“You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.” ~Winston Churchill

 

Awesome! I love this quote “You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.” ~Winston Churchill

Engaging in voluntary activity brings me great joy. Besides CML (Columbus Metropolitan Library) and Tuttle Park Community Center (that holds a special place in my heart), the mosque/ Noor Islamic Cultural Center (NICC) is another cherished location for me. Alhamdulillah, while I chill at the mosque, waiting for the kids to learn about Islamic study, reading the Quran, memorizing it, and learn Tafsir, I had a chance to be a teacher volunteer to teach Quran reading, memorization, and help out with English lessons for refugee moms (ESL Program) and their adorable school-age kids and teens. Oh, I'm gonna miss you guys!

I've had some experiences meeting and hanging out with Muslims from all over the world - Afghanistan, Palestine, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, Algeria, Pakistan, India, and more. The mosque and my involvement in activities at the NICC have also opened doors to engage in several international endeavors and associations, such as the ICRA (International Cultural and Relief Association), My Project America, and the International Bazaar.

And… I got the chance to do research twice at this place, I'm so grateful for it.

I extend my heartfelt appreciation to my Indonesian friends who introduced me to a plethora of people and diverse activities (with special gratitude to Mbak Lenni Bakari, Brother Arif and Mba Fera), as well as my other international acquaintances (Sister Zeenath, Sister Ayesha, Sister Huda, Sister Sofia, Brother Danish, and many more). Masya Allah... I have learned immeasurable lessons from these remarkable friends. Though we initially did not intend to attend the final day of the children's graduation ceremony (due to prior commitments), but because we still wanted to see the ceremony, Alhamdulillah we were able to go to the graduation ceremony and reunite with our amazing friends. All of this is gonna be such sweet memories for our family. Ohio is a place we will always hold dear in our hearts.

PS Mbak Lenni, Thanks for the certificate and the gift. Really appreciate it 😊

 

A reward after finishing my coursework in my pehade journey.  

 

For me, making friends is something that is very exciting, both friends on land and friends in the water (hahaha masih manusia bukan mahluk lain). After going through two years of coursework and several exams in my pehade journey, I chose to join the diving community for the last two months even though it was still quite cold in the water. We did the warm-up for diving started from the pool and hopefully in the next few weeks with good enough weather support we can dive in wider dive sites and beautiful underwater scenery. Previously (long time ago, terakhir ke Olele awal tahun 2020 sebelum Covid menyerang), when I was in the water (in Gorontalo), even when I saw the underwater scenery, I used to feel normal, everything went very naturally. But this time I had several times thought that diving is like going through and facing challenges in life and recently I have been thinking about life lessons from diving. Going through any challenging experience that is far outside one's comfort zone invariably brings with it numerous life lessons. Needless to say, this experience taught me a lot about myself, and I write this post to share a part of this with you, in case it benefits anyone else out there. First is our emotions, including fear, affect our breathing. By focusing on our breath, we can acknowledge and recognize our fears, and redirect our minds to the present moment. This is an essential skill applicable to all

areas of life, but especially relevant to scuba diving, where breathing control affects buoyancy. By being mindful of our breathing, we can gain control over our minds, as the mind operates at both conscious and unconscious levels.

Second is the importance of being adaptable, much like water. Fighting or trying to control the water is futile, so it's crucial to adapt to the environment and be aware of the current's direction. Being rigid or tense can lead to panic and mistakes. Just like in our real life, the art of life lies in a constant readjustment to our surroundings. Kalo di Gorontalo biasa makan sagela, sampe disini susah mocari jadi harus bisa beradaptasi makan sandwich, keju, cereal dan makanan sejenisya (haha)

To me, scuba diving advises against taking perceived failures or successes too seriously. Confidence is just as crucial as knowledge in scuba diving. Even if someone lacks confidence, they should still feel proud of stepping out of their comfort zone and attempting to complete the course. One of the memorable experiences was when I was trained to use sign language in water and save myself and save others with the tools we have. Also, (although I am not a newbie to the underwater world) for me scuba diving equipment might seem like a complex. muddle of metal, rubber, neoprene, hoses and other oddities and I wonder if it’s really all necessary 😊

Mask, snorkel and fins: these are essential for seeing and moving more easily through water.

SCUBA (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus): this set typically comprises a cylinder, BCD and regulator, enabling divers to breathe underwater.

Instruments and dive computers: these are key for safety (like knowing how much air we’ve got left or how deep we are).

Weights: without enough weight, most divers wouldn’t be able to sink beneath the surface.

Exposure protection: usually a wetsuit or dry suit, these keep divers warm, safe and comfortable.

Thank you to my friends who have accompanied me for the past two months, it was really a very positive and extraordinary experience that I had. thank you also husband for allowing me to join this community.

Anyway, sebenarnya terinspirasi dari te imam ini ba ambe certified open water karna so baku janji kalo pulang mo diving di kampung hahaha

Being a buckye and a fulbrighter is LIFE!

Being a buckeye and fulbrighter is an honor because I got numerous opportunities to connect with US citizens and other international students from different programs and universities as well as international communities in the US. As a full-time student at the Ohio State University, Fulbright also enriches my experience to contribute to society through community activities, which directly help me learn how to work in teams, teach, conduct research, and lead community activities. All of which will positively impact my future career.

Activities During Your Scholarship: (eg. achievement, presentation, etc.)

Ø A participant of Fulbright Foreign Student Enrichment Seminar: Environmental Resilience: Protecting the Natural Environment in San Diego-California, September 2022

Ø Teacher Volunteer at Noor Islamic Cultural Center in ESL class for immigrant woman and children,

Ø Teacher assistant (volunteer) in Sunday School, Noor Islamic Cultural Center, Session of Qur’an Reading and Qur’an Memorization.

Ø Representative of Indo-buckeye Alumni Association to receive E Gordon Gee Spirit Ohio State Award.

Ø Member of International Cultural and Relief Association

Presentation:

Ø This semester, I had a chance to present my work “A study of Indonesian Children’s English Language Learning and Literacy Experiences in the United States” at 2023 AERA (American Educational Research Association) Annual Meeting in Chicago April 13-16, 2023

Ø I also become a presenter at EHE (Education and Human Ecology) Graduate Research Forum 2023, “A Critical Content Analysis of Middle-Grade Novel "Amina's Voice" Featuring Muslim Characters.”

To be continued....

SPARK and My Baby K

Congratulation on your graduation my baby K (setelah graduation di Hubbard dengan blue cap and gown-nya, lanjut white cap and gown-milih sendiri 😅) Graduation seru seruan bersama teman2 SPARK..Terharu baca sertifikat dari SPARK ".....be your child's first and best teacher" 🥰

Wah keren juga ya institusi ini beri sertifikat bukan cuma buat anak tapi buat ibunya 🥰

Sejak pertama datang di Columbus langsung dikenalin teman sama program ini dan Ms. Haley datang kerumah setiap seminggu sekali, kadang dua minggu sekali untuk ngajarin Kinza  baca, bermain sambil belajar dan banyak aktivitas literasi lainnya dengan materi dan fasilitas yg disediakan oleh mereka semua dan pastinya gratis tis tis 🥰

Alhamdulillah selain ke library community (CML) Kinza sangat terbantu dengan program SPARK (kalo dulu anak 1 dan 2 saya lakukan dirumah sendiri pakai materi your baby can read) dan alhamdulillah Kinza bisa join program ini--sekarang sudah mulai bisa baca sendiri level A, B tentunya masih perlu terus belajar dan berproses..
Thank you so much Ms. Haley and The SPARK Ohio.

Semoga bisa bikin kaya gini di Indonesia 🥰

Note: sebelum posting foto, nama, dan video sudah izin ke Ms. Haley dan Spark.

Source: https://www.ecresourcecenter.org/wba/content/spark/what-is-spark/

Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids (SPARK) program provides a kindergarten readiness advantage for families with preschool-age children (three- and four-year-olds).

Once or twice a month, the SPARK family meets with their assigned home visitor, called a parent partner. The parent partner helps the parent engage the child in a lesson that was developed around state standards and is designed to provide a school readiness advantage.

At each visit, a book, an activity card, and supplies are given to the family, so the parent can continue the learning between visits.

Fulbright Enrichment Program 2022

Fulbright Enrichment Seminar 2022

I am so grateful to be selected as one of the participants in this seminar. It is such an excellent opportunity to meet and network with local citizens in the city of San Diego, California, and other Fulbrighters from around the world. This Environmental Resilience seminar was very eye-opening when I realized so many things need to be done to save our life. Although I have done some similar environmental activities in Indonesia, here in San Diego, I learned about protecting the natural environment at individual, community/organizational levels, and government levels for the benefit of both the natural environment and humans. It was great to share ideas and collaborate with other Fulbrighters, forging connections and friendships. The seminar includes participating in community activities that expand our knowledge of American society and culture from various perspectives and things they have been doing to protect the environment. I do not mean to overgeneralize, but I witnessed some people really care and put effort into such issues. As someone with no expertise in environmental studies, I was just completely amazed to know and learn how the CA Department of Education supports environmental education and environmental literacy. This includes education about climate change in K- 12 schools through CA Regional environmental community program. I learned so much about environmental literacy, visited community centers like Solena Center, worked on a project for the College Area Community Garden, joined the workshops (composting, gardening, etc.), had discussions, and listened to inspiring speakers. One of my favorite speakers was Kalina Silverman, a beautiful, intelligent young lady, the founder and CEO of Big Talk🥰

From discussion with other Fulbrighters, the idea of interdisciplinary research now just makes more sense to me ☺️,  working with kids on the environmental issue as part of their reading and literacy activity, or kind of environmental literacy, providing an interdisciplinary/a multidisciplinary context for young children..(hmm...just random thoughts)

Overall, great moment, good people, delicious food (lobster, shrimp, yummy..😊😋 )beautiful places and wonderful experiences...

Hope there will be more enrichment events like this for young people in the world..

Yuk anak anak muda Indonesia semangat ikutan program2 positif dan bermanfaat..semoga kalian mendapatkan kesempatan yang sama dan lebih baik untuk mewujudkan dunia yang damai, sehat dan bersih 🥰

Thanks Fulbright, Thanks everyone..
A good escape from routines and assignments 🥰..tomorrow kembali ke laptop melanjutkan perjuangan..Selamat bekerja dan belajar untuk semuanya 🙏

My PhD Journey

Sharing is Caring 

Perjalanan ke US saat pandemi seperti ini memang beda rasanya ya...

Meskipun sebelumnya pernah ke US 2007-2008  ikut CCSI ke Tampa Florida, 2010-2012 Master Program di Columbus OH tetapi berangkat di 2021 untuk program ini luar biasa rasa dan pengalamannya.

Kami batch Fulbright 2020 ada yang harus defer 1 mungkin juga 2 semester dan beberapa menempuh perkuliahan online selama 1 dan 2 semester di Indonesia. Seperti halnya saya yang harus berangkat Agustus 2020 terpaksa defer 1 semester karena pandemi dan Alhamdulillah hari ini bisa bertolak ke US dengan rute CGK-NRT-ORD-CMH (kira kira begitu singkatan untuk Jakarta (Indonesia) - Narita (Jepang) - Dallas (USA) - Ohio (USA).

Untuk sampai ke titik ini, saya sendiri butuh kesabaran dalam belajar hal-hal baru dan memaklumi berbagai ketidakpastian. Rangkaian proses persiapan program dari mulai lulus seleksi wawancara, ikut tes IBT, TES GRE sampe dua kali (oh god, tell me about this) saya lewati dengan baik, tentunya perjuangan dan pengorbanan ada disana tapi everything went well sebelum pandemi datang.

Berbeda dengan pengurusan paspor hijau, VISA, izin setneg, paspor biru (yg akhirnya ga jadi dipake karena telat), Tugas belajar, Pre Academic Training, Pre Departure Orientation, Gateway Orientation, admission ke universitas, medical check up sampe dua kali, imunisasi, Covid Testing dan masih banyak lagi rangkaian kegiatan baru serta adjusment yang harus ditempuh karena Pandemi Covid 19. Kami angkatan 2020 yang pertama melakukan orientasi online, PAT online, dan berbagai aktivitas persiapan keberangkatan full online dan kalopun in person harus benar benar mematuhi protokol kesehatan.. Masya Allah.. Pengalaman  baru bagi saya pribadi.

Tidak asing ditelinga saya ketika banyak yang mempertanyakan keberangkatan dan program yg nantinya akan saya tempuh

"Memangnya bisa masuk US?, Kok berangkat saat pandemi.., Hati hati ya karena gelombang kedua itu lebih dahsyat apalagi di negara yang suhunya minus, strain virusnya lebih ganas dan banyak lagi.., masih jadi studi Tia?, Kapan berangkatnya? Bukannya di Amerika lebih parah angka kematiannya?, selamat ya tapi hati hati loh.." dan masih banyak lagi...

Masya Allah syukur banyak yang memperhatikan saya dan Intinya banyak yang menghawatirkan saya dimasa pandemi termasuk suami dan keluarga. Saya sendiri sangat khawatir. Belum lagi harus ninggalin 3 anak yang super cute 😅

Ada banyak proses administrasi yang harus dilalui dan yang paling menyakitkan (sedikit lebay) adalah saat di colok hidung dan tenggorokan (Tes Swab PCR) dua hari sebelum keberangkatan.

Anyway, dari seluruh rangkaian proses administrasi  itu saya kadang merasa overwhelmed dengan informasi. Dalam sehari dan beberapa kali kalo lagi hectic  saya menerima email yang bertumpuk baik dari sponsor beasiswa, pihak kampus OSU, advisor, international office dan apartment. Saya juga harus mencocokkan berbagai info yang saya dapatkan dengan tanggal keberangkatan, tanggal valid hasil tes covid, tanggal lease apartement, kebijakan karantina, dll
Ditambah lagi proses masuk kuliah pertama yang sifatnya hybrid, maklum sebelumnya juga kurang familiar dan sistem serta requirement dadakan yang harus di penuhi terkait kondisi pandemi.

 
Challenging juga bagi saya yang berangkat nya diawal tahun dan mempersiapkan semuanya di akhir tahun dimana semua kantor di US pada  tutup christmas dan New Year Eve sementara saya harus memastikan kebutuhan saat tiba di US bisa terpenuhi atau at least settle dari basic needs. Program akan dimulai tanggal 11 january sedangkan kebijakan beasiswa bahwa TOA (stipend) akan berlaku sesuai tanggal program. Disisi lain advisor saya meminta agar saya tiba di Columbus pada tanggal 2 Januari 2020 untuk mempersiapkan segalanya sebelum kuliah dimulai.

"The first day of class is 11/1. But OSU has international arriving student requirements and covid testing - I recommend you book a week earlier - That way u have a week to complete the check in requirements
i also recommend you buy some KN95 mask for your flight. The covid very very bad here now and will stay that way until March"

Berkali kali PIC menanyakan apakah ada kebijakan karantina atau tidak dan jawaban nya masih tidak. Berarti jika saya harus ke US tanggal 2 maka saya harus self funded sebelum masa berlaku ToA (Term of agreement). Ini bagian paling menegangkan. Dua hari sebelum saya berangkat ternyata info dari international student advisor bahwa ada kebijakan kampus baru yang mengharuskan tes covid dan masa karantina mandiri 10 hari setelah tiba di Columbus. Masya Allah, Allah mempermudah segalanya.Saya sampaikan hal ini ke pihak sponsor. Alhamdulillah advisor saya juga menuliskan surat resmi kepada pihak sponsor terkait kedatangan saya di tanggal dua (early arrival) sehingga ini juga sangat membantu saat diimigrasi nanti mengingat berangkat di masa pandemi cukup ketat aturannya apalagi untuk masuk ke US yang harus melalui Jepang. Daaaan......Indonesia termasuk negara kategori level 3 yang mendapat warning luar biasa untuk visitor yg datang dari Indonesia.....bahasa lainnya negara lain akan sangat berhati hati dengan pengunjung dari Indonesia.

Hikmahnya saya belajar dan mengalami nasehat ini "always talk to your advisor". Dialah yg paling paham dan care terhadap kita selama persiapan  kuliah dan selama kuliah di US. Million thanks to my beloved advisor atas bimbingannya Dr. Adrian Rodgers, siapa yang tidak kenal Beliau di Dept Teaching and Learning OSU. Beliau selalu mengurusi Internasional students  dari Indonesia dan beberapa kali conduct education and research project di Indonesia.

Bicara tentang tantangan dan perjuangan, saya yakin semua Fulbrighters 2020 merasakannya..Belum lagi kendala teknis lain terkait sistem yang baru. Pokoknya kalo di ceritain satu per satu bisa panjaaaaang. Tapi Alhamdulillah pihak sponsor Fulbright Sangat membantu dan menghandle semuanya dengan baik. Tidak heran mereka sangat professional mengurusi kami bahkan di tengah pandemi seperti ini. Yaa... 75 tahun mengurusi beasiswa ini tentunya sudah sangat well well well semuanya 😄 oiya tahun ini Fulbright berusia 75 Tahun..Happy Birthday..special thanks buat Aminef dan PIC saya yang cukup responsif dan sangat membantu. Juga teman teman sesama perjuangan Fulbrighters 2020 baik yg master dan PhD Program, semoga semangat terus dan selalu dilindungi Allah SWT. Angkatan kita memang spesial. 😍

Sejak seminggu sebelum keberangkan tiket sudah ditangan, semua saya persiapkan.. Thanks to my beloved husband yang sangat supportive dan menyiapkan banyak hal untuk setiap perjalanan saya, semoga Allah memberi Abah kesehatan dan umur panjang.

Siang itu saya menerima email dari Japan Air Line, yang isinya seperti ini

"For new entry into Japan until January 3rd, 2021, 23:59 Japan time
If you have a valid newly entry visa that has already been issued, you will not be subject to denial of entry (except for the UK and South Africa).
・For new entry into Japan on or after January 4th, 2021,00:00 Japan time
Those who have stayed in countries and regions categorized as level 3 (Avoid All Travel) of MOFA’s Travel Advice and Warning on Infectious Diseases within 14 days before arriving in Japan) will be denied entry even if they have a valid newly entry visa that has already been issued."

Saya baca berulang-ulang dan memastikan saya paham akan kalimat diatas. Intinya tidak bisa masuk Jepang tanggal 4 pukul 00 meskipun sudah punya VISA dan tiket. Hmmm..Tak lama berselang beberapa menit temen yang jadwal keberangkatan nya tanggal 5 mengirimkan pesan WA bahwa mereka di telepon satu per satu, penerbangannya di reschedule  tanggal 16.

Saya tiba di narita 12 jam sebelum aturan itu berlaku. Masya Alloh..lagi-lagi Allah benar benar menolong saya, tetapi saya yakin temen yg ditunda keberangkatannya adalah takdir terbaik dari Allah. Semoga kapanpun dan bagaimanapun kita kesini insya Allah ada hikmah baik dan besar dibalik semua itu.

Berangkat dari rumah di bekasi menuju cengkareng diantar orang orang terkasih Papa, Rahim, Cindra, Abah, Raushan, Kinza dan Thahira. sedih ninggalin mereka... Anak-anak yang selama ini menemani kemana mana, dalam ruang kelas saat ngajar  😘 bahkan rapat dikampus. Belum kebayang bagaimana  BDR/home learning anak anak yang selama ini saya dampingi masih akan berlanjut sampai semester depan, saat dimana saya jauh dari mereka. . Semoga tetap dikuatkan dan saya yakin anak anak sangat kuat karena saya pun berusaha untuk itu. Alhamdulillah sangat terbantu dengan teknologi video call dan CCTV yang portable bisa melihat dan memanggil anak anak disaat lagi beraktivitas didalam rumah.. Juga video dan audio kita yang di record untuk sekedar membacakan bed time story buat Kinza yang masih berusia 3.8 tahun.

Anyway, hari ini datang juga.. Bertolak ke Jepang dengan durasi perjalanan 8 jam, transit 4 jam, lanjut lagi 15 jam menuju Dallas. Transit 4 jam di Dallas dan menuju Columbus selama 3 jam. Kira kira kalo ga bawa koyo yg dikasi teman (mba Firdha) pinggang saya bisa patah 😅 lebay tapi saya pikir itu cocok menggambarkan perasaan saya yang sudah duduk, jalan, berdiri,  stretching, nonton, dan tidur dalam pesawat. Ya, sama seperti perjalanan perjalanan saya  di tahun 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 yang lalu dari Indonesia ke USA dan sebaliknya. Tapi bedanya dulu masih muda 😄 agak beda ya sama emak yang sudah beranak 3 😅 ditambah faktor U 😂

Bicara soal obat-obatan, berangkat kali ini isi koper saya agak berbeda dengan yg sebelum sebelumnya. Hampir seperempat luggage isinya pesanan minyak kayu putih, habbatussauda, khusthul hindi, antangin, tolak angin, minyak kutus2, dan berbagai herbal anti covid atau pencegah virus serta multivitamin untuk menjaga imunitas yang dititip teman teman disana.  Alhamdulillah semuanya lolos pemeriksaan karena semua berlabel dan aman aman saja. Mungkin petugas imigrasi mengira saya mau jualan herbal disana 😅.

Oya tidak lupa juga TIPS perjalanan selama pandemi yang saya lakukan

1. Membawa baju ganti dalam carry on bag karena perjalanan lebih dari sehari lebih baik baju diganti dan baju kotor disimpan didalam kantong plastik di tutup rapat

2. Sering cuci tangan dengan handsoap atau sanitizer dan cuci muka dengan facial foam.. pastikan sebelum menyentuh apapun di toilet pesawat wajib menyemprot dengan sanitizer yang disediakan.

3. Berusaha tidak berbicara dengan penumpang lain kecuali memang penting untuk menghindari kontak. Waktu dari Indonesia ke Jepang, saya kebagian duduk di 3 seat yang dua seatnya kosong. Lumayan bisa selonjoran, baringan, dan ngangkat kaki 😅banyak seat yg kosong mungkin karena aturan Jepang yang mau lockdown dihari itu. Tapi saat menuju Dallas, seatnya sangat full bahkan tidak berlaku social diatancing. Satu satunya yg bisa dilakukan adalah mengurangi gerakan dan bicara dengan penumpang lain.

4. Sering ganti masker. Oya well recommended pake masker KN95 Dan faceshield atau googles. Selama perjalanan saya ganti masker 6 kali.

5. Saat transit, upayakan bisa ke toilet untuk bersih bersih, cuci tangan dan muka pakai sabun, semprot2 baju atau ganti baju juga sekalian berwudhu.

6. Minum multivitamin atau herbal lainnya, ini bisa membantu kita fit selama perjalanan.

7. Jangan lupa mengirup atau meneteskan minyak kayu putih ke tisu diletakkan didalam masker. kayu putih dipercaya bisa menghambat replikasi virus.

Hmmm Yup..kira kira seperti itu tips nya teman teman 🥰 Insya Allah dengan menjaga diri menerapkan protokol kesehatan you will be fine guyss (pinjam kata kata advisor saya)

Alhamdulillah 3 Januari 2021 2.25 pm saya tiba dengan selamat di Columbus, OH. Welcome to the land of liberty, begitu kata orang. Terima kasih kepada semua sahabat, kolega, dan keluarga yang sudah mendoakan dan mendukung selama ini, kepada teman teman seperjuangan yang saling support, pihak sponsor beasiswa Fulbright, aminef, IIE, advisor saya, OSU, dan masih banyak lagi...semoga Allah membalas kebaikan bapak ibu semuanya. Untuk my family, Till we meet again.. Doakan ambu lancar dan kalian bisa menyusul dalam waktu dekat. .I love you all...

Ucapan Terima kasih juga buat teman teman Indonesia sesama student, keluarga indonesia yang sudah menetap di columbus, dan komunitas Buckeye Brighters yang sudah menyambut saya dengan hangat, membantu saya settle, mengantarkan makanan, dan menyiapkan semua furniture lungsuran dari para senior yang sudah pulang ke tanah air 😅 ini bagian favorite saya ketika menjadi international student..nyari yang gratis gratis dan murah murah🥰

Buat sesama pejuang Fulbrighters 2020, Terima kasih sudah saling mendukung, berbagi info, suka dan duka.. Tetap semangat semoga kita bisa menyelesaikan perjuangan dan perjalanan panjang ini.

January 2021
saat killing time di pesawat, mati gaya berjam-jam dalam pesawat 😅 tapi penuh syukur atas kesehatan, keamanan, dan keselamatan yg diberikan juga makanan dan film film bagus selama perjalanan