Sympathy for Japan
Saat musim dingin beranjak pergi, seluruh penduduk Jepang menantikan keceriaan musim semi yang ditandai dengan mekarnya bunga Sakura yang berawal dari Utara menuju Selatan, Okinawa ke Hokkaido, mulai bulan Januari sampai Mei. Namun alam memiliki agenda lain yang menyentakkan bukan hanya penduduk Negeri Sakura itu, tapi juga seluruh dunia.
Gempa dan tsunami terdasyat disepanjang sejarah modern Jepang, dibarengi dengan radiasi nuklir wilayah Jepang timur, meluluh lantakkan daerah Tohoku dan menguncang ekonomi negara maju di Asia ini. Bencana ini telah merenggut nyawa dan menyebabkan hilangnya lebih dari 28,000 jiwa. Belum terhitung puluhan ribu rumah dan infrastruktur lain yang hancur. Dalam situasi seperti ini akan sangat dimaklumi bila Jepang menjadi panik dan berkabung. Namun liputan media masa dan kesaksian hidup yang terdengar membuat seluruh dunia tercengang.
Dengan slogannya Ganbare Nippon, Jepang kembali membuktikan dirinya sebagai bangsa yang tangguh dan berbudaya tinggi. Hanya sesaat setelah bencana, Jepang bangkit dan seantero negeri mengerahkan seluruh kekuatannya untuk membantu para korban meninggal, hilang, sakit, dan kehilangan rumah. Ditengah krisis makanan dan air bersih, jutaan orang dengan sabar menanti bantuan logistik tanpa adanya kericuhan maupun penjarahan.
Ira Rasikawati, Kepala UKRIDA LTC (ULTC), mewakili UKRIDA dan alumni Universitas Chiba (CUAA) di Indonesia, menghadiri acara malam simpati untuk Jepang atas undangan Persatuan Alumni Jepang di Indonesia (Persada) pada 9 April 2011 di Jakarta Convention Center (JCC). Acara bertajuk Indonesia's Sympathy for Japan: An Evening of Hope ini dihadiri dan dimeriah oleh sejumlah pejabat negara dan artis baik dari Jepang dan Indonesia dengan sponsor utama Plaza Indonesia, MNC group, Pertamina, dan sejumlah perusahaan besar lainnya.
Dalam sambutan yang disampaikan oleh Duta Besar Jepang untuk Indonesia, beliau menyatakan bahwa Indonesia adalah kokoronotomo (sahabat hati) bangsa Jepang. Berikut cuplikan puisi yang beliau bacakan sebagai ungkapan terima kasih bangsa Jepang untuk Negara kita, “Cahaya bintang sampai ke bumi, bagai cahaya harapan kini dan nanti. Jadi pandu bagi semangat dan usaha. Anda adalah kokoronotomo bagi kami. Terima kasih telah mendampingi kami di masa sulit ini. Terima kasih Indonesia,"
Salah seorang reporter Metro TV dan perawat Indonesia di Jepang menceritakan pengalaman mereka saat bencana. Dyah Ayu, sang reporter, bercerita sesaat setelah bahaya tsunami diumumkan, terlihat pemandangan yang menarik, dimana ribuan orang berbaris dengan tertib menuju bukit untuk menyelamatkan diri. Tidak ada seorangpun yang berusaha mendahulukan keselamatannya sendiri. Bahkan saat Ayu sampai di camp penampungan, dia terharu saat seorang korban bencana menawarkan makanan kepadanya yang hendak meliput. Perawat Indonesia yang sedang belajar di Jepang juga mengungkapkan kekagumannya atas etos kerja dan pengabdian tenaga medis disana. Dari lantai atas rumah sakit, mereka menyaksikan momen dimana tsunami menggulung habis rumah mereka. Seorang perawat tetap bertugas dengan setia walaupun telah kehilangan seluruh anggota keluarga dan rumahnya.
Sebagai unit universitas yang mengemban salah satu misi untuk meningkatkan pemahaman dan pertukaran lintas budaya, ULTC mengupayakan penggalangan dana untuk membantu korban bencana di Jepang baik melalui pengumpulan kertas tidak terpakai maupun sumbangan tunai. Dana yang terkumpul telah disalurkan melalui Palang Merah Indonesia (PMI) pada tanggal 11 April 2011 atas nama UKRIDA. Walaupun nilai sumbangan yang diberikan tidaklah sebanding dengan kerugian atas dan kebutuhan untuk bencana ini, upaya ini merupakan wujud kasih dan doa kita agar sahabat-sahabat di Jepang bisa cepat pulih kembali.
Seperti yang diungkapkan oleh PM Jepang, Naoto Kan dalam salah satu pidato kenegaraannya, bahwa setiap kebaikan sekecil apapun, yang kita berikan kepada orang disekeliling kita, akhirnya akan dapat mencapai tempat-tempat jauh yang membutuhkannya. Seperti mekarnya bunga Sakura yang berawal dari Utara menuju ke Selatan: A beautiful "relay of life" that nature creates.
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Pengumpulan dana Staff ULTC berpose sebelum penjualan kertas bekas atas sumbangan dari berbagai unit dan fakultas di UKRIDA |
Sambutan dan ungakapan terima kasih Duta Besar Jepang di Indonesia
Shiojiri Kojiro yang habis masa jabatannya 18 April lalu.
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Foto bersama ketua Asosiasi Alumni Chiba University di Indonesia, Bp. Dodi Sudiana – UI (Kiri) dan rekan alumni Chiba Bp. Eko Syamsuddin – BPPT (Kanan) |
Cross Cultural Sharing with Tania Salway
by Yunias Monica
On January 19, 2010 at the UKRIDA Campus 1 Junction, ULTC held a Cross Cultural Sharing and English Club Launch. English Club Launch is meant to introduce as well as to promote the existence of UKRIDA English Club. This Club is expected to be a good place for UKRIDA lecturers, staff, and students to build an English speaking community in UKRIDA. There are several reasons as to why we need to practice English. First reason is to increase a global understanding. Learning another language gives the learners the ability to step inside the mind and context of that other culture. Next reason is to sharpen cognitive and life skills. Because learning a language involves a variety of learning skills, studying a foreign language can enhance one's ability to learn and function in several other areas. Another reason is to make lifelong friends. Knowing other languages effectively increases the number of people on the globe with whom you can communicate.
This event was also intended to thank Tania Salway as a volunteer at the ULTC from November 2009 until January 2010. Tania shared several interesting subjects to us about Scotland and also her university where she studied before. Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. The term Scotland derives from the Latin Scoti, the term applied to Gaels, people from what is now Scotland and Ireland . By the 11th century at the latest, Scotia was being used to refer to (Gaelic-speaking) Scotland north of the river Forth, alongside Albania or Albany, both derived from the Gaelic Alba. Scotland is a nation of fascinating history and culture and rich with traditional food and drinks, as well as being renowned for the exceptional and unique Scottish warmth found in its people. The University of St Andrews, is the oldest university in Scotland and third oldest in the English-speaking world, having been founded between 1410 and 1413.
Interview Session:
by Ira Rasikawati
Facts about Tania:
· Loves eating, reading, horse-riding
· An Aquarius
· Graduated from St. Andrews University
· Lives in Edinburgh, Scotland
· Has 2 older siblings
· Hopes to become a History teacher
Tania Salway was a volunteer English instructor in UKRIDA Language Training Center (ULTC) from November 2009 to January 2010. She spoke in some of the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) classes and assisted in the ULTC English club. It was a valuable experience for the UKRIDA students and staff to learn about Scotland and some other cross-cultural issues. She has gone back to the UK at the end of January to continue her study in Cambridge University.
The following is the result of the interview with her.
How do you learn about UKRIDA? I was on the internet searching for voluntary, educational work I could do during my time in Indonesia and a position at UKRIDA came up in the search. Why are you interested in doing a volunteer work in UKRIDA? I was interested in doing voluntary work for UKRIDA because I wanted to gain some experience working in the educational sector before I went on to do a PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) back in the UK, and helping to teach English was the perfect way to do so while abroad. What is your first impression about UKRIDA? I thought UKRIDA was extremely welcoming and a vibrant and bustling place. Does your first impression change at the end of your stay? If yes, please explain. No, everyone was still extremely friendly by the end of my stay. It was so nice that they were interested in hearing me speak about Scotland, and the lunch they provided was delicious! What experience do you find the most interesting in UKRIDA? It was all extremely interesting, from working with the students in English Club, to watching the lecturers in their classes. What do you like the most about Indonesia? The food of course! What do you find the most challenging in Indonesia? Getting anywhere on time as the traffic is terrible. What historical figure do you admire and why? Augustus (Octavian) Caesar. His rise to power, and his clever (and bloody) courting of the people and Senate to become the first Emperor of the Roman Empire is simply fascinating, and his skillful reign as Emperor thus became the model for all later imperial governments. Under Augustus, the Pax Romana came into existence and the Roman Empire was able to develop and flourish due to his reformations. How do you find university life in Indonesia differs from that in Scotland? Well I can only speak from my experience at UKRIDA and my time at the University of St Andrews, but UKRIDA as a University has a focus on the faculties of medicine, engineering, technology, psychology and economics and management. St Andrews too has degrees in medicine, psychology, and economics and management but it also has faculties in the Arts and Divinity, Modern Languages and International Relations. Also, Indonesia is a huge, extremely busy city whilst St Andrews is a small town of 3 streets! How do students spend their leisure time in Scotland? Most likely in the same way as students all over the world. My friends and I enjoy socialising, travelling if possible, studying when it is required, eating, relaxing, watching a movie…etc. What professions are of the most popular among young people in Scotland today? I think this is something that would completely depend on their background and the skills that they could employ. Popular sectors according to a job website for Scotland are customer service jobs, public sector and council jobs as well as retail or sales, health care and nursing, engineering and management, but that is a summary not necessarily based on young people. I do know that the majority of people who graduate from the University of St Andrews continue on to do further study (Master’s, PhD’s etc.), whilst many others go into medicine, banking, law, teaching and advertising. There are others who join the Army. As you can see, it is an extremely varied area and does depend on the person and their skills and experience. What is/are the best place(s) to visit in Scotland? The Edinburgh Festival in August is a must as the city simply explodes with life and there are thousands of things to see, hear, smell and taste. The Military Tattoo which culminates the Festival is an experience so incredible that tickets are sold out months in advance. I would recommend visiting a whisky distillery or two, as whisky is a staple part of Scottish diet and culture and also a visit to the Highlands for the beautiful scenery and perhaps you will even catch a Highland Game in full swing. Stop in St Andrews along the way as it is the home of golf, and don’t forget to visit a castle or two! They are rich with history, incredibly beautiful to see with your own eyes and well worth a visit. There are also plenty of zoos, museums and art galleries, and Scottish food has fresh seafood and glorious beef and game in abundance! If you may choose, do you prefer to live and study in Indonesia or in Scotland? Why? Well I wish I could eat Indonesian food every day, but for the studying I would choose Scotland as one of my passions is history and Scotland boasts some of the world’s oldest universities with an excellent reputation for teaching history. Having said that, I will be leaving Scotland forever in August/September to continue my studies in Cambridge! Does your first impression about UKRIDA change at the end of your stay? If yes, please explain. No, everyone was still extremely friendly by the end of my stay. It was so nice that they were interested in hearing me speak about Scotland, and the lunch they provided was delicious! Do you have any messages for UKRIDA students or UKRIDA in general? Thank you for a wonderful time at UKRIDA! I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it, and it was an experience to remember. (by Ira Rasikawati)
(published in UKRIDA Newsletter | No. 64 - Year VIII, February-March 2010)
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Interview Session:
by Dewi Kumalasari
During the Ukrida Language Training Center (ULTC) open, we proudly receipt special guest from Vietnam. They came to Indonesia specially for Ukrida and ULTC. How is their comment about their visit? Here is our interview with Mrs. Vo Nguyen Hong Lam and Pham Thi Hai Trang.
Quetion (Q): Hi. How are you?
Answer (A) Both: Fine, thank you.
Q: Have you been to Indonesia before?
A: No, it is our first trip, to Indonesia.
Q: How do you think about Indonesia then?
Lam: Before we came here, we search in the internet the information about Jakarta and its population. We`ve got the news that Jakarta is crowded. But it is not populated as I thought. Jakarta is a very big and modern city. More modern than our capital. The people here are very friendly. We feel warm and comfortable as we are in Vietnam. We do not think that we are foreigners.
Trang: Actually, I didn`t go a lot to some places in Jakarta. But the first impression when I put my first step in Jakarta, the airport is very clean. Ibu Ira (head of ULTC-red) and family are really welcome to us and we are very move (happy-red). They take us to the apartment and show the apartment. Everything in the apartment are well prepared. We stay for 3 days and I feel very like home. We talk to the people here and they are very helpful.
Q: You have mentioned about Ukrida already. So, how is ULTC and Ukrida for you?
Lam: we met some people here in the faculty, they are very nice. They are very helpful and eager to show the guest around. Very good image and friendly. The difference between my presentation here and at my university, we only have a few students. But here, you welcome high school students. About the organization of ULTC, you are very well organized. You have a lot of activities, such as oral presentation, story telling, etc.
Trang: We also visited some office, and we received very warm welcome from the Rector and the Deans. Not in Vietnam, it is very hard to meet the Rector. One of the Dean, invites us to have a small cake. The leading staff are very attentive to the students. They are friendly to us, kind to us, bring good education, we benefit a lot.
Lam: You have a bridge to connect the two buildings. In my university, if you want to go from one building to another building, you have to go outside. And the classrooms here are small enough. In my university, the classroom are very big halls. It can hold all students.
Q: Before I close this interview, are there any suggestions for Improvement and a wish maybe?
Both: The way you work is very professional. But in every class only the English teacher can speak English. You can encourage the students to attend contests. Maybe in the future, it will attract students from other universities. And we hope that in the future many students will come to learn and speak english well.
(published in UKRIDA Newsletter | No. 62 - Year VII, October-November 2009)
