Comparative Study In Malang there is one outstanding elementary school, named Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Negeri 1 Malang, better known as MIN 1 Malang. Its students often win national competitions and are fluent in English and Arabic. Don’t forget, they are only between 5 and 12 years old. This school also has partnerships with international educational institutions … Read more
**I come from a large family.** To be precise, we are 10 siblings. I am number 5. When I was in elementary school, my father always gave praise whenever his children achieved certain accomplishments in their respective classes, except to me. I felt strange. There was a feeling of being neglected or treated differently. Every … Read more
Why Eid Differs It all begins with a Hadith of the Prophet that says: Shumu li ru’yatihi, wa aftiru li ru’yatihi. Begin the Ramadan fast by sighting the crescent moon (hilal). And end the month of Ramadan (which means the beginning of Eid) by sighting the hilal. At least in Indonesia, there are two interpretations … Read more
Pay Taxes? You’re Such an Idiot! What Will the World Say?! Do you already have an NPWP (Taxpayer Identification Number)? Hopefully the abbreviation is not wrong—I only know it from the “Apa Kata Dunia” (“What Does the World Say”) advertisement on TV. Follow-up question: Do you, as an individual, usually pay taxes? Paying taxes in … Read more
Michael Jackson and the Jurors Finally, Michael Jackson is free. The Jury agreed that all ten charges directed at Michael Jackson were unfounded. For information, in the American court system the determinant of whether a defendant is guilty or innocent is not the Judge but the Jury, which consists of 12 members of the local … Read more
Wealth and Level of Education What is the purpose of studying until we reach a bachelor’s, master’s, or even doctoral degree? Among people in developing countries like Indonesia, the common answer is: to improve one’s standard of living. In other words, to become rich. At the very least, with a minimum bachelor’s degree, we can … Read more
New Trend of Indonesian Artists: Charity and Reading Books! To be honest, I was rather surprised watching a CNN program that aired an interview with Christine Hakim, whom CNN called “the most renowned actress in Asia” (not just in Indonesia). I was even more surprised after learning that Christine Hakim actually has two social foundations. … Read more
Mrs. Mega’s Speech at the UN & Our Officials on CNN/BBC This past week we have seen many of our officials appearing on CNN/BBC. We feel proud that the name INDONESIA is being mentioned in the international media and that people are speaking there. Here are some of my human-interest impressions (not a political analysis; … Read more
Ramlan Efendi I haven’t met Ramlan Efendi for a long time, and I miss him. In my eyes, he is a good and warm friend. His warmth in treating everyone is, to me, a sign that he will become “someone” in his community one day. Knowledge and degrees are certainly important. They are the first … Read more
Vision and Hard Work From childhood to adulthood, humans possess inherent character traits which the Austrian philosopher Sigmund Freud, in his magnum opus The Interpretation of Dreams, divided into three: the Id, the Ego, and the Superego. The Id is the trait filled with primitive instincts, which then develops into the Ego that functions as … Read more