Memoir: Winter Breeze

A cold and windy air was greeting me and my kids when we arrived at the Narita Airport. I looked around, and found no one I knew. The kids: Amr, Iam, and Yaser looked wonder on how huge the airport. "Wow, it's a great great airport. Is it Japan, Abi?" Abi nodded to Yaser. We all laughed, and Abi asked us to continue our walk. Yaser was sitting at the trolley with Abi was driving it. Meanwhile, I was holding my little girl 'Aca' whom looked so pretty with her pink blush on her cheeks. She must be very cold in the winter breeze.

 

After a long walk and took a small integrated train from one building to another building, we finally came out from the airport. Abi called someone, and a few minutes later a man with Indonesian profile showed up. He welcomed us and hugged Abi. Abi introduced him as one of the Indonesian researcher in our destiny town, Tsukuba Science City. He had been there for 9 years with his family. He told us, it took about 1 hour from Narita to Tsukuba City. He was driving the car while telling us about everything he knew about the city we would live in. He seemed to be our tour guide and it was really helpful for us. He told us that he had 4 kids too and promised me to introduce his wife and kids to me and my kids. My kids were falling a sleep along the journey when finally we arrived at the university dormitory, Ichinoya Residence. 

Actually, Abi had lived here for 6 months. Abi had to join a Japanese language course as one of the scholarship's requirements to study in Japan. After Abi completed his course, he came back to Jakarta to pick us up. So then, there we were, accompanying Abi to succeed his study in Doctoral degree of Computer Science. It would take about three years to accomplish the program, and I and my kids would be there to support Abi as one solid team, one for all and all for one. 

Two weeks after the arrival, and those days were the toughest period in our lives. I and my kids had to adapt and adopt every new habits and rules. Every morning, I and Abi had to prepare breakfast together for the kids, since we only had an altogether kitchen in one floor. At night, Abi had to wash our clothes while I washed the dishes. Meanwhile, Amr the oldest, had to take care of his brothers and little sister. Abi had to go to campus every morning from 8 am to 7 pm or even 11 pm. He really worked hard for his study, like he always did for all his work and his responsibilities. He taught us to be responsible for everything we had, as the gratefulness to the Lord, and to anyone who believed us. 

Two weeks of the survival, my oldest son got sick. He got cold and fever. I had tried to give him a medicine that we brought from Indonesia, but it didn't work. I was getting worried, then I texted Abi to come home soon. At around 7 pm, Abi arrived home. He looked worried, but then he said that Amr would be fine for the fever was decreasing. It was around 9 pm when all the kids fell a sleep. Abi looked really tired so I asked Abi to have rest and let me doing the washing. Abi refused to do that, and as usual,  we did it together. Abi told me that he had something to tell me about his lab and his 'Sensei'. "I asked a permission to my senior sensei this afternoon. I officially looked towards him, then I told him that our oldest son was sick. Do you know what did he say?" 

I kept on listening, and I could see and feel his disappointed on his face. "He said or more like an order, I think. Imam san, you are here to study, not to take care of your children, or your family. Do you think you can succeed your study when you are busy with your family? Who does he think he is? I do really disappointed for what he said. Though, I told him firmly that I will succeed without ignoring my family, then I leave him." I rubbed Abi's back so gently while my tears were falling down on my cheeks. We hugged to each other, then I said, "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to disturb your study. I promise you that we are going to support you unconditionally. We will prove your sensei that you're going to be the best student he had ever known. Let us show him that your family is your biggest support to be a success person, here and after." Abi wiped my tears gently. He told me that I did not have to be worried. He always knew that he could count on me and kids, cause we were one team, for good...

It was November 2006. The sun was shining shyly, while the clouds were hanging around the Tsukuba san and the tip on the trees.  There was no snow in our first winter in Tsukuba; though, the temperature and the humidity were so low that could freeze our body. There was no snowball in our first winter in Tsukuba; though, the wind blew so cold that could freeze our tears. I knew that the journey would not be easy, yet a precious journey to struggle and to win the victory. It was the beginning of our journey to victory. It began in winter breeze.

PPDB dan BoeDoet

Lepas shubuh ketika aku bergegas membuka laptop dan melakukan pengajuan akun untuk mengikuti proses PPDB DKI 2020. Yah, putra kami yang ketiga, baru saja menyelesaikan pembelajarannya di jenjang sekolah menengah pertama. Masih jelas ku ingat bagaimana ia meyakinkan aku dan Abinya untuk memilih sekolah berasrama di sebuah Pondok Modern di wilayah luar Jakarta, sebuah sekolah yang memadukan kurikulum Nasional dan kurikulum Boarding, khususnya mencetak generasi penghafal Al Qur-an.

Ku amati dengan cermat laman situs PPDB DKI 2020. PPDB kali ini sungguh berbeda, terlebih di masa COVID 19 yang melanda, semua harus dilakukan secara daring. Sungguh berbeda dengan masa-masa putra pertama dan kedua kami, tiga dan enam tahun yang lalu. PPDB kali ini pun menawarkan begitu banyak pilihan dan jalur pendaftaran. Bagi para lulusan siswa Sekolah Menengah Pertama (SMP), mereka dapat melanjutkan ke tingkat Sekolah Menengah Atas (SMA) atau Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan (SMK). Untuk pilihan jalur pun, antara SMA atau SMK terdapat banyak kemiripan, hanya berbeda pada jalur Zonasi dan RW Binaan, yang hanya terdapat pada jenjang SMA.

Setelah mendapatkan akun pendaftaran dan melakukan aktivasi akun, aku mulai melakukan pendaftaran putra ketiga kami melalui jalur prestasi non akademik pada jenjang SMA dengan bermodalkan sertifikat penghargaan Tahfidz tingkat Kabupaten. Walaupun putra kami juga memiliki penghargaan Lomba Rubic tingkat Provinsi, sayang kejuaraan ini bersifat eksibisi sehingga tidak memenuhi syarat untuk mengikuti jalur ini. Pada akhirnya, jalur prestasi non akademik ini tidak membuahkan hasil sesuai dengan harapan kami. Namun, hal ini tidak membuat kami putus harapan karena masih ada jalur-jalur lain yang bisa kami usahakan.

Sesuai dengan jadwal yang telah ditentukan, kami mencoba jalur lain yaitu jalur Zonasi sesuai dengan domisili kami di wilayah Jakarta Selatan. Jalur ini ternyata tidak memberikan harapan besar bagi kami, terlebih dengan persyaratan usia yang menjadi pertimbangan utama. Pada jalur ini, pupus sudah harapan putra kami untuk dapat melanjutkan pembelajarannya ke tingkat SMA Negeri. Ada getar kecewa yang mendalam dari putra kami yang dapat kami rasakan. Ada rasa ketidakadilan yang kami rasakan pada PPDB 2020 jalur Zonasi kali ini.

Kami coba memahami bahwa syarat usia yang menjadi pertimbangan utama adalah sebagai langkah Pemerintah menggugurkan kewajibannya memfasilitasi anak-anak Wajib Sekolah yang putus sekolah atau dengan alasan yang lainnya. Namun, di sisi yang lain, kami menjadi berpikir, bagaimana mungkin Pemerintah memfasilitasi Wajib Sekolah bagi yang usianya maksimal 21 tahun, tetapi dengan mengabaikan para siswa lulusan SMP yang usianya terbilang muda tetapi sudah sangat ingin melanjutkan sekolah mereka ke jenjang SMA. Lantas, bagaimana pula dengan keberlangsungan pembelajaran di tengah-tengah para siswa dengan rentang usia yang cukup jauh, ada yang usianya normal di rentang 15-16 tahun, dengan siswa yang usianya 18-21 tahun. Wow, ini tantangan luar biasa bagi semua pihak, baik bagi siswa itu sendiri, guru, sekolah, dan tentunya orang tua.

Boleh jadi, Pemerintah perlahan akan mulai menghilangkan sekolah-sekolah favorit. Artinya, semua sekolah negeri akan memiliki standar yang sama, baik untuk kualitas sarana dan prasarana, maupun untuk kualitas guru-gurunya. Dengan standar yang sama, semua anak memiliki kesempatan yang sama untuk menikmati semua itu sesuai dengan domisili mereka. Namun, semua itu butuh waktu, karena tentunya jumlah sekolah negeri harus dapat memenuhi jumlah siswa yang akan bersekolah. Perlahan, persaingan di tingkat SMP, SMA dan SMK akan dihilangkan sehingga akan muncul yang namanya KOLABORASI.  Bukan hal mudah, semua berproses, dan butuh waktu dan konsistensi. Setiap perubahan tentunya akan memberikan dampak, dan dampak terbesar pasti dirasakan oleh siswa. Jangan sampai perubahan ini hanya akan menimbulkan korban dari sistem pendidikan kita.

Lepas curahan kekecewaan dari putra kami, kami lanjutkan dengan diskusi serius tentang pilihan lain yang masih dapat kami usahakan. Setelah berdiskusi dengan kedua kakaknya, teman-temannya, dan berbagai informasi yang dikumpulkan, akhirnya putra kami memutuskan untuk mencoba jenjang SMK Negeri dengan jurusan Rekayasa Perangkat Lunak. Hampir larut malam ketika kami mendaftarkan putra kami ke jenjang SMK Negeri. Alhamdulillah, di hari terakhir, putra kami akhirnya diterima sebagai salah satu peserta didik di SMK Negeri 1 Jakarta atau yang terkenal dengan sebutan SMK BoeDoet, dengan jurusan Rekayasa Perangkat Lunak (RPL). SMK Negeri 1 Jakarta adalah SMK negeri tertua yang berlokasi di Jln. Boedi Oetomo, Jakarta Pusat. Oleh karena itu, nama SMK ini sering kali disebut dengan nama SMK Boedoet. SMK ini punya sejarah panjang yang bisa dibilang tak ada yang tidak tahu atau tak kenal dengan STM Boedoet? Yah, ada goresan suram tentang SMK ini, namun seiring waktu dengan perubahan nama STM menjadi SMK dan berbagai aturan ketat yang menyertai perubahan itu, SMK Negeri 1 Jakarta telah banyak mengalami perubahan positif. Prestasi demi prestasi telah diraihnya, dan semua terus berpacu dengan semakin canggihnya perubahan zaman dan teknologi.

Bagi kami, sungguh, sebuah pengalaman yang luar biasa di tahun ini, bagaimana perasaan kami begitu naik turun seperti sedang berada di dalam roller coaster. Semua yang terjadi pasti ada hikmahnya, sebagai pembelajaran hidup yang luar biasa. Sebuah pengalaman tentang PPDB dan BoeDoet.

Bismillah, satu perjalanan berakhir dan satu perjalanan lainnya baru dimulai.
Semoga dengan ridho-Nya, perjalanan ini memberikan semua yang terbaik dan terbarokah untuk kehidupan dunia akhirat mu...aamiin...🙏
Dengan bekal yang kamu miliki, jadilah yang terbaik dimanapun kamu berada...

#SMK Bisa! SMK Hebat!
#Sukses diraih bukan karena Dimana Kamu Belajar, tetapi Sukses diraih dengan Bagaimana Kamu Belajar.#



  

The New Normal

Talking about the new normal, I remember the days when I and my kids had just arrived in Jakarta.
The days when I and kids had to do an adaptation to our own homeland, with different circumstances.
The days when I and kids had to transform our good habit just to please our environment...

At the airport, my little girl at her 3 years old, asked me where to put her candy trash that we couldn't find the trash bin everywhere. Someone told her to just throw it. However, she put it in her pocket, brought it home and put it right into the garbage bin.

At kindergarten school of my little boy at his 4.5 years old, took his own meal of my homemade.
All meal were wrapped cleanly in each part of the 'bento case', with proportional main course, fruit, vegetable, and a small pack of milk. Some friends were so jealous at him since their mothers had never made such a cute and complete meal for them.

In elementary school of my second boy at his 7.5 years old, brought his own meal, a bottle of water, a small pack of tissue and a small bottle of hand sanitiser. Once, he used a face masker for he was having a cold.  Some friends were teasing at him for being such 'an odd kid'. Though, he just ignored them and kept on continuing what he believed.

In the same school, my first boy at his 10.5 years old, brought the same things with his little brother.
All meal were wrapped cleanly and no one could join his drinking. One bottle for one person.
Some friends said that they were the two odd brothers. He said once, "This is the way I and brother learnt from the developed country where you will somehow understand how good it is."

Until these days, the days when all of us have to face a shocked virus that change our habit, change our way of life, change our way of thinking.
It is okay to bring hand sanitiser everywhere you go.
It is alright to use face masker especially when you got cough and cold.
It is fine to bring a pack of tissue and use it when you have to sneeze or other things.
Yes, it is good to have our personal belongings and keep it that way.
Those things are for our own good, for our own health, for our own safe...
Then, you are ready for the new normal...

Ied Mubarak 1441 H

Hari Kemenangan telah tiba,
Kemenangan bagi orang-orang yang mampu menahan lapar dan dahaga
Kemenangan bagi orang-orang yang mampu berdamai dengan amarah dan prasangka
Kemenangan bagi orang-orang yang mampu merendahkan hati dan menundukkan kepala
Memohon maaf dan ridho dari sesama dan dari Sang Maha Kuasa

Hari Baru telah menanti,
Bagi kita semua untuk terus berempati dan bersimpati
Bagi kita semua untuk terus peduli, memberi, dan berbagi
Bagi kita semua untuk menaati dan menetapi
Akan hal-hal baru dan kebiasaan baru yang perlu dipatuhi
Dengan ijin-Nya, bersama kita mampu, pasti...

#Lebaran1441H/2020M#DirumahAja#SilaturrahimOnline#

Hot Penne ala Umi Rina

Friday is My Cooking Day, and I'm cooking with LOVE...💗💗
It is a special request from my family to have Italian dinner. Pasta is always at the heart of my family, particularly for the spaghetti and the fettuccine. This time, I have another experience with different pasta, named Penne.

Actually, I'm taking the remaining ingredients in my refrigerator. I just don't want the smoked beef is getting too old in the frozen. Anyway, it is so simple and you can use your favourite ingredients.
So, let's cook....

Ingredients
250 gr Penne Pasta (boiled until well cooked)
50 gr minced beef
50 gr smoked beef (sliced)
3 pieces of tomatoes (boiled and blended)
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1 piece of onion (sliced)
2 pieces of garlic (punched and sliced) 
5 pieces of red hot chilli (sliced)
2 sticks of celery
1 teaspoon of pepper
2-3 tablspoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt 
4 tablespoon of olive oil


Cooking the Sauce

1. Heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil with medium heat.
2. Fry the garlic and a half of the sliced onion until smell good.
3. Put in the minced beef and cook until well cooked.
4. Put in the blended tomato and mix with all the ingredients.
5. Put in the puree, the sugar, the pepper and salt, mix them all till well mixed and well cooked. 
6. Turn off the fire, put the sauce aside.

Cooking the Hot Penne ala Umi Rina

1. Heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil with medium heat.
2. Fry another half of onion and the red hot chilli, let them smell good. 
3. Put in the sliced smoked beef, mix them well.
4. Put in the sauce and the penne pasta, mix them well.
5. The last, put in the sliced celery, mix them shortly, and turn off the fire.
6. The Hot Penne ala Umi Rina is ready to be served...yummyyyy.....

Have a great Dinner, everyone!!!😍

Stay at Home

Begin this new passage with a common phrase: Stay at Home.
This common phrase is related to the worldwide disease named COVID-19. Because of the disease, all students, all workers, all teachers and lecturers, most of the officials, have to stay at home. We have to study from home, teach from home, and work from home. For me, my self, this situation at least let me and my family stick together at home. We manage time together to do each assignment, responsible for each duty and exercise or refresh some things for some times. What's more, after over 5 years I lost my id and password for this website that made me unable to update my passages,  my husband finally found it. Yes, because of staying at home, spending enough time to search and trace, I finally gain my id to update this website, my wonderful virtual home...   

Regarding the current situation, the COVID-19 has effected a lot of changes in our lives. In my online groups, everybody seems to be the reporter and the expert of the disease; everyone tries to inform anything by anyone without checking the truth and the validity of the information. Therefore, for me and my family, it is better to manage our schedule and take a real action. Every one in our family has his/her own schedule to be completed. 

It has been a week for our staying at home. My husband, as a government official, has to do his duty via online application from 7.30 am to 4.30 pm. My kids, they have their own schedule from their schools from 7.00 am to 12.00 am. Meanwhile, I, my self, have to do the households first, then I can do my responsibilities as a lecturer and as a thesis assistant. At night, after isya, we spend our time together by reciting and discussing the holy Al Qur'an and also the Al Hadith, from 8.00 pm to 9.00 pm. In the morning, before we have the breakfast, we do some exercises such as stretching and jogging for about a half an hour. Exercises are good for your health, particularly for your respiratory organs. My kids also have their own time to do their favourite, such as playing electone, reading books, playing games, watching movie (only one movie for one day), and many others. 

Above all of the activities, one thing that we should do every day, and for my family every after our pray, it is a prayer.
"Allahumma innii a'uudzubika minal baroshi, wal junuuni, wal juzaami, wamin sayyi'i, al asqoomi."
(HR. Abu Dawud).

Stay at home probably is not easy for some of you. Unfortunately, this is what you have to face it for the next days or months.  So, dealing with this unexpected situation, let's make it as happy as you can by managing your schedule from day to day. You can do some exercises, complete your responsibilities, and also do your favourite one in a while. Just stay at home, don't be panic, don't go for a picnic, and make it asyiiiikkk....😊😊