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KangGURU Magazine for September 2006
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Take a careful look at these road signs from Australia. What do you think they mean?
TASK 1. Write to KGRE before October 31st and explain what they mean to you. You do not have to explain every sign. Just choose two of these signs. Try to be very clear about your descriptions of what they are indicating.
What does a car, truck or bus registration plate actually show us? What is it used for? Look at these Indonesian number plates. Do you know what the letters and numbers mean? Here are 2 tasks for you to complete. Send your answers to KGRE before October 31st. TASK 2 - Look at the 8 car registration number plates. They are from different parts of Indonesia. Can you tell KGRE what areas these registration plates are from? TASK 3 – Choose one of the 8 registration plates. Tell KGRE where the plate is from (city/province) AND then write 100 words about your favorite city from that area. Tell KGRE why that city is such a fantastic place. Prizes will include KGRE jas hujan, Aussie car number plates, KGRE keyrings and of course, KGRE t-shirts. |
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Did
you realize that I have been writing this introductory note in every KGRE
magazine since early 2000. That’s about 20 times. How can I make
this introduction sound different this time? It is a regular problem but
I will try. First of all, instead of a photograph of me we have used a
sketch drawn by M.Nurudin, a loyal KGRE-ite in Lamongan, East Java. Thanks
for that little difference.
Let’s begin with one other big difference at KGRE. Now we have
10 people all working together to produce KGRE in Indonesia. What a clever
group of people we now have here at KGRE in Bali! Our theme for this magazine
is Transportation! Whether the articles be Different Pond Different Fish
anecdotes, AusAID stories or Whiz information, the majority of articles
in this edition are related to this theme. You can read about iconic forms
of transport from around the world or enter a Picture Quiz about vehicle
number plates right here in Indonesia. You can find out about the travels
of KGRE staff as they move around Indonesia and see where some ‘friends
of KGRE’ have travelled to over the past few months. There are special
interviews with Addie MS, leader of the Twilite Orchestra in Jakarta and
Zelda Zavitri from METRO TV. I think you will find a lot to keep you reading
for a long time to come. Enjoy! 
KGRE now has ten members of staff. AusAID, and the Indonesia Australia Language Foundation, have made this possible so our special thanks to them. That is great news for KGRE and for YOU! By the way, if you would like a copy of our new KGRE Staff photograph, autographed by the KGRE staff, then write to us or send an SMS. Be sure to include your full name and address and handphone number, if you have one.
Hello
everyone. I’m new at KGRE. Kevin has asked me to take over the Letters
Page as Wendy is so busy teaching these days. We love getting your letters
and it’s very difficult choosing just a few for each magazine. You
can see when you read the letters that we have not chosen them because
the English in them is perfect. We are so happy that people write to us
and are actually using their writing skills with a purpose. It is not
necessary to write (or speak) English perfectly to communicate. So, when
you read these letters you may see some mistakes. As we always say, you
can’t learn a language without making mistakes. Do you agree? Cheryl
Thanks
for sending me the magazine. Glad to hear that we're gonna have KGRE magazine
4 times a year. I really like reading about the Muslim Exchange Program.
Good to know that they are accepted there. It makes me realise that what
Kang Guru always says "Good Neighours Make Good Friends" is
right. By the way on Friday, 21st of April, 2006 I saw Kevin on Metro
This Morning having a nice conversation with Zelda Savitri. I like Metro
TV and I watching Metro This Morning everyday. I like all the news presenters
at Metro This Morning. My brother and I hope someday we can speak as good
as they can. Pipit, Jember - EAST JAVA
There are over 300,000 Muslims in Australia. Islam has been in Australia since 1861 (see KGRE's December 2004 magazine). When I went to university I often met Muslim students. There was a musholla at our campus and halal food in the canteen. I often ate it too because it was so good. We’re glad you liked Kevin’s interview on Metro TV. If you keep watching their news in English then your English is sure to improve - the more you listen the better you will get.
A Great Idea
I am very poor in English but I am really interested in it. Now I am going to tell you that I use English as much as I can and every day I stand in front of the mirror. I want to be an English professional teacher so practising speaking in front of the mirror helps me. Then I’ll be better able to talk to anybody from all over the world. Zainal Abid, Taliwang, West Sumbawa, NTB
Dear Zainal, I think practising in front of the mirror is an excellent idea. I did that when I was preparing for Indonesian language exams at university in Australia and it helped me a lot. I wish you luck in your ambition to become an English language teacher. I’m sure you’ll be able to give your students good ideas on how to learn English based on your own experience.
Same Old Prizes - (a KGRE Forum Posting)
I have been a KGRE magazine reader for years. The contents of the magazines is always educational and fun. This is all because of AusAID and the clever people at KGRE. Quizzes and tasks are always fun and the prizes are interesting BUT after four years the prizes are almost always the same - t-shirts, books and cassettes. It is rare for KGRE to give brand new prizes. I just want to give some suggestions – what about communication tools like handphones or electronic dictionaries? Juandi, Medan - NORTH SUMATERA
Juandi, thanks for your FORUM posting and for your excellent ideas. I especially want to thank you for your suggestions about holding a World Cup Competition on the Forum Page. We did that and it was a huge success with over 80,000 hits on the Forum in June. Now for your comments about KGRE prizes or rather, lack of interesting prizes. In fact I do agree with you to some extent but remember this – many listeners and readers would still love to win KGRE t-shirts and cassettes for example. However, I want to tell you that KGRE has given some great prizes so far this year. They include a free flight on an aeroplane (see inside back cover), Garuda tickets for two to Bali with three nights hotel accommodation and Rp 1 million spending money (Annual KGRE Writing Competition), hand-phones and pulsa top-ups, three Music Compos and fabulous autographed CDs from Anggun, Dewi Lestari, Mike and Delon. Check out the tasks in this magazine and you might be even more surprised.
I am a young learner in 3rd class. The first time I read your magazine it was very interesting. Not only simple sentences but also simple words easy to be understand. Your simple examples are easy to understand. Really it is a very interesting magazine. Tyas Wahyu Untari, Cilacap - CENTRAL JAVA
It’s great to get a letter from a year 3 student. We try to include interesting pages for people with all levels of English. It’s great to know that you understand so much. Perhaps you could also practise your English speaking skills by talking to your classmates and friends about things you read in the magazine. There’s an old saying in English: ‘Practice makes perfect’. You don’t need to speak English perfectly but practising will certainly help you to improve.
I would like to introduce myself to you, my name is Syuhada Abdu. I am a student at the State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah, Jakarta. I want to say thank you very much to KGRE in Indonesia and to AusAID. I always read KGRE magazines because they always include a knowledge. I think that KGRE’s magazine is a perfect. I know about language, culture, tourism, music and many more things. I listen to your radio program once a week. And it’s developing my knowledge. I have a question to ask. I want to know about Halloween as I know that Halloween Day is a celebration of scary things symbolized by pumpkins, masks and weird costumes. Syuhada Abdu, Tangerang - BANTEN
Halloween is thought to have started in Ireland in the 5th century, and was introduced to the United States by the Irish. They believed that Halloween activities were a good way to frighten spirits away. These days it’s very popular with children, but just for fun.
There are many idioms from the world of transport. We have chosen some common ones for you to use.
train of thoughtA train of thought is a series of connected ideas, just like a line of railway carriages. Sometimes when we’re talking about something really interesting we have a lot we want to say. Then a friend comes to ask if she can borrow a pen. We try to start the conversation again but we can’t remember what we were going to say.
put the cart before the horseTo put the cart before the horse means to do things in the wrong order. For example, buying new clothes to wear to a wedding before you get an invitation, or worrying about where you will live in Jakarta before you have the interview for a new job.
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ships that pass in the nightHave you ever met someone really interesting who made a big impression on you? We often meet these people only once or twice and don’t ever see them again. We say we are like ships that pass in the night. One day a friend showed me a photograph of a man she met ten years ago.
in the same boatTo be in the same boat as someone else means that you’re both in the same difficult or unpleasant situation. University students often have a lot of assignments due at the end of the semester and it’s very hard to get them all finished on time. One day I heard two students talking about this.
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| train of thought - serangkaian ide/pemikiran, put the cart
before the horse - salah menempatkan prioritas, ships that pass in the night - kapal yang berpapasan pada waktu malam, in the same boat - dalam situasi yg sama |
Have you been listening to KGRE's radio programs lately? We hope so because we have included a special segment in shows 5201-5206. We call it 'Quick Fix' and it is all about some common mistakes made in English here in Indonesia. These are things that we often hear people say. KGRE has decided to help people avoid these common errors.
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one involves the word ‘ever’. We often use this word
in questions when we want to know about the things people have done.
For example, Sue: Yes, I have. Kevin: Yes, many times. Ogi: No I haven't, but I have Many English language learners make the mistake of translating the word ‘pernah’ into English and including it in their answer. You do use the word ‘pernah’ in Indonesian but we don’t use the word ‘ever’ in English when we’re talking about the things we have done. |
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The second
problem is the expression ‘of course’. The problem with
this expression is that some people use it when it’s not appropriate.
He said ‘of course’ because I should have known the answer to that question. In other words, the answer was obvious. He’s the Manager of KGRE so of course he’s been to Jakarta many times. However, many people use ‘of course’ instead of ‘yes’. They use it too often, and their English doesn’t sound natural.
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One of the biggest changes over the last century has been in the kinds of transport available. Today it’s possible to travel long distances quickly, and as a result a lot more people are travelling, and more often. Some forms of transport are described as ‘iconic’ meaning they are easily recognized as belonging to a certain country or city. Can you think of some forms of transport that are regarded as ‘icons’? These are often the ones you see in travel shows on TV or in travel brochures and, of course, on postcards.
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Every
day in Indonesia millions of people travel - to the market, school
and work, and then home again. In Jakarta some use a form of public
transport that we associate with that city – the bajaj. Others
travel by becak or taxi and millions travel by bus and train. Perhaps
the
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Garuda
is the international airline of Indonesia. That familiar blue Garuda symbol
on the tail of the plane is recognized in airports across Asia and the
world. The airline started in 1949 as Indonesian Airways. It may not be
the biggest Asian airline but it is one of the better ones with an aircraft
fleet which includes 3 Boeing 747 ‘jumbo’ jets along with
over 50 smaller jet aircraft including 737s and 777s. Garuda flies to
many international destinations including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane
and Perth in Australia. In the northern hemisphere they take passengers
and cargo to destinations such as Europe, Singapore, China and Japan.
Domestically, Garuda flies the length and breadth of the nation - virtually
from Sabang to Merauke.
Here’s
a form of transport that was popular in Australia for a long time. This
is a Combi van made by Volkswagen. Young people especially liked these
vehicles because they could drive to the beach on the weekends and sleep
in the back of the van. As you can see, they’re long enough to carry
surfboards on top. Sometimes families went for long holidays in their
Combi vans, with surfboards, fishing rods, tent and all of the other things
you need for a holiday on the road. The Combi was the very first 'people
mover' type vehicle such as the modern Kijang or L300.
Finally,
a form of transport that Australians are always happy to see wherever
they travel. When they see this famous Qantas plane with its red kangaroo
in Jakarta or New York or Tokyo they sometimes feel a bit homesick. This
one is a very special Qantas plane that’s covered in Australian
Aboriginal art designs.
TASK 4. Which one of these iconic forms of transport is your favourite? Why is it your favorite? Would you like to travel in it? Entries to KGRE by October 31st.
Railways in Indonesia The Netherlands East Indies Railway company began
building railways in Indonesia in 1867. The first line went from
Semarang to Tanggung. By the late 1880’s a railway line connected
Jakarta to Surabaya. This trip took three days! This was because
the trains didn’t travel at night. But although this seems
like a long time to us today, before there were trains, people would
have to travel by horse drawn carriage and this would take two weeks!
These trains were steam trains, powered by coal. Today if you visit
the Museum at Ambarawa, Central Java you can see many of these locomotives
and between June and August it is possible to take a trip on one
of them from Jambu to Bedodo. |
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Some interesting railway facts -
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Before
1999 flying in Indonesia was too expensive for many people. If you wanted
to visit your friends and relatives you would probably face long journeys
on buses or boats or both. In 1999 Lion Air was established and this was
Indonesia’s first low-cost airline. Low-cost (or no-frills or budget)
airlines had begun in the early 1990’s in the USA. The term low
cost doesn’t always refer to the price of the ticket. Low-cost refers
to the operating costs of the airline. These airlines can operate more
cheaply than other airlines because they usually only use one or two types
of aircraft, so the cost of training staff is cheaper. If you book very
early especially using the internet, tickets can be very cheap. Usually
there is no free in-flight food or drinks. Employees sometimes have to
work in two jobs - flight attendants sometimes clean inside the aircraft
after each flight. Since 1999 several more low cost airlines have begun
flying in Indonesia including Adam Air and Batavia Air. Two airlines from
Asia have begun services in and out of Indonesia - Air Asia from Malaysia
and Valueair from Singapore. For many people this is a good thing and
they can now afford to fly rather than take the more time consuming buses,
boats and trains. Have you travelled on one of these low cost, no-frills
airlines yet?
You must turn off your mobile phone and radio when you travel on an aeroplane. This is because the navigation equipment is very sensitive and using your phone or listening to a radio could interfere with it. They can also cause problems with the intercom in the plane. So if everyone on a flight going from Jakarta to Sumatera were using their mobile phones, the plane might end up in Australia! On many flights, especially long distance flights, there are entertainment centers installed in the seats. Passengers use them to listen to music and watch films.
TASK 5. Would you like to go overseas? Of course you would! KGRE invites you to write to us and tell about one overseas city that you would really like to visit. Maybe it is Tokyo, Sydney, London, Mumbai, Cairo, Mecca or Mexico City? Your choice! Tell us the reasons why you want to go to that city. Make sure your reasons are easy to understand and show how wonderful that city really is. Five lucky winners will win a book about famous cities in the world AND one very lucky winner will win a three day holiday in the provincial capital city of their province here in Indonesia. Entries to KGRE by October 31st. |
Anggun - Concorde Kevin – Narrogin Do you still live in the town where you were born
or where you grew up as a young child? In June 2006 Kevin went back
to the town where he was born and to the two towns where he grew
up. Together with his parents and his brother, Kevin went back to
Southern Cross in West Australia. He was born there and lived there
for the first 4 years of his life. Then he and his family moved
to Narrogin, about a four hour drive away. Kevin was surprised that
he actually Vlad - Brazil I recently conducted training for new IELTS examiner
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Brad - Greece Kang Guru received this story from Brad Otto who
works for the Macfarlane Burnet Institute from Melbourne Australia
on AusAID-funded public health programs in Indonesia. I went to
visit friends in Greece. I flew to Athens via Singapore. After a
two-hour hydrofoil ride from Athens, I arrived in Hydra where my
friends were. The interesting thing about Hydra is that no motor
vehicles are allowed. To get anywhere you have to walk. That doesn’t
sound so bad, but the island is very hilly. Even the main town is
mostly steps and almost no smooth roads or paths. People often get
around on horses or mules, and there are a few pushcarts to help
people get things to their houses after shopping. Geoff - EthiopiaLast year I attended a Language and Development
conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was about the role that
language plays in a country's national development. Different African
countries presented issues concerning colonial languages (English
and French), language planning and language policy. For |
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Ratih Ermawanti of SMPN 1 Piyungan, Bantul,
Central Java.
Ratih wrote us a great letter about how she’s helping her parents
after their house was damaged in the earthquake on 27 May. They’re
now living in a tent but she’s very optimistic about the future.
Good luck Ratih. Your English is great. We’re sending you a KGRE
Prize Pack full of KGRE goodies.
The other winners are people who spent some time helping the earthquake victims in Yogyakarta. They’re Farida Umi Inayati of SMA 1 Klaten and Intan Permatasari of Sebelas Maret University in Surakarta who sent us an email. We’ll send you something special from KGRE for helping others – ‘that’s what friends are for’.
| Great White Shark
This month’s magazine is about Transport and Travel so I’d like to tell you about an animal that also travels long distances. It’s the great white shark. It lives in Australian waters. They’re very big. Male white sharks are between three and four meters long and weigh between 300 and 500 kilograms. Scientists in Australia studying these animals discovered that they often travel 500 to 700 kilometres during periods of about three weeks. They often go much further than this however, as they travel from South Australia to Queensland and even as far as north-west Western Australia. They are protected in Australia and scientists study them so they can learn more about how they live. If you’d like to find out more here’s an interesting website that shows where they travel: http://www.cmar.csiro.au |
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Word
Puzzle - SMS Task Do you like word puzzles? I certainly do. The 5 jumbled words below are all forms of transport mentioned on page 4 of this magazine. Do you know what they are? Here’s an example: sbu = bus. Send your entries complete with your name and address to KGRE before Oct. 31st. KGRE's HP - 081 2387 0479 1. dalonog |
Travel Stories in KupangHow do you get to work? Last year I walked or took an ojek, but this year I find myself on all kinds of transport. My name is Bevis and I work for the Australian Embassy on the issue of illegal fishing. I am helping Australia and Indonesia with a public information campaign in eastern Indonesia to raise the profile of this problem. This means I spend most of my time travelling around eastern Indonesia, using many different types of transport. Australia and Indonesia face similar challenges when it comes to illegal foreign fishing. By working together, we can address the problem far more effectively.
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Travelling in East JavaWho are these people? Where are they going and what will they do when they get to their destination?
These people work for the Indonesian Australian
Partnership in Basic Education (IAPBE) based in Malang, East Java.
They work with 180 rural, semi rural and city schools in the districts
of Jombang, Gresik and Jember. IAPBE uses all types of transport
to get its job done - cars, buses, motor-bikes, push bikes and also
visit our remotest schools on foot. Since beginning work in 2004
(Russell Keogh is a part of AusAID's IAPBE team based in Malang. Pak Syaiful Anam, a former school principal from Jombang, is holding the Aussie tea towel) |
Road Construction Can you imagine Indonesia without roads? Of course
we can’t imagine that. No roads would mean no trucks, buses
or cars for example. It would be total chaos. How would trucks deliver
food around the nation? How would drinking water be delivered to
shops? And what about medicines to hospitals? Visiting distant relatives
would be extremely difficult. Airports and seaports all depend on
road |
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AusAID and the Ombudsman An ombudsman is an official, usually (but not always) appointed by the government or by parliament, who looks after the interests of the public by investigating and addressing complaints reported by individual citizens. They help people agree on fair settlements, especially between people who have disagreements such as consumers or students and an institution or organization. With support and training from AusAID and the Commonwealth Ombudsman Office in Australia, the role of ombudsman in Indonesia will be strengthened, socialized and expanded. |
The
Australian Ambassador to Indonesia, Bill Farmer, visited Yogyakarta and
Central Java in early July. He announced details of Australia’s
Rp 255 billion earthquake rehabilitation program. He met with the Governors
of Yogyakarta and Central Java Provinces to discuss 
where
Australian assistance could best be used. This aid is being used for emergency
medical personnel and supplies, water and sanitation and shelter. The
Ambassador met with the Chairman of Muhammadiyah, Professor Dr Din Syamsuddin,
and toured an Australian-funded Muhammadiyah project in Desa Blawong.
”Important emergency and humanitarian work is continuing in Yogyakarta and Central Java, but Australian support is now focused on assistance to support reconstruction efforts, restore people’s incomes and repair and equip schools. We will employ local skilled labour on projects, which will have the dual benefit of re-establishing incomes and benefiting the wider community. Our assistance will also help communities prepare for future emergencies. For example, we will provide training in improved earthquake-resistant construction techniques. We look forward to working with existing partners to restore and rehabilitate buildings and services in the community,” the Ambassador said.
Boats and Ferries Did you know that the ocean liner Queen Mary 2
is the largest, longest, tallest and widest passenger ship? It is
345 metres long. That’s the same as twenty-six inter-Kota
buses parked end to end, or over one hundred bemos! The Pelni ferry
M/F Fudi which sails from Surabaya to Balikpapan is less than half
that long at only 148 metres. Queen Mary 2 is three times larger
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Car Ferries Indonesia is a sprawling archipelago and boats
and ferries provide an important link between islands. Pelni (Pelayaran
Nasional Indonesia) is the national shipping company in Indonesia.
It operates 25 passenger ships around the archipelago. On the busy
crossings between Java and Sumatra and Java and Bali car ferries
run twenty-four hours a day. The type of boat which is used |
Mumbai
is one is one of India’s largest cities. It has a population of
over 18 million people. That is a lot of people. Imagine the number of
taxis (estimated at 50,000), buses and autorickshaws (bajaj) needed to
move people around. Imagine the pollution! Now for an amazing bit of news.
Over the past few years almost all auto-rickshaws, buses and taxis have
been converted to use clean and efficient natural gas instead of petrol
or diesel fuel. That saves up to 70% of operating costs. Air pollution
from vehicles in Mumbai, and other large Indian cities, has been slashed.
And just this year public transport drivers who are using gas automatically
receive free insurance – isn’t that a great idea? Gas-powered
bajajs in Jakarta - see back page.
How far is it…?Did you know that it is 674 kilometres from Jakarta to Surabaya. If you fly it will take you about 1 hour but if you go by car it will take you more than 9 hours. If you walked at 4.5 kilometres an hour then it would take you almost 150 hours! How many days is that? Flying from Banda Aceh to Jayapura takes at least 14 hours. That’s almost the same as it takes to fly from Jakarta to Holland! Can you believe it! Passengers have to change planes in Jakarta and maybe even in Makassar too. The distance between Banda Aceh to Jayapura is 5091 kilometres. Try This Now! Can you answer these questions? 1. Which is further away from Jakarta: Sydney or Beijing? |
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by Tasnim, ACCESS Project Officer - Southeast Sulawesi
When ACCESS staff go to visit Village Sama Bahari local people ask, “Is it the big wave season?” Sama Bahari Village is one of the most remote villages in ACCESS Program in Buton Regency, now Wakatobi Regency or Pemekaran Regency. The villages that belong to Buton Regency are located on Buton Island and some are on the inner land of Muna Island. Buton Regency and Muna Regency consist of 26 and 16 small islands respectively. To reach Muna Island from Kendari we must travel through Wawonii Strait. There are two kinds of big speed boats available - “Superjet” and “Sagori”. When the boat arrives at Raha, the capital of Muna Sub-regency, it stops for a while then continues to Buton Regency, about 2.5 hours through Buton Strait, to Bau-Bau – the capital of Bau-Bau Municipality.
To
monitor the villages in Muna Regency where ACCESS Programs are carried
out, like Maligano Village in Maligano Sub-Regency, and Bahari Village
in Napabalano Sub-Regency, ACCESS staff must go on a small katinting boat
or a speed boat. The time taken to get to the villages varies. Usually
about 1 hour on a speed boat. To get to Bahari Village only takes 10 minutes
on a katinting boat that only holds 6 passengers. The journey to reach
the villages is very interesting. The sound of the waves and the breeze
is always relaxing for busy ACCESS staff as they travel the oceans. (ACCESS
is the Australian Community Development and Civil Society Strengthening
Scheme from AusAID)
Returning to Malang with AIYEP Many years ago, way back in 2002/2003, the Australian
Indonesian Youth Exchange Program (AIYEP) placed their exchange
students in Punten, close to Malang. After their stay in Punten,
the AIYEP students, both Indonesian and Australian, produced a CD
of local Punten poetry and songs.
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The Language Access Centre
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There is important news from KGRE for all clubs. KGRE has a new staff member. Cheryl started work in July. It is now her job to spend more time helping clubs and the members in the KGRE Connection Club network. Read all about Cheryl in the latest POUCH bulletin. "My priority over the next few months will be getting to know the clubs in the network. I’m looking forward to getting to know all about them and finding out how KGRE can help the network grow stronger."
In
August Kevin and Cheryl attended a KGCC Get Together (GTG) in Pamekasan,
Madura. Six English language clubs were represented - Al-Ghazali English
Club (#056), Dreaming Dawn English Club (#047), Edelweiss Student English
Club (#005), English Club of Pamekasan Youth (#068), Nasyrul Ulum English
Club (#046) and Pioneer English Club (#019). To start the day's activities
Kevin and Cheryl presented a ‘Find Someone Who’ activity in
which club members introduced themselves to members of other clubs and
asked them some questions. Then participants watched some entertaining
short performances including poetry readings, drama and dance. In the
afternoon everybody learned an Australian song. It was called, ‘G’day
G’day’. This was a lot of fun. Finally there were quizzes
and lucky door prizes. Every participant took home something from Kang
Guru. Now that was fun! Kevin and Cheryl were very impressed with the
enthusiasm of the club members and their leaders. The leader of Pioneer
English Club, Pak Suryadi, organized the day with the help of his great
committee. He’s a good example of an energetic club leader and one
of Kang GURU's ‘champions'. He does a lot in Madura to help other
clubs and their members. Thanks Suriyadi. Thanks also to Margaret and
John Rollings, ISELP teacher trainers in Guluk Guluk who were also there
to help and join in with the fun. KGCCs who are interested in holding
their own GTG should contact Ogi at KGRE for more information.
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One of the KGCC clubs at the Get Together, the English Club of Pamekasan Youth (#068), recently invited a local businessman and a psychologist to speak at their club meetings. Getting people in your community involved is a very good idea, isn't it? Perhaps other clubs could invite interesting members of their communities to speak on an interesting topic. They do not have native speakers either!
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After the earthquake in the Jogyakarta area lots
of people volunteered to help, including two of our clubs. Members
of English Society Club RRI Semarang (KGCC #10) were kept busy in
Klaten helping in many ways. They were involved in helping injured
people, providing assistance to medical teams and also helping younger
victims to have some fun.
Here are Keyko and her club members in Klaten working together with local people affected by the earthquake. Another club helping in the earthquake area is the Student English Activity – UMY (KGCC#032) in Jogyakarta. Daru reports that although the club’s activities have been interrupted by damage to their facilities, they have been helping students in Bantul with their English. "…we help children re-build their education through many institutions. One great success was the involvement of members in a one day outbound for children helping them with children's games and English." That’s another great example of KGCC club members helping others. |
One of the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) by teachers is, 'How can I encourage my students to speak English'? The Kang Guru Team have come up with some great ideas for you.
Teacher's CompetitionWould you like to win all four KGRE Teacher Packages including the latest 'Listening and Reading Class Set' plus a KGRE t-shirt? Total value over Rp 350,000. Okay, here is what you need to do. Do you have 'good' students in your English class? Of course you do! What are the characteristics of a 'good' student'? Send your ideas to KGRE by letter or email by October 31st, 2006. |
In
June Kang Guru was invited to run three workshops in the West Sumatra
region, in Solok, Payakumbuh and Lubuksikaping. The three venues all had
enthusiastic teachers who asked lots of questions about learning English,
especially how to use Kang Guru materials in the classroom. Pak Dodi from
SMKN 1 was a gracious host in Solok, even inviting us for dinner at his
new home. Pak Afrizal and Ibu Cici did a wonderful job of organizing the
first two workshops, as well as driving me around from place to place!
They both belong to the ADS alumni and have both studied in Australia.
In
Lubuksikaping Ibu Ence (also ADS alumni) and her team worked really hard
organizing the workshop and I met some fantastic teachers who were interested
in using KGRE materials. There was one great singer too, who entertained
us with his “genre” singing!
I also met with students in all three venues and although a little shy at first they soon warmed up and were fighting for places in the quizzes. What a great bunch of students.
While I was in Solok I visited Radio Gapilar FM and met with the presenters. At five o’clock Riri and I went on the air for an interactive show and had 7 callers who asked questions in English! Hope you celebrated your birthday in style guys! I hope Kang Guru can visit again soon!
Australia assisting with construction of 2000 schools in IndonesiaAustralia and Indonesia have agreed to build and extend 2000 schools in Eastern Indonesia over the next three years. The cost? Around Rp 2.4 trillion, but isn't that money well spent? This will help to improve the quality of education and also improve education management in both public and Islamic schools. The Australian-funded project will include both public junior secondary schools and Islamic junior secondary schools. Schools will be built by local trades people using locally supplied construction materials. |
Why Not Invite KGRE To Your Town?In the first eight months of 2006 Kang Guru has conducted workshops in West, Central and East Java, Sumba, North and South Sulawesi, Bali and West Sumatra. By the time you read this we will also have given workshops in Pamekasan, Bangkalan, Pemalang, Tarakan, Pontianak AND Gowa. WOW! The Kang Guru Team sure do get around! Thanks to all the teachers and organizing committees who have invited us to conduct workshops in their areas. Your hard work makes sure every one has a great time. If you would like Kang Guru to conduct a workshop or visit your English club then send us an invitation and we will fit you into our busy schedule. Come on guys! We’re waiting!!! |
Answers to transport quiz in page 10.
1. It is 5.505 kilometres to Sydney and 5.212 kilometres to Beijing.
2. Manado is further east than Kupang.
3. Padang is further north than Jayapura.
4. Denpasar is further west than Balikpapan.
Addie
MS is not a pop singer and yet he is a very well known man in the world
of music in Indonesia. His passion is classical and symphonic music. Addie
is the Musical Director of the Twilite Orchestra, a symphonic orchestra
based in Jakarta. It performs mostly classical and symphonic music. Addies’s
interest in music came from his mother and other members of his family.
His mother often listened to Elshinta, a private radio station in Jakarta,
that played classical music every Sunday night. Two of his aunties played
classical piano. These influences showed the young Addie just how magical
classical music can be. In his younger years Addie earnt money by arranging
music for popular artists here in Indonesia. He then travelled overseas,
especially to New York and Broadway. He saw theatre shows such as ‘Phantom
of the Opera’ and ‘Miss Saigon’. Addie grew to love
this form of music and he now incorporates it into many of his concerts.
One of Addie’s great passions is to introduce symphonic music, both
Western and Indonesian, to Indonesian people. Addie admits that one of
the problems he faces is that most classical or symphonic music is Western
and that often makes it difficult to introduce to Indonesian audiences.
One annual event in Jakarta is Musik Academia. The feedback from young
people who attend such events is very positive. Addie told KGRE that with
better music facilities such as auditoriums and concert halls and more
support from the government, his dream would be more easily realized.
"Symphonic music doesn’t always mean classical music always. So now we try music that uses orchestra or symphony orchestra like ‘Star Wars’. If you see films from Hollywood - ‘Star War Ships’, ‘Superman’, things like that. Normally it’s played by the big orchestra. By playing that music we can get a new younger audience. Music that they know like err ‘Superman’ or‘Star Wars’ then it’s been proven that err they will understand or will enter the symphonic music easily. And that’s what we are doing now. Also we are trying to prepare the next concert which is a 'Final Fantasy' concert. We play game music. Final Fantasy is from Japan. The music is very beautiful and it’s symphonic and we hope that the younger audience will go to the concert."
One approach that Addie has taken to attract not only listeners but sponsors too, is to perform popular music such as movie themes from films such as ‘Star Wars’, ‘Superman’ or ‘Final Fantasy’ game music from Japan. At the moment Addie is also writing musical arrangements for artists such as Iwan Fals, Krisdayanti and Vina Panduwinata.
| TASK 6. Why do you think Addie MS is so keen to introduce classical/symphonic music to an Indonesian audience? Eight lucky winners will win an autographed copy of the Twilite Orchestra’s latest CD. |
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Zelda Zavitri |
| SANIMAS Road
Trip
When I came to Indonesia to work I never thought
I would have to do so much traveling around. I often travel around
East Java with my workmates visiting our different sanitation projects.
Each road trip is a new experience because often we go to places
where not many Australians go. As I travel, I must use Bahasa Indonesia
but also I am quite surprised at how many young people use English.
On a recent trip to Mojokerto, Kediri, Blitar and Jombang in East
Java, we visited many communities to talk about our SANIMAS (Sanitasi
Oleh Masyrakat) programs. We always get help from local government
departments during these road trips and they always know the best
places to eat with the tastiest food. One of my favorites is bakso
from Blitar. By the end of the trip we were all very tired and just
wanted to sleep. Thank you to all the team and to all the communities
that participated in the SANIMAS selection process. You can see
more stories about our trips around Java and our programs at www.best.or.id.
Getting A Motorbike
Licence
Subagia is a teacher at IALF. He recently spent
some |
Getting on
the Train
When I remember this moment I laugh and laugh.
I had to catch a train for a meeting. My professor said, 'I can
pick you up at Oakleigh train station in the morning.' He did pick
me up as I had never been to his school of science campus before.
I took an early morning train to where I had to meet my professor.
At the station I read a sign - FOR OAKLIEGH STATION, PLEASE BOARD
FOUR REAR CARS ONLY. Then I boarded the train but didn’t notice
the number or position of my carriage. I never thought that it would
be a big problem. When I got to my destination the train door was
locked. It would not open. I panicked and forced it to open. I thought
there must be something wrong. There was no platform. So I jumped
down to the train lines and had to cross (Penta, an ADS student in Melbourne) Dead Snakes and
Sick Roosters
Since moving to Bali two months ago from East
Java I’ve had some funny experiences. In Paciran I had (Cheryl, KGRE staff member) |
| BRITISH engineers have developed
a three-wheeled car that, at a metre wide, is designed to squeeze
into the tiniest of parking spaces. The car is called Clever - compact
low emission vehicle for urban transport. Its developers hope to
see it on European streets within five years. The designers say
the car combines the convenience and fun of a motorbike Sutiyoso test drives new environmentally friendly ‘bajaj’ (taken from The Jakarta Post) |
GPS in Cars The Global Positioning System, usually called
GPS, is the only fully-functional satellite navigation system. Above
the Earth, over 20 GPS satellites broadcast signals by radio waves
to GPS receivers. These receivers can be in aeroplanes, ships and
even cars. This system means that they can accurately determine
their location (longitude, latitude and altitude) in any weather
- day or night - anywhere on Earth. |
  The
future of transport is certainly interesting but the future of Kang
Guru Radio English is important too. In August KGRE received several
visitors from Australia. Ms Andiani Winoto (top right photo in white
sleeves) visited KGRE to carry out a Multi-Media Review of KGRE.
Andriani works for the Curriculum Corporation in Melbourne. Her
findings will assist KGRE to produce better radio programs, more
interesting magazines AND a much improved website by 2007. AusAID
visitors from Canberra and Jakarta (photo above) arrived the week
after Andriani. They were also looking at the work of KGRE in Indonesia.
They came to find out how KGRE works in Indonesia and how KGRE's
experiences might be integrated into the future plans for AusAID
education activities in Indonesia in the coming years. The team
visited SMPN 2 Mendoyo in West Bali to chat with members of three
KGRE Connection Clubs based in that town. |
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‘Have
you ever travelled in a bajaj in Jakarta?’ I asked
a number of people that question. Look at their answers.
travelled
by bajaj in Bengkalis. 
Japan’s
famous Bullet Train started operating in 1964 and was the world’s
first high speed train. Its average speed is 262 kilometres per
hour (kph), but its speed record is 443 kph. In this photo the bullet
train is speeding past Mt Fuji, another Japanese icon. Another railway
icon is Amtrak, not a train but an American railway network. This
covers 35,000 kilometers and in 2004 it carried 25 million passengers.
If
you look at a travel brochure for Hong Kong you’ll probably
see a picture of a junk. Doesn’t this one look interesting
against the background of modern office and apartment buildings?
Gondolas are another form of water transport, found 
in
the Italian city of Venice. This beautiful city has lots of canals
so water transport is very important, especially as there are no
cars in the city. Today many Venetians travel to work and school
by fast modern ferries but there will always be gondolas in Venice.
most
popular with tourists are the bajaj and becak. Many Australians
go home from Jakarta with photos of the bajaj as a real reminder
of their Indonesian holiday.
Many
New Yorkers (people who live in New York) travel by the famous yellow
cabs- taxis in other words. London taxis are also well known but
they’re black. Its double-decker 
buses
however are bright red and very easy to see. This one is on its
way to East Acton station, so perhaps some of the passengers are
planning to go to work by the underground railway. That term refers
to the train network in tunnels under the city.
When
KGRE spoke with Anggun in May 2006 she talked about one of her most
memorable travel experiences – travelling on the supersonic
jet called the Concorde.
of
my travelling life. (K: Just the once?) I, no, three times actually,
hi hi hi. I know. Lucky me. I was just so impressed by this machine,
this bird, but my first travel in the Concorde it was worth it the
three and a half hours when we reached the mach 2 I didn’t
feel the difference but you know ahh this going faster than the
light, this must be something'.
remembered
both towns, although of course Narrogin was clearer in his memory.
Kevin lived in Narrogin for 6 years and he even went back to see
the house that his father built in the late 1950s. It was still
there. Kevin went to see his old primary school too – it hasn’t
changed much at all. Just like the old days really.
trainers
in Sao Paulo, Brazil in South America. I was excited about going
there but at the same time I was concerned about the pollution levels
in big South American cities and the security. However Sao Paulo
was very enjoyable – friendly, ethnically diverse people,
good food, and relatively pollution free. One thing I didn’t
really count on was how far South America was from Bali. The travel
agent recommended I fly on KLM from Jakarta via Amsterdam, saying
this would be the shortest traveling time. So how long was it? The
return journey from my hotel in Sao Paulo to my home in Bali was
43 hours! I survived, but just barely. I was sick of airline meals
by the end of it. The jet lag took almost a week to shake off. So
I am not volunteering for any more trips to that part of the world
in a hurry. And I am left wondering what it was like in the olden
days before planes. Traveling in a ship would have taken several
weeks - nice! (Vlad is the Program Manager, Academic English Language
Services at IALF Bali and IELTS Examiner Support Coordinator for
the Americas). 
After
Hydra I visited Santorini by ferry, an overnight trip. Then I took
a high speed catamaran to Mykonos. At least in Mykonos they have
taxis and buses so I didn’t have to walk everywhere! From
Mykonos I flew to the island of Skiathos where I spent a lovely
week visiting beaches and eating wonderful Greek food. Finally it
was time to go back to Athens and end my trip. After wandering around
the old part of the city and taking lots of photos of the Acropolis
and other ancient Greek monuments and statues, I had to get my taxi
to the airport.
example,
should children be educated in their local language or the national
language? After the conference I travelled to the north of Ethiopia.
Ethiopia is a big country. I saw baboons roaming wild in the countryside,
a spectacular waterfall on the Nile and, in Lalibela, churches carved
out of rock - an amazing site. I met locals everywhere I went, including
this talented young artist. My supply of IALF pens ran out after
the first day. Local students loved the pens all the way from Indonesia.
Let's hope they use them during their classes. (Geoff Crewes is
the CEO of IALF Indonesia)
As
there are so many islands in Indonesia, I often go by aeroplane
or boat. The shortest flight I have ever been on is from Kupang
to Rote, which is only 18 minutes – barely time for the plane
to take its wheels up! On the other hand, when I went on the fast
ferry it took 1 ½ hours and the waves were very strong…
I visited a fishing village in Rote and went on a small boat to
see a seaweed farming project funded by the Australian Embassy.
These boats have a motor, and are called bodi. Although they are
quite small and often overturn, many of these boats go all the way
from Sulawesi to Australia to fish illegally. Those onboard risk
bad weather and possibly jail if caught.
(Bevis
Worcester participated in the 2000/2001 Australia-Indonesia Youth
Exchange Program (AIYEP), which was held in Punten village, near
Malang, East Java - see page 11)
the
IAPBE consultants have traveled over 150,000 kilometres, visiting
schools, district education offices, teachers and students. In fact
the IAPBE team have traveled so much and so frequently that they
can see changes in buildings, communities and people along the way.
Travelling through these areas it is still possible to see the ancient,
tried and true ways of transporting produce and people. The sugar
cane trains, the oxen drawn carts full of bricks and stones, the
bullocks hauling logs, the becaks and the funeral processions. East
Java, a traveller's delight!
transport too. In fact, the whole nation is dependent on roads.
Roads need to be well constructed, strong and safe. Did you know
that there are certain roads which are called national roads? These
are sometimes called ‘corridors’. They are the very
important roads which connect islands, major cities and seaports.
AusAID and Bina Marga have awarded the first contract for the Australian-funded
$328 million national road improvement program, which will repair
and upgrade approximately 2,000 km of national roads and 4.5 km
of bridges. Construction work activity is expected to start in 2007.
Lisa
Luhulima is Assistant Ombudsman of the National Ombudsman Commission
(NOC) in Indonesia. Lisa graduated from elementary school in the
Indonesian School in Tokyo then graduated from junior and senior
high school in Hong Kong. She then graduated Law School in Universitas
Trisakti, Jakarta before completing her Postgraduate Program at
Hull University in England. Lisa joined NOC in 2000, as a Senior
Investigating Officer and at present she is also involved as a Research,
Development and Planning Officer.
the Titanic. If you stand beside the Queen Mary 2 on the pier it
is as high as a twenty-one storey building. From the bottom of the
boat to the top of the funnel is 72 metres. But Monas is taller
at 132 metres. A Pelni ferry travels at less than 20 knots an hour.
That’s about 37 kilometers an hour. The Queen Mary 2 can travel
up to 56 kilo-meters per hour. The whistle on the Queen Mary 2 can
be heard for 16 kilometers. How far is that from your house?
is
called a roll-on, roll off ferry or RoRo. These boats have built
in ramps which allow the cars and trucks to be “rolled on”
and “rolled off” the boat. Before the 1950s moving a
car on a boat was very expensive and difficult. The car was lifted
onto the boat by a crane. Boats which have cranes to lift cargo
on and off are called LoLo’s (lift on, lift off ). RoRo ferries
between Bali and Java carry about 45 cars. The largest car ferry
in the world was launched on the 1st of September 2000. Called Ulysses,
this ferry can carry 1,342 cars or 240 trucks. A ferry from Bali
to Java would have to do the trip approximately 30 times to carry
the same number of cars! What a long queue that would be!
Upon
returning to Australia, they sold the CDs to teachers of Bahasa
Indonesia. The money earnt from sales of those CDs was used in May
2006 to provide the 75 Malang based participants in a KGRE Teacher
Workshop with KGRE SMP Teacher Packages. The workshop was organized
with help from the Cultural Attache, Fiona Hoggart, at the Australian
Embassy, KGRE and DIKNAS. Fiona flew down from Jakarta. Other guests
included Bevis Worcester and his wife. Bevis is now working in Kupang.
In
the April-June POUCH, KGRE announced two easy competitions. The
SKY English Club (KGCC#083) in Cianjur, West Java sent this great
entry for the Transport Competition and won the Panasonic Combo
from KGRE. 
The
second was a Cartoon Competition. The winner was The Excellent Club
(KGCC#026) in Jombang, East Java for their cartoon illustrating
the following sign seen in a zoo in Budapest: ‘Please
do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable food, give it
to the guard on duty.’ 
Have
you seen ‘Cars’ yet ? It is one of the most popular
movies of 2006. It is a Disney Production and is so very, very good.
It is all about CARS of course - animated cars!
"Well
we all know that cars are inanimate objects and have no feelings.
Maybe that’s debatable? The film was quite good with fabulous
animation. I would probably give “Cars” four stars,
but it did make me sad. After watching this flick I am not sure
if cars really do have feelings, maybe they do. I think this is
a very suitable film, both for the kids and the adults, so put your
hand in your pocket and head for the cinema. Enjoy!"
Zelda
is a well-known face on METRO TV News television. Zelda works behind
the scenes producing programs and writing scripts. When Zelda was
in high school she already knew that her future was with the media.
She was fortunate enough to be able to study at the Royal Melbourne
Institute of Technology in Australia, majoring in television produc-tion
and cinema studies. Although diploma courses in media studies are
available here in Indonesia, Zelda told KGRE that undergraduate
courses were not available to her at the time. Perhaps you are interested
in a career in the media? Here’s some advice from Zelda for
you – watch as much television as you can especially news
programs, both Indonesian and from overseas, get a degree, develop
your English language skills and be determined to achieve you goal.
Don't give up! Zelda feels that she will still be in news and television
for quite a few more years. She believes there is a need for more
English language programs in Indonesia. She firmly believes that
by learning about other cultures and studying languages, people
will become more aware and alert. 
time
in Australia as part of an IALF Teacher Exchange. When he stayed
with a host family he discovered that their teenage children had
to go through a long process to get a licence to drive a motorbike.
the
railway lines to reach the platform. Then a fast train came from
the other direction. I was shocked and surprised. I soon realized
that I was very lucky that morning. Then I met my professor and
I told him my train story. He explained that I should always read
and pay attention to signs at train stations. If they say Please
board four rear cars only, it means that the train station only
has a short platform. Oh God, I am so stupid!
that
very interesting experience with cats (June 2006 magazine). Here
are two of my recent animal related experiences with a snake and
some roosters in Bali. 
Another
day I saw a man holding a beautiful rooster. I stopped to talk to
him because I like chickens. (In Australia we say ‘chooks’.)
He said in English ‘I have sick roosters’ I was startled
because bird flu is a problem in Indonesia. I was trying to think
of a way to leave quickly without being too impolite when he pointed
to some bamboo cages and said ‘One, two, three, four, five,
sick roosters!’ 
with
the safety and comfort of a car. The body is enclosed in an aluminium
frame and plastic coating. The vehicle emits about a third as much
carbon dioxide as conventional family cars, with fuel consumption
equivalent to 2.17 litres per 100 kilometres. It has a top speed
of 100 km/h and takes seven seconds to get from zero to 65 km/h.
It can carry one passenger in a seat behind the driver.
Say
goodbye to the dark puffing smoke and the loud roaring noise of
the orange bajaj. Say hello to the new clean and quiet compressed
natural gas (CNG)-fueled blue bajaj. Starting this month, about
80 CNG-fueled bajaj will roam the capital’s streets, replacing
the gasoline-fueled bajaj that are one of the city’s major
sources of air and noise pollution. According to Jakarta Transportation
Agency’s data, there are 14,424 bajaj in Jakarta. “Of
all the vehicles operating in Jakarta, the bajaj is the one which
produces the most intolerable gas emissions,” he said. Jakarta
Transportation Agency head Nurrachman said only current bajaj owners
would be able to obtain the new model. “Bajaj owners will
be able to get a new one by showing their official letter of bajaj
ownership,” he said. The CNG-fueled bajaj cost Rp 36.5 million
each. 
When
Kevin hired a car in Melbourne in June 2006, it was equipped with
GPS. All Kevin had to do was enter the destination he wanted to
go to and the GPS system gave him perfect instructions how to get
there. These instructions were given on a small screen in the dashboard
of the car and also by speech from within the monitor. Even Kevin
couldn’t get lost with that system in his car!