Ramadan Mubarak!

Ramadan Mubarak! Happy Ramadan everybody! Wishing you the blessing of Ramadan, may Allah always be with us.

Setelah 4 hari di minggu pertama term 3 ini nerangin tentang Ramadan ke murid-murid, akhirnya Ramadan datang juga. Selamat datang Ramadan, bulan yang selalu ditunggu-tunggu akhirnya datang juga di Leongatha. Lucu juga kalo mikir mungkin cuma satu-satunya orang yang bangun jam setengah 5 pagi untuk makan dan berpuasa sebulan penuh di Leongatha ini. 

Macem-macem rasanya menyambut Ramadan tahun ini. Semua hal tentang Ramadan pasti akan jauh berbeda. Sahur yang harus nyiapin sendirian dan berusaha sebisa mungkin ga berisik di dapur soalnya ga mau bangunin Leonnie, hehe.. Puasa dengan segala aktifitas yang kalo biasanya tiap berapa jam sekali minum kopi atau teh (kopi jadi tantangan tersendiri untuk Ramadan tahun ini). Buka puasa yang dilematis (ceileee...) soalnya ga bareng sama dinner orang-orang disini. Yah itulah tantangannya, perbedaan Ramadan tahun ini yang bener-bener harus dinikmati karena mungkin hanya satu kali seumur hidup.

Ramadan memang selalu berbeda, dimanapun kita berada. Ada di tengah-tengah masyarakat non-Islam bukan berarti Ramadan kehilangan gaung nya. Seminggu pertama di term 3 ini Ramadan jadi topik hangat diantara murid-murid di Leongatha Primary School dan Tarwin Valley Primary School. Penjelasan singkat dan video yang bagus banget dari youtube udah bikin anak-anak Gippsland itu mengenal Ramadan. 

Children's Ramadan Fasting Campaign

Dua hari yang lalu udah ada beberapa anak yang nanya "Hi Bu Jeani, how's your Ramadan going?" Subhanallah.. Buat aku ini adalah rezeki lain yang Allah SWT kasih di tahun ini. Dapet kesempatan untuk syiar memperkenalkan Ramadan di negeri orang ke anak-anak kecil yang bahkan sebagian besar dari mereka belum pernah ngedenger kata 'Islam' itu luar biasa. Mereka ga menganggap Ramadan itu sebagai penyiksaan karena ga boleh makan dan minum. Mereka pikir Muslim itu keren karena berusaha merasakan apa yang orang tidak mampu rasakan. 

Ya, jadi berusaha empati pada apa yang dirasakan orang-orang kurang beruntung adalah salah satu alasan dari ibadah puasa yang aku sampaikan pada anak-anak disini. Sepertinya konsep Tuhan kurang dimengerti mereka. Jadi to feel what poor people feel sounds logic for them. Alhamdulillah mereka sangat antusias bahkan ada yang pengen nyobain puasa! Hahaha...

Ada hal lain yang bikin aku ngerasa terharu' hihiii... Anak-anak grade 5 pada bikin semacam research tentang Ramadan dan mereka posting semua fact yang mereka dapetin tentang Ramadan ke Edmodo. Subhanallah, hampir setiap anak terus-terusan posting apa yang mereka temuin tentang Ramadan. Mereka nanyain juga tentang banyak hal, makanan, kebiasaan, dll. 

Ini adalah postingan dari guru kelas 5 yang luar biasa tertarik sama Ramadan.

Hello and welcome back to term 3 grade 5!

During the first couple of weeks this term we are going to open up our edmodo group again to investigate and share information about an important up coming event. RAMADAN is fast approaching and we are going to develop and expand our understanding of what RAMADAN is all about and why it is so important.

The following questions are intended to guide your investigation. I hope after a couple of weeks you have a clearer understanding about RAMADAN and can answer each of the following questions.
1. What is RAMADAN?
2. Why is RAMADAN celebrated?
3. When does it take place?
4. Where does it happen?
5. Who is involved?
6. How is RAMADAN celebrated?
7. What else do we need to know? (detail & interesting info)

I will be asking you to answer these basic questions some time soon but for now all you have to do is investigate this topic and share what you know and want to know. Good luck, have fun, STAY ON TOPIC and develop your understanding with the group. I suggest you keep some basic notes about each question as you go :)

Sampai nanti   

Yang satu ini adalah salah satu postingan dari murid kelas 5.

Selamat siang, Bu Jeani,
Aba Kabar?
I would like to ask if there is a required age to start RAMADAN or can you start at any age?
Tarima kasi,  
Sampia jumpa! 

Topik Ramadan ini jadi tantangan tersendiri buat aku. Dilahirkan sebagai Muslim ternyata bukan berarti tahu segala tetek bengek Ramadan. Ketertarikan guru-guru dan murid-murid disini memotivasi aku untuk belajar banyak lagi tentang Islam dan Ramadan. Jangan sampai aku ngasih kesan buruk tentang Islam dan jangan sampai aku ga punya jawaban yang bagus untuk pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang mereka kasih.

Nerangin tentang Ramadan ke banyak orang disini bikin makin kangen suasana rumah. Setiap apa yang diceritain dan diterangin bikin makin ngerasa 'Oh iya ya, tahun ini tuh ga akan seperti itu' :)  Tapi sekali lagi, ini adalah pengalaman yang harus disyukuri. Ga semua orang bisa berada jauh dari rumah di bulan suci Ramadan dan memperkenalkan Islam dan Ramadan dengan caranya sendiri. Alhamdulillah.. 

First Holiday

Anit said this is unforgettable holiday ever! yes it is... Thanks for everything Anit, Riana, Muti, Edwar, and Sri. 

Sorry Ed and Sri >.< 

Surf Chick

That was Saturday morning March 17th 2012 when Jonathan and Lachlan  picked me up from Leonnie's place. They came at 7.10 ... too early for the weekend. they took me to Inverloch to have my first surfing lesson!

Surfing is another thing that I tried in this country. Very new. First time to swim at the beach since many many years ago. First time to wear a wetsuit Haha.. I looked silly in that suit but who cares! who will think about my shape in that cold rainy morning. Everybody were busy to keep their body warm. 

I didn't think that surfing is easy, and I'm totally right. It was completely difficult. See..

sooo hopeless haha..

Allison is the name of my surfing instructor. She so patient. Big thanks to Jonathan who have found a best instructor for me and Lachland. What an experience! I really like surfing... that's challenging, tiring, but exciting!!!

Thanks a bunch to Jonathan for standing at the beach for two hours taking care of me and Lachlan. Jonathan was wet! He got more water than me and Lachlan. 

I spent the day with Jonathan, Jenny, Lachlan, and Angus. They are lovely family. They took me to other beautiful places. There are Venus Bay and Cape Paterson near Inverloch. Venus Bay is the biggest beach in Gippsland. It's only 30 minutes from Inverloch. While Cape Paterson is only 15 minutes. That was terrific! Isn't it awesome to go to three beautiful beaches in a same day?

Me and Jonathan's family @Inverloch

Just started

I'm not good at writing..but I'll start to write. It's actually because I think that my life runs totally different than before.. too precious to ignore. Let's write then..

This blog will be about my new life since 2 February 2012. I'm spending this whole year in Victoria, Australia. Never imagined before going abroad and life far far away from my family. Still cannot believe that I am living here now.. to experience lots of new things, to taste hundreds different things, but still to do what I love the most - teaching.

Well, I started to write several weeks before but in my lovely scrapbook that I bought in an art gallery in a town named Fish Creek. There are numbers of people who have inspired me to make a blog and to be a blogger. So today.. after having my first holiday, I decided to write. Maybe it's better if someone can read and give comment on my writing. It's more interesting if I can share my experience to the world.

Here I am now... in my sweet room (at Leonnie's house) in Leongatha, Victoria.

Leonnie and me in a coffee shop in Grampians

Me and Leonnie near Mc Kenzie waterfall in Halls gap

My room at Leonnie's home

It's lovely room, isn't it?