Vampire: Fact or Fiction?????

Vampire: fact or fiction???
By: Berlin Adi Pranedya
081214153

Vampire has been a controversy since a long time ago. In the society, the role of vampire has changed along with the development of the period and technology. Nowadays, nobody believes in ‘real’ vampire. It was very different with the condition in our past. However, although nowadays common people think that vampire does not exist, vampirism still has a big role in our life, especially for western people. This article will briefly peel-off all the things that you need to know about vampire.

The brief history of vampire
The history of vampire began in the age of ancient Persia. At that time the form of vampire was not like vampire in the recent times. Although the history began in ancient Persia, but many people said that the legend of vampire came from Roman and Greek mythology about the bloodthirsty Goddesses: Lamiae, Empusae and Striges. The word ‘vampire’ came from the Germany word ‘vanpir’ in 1726 which adopted by French to be ‘vanpyre’ in 1732 and finally adopted by English to be the term ‘vampire’.
In the following time, between the 7th-17th centuries, the legend of vampires was rapidly developed, especially in Europe. One of the most well known names related with the history of vampire is Vlad Tepes Dracula. He was a prince of Wallachia who caused thousand people impaled for his pleasure in the 15th century. Later on, his name became synonymous with the development of the vampire legend.
In the 18th century, the Age of Enlightenment started to destroy the superstition about vampire, black magic or that kind of superstition. In this century, the gothic novel had its birth. In the 19th century, Bram Stoker wrote one of the most legendary novels, Dracula. It was the era of gothic literary. In the 20th century people started to believe that vampire does not really exist. We can only see vampire in the movies, books or comics, but not the real one. Is it true?

Real vampire
“Do you believe in real vampire?”
Most common people may answer, “Are you kidding?” or even “Are you crazy?” but some people may not answer and just spontaneously bite your neck and suck your blood. Do you believe it?
Vampirism has influenced the life of human being in a fascinating way. It is not about the real vampire who able to fly or spread the ‘symptoms’ and make you to be one of them. It is about the influence of vampirism in the ordinary people’s life. People who influenced by vampirism start to believe that they are real vampires. They start to dress in black, wear capes, sleep in boxes, get their teeth capped or even start to bite people. It is a horrible phenomenon and it can be included in one of psychological/mental disorders.
Along with the development of vampirism, now we have a branch of science which focuses on vampirism named vampirology. According to vampirology we can get information about the real vampire such as the personality or the symptoms of vampirism. Most vampires described as manipulative, unpredictable, moody, temperamental, and selfish. Some of the symptoms of vampirism are avoiding sunlight, sun burning easily, having inverted circadian rhythm (sleep hormones), having difficulty in adjusting daytime and having excellent night vision.
The story about vampire has the same contradiction with alien. Many people said they have met vampire and give testimony about it and there are many witness said that they met or even bit by the vampire but we still have no idea about the truth.

Vampire literature and movie
There are some books and movies that you should read and watch if you want to know more about vampire:

Twilight Saga: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Down
This story consists of four books. This saga tells the story of love between a vampire and a human. It is one of the most vampire stories in these recent years. The love story between Edward Cullen and Bella Swan is one of the best vampire-love stories ever made.

Vampires: John Carpenter’s Vampires
This movie tells the story of vampire hunter named Jack Crow and his team. This movie has strong western overtures and allusions. Although it is not a new movie (it was released in 1998) but it is one of the most recommended movies for the vampire-movies fans.

Daybreakers
It is a new movie and released in 2010. The story of the movie is interesting. In this movie, the vampires have taken the position of the human being and become the majority of the Earth’s inhabitant while human beings are almost extinct.
The story about vampire will still be a controversy until we can find the prove of the existence of vampire. The belief of vampire or vampirism is now depends on ourselves. How about you?

References:
Folklore-The History of the Vampire. vampiresamongus.html. Retrieved May 22, 2010, from http/www.vampiresamongus/history.html
Vampires. Wikipedia. Retrieved May 22,2010, from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampires_%28film%29
Daybreakers. Wikipedia. Retrieved May 22,2010, from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daybreakers_%28film%29
Real Vampires.earthspirit.com. Retrieved May 22, 2010, from http://www.earthspirit.com/fireheart/fhvampire.html
Pictures: www.twilight_movie.org
www.vampiresamongus/history.html

JEJU ISLAND’S ATTRACTIONS

Jeju Island is the one of the most popular places to visit in the world. Many tourists spend their holiday by going to Jeju Island. Jeju Island, which is located in South Korea, has many tourism objects which can make us astonished by it. Jeju Island is famous for its beaches, waterfalls, Halla Mountain, Parks, and heritage sides.

Beaches

If we talk about beaches, we should think about the beautiful views, sand, the wave of the sea, and something around the beach. It is so interesting to imagine. Jeju Island has many interesting beaches. They are Jungmun Beach, Hyeopjae Beach, Seongsan Ilchubong, and Shinang Beach. All of them have good views and their own strength. From those beaches, they have their own uniqueness.
Jungmun Beach is famous for its resorts. It is surrounded by many large resorts where we can see the beautiful view of Jungmun Beach and its white sand from the resorts. We also can feel the fresh air of the beach from the resorts. Besides, we can do many activities in Jungmun Beach which are parasailing, rafting, and water skiing.
Another beach that famous in Jeju Island is Hyeopjae Beach. It has stunning pure white sand and many restaurants where we can enjoy our lunch with a pleasant meal like hamburger, pizza, etc. Sitting in the restaurant while enjoy the beautiful view of the beach is a comfortable thing to do.
Not just Hyeopjae Beach that has stunning pure white sand, but Seongsan Ilchulbong too. Besides, many of activities in Soengsan Ilchulbong like parasailing and swimming is available to do. It will make our holiday wonderful.
There is a good beach that we cannot pass if we go to Jeju Island is Shinang Beach. This beach is good for wing surfing, it is also warm and good for swimming.
Waterfalls

Jeju island is also famous for its waterfalls. Jeju has three famous waterfalls. They are Cheonjeyeon Waterfall, Cheonjiyeon Waterfall, and Jeongbang Waterfall.
Cheonjeyeon Waterfall is an unique waterfall, it consists of three cascades and seems like a ladder. It looks beautiful with the great bridge which is located on the first cascade that has 22 meters high and 21 meters deep. It flows to the second cascade, which has 30 meters high, and then continue to the third one. Cheonjeyeon Watrefall is really remarkable waterfall.
Another waterfall that is also famous is Cheonjiyeon Waterfall. Its name has a special meaning. It means sky connected with land. If we think about the meaning of its name, we can imagine how beautiful that waterfall is. It has 22 meters high and 12 meters wide and falls in one particular area.
Besides two impressive waterfalls above, there is one waterfall that is near the sea, named Jeongbang Waterfall. It is so amazing because it flows directly to the sea. We can enjoy the fresh air and beautiful view if we are there.

Halla Mountain

If we talk about mountain in Jeju, we will think about Halla Mountain and be astonished by it. Halla Mountain is the highest point of South Korea which has 1950 meter high. It is very beautiful volcanic mountain that is located in the center of Jeju Island. It is also surrounded by National Park, Halla-san National Park, Seogwipo Folk Village, and other beautiful places. Many people want to climb it to see the snow views in winter and the green views in summer. The view is very stunning.


Parks

Jeju Island has many beautiful parks. They are Halla-san Park, Hallim Park, and Sooingook Miniature Theme Park. All of them attract tourists to come there.
Halla-san Park is the one of parks in Jeju Island which is located in Halla Mountain. It is designed very good with many beautiful flowers surround it.
Another park that is one of the oldest and most popular tourist attractions on Jeju is Hallim Park. It is located on west coast of the island. It features eight different themes and has several garden areas which are Jeju Stone and Bonsai Garden, Bird Garden, Water Garden, and Subtropical Botanic Garden. It also has two lave caves. They are Hyeopjae and Ssangyong Caves. We also know more about South Korean culture and a traditional meal if we go to Jae-Am Folk Village that is also located in Hallim Park.
The third park that we should visit in Jeju is Sooingook Miniature Theme Park. In this park, all the most of famous landmarks from around the world have been recreated. It is good for children to check their knowledge and create an interest thing they want in other countries. It also has a cafe and shop.

Heritage Sides

Jeju Island is also famous for its heritage sides. They preserve their heritage sides by making Seogwipo Folk Village that shows how the Korean people live in the past. This village is illustrated as we are in living condition of Jeju in thousands of years ago. If we visit it, we will feel the atmosphere of past living. Songup Folk Village also has local food and many restaurants, the heritage buildings, abundant artifacts, traditional clothes worn by residents, and carvings and other crafts. The people of Jeju really take care of their heritages and cultures, and make very unique.


REFFERENCES

Tan, Alex. (2008, November 24). Jeju Ialand: More Than A Honeymoon Destination. Retrieved February 5, 2010, from the Asia Hotels Web Site: http://blog.asiahotels.com/jeju-island-more-than-a-honeymoon-destination

Harsanto, D. (2008, October 19). Spring time in Jeju-do, Korea’s little Hawaii. Retrieved Fabruary 5, 2010, from The Jakarta Post Web Site: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/10/19/pring-time-jejudo-korea039s-little-hawaii.html.

Jeju Island-Jeju Island South Korea. (2009). Fascinatingtraveldestination.com: Jeju Island South Korea. Retrieved March 5, 2010, from http://fiscinating-travel-destinations.com/jeju-island.html

Travel Information on Cheju Island. (2009). Chejuinfo.net: Cheju Info Tour. Retrieved April 30, 2010, from http://www.chejuinfo.net/tour/tour_e.html

The Benefits of Using Social Network Services in Education

Francisca Yulia Martaningrum
081214069

Internet now becomes very popular around the world. All people, from children, teenagers, adults, until old people, are familiar with internet. It is because internet provides many things. It provides information, entertainment, education, and many things which can be learned easily. One of internet services which very popular is social network services. Social network services are a kind of tool on the internet which has a function to make a social relationship between one to another better by sharing their profile, interests, activities, projects, etc. Facebook, Twitter, Ning, and My space are some example of social network services.

From that definition, many people then explore social network services to be a media for their activities. By the time, social network services are also popular in education. Many of schools and also teachers use social network services to support their teaching learning activity. Some of them even use them as their main media in teaching and learning. There are many teaching learning activities which can be done by using social network services. The examples are: writing about something and uploading it on the internet, making a discussion forum and asking the students to join the online discussion, and many more.

Many educators decide to use social network services as a media in education because they believe that social network services can give many benefits. The purpose of this essay is to discuss some benefits of using social network services in education. The benefits are: introducing globalization to students, helping students to improve their communication skill, and developing students’ confidence.

The first benefit of using social network services in education is that it can introduce globalization for students. As many people know, they now live in a globalization era, which emphasizes technology and also the use of English as the main language in the world. Learning about technology and English are very useful for the students to face the globalization era. By using social network services, students are demanded to use computers. It means that students can learn how to deal with technology, especially computers. Besides that, students will also learn English because the main language which is used in computers and internets is English. Therefore, it is important for teachers, who are the learning facilitators, to introduce students to globalization.

The second benefit of using social network services in education is that social network services can improve communication skill which is very useful in their social life. Using social network services means that students will have interaction with others. It can be in the form of sharing, discussion, and so on. By doing those activities, students will learn how to criticize something, how to share their opinion, and how to receive or accept others opinion. Those skills are very important for students as a participant of society.

The third benefit is that social network services can make students more confident. It is because in using social network services, students will be automatically demanded to share some things about them and also to show what they have done on the internet. If they share their writing, their feeling, or their opinion about something, of course the readers are wider. It will be very different if they do not upload them because the readers or the viewers are only their teachers and their friends. So, using social network services are good because students will not only present something to a small group of people, but to a wide range of people. They will face or receive many feedbacks not only from their teacher but also from their friends from outside.

They are some benefits of using social network services in education. Besides introducing students to globalization, developing communication skill, and making students more confident, there are still many benefits of applying social network services in education. Social network services will be very helpful under teachers and parents control. On the contrary, they can give bad effects to students if there is no control from teachers or parents. So, one successful key to maximize the benefits is to control the students while they use social network services.

References:
1. Benefits and opportunities. (2007). Digizen.com: Benefits and Opportunities for Learners. Retrieved May 24, 2010, from http://www.digizen.org/socialnetworking/benefits.aspx
2. Social network service. Wikipedia. Retrieved May 24, 2010, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_network_service

COFFEE

Anak Agung Komang Saka L
081214136


Coffee is familiar thing now. Many people usually find it as their beverages. It has many benefits for us. Besides having benefits for our health, from coffee we can create job demand or vocation. We can create our own business that can earn much money if we also have different things with other work trade. However, almost none of them know the coffee tree. They usually only utilize and know the cherries only. So, if we really like coffee we must know about the tree, the cherry anatomy, and the botanical classification first. The trees can grow more than 30 feet high, live in mild temperatures and live about 20-30 years. They also have many cherries in their branches. The cherry anatomy has five linings; there are exocarp, mesocarp, parenchyma, endocarp, and spermoderm. From the botanical classification, we can know that coffee is from vegetable kingdom. The coffee species can de divided into two; they are coffee Arabica and coffee Robusta.

However, even though we have known about the tree that is not enough. It would be better if we also know the history of coffee disseminating. In A.D. 800, the Ethiopian goatherd found the coffee beans. Then a monk used the berries to heal his brothers and those things in function. Therefore, from that event, a coffee origin is from Africa. After that, some African brought coffee to Arabia. In Arabia, coffee cooked for the first time. About 13th century, Arabian drink coffee religiously. Then in 1600, an Arabian named Baba Budan brought the fertile seed of coffee to Europe colonies. In Europe, the Turks brought coffee to Italy. After that, coffee was introduced to Europe. After coffee received in France, it will be sailed to Martinique, but in the middle of the tour, pirates captured the ship. Then the pirates brought a half of the coffee to America Latin. In there, coffee could grow well and now that place (Brazil) becomes the coffee market.

With that long journey, coffee can be known until this time. People drink it as their daily activity. Some people have not known that coffee also has health benefit. When they drink it, they only drink and even they drink with random dosage. Actually, if we drink it with right dosage we can get the health benefits. The caffeine that is contained in coffee can help us to reduce our illness. However, if we consume it over that can give bad effects to our bodies. The health benefits of caffeine that can we get are we can avoid heart disease, Parkinson, gallstones, etc. It also can increase our mod, physical and mental performance. Nevertheless, if we drink it too much we will get the negative effects, such as osteoporosis, diabetes, loss of sleep and for women it will reduce fertility and miscarriage.

People around the world enjoy coffee everyday. Therefore, besides we get the benefits for our health, we can also get benefits for our daily life. Caffeine that is contained in coffee can increase alertness, decrease fatigue, decrease fell of sleep, etc. If we drink it in early morning, we will get more alertness to face the day. Then, when we consume it after lunch, it will restore our alertness and then improve our performance. Moreover, when we want to drive to long-distance place, it will alleviate our fatigue and refresh us. Those advantages make people can pass the day with their stamina after consuming coffee in a proper number of cups.

After we know the benefits, we still can learn many things from coffee. Rosemary Furfaro argues about decaffeinate coffee. Rosemary said that decaffeinate coffee is caffeine decreasing that contain in coffee. It will be useful because we can get the health benefits without decreasing the quality, aroma, and flavor of the coffee. Rosemary also argues that if we want to gain the perfect cup of coffee we can start with the freshest cold water and the proper proportion of coffee grounds and a clean coffee machine. She also suggests us to find Peet’s and Starbucks when we give up to make the decaffeinate coffee. Both coffee shops provide the best decaffeinate coffee and those give satisfaction guarantee if get bad serving.

From those shops that are suggested by Rosemary, Starbucks is the better one. This coffee shop becomes famous in the world now. It founded in America by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegel and Gordon Bowker. For first time, it expands the business to many regions in America. After the founder feel the business has successes, they try to expand their shop to other countries, for example in Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Indonesia also. The man who has big impact in Starbucks expansion is Howard Shultz. Besides their role in expand to the world, he also focuses in customer experience and the innovation. Starbucks also have a role in charity. It has donated millions of dollars in this activity. At this time, Starbucks has about 16.000 shops around 40’s countries. Starbucks also gets many awards from many associations; there are “100 Best Companies to Work For”, “Ten Most Admired Companies in America”, “World’s Most Influential Brands”, etc.

Starbucks is very wonderful. From it, we can learn how to expand our business using coffee. We can process coffee in our house. There are six steps that we can use to make good roasted beans. There are Pulping, Fermentation, Drying, Parchment removal (hulling), roasting, and the last is Grinding, storage, and brewing. Using those steps, we can develop our business and get much profit. We can also use those steps in home or other places that we have prepared. We may use this process to spend our free time to get coffee for our daily lives. Coffee beans that we get can be consumed or maybe we can sell it.



REFERENCES
National Geographic. (1996). nationalgeographic.com: National Geographic Society. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.nationalgeographic.com/coffee/ax/frame.html
What is Coffee. (2008). Ncausa.org. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.ncausa.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1
Positive and negative Health Effects of Caffeine. (2004). Steadyhealth.com. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.steadyhealth.com/
Furfaro, Rosemary. Drinking Decaffeinated Coffees. Sally’s Place. Retrieved May 26, 2010 from http://www.sallybernstein.com/beverages/coffee/decaffeinated.htm
Coffee throught the Day. (2009). Positivelycoffee.org: Positively Coffee. Retrieved May 26, 2010 from http://www.positivelycoffee.org/%2ftopic_performance_statement.aspx
Drinnan, J. (1995). Coffee Processing in the Home. Retrieved May 26, 2010 from Queensland Government Web Site: http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/horticulture/5471.html
Newburg, M. (2009, December 3). Starbucks History and Company Information. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from Suite101.com Web Site : http://businessprofiles.suite101.com/article.cfm/starbucks

THE SUCCESS STORY OF GREAT FIGURES

Selvi/081214059

THE SUCCESS STORY OF GREAT FIGURES

Have you ever heard the saying "Unless you're willing to have a go, fail miserably, and have another go, success won't happen"? This saying is really appropriate to depict the journey of success of some great figures such as, Oprah Winfrey; Mother Theresa; Susan Boyle; Hans Christian Andersen; and Walter Elias Disney. All of them get their successful life from the hardship which they had in the past time. The purpose of this essay is to explain about the value of a hardship and a successful life which had been experienced by those five adorable people.

First, Oprah Winfrey, an entertainer and a great philanthropist. In the entertainment and social life, people consider Oprah as a smart and thoughtful girl. She is a tough, caring, and sociable figure. She comes from a poor society which full of traumatic incidents and suffers. She had experienced a dysfunctional home life, a suffering of abuse, and a failed pregnancy. By having those miserable life experience, she has begun to make a better life and to reach her dream to help many people who have a lot of suffering in life. Now, she can realize her dream by becoming both a founder and a host in “OPRAH WINFREY SHOW”, a show which is dedicated to share about uplifting and inspirational story from other people who have a hard struggle in their lives. Moreover, she also becomes an activist in politic world and animal rights.

Second, Mother Theresa, a memorable missionary. Although Mother Theresa had died since a long time ago, she still becomes an inspirational figure for the people around the world until nowadays. Her amazing sayings about love is still applied and taught in some religiious and social lives. During her life time, She had been dealing with poverty surroundings, sufferable war condition, and many rejections of her social acts. Although she had faced many difficulties as a missionary, she kept struggling to help the weak and the poor. She was known as a mother who was full of caring and affection. Nowadays, her contributions in free hospice buildings and some missionaries of charity are still preserved by the society.

Third, Susan Boyle, a famous singer and a social activist. Susan Boyle is a new comer in the entertainment world. She starts her career as a singer by becoming a finalist in ”Britain’s Got Talent Show”. Before she becomes a famous artist, she was always being mocked by the society because of her old-fashioned style. When she was a child, she was considered to have learning difficulties. She also got many bullying actions. Although in her past experience, she was banished the family and the society, she has never given up to reach a dream as a famous singer. Susan is a cheerful, caring, and modest woman. She joins many social activities and gives many valuable and religious tracks to the people. Nowadays, many people likes her songs and there are no more negative judgements which are given to her.

Fourth, Hans Christian Andersen, a great tale’s writer. When Andersen was a child, he had been dealing with an unfulfilled love, a lack of education, a humiliation, and fears. His parents died when he was still thirteen years old. Being an orphaned child, he often faced a loneliness. To escape from his suffering from a loneliness, he began to write many kinds of literature works such as, poems, travel sketches, novels, and also best-known tales. Because of his amazing talent in creating valuable tales, Andersen was titled as “The Father of Modern Fairytale”.

Last, Walter Elias Disney, a legendary cartoonist. In the entertainment world, he has been known as a great legendary figure. He gave people joy and happiness by creating magical and amazing world of animation. Disney was not only good in entertaining people, but also good in taking care of his family. As a father, he was known as an affectionate and lovable figure. Since he was a child, Disney had been interested in arts such as, drawing and photography. When he was a teenager, to develop his artistic interest, he made drawings and sketches then sold them near the railroad tracks. He had built his dream to create motion pictures for 43 years in Hollywood industry. Without his work on magical cartoon stories, nowadays we may not be able to get some entertaining things in animation fields.

From the explanation above, you can get an important lesson about the value of a hardship and a successful life which had been experienced by those five adorable people. The lesson is, if you want to get a success, you have to be brave and strong enough to face the hardship in your life. The more you get into hard problems and be able to stay out of them, the more you learn about the meaning of life and success.

Chocolate

DWI RAPITA 081214149

I am sure that most of us know and like chocolate, so am I. When we talk about chocolate, we have to know first about the history of chocolate. As I have ever read, actually chocolate has a long story before becoming popular in society. In generally, chocolate comes from The Aztec. The Aztec is one of tribes in Mexico, America. Firstly, they consider cacao bean as a magic food that can make any benefits for them, so that they worship it. The word 'chocolate' first come from the word 'Xocolatl'. They used to chocolate as 'xocolatl', but then the cacao beans are found by Spanish. Then, the Spanish introduces chocolate in Europe, and because they are difficult to pronounce it, they make a new word of calling chocolate by call that as ‘chocolate’. Nowadays, chocolate becomes a popular food in the world.

Chocolate is various in its flavor and its types. Every type has each differences and each component of origin chocolate. There are many types of chocolate. They are Cocoa powder, Unsweetened chocolate, Dark chocolate, Bittersweet chocolate, Semi-sweet chocolate, Sweet dark chocolate, Milk chocolate, White chocolate, Covertures chocolate, Gianduja chocolate, and "Candy coating" chocolate. In this case, I do not tell all about every types in detail, but I just tell about the most popular chocolate in the word. It is dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is chocolate that has many benefits for us. It is still pure, just contains chocolate liquor, a little bit sugar, cocoa butter and vanilla. There are no milk solids in it. So, it can be good for our mood and our health.

We have talked about dark chocolate that has benefits. Chocolate, especially dark chocolate has many benefits for us. Maybe, some of us have known about it. As in my last report have said that Chocolate can reduce a heart attack, prevent fatigue, normalize metabolism, decrease stress and against disease and cancer. If we see those benefits, it seems amazing for us because a chocolate can make those benefits for us. It is delicious but it also gives us advantages. Those all because chocolate is a 'magic' food. There are any good substances in chocolate that good for our healthy such as nutrient, magnesium, antioxidant, flavonoid and vitamins (A, B1, B2, D, and E).Besides, chocolate is not just good in our health, but also good in increasing our mood. Sometimes, many people buy chocolate when they are in bad mood or when they feel sad and uncomfortable. They believe that chocolate can make their mood increase by eating it. Their belief of eating chocolate is true. Chocolate contains certain substances that work to make someone relax. The substances are caffeine and theobromine. Caffeine is a substance that also in coffee, but its amount is just a little. So, it cannot be additive for us.

Chocolate is not just good in our health, but chocolate is suitable for us as a special gift or just a common gift. Many people choose this one as a favorite gift. Philosophy that developed around people about effect of chocolate makes people to be interested in buying and eating chocolate. Chocolate as a favorite gift can create some sensations such as feeling of happiness, pleasure, love, fantasy or ecstasy. Meanwhile, according to Elaine Sherman, chocolate can also create or symbolism of heavenly, mellow, sensual, deep, dark, creamy or rich. Those all make people believe in miracle of chocolate. They believe that chocolate has long been associated with passion, roman and love. Chocolate can represent words such as 'Thank you', Good luck', 'I love you', 'Congratulations!’. I am sorry', 'Get well soon', etc. It may be applied in implicit, but it is still represent the feeling of people.

However, when we eat chocolate, we should it with great passion to feel the real taste about it. I find the steps and the tips of how to taste the dark chocolate in the article that I have read. The article said that we have to find a location free to make us more concentrate. Then, we can clear our palate. We have to make sure the piece of chocolate is large enough or not to accommodate our flavor. The chocolate should be kept in a cold temperature first. After that, we look at the chocolate. The surface should be free and check the color of chocolate. Then, break the piece of chocolate in half to hear a resounding snap. We also should smell the chocolate because aroma is important. When we start to eat it, we have to place the chocolate on the tongue first, observe the taste and the texture of chocolate and then we eat it. We can do these steps repeatedly.

We have known about chocolate from the material that I have described above. Chocolate has its own history till it become a popular food in the world. Chocolate is also having various types. Each type has its own character and components, but the popular chocolate is dark chocolate. Chocolate, especially dark chocolate has big and many advantages for us. It can help us to prevent any diseases such as cancer, high pressure or heart attack. Chocolate is also popular to be a gift such as valentine gift because chocolate represents someone feeling. Even, when we want eat chocolate, we have to concern to some steps or tips to make the really flavor feeling.


REFERENCES:

History_chocolate.htm.2010.aphrodite-chocolates.co.uk: A History of Chocolate. Retrieved May 25, 2010,from http://www.aphrodite-chocolates.co.uk/history_chocolate.htm

LaBau, ELisabeth.candybasics/a/chocguide.About.com:Candy.Retrieved May 22, 2010, from http://candy.about.com/od/candybasics/a/chocguide.htm

L.Minton, Barbara.chocolate_cocoa_blood.NaturalNews.com. Retrieved Wednesday, November 12, 2008, from http://www.naturalnews.com/024786_chocolate_cocoa_blood.html

Food-and-Drink / Chocolate.(2010).ezinearticles.com :Why Chocolate for Valentine's Day? .Retrieved May 25, 20010, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Chocolate-for-Valentines-Day?&id=131033.

Hans,c.Sondra; Versageek; Herrick, jack.(2010).How to taste dark chocolate.Wikihow.com.Retrieved April 28, 2010, from http://www.wikihow.com/Taste-Dark-Chocolate

SMOKING ENDS THE HAPPINESS OF YOUR LIFE

There is a reading class in English Language Education Study Program named Extensive Reading II. This is conducted by Mr. Antonius Jody, S.Pd. In Extensive Reading II class, the students are expected to compile the articles of a topic that has been discussed becoming such a conclusion. In this opportunity, I as the writer choose topic about smoking. It is because smoking truly happens in my life. I have experienced it for about two years. I will discuss the fact of having a habit such a puffing included types, effect and tips of quitting.

There are two methods of consuming tobacco. They are smoked and smokeless tobacco. Smoked tobacco means that the smoker needs to light it up. There are two types of smoked tobacco. They are cigars and cigarettes. Cigars are kind of product of tobacco that do not have filters and wrapped by tobacco leaf. Whereas, cigarettes are product of tobacco that have filter, are smaller than cigars and wrapped by glued paper. Cigars are more tasted and natural than cigarette. However, many people like to smoke cigarette because of its simplicity and achievability. In smokeless tobacco, there are also two types, directly tobacco and a passive smoker. In consuming tobacco directly, I find some facts about it that says the users chew, chaw and dip the tobacco directly. They believe that it can prevent them from any diseases. It has been done in some foreign country and it is a traditional culture. I think old people in Indonesia still do that in natural way. Another one is the passive smoker. As we know, a passive smoker does not smoke. One only inhales the smoke from the active smoker and tends to be more dangerous. Debora J. Orrick argues that a passive smoker or it is usually called as a second-hand smoker has the same chemical compound in the smoke that they inhale from the active smoker and it takes 5 hours to dissipate.

Smoking has the positive and negative effects. As I feel of being a smoker, I feel that smoking can reduce stress, get satisfaction and symbol of friendship. Another is by consuming tobacco we can involve in paying the tax. Cigarettes sale is the biggest revenue of a country. Additionally, it is a benefit for people who are in diet. Debora J. Orrick says that the nicotine content can be addictive for the smokers. So, the smokers tend to keep consuming tobacco rather than food. It can reduce the fat in the body and lose their weight. However, the bad effects are much more dangerous after you get the benefits. If we read the health warning labels in the back of a cigarette product, it is written that smoking can cause cancer, heart attack, impotence, and pregnancy disturbance. If they ignore the warning and still do not pay more attention, they will end their life up sooner. Badly to say, tobacco contains nicotine that can make them be addictive so that it will be difficult to stop smoking.

Inhaling smoke means inhaling many harmful substances. There are 5 chemical substances in a cigarette. Tar can damage mouth, teeth and gums and cause osteoporosis. Beside tar, there is carbon monoxide that can displace the oxygen so the heart must pump harder in order to transfer the same amount as it should be. The third is hydrogen cyanide. It is used to protect the lung from poison but because of smoking, it damages cilia. The result of the damage can prevent oxygenation of the blood. Free radical is the reactive chemical which can cause cholesterol and plaques. Another chemical substance is dangerous metal. It consist of three chemical compounds, they are lead, cadmium and arsenic. The inhaler of its can suffer from cancer.

Quitting smoking is most difficult part to end the habit for smokers. There are some tips from Steven Dowshen that can help the smokers. Using substitutes such as candy, beef jerky or raisins is recommended. The smokers also can try to get healthier activities, e.g. doing some sports, and tell their friend, family or relatives in order to support your effort. Consuming fruit juice and doing therapy are also necessary. The smokers are able to use nicotine gum or a patch to stop the desire of doing smoking again. Nowadays, there is a new way of smoking which is called an herbal cigarette. They can make a trial of using it.

References:
-. How Smoking Effects Your Health. Retrieved May 24, 2010, from the Free Online Health:http://www.free-online-health.com/language/en-US/smoking-health.htm

Dowshen, Steven MD. (July 2008). Smokeless Tobacco. Retrieved May 24, 2010, from Teens Health (Kids Health): http://kidshealth.org/teen/drug_alcohol/tobacco/smokeless.html

Iribarren C, Tekawa IS, Sidney S, Friedman GD. New England Journal of Medicine 1199;340:1773-1780. Are Cigars Just as Bad for You as Cigarettes Are?. Retrieved May 24, 2010, from QuitSmokingSupport: http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com/cigars.htm

BELLA STASIA # 081214154

DANCE OF INDONESIA

MAHATMA PRIMANDARU 081214127

Dance is one of the most popular arts in this world. Many people love dance very much. They think that dance is very beautiful and interesting. Although they like to watch the dance, some of them do not know about the definiton of the dance. From the article in Wikipedia, entitled “Dance”, the definition of the dance is a sport and art form that generally refers to movement of the body. Dance is also a form of nonverbal communication between humans. With dance, we can express our feeling and our emotion. Our relation with our friends can also be expressed by a dance.

In the past, our ancestor used dance in some events. They used dance to celebrate a harvest. That dance is a way to thank to God. They also used dance in some rituals or ceremonies. Dance is like a way to express their feeling and their condition. When they were bored, they danced to entertaint each others.

In Indonesia, we have many beautiful dances. Indonesia has many islands and it means dance in Indonesia is various. Different island has different dance. In this writing, I want to tell you about some dances in Indonesia.

I want to start from Central Java. Based on a article in the “The Jakarta Post” entitled “Srimpi Sukarsih': A symbol of a prince's love”, Central Java has some popular dances. One of the most favourite dances in there is Srimpi Sukarsih. Srimpi Sukarsih is a classic dance which come from Surakarta Palace. Srimpi Sukarsih is choreographed by Surakarta King Pakoe Boewono VIII (1858-1861) in 1859. The name “Sukarsih” is inspired by the court singer Ny. Sukarsih, who admired by the King. Srimpi Sukarsih portrays four principles. They are humbleness, patience and pre severance, modesty, steadfastness and loyalty. This dance is danced by four pretty virgin girls. The insruments of this dance is gamelan. Gamelan is a traditional instruments from Java. If we want to see the dance we have to go to the court of Surakarta Hadiningrat.


After we know about the dance of Central Java, we move to the Yogyakarta. Yogyakarta is known as a culture city. The dance of Yogyakarta is very famous. Now, I want to tell you about a magical classic dance of Yogyakarta. The dance named Bedhaya Ketawang. After I read an article in Jakarta Post, entitled “Nothing sacred anymore about Bedhaya and Srimpi”, I know that Bedhaya Ketawang is a dance which portrays the supernatural love between The First King of Yogyakarta and Ratu Kidul. This dance is performed by nine dancers. The dancers are nine pretty virgin girls. Actually Bedaya Ketawang is a dance which has a purpose. The purpose is to commemorate the coronation of the King. I am sure that all of you want to see the dance. If you want to see this dance, you can go to the Ksatrian Hall of the Yogyakarta Palace on every Sunday morning.

Another famous place in Indonesia is Bali. Bali becomes the tourism attractions because of its beautiful and attractive dance. I want to tell you about one of the most famous dances of Bali. The dance is Legong Keraton. An article in www.99bali.com entitled Legong Keraton, give me much information about Legong Keraton. From that, I know that Legong Keraton is a heavenly dance of divine nymphs. Legong Keraton is Legong from the palace. Legong Keraton portrays femininity and grace of woman. The instrument of this dance is gamelan. Legong Keraton is very famous in some tourisms. If we want to see this dance we can go to the “puri”.

After Balinese dance, I want to tell you about another famous dance of Indonesia. The dance is Reog. Reog comes from East Java, and it is very popular. Reog Ponorogo is a traditional dance which has mystical power. After I read an article about Reog Ponorogo, I find some information about Reog Ponorogo. The dancers and the musicians of this dance are about 25-40 people. The interesting thing of Reog Ponorogo is Singo Barong Mask. A dancer have to wear a mask which is 30-40 kg weight. Beside Singo barong, the other figures of Reog Ponorogo are Kelono Sewandono, Warok, Bujang Anom, and Jathilan. All of the figures of Reog dance together. The instrument of this dance is gamelan. If we want to see this dance we can go to the Ponorogo.

The next dance is come from West Sumatra. The dance is “Tari Piring”. “Tari Piring” is the Indonesian name of Plate Dance. I am sure that all of you know about Plate Dance. Actually Plate Dance comes from Minangkabau, West Sumatra. The dancers are some young couples. They dance happily because this dance portrays a sense of Joy. In the past, the ancestor performed this dance when the harvest time came. The movements of this dance are very attractive. They are playing two plates in their hands very quickly. I think this dance is very beautiful. Nowadays, Plate Dance is performed at the wedding.

The last dance comes from Maluku. I want to tell you two dances which are very popular in Maluku. I want to start with Langasa Dance. Langasa Dance is a dance which come from central Halmahera. In the past, this dance is performed in traditional medical treatment ceremony. Nowadays, this dance performs in greeting ceremony. Second dance is Lenso Dance. The dancers of this dance are some women. The movements of this dance are dynamic and energetic. The dancers carry “lenso” (handkerchief) in both of their hands. Actually, this dance is a kind of a greeting dance. If we want to see this dance we can attend in traditional ceremony or formal occasion.

In conclusion, they are some of dances of Indonesia. All of the dances are very beautiful. With dance, we can express our feeling and make a happy situation with our friends. Some of our dances are our ancestor heritage. We need to keep and practice the dances. We have to make the dances become more popular around the world. Thank you.


REFERENCES
1. Dance.Wikipedia. Retrieved May 24, 2010, from : //http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance
2. The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 09/14/2002, entitled “Srimpi Sukarsih” ; A Symbol Of A Prince’s love
3. The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Sun, 06/17/2001, entitled “Nothing sacred anymore about Bedhaya and Srimpi”
4. Balinese dance. Wikipedia. Retrieved May 24, 2010, from : // http://www.99bali.com/dance/legong/
5. Truly Indonesia (Reog Ponorogo). Saturday, 17. October 2009. My Opera. Retrieved May 22, 2010, from http://my.opera.com/masthebee/blog/show.dml/4434227
6. S. Negoro, Suryo. Reog Ponorogo. Joglosemar. Retrieved May 20,2010, from
7. Pocy, vierna’s. Tari Piring. The culture of Indonesia. Retrieved May 20, 2010, from : http://emily-stranges.blogspot.com/search?q=minangkabau
8. Leonardo.Monday, 6 July 2009. Traditional Dances of Maluku. Retrieved May 24, 2010, From Dinas Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata Provinsi Maluku Web Site: http://www.disbudparmaluku.org/index.php/component/content/article/36-study-case/214-traditional-dances-of-maluku.html

Improving students’ motivation in achieving their goal

Ni Wayan Yeniari(081214150)

Have you ever felt down? Have you ever felt bored? Do you need something to make you back to your own spirit? If you are in this situation, you need motivation. Motivation has a big role in achieving someone’s goal, in this case for students. Motivation can be as a reason for students to move forward toward their goal, especially in learning process.

So, what is motivation? Longman dictionary defines ‘motivation’ as “eagerness and willingness to do something without needing to be told or forced to do it”. (Longman dictionary, pp 1182) It means that motivation determines students’ behaviors; how they think, feel, and interact with other students. Because of that, motivation is an important aspect which affects how students act toward their goal. According to Michael Rost, “motivation provides a source of energy which is responsible for why students decide to make effort, how long they are willing to sustain an activity, how hard they are going to pursue it, and how connected they feel to the activity”.

Generally there are two kinds of motivation which affect students to achieve the goal. The first motivation is intrinsic motivation. Students who have intrinsic motivation are internally motivated to do something. It comes from enjoyment of doing something, love the activities, and reward inherent toward a task. For example: a student will read a lot of books without being told because he loves reading. No one forces him to read. Because of his enjoyment in reading, he will be motivated to read everywhere; there is no time left without reading. The second motivation is extrinsic motivation. It comes from outside the performers (students). This motivation can be from money, punishment, trophies, competition, or coercion. Students who have extrinsic motivation tend to do something because of some reasons above. For example: a student will study hard for an examination because he wants to get a good mark and get money from his parents. That motivation is no longer lasting. When his parents do not give money anymore when he gets an examination, he will give up by not studying hard again.
So, what can students do to get motivated and stay motivated? Students have to get motivated first and then to stay motivated. In this, teacher should help students to identify each student’s goal. Teacher can lead them to make a specific and realistic goal; goal that students can achieve during a period of time. After students know what their goal, ask them to write their goal down so students will remember the goal. To accomplish that goal, students have to make small steps. At last, ask them to set time to do the steps. It can be daily steps, weekly steps, or monthly steps. After get motivated, what can they do to stay motivated?

There are some steps that should be done by the students to stay motivated. First, students need to visualize that they have achieve the goal. By visualizing, it will help students to keep it in mind and to believe that it is possible to be achieved. How to do that? Students need to picture their success; what feelings that come when they have achieve the goal, then write some triggers about what does it feel like to be there. The triggers will be very important for them when they forget their motivation because they can revisit the triggers as much as they want to.

Second, students need to be focus on the main goal. By focusing on the main goal, it will be easier to make mini goals which support the main goal. Mini goals should be easy to accomplish and can rebuild the confidence. When students accomplish the mini goals, they will become more motivated to achieve the main goal. In this case, commitment is important. Students have to promise to themselves not to quit or stop in making effort. Teacher may give advices for students if it is needed.

Third is by checking the plan everyday when completed it. If the plan is accomplished successfully, reward yourself for your good effort. While when it is unsuccessful, do not give up. Make the mistakes as an experience to be better in the next steps so you will not do the same mistake. See it in a positive way so it will strengthen the process.

The last is by doing exercise regularly. Students may do something that can make them get motivated again; have high spirit. For examples: by listening music, reading inspiration books, playing basketball, and many others. It is as a recreation for the mind, so students will more enjoy in every activity they do.

What can teachers do to support students’ motivation in achieving their goals? To support them, teacher should know some techniques to help students which called ‘techniques for self improvement’. First, ask the students to make and use positive terminology for themselves. It will help students to focus on what they want to achieve. For example, a student who wants to speak English fluently has to believe in himself. Ask them to say positive affirmation strongly, e. g. “I am becoming fluent in speaking English” instead of saying “I do not want to speak English badly”. To say what the focus is really important because the power of thought will help to achieve the goal. Second, ask the students to avoid future thinking. Students who think about future without making effort to achieve the goal will only live in the future, whereas they live in present. Because of that, to live in the present and do some efforts now is a good way to do. The last, ask the students to make powerful affirmation, say it and then write it down. Saying the affirmation is important. Students should say the affirmation with passion and enthusiasm so they will get the spirit of it. By writing the affirmation, students will remember it; even when they forget it, they can look it up again. Students who are motivated enough will do kind of activities directly toward their goals. Besides, they will increase their effort that improves their performances.

In conclusion, motivation has a big role in helping student to achieve their goals. Here, intrinsic motivation is more important for students’ success because it is longer lasting than extrinsic motivation. To achieve the goal faster, students have to get motivated and stay motivated. Besides, they need to make efforts for their own selves.

References:

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Third edition with new words supplement. pp 1182. England: Longman
(1995).Motivation and the Power of Not Giving Up. Retrieved May 23, 2010, from http://teenshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/motivation.html

Rost, Michael. Generating student motivation. Retrieved May 23, 2010, from http://www.pearsonlongman.com/ae/worldview/motivation.pdf

Wikipedia. Motivation. Retrieved May 24, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivation/

Gregory, Alyssa. (2009).SMART Goals + Motivation = Success. Retrieved May 24, 2010, from http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/11/26/smart-goals-motivation-success/

Brevard, Kim. (2010). The Five Worst Things For Self Motivation - Avoid These Mistakes!. Retrieved May 25, 2010, from http://ezinearticles.com/?The-¬Five-¬Worst-¬Things-¬For-¬Self--Motivation-¬-¬-¬Avoid-¬These-¬Mistakes!&id=3736758

Gateway to China

By: T. Setyo Handayani (081214147)

What comes in your mind if we talk about China? When you see lion dance or barongsai, receive red pockets or angpao, wacth kungfu or shaolin movies, eat mantao or kue ranjang, will you think about China? Lion dance is a famous dance from mainland China since thousand years ago. Red pocket and mantau are features of Chinese New Year, kungfu and shaolin movies are mainstay of Chinese movies that dominate action movie on the world.
China is a fourth largest country on the word by area. It becomes the biggest country by population. It is one of the East Asia countries and it is considered as a developing country. To know about China further, let’s see it from different sides.

Chinese History
China has a long history; it has been recorded since 221 BC. Chinese ancients have had good civilizations since that time. It is proven by the people having recorded about their history in a stone, and the inheritance that we can see now.
Ancient Chinese history is divided in two eras, which are The Early Empire and The Second Empire. The Early Empire starts from 221 BC where the Qin Shihuagdi reigns as first emperor of China from the Qin Dynasty. During this era, many things are found, such as iron and paper. Administrative model starts to be applied in Han Dynasty (in 25 AD). It manages bureaucracy system between common people and the emperor and his staff. The Early Empire ends in 589.
Second Empire starts from 589 under the reign of Sui Dynasty. During this era, a big invention is found. Printing press is a big invention that influences not only China but also the whole world. During Tang Dynasty, China is expanded, the northern part reaches Vietnam and the eastern side reaches Korea. In this dynasty, first empress reigns China.

Chinese Religions History
China is known as a non-religious country. It is because Chinese practice their folk beliefs more than practicing foreign religions such as Buddhism, Christian and Islam. Confucianism and Daoism are famous native beliefs that are practiced by the majority of Chinese and they bring influences in daily or social life in China. This belief is created by Kong Zi, who lives in 551 to 479 BC. His teaching can unify the folk beliefs and culture. During Song Dynasty, Confucianism developed well. Daoism is a native religious that develop as a rival of Confucianism in the fifth century BC. The influences of Daoism are also strong in social life in China. The main teaching of Daoism is meditation aimed at reaching material immortality. When Buddhism came in to China, Daoism adopted some Buddhist practices. Buddhism, Christianity and Islam are considered as strange religions. Buddhism entered China in second century AD and could be accepted widely by Chinese. It became influential religious in Tang Dynasty. Nowadays, Buddhism takes important force in some areas in China, Modern temple and monasteries are built in some places to train young monks and nuns. Islam came to China in seventh century during Tang dynasty by Arab traders. They married to Chinese girls to strengthen the relationship between China and Muslim countries. It is estimated that there are 15 million Muslim in China now. In the same century, Christianity entered to China overland. The development of Catholic Rome and Nestorian flourish during Mongol Dynasties. The churches were established to serve The Mongol, not China. Matteo Ricci, the Jesuit missionary, brought significant Catholic group of Chinese. Today around 10 million Christian are living in China.

Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisines are very famous in the world because of the taste, cleanliness, health and freshness. Chinese Cuisine history is as old as the Chinese history itself. It is because every Dynasty brings its own characteristic of the food. Diversity of the cuisine is caused by different geography, climates and products that were produced in certain parts of China. Many methods of cooking are known in China such as steaming, boiling stewing, frying, braising, grilling and roasting. Every method of cooking has specific characteristic that bring special taste and appearance of the dishes. The dominant characteristics to Chinese cuisines are elegant look, pure taste, fragrant, fresh, tender, sweet and sour. These characteristics raise the people’s appetite that looks at the dishes. And the dominant ingredients of the dishes are meat (pork and beef), fish and seafood, chickens, ducks, tofu, beans, carrots, kale, Chinese cabbage and choy sum. These ingredients will create great flavors if they are cooked in correct way.

Chinese Architecture
Ancient Chinese are also famous with the architecture. Their works are temple, pagodas, city walls, mausoleum and imperial palace. They had known how to make strong and gorgeous buildings well. Some of the building can still be seen until now such as The Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, Ming tombs and Forbidden City. The buildings were made because the emperor’s order who reign in that time. The dominant characteristics of the ancient buildings were magnificent, rich in colors and ornaments. In the ancient architecture, colors and ornaments are big parts of the buildings. In the modern architecture, Chinese architecture is influenced by Western architectures.

Chinese Culture
The difference of climates, areas and habits of life makes china rich in culture. Native religions and strange religions blend with daily habit in ancient time creating new culture. The most important moment of Chinese culture is Chinese New Year.
It is time for Chinese to have family gathering, all family members will come home to celebrate it. Colorful decoration will decorate their home. The main decoration is couplet; it is a red scroll that is hanged on the door. There are wishing words or wise words written on it. Foods are taking part during the party. Some foods such as fish, chicken, noodle and Chinese vegetable must be served on the dinner. Those foods are symbol of good luck, prosperity, wealthy and long life. Chinese believe of some superstitions or taboos when celebrate it, such as avoid saying “sei” (death), no sweeping, no dusting and no cutting. They must consult almanac before leaving home or want to do some business. In the big cities, Chinese New Year is celebrated luxuriously; they blend traditional way with modernism way. The attractions of the Chinese New Year become special attraction for tourists.
After reading the article, we have homework to answer, can we respect our country? Maintaining our culture? What can we do to make our country be considered more among the others?

References

Frankenstein, Paul. Condensed China. Retrieved May 20,2010, from Paul’s home page, website:http://condensedchina.com/index.html

Whyte, Bob. (2001). Religion in China. Retrieved May 20, 2010, from SACU website http://www.sacu.org/religion.html

Ancient Chinese Architecture. Retrieved May 20, from China highlights, websitehttp://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/architecture/ancient-chinese-architecture.htm

Chinese Cuisine. Retrieved May 20, 2010, from Professional China Tour service web site: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/cuisine_drink/cuisine/


Chinese New Year. Retrieved May 20, 2010 from
http://www.educ.uvic.ca/faculty/mroth/438/CHINA/chinese_new_year.html

Basic Information and Care of Bonsai

by Rahajeng Ayu Habsari



There are many trees in this world. Those trees are very useful for human because they produce oxygen that is needed by human. In addition, the trees can give beautiful scenery for our environment. That is because every tree has its beauty and uniqueness. We can find trees with their beautiful and colorful flowers. We can also find trees with unique shape of leaves. Furthermore, we can find trees that have unique trunk too. Those colorful flowers, leaves, and unique trunk can make trees look beautiful.
Sometimes, after we see a unique tree, we think that it will be good if we can bring that tree to our house, and then plant it in our garden. We may think that it can make our garden more beautiful. In fact, it is impossible to pull out a big tree, then move it to our house and plant it in our garden. It is very difficult to move a big tree from one place to another. Moreover, it may be useless because the tree may not grow well and even die. However, we should not be disappointed. There are still other ways to do to get beautiful and unique trees in our garden. Now, there is other way that is easier, more practical, and more efficient to get the trees that we want. We can have a beautiful and unique tree in our house by doing bonsai.
Most of you must have heard the term of bonsai. This term has a close relationship with trees or plants because it relates to the way to shape a plant into a unique shape. “Bonsai is a Japanese word that simply translates into “tree in pot” or more specifically planting in tray” (The History of Bonsai, paragraph 1). However, bonsai does not only mean planting a tree in a tray because that is not the only activity that we do in bonsai. If we work in bonsai, we will also work to dwarf and shape the bonsai. Therefore, bonsai is an activity to make a tree into small size and then shape it into a beautiful shape.
Many people consider that bonsai comes from Japan. First, it is because the word bonsai itself is taken from Japanese language. Second, it is because bonsai is developed in Japan. However, at first, bonsai appeared in China. “ Bonsai first appeared in China over a thousand years ago on a very basic scale, known as punsai, where it was the practice of growing single specimen trees in pots” (Bonsai… The Millennia-Old Art Form, Still Growing Strongly Today, paragraph 12). Then, bonsai was brought to Japan about 800 years ago. “With Japan’s adoption of many cultural trademarks of China-bonsai was also taken up, introduced to Japan during the Kamakura period (1185-1333) by means of Zen Buddhism-which at this time was rapidly spreading around Asia” (Bonsai… The Millennia-Old Art Form, Still Growing Strongly Today, paragraph 13). Therefore, actually bonsai was one of Chinese culture. Then, Japanese people adopted it and developed it based their own cultures. Japanese people developed bonsai from the basic form into more complicated form. Bonsai had experienced a great and long development in this country for about 800 years. That is why many people consider that bonsai is from Japan. However, wherever it comes from, now many people in all over the world know bonsai. It is familiar to many people and becomes an interesting hobby for some people in this world.
When we work with bonsai, the most important aspect that should be paid attention is technique. Technique will determine the shape of the bonsai. We will get a good shape of bonsai if we have a good technique. Actually, many techniques can be done to shape a bonsai. However, there are just three important techniques which can determine the shape of bonsai. “There are three basic elements to shaping your bonsai. They are pruning, nipping, and wiring” (Care for Your Bonsai by Pruning, Nipping, and Wiring It, paragraph 2).
The first important technique is pruning. Pruning means to trim the shape of the tree, bush, etc by cutting away some of the branches, etc, especially to encourage new shoots to grow (Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary, page 935). In bonsai, pruning is not only done to make the trees grow better, but it is also done to keep the bonsai small. “This controls the bonsai’s growth and form by eliminating foliage and limbs” (Care for Your Bonsai by Pruning, Nipping, and Wiring It, paragraph 3). Pruning is also done to form the bonsai because by cutting the branches, we can determine the bonsai shape. The second important technique is nipping. Nipping is usually done after pruning. “Nipping maintains the shape of your bonsai” (Care for Your Bonsai by Pruning, Nipping, and Wiring It, paragraph 2). After we prune the bonsai, we usually nip the bonsai. This is done to form the bonsai into the shape that we want. The third technique is wiring. “It is bending and twisting the branches to give the bonsai its wonderful shape” (Care for Your Bonsai by Pruning, Nipping, and Wiring It, paragraph 8). Wiring is usually done by using wire. By bending the branches to every direction that we want, we can try to manage the branches into the most beautiful and appropriate shape for the trees.
In fact, techniques are not the only important things in bonsai. “Growing a bonsai will not be accomplished successfully unless you have gained sufficient knowledge about plants and have acquired deep understanding on the specific bonsai care instruction” (Bonsai Care Instruction, paragraph 1). We still need some other aspects to make the bonsai grow well. One of this aspect is bonsai care. There are some factors in bonsai care that should be paid attention. Those factors are placement, watering, feeding, and repotting.
There are two kinds of bonsai; indoor bonsai and outdoor bonsai. Indoor bonsai is bonsai which is placed in door and outdoor bonsai is bonsai which grows out door. Not all bonsai can grow in door and vice versa. Because of that, placement of the bonsai is very important. “Light and the site where you will be putting your bonsai at, are also part of the bonsai care instructions” (Bonsai Care Instruction, paragraph 4). Light is important for plants to do photosynthesis. It can affect the growth of bonsai. Because of that, we should give enough light for the bonsai so that it can grow well.
Watering and feeding are also important for bonsai. Bonsai will get its nutrition from water and fertilizer. “The most important rule to remember is that trees should be checked for their water requirement daily but should only be watered as required” (Starting Out in Bonsai, paragraph 8). We should water the bonsai just when the tree needs water because if we water it everyday, the bonsai may die. In addition, feeding can also support the growth of the tree. “To maintain a healthy bonsai tree, use of the correct fertilizer at the right time of the year is needed” (Bonsai Care Instruction, paragraph 9). The point is that we should use appropriate fertilizer for the bonsai. Wrong fertilizer can affect the growth of bonsai and even it can make the bonsai die. To have the best nutrition for bonsai, we should do repotting routinely. “Most trees need to be repotted annually or at very least bi-annually in spring as the years new growth starts to appear” (Starting Out in Bonsai, paragraph 11). Repotting can keep the nutrition of the soil because the soil is always changed. Soil that is always changed is very good for plants. The time for repotting should be paid attention too because the time can affect the growth of the bonsai too. For example, we cannot repot the bonsai during winter, because the weather is not appropriate for the bonsai.
In conclusion, bonsai has become a hobby for many people in this world. Many people love bonsai because it is beautiful and unique. Bonsai is also a kind of art because in bonsai we create a tree into a beautiful shape. However, the most important thing is that “when you start a bonsai, always remember that you are working with a living plant” (Simple Style and Techniques, paragraph 8). Plants can grow like other living things. They need nutrition, water, and good environment to grow well. Therefore, we should always treat bonsai like other plants. We should take care he bonsai carefully so that it will grow well into a beautiful plant.
References:
Become a Bonsai Master - Beautify your house with bonsai. Bonsai Care Instructions. Retrieved February 27, 2010, from http://www.usbonsai.com/articles/Bonsai-Care-Instructions
Bonsai information. The History of Bonsai. Retrieved January 31, 2010, from http://www.bonsai-tools.com/resources/info/index.xhtml
Bonsai site ‘A detailed guide to bonsai-as an art, hobby and horticultural practice’. Bonsai… The Milenia-Old Art Form, Still Growing Strongly Today. Retrieved January 31, 2010, from http://www.bonsaisite.com/history1.html
Bonsai Site ‘A detailed guide to bonsai-as an art, hobby and horticultural practice’. Simple Style and Technique. Retrieved March 30, 2010, from http://www.bonsaisite.com/techniq1.html
Essortment. Care For Your Bonsai By Pruning, Nipping, and Wiring It. Retrieved March 20, 2010, from http://www.essortment.com/all/careforbonsai_rwoe.htm
Hornby, A. S. 1995. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
WWW.BONSAI4ME.COM. Starting Out in Bonsai. Retrieved February 27, 2010, from http://www.bonsai4me.com/Basics/Basics_StartingOut.html

Should We Love Strawberry?

by Anisa Agustin

The first thing that comes to my mind when I hear “strawberry” is the word delicious. Then, I will imagine the red color that looks very fresh. Beside that, strawberry is very interesting because although it is small but it can give great taste for our food and drink. Then, it can also make us healthier. In this article, I will tell you some interesting facts about strawberry, types of strawberry, the health benefits, and about hydroponics strawberry.
Strawberry comes from class Magnoliopsida under division Magnoliphyta, Rosaceae family, and genus Fragaria. (Interesting Fact about Strawberry Origins, paragraph 1). “Fragaria comes from the term “fragans” indicating the perfumed nature of the flesh strawberry.” (Interesting Fact about Strawberry Origins, paragraph 4). The scientific name for strawberry are Fragaria Virginiana and Fragaria Chilioensis. (Strawberries, paragraph 12). Some people do not know that actually strawberry is not the real fruit. Something that we consider as the fruit is the aggregate fruit. The real fruit is the seeds. Other interesting fact of strawberry is that there are about 200 seeds in a single strawberry. About the history of the name, people in the past gave the name straw-berry because they used straw when they planted the crops. The strawberry that we consume now is the result of crossing the female strawberry from South America and male strawberry from North America. The scientists who do this crossing are from Europe. (Interesting Fact about Strawberries, paragraph 5).
There are three main types of strawberry that are June bearing, Day neutral and Everbearing. If we want to plant strawberry in the fall, we should choose the June bearing. It is the appropriate type for fall season. Then, you will get the best crop in the following year. If you want to spend your spring holiday to plant strawberry, you can choose the Day neutral because it is spring planted. You do not need to wait for a long time because it will produce the fruit in the first year. The last type, Everbearing strawberry, can be planted at various time. It will produce two crops on late June and late August. These crops are usually smaller than other crops.(Gush 2002, paragraph 12).
The next thing that makes strawberry very special is that it is very useful for our health. Strawberry contains a lot of vitamin and nutrients that is needed by our body. So, we do not need to worry about how to be healthy because strawberry can help us. According to some researchers we can get a lot of health benefits only by eating 8 strawberry everyday. (Strawberries, paragraph 6). Of course, it is a very simple way to keep our body health.
The first health benefit of strawberry is that it can prevent heart disease. For example, Vitamin B, which is found in strawberry can, helps better functioning of the heart. It can also strengthen our cardiac muscles. Then, the Vitamin C can also lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and reduce the risk of angina. (Health Benefit of Strawberry, paragraph 9)
The second health benefit of strawberry is that it can prevent cancer. Phenols, which is found in strawberry, can heighten body’s cancer fighting. (Parveen, paragraph 5). Now, we can find the cause of cancer around us such as smoke and other free radicals. Cancer also become the first cause of death.
The third health benefit of strawberry is that it is very useful for eye care. Our eyes may experience some damages like drying up of eyes, degeneration of optical nerves, and vision defects. However, may not be afraid of those damages if we consume strawberry because strawberry is rich in antioxidant that can avoid the damages. Besides that, strawberry also contains potassium, which can maintain the right pressure in our eyes. (Health Benefit of Strawberry, paragraph 4).
The fourth health benefit of strawberry is that it can reduce cholesterol in our body. As we know, there is a lot of food which contains high amount of cholesterol. People also like consuming that food because it tastes very delicious. Strawberry may be the way out because strawberry is rich in Vitamin C, fiber, folate, and it is low in fat. (strawberries, paragraph 2). We can also consume strawberry to maintain our weight because it contains fiber. The fiber can help our digestion system to function properly.
The fifth health benefit is that strawberry can lower the blood pressure. Some people often have problem with their blood pressure because there are too much sodium in their body. In the contrary, strawberry has potassium and magnesium which can lower the blood pressure. (Health Benefit of Strawberry, paragraph 8).
Then, the last health benefit that I want to share to you is that strawberry can help our brain system. Of course, we do not want something goes wrong in our brain. Strawberry can help us to neutralize the effects of free radical which is very harmful. It can also rejuvenate the system in our brain because strawberry contains Vitamin C and phytochemicals. Then, the iodine can make proper functioning of our brain and nerves system. (Health Benefits of Strawberry, paragraph 7)
After we know that strawberry has many health benefits, we can start grow strawberry by ourselves. There is a way to grow strawberry without thinking about the large place needed. We can grow hydroponics strawberry in our garden. Hydroponics strawberry is a productive and efficient form of growing. We do not need soil, which is the sort of pest, mites, and parasites, to grow the strawberry. We can also reduce the use of methyl bromide which can kill the evil doer, but can also be a toxic to human. (Article 6-1 Strawberry). So, we can start growing strawberry in our small garden and we can harvest our own strawberries crop.
By growing hydroponics strawberry, we can get many advantages. The first is that it can be set up indoor or outdoor. So, people who has no garden can grow the strawberry indoor. If they choose to grow the strawberry outdoor, they can also grow it at elevated height. The second advantage is that the cultivation is easier in hydroponics strawberry. The last advantage of hydroponics strawberry is about the picking rate. If we grow strawberry, we want to get high yield per plant and hydroponics strawberry is higher in yield per plant than other form of growing. The picking rate is also much easier and less fatiguing. So, hydroponics strawberry is a good way out for us. (Advantages and Disadvantages of Strawberry Hydroponics, paragraph 2).
On the other hand, hydroponics strawberry also has the disadvantages. The first is that hydroponics strawberry requires a lot of attention. We should really care about the crops and we cannot just leave it. We should take a look at it to check whether the crops experience problem or not. Although we have solved the problem about soil, we still have problem with the foliage pests. We will deal with spiders, insects, and mildew that can damage our crops. (Advantages and Disadvantages of Strawberry Hydroponics, paragraph 5).
As the conclusion, strawberry is not only delicious but also very useful for our health. It can help us to keep our body healthy. Then, we can grow strawberry by ourselves using hydroponics strawberry technique. This technique will give us some advantages in growing strawberry. On the other hand, we should consider some problems that still exist when we grow hydroponics strawberry. Finally, there is no reason not to love strawberry.











References:
Advantages and Disadvantages of Strawberry Hydroponics. Retrieved March 19, 2010, from gardening-tips-idea.com: http://www.easyhydroponics.net/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-strawberry-hydroponics/index.htm.
Article 6-1 Strawberry. Retrieved March 19, 2010, from Simply Hydroponics and Organics website: http://www.simplyhydro.com/strawberries.htm.
Gush, Rick. Strawberries can be an excellent fruit crop choice for small farmers. Retrieved February 1, 2010, from the Hobbyfarms website: http://www.hobbyfarms.com/crops-and-gardening/fruit-crops-strawberries-14782.aspx.
Mukherjee, Aparup. Health Benefit of Strawberry. Retrieved February 15, 2010, from the Organic Facts website: http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/fruit/health-benefits-of-strawberry.html.
Parveen, Shahidah. (November 27, 2009). Strawberry Health Benefits, Side Effects, and Risks. Retrieved February 15, 2010, from Interesting Health Articles and Facts website: http://www.interesting-health-facts.com/2009/11/strawberry-health-benefits-side-effects.html?gclid=CKG_xYfn858CFcZS6wod4RYmYQ (March 7, 2008). Interesting Facts about Strawberry Origins. Retrieved April 30, 2010, from the Growing Strawberry website: http://www.growing-strawberry.com/interesting-facts-about-strawberry-origins/
Strawberries. Retrieved February 1, 2010, from the World’s Healthiest Foods website: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname+foodspice&dbid=32.

(February 22, 2010). Strawberries – What are Health Benefits Of Strawberries? | Heart Benefits and Nutrition Values Of Strawberries | Vitamin C in Strawberry Fruit. Retrieved April 9, 2010, from ehealthyland.com: http://www.ehealthyland.com/health/fruits-and-fruit-juices/strawberries-what-are-health-benefits-of-strawberries-heart-benefits-and-nutrition-values-of-strawberries-vitamin-c-in-strawberry-fruit.html.

(February 26, 2008). Interesting Fact about Strawberries. Retrieved may 25, 2010, from Growing Strawberry website: http://www.growing-strawberry.com/interesting-facts-about-strawberries/.

Japan: Art or Science?

Opinion about Japan
When you hear about Japan, what comes to your mind? Many people say that Japan is a country of art. Many kinds of art are there. We can see manga and anime, the Japanese songs, and many more. Most people admire Japan as an artistic place. They say that they can feel a new atmosphere of Japan’s art, and also culture.
However, many people also say that Japan is a modern country, with many kinds of technology applications in almost every aspect of their life. People visiting Japan will see the monorail, the robots, computer-based machine, etc. So, which one is the True Japan? Is it an artistic country, or a scientific one?

Japan as An Artistic Country: Art of Japan
First of all, let’s talk about Japanese art. One very famous art of Japan is its music. Even in Indonesia, many musicians of Indonesia now show a part of Japan in their music. See Duo Maia. Meichan, one member of Duo Maia, mostly appears in her shows in Harajuku style, one famous fashion style from Japan. There is also “J-Rocks” which fully adopts Japanese music style. It is a sign that Japanese music has been well known in most part of the world.
Before talking about the modern music, let’s see the root first, i.e. the traditional music of Japan. Traditional music of Japan covers Gagaku and Nohgaku. Both of them are a part of a drama. Gagaku was performed in the court, to entertain the royal family. Gagaku also used in Buddhist service. Meanwhile Nohgaku is music specially performed in a drama.
From drama, Japan music then developed into a modern one. With the influence of other countries, like China, Korea, and of course western countries, Japan now has its own unique music, called J-Pop (also J-Rock, for some rock music). This music is a little bit different, as it has more variety of instruments, including the computerized ones, and has a different sense of melody. Many Japanese composers and musicians combine the sense of foreign music with Japanese music’s own characteristic, creating a unique sense of melody that only exists in Japanese music.
There is also another part of Japanese art that even becomes the pop culture of Japan. To make it more chronological, it is better to start with manga. Manga is a Japanese comic, which also has its own unique characteristics. Characters appear in manga usually have larger eyes and spiky hair (in modern manga). Also, story in manga mostly has the character as the center of attention. The story grows out as the characters experience more things in their life.
From manga, the anime then appeared. Most of animes are manga which are brought up into animation version. This makes the characters seem more alive. From this point, the culture of cosplay appears. This is a parade where fans of anime wear costumes made as similar as possible to the characters in the anime. This cosplay then developed into a culture of Harajuku (the place where this culture developed has the same name). It becomes a fashion style that reflects the characters’ appearances in manga and anime, emphasizing the details on forms and colors.
The cosplay, the anime, and the manga are the forms of Japanese art. There is still one more side of Japan that needs discussing, i.e. the scientific part of Japan.

Japan as A Scientific Country: Science of Japan
Many people visiting Japan will admire the facilities provided there in the society directly when they see it. They will praise the monorail built so harmonically with the structure of the city. They may also smile admiring the industrial place of the city that shows the advanced application of technology. These clearly show that Japan is a modern, scientific country with so many of technology application applied there.
One clearer example, and also the most famous, of Japan’s technology is the gaming industry. All people throughout the world know Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Wii, and XBox. These three are the latest game consoles that become very famous. So many titles of video games have been made to be played in those three consoles. Mario Bros series, Final Fantasy series, and Grand Theft Auto series are the most legendary games gamers have ever played in the world. As an effect, the cosplayers then also take the models from the video games characters. That and the gaming industry itself have been making Japan more and more famous throughout the world.
When we talk about scientific things, it doesn’t necessarily talks about technology, is it? Japan also has another part of science, i.e. its language. People who want to go to Japan usually learn Japanese before they go. Well, they will not have any problems in learning it. However, if they go to Japan, they will find a new feature of Japanese: The Japlish. Japlish is English words that enter the Japanese language and become Japanese. So, when one hear “ basukettoboru”, actually it means basketball. When Japanese says “Makudonarudo”, he actually means “McDonalds”. Foreigners who only learn Japanese will get confused hearing this kind of words. This doesn’t mean that foreigners speaking English will not, but they are less likely to get confused.
Actually there is no specific regulation about this Japlish. It purely derives from the influence of western things, like the McDonald, that then develops in the society. The most significant reason is because Japanese people are not able to pronounce sound cluster with two adjacent consonant in it. They tend to add a vowel to such sound. Moreover, Japanese people also cannot pronounce /l/ sound. That’s why Japlish is born, and used among the people.

Japan’s Overall: Final Remark
After you read the explanation, what comes to your mind now when you hear something about Japan? I’m sure now that you will think both sides of Japan: the scientific and the artistic side. Yes, Japan is both an artistic and a scientific country. All the mangas, the animes, and the cosplay culture are the signs of art in Japan. Meanwhile, the Japlish case, and the robotic, computerized wares are the signs of science in Japan.
What about gaming? If you think further about it, actually, gaming and anime are representatives of both sides. Video games consoles are clearly products of technology. And you cannot make an animation without a computer and its program. Meanwhile, gaming and anime produce a new kind of art, a kind of visual computerized Japanese art, and bring some impacts in the culture, i.e. the cosplay culture and the harajuku fashion style.
Japan is really amazing, isn’t it?
So now it is our turn to think about it. How will we behave towards it? Will we be ignorant? As a student, we should see this from cultural understanding point of view. Even though we are not interested in Japanese stuff, we should respect other’s culture. If we are interested, it is a good thing to learn the culture, or anything about it, at least for our own knowledge. We should never act imprudently, because it may hurt other’s feeling.

So why don’t you start to explore the world? You might find a treasure that will be useful in your life.

Angga Benedikto
081214116

References
Japanese Music. Retrieved May 19, 2010, from UT Asian Studies network Information Center web site: http://asnic.utexas.edu/countries/japan/japmusic.html

Rei. What are Manga and Anime? Rei’s Home Page. Retrieved May 19, 2010, from http://www.mit.edu/~rei/Expl.html

What is Cosplay? Cosplay-FTW: Your Home for Anime Cosplay Inspiration! Retrieved May 19, 2010, from http://www.cosplay-ftw.com/what-is-cosplay.html

Shaw, Corey. (2007). History and Culture of Video Games in Japan. Retrieved May 19, 2010, from Rice Universities web site: http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~cds3824/ japa102 JapaneseCultureProjectFinal.rtf

Wagman, Joel. Joel’s Guide to Japlish. ジョエル　スワグマン. Retrieved May 19, 2010, from http://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2006/02/joels-guide-to-japlish.html

Nothing certain in Superstition

by meita enjayani

Everybody has their own choice and right to decide what things they believe in. Belief is something that cannot be forced because it is related with individual perception. They may believe that something is true even it is false and cannot be trusted at all, and vice versa. If we talk about belief, the first thing that comes in our mind is religion. Religion is belief that gives us the truth one. It will make us understand the good things and the bad things, what things that can be trusted or not. On the contrary, there is superstition that reform our way of thinking about something. Superstitious people may have false perception about the truth. However, this wrong belief has existed for many generations in our society. Superstition becomes the cultural heritage and unimportant curiosity which grow close to the society. Not only in Indonesia, but also people in all over the world recognize the existence of superstition. Sometimes, superstition is like knowledge of something. This knowledge tells mouth-by-mouth based on experience.
In our society, all people recognize superstitions whether directly or not even we are living in a modern era. It is a belief about something. However, it is different from religion. Hart (paragraph 11) states, "Superstition is a belief or practice resulting from ignorance and a false conception of causation". Superstition comes up as the result of ignorance. This ignorance signifies that people tend to belief something because of their false conception. They try to find out the relation of some events in their past life and make a conclusion on this. Therefore, it is not totally right because of the false conception that they have made.
Superstition that comes up from ignorance can give bad effect to the people. As stated by Firehammer (paragraph 17), is that “The danger of superstition is not just ignorance or mistaken beliefs. All ignorance and all mistakes can be dangerous, but as we have already stated, plain ignorance and mistakes are correctable, but superstition never is.” It means that there is no reason for superstitious people to be ignorant. For superstitious people, the ignorance is in purpose. It is different from ignorant people who are not intentionally to do or believe in something because of the lack of information or knowledge.
Believing in superstition gives some effect for human life. If the people really believe in superstition without thinking of the fact, it will be dangerous. Superstition can control their life. One example that may become the popular superstition is superstition about Friday the 13. This day is recognized as the bad day for almost all people all over this world. This superstition may become the terror for superstitious people. Emery (paragraph 5) argue that “people afflicted with a morbid, irrational fear of Friday the 13th — should be picking up their ears about now, buoyed by seeming evidence that the source of their unholy terror may not be so irrational after all” . They think that if they do something it will give them bad luck. They are afraid of facing the fact and prefer to avoid that case. It really controls their behavior and way of life. They will feel afraid and do not want something bad happen to them so that they will not go outside and only stay inside without doing anything.
As a religious person, we have to believe that the future even it is good or bad is related to our conduct. Punkerslut (2003, paragraph 6) argues that “That no effect is ever rendered without a cause, and every cause has its own cause, just as every effect often renders an effect- a long chain of events, one causing the other.” So, something happen in our future is caused by our conduct before. We have to think first before we do something, our choice will affect our future whether good or bad, not other but ourselves. We cannot directly judge or think that it happen because this is the way superstition. However, nobody knows about the future because only God who knows everything. God is the only one who can control and makes everything happen in His name.
Almost all people realize the characteristic of superstition. They know that what they believe in is irrational things. Sometimes, it makes me unable to understand their way of thinking in reason of people still believe in superstition even though they have knew that it is irrational. There are many kinds of superstitions in this world. As the example of superstition before, it is stated that superstitious people believe that Friday the 13 is bad day. At that day, people will avoid making any journey or activities. They only stay at home. Is there any good reason on this? There is no logical reason to explain this. If we open our mind and think ahead facing the reality, we will know the fact that it is not rational. However, this ancient superstition is still recognized by people in this modern life. Superstition becomes the odd things without answer. Besides, it is also modify the fact. In this case, Friday the 13 is recognize as the bad day. In fact, based on my experience, during my lifetime, I never consider that Friday the 13 is the bad day, it may become my good day. I believe that God has created all of days in a week are good, without any exception.
There are many reasons why people believe in superstition. Sometimes, people believe in certain superstition only for pleasant. For example: one kind of superstition named tarot. Tarot card is trusted in predict the future from the order and the type of tarot. When somebody tries to play this, he will be happy knowing the good prediction. Therefore, for his pleasure, he will believe it. Another thing that becomes the reason why people believe in superstition as stated by Somervile ( paragraph 8), “The second form of superstitions implies that a certain action or ritual will bring about desired result.” It is related with their belief that superstition will give something as they expect. As a result, they do something intentionally as superstition so that they get what they expect. For example: we often see many people wearing certain items of clothing when attending the competition. Based on superstition, it will bring good luck for the team who compete. They do this in purpose of giving the spirit to the team to win the competition.
Superstition will never lose or disappear in our life because it has been grow so close in the society. As a person who believes in God, we have to realize the limitation of superstition. We should not be affected by superstition because we have already known that there is nothing certain in this life. The only one whom we believed in is only God. He gives us the best things and he has already made the plan for our way of life. We only have to believe it. We have to be brave in facing the reality even it is bad. We can gain more information so that we can see the reality. After that, we can correct our mistakes by knowing that all about superstitions is uncertain.
References
Emery, D. Why Friday the 13th is unlucky. Retrieved February 10, 2010, from Urban legend Web Site: http://urbanlegends.about.com/cs/historical/a/friday_the_13th_4.htm
Firehammer, R. What is superstition. Retrieved March 13, 2010, from the Autonomist Forum Web Site: http://theautonomist.com/aaphp/permanent/wisuper.php
Hart, J. Superstition is not religion. Retrieved January 25, 2010, from www.jameshartforcongress.com/prometheus/chapVII.htm
Punkerslut. (2003, April 9). Superstition. Retrieved April 27, 2010, from Buzzle Web Site: http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/12-28-2005-84997.asp
Somervile, Carole. Reasons why people believe in superstitions. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from http://www.helium.com/items/1609506-why-do-people-believe-in-superstitionswhat-causes-people-to-be-superstitious?page=2