Eighth Assignment: Argumentative Text

Why This World Needs
More Argumentative Essay Than Superman

As human, we live in a changing world. Our world isn't stagnant; it's changing as time goes by. The change is of course caused by the development of science, technology and knowledge. This development is caused by the arguments of people who want change. In this case, we may say that arguments has changed the world better.

Arguments is absolutely needed in this life. Living without arguments is impossible. Why? Every time, even if we were alone, we need to argue. For example, this afternoon in canteen, unfortunately, I didn't bring much money. I only had Rp 2.500,- to eat, but I had to eat. From my experience, lotek, kupat tahu and pempek are the cheapest meals to have lunch. I had to choose one of three different meals. I argued to myself about which meal I am going to eat. Of course, I argued which one is the best. In class, when the students disagree with what their teacher explained about, they will say 'no' with appropriate arguments to explain why they disagree. In debate contest, arguments are absolutely needed to win the debate. In presenting new products, a company must deliver their arguments of the significance of producing that products. In contests, the adjudicators deliver their comments and arguments of one's performance in order to make it better. In court, an attorney must deliver his/her arguments and defense in order to defend his/her client(s).

Now, we've known the importance of writing argumentative essay. I state out loud that it isn't joking, it's a must. Argumentative essay is for our life.

Seventh Assighnment: Narrative - Past Experience

My Most Embarrassing Experience

Would You Like to Eat a Fire Cracker?

When I was a kid, I used to be an innocent, na­ïve and little bit naughty boy. One time I threw a stone to the car passing the road in front of my former house, I made my cousins and my friends crying because I punched their head, I climbed the tree and fell into the pond, et cetera. But one of the most embarrassed moments I still remember is when I bought my mom the wrong thing.

I was playing in my bedroom with my toys when my mom shouted my name calling me. She was in the kitchen preparing meals for the big family. At that time my parents and I still lived together with my grandparents and my two uncles. As a good boy, I ran to the kitchen which is separated only by a bathroom and a dining room. My mom asked me to help her bought pepper in the nearby shop. The shop is actually typically village-shop which is located next to my house. Well, pepper in Javanese is merica (pronounced as /mərɪtʃɒ/). I was a naïve boy at that time and I didn’t know what pepper is and what pepper is for. One thing I knew is that I had to buy pepper for my mom. I obliged my mom and ran into the shop. I told the seller that I needed merica but as I remember I didn’t speak clearly. At that time, most of the kids were playing with fireworks and mercon (Javanese for fire cracker). Mercon is a kind of fireworks that made from ammunition powder and packed like a bomb. The seller heard me said mercon instead of merica, and she gave me the least sized mercon which at that time called as mercon lombok. Without thinking further I paid for some mercons and took them home. I ran toward the kitchen and showed my mom what I’d bought. She spontaneously laughed at what I was bringing. She told me that she asked me to buy pepper instead of fireworks. But later, I came back to the shop and bought the pepper. Finally I played with the mercons I’d bought. My mom, my grandmother and the seller were just able to laugh at me.


From then on, I tried to always listen when someone is telling or asking me something. But, that experience happened when I was a kid, and still naïve, so I reckon that experience is acceptable. That experience won’t be forgotten.

Sixth Assignment: Narrative Text

It's My Life

I start day with smile, or sometimes upset face, by getting up at 5.30 AM, especially Monday, Wednesday and Friday, due to my class at seven. On Tuesday, I wake up at 6.30 and on Thursday, I wake up at 8.30. After getting up, I usually directly go to the kitchen to get some water. I’ve decided to drink a lot since I was in high school. I usually drink three to four glass of water every morning. After drinking water, I usually have a sit and waiting for my mom to finish preparing meal, or if not, I like to play with my cat, Tommy.

I usually take a bath just after having breakfast. If I am in a hurry, I like to take a bath first. I need about ten minutes to take a bath and fifteen minutes to have breakfast. I love to have rice for breakfast, but not fried rice. I don’t usually have a soup at breakfast and I just eat chicken, or maybe fried egg. To avoid traffic jam, I leave home before 6.30. I need about 25 minutes to get campus, but sometimes I’m late.

At campus, of course I have some lectures. I don’t usually take much care to the lecturers because I’m sort of lazy student, mainly in Bahasa Indonesia class, and also Teologi Moral. Actually I want to learn more about those kinds of lecture, but something has made me ignoring the lecturers, including my craziest classmate, and you know who he is. But, it doesn’t make much sense to me. Still, I can learn well. But maybe, I will learn better if I pay much attention to the lecturers. I reckon I have to.

At Tuesday, I have a class from 8.00 AM to 4.00 PM. On that day, I usually spend my money to fill my mad stomach. I usually hear for a party inside my stomach when I feel very hungry. I usually have a lunch at canteen together with my friends, and our favorite meal is the traditional salad, or in Javanese we call it lotek. But lately, I’ve been fond of bakso.

Every school day, but Tuesday, I usually go home at 1 P.M. In the afternoon, I like to spend my time doing anything fun with my computer, and sometimes writing a story, after having lunch. I like to have lunch with soup, rice and chicken. Lately, I’ve been fond of bakso, so I eat it every afternoon, and of course rice accompanies my bakso also. I also don’t forget to drink water much.

At home, there’s nothing much to do. I usually spend my time to play game on my computer, read articles or anything fun. Sometimes I spend my afternoon on the internet café to waste my time with reading any articles there. I’m fond of browsing about culture and also American Football, and of course geography things. I also log on my account in Myspace to find friends and chat.

The rest of the day, there’s nothing much to do also. I usually have dinner at 6.30. On Wednesday and Friday, I have to teach my students. One is a kindergarten boy and the other is fourth grader. I’m taking English Education, but I have to teach them Math, Bahasa Indonesia, Science and Social. They aren’t my thing and I’m not into them. But teaching them is fun, mostly when I get the wage. It’s enough to live a month for me, because my parents still supply me money. I prepare for my bed at 9.30, then go to the Dreamland at 10 PM.

Correction for the Assignment 4

As I read again, I found a mistake on my writing. There written Bantulan is located on 7°46’26” S and 110°19’12” W that makes the year-round temperature warm . The right one is Bantulan is located on 7°46’26” S and 110°19’12” E that makes the year-round temperature warm. Sorry for this mistake.

How Was Your Friday the 13th?

Today is Friday, March 13th 2009. Many people say that Friday the 13th is a day that supposed to be avoided. Many people believe that someone who goes out on that day would get bad luck, that's my it's called as bad luck day. But, why always thirteen? Do you know why?

Well,, as I read from one source in MSNBC, thirteen is always suffering due to some facts. Jesus only has 12 apostles. In a dozen of eggs, there are 12 eggs. In a year, there are 12 months, from January to December. In western astrology, there are only 12 zodiacs, from Capricorn to Sagittarius, and many kind of them. Consequently, many western hospitals avoid the usage of number 13 as the room number. Tall buildings have no 13th floor, airports omit Gate 13, etc. We can believe this superstition but we can also refuse. I, myself, believe at it, but I don't take much care about it. The shows in Friday the 13th must go on.

Then, how was my day? My day was just fine. But the night before, I was so scared that something bad would happen to me. The night before, I chatted with my friend by SMS. Most of the texts didn't send until I restarted my phone. I had to do it all of the time and you know it made me crazy, but then I fell asleep without thinking about my Friday. On the next day, or today, I woke up with worries. I had to be at campus at seven, and today was the Progress Test I for Pronunciation subject. I was so scared when I looked up to the clock that I hadn't left home at 6.40 AM. Then I went to campus and ride my motorcycle fast, but finally I reached campus before time. I was saved then. I did my test well, though I was little bit disappointed with the lecturer. I had pronounced the word correctly, but she probably didn't hear correctly, so she corrected my pronunciation into the correct one which I had pronounced before. But that was fine for me.

After the test, I thought that the day would be long in campus. I was attending lecture from my lecturers from 7 AM to 1 PM. But I just felt fine, nothing's bad. After 1, I had lunch in canteen because I had to do the assignment together with my friends until 4 PM. At 4, I had to attend the meeting of EAD Committee until 6. At 6 actually I had to teach my students but on the morning I decided to change the day of teaching and their parents agreed, so I didn't have to teach them today, but on Saturday. And anyway, my ex and my friendship has become better than before on this day. At home, my dad got mad to me but minutes later, we talked. So, I feel that my Friday 13th was just fine.

How was yours?



source of MSNBC : http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29661652/
picture : http://www.britannica.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/friday.jpg

Good Song to Listen: Lonestar - Mountains

Mountains by Lonestar


Lucinda Jones workin' at the IHOP:
Ten years worth of bacon, eggs an' tears
She's waited on every creed an' color,
While waitin' on this day to get here
Graveyard shifts, two big tips,
Makin' every quarter count,
Was worth it all to see her son,
In that cap an' gown

There are times in life when you gotta crawl,
Lose your grip, trip an' fall
When you can't lean on no-one else:
That's when you find yourself
I've been around and I've noticed that
Walkin's easy when the road is flat
Them danged ol' hills'll get you every time
Yeah the good Lord gave us mountains,
So we could learn how to climb

Bobby, Bobby Dunn came back from the war
Lost his leg but they couldn't take his will
Hell bent to run in that local marathon
He trained through the endless pain an' pills
It hurt so bad that sometimes
He just had to cry
He didn't stop until he crossed
That finish line

There are times in life when you gotta crawl
Lose your grip trip an' fall
When you can't lean on no one else
That's when you find yourself
I've been around and I've noticed that
Walkin's easy when the road is flat
Them danged ol' hills'll get you every time
Yeah the good Lord gave us mountains
So we could learn how to climb

This world ain't fair
It can knock you on your butt
You can just lie there
Or you can get back up
You gotta get back up

There are times in life when you gotta crawl
Lose your grip, trip an' fall
When you can't lean on no one else
That's when you find yourself
I've been around and I've noticed that
Walkin's easy when the road is flat
Them danged ol' hills'll get you every time
Yeah, the good Lord gave us mountains
The good Lord gave us mountain
So we could learn how to climb
Yeah, oh

taken from www.lyrics007.com

Fifth Assignment : Describing Place

BANTULAN, THE MASTERPIECE

“As the prairie wind blew southward, I can hear birds singing on the trees. I can hear the songs of the geese. Just like me, they seem to enjoy the summer breeze. My heart stops pounding and starts to freeze. Those big twin mounds of Merapi and Merbabu bring me peace. Then I realize that I’ve been here in God’s masterpiece. It’s not Paris, but it’s a real MASTERPIECE,” Austin Jones, an American traveler, said after his visit to Bantulan.

Bantulan is a village that lies five miles west of the City of Yogyakarta. Like many other towns and villages on the main road, Bantulan receives much new residents that have made it as well-developed village. Bantulan used to be a small village but now has been the most important area in the Kelurahan Sidoarum, though it’s not the seat of Kelurahan Sidoarum. It lies about four miles west of the City of Yogyakarta. Astronomically, Bantulan is located on 7°46’26” S and 110°19’12” W that makes the year-round temperature warm. The village sits on 410 feet above the sea level which can be the proof to convince you that Bantulan is a warm place from January to December.

Bantulan lies on a flat region in the south part of Sleman Regency, in the east part of Godean district. Bantulan is a crowded place due to the high migration to the village and also because of the main road that part the village into two, north and south. The village of Bantulan properly covers about 72 acres, but some settlers in its surrounding area call themselves as the residents of Bantulan. The village is settled by about 2,000 people, and it means that the population density is approximately 17,000 people per square mile.

Paddy fields surround the village on the northwest, west and southwest, making agriculture is still one of the main economic activities. For several years, Bantulan has transformed from an agricultural-based community to an industrial-based community. Now, building-material-production is the most valuable economic activities. Bantulan is also designated as the Village of Building-Material-Production. The government of Sleman has also helped the producers to maintain the production. Mini-restaurants and cell phone’s account counters can be seen on the side of the main roads. Property-business in Bantulan has also been developed. About ten years ago, there is no housing complex in the village. But property developers see that Bantulan is a strategic place. The bus stop south of Bantulan Junction is always the interchange for many commuters from the surrounding areas as far as Kulon Progo. In the evening, the economic activities along the main roads don’t stop until 11 PM.

There’s no river flowing through Bantulan, but small creeks for irrigation. From the northwest of the village, the Twin Mountains can be seen clearly on a clear sky. The paddy fields stretch from the north street one mile northward. In harvest season, there are many farmers harvest in the fields. The farmers still use the traditional machinery to grow and harvest. But motorized-tractors are used here.

The residents love to keep their body healthy. The people usually have a jogging in the morning on holiday. They walk or run northward to Kelurahan Sidomoyo’s field, then run back home. It makes their face look good and always ready to smile at you, to welcome you.

People may say that suburbia isn’t an interesting place to visit. People usually say that suburbia is only place to reside. But, here in Bantulan, you can feel living in the interesting place. It’s a country side that close to the city, but offers a good view to you. You won’t be starved to enjoy the warm of the country side. That’s why, we call it, MASTERPIECE.



The satellite-picture of Bantulan is taken by Google Earth.

Fourth Assignment: Describing People

She is the Interstate-90 to the Dreamland

I have been studying in the University of Sanata Dharma for almost one year, and this is my second semester. I'm attending the School of Education and taking English Education as my major. English is my reason to study there and I love English. My goal is not be an English teacher, but because of my curiosity about English and the world, then I decided to be there.

There are many lecturers in the English Education Study Program. Many of them are the USD's graduate. They're very professional in teaching the students. Like the fate of being lecturer, they have made the students' ability in English improved. The way of their lecturing is good. They're also very kind and helpful.

From many lecturers in the study program, I have a favorite lecturer. She is not him, because she is a woman. I think that many of the male students make her as favorite lecturer, including me. She is one of the most beautiful lecturers in the study program. She is in her medium-height, probably five feet and eight inches. She has long straight black hair. I think it's very black. She is maybe in her late twenties. She has proportional weight which every man likes. Like many Indonesians, she has light-brown skin. There's no rainbow in her eyes, but her dark eyes are just beautiful as a rainbow.

I don't know her too much, but from the way she lectures, I think that she is somewhat a prude woman. She has her own way to talk, which shows her femininity. She acts in feminine ways. I guess that she is from Solo, because people say that people from Solo acts in a soft manner. She is also pretty quiet, but no when she is giving lecture. She is also very smart. But she is somewhat melancholic because I saw her refused talking with the students of 2008 after the Requiem Mass for the former Pronunciation Practice lecturer, Mrs. M.I. Indriani Arief. I think that was because of her past as the Pronunciation lecturer. But it doesn't make sense for me. She's still my favorite lecturer. I mean she's one of my favorite lecturers.

Favorite lecturer isn't a thing that makes me fanatic to that lecturer. But it's a thing that can make my English improved. My dreams is that I have my English as good as the native speakers, or maybe better. The lecturers are the way to it. All of them are favorite but make somebody as the favorite lecturer in my college life isn't a sin. So, the question for you, can you guess who she is?

Third Assignment

Tornado and Windstorm : Twin Sons from Thunderstorm

We have witnessed for some windstorms in Indonesia that has damaged many things around. In these months, we have watched some news reporting about ‘puting beliung’ that occurred in some places across the country. The last windstorm hit Yogyakarta was in February 2009. Although windstorm causes many damages and injures people, the information about windstorm provided by the government is very rare. The main cause is that windstorm or tornado is not predictable in a long time before the occurrence. Even in the United States, tornado is never predicted long time before it happens.

Windstorm in Indonesia is similar to tornado in North America. The difference is the quantity and quality of occurrence. In North America, tornadoes happen many times in spring. Five tornadoes could happen a day in a same region. The quality is also able to be ranked from EF0 to EF5 in Enhanced Fujita Scale. Different in Indonesia, due to the archipelago, Indonesia receives less tornado or windstorm in wet. The quality is also never as big as in North America.

A tornado is born from a thunderstorm and usually accompanied by dark cloud, lightning and rain. The process of its birth is started by a cold wind which blows fast on the high altitude. A great and wide plain has more possibility as the birthplace of a tornado compared to the rugged place because the high wind flows freely. While the cold wind blows free in the high altitude, a hot breeze flows slowly in the land’s surface. Those winds meet up and causes horizontal whirlwind. A thunderstorm has a deep effect of their meeting. During the storm, the whirlwind is being erected by the surface hot wind which flows upward and be a vertical whirlwind. Then mesocyclone is formed by the mixing of the rotated wind which is erected by the surface wind. It then makes the thunderstorm to live long after stabilize the thunderstorm. After that, cooler air moves downward on the backside of the storm to the ground. The birth process ends, and a new tornado is born.

On its short life, tornado moves directed by the thunderstorm. When a tornado is formed on the mesocyclone, it’d move straight. It’s also affected by the thunderstorm’s velocity, when it moves fast; the path would be straight as arrow. But when it moves slowly; the path would be identified as loops. For a tornado which is formed outside the mesocyclone, it’d move fast and happen quickly; then followed by another tornado. The material sucked by tornado depends on the land’s surface. When a tornado crosses a town, the material would be the house’s roof, paper, barks, leaves and even cars. When tornado happens in the lake, water would be sucked by it.

Until now, the destiny of a tornado is still debated by scientists. Tornado happens in a short time and cannot be predictable. That what have made scientists cannot learn much about tornado. But at least, when we see a thunderstorm forms mesocyclone, it’d be better to stay at home in the basement or under the table.

source:

Fortin, Jacques, et. al. Visual Ilmu Pengetahuan Populer untuk Pelajar dan Umum: Memahami Iklim dan Lingkungan. Jakarta: PT Bhuana Ilmu Populer. 2006.

Shapiro, Alan. "Tornado". Microsoft® Encarta® 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation. 2009.

Second Assignment of Paragraph Writing

It's not Superman, It's SuperPC

For about three years, my life has been saved by my simple-looking computer. It has accompanied me to pass the days, from the easiest days to the most difficult, from the busiest days to the loneliness. Every one who sees my PC would think that it is not a special one. It's powered by Intel^® Pentium^® D 2,8 GHz, 512 MB of Random Access Memory (RAM), 128 MB of Video Graphic Accelerator and Gigabyte™ as it motherboard. It can contain about 120 GB of data. All of the software inside can be seen through the Advance™ 15" semi-flat monitor. To accommodate my interest about music, a pair of Logitech™ speakers flank the monitor. It is not the best speakers in the world, but at least my ears aren't feel bad listening to the music through them. My PC lacks of DVD-ROM or DVD-RW, but it doesn't mean that my desire about watching movies can't be satisfied, because it still has a CD-RW.

For three years, my Personal Computer hasn't changed much in physical appearance. I only changed the keyboard few weeks ago due to the former keyboard's dysfunction. The software has a different fate with the hardware. Some of the programs have changed, added and removed several times. The most significant change was few weeks ago, together with the change of the keyboard. My PC had been long infected by a worm virus. It denied the anti-virus access. It couldn't be deleted by any anti-virus, and anti-virus wouldn't work. After the infection had become more dangerous, my father called a computer repairman to repair it. The repair deleted many program files included my favorite program, Microsoft® Encarta Encyclopedia Standard 2005. But at least, the Microsoft® Documents has been upgraded to the newest version.

As I've written above, Microsoft® Encarta is my favorite program, then why? I had installed the program since I was in the eleventh grade. This program is very interesting and it had made me know the world. My dream is living and working abroad in North America or Ireland, and Microsoft Encarta had encouraged me to dream and to struggle. It happened when I was in the last semester of my high school. I chatted with some people in the United States and Canada, and they has inspired me to dream and to struggle. I've also learned about American Dream, where dreams become true in that land of opportunity. The life story of Barrack Obama has also inspired me. There are many Americans and Canadians who have inspired me to dream. My friend from chatting, Emily McCoy from Lubbock, Texas, has also encouraged me. Right now, I have some friends from those countries. I also feel that they aren't far. Brittany Quick, an engineering student from the University of Wisconsin at Platteville, has become my friend and told me much about American life. Kaila Marie Cote, a French Canadian girl, also has told me the Canadian way of life. All of my friends there encourage me to struggle, and all of that has started by the existence of Microsoft® Encarta.

I've started to write a novel since the odd semester ends. It can't be accommodated without the existence of my lovely Personal Computer. It provides the standard program files to write, Microsoft Word. I get many information about the place settings of my novel from the internet. I surfed anything I want to surf. My computer isn't connected to the internet, so I have to go to the internet café to get the information I need. But I've installed Mozilla® Firefox to my computer, in case when I need to read the information I need. I copy the Firefox's pages into my USB drive and move them to my computer's hard disk. Then, whenever I need to read again, I can open it through Mozilla® Firefox. Microsoft® Encarta used to help me finding information I need also. But, after the repair, I can't find with it. I've planned to find a Microsoft® Encarta installer to some of my friends, but I haven't found it yet. Maybe I'll find it in the CD-Rental.

My life has really been saved by my computer. I used to be a boy that don't have a dream, and now because of my computer, I've changed into a boy who has dreams and spirit to make the dreams come true. At least, it's what I feel right now.

First Assignment of Paragraph Writing

Beyond the Border

Pembina is a small agricultural city located in the state of North Dakota, USA. It is the oldest settlement in the Dakotas and was founded as a city in 1797, even before the state was founded. For every American, every North Dakota's city is imagined throughout the nation as a rural city surrounded by wide farms. Even everyone probably thinks that every city there is just far from word 'strategic'. The first thought about Pembina is just true but the second one ain't true, because it has been long known as a strategic settlement because it lies just west of the confluence of Pembina River and Red River of the North which used as fur trading area in the past. The Interstate-29 which connects Winnipeg and Kansas City stretches west of the city. The Canadian border lies few miles from the city and the 24-hour port of entry is located nearby. The Greyhound Lines' coaches, the number one coach lines in the United States, are assembled there. Despite its strategic location, Pembina doesn’t have many residents. Based on the Pembina's official website, it’s only settled by 642 people. Right now, Pembina has some tourist attractions such as the Ukrainian Church, Pembina State Museum and the nearby nine-hole golf course. But, Pembina is still able to be called as an agricultural city.

P.S.: Some of the data are taken from the Pembina's official website.
http://pembina.govoffice.com/

The picture is taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pembina.jpg.

This Blog Won't Bite

I just started the second semester of eight yesterday. I thought I was crazy taking 25 credits this semester, but I encouraged myself that I can do it. Mr. Obama has inspired me to do the best by his slogan of campaign, YES WE CAN.
Yesterday, I attended Mr. Chosa's class. It's Paragraph Writing class. He has an unique way to lecture. Most of the lecturers use paper to deliver their lectures, but he has different thought. He chose internet as the way of learning so that we can save the world by saving paper. Reducing papers means reducing woods usage, so it'll help to avoid Climate Change. Well, a crazy-good idea. So then, Mr. Chosa asked all of his students to make a blog. So, this blog is a special blog for Mr. Chosa. LOL.