Fish = Ghoti

Senin, 28 November 2011
There is no fixed rule how to pronounce word in English. If we relate this about the rules of phonetic alphabet, it says that one spelling or one word can be pronounced in different sound as well as one sound can be spelled in different words. For example, the words "to, too, two" the underlined alphabets represent one sound /u:/. on the other hand, the words " dad, call", the a in word dad sounds /æ/, the a in call sounds /ɔ/.

We can see in that example that English words is difficult to pronounce. I remember to what Mr. Sudarya said in Critical Reading class today. He said that one of famous writer, George Bernard Shaw made a joke. Shaw said that English is complicated in pronounciation. He said that he write the word "fish" in "ghoti". what does it mean?

Look, the word "fish" in phonemic transcription is written /fiʃ/. 
It is the same with "ghoti". if we break the word into "gh", "o", "ti"
gh in enough sounds /f/, o in women sounds /i/ and ti in nation sounds /ʃ/
So, ghoti and fish is the same, because both can be pronounce /fiʃ/

What a silly joke it is!!!!!

(gelo)ra Bung Karno

Senin, 21 November 2011
20 11 2011
Di tanggal baik ini, banyak warga Jakarta yang melakukan pernikahan, lahiran atau semacamnya. Tapi berbeda dengan yang terjadi di kawasan Senayan. Ribuan orang memadati kawasan Gelora Bung Karno sejak pagi hari. Ada apakah gerangan? Ya, hari ini adalah hari penjualan tiket untuk Laga Final Sea Games 2011 antara Timnas Sepakbola Indonesia dengan Timnas Malaysia. Semenjak pagi bahkan subuh, warga Jakarta dan sekitarnya sudah '"terpaksa" datang untuk mengantri tiket pertandingan. Loket tiket kategori 4 dengan harga Rp 25.000 menjadi yang paling diserbu calon pembeli.

Aku dan Sandi memang terlambat datang ke sana. Pukul 11.30 kami baru sampai di GBK dan bingung mencari loket penjualan, kami pun bertanya kepada orang di sekitar dan akhirnya menemukan lokasi loket penjualan. Kebetulan kami memang ingin membeli tiket kategori 4. Antrian sangat panjang dan tak teratur (seperti biasanya). ada ribuan orang yang mengantri kepanasan dan hanya dilayani oleh 2 loket. Terlihat di balik loket, ada segerombolan polisi yag memantau jalannya antrian sambil merokok dan ngopi. Ada juga tukang parkir yang berubah profesi menjadi makelar fotokopi KTP. Maklum, karena katanya pembelian tiket harus menyerahkan fotokopi KTP. Harganya pun fantastis dan semena-mena, Rp 5000 per lembar KTP. WOWWWW!!!!!!! Ada pula tukang jajanan; somay, pedagang air minum, gorengan, bapau, dan penjual pernak-pernik timnas dan Sea Games. Di pojok, seorang ibu menggendong sambil mendiamkan anaknya yang menangis karena kepanasan. Ada juga sekelompok pemuda yang asik mengobrol dan merokok menghilangkan kesuntukan antrean. Mereka datang kesini dengan satu niat, mendukung Timnas kebanggan mereka!


Sudah hampir 2 jam kami mengantri. Jam menunjukkan pukul 2.30. Mulai dari duduk, berdiri lagi, duduk lagi, berdiri lagi tapi hanya maju satu meter. Sedangkan keadaan di depan loket makin gaduh dan tak karuan. Sebentar-sebentar terdengar teriakan massa karena ada yang mencoba menyalip antrean. Situasi ini masih diwarnai dengan pelemparan botol dari salah satu pengantre. Banyak pula yang gugur karena tak kuat dengan antrean yang begitu rapat dan berdesakan. Di sisi lain, terlihat setiap orang yang telah keluar antrean dengan membawa selembar nota tiket tersenyum sumringah meskipun bermandikan keringat di bajunya.

Hampir jam 5 sore ketika ternyata tiket sudah habis terjual semua. Para pengantre pun kesal dan terlihat marah-marah. Kami berdua pun ikut kesal tapi tak bisa berbuat apa-apa. Ya sudah lah mau bagaimana lagi. Kami pun pulang dengan tangan hampa. Ketika kami berjalan menuju tempat parkir motor, ternyata loket penjualan lain dekat istora dibakar massa. Pagar pembatas pun dirusak. Di sini baru terlihat aparat yang berjaga-jaga, sekedar berdiri dan "planga plongo". Kami pun melanjutkan perjalanan ke tempat parkir dan pulang.

Tolong, INASOC atau PSSI atau siapapun, benahi juga manajemen penjualan tiket. Stadion sudah standar internasional tetapi penjualan tiket masi kampungan. Pengalaman saya dan teman-teman, sejak AFF kemarin, tidak ada perubahan manajemen penjualan tiket. Proses ticketing pertandingan Internasional seharusnya tak seamburadul ini. Untuk punggawa Timnas, sadarilah bahwa satu-satunya alat pemersatu bangsa adalah menonton pertandingan kalian. Lakukan yang terbaik untuk mereka yang telah bermandi keringat dan bolos kerja hanya untuk mendukung kalian dan bayarlah perjuangan masyarakat Indonesia dengan menjadi juara.

Summary of David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

Senin, 14 November 2011

David was born on Friday night at twelve o’clock. Some old ladies said that he would be unlucky because of the day and hour of his birth. His father died six months before his birth. David had his great auunt who was the most commanding person in his family. Her name was Miss Trotwood. She lived in a small house by the sea with one servant named Miss Betsey. David’s family had a servant named Peggotty who always help David and his mother to do housekeeping.

David was a fatherless child. When he was six years old, his mother started to find another man to be David’s stepfather.       His named was Mr. Murdstone. David didn’t like this man because he had a bad temper and always looked at David with his hard black eyes. One day, Peggotty invited to join her to Yarmouth and stay with her brothe for two weeks. It was excited David but he was afraid whether his mom would agree or not. David didn’t want to leave his mother alone but Peggotty made sure him that she is going to stay with a friend and let him go with her. And that happened next is she agreed gladly.

They travelled to Yarmouth in a cart. The journey was long and they stopped at many places. As they entered the town, they were welcomed by Ham, Peggotty’s brother. His house was a boat. The rooms were clean and had a roof with little windows. There was a girl came to David. Her name was Emily. They had a dinner – a tasty meal of fish and potatoes, cooked in butter. After had a dinner, they all sat by the fire and talked about everything. David had a lot of activities in his holiday. In the morning, he went down to the sea with little Emily and watched the boats. Sometimes they went to the sea by boat with Ham. Two weeks quckly passed and the day to go home is came. 

As they drove home, David was in a hurry to see his mother. When he opened the door, his mom was not there. Peggotty forgot to tell that his mother has married again, with that strange gentleman. David was surprised and ran away to his room. When they had a dinner, Mr. Murdstone’s sister arrived. She was as unfriendly as her brother. Then, she claimed that she would manage this house. David felt strange in his own house but he cannot argue. Mr. Murdstone and his sister planned to sent David to a school. In the next morning, a cart arrived to bring David to London. David looked for Peggotty, but she did not appear. They went about a kilometre when the carrier stopped and Peggotty ran out from trees and jumped into the cart. She gave David some bags of little cakes and some money. Them, she got out and ran away. Mr. Barkis (the carrier) asked who made the cakes and David said “Pegotty” proudly. Mr. Barkis said that if Pegotty wants a husband, then he will marry her.

When he arrived in London, nobody met him until a tall young man came to him and told that he was one of the teacher in the school David would enter. Then he took David to the school,  Salem House, with a ruthless headmaster, Mr. Creakle. Unfortunately, it looked like a prison. He should stay alone in the room and had a supper together. There, he met Tommy Traddles and J. Steerforth, who next be his friend. On David’s birthday, Peggotty sent him some cakes for his birthday.he was very happy and that was the only he remember when he was in school
The end of the term was came out and it’s the time to go home. David felt like a stranger. The house has changed. No one wanted him, except Peggotty. The holiday was bad and david had to go back to school. One day, when Mr. Creakle was eating his breakfast, he called David. Mrs. Creakle was holding a letter, then she said a bad news about his mother. She said that his mother had been very ill and this morning she received a letter telling that his mother was dead. David shocked and cry. Then he return home next day.  Peggotty ran out and took him in her arms. He watched his mother laid to rest beside his father.

Then, Miss Murdstone sent Peggotty away. She stayed with her brother in Yarmouth and two weeks later she married Mr. Barkis. David felt lonely without Peggotty. He spent everyday doing nothing. One day, Mr. Quninion visited his house. He managed the wine business of Murdstone an Grinby. Mr. Murdstone wante David to have a work there. So, at the age of ten, he began to work for living. He worked with four other boys. They had to wash empty bottles, label them for new wine, and put them in wooden cases. 

At dinner time, Mr. Quinion called him into his office. There, David found a fat man with a alarge shining head. He was Mr. Micawber. He will give David a room to stay. Then he moved to Mr. Micawber’s house. He were welcomed by Mrs. Micawber- a thin, tired lady. He could not pay his bill, so he should make money. In the early moring, a policeman came and took Mr. Micawber to prison. One Sunday, David went to see Mr. Micawber in the prison and they had a dinner together. Finally Mr. Micawber was freed after stay in prison for many weeks. The Micawber then decided to leave London and started a fresh life while David decided to run away to his aunt. 

Her aunt accepted him and he then worte a letter to Mr. Murdstone. David said that he didn’t want to stay with him again. On the afternoon, Mr. Murdstone came to her house and Miss Trotwood yelled at him. He said to Murdstone that she will kept David. He shouted at him to go and never rode on her grass again.
She sked her lawyer- Mr. Wickfield to choose a good school for him. On the next day, they drove to Canterbury to see Mr. Wickfield. They were welcomed by a thin man with a very short hair, Uriah Heep. Then he met Agnes, Mr. Wickfield’s daughter. Uriah always said like this, “I’m a very humble person.” On the next morning, David started school life again. 

The year passed and his school days came to the end. At that time, David was fifteen. Sadly, he said goodbye to Agnes. Then he went home to his aunt. On his holiday, david wanted to see Peggotty. So, he went to Yarmouth and spent a night in London. He stayed at a hotel and went to a play in the evening. Then, he met Steerforth in his room. They planned to go to Yarmouth together. They stayed at Yarmouth for two weeks. David spent more time with Peggotty  whereas Steerforth often went to sea with Mr. Peggotty. At that mnoment, Steerforth was falling in love with little Emily. He wanted to visit her often.

When David came back to his aunt, his aunt had decided David’s future to be a lawyer. Then, she send him to Spenlow and Jorkins lawyer school. They went to London and met Mr. Spenlow to accept David as his student and he agrred. Then, they looked for a room for David to stay in Mrs. Crupp’s house. He was happy to have his own room, but he felt lonely, he wanted somebody to talk to. And he missed Agnes. 

He asked Steerforth to come to dinner with him. After dinner, they went to a show. There, he met Agnes. She told David about Uriah Heep. She believed that Uriah had a plan to manage her father’s business. She said that Uriah had he father on him now and he forced him to do this. Agnes asked David to have dinner with her. There were a lot of people include Uriah Heep. When the dinner is finished, David asked to go home and Uriah follow him. Uriah told a lot of things to him and he also said that he loves Agnes and wants to marry her.
Weeks passed and David was slowly beginning to get a little understandng of law. One day, Mr. Spenlow invited David to come to his house. He wanted David to meet his daughter. There, David met Dora, Mr. Spenlow’s daughter. David lokeed at Dora and felt deep;y in love with her in a moment. When he went back to Mrs Crupp, he felt sad and lonely without Dora. Mrs. Cupp noticed the change in David and told that he was falling in love with someone.

It was Dora’s birthday and he was going to her birthday party. He was very happy. He brought some flowers for Dora anmd rode to her house. Many people came to Dora’s party and David felt gulity. Then, he proposed Dora to be his wife. He said ‘I love you! I want to marry you! I will do anything for you if you will marry me!” to Dora. Dora cried and then she was him.

David returned to his rooms and found his aunt there, with her bags and cases. In fact, his aunt lost all the money. He gave her some drink and talked her that he was going to marry Dora. His aunt surprised to hear that. She argue that Dora is the wrong girl and he will be unhappy with her. One morning, Agnes came to his house to see Miss Betsey. Miss Betsey told about her story that she put her money on some companies. She choose badly. The companies failed and she lost her money. To help his aunt, David work as a secretary of Dr. Strong. He became very busy. He started at five in the morning and home at ten at night. Besides that, David also tried to be a newspaper reporter.

Uriah now managed Mr. Wickfield’s business and lived in Mr. Wickfield’s house. Uriah also give a job to Mr. Micawber. He felt happy with his new job. Then, david came to Uriah and had a dinner with him and Mr. Wickfield. Uriah tried to make Mr. Wickfield drink. But Mr. Wickfield shouted and refused that. Suddenly, Agnes came and brought his father outside.

A year passed and David now having some success as writer. He wrote stories for magazines. He had already married Dora. He lived in a new house with Dora whereas his aunt lived in the next door. David wote his first book and it was very success. But his family was not success. He thought that Dora had the mind of child. In the second year of his marriage, Dora became ill. In his sadness, Mr. Micawber told a crime of Uriah Heep. Heep gave Mr. Wickfield some papers to sign, then he got the money from Mr. Wickfield. He said that the money were for the business. In the end, Mr. Micawber showed the notebook of Heep and he make some fake papers and he owned the business with fake sign and fake papers. Heep’s crime had proven and Mr. Wickfield got his business back.

David was sitting by Dora’s bed. She was very ill. The doctor said to him that his wife will soon leave him. A few days ago, Dora asked him to bring Agnes here. And now they were in the bedroom whereas David stayed outside. Agnes was crying when got out of the room and David know that Dora is died.
David felt sad and lonely. He decided to go away for along hoilday. He went to Europe and travelled from place to place. In Italy, he received a letter from Agnes. She told that her feeling was so depp to him and David responded her by going back to England. When he arrived in London, he straight;y went to Agnes and told he his feeling. Agnes laid in his shoulder and looked into his eyes by saying “Yes”. She also loved him. Finally, the were married two weeks later.

membaca=menulis

Minggu, 13 November 2011
Penulis pemula seperti saya beranggapan bahwa menulis adalah sekedar menulis, yaitu mencurahkan segala ide di otak dan menuliskannya di media. Ternyata pendapat saya salah. Menulis bukan sekedar menulis, kita harus terlebih dahulu mengetahui tema dan informasi apa saja yang akan kita tulis. Lalu bagaimana caranya agar wawasan kita luas dan mengetahui berbagai? Jawabannya hanya dengan membaca. ya, menulis dan membaca adalah kegiatan yang saling berhubungan. Kita membaca untuk menulis. Memperkaya ilmu diri untuk kemudian dikeluarkan dalam ide-ide kita. Begitulah yang dikatakan teman saya, Iqbal.

Saya pun mengetahui beberapa hal baru tentang penulisan dan bacaan:

1. Tidak ada tulisan yang netral
Pada dasarnya semua tulisan mempunyai tujuan tertentu untuk diterbitkan, apakah untuk memotivasi si pembaca, memberi informasi kepada si pembaca, atau memberi doktrin kepada si pembaca. Itulah yang disampaikan Mr. Sudarya, dosen Critical Reading saya.

2. Penulis mempunyai ciri khas tersendiri dalam tulisannya.
Baik saya, anda, Andrea Hirata, atau siapapun punya gaya tersendiri dalam menulis. Semisalkan dalam mendeskripsikan buah apel. maka akan banyak versi tulisan yang didapat karena baik saya, anda, maupun Andrea Hirata akan mengambil perspektif yang berbeda sesuai basic knowledge kami.

3. Write, write, and write
Menurut teman saya, Iqbal, yang tulisannya sering dimuat di media dan menjuarai lomba Esai HUT Jakarta di kampus saya, untuk menjadi penulis hebat, yang dibutuhkan hanyalah menulis, menulis, dan menulis. Kita tak kan bisa hebat dalam hal menulis bila kita tidak pernah menulis. Menulislah semaumu, pada awalnya, tentang hal yang anda sukai.