Week 11_Classic Music

"Eine kleine nacht mittag" who does knows this music? This is one of the popular classic music. "Eine kleine nacht mittag" is composed by a well-known composer from Salzburg, Austria named Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart who has already performed his violin and keyboard talent in front of the royalty since he was five. He begin to composed in the very early age;
he composed a lot of classical music included symphony, concerto, chamber and choral.
In18th century, beside Mozart, there was still many of great classic composer who was born here. Two of them had quite close relation with Mozart were Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven. Haydn was Mozart close's friend and Beethoven as a younger musician, he studied to Haydn and Mozart. Both of them also became a great classic composer; moreover, for Haydn, there is a well-known nickname as "The Father of Symphony" and "The Father of String Quartet"."Music Piece " is one of the classic music which was composed by him and "Ode to Joy" is composed by Beethoven. Actually, this music was presented to Napoleon Bonaparte but he canceled it because Beethoven was disappointed with Bonaparte action. He became arogant after won many battles and when the pop wanted to put the crown on his head, he rejected and asked to do it by himself.

Week 10_Student's Job

What do you think the first thing that you should do as a student? Moreover you study in an international university which is very expensive; it is not easy to get jobs nowadays, there must be a lot of sacrifice that your parents made to get money. Every parents always do the best for their children, so that every children must do the best for theirselve and their parents too. Parents do not afraid to work until the end, even they know that their body are not be able to do as good as when they are in younger age. Thus, we as a student has to study very hard and do the best. Results are not important as long as you have already tried your best. Maybe you got B+ on your final test but you have already tried your best during preparation while you should take care your counsin in a hospital because of car accident. The most important thing here is do not ever afraid to be failed and never give up.

Week 9_Live In

What is ‘Live In’? ‘Live In’ is a program for people who live in a city; where we go far away from home, usually is a small village and stay with local people in a specific time. The purpose is to learn the way they live so that we can be more grateful and always has good respect to each other. Every year, social gap is increasing and nowadays there is a huge gap between the poor and the rich. It also getting worse because there are a lot of people that too busy with their own business and almost forget everything that is much more important than money: family, moral, culture, etiquette and ethic. One of the ways to overcome this problem is participate in Live In program. There are a lot schools or universities do this program. Schools and universities want to help their younger generation to open their mind and show the real life. If you really participate in Live In program, you can learn so many things. This can be learnt if we are modest, want to learn and open your mind. 

Week 8_Effective Communication

Communication is a massage from a communicator to a communicant that can be happened for at least two participants. Communication must be effective to avoid misunderstanding. There are five steps in communication process: sensing, interpreting, feeling, intending and expressing; which also include empathy and sympathy.

Five technics that we can use in effective communication:

1.    Good listeners.

2.     Use your wise to react your opposite communicator.

3.     Find your similarity (es) with your opposite communicator.

4.     Do not monopoly the communication.

5.     Avoid debating with your opposite.

There are four basic of personalities:

1.       Choleric               : direct, focused, tough, analytical, logical and strategic. 

2.   Sanguine          : spontaneity, optimism, enthusiasm, high energy, mental flexibility, novelty seeking, impulsiveness and curiosity.

3.        Phlegmatic        : nurturing, sympathetic, agreeable and emotionally expressive. 

4.       Melancholic       : tend to be calm, loyal and orderly, just as their personality name sounds.

http://www.askwomennet.com/different-types-of-personality.html

Three basic communications styles:

1.       Aggressive.

2.       Passive.

3.       Assertive: the most recommended. Know when we need to be aggressive or passive.

http://www.angelfire.com/az2/webenglish/commstyles.html

http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/sba/comm_style.htm

http://www.cedanet.com/meta/communication_styles.htm

Week 7_Tongue Twister

A tongue twister is a difficult phrase, sentence or rhyme to speak and have similar sounds. You have to repeat it several times to get a nippy tongue. ‘Practice makes you perfect’.

Tongue twister helps us to avoid mispronouncing when you speak something, especially when you speak in front of a lot of people. For examples, when you present something, give a speech, broadcasting something in radio or in television.

I have some tongue twister’s examples:

A tree toad loved a she-toad Who lived up in a tree. He was a two-toed tree toad But a three-toed toad was she. The two-toed tree toad tried to win The three-toed she-toad's heart, For the two-toed tree toad loved the ground That the three-toed tree toad trod. But the two-toed tree toad tried in vain. He couldn't please her whim. From her tree toad bower With her three-toed power The she-toad vetoed him.

http://www.twisterking.com/a.php

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
How many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?

http://americanfolklore.net/folklore/2010/07/funny_tongue_twisters.html

Other sources: http://www.uebersetzung.at/twister/index.htm

http://thinks.com/words/tonguetwisters.htm

Week 6_Social Grace

Social Grace is a skill which we needed to interact in social life. It includes manner, attitude, etiquette and ethics. Etiquette is referred from French; “Etiquette” means attitude guidelines.  It was known since King Louise XVI era. He and his wife, Marie Antoinette liked make parties. Therefore, to make the parties work smoothly, they needed rules which now we know as Etiquette. Ethic is referred from Latin, “Ectica” means moral philosophy that also include culture and religion. You have to always try to please somebody. Why do we need to please somebody? It’s because, we need good reactions from people who make contact with us which called, action reaction. How can we get that habit? You can get it from reading books, experiences, ask the expert or somebody that more competent in that problem than you. Over more, it can be better if you can practice it in your life. Try from the simplest thing such as, try to be friendly, say thank you when somebody helped you, say sorry when you hurt somebody, help others who need help.

If you can do that, you’ll be a great person and everybody will respect you. 

Week 5_Corruption

I think corruption is quite common nowadays, but do you understand what corruption is. Generally, people think that corruption is taking others money for individual pleasure, while the real meaning is taking anything illegally for individual pleasure; so it can be anything such time corruption.  

Money corruptions, I believe that every country has percentages of corruptions. Moreover, now the economy is harder and harder than before. There are many factors that can support people to do money corruptions from inside and outside; for inside there is the moral and for outside: numbers of family responsibilities, the effect from family, friends or environment, insistency, etc.   

Unconsciously, we often do time corruption which known as “ngaret” in Indonesia. It usually happens in Multi-active culture countries such as Indonesian. For example, a meeting start at 07.00 but on the expected time, there is only a few people who came on time while the others still on their own business; so the meeting can be delay until 08.00 or maybe 08.30. Look, how pity it is! Time was spent useless. “Time is Money”.

We as young generations has always to try not to do corruption even a little because when we do a little corruption and we ignore it, it can inveterate and grow become one of our habit or in big scale, our culture. If that habit has already become one of our cultures, it is hard to correct.

Week 4_Poverty in Indonesia

Poverty is exist everywhere and anytime that we could not affort since the old days. Let's say World War. Not long after The First World War (1914-1918),   there was Global Financial Crisis, known as The Great Depression in 1928. It needed several years to recover the crisis, unfortunately before it recovery perfectly in 1939-1945, The Second World War happened.

http://uspolitics.about.com/od/economy/tp/what_caused_great_depression.htm

In Indonesia the Second World War happened in 1942-1945. Beside Indonesia should defend their independent, they also had to defend from poverty.

Another tragedy happened again in 1998. It became the worst tragedy in Indonesia because of the monetary crisis. It was known as Kerusuhan Mei 98 or Tragedy 98. These days there were a lot of people died. During those days criminalize, pengangguran, poverty, social gap were increasing quite high. The worst thing was, when Indonesia really needed a wise leader, there was only KKN (Corruption, colution and nepotism) everywhere. It needed several months or even years to recover the crisis. In my opinion actually there still a lot of effects because of that crisis. Not only financial but also moral of the people are decreasing. Unconsciously, because of KKN is quite commond today, slowly it become one of our cultures; starts to change bad thing become good things and good things become bad things.

That is way, we as young generation should very careful and always think twice or more before act wisely. And the most important thing is obey your parents.

Week 3_Learning Academic English

Learning Academic English is not easy for me; even Bahasa is not always easy to learn for me. Each has its own rules to make a paragraph, essay, report etc. However, difficult things do not mean that it cannot be learnt; it just needs persistence and discipline.

Academic English is a very important subject because it teaches and helps us to increase our understanding, reading, speaking, and writing skills. We started learning from the smallest step such as phrase, paragraph, main idea, summarizing and reporting. Those are the things which we should master very well. It will be needed in any kind of industries. 

Week 2_Learning English as a Second Language

Language is very important thing in our life, especially when we are in our world become smaller and smaller. People can visit any country easily. Therefore, we need a system that can make us have good communication: International Language(s). In 1924 the International Auxiliary Language Association (IALA) was established. In 1827 ‘Solresol’ became an International musical language and for nowadays there are several International Languages such as English, French, Chinese, Russian, and Spanish. We have to mastering at least two languages: your mother tongue and English, it is better if you can speak more than two languages. So wherever you go, you can communicate easier rather than if you cannot master International Languages. And I think, because of there are a lot of countries use English as their national language, so the first language that you should mastering for your second language is English, then if you live in Asia, Australia, or America; according to my opinion, make Chinese as your third language that you should learn, after that French, Russian, and Spanish. But if you live in Europe or Latin America, I think it is better if you learn Spanish or French (if you are live in politic world), after that Chinese and Russian. 

Healthy Lifestyle_main body 2

To help you balancing your work-life, these are five tips for keep balancing between work and life. Firstly, make downtime into your schedule. Make your own time management. Secondly, drop activities that sap your time or energy. Trying to minimizing the unnecessary things from your habit activities, such as gossip and hang out with someone; and do any kind of sports. Thirdly, rethink your errands. Time is money. You have to spend your time carefully. For example, you want to go overseas and you have to book the flight ticket. Think it twice or more what should you do to save your time. Now because of the internet, there a lot of things can be done by online. So, what you should do is a simple thing: just book the ticket by online. You do not need to go to the agent. Or another thing that you can do is maybe you can call the service centre from your airline and booked the ticket. Fourthly, keep your body moving. Take the stairs is better than take the elevator or lift. And the last one is, remember that a little relaxation goes a long way. Your brain and your body need to take a rest from the stress. Those things are the tips which will help you to keep your work-life balance.

□   References: http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/5-strategies-for-life-balance?page=2

Healthy Lifestyle_main body 1

These are five tips for keep balancing between work and life. Firstly, make downtime into your schedule. Make your own time management. Secondly, drop activities that sap your time or energy. Minimizing the unnecessary things from your habit, such as gossip and hang out with someone; and do any kind of sports. Thirdly, rethink your errands. Time is money. You have to spend your time carefully. For example, you want to go overseas and you have to book the flight ticket. Think twice or more what should you do to save your time. Now because of the internet, there a lot of things can be done by online. So, just book the ticket by online. You do not need to go to the agent. Or maybe you can call the service centre from your airline. Fourthly, keep moving. Take the stairs is better than take the elevator or lift. And the last one is, remember that a little relaxation goes a long way. Your brain and your body need to take a rest from the stress.

□   References: http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/5-strategies-for-life-balance?page=2

Healthy Lifestyle_opening 2

Do you feel that you are fit enough? Are you getting cold or fever easily? If you do not, that means you are great but if you do not that means you have to more pay attentions of your body.

Nowadays, there are a lot of people who can getting cold or ill easily, especially especially when the weather is completely hard to be predict because of the global warming. Generally, people are very busy with their own business. Parents work so hard to get a cent of Rupiah (in Indonesia), students study so hard to get a good score. Parents work so hard to get money, students study hard to get good score. Even sometimes, they forgot to do the things which is very important to their own body or maybe they do not forgot instead of they ignore this important things. For examples, they do not have enough time or they do not want to take breakfast in the morning because of they wake late or they do not use to breakfast. They do not have enough sleep. They work or study until midnight and wake up very early. They do not want or not have enough time to do any kind of sport. They do not have enough time for their family. This is also may cause a conflict between their own selves or between the family member itself.

"A lot of people are having a more difficult time finding balance in their lives because there have been cutbacks or layoffs where they work. They're afraid it may happen to them, so they're putting in more hours," says psychologist Robert Brooks, PhD, co-author of The Power of Resilience: Achieving Balance, Confidence, and Personal Strength in Your Life. 

Therefore, we have to manage our time well and trying to balance our life between working, studying and life.

Week 1_Traffic in Jakarta

Traffic in Jakarta is very terrible. I spend my half day useless just because of the horrible traffic.Have you ever heard or maybe watched ‘Dragonball’ and they has their special energy attack called ‘Kamehameha’? Sometimes when I was bored, I wonder if I was a girl who has that energy attack, I will attack all the people, all the cars away with my ‘Kamehameha’.  Sadly, it was my imaginary. So, we have to face it with smile because if you do not, do you want making yourself to be angry all the time? Because there is no a day, even an hour ‘Jakarta without traffic’, unless Jakarta at midnight or Jakarta in the very early or in Lebaran holiday. I love Jakarta at those times.

Beside everyday Jakarta become more crowded and crowded, Jakarta also become hotter and hotter. I cannot imagine what will happen, let’s say for the next 20 years. Therefore, we should join the ‘go green’ program to help our world for the global warming. 

Healthy Lifestyle_opening 1

            Do you feel that you are fit enough? Are you getting cold or fever easily? If you do not, that means you are great but if you do not that means you have to more pay attentions of your body.

Nowadays, there are a lot of people who can getting cold or ill easily, espesially when the weather is completely hard to be predict because of the global warming. Generally, people are very busy with their own business. Parents work so hard to get a cent of Rupiah (in Indonesia), students study so hard to get a good score. Even sometimes, they forgot to do the things which is very important to their own body or maybe they do not forgot instead of they ignore this important things. For examples, they do not have enough time or they do not want to take breakfast in the morning because of they wake late or they do not use to breakfast. They do not have enough sleep. They work or study until midnight and wake up very early. They do not want or not have enough time to do any kind of sport. They do not have enough time for their family. This is also may cause a conflict between their own selves or between the family member itself.

"A lot of people are having a more difficult time finding balance in their lives because there have been cutbacks or layoffs where they work. They're afraid it may happen to them, so they're putting in more hours," says psychologist Robert Brooks, PhD, co-author of The Power of Resilience: Achieving Balance, Confidence, and Personal Strength in Your Life. 

Therefore, we have to manage our time well and trying to balance our life between working, studying and life.