Stranger in the Street

"What's wrong with you, Adyl? Come on...don't stop. We must go on." I talked to my motorcycle when I went home from work.

My motorcycle ran more and more slowly...and finally stopped. Uh...it was a silly mistake not to check the fuel before you went out by motorcycle. My motorcycle ran out of gasoline. The sun shone so brightly in the middle of the day, and I had to walk and push my motorcycle.

Suddenly, a young man on his motorcycle came closer from behind. Seeing what he was bringing on his motorcycle, I guessed he worked as a delivery man. I thought I never had a friend with that job. I didn't know who he was.

"Do you run out of gas? Where will you go? Still far from here?" he asked me.

"Umm...yes. I wanna go home. Not too far," I replied.

"Let me help you push your motorcycle," he said.

"Oh...thanks," I didn't have time to think further.

Then he pushed my motorcycle by his foot while he was riding his.

After about a kilometer, at the T-junction we turned right, and after we turned right we found a mini gas station. If I walked, I could reach it in about fifteen minutes with much sweat, while with that stranger pushing my motorcycle, we could reach it in only one minute.

"Just stop here. I can buy the gas here. You can leave me," I told him.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yes," I replied.

"Ok, I'm going," he said.

"Thank you so much," I said.

Then he turned around and went to the other direction, and I realized that he turned right just for helping me.

Who was he? He was really stranger whom I had never known before. He was mysterious.

Nooo...he wasn't a stranger! It was God's work.
He was the angel that God sent to help me. 

Help me to reach the gas station easily? No!

God didn't send His angel to help me when I got trouble, but He sent him to remind me to help others...even strangers.

Sometimes we prefer choosing whom we want to help, but God always reminds us to help those who need help.

Morinda citrifolia

I used to go to work at six in the morning and go home at 5 p.m. I never knew what happened in and around my house during that time. 

When we have holiday at home, we usually open all doors and windows in the morning, so we have fresh air going through the house. We can also smell everything around my house. Sometimes we have good smell of our neighbours frying or roasting some food. Hmmm...yummy...I imagine it and it makes me hungry.

Now I have to work from home,  so I know what happens in my house very well for 24 hours. I also know the smell of food in our neighbourhood...huahahaha....

One morning, when I opened doors and windows, I smelt something burnt inside my house. It disturbed me much. I didn't like this smell. I thought someone was burning trash. It came from our surroundings "Hhhh...who's burning trash early in the morning? Why do people still burn trash while there is a truck picking up the household waste twice a week?"

The next day, we had the same smell. It happened again and again everyday, until I was accustomed to such smell.

This morning I cut some branches of my noni (Morinda citrifolia) tree in our backyard. The leaves and fruits fell out to the ground of the house next to ours, so I need to cut the branches. I climbed the ladder to reach the branches that I wanted to cut. Reaching the top end of the ladder, I could see the backyard of my neighbour's. 

Ooohh! I was shocked! 

I saw what I never thought before. The smell that I thought it was someone burning trash, in fact, it was my neighbour boiling water by wood stove. I thought that he, with 3 children without wife and any regular job, didn't have enough money to buy gas for cooking on gas stove, so he used wood to cook. 

Sometimes we quickly think negatively about something we don't like without knowing what stands behind it.

Sometimes we feel comfortable and don't look around, so we don't know - and don't care - that some people around us have to struggle to keep living.

Thank you, my Morinda citrifolia for showing me another side of life.

Turn it Off

It was 7 a.m., the first day I entered the classroom in this academic year. I met the students who attended my class the previous year. There was nothing to be introduced as we had known one another. The classroom and its decoration did not change, only the wall had been repainted. We were all ready to start all academic and non-academic activities.

That morning felt hotter than usual. I thought of the air conditioner, maybe it needed a maintenance, or we needed to set the temperature or other settings so that it felt colder. I asked a volunteer to set the temperature. All students replied that we had to turn it off in the first and second periods. We could just open the windows.

We could turn it on at 8.30. Oops...sorry...I didn't know well about this new policy. Finally I found that this policy was made to support an environment-friendly school program.

This condition happens everyday. So far, for about three weeks the students have tried to adapt themselves to this condition. To my surprise, this morning when we were discussing about turning off the air conditioners, a student asked me. She asked,"How about the air conditioners in the teachers' room? Do you turn them off, too?" Oops! I never thought about it...about the air conditioners in the teachers' room, in the administration room, and maybe in the principal's room. As I know, The air conditioners in the teachers' room had been turned on in the morning before the teachers come. The office boys usually come earlier and turn them on.

Dear students, I'm so sorry about this. Tomorrow I will remind my colleagues to look back at this policy.
Dear teachers, let's teach with heart. When our hearts don't want to do it, why we ask our children to do it? Let's do it first with all our hearts, then our children will follow. Hmmm...it leads me to a saying 'monkey see monkey do'...huahahaha....

Taken but Uneaten

To celebrate Independence Day, we usually have a special flag ceremony. It is special...because we don't hold it in our own unit only, but four units from kindergarten to high schools attend the ceremony. In the last four years, our school has been in charge of being the flag raisers. This year is different. We are in charge of being the choir to accompany the ceremony. 

Since the ceremony would be held in the football court, I think about the bigger choir...not only 20 to 30 singers...but I have also set the limit...not more than 60. For a week, I opened the registration for those who wanted to join the choir. Some students who were the flag raisers before asked me if they could join the choir..and I said yes. After reaching 60 students joining the choir, I closed the registration although there were still some students who wanted to. 

My team and I had planned the schedule of the rehearsal. We had only 7 times rehearsal...and we had to leave the classes for it. At the first day of the rehearsal, a group of students quitted the choir. They told me they couldn't attend the rehearsals. I explained to them that they had taken the seats and left them while other students who wanted to get the seats had lost them. Finally, after seeing the value that I explained, some of them took the responsibility to join the choir, but the ones who had joined the flag raisers before went on quitting. 

Now the choir has less singers than it should be. No problem...when the singers are all responsible for what they have chosen. 
Don't ever take the food and leave it uneaten while others hunger for it.

School Monsters

Monsters are everywhere. In the jungles, in the mountains, in the countries, in the cities...and even at the schools.

In the last six months, the students in this school have been talking about some monsters. They have been scared. They can't do anything when the monsters come. The monsters can do anything they want. Some of the students have even been so stressed for this horrible situation. 

The students had given up as they couldn't beat the monsters. They couldn't understand what the monsters wanted. Their marks drastically dropped. They couldn't change the monsters into kind and friendly creatures. They gave up. Eventually, they reported about the monsters to their parents...and then...the parents came to this school, seeing the principal and the homeroom teachers to report the fear that the monsters had caused. 

The 'principal' said, "A few years ago, those monsters came to this school. They applied to make a living here. Then we accepted some of them. We have trained them well. But the results are not exactly the same since they came from different habitats and backgrounds."

Then the 'principal' told he students, "You are lucky. You're in a good school now. At home, your parents spoil you. Every problem you face is solved by your parents. Now..here in this school...the monsters train you how to survive and be tough. The monsters have different characteristics. Some of them like to treat you as you wish...give you what you like. On the other side, you cannot drive other monsters as you want. They make you taste the difficulties in life. If you can't change the monsters, change yourself...change your manner...change your way of thinking about these monsters." 
The monsters won't kill you...and everything that makes you feel difficult but it doesn't kill you, it will make you stronger.

Culicidae

It was hot that night. It was dry. We had no rain for a few months. I was working on my laptop. I had some work to do and I needed to focus on my work. The weather was not friendly to me. I felt like diving into the swimming pool was a need instead of working on the laptop.

Hot weather that night annoyed me perfectly because it was supported by a troop of mosquitoes (Culicidae). I didn't know when they came and started to bite any parts of my body. I had to wave my hands and move my body to prevent them biting me. They were all female. You know, only female mosquitoes bite us as the female ones require meals of blood in order to develop and lay eggs. They attacked me brutally and I had to defend. I couldn't do my work quickly because of the disturbers.

After working uncomfortably for a few minutes, I slowly focused more and more on my work than on the disturbers. And finally, I could finish my work more quickly than I thought since I had decided not to care too much about the hot weather and mosquitoes.

In life, we often care too much about the distractors. We often blame anything that disturbs our work or goal. And we forget our goal. But being annoyed or not is our choice. So choose. Being annoyed...or focus on our goal.

A Simple Surprise

Exams always make the students tired. Tired of preparing. In the last grade of the school, my 9th grade students had some series of exhausting exams. And they did it well. After the exams, they had no more classroom activities. They would come to school only for having the graduation rehearsal and having some photo session for the year book. So when they did not have to go to school, they just stayed at home or spending their leisure time with their friends.

That day, some students went to school to do a special action for their teachers. They had planned, they prepared what they should  bring and do. They asked some friends to join. Some joined but some refused because they would go to the amusement park with their friends. Some refused because they had another activities with their family. Some refused because they were not interested and chose to stay at home.

These students came to school in the morning. They arrived at the time they usually arrived to school. They brought some washing equipment. Yes...they came to wash the cars and motorcycles of their teachers. The teachers and school staff were surprised and gave positive response. They let the students wash their cars and motorcycles. Getting good response, the students were happy...and they did their job cheerfully.

That day was a special day for the teachers and staff. They felt being loved and respected. They were thankful to have such students who cared about them. The students said to me,"There's no present we could give. Only this...just to express that we thank the teachers for teaching us."

Simple thing...and cheap...and not prestigious, when it is done with great love, can please others.
Instead of pleasing themselves, they have chosen the more difficult choice...to please others.
Thank you so much...we're proud of you....

Not Far

A few weeks ago we had a trip to the Island of Gods. It was a nice experience after more than 20 years not visiting the island. There are many new tourism objects that I haven't seen before. I felt like visiting a new paradise.

We went to the objects by bus as one is far from another. At night, we went around on foot.

One evening, Dian, my colleague ask me to go around with her. "How do we go there?" I asked. "On foot," she replied. "How far?" "Just near where we are now,"

Another evening, some colleagues and I planned to go to a beach. "How far?" I asked. Biso, one of us, answered,"Look! Only 300 metres"

Everyday on the bus, when I asked the tour guide, Mbok Dewi, about the distance of the next destination, she always said,"10 minutes from the first traffic light."
I tried to think...and found...that they had taught me about this: 
How far we go, just do it step by step. 'Near' by 'near', The first 300 metres...the second 300 metres...the third 300 metres.... Or the first traffic light...the second traffic light...the third one...and so forth until we reach the destination.
Thanks a lot for this simple lesson of life, my brother and sisters. Thanks for sharing a positive energy. :)

A Plastic Bottle

In the last few days, my classes have discussed about 'go green'. It led me to think about the recycle process of plastic bottles. It has taught me a lesson.

It was the time for me to have lunch. And as usual, I brought my plastic bottle to the dining room. When I was walking to the dining room I saw some other used plastic bottles in the rubbish bins along the corridor. And I started to think if they were alive.

A girl was holding a bottle of drinking water. He said,"How proud I am! This girl needs me everywhere she goes. She can't live without me. I've made her alive." Then after using the bottle for some time and the bottle's condition became worse, the girl bought a new bottle and threw the old one into the rubbish bin. Then the old bottle said,"Ooohh...I'm just rubbish now. Can anybody help me out of this rubbish bin? It's too dirty here. Hey, you, rubbish! Get out of my life! How can I live in the place that smells so bad?" In the afternoon a man took the rubbish and moved it into the bigger rubbish box.

Then one day the truck came to take the rubbish from the big rubbish box to a big field full of rubbish. "Oh my God! What a place!" Then a machine took him and let him gather with other plastic bottles. And then the machine crushed them! "Lord, have mercy! I was too arrogant to be a bottle needed by the girl! Please let me out of this place!" But it was too late. "Now I'm broken into pieces. It's so painful!! All I can do is just hope and pray."

The next day the broken pieces were put into a machine. "Help! It's so hot here! I've got no shape now!" But after a while, a machine took him and made him a new plastic bottle. "Thank God...I've got my new life!" The new plastic bottle was very grateful and he swore he wouldn't be arrogant anymore.

Have you ever felt the same as this plastic bottle?

Have you ever experienced the process of recycle which is done by God?

Maybe I'm in the process now. Not being the old anymore...but not yet the new one....

The Best You Can Give?

The last day of this week at school will be February 14^th. It’s Valentine’s Day! My students are looking forward to that day excitedly. As I had planned before, yesterday I gave my student a one-night writing assignment. I asked them to write something to someone who they love so much. They could write to their mom or dad, brother or sister, friend or best friend, boyfriend or girlfriend, teacher or someone else. I asked them to write to show their love. They would do it at home. They had to write on a piece of paper. They could type and print it, or if they wanted to be original, they could write using their own handwriting. I told them that everybody would get good score if they wrote with love.

This morning they had to submit the assignment. And it made me shocked! Most of them used their handwriting, but it wasn’t because they tried to be original. They didn’t make enough effort to finish the assignment. Some students did it in the classroom, and they did it without thinking deeply of the addressee – the one they love so much.

I asked my students, “What will you give to someone you love on Valentine’s Day?” Some of them were not confident to give an answer, but one of them answered, “Chocolate!”

Then I asked him, “How much will you spend for the chocolate?”

“I don’t know. It depends on the money that I have.”

“Well, now check the money that you have this week. So you can decide how much you will spend for it.”

“I’ll spend one hundred thousand rupiahs.”

“Is it the best you can give?”

“Yes, Sir.”

Then I said, “Imagine…if in the morning on Valentine’s Day you find this paper on your table. What do you feel?” I showed them a piece of test paper. “Do you feel that the sender really loves you? Is this the best that you can do for the one you love so much?” And then I showed them a piece of nice paper with some decoration on it. “How do you feel if you receive this? Are they different?”

When you want to show your love to someone, do and give your best, although it’s just a simple thing you can give.

Have a lovely Valentine’s Day!

Eyes, Lips and Nose

1. Hi, I'm eye. Am I beautiful? 

 
2. Hi! I'm lip. Can you see if I'm beautiful?
 

 
3. Hi, I'm sure you know me. Yes! I'm nose! Do you think I'm the most beautiful?

If I've got to answer those three questions, my answers are all 'No!'. I can't see the beauty of each of them. The eye is too dark and not shiny. The lips are too pale. The nose is too flat. When I see their physical appearances, they're not interesting. Yet, can you see the function of each of them? When they work, they will be meaningful. When they work together, they will form a harmony. When they are put on a face appropriately, they will show the beauty of the face - not the beauty of each of them.

God created them with their own function.

God put them on a face to show the beauty of the owner of the face.

God created us....

Have we played our own role? And have we avoided being selfish to show the beauty of our Owner?

THE

Today we had an English class. We discussed about preposition. My students understood the preposition we were talking about. Yet, as I frequently do, I talked about something else. Huahahaha...I didn't focus on the main topic....

We had these sentences, "He's at school." and "He's at the school." 

"She's at hospital." and "She's at the hospital."

"He's in jail." and 'He's in the jail."

The word 'the' hasn't got a significant meaning when it stands alone. But, we know, if the word is inserted into a phrase, the word can change the meaning of the phrase, and the meaning becomes absolutely different. I found that it is amazing!

The word is like us. We've got no meaning when we stand alone without anyone else. But when we play our own role in our community, we've got the meaning! We are there for others. So, be useful for others! Shine on the world around you! You're the meaningful 'THE'!

What a Gentleman

It was very hot that afternoon, but Jasmine had to have a training to prepare for a first aid competition. She had to prepare the equipment herself. She tried to move some bamboos from the outside of the school building into the basketball court - where she had to rehearse. The bamboos were heavy, I think. Or at least they were difficult to carry.
On her way to the basketball court, Jon came to her. Jon was her boyfriend. He was handsome and many girls wanted to be his girlfriend. "This will be the most romantic part," I think. Jon came closer to her, then he asked her, "What time will you go home?" Jasmine answered but I couldn't hear the answer. Then in a second Jon went away and left Jasmine with the bamboos

The Best Mark Ever

There would be a test in my music class. The test would be done by groups of three. The test needed all of the members of the group to play well. If one of them played some parts of the music score incorrectly, the whole group would get bad mark.

There were some students who were good at music. Three of them joined. They had no problem in playing the music score. They did not need to learn and practise together as each of them could read and play the score well. On another corner, Firman - another student who was good at music - and two of his friends practised together. His friends could not read and play the music score fluently. They usually got 70, the minimum passing mark. He tried hard to teach his friends patiently. He tried his best and so did his friends.

The day of the test had come. The three talented students played the song. They did it perfectly. They got 100. Then Firman and his group performed after practising as well as they could. And they did it…not very well…. They got 80!

I asked Firman,”Are you satisfied?” “Yes!” he replied. He chose the more difficult choice. He chose not to gain 100 easily. He realized that he could not get 100. On the other side, his friends were really satisfied since they had never got 80 before.

Share your knowledge and be useful for others!

May I go to the toilet, please?

My students were having mid-term exams. They had to concentrate on the exams during that week. In the exam room, everybody had to do the tests seriously. Some subjects needed much time to do, but some of them needed only a short time. Usually we have 90 minutes for each subject, except for Maths.

That day the students took a test of Computer theory. All of the students in my class

One of my students was walking along the corridor when she met me. She didn't greet me or even send a smile although she looked at me. What's wrong with her? Or what's wrong with me??? My students usually greet me when they meet me.
I observed her for a few days. It happened again and again when she met me. I didn't know whether she did it to others or not. I hoped she only did it to me, not to others. On the fifth day, I tried to smile at and greet her. She smiled and replied.
Ah, it's so simple! Smile comes from ourselves, not from others. So why don't we start our days with a smile? We cannot make others smile unless we smile to them.

Good Coffee

That day I went to a coffee shop. I bought a cup of expensive, hot, delicious coffee. I had known that it tasted good but before I could say so, I saw some people running, and some shouting. The building was on fire! The fire came from the 2nd floor while I was on the ground floor. I walked outside fast because I saw some white smoke and I smelt something burnt. Since I didn't forget to bring my coffee, I drank mine outside the building. It wasn't delicious, I thought.

....going home....

When I came home, the one I loved offered me a cup of coffee. It was not expensive coffee. You could find it at the stalls on the street. How did it taste? Wow! It was so good!

Good or not is not about something we see or we taste or we experience It's about how we enjoy what we see or we taste or we experience.

Are You a Pet?

"You didn't count anything. How come?" I asked one of my students during a Maths test. "It's ok. I always do this and so far my scores have been ok," he replied. "What's your target?" I asked. He answered,"Mmm...nothing. Just passing the minimum requirement is enough for me."

I was shocked to find

Excellent Student

"Girl, would you be his partner in the next music test?" I asked her. "No, sir, I don't want my score get worse since he can't play the instrument well," she replied. The girl was an excellent student whose scores were always excellent. She was afraid if she had a bad score which broke her good reputation.

Sometimes a student was excellent only in academic field. I know the girl is a kind girl,

Do You Need Help, Sir?

It was more than 20 years ago. It was several minutes to seven in the morning. My teacher, going by 'becak', arrived at school. My friends and I ran to the teacher. We greeted her and competed to walk with her and help her bring her bag. Do we see such a scene around us now?


I remember one of my students asked me to help me carry the heavy drinking water that I was carrying. I think it was a miracle! Her parents must be great parents who teach her to care for others, especially her teacher. If there are five students from each class do this, I will be the happiest teacher in the world. (The student who is in Germany at present, I hope you read this!)