ALUMNI WENT TO BALI …………..

(Written by: Rizky Kurniawan)
I entered KGI writing competition 2009 to celebrate the 20th KGI anniversary and I never imagined before that I would win. I was very happy and surprised because the prize was invited to visit Bali Island. And all costs of my accommodation were funded by KGI or in other words all were free. I didn't believe that. I had to pinch my hand for twice, when I was at Adisucipto airport and hotel in Bali. I did it to convince myself that it was real, not dreaming. Of course, everyone wants to visit Bali if they have money and opportunity.

I went to Bali on 9th July and returned on 12th July. All things in my traveling to Bali were the first time. I flew with Garuda Indonesia and sat near the window. So I could see the view out of the window and it was amazing. I stayed in Bali for 3 nights and my hotel was in Legian street. It wasn't far from monument of the first Bali bomb. In Bali, I also visited the KangGuru office. I met Mr. Kevin (The Captain of KGI) and his staffs. Then, I was interviewed by the Captain of KGI for KGI radio program. But please, don't laugh when you listen to my voice in radio. Because I was nervous when talked with him. I had to hear and talk using English in more than one chance. But I enjoyed that all.

I also visited several tourist objects like Ubud Monkey Forest, Ubud Botanical Garden, and Tanah Lot temple. When I was in Tanah Lot, I couldn't be to close because there were big waves. But I was happy because I could have my dinner in Jimbaran (the location of second Bali bomb). I ate while accompanied by stars and moon in the sky, night wind, voice of waves and musician.

Before I left Bali and back to Jogja, I have free time for my self. I walked along of Legian street and arrived to the bomb monument. When I read the names of victim, I felt so sad. Why this moment had to happen in Indonesia? I continued my walking to Kuta beach. I was really enjoy beach because the situation wasn't crowded. I spent 45 minutes in Kuta beach. I could walk to everywhere without disturbance. I also wrote some sentences in the sand, tried describe my feeling and threw little corral to the sea. I really felt free like wind and wave. At same moment, I thought perhaps I couldn’t visit Bali again in the next time. So I had to enjoy every moment during my visiting to Bali.
Went to Bali meant so far from home and control from my parent. For my parent, it was time for me to get new experience in my life. Alone and separated from usual society. Of course it was become valuable and unforgettable experience. Although I was alone in Bali but I enjoyed the days in Bali. Every new thing, I tired to reflect it into my life. Might be I could use it in my life later. But this traveling have made me become more open minded and grown up (especially on responsibility and wise). And also has changed my mind about new life and people (included foreign people).

A CHANCE FOR YOU

English is always more than to be written but also should be spoken. Anywhere you meet people who can write in English well will never be enough if you don’t know his / her ability to speak. You will realize it someday.

I have an experience that I could proof if we can write in English well, it isn’t perfect yet unless we can speak as well as our written. Several years ago, I have a friend who masters tenses and grammar. All his written tests at school always good (he always get perfect mark). But when he should speak in front of the class using English, he was speechless. But, it was so different with my friend named Yamroni (my friend at SMP). He was so brave to speak with a Belgian in Prambanan temple (that time we were in a study tour). In fact, he wasn’t good enough in grammar and structure. He just brave to practice the English he had!

Perfection of English can be reached by 3 components: grammar, structure, and bravery to practice (speak out). But we do not need to be perfect first to use our English, right? The most important thing is our bravery to practice what we have had. But it’s important too, to master grammar and structure to be perfect so that we can be more confident.

There are so many ways to realize our English: build an English club, join a cyber community on internet, take a part in every English contest such as debating competition, speech contest, retelling story competition, etc. And it’s really important to start practicing our English as soon as possible. Right now, no tomorrow. So that’s why, as an organization that so care to English development at school, SPEC held competition to “raise” the students’ bravery to practice their English. So, SPEC held a retelling story competition for SMP students in Purbalingga regency. The competition was for celebrating the 20th anniversary of SMA N Bukateja (2006). It was 3 years ago, but this time I should show you the video that never been shown to public. I know that it’s too late, but why not? Who knows, it will motivate a lot of students to start practicing their English without feeling embarrassed, right? Enjoy the video below.

From the video we know that practicing English, actually, should be started as early as possible. And you can see that the sooner you practice English, the better result will you get. So, when will you start practicing your English? It’s your turn, now. Yes, your chance!

DONATE TO SUPPORT

This blog, since managed by alumni needs help from you as reader especially in financial problem. Although this blog is a kind of hobby, but this blog is organized seriously to guarantee that the students (especially the student of SMAN Bukateja) can get useful information about English and this blog also provided as a media to express thoughts, ideas, plan, etc. Besides that, this blog is also provided as a media to keep the alumni of SPEC can stay connected each other, give and share information, post useful articles or links, etc. So, to support the existence of this blog, we need your help by donating funds by registering yourselves to AWSurveys.com and myhpf.co.uk. All funds that come to my account will be used for blog development. Because alumni get no special funds allocation from school to develop this blog, so we should collect the fund by ourselves.

AWSurveys.com
AWSurveys.com is one of sites that will give us money if we join the surveys held. It gives 6 dollars in our first registration. Then, you can join the surveys to add money in your account. The registration is so simple, and you only need to join the surveys by giving for about 3 sentences of comments related the sites that you observe / survey. You also will be given a chance to join a monthly special survey that will pay you 500 dollars (if you are lucky man). Then, you can refer your friends to join AWSurveys.com under your account (become your affiliate) and you will get 1.25 dollars per friend. Until now, my account receives 46 dollars and will be used to help this blog keep running. But remember, after you join AWSurveys.com, ensure that you keep be active to take a part in surveying the recommended sites to add more money to your account.

myhpf.co.uk
myhpf.co.uk is an alternative search engine by Yahoo that will pay you if you search something in it through your own account (after you register yourselves in myhpf.co.uk). Just the same as AWSurveys.com, the registration to be myhpf.co.uk member is so simple and takes no long time. After you register yourselves in myhpf.co.uk, you only need to start searching in it like you do searching in Google. You also can change your favorite search engine from Yahoo or Google to your myhpf.co.uk account.

Join = Donate
By joining AWSurveys.com and myhpf.co.uk under my account, it means that you help the development and the existence of this blog. But please notice that each dollar you earn will be your own, and I will get my part from your first registration only (you donate for about 1 dollar to me in your first registration and the system will regulate it). So, I will not get money from each survey (AWSurveys.com) or searching activities (myhpf.co.uk) that you do.

- - This is the end of the advertisement :) - -

UP DATED AGAIN!!!

More Features, More Useful Articles, and More, More, More…
Finally I could up date this blog again. For several days after last up date, I thought that I wouldn’t be able to add more articles to this blog because I was little bit busy. But my spirit rose again after I found that there were some people left comments (I don’t know whether they were alumni of SPEC or my friends from other city, because they used nick name). Thanks for you who wanted to take a part in this blog by leaving comments or just say hello (greetings).

You could see that in right panel of this blog, I put some new features and I changed the theme of this blog too. Although it’s still to standard and so simple, but I’m sure that you will stay enjoy this blog. Later, I will add more features to decorate this blog so that you will feel nice and make us easier to communicate each other.

Since this edition, I’d like to post some useful articles that can be downloaded or you can be subscriber by sending e-mail to specsmansabuk@gmail.com and I will send you more articles or links to download regularly.

Join This Blog
The first day I posted new articles in this blog, then I sent SMS to SPEC alumni, my friends, students and teachers of SMA Bukateja. I was surprised after that, because I found this blog was commented directly. Thanks for you who posted comments and wanted to join this blog.

By joining this blog, you will stay connected with other SPEC alumni and alumni of SMAN Bukateja, even the current students of SMAN Bukateja. And it also possible to connect with my friends who visit this blog regularly, but they are not SPEC alumni or alumni SMAN Bukateja. You will get new friends here, and find your old friends.

Just click JOIN THIS BLOG button in the bottom right corner of this blog. It’s easy, just like make a social network in Friendster, Facebook or the others.

GET YOUR OWN KANGGURU

KangGuru, a magazine that published by IALF is one of media that supports teaching-learning-practicing activity in every SPEC programs. It’s an easy reading magazine and easy to understand even for beginners. The contents are so informative, entertaining, and give us a lot of new knowledge. And, the most important thing is, it’s FREE! All of you may apply and get the magazine regularly just be sending request by SMS, letter, or e-mail. It’s totally free and very useful for students and teachers.

SPEC, since its first year used KangGuru magazine as one of media that is used in learning activities. The members of SPEC are recommended to be its subscriber too. By being the subscriber of KangGuru Magazine, you will get tips and tricks, information about scholarships, cross culture understanding (especially knowledge about cultures in Australia), and you may take a part in a lot of quiz that will reward you a lot of stuffs from Australia. Each quiz in each edition sometimes will reward you with dictionary, boomerang, funny key rings, original CD (album of interviewed Indonesian / Australian singers), even 3 days tour to Bali Island! KangGuru Indonesia also has a broadcasting program that can be heard from a lot of radio stations in Indonesia. The broadcasting are transmitted all over Indonesia. If you are in Banyumas (the region where SMA Bukateja exists), you can listen to LPP RRI Purwokerto (FM 93,1 MHz / MW 756 KHz).

And the thing that you must know, Rizky Kurniawan, one of SPEC alumni won the 2009 KGI Writing Competition. He was the 3rd winner and got a chance to visit KangGuru Office in Bali. I am sure, that you will not miss the same chance as him. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s be KangGuru subscriber right now and take a part in every quiz offered!

KangGuru Magazines are published in March, June, September, and December. They are free and should not be sold for profit. If you would like your own personal copy, then write an interesting letter, e-mail, or SMS (in English), of at least 75 words, to KGI to order the KangGuru Magazines. Be sure to tell about your life, hobbies, family, school, etc. Don’t worry about your English, okay?

KangGuru Indonesia
IALF – Bali
PO Box 3095, Denpasar, Bali 80030
Mobile: 081 2387 0479 (SMS Only)
e-mail: kangguru@ialf.edu
website: www.kangguru.org

Rizky’s profile and his story in Bali
will be posted in this blog next week (Insya Allah…).

PLEASE HELP

In order to develop and keep the SPEC existence in SMA N Bukateja, we need some helps from you, especially from SPEC alumni and current students of SMA N Bukateja. But in this case, now we need your help by answering questions that can be downloaded here or in the right panel of this blog in section DOWNLOAD. Teachers and visitors may take a part in answering the questionnaire too.

Please answer the questions in the questionnaire and send back via e-mail or ordinary mail. Your help will be so useful for the development of our beloved SPEC. Thanks.

UPDATED!!!

For a very long time, this blog has no changes at all. Why?

That question came and came to me and fulfilled my inbox, both of my cell phone and my e-mail. Alumni and students asked me all the time since December last year because the last time we up dated this blog was September 2008. So, the story goes like these…..

In February 2008 the alumni of SPEC decided to build this blog as a media to post ideas and thoughts. For several months, alumni helped the running SPEC committee to post articles, pictures, and useful links. After the alumni felt “enough” to help the SPEC committee, all alumni agreed to give the blog to them, 100%. But, after all techniques and password were given to them, no post at all could be found. Some students promised to post more articles later. But until the beginning of this month, this blog still stay still. So that why, the alumni who don’t want this blog to hibernate so long, decided to ask for permission from the SPEC advisors to expropriate (take over) this blog. So, starting from this month, this blog will be 100% managed by alumni.

O ya, we’d like to say “Welcome to SMA N Bukateja” too, to new students of year term 2009 / 2010. We hope some of you would join SPEC to gain and develop your English skills. To know SPEC history, we refer you to our old post (click here).

ACTIVE ALUMNI

It was little bit difficult for other SPEC alumni to communicate each other in a few recent months. The activities at universities, examinations, works, and other reasons made us lost contact with them. But, for several days recently, I got the information such as new phone number and I am going to make a list of active alumni (alumni who still want to keep in touch with SPEC members at school and other alumni).

1. Ambar (Education Department 2003-2004)
- Mobile : 085291111213
- E-mail : -
2. Khadis (President 2004-2005)
- Mobile : 081327302783
- E-mail : refinemyself@gmail.com, fantasticboy@windowslive.com
3. Sri Ekowati / Cici (Member 2004-2005)
- Mobile : 081908719839
- E-mail : -
4. Teguh Catur Yunianto (Media and Talent Department 2004-2005)
- Mobile : 083890368606
- E-mail : teguhcatur14@yahoo.co.id
5. Mansur Hidayat (Member 2004-2005)
- Mobile : 081322525640
- E-mail : -
6. Siti Fatimah (vice president 2005-2006)
- Mobile : 085291016998
- E-mail : fsiti11@yahoo.com
7. Susliana Septiana (Library Department 2005-2006)
- Mobile : 081320484720
- E-mail : pethoenk@yahoo.co.id
8. Stefan Christianto (Member 2005-2006)
- Mobile : 081542959650, 081219576672
- E-mail : -
9. Lina Aris Afriani (Education Department 2005-2006)
- Mobile : 085227228052
- E-mail : -
10. Rizky Kurniawan (Education Department 2005-2006)
- Mobile : 081319601475
- E-mail : kiki_babel@yahoo.co.id
11. Ovik Setyowati (Member 2005-2006)
- Mobile : 085726297979
- E-mail : -
12. Janan Fahmi (President 2007-2008)
- Mobile : 085227951543
- E-mail : -
13. Ovita Yanuar Lestari Putri (Vice President 2007-2008)
- Mobile : 085227377009
- E-mail : ovita_ylp@yahoo.com
14. Tika Yunita (Education Department 2007-2008)
- Mobile : 08976200018
- E-mail : chieka_tha@yahoo.com

SURPRISE!!!

Entering month of June 2009 alumni prepared a surprise for SPEC 6th anniversary in November 8th this year. What kind of surprise? Of course, it still a secret and will be presented in the day of SPEC anniversary only. So, start from now, I invite you to keep visiting this blog to get know the surprise.

The surprise I mean doesn’t for SPEC member at school only, but also for you, all alumni of SPEC in all around the world and for all people who have taken apart in developing SPEC, keep in touch with SPEC, and for whoever who have involved in all SPEC activities and programs. And of course, the surprise will be presented to the headmaster of SMA N 1 Bukateja, Mr. Fembri, Miss. Isti, Mrs. Ari, and Mrs. Siti Khoeriyah.

Are you curios enough and want to know what kind of surprised that prepared by SPEC alumni? OK, the surprise is going to come soon….