***
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
Pendidikan adalah senjata yang terkuat yang dapat Anda gunakan untuk mengubah dunia.
(Nelson Mandela).
Education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation for future living.
Pendidikan, oleh karena itu, adalah sebuah proses kehidupan dan bukan satu persiapan kehidupan di masa depan.
(John Dewey).
***
On May 30, 2014, my brother Ridwan Tanjung and me went to a District of Bima to implement the monitoring and evaluation activities on the Standard of Minimum Service (Standar Pelayanan Minimal or SPM) in basic education. The activities were implemented in four schools, two elementary schools and two junior high schools. The schools we have visited were Public Elementary School of Panda, Elementary School of Talabiu, Public Junior Secondary School 3 of Woha, and Public Junior Secondary School 3 of Talibelo. All schools were located in the District of Bima, West Nusa Tenggara Province.
We were taking a Garuda airoplane to go from Jakarta to Lombok, and then from Lombok to Bima. We were arrived in the airport of Sultan Muhammad Sallahuddin Bima as usual. Then we were picked up by one personnel of Educational Institution in Bima, then went to one of the four schools. We went to the Elementary School of Panda. Weather look rather hot comparing with the city of Jakarta. We were welcomed by the principle of Elementary School of Panda. We were served with the young coconuts and the boiled young corns.
We finished the job of collleting instruments of SPM in the first day, and also convirmation on the data of SPM. I usually look for the factual data about the school conditions. We were asking with all stakeholders of the schools, the prinstiples of the schools, teachers, school environments and some time we were talking with as well as students of the school. We can finish the job in Saturday, 31 May of 2014 in the afternoon. Then we took a rest in a hotel, while we were watching television on presidential selection process. After that, sudently we watched a running text in television that there was an eruption from the mount of Sangiang located in some place in West Nusa Tenggara. The eruption implicated to the airoplane transortation. Transportation from Bima to Jakarta by Garuda airplanes are cancelled. Oh yes! We can not go back to Jakarta! Oh God. Then we were going to sleep with bringing the problem of how to get Jakarta to morrow morning.
In the moring after brealfast with nudle in our hotel, Mr. Ridwan went to the office of Garuda to make sure the tranportation of Garuda from Bima to Jakarta. The answer is exactly cancelled. Then Mr. Ridwan was traing to call the people in the office of Dinas Pendidikan to get information about the mount of Sangiang erupption.
Lastly, we have to make a program to take the travel from Bima to Lombol with a along travelling with more then ten ours. Oh no! We have to go from Bima from fourteen oclock sharp in the afternoon. We don’t have more time to think how then in a long journy from Bima to Lombok, because the Garuda airoplane already wait for us at six and halp early in the morning in Lombok. Before the time we have already arrived in the International Airport of Lombok.
Then, a small Avanza have arrieved in front of the hotel to put us up to take traveling from Bima to Lombok. Along the journey, along the north shoreline of Sumbawa Island, we were silent, not many to talk and to discuss. We were watching an exotic open air vew along the journey. The small avanza were running along the street that relatively smooth from Bima to Lombok.
At last, after using a ferry from Sumbawa to Lombok, we arrived in the International Airport of Lombok at about three oclock after night. We wre waiting for opening the office of the airport to check in at six aclock, then to go to Jakarta by Garuda. We arrived in Jakarta International Airport at about eigt oclock. After taking DAMRI, then we arrieved in our house with a small smile. Thank you God. We came safely to meet with our family. We will meet my collgues and all students of Tama Jagakarsa University that wait for coming of me for days by days. Thank you God. All of our life events are depend on God Almighty. Alhamdulillah. I am practicing to write this small event in English for my students. Kalempo ade (in native language of Bima – forgive me).
Jakarta, Mei 3, 2014.
