consists of  some family in narrow meaning.

Family has some functions, they are affection, biologic, protection, economic, education, religion, recreation etc. According to George Peter Murdock, an antropologist (Sudardja Adiwikarta, 1988) there are four functions of the family universally:

Ø  To educate or doing education

Ø  As economic unity

Ø  Expanding generation

Ø  As the legallity of intimate relationship between man and woman based on wedding.

Family is educational environment that has informal characteristic, it means family is established not as educational regulation or educational institution, yet, in reality in a family naturally is occured education from parent to children. So the family is the pioneer of education for children.

The purpose of education in a family is in order that children are to be mature people, have morality, and to be good members of society.

The contents of education in a family usually involve: various basic knowledge/science, behavior, value and religious rules, value and society/culture rules and certain skills. Thus, the functions of education in a family are: (1) as the pioneer of education for children and (2) as the preparation to the line of life in their society.

b)      Informal Education in Society

Informal education in society can be happened through the culture/custom, friends intercourse, custom ceremony, work environmental intercourse, games, atrt show, and even through the usual conversation in daily life. In this context, education is social inheritance that used to preserve values of society’s culture.

2)      Formal Education (School)

School is social regulation or institution. Formal education is education’s stripe which structured and has levels consist of elementary education, middle and high education (Section 1 point 11 of UU RI No. 20 2003). Formal education is held in school, school is established intentionally by the society and or the government in order to organize education. Thus, school is one of social regulation or institution that has particular duty to organize education. Waini Rasyidin and M.I. Soelaeman stated:”School is a social unit or social institution which its specialization duty is to commit educational process” (Odang Muchtar, 1991).

School has certain structure supported by various component. School component consists of: 1) the purpose of education, 2) human, those are teacher, students, principal, librarian, laboratorium staff, administration staff, cleaning service or cleaning staff and so on., 3) curriculum, 4) educational media and educational technology, 5) medium, infrastructure, dan facilitation, also 6) school management. Yet, there are three main component should exist: students, teachers and curriculum.

As the institution of formal education is the unity of activities which organize learning process done by particular staff with structured and organized ways according to the order of values and rules that have determined to reach the purpose of education. School is called wiyh the term humanization. So, the school has functional two-line relationship with its society, needed and supported by its society.

From many version of the educational function in school, it can be stated in the following functions:

1)      Society-culture transmission function

2)      Socialization function (choose and teach social roles)

3)      Social integration function

4)      Expand the personality of child

5)      Prepare the children for certain jobs function

6)      Inovation/transform society and culture

Many sociologist studied the differences between socialization in the school and in the family. Robert Dreeben (1968) stated four differences the rules that studied by children in the family and in the school, those are independence, achievement, universalism, and specifity.

3)      Nonformal Education

Nonformal education is education’s stripe in outside of formal education that can be done structurally and by steps (Section 1 point 11 of UU RI No. 20 2003).

Nonformal education functions to expand the potentiality of students with stress on mastering knowledge and functional skill also developing behavior and professional personality. In the correlation with formal education, nonformal education is organized for members of society who need educational service that has function as substitute, enumerate, and or complement of formal education in order to support longlife education.

Nonformal education involves life skill education, youth education, woman empowerment education, skill and training work education, also another education which purposed to develop ability of students.

Unit of nonformal education consists of course institution, training, study club, society’s learning activities center, and so on.

2.      Activity Patterns of social education

As stated by J.W. Getzels and H.A Thelen, essentially there are two dimension of behavior that interacts each other and determine individual behavior in their social system, they are: 1) nomothetic dimension and 2) ideographic dimension (A. Morrison and D. Mclntyre, 1972). Nomothetic dimension involves regulation variable (Institution), role, and social expectations, yet, ideographic dimension involves individual variable, personality, and individual need-dispositions. Furthermore, that nomothetic dimension is correlated with culture variables, those are ethos, mores, and society values; ideographic dimension is correlated with biologic variables, those are organism, constitution, and potentialities. Thus, it can describe as the following diagram:

If social education activities analized based on its orientation against dimensions function of behavior as described above, it can be identified there are three patterns of activity of social education, they are 1) Nomothetic pattern, 2) Ideographic pattern, and 3) Transactional pattern.

Nomothetic pattern is mainly used for behavior dimension that has normative chararcteristic rather than behavior ideographic function. The reverse of nomothetic is ideographic. Because that education based on social ideographic have understanding as personalization of roles, that is the effort to help somebody to know and develop about what he/she wants to know or what he/she wants to expand. This is caused psychologism or developmentalism in education.

Activity of social education of transactional pattern mainly gives priority to functioned behavior dimension of nomothetic and behavior dimension of ideographic. The characteristic of this pattern are: a) everyone know purposes of system and those purposes are parts of personal need, b) everyone believe that social expectations which involve to theirselves is rational if those expectation can be reached, c) everyone feel that they is included to a group with the same emotional condition.

3.    Behavior pattern of teacher against students and its implications against function and type of teacher

David Hargreaves (Sudardja Adiwikarta, 1988) stated that there are three possibility of behavior pattern of teachers against their students and its implications to the function and types/category of teacher.

First pattern: Teacher assumes that his/her students are not mastering culture yet, but education is meant as enculturation. The implication is the task and the function of teacher is to guide students learning some stuffs which choosen by the teacher with consideration that it is the best for them.

The type of teacher in this pattern called “lion tamer”.

Second pattern: Teacher assumes that his/her students have motivation to study which should facing new teaching materials for them, difficult enough and less interesting. The implication is the teacher’s task is making the teaching become attractive, interesting and easy for his/her students. Type of the teacher in this pattern is categorized as “entertainer”.

The third pattern: Teacher assumes that his/her students have motivation to study, added with hopes that students must be able to find by themselves learning materials, and must be able to balance and role in dynamic society life, even with the speed that increase. The implication is the teacher must give freedom which wide enough to the students. Individually or in small group, teacher and students together arrange curriculer programs. The relationship between teacher and students in trust essential condition, and the line of learning-teaching is an expanding ability and study willingness in students. The type of teacher in this pattern is categorized as “romantic teacher” by Hargreaves.

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Puisi esai

For you, my best friend

By: Akhmad Fauzi

TBI-B-4

IAIN Syekh Nurjati Cirebon

Days as a sign of struggle

Changing posture which setting dark

Sincere shape is hard to come

Toward this demand’s world

Many problems with you all

Got no weight on my shoulders

            Tried to hide it

            I can’t pretend anymore

The jokes on you

Got everyone’s laughing

Got everyone’s clapping, asking

How come you look so cool

            You give me that kind of something

            Want it all the time

            Need it everyday

            Just stay by your side

Keep your feet on the ground

I’ll bring you up when you’re feeling down

It is not hard to see

You are a tight grip in my heart

           Through the good time and the bad

            Nothing can take you away from me

            The truth is not hiding

            And you never really had a doubt

A promise to the end of time

We’ll always be together

We can never be apart

That’s all you ever need to know

            And if it’s true

            You can see it with your eyes

            Even in the dark

            For you my best friend

beside you and forever

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Contoh Diary bahasa Inggris

First Love

Dear diary,

Day by day, it seemed like flying away. I cannot stop this. My heart is always beating wherever I go. This feeling really makes me terrible. Since two days ago, I realized that something wrong happened to me. Her beauty looked interesting for me. Her face is likely recorded well in my mind during this time.

I have never been this way before, I think that I have fallen in love with her. I do not know what I should do. Whenever I close my eyes, there is always her face in my imagination. She is very good to me. I know that I have an feeling with her since the first sight.

She is my classmate in 8-A. In my eyes, she is very beautiful than the others. Sometimes I imagine that I am able to get close with her. But I do not know how I can do it. Maybe some day I will have a precise time to know her more. About her hobbies and also her activities, I really want to know from her. It sounds interesting.

Send it or not?

Dear diary,

Good news! Today is my lucky day. Definitely our teacher gave us a chance to share our phone number for facilitating easy communication among students. Fortunately, I can get her phone number. What a nice chance! This time, I only have to be brave simply to send a message to her.

This is really a little bit difficult for me just to text her. I spent two hours thinking whether I should text her or not. It is very compicated. Perhaps I felt that it will be strange in the first only to greet her. Finally I typed some sentences in my message. But it still could not be sent. My heart cannot stop beating. Oh ... Allah I cannot handle this, this feeling, I feel quite nerd to mean what I think. This really wastes my time.

I cannot wait anymore. If not today, then when? I sought some reason why I should do this and why I should not do this. I cannot lie about my feeling to her. But it seems like I feel stupid to think that I can approach her. Alright, this is it. “Assalamu’alaikum” is the first word I typed. “Good evening, my name is Andre, we are classmate in 8-A.”. I decided to dispatch this message. I hope she will know me and then reply my message immediately. Although I was seldom to talk with her at school, I believe that she does not mind to have a chat with me.

Novel or story?

Dear diary,

I am very happy today. Because it is the first time I have met her in the library. She greeted me when I was reading at the corner. Then she sat next to me but I was too confused and shy to begin a conversation. Considering that it is forbidden to talk each other when we are in library. So I continued reading my preference book. That is history book. I like very much history, no matter the kinds of history.

I looked at her for a while. She was thoroughly reading a book. I tried to know what kind of book that read at the time. I supposed that she was reading a novel or story, I could not see it clearly. So that, perhaps her favorite book is literary book. But it is very general to conclude that. Maybe I can ask her after leaving the library or I will text her after school. I relly want to know what kind of book that she like. The important point is that she likes reading.

I kept silent till the bell rang. The next lesson is awaiting us. She directly raised and smiled to me then went out from the library first. I could not go out together with her because I have to return the book I read to its originally place. But it is good enough for me just to meet her in the library and reading together. What a nice happening!

What’s up?

Dear diary,

As usual, this morning I went to school with my best friend, Dimas. He is my best friend since we were at elementary school. He is very smart in math and science. He is good-looking also I think. But at school, he is registered in different class with me. He is in 8-C and I am in 8-A. So we are not classmate. But I often visit him and invite him to go to some places out of class such as to go to canteen or library. So that we cannot be apart just because we are not in the same class.

There is something different with him today. I was thinking that he was just feeling not well. But it seemed that he was alright and fine in the outside. I really wondered what happened to thim. I asked him but he was just saying that he is okay and I should not worry him at the time. However, I cannot stop thinking and wondering about him.

Maybe, I was wrong to see him like that. I had to believe that he was really alright and there was nothing to worry about. So, I preferred to keep quiet. I hope that he will be okay and get normal again. In my eyes, he is always cheerful and full of spirit wherever he is.

Late Introduction!

Dear diary,

Step by step, I approached her through messages. I felt comfortable with her as far as I undergo this relationship. I shared about my experiences and she too. We can now get closer and closer. It was fun to know each other. But still I cannot make even a simple conversation in class. I am too shy and confused. I think it is definitely good for the beginning.

Sorry before, I forgot to let you know about her name definitely. Her name is Dinda haniati. She was born in Cirebon, july 25^th 1995. She now live in Wanakarta village. As far as I know, she is very kind girl. Polite and cheerful to everybody.

Because of those are mentioned above, make me think that she is interesting. And I want to know more about her. Maybe I like her very much. We are always talking about our personality and habitual activities everyday life.

What an annoyance!

Dear diary,

Damn, I really annoyed today with one of my classmate. He is really a naughty boy ever. He kidded me with a terrible prank. His kidding was not funny at all. He hided library’s book that I borrowed three days ago. It is very awful. Arrgh ... do you know? Because of that, the librarian got angry with me. She accused me that I lost the book. However, I still cannot forgive what was he done to me until now. You know what? He did that without feeling guilty to me or my feeling. Ohh ... I really hate him.

Since that incident made me feel that I will not ever talk to him again. I cannot make friend with him anymore. But I could not be in this way. I know that as human, we have to forgive each other. Somehow, what was he done to me cannot be accepted as the friend’s treatment. I feel confused and do not know what to do with him. I only kept my mouth closed for him. I think it will affect to him and make him realize that he has annoyed me.

If I still keep silent, maybe he will ask for sorry to me. I just want him to do that. I can only forgive him that way. I do not really want to break our friendship so far. I wish he will feel what I feel. Amiin.

I love you, Mom!

Dear diary,

Oh no! I did not feel very good today. My body felt clumsy this morning. I thought that I had a terrible fever followed with influenza and cough. However, I really do not want to be sick today. Actually the indication was seen since yesterday, but I could not realize that feeling. Now I feel difficult to write and to do anything. Finally, I have a terrible headache and heavy eyes. Ohh ... this is very irritating for me. So that, I do not think I can go to school today.

My mother comes with some medicines and water. Warm water to drink and to compress my forehead. She is very helpful even I do not talk to her that I feel sick this morning. She really knows what I feel and what I need. She is the best mother in this world ever I guess.

I want to recover my body as soon as possible, so tomorrow I can go to school as usual. But my mother suggests me to write a letter to the teacher today. She wants me to take a rest and not to go to school today. However, I should do that because mother knows everything I need.

Talk to her

Dear diary,

            I felt a little better today. I do not know aboutthe lesson yesterday. Because I did not go to school but I went to the clinic. Surprisingly, Dinda asked me about my condition this morning in the class when break time. She initiated to talk with me. Definitely, I am very happy that she was really care to me this morning. But it was really a short conversation. I want to talk with her a little bit longer actually. She just said that I have to take enough rest and keep my eat schedule then get well soon.

            During the lesson in the class, I still feel dizzy to pay attention to the material and the teacher. I brought some medicine to school for me myself to recover the body. I drank some when break time. Maybe it was the effect that I felt dizzy while I was studying in the class.

            I really wanted to go home sooner. However I cannot go home early because I still have some extra lesson after this. I felt the time was running so slowly. It was about time that I worried. But I felt happy since she began to talk with me this morning. I am really really happy.

Borrowing her book

Dear diary,

            When the second bell rang this morning, signed the breaking time, I initiated to start the talk with her. I felt a little bit shy but I had to do that anyway. I was asked by the biology teacher to borrow any one’s book in the class because I have passed the lesson when I was sick several days ago. This is really difficult for me. I want to borrow her book because I know that she is good in biology subject. I was waiting for the right time to begin the conversation with her. She was surrounded by her friends. It made me think about to get her alone.

            The chance finally appeared to me. Several minutes later, she was really alone. And I think it is the time for me to start the talk. First, I said a thank to her because of her pray and wish when I was sick. Then, I went to the point that I want to borrow her book today. You know what? She simply smiled and gave her book to me directly without doubt. She told me that it was really alright I borrow her book. I was pleased and grateful to her. It convinced me that she is very kind and helpful girl.

Time for math

Dear diary,

            Time by time, we are getting closer and closer. We often share and discuss about many things such as lessons, hobbies, dreams, and everything through messaging or directly when we are in the class. There is no problem about our relationship. She is really care to me and I really appreciate it. I feel happy and I think she feels happy too. I do not know whether I should say to her that I have fallen in love with her or not. So I just go with this regardless of what I really feel to her. And I prefer to enjoy this relationship whatever it is looked.

            Everything is alright for me. If we only have a good friendship. So I can approach her with my way, no matter what happen to us. She is really smart in biology and even in math. Conversely, I am lame in those subject. I think that I can learn them more with her. Then I can do the best for my final test next week.

            Tomorrow will be sunday and I have a plan to learn together with some of my friends including her. I am really interested because I can convince that I can pass the examination with the best score. So that I will make her and also my friends proud of me.