sikilmahfud

“Hmmh…today is so bored….what must I do?”

“Hello Yose, what’s up?”

“Hey friend! I feel bored today. Just repetition and repetition I do everyday.”

“Bored? Oh come on…so your life today isn’t the life you really want?”

“Emmm…yeah, maybe…”

“So, what kind of life you want?”

“I want to break up these limitations. Now I still have some characters that I want to change. I still feel I can’t easily go outside. I do really want to be independent, can decide everything by myself. ”

“Be patient, Yose. Maybe you still can’t do some things. But remember that your study remains 1.5 years. Be patient. If you feel so, just remember several years ago, when you are still in High School. Of course you have more today than the past, right?”

“I think you’re right. I feel much happier today. I have much more good friends. I have many experiences with foreigners. I’ve already omitted some of my bad habits. I know many interesting websites. I have this blog. I am much knowledgeable. All that I’ve mentioned, I don’t have them in the past, thanks God for giving them to me. But…”

“But what? You still feel not enough?”

“To be honest, yes. You know, I still don’t know who really I am. I mean, I life for what? Just do this repetition?? Isn’t there such thing that’s more meaningful for being done? I will do with passion! I will do with my all! I will…”

“Calm down, friend, calm down. I know you are good hoper. To encourage you to pass today, I would like to hear about your dream, please.”

“I wish I can get scholarship to continue my study in Japan. Then I’ll use my knowledge to create better world. You know, there are many disasters happen and I want to help. I also want to go to Japan, China, and Korea. There are many beautiful places I want to visit. Mount Fuji, Kyoto, Shanghai, Great Wall, Jeju Island, and still so many. I also want to make friends with people from those countries. I also want to teach children, help them to find their dream.”

“Wow….you have so many beautiful dreams….if so, why are you defeated by today’s boredom?”

“Eh…?”

“Just continue your progress. Don’t waste too much time coping with boredom. Five years later I’ll ask you again with the same question: ‘of course you have more today than the past, right?’”

“Thank you so much for your advise, friend. It encourages me so much.”

“Yeah, now wake up, good boy.”

Then I wake up and take my Mandarin book.

It’s impossible to live without disagreement in this world. Disagreement happens because of difference. There are many kinds of difference; maybe they are race, religiosity, argument, or business difference. Disagreement becomes unavoidable because every people have their own difference. Each people have different physics, talent, thought, and principle. Moreover, each people have their own ego. Ego makes us difficult to live harmonically. Human has basic ego characteristic: prefer demanding respect than respect the others, prefer being listened than listen the others, prefer receive than give, and feel as superior to others.

Egoism can manifest in various ways. In the home, mom and dad often quarrel because each of them feels their argument is the most right. In the office, there are Machiavellian people who will do everything to get higher salary or higher position. In the society, there are many races who feel as “superior”. Consequently, they insult and discriminate each other. It’s clear that our ego just sharpen the difference.

As a youth, what can we do to make harmonious world? Maybe we are not yet become a scientist, spokesman, or president. Maybe we don’t have enough power to do the big things. But to make harmonious society around us, it isn’t needed such power right? All we need to do that is pure heart. We can make harmonious society by decrease our ego and give more. By train ourselves like that, difference isn’t a problem anymore. Difference even can become the “cool stuff” to give happiness for our friends, lecturers, teachers, family, and society around us.

As a good friend, we can learn to control our ego. We can give our ear to hear their argument or complaint. Don’t debate them when they tell their own problem. Don’t force them to become the person that we want, because we’ve already different since we were born. Instead, help them to find their own bright side, help them to find their own true self. Try to become a good friend. If we can’t make and keep harmonious relationship between friends, how can we make bigger harmonious society?

When we are following the lesson in the class, create a harmonious class. We can decrease our ego. How? Don’t be noisy inside the class. As a good student, we should give respect to our lecturer and teacher because they are so dedicated by teaching us. Notice all that they teach, ask them enthusiastically, try to be an active student.

In the home, try to be a good boy or girl. If there is quarrel between our siblings, don’t worsen it by following their quarrel, but vice versa, try to be a mediator to calm them down. If our parents can’t give us as we expected, don’t demand them. Instead, prove that we can become a good son or daughter. Help them when they are busy, take care when they are sick. Do all with pure heart. Make our home condition become harmonious by our presence.

Also, begin to be active in our surrounding society. Again, we’ve already different since we are born. Then use our difference (better read it as ‘specialty’) to give more. Use whatever gift that we have to create harmonious world. If we have music talent, we can cheer street boy or orphans. If we have writing talent, write inspiring words. Maybe it’s just simple words in our social network account, but at least we can strengthen the others that read it. And still many more talent we can give.

We also can keep our surrounding society by sharpening our awareness for difference in the society. Maybe there are many various races and religiosity around us. Sharpening our awareness doesn’t mean sharpening the difference, but view the difference as “cool stuff” that enriches our surrounding society. How to do that? Begin from simple things. For example in Christmas Day, if we are Moslem, say “Merry Christmas” to Christian people. When Moslem people celebrate the end of fasting period, if we are Christian, we can celebrate together with Moslem people by having a lunch together. Let us throw away our exclusiveness.

Wherever we are, make our surroundings smile because of our presence. We are created not to live in war, but to live in happiness and harmony. Remember that life never gives excuses. Use our short lifetime to give happiness wherever we are. Become a small candle that gives its light to shine the dark room though it’s just for short time.

Let’s shine the world with happiness with our presence!

October 21, 2010, I visited a company in Surabaya. The company I visited is a shipping company located in Tanjung Perak port which manages export, import, and domestic container. The port situation in Tanjung Perak, the second largest port in Indonesia, is quite interesting. That moment, I and my group were taken to the 8th floor inside the office. Pictures below show the view from the 8th floor:





The officer tells a lot of things about the port and shipping company. The information interests me because I never go to the port before. Nah, in this article I want to share about two things, the first is some important equipment that supports the operational in the port and the second is “the journey of the container”. Haha….are you interesting? Let’s read!

1. Important equipments in the port




• Forklift

Forklift is a kind of truck which is used to lift and transport materials. This special truck can carry very heavy material. In the port, one of forklift function is to carry container from container terminal (number 1, the place when containers are stacked) to wharf (number 2, the place when the ships anchor) and vice versa.







Forklift Truck




• Quay Gantry Crane

Quay gantry crane’s shape is like the common crane we often see. But this crane is located in the wharf. Its function is to load and unload containers from cargo ships.




• Rubber Tyres Gantry (RTG) Crane

RTG is also a kind of crane but have two props so the shape is like a gate. RTG is located in the container terminal. Its function is to stack the containers from the truck or train or to put the containers to the truck or train.







2. The journey of the container


Containers in this company are grouped according to the purpose: export, import, and domestic. Each of them has its own different “journey”.

Export container is the container from Indonesia that will be shipped to overseas. The officer told that most of Indonesian products to be exported are furniture. To export through this company, the exporter must send PIB (Permohonan Impor Barang) and then this company will reply with SPPB (Surat Permohonan Pengeluaran Barang) as the acknowledgment. Export goods are carried by truck and after get permission goods are ready to be packed into container to the cargo ship to be exported to overseas.

Import container is vice versa, the container that comes from overseas to Indonesia. Can you guess what does Indonesia import the most? Television, computer, handphone….yeah, electronic gadgets! Cargo ship from overseas that will come must send PEB (Permohonan Ekspor Barang) that will be acknowledged by PE (Persetujuan Ekspor). After the ship comes, containers are taken down from the ship, and pass the inspection; the containers will be carried to the destination , or they will be unpacked and sent to the destination via container truck or train.

Domestic container is container that is directed between companies inside Indonesia. The enter-exit mechanism is almost the same with export-import container, but the approval mechanism is different.

All of import, export, and domestic container must be checked before carried to the destination. They who have privilege to check them are Customs Office. How can we say a container is already proper to be sent? First, container must be undamaged. Even if there is a little damage, container must be impeded until the next instruction is given. This method is used to avoid robbery. Why? If container is torn, probably the thief has damaged it and stolen the material inside so it won’t be properly sent, do you think so? Second, the material inside container must be checked so the shipping of illegal goods such as drugs and guns can be avoided.

That’s all of my report….me, the reporter will be off and back again with another article.