He Taught Me the Way How We Respect Our Life, Our Nature

It was the beginning of August, 2005. Everyone, including me, faced the new things in senior high school as the new freshmen. My friends were happy to choose the extracurricular activities at school. In the opposite, I did not. Suddenly, someone came to me when I was in my silence and confusion. He offered me to join in Pecinta Alam (the extracurricular activity for students who care about the nature). At that time, actually I was not really interested in those activities, especially Pecinta Alam but because it became a duty for students so indirectly I was forced to say ‘yes’ to the someone offered me. It was not only a new thing I faced but also the new beginning of my life that I lost very suddenly.

That man who offered me to join in Pecinta Alam was one of the senior students in my school. He was Herdias Raffy. I did not know what I have to do as the member of this community. Dias, such was I called him, helped me to understand the important things of being the member of Pecinta Alam. He said that, one of the positive things of being the member of Pecinta Alam was that I can be one with it.

In the first our journey to the Kerinci Mountain, in Jambi, Sumatera, Dias was really able to invite me to his real world. He trained me how to control my mind and my feeling to face the mountain height. Besides that, he also explained me every part of the mountain, such us the flora and fauna which were alive there, the springs which empties into a river, and also the empty and infertile of land which needed to be reforest. During our journey, we also tried to clean the mountain by taking the trash around it. It would help the conservation for the mountain. He made me more interest to the nature during this journey.

Then, my relation with Dias became closer. It was because we often met in the weekly meeting for the Pecinta Alam members. Here, we discussed many things. Sometimes, he had a verbal dispute with the other members in deciding which mountain we will climb. From that, I could see that Dias was really serious in leading his junior. He would not take any risks for the other members’ safety. He was really responsible man.

In our next journey to the Salak Mountain, Bogor, Dias made me relax. He trained me how to enjoy taking a breath on the top of this mountain. He said that I have to take it deeper than usual. I also had to combine my feeling when taking a breath. Then, I got the meaning of why he trained me that way. It invited my feeling and my mind to become one with the God and nature. Besides that, Dias also taught me how to drink the evanescent from the leaves in the morning. I could feel that. It was very natural and fresh.

“Love the nature like you love yourself” Dias said. Dias was really good in training me on that.

After some journeys we did to the mountains in Indonesia, Dias introduced me to his other world. He was an explorer. There was one time when he invited me to the Way Kambas, Lampung (a place to train Indonesian elephants) to join with him. Here, he explained me how very valuable the Way Kambas is for the living of elephants. In another time, Dias also offered me to go to the Kuta Reef, Bali. He taught me surfing. It was unbelievable. I did not know why, it seemed like all of these activities were my connector to Dias. I had learned so much new things from him, but now I thought that I ask him for the other thing, love.

I did not know it is fair or not to ask love from him because he had already given many things to me. I wanted to respond his kindness by loving him. Unfortunately, he seemed like he refuses my feeling to him. Strangely, he never went far since he knew that I love him. He was just usual, but I could not accept that. I really hoped a clear relation between him and me. There was no sign from him. I am tortured by his treatment to me. He refused me, but he never avoided my existence.

In our next journey to the Rinjani Mountain, Lombok, I did not see my beloved Dias as I knew during this time. He seemed calmer than usual. He did not make a lot of conversation with me. I worried about him. I always saw every part of him during this journey. I did not know why, but at that time I was really afraid of loosing him although he was still in front of my eyes. The weather was not good at the time. We did not get the top of the mountain yet, but it started to be raining.

My sight was never in the other place except him. He did not pay attention to me, even he did not come to me to help me to wear the raincoat, but I knew that his eyes were always to me. His face was pale white, but he was still as strong as I know. The weather was getting worst. The land was icy cold, and the trees were toppled cutting off our way. We had to cross the pathway which is toppled by the trees. Some of the girl students were afraid of this condition. They started to be panic.

The worst thing happened since a girl student slipped and fell on the side of ravine. Dias who walked behind this girl student spontaneous shocked. There were no other people except them across the pathway. It was difficult to go back to there because of this wild condition. I worried about him. I wanted to go back but the others did not permit me. It was too dangerous. I started to be angry, how come we just stayed here while my beloved Dias was in a dangerous. My sight to him was cut off by the toppled trees. Finally, the two of the main leaders, who was also Dias’s close friend decided to go back and help Dias and that girl student.

It was too long to not see Dias. The other students and I tried to ask help by reporting our position to the SAR (a rescue team) using our hand phone. Unfortunately, there was no signal in this dangerous condition. It was raining cats and dogs. I worried about him, really. I wanted to see his face, but it was still impossible. The SAR came late when the two main leaders succeeded bringing the girl student and Dias. I was shocked when I saw Dias’s body showed no signs of life. His face was more pale white than before.

The SAR brought Dias to me. Both of us met in tend the other students and I had made during the wild raining. I saw him, clearly. He looked coldness. I put out my blanket from my bag and covered him with it. He saw me deeper than usual.

“I don’t avoid you” he reluctantly said.

I did not know how come he said like that in this situation. I was just afraid of his bad condition.

            “I don’t avoid you. I don’t even avoid your love.”

I wanted to stop him talking, but it was difficult avoiding his voice.

            “I just avoid your sadness of being with me” his voice was almost unclear.

I still could not understand how come he discussed this problem here. I also did not know why my tears were going down smoothly through my cheeks. Suddenly, he touched my cheek and wiped the tears.

            “Something that you have to know is that I am happy that you are the only one who wants to accompany the rest of my life” he said more smoothly than before.

My tears were going down fastly. I really wanted to shut him out, but I could not avoid that I am happy hearing his words. Besides that, I did not understand why he mentioned ‘the rest of my life’. I just could keep silent while hearing his voice.

            “I love you.”

That sentence was the clearest one and also the last one I heard from him. I did not realize that he was not with me anymore. He just left me and went to the most beautiful place besides the God. One month later, one of his close friends and also the main leaders in Pecinta Alam came to me. He invited me to make some conversation, about my love, Dias. I said that I do not want to open the hole of my heart anymore, but he forced me because I have to know the real reason why Dias did that way to me.

“He really loves you, until now” said Dias’s friend.

I was really sad when I heard his story about Dias. Dias, the man whom I knew as the strongest man was the opposite actually. He was the most tenuous man. He got the lung cancer, but he did not want me to know about that. He behaved like a healthy man. He was very enthusiastic in facing anything in front of him, even though it is an obstacle of his life. His friend said that he could not continue his life without my existence and support. It was because I am the only one who can accept his fantastic and wild hobby, and also because I wanted accompany him everywhere he was.

Dias, I always remember his name. I never knew before that I could know him, even having a very valuable relationship with this amazing man. He taught me about how valuable our life is. He also told me how very lucky we are if we could keep and protect the conservation of the nature. We are alive together with the nature, how come we can cause the damage to the nature. Since that time, I always consider Dias as the nature. He brought peacefulness to me, so that is why I always try to continue his wild and fantastic hobby in order I can still protect the conservation of the nature. For me, loving the nature is not like loving myself. I love it because Dias had taught me the way how to respect our own life, our nature.

No Title

We are not in the same path.

Yes, we are’nt and we do know it.

We were born in different circumstance.

Yes, we were and we do know it.

We live in dissimilar consideration.

Yes we do, and we do know it.

But, we have agreed in one thing.

We try. Try a try. Both of us.

A holy engagement of passion.

Now it’s disavowed.

By jumping you do, missing hours between us

Different direction you choose.

It lost. No sign. No lips mark from our kisses.

For every breath taken this midnight,

Perspiration gushing on my skin

You’re such an afflictive little bastard.

The Passionate Shepherd and His Love : Poem Review

The Passionate Shepherd and His Love

Come live with me and be my love

And we will all the pleasure prove

That hills, and valleys, dale, and field

And all the craggy mountains yield

            There we will sit upon the rocks

            And see the shepherd feed their flocks

            By shallow rivers, to whose falls

            Melodius birds sing madrigals

There will I make thee beds of roses

And a thousand fragrant posies

A cap of flowers, and kirtle

Embroidered all with leaves a mirtle

            A gown made of the finest wool

            Which from our pletty lambs we pull

            Fair lined slippers for the cold

            With buckle of the forrest gold

A belt of strow and my ivy buds

With coral clasps and amber studs

And if these pleasures and my thee move

Come live with me and be my love

            Thy silver dishes for thy meat

            As precious as gods to eat

            Shall on an ivory table be

            Prepared each day for thee and me

The shepherd swains shall dance and sing

For thy delight each may morning

If these delights thy mind my love

Then live with me and be my love

This poem was written by Christopher Marlowe in 1875. It is a romantic poem expressing and proving feeling through beautiful words. The beautiful words are used to make the poem interesting and full of meaning to read. Each stanza has many kinds beautiful words and a bit of sense devices like simile that Christopher Marlowe uses to make the readers amazed and satisfied enjoying his poem. When the readers read this poem, there are some words which maybe not everyone knows about the meaning. These are the list of the glossaries.                                                                  

The general meaning of this poem tells about a man who has desired offering his love to someone which is as beautiful views. In the first stanza, the poet tells about the offers of love of a man toward a woman who he loves with happiness. It means that the man offers the woman to live with him, build a relationship with him, and be his wife. The man wants to prove his love with describing of hills, valleys, dale, and field.

In the second stanza, the man explains the woman about the beautiful scenery and bird singing. Where the man tells that they sit on the stones while seeing the shepherd give a feed his pet. There is also the shallow river and the bird singing with full of happiness. In the third stanza, the man offers again a beautiful house for the woman with a comfortable and good aroma from the flowers. In this stanza, the man promises to the woman to make a beautiful path with flowers and comfortable condition. He will give the woman a hat which is made from flowers and also jacket that is embroidered from leaves.

In the forth stanza, the man wants to give the woman good clothes. He prepares a gown from the most beautiful wool that is made from a health and beautiful lambs. Besides that, he wants to give slippers for the cold weather later. Next, in the fifth stanza, the man keeps on explaining his real love for the woman, he also offers the woman to live with him. He will make a belt from the straw and from the ivy flowers. Beautiful jewelry also is given by him to the woman that is made from amber studs. The man says that if all of these happiness’s will change the woman’s mind to live with him, so the woman will be his love.

In the sixth stanza, this part is the explanation of bid that the woman’s food will be fulfilled with the beautiful serving on it by the man. He offers the woman with a lot of food where the food served on the silver plate as good as the God’s eating. There is simile in this part like when the man said that the woman’s food will be served on the silver plate AS GOOD AS the God’s eating. He also says that the plate will be served on the ivory table. The last stanza tells about the last offer of the man if with all of these happiness’s the woman will love him, she will change her mind to love him so the woman should live with him and be his wife. There are the lovers of the shepherd who entertains the woman with dancing and singing to make the woman happy each morning in May.

Finally, the conclusion of this poem is give information about a man’s feeling which has sincere love to a woman with offers enjoyments and happiness for woman’s live. And if the woman wants to change her mind to love the man, she should build relationship with him and be his wife. It means that the information is about how deep is man’s heart for woman he loves that makes him wants to do anything for his woman.  C. Marlowe wrote this poem to shows that love is not always about money, throne, and duty but it is about sincerity. If all of things that we do are always in procession, be sure that it is going to be right. It is going to be happy.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas : Book Review

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, a novel which is written by John Boyne had been the trending book for the book lovers in its first publication in 2006. It is about Bruno, the naive boy who experiences a boredom after he comes with his family to move from Berlin to the new home called Out-With. He is not permitted to go out from the house by his parent. Even, actually he never knows the real reason why he and his family have to move from Berlin and go to the place which has no exploring and friend to talk to and play with. It makes a curiosity appears in his little heart.

Bruno decides that he has to have an exploring. So he tries to go out from the house secretly. He meets Shmuel, the boy in the striped pajamas he sees everyday in the distance from his room in Out-With. Both of them become friends. They share each other. Their friendship must be finished when Bruno decides to wear the same clothes with Shmuel and help Shmuel to find father. Not father they meet, but they have to be gathered and gassed in a special room.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is its title. By our logic, maybe we can guess that it is a children book. But, if we pay attention well to the short summary above, can we clear our head and guess one more time what it is actually? It is the world history which happened around 1942. John Boyne has been success to present the history, write it into a novel, bring it to the readers, and let them guess what he has already written actually. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas has two reader targets: the first one is children and the second one is adult.

The first reader target is children. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas can be called as a children book because Boyne tries to show the real character of children. Bruno, in this novel is described as a child who is naive. Like the other eight years old boys, he always wants to know something he does not understand. Start with his curiosity about the real reason of moving to the Out-With, his way when he talks to the maid like he just imitates the way his Father spoke, and his boredom because there is no one to talk to and play with.

The way how Boyne uses Bruno as the main character in this novel shows the real character of children. Boyne really pays attention to the character of children and put it into his novel. It makes the children readers will feel the same with Bruno when they experience what Bruno experiences. The children readers think that what Bruno has done is true according to the situation around the Out-With. There is no an interesting exploring, so they will do the same like Bruno-trying something new. The children readers will be influenced by the plot of Bruno’s exploring. They will imagine how very interesting Bruno can go out from the house and make an exploring. This is one of the beauties of childhood. And it is also the first reason The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas called a children book.

Then, Boyne also tries to show the essences of friendship between Bruno and Shmuel. It is a very valuable friendship. Friendship which is done secretly behind Bruno’s parent has trained Bruno and Shmuel become very loyal. They share anything, like their own stories, foods, and much more. It creates three essences of friendship between them: mutual giving, mutual forgiving, and mutual willing to help each other. It is a good way to train them how to be the best friend for everyone.   

Boyne’s way has made his novel become very valuable. In this way, children are the first target. The children readers will be influenced for the twice. They will know how to make a friend indirectly, and also know about the beauty of friendship. In the real life, it is very difficult to have a friend. Then when they already have, they will not make their friends be abandoned. It is a good way to train them how to be the best friend for everyone. Boyne has done it well. He tries to make many kinds of examples of valuable friendship between Bruno and Shmuel without let the children readers understand the real complicated conflict behind this. And the target is very clear.

Then, talking about the second target is more interesting. It is adult. They are only the book lovers who want to try to read the book without judge it by its cover. Like what is already mentioned above, the novel’s title is trying to bring us to the children life. But actually, it is not. It is good word choices for the title Boyne did. He is good in lying the reader about relation between the title and the content it self. It trains the reader to let them think about what the meaning of the title is, and what the story will be told. Then, from the title it self, why The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is called as an adult book starts to be seen slowly.

After that, Boyne has been success in using Bruno’s character for the twice. He is almost perfect when he tries to bring the readers into the Bruno’s adventure which actually leads us to the real conflict. Bruno with his naivete is boring with his new life in the Out-With. He starts to make his own exploring. Walking lonely has been done by him. His curiosity about the situation and condition around the Out-With sends him into the real adventure. Meeting with Shmuel is the amazing thing in his new life. They talk and share each other.

If we really pay attention to the conversation between Bruno and Shmuel, actually we are brought to the world history around 1942. It is about Nazi and its military internee. Bruno represents to the Nazi, and Shmuel represents to the Jew. Out side of their friendship, Nazi and Jew are enemies actually. This thing can answer the question why Bruno’s parent always tries to hide the real reason from him about their moving to the Out-With.

Besides that, during the conversation between Bruno and Shmuel happens, it shows the adult readers about the clue what Boyne has written in his novel. Bruno and Shmuel talk about their birthday, they have the same. They also talk about the place where they come from. In this part, they have difficulties in understanding the name of the places. The conversation continues until both of them show a symbol from each place. The interesting thing is that Shmuel knows who Bruno actually is. But Bruno never knows Shmuel deeper. His surroundings in the house avoid him to know.

This is one challenge from Boyne to the adult readers in guessing the Shmuel’s thought. Shmuel just says to Bruno that his place is not good. But he never tells the reason. Boyne wants the reader to guess it by their own way. This author let the reader’s thought growing up. If Bruno’s parent and Shmuel tell Bruno about the real condition, it is probably make Bruno does not want to make a friend with Shmuel. And there is not will be an amazing exploring between Bruno and Shmuel.

Boyne’s way in bringing the readers to the real conflict through the exploring and conversation between Bruno and Shmuel leads the reader to catch the message Boyne gives. It is also proven when finally both Bruno and Shmuel wear the same cloth in finding Shmuel’s father. What the Nazi had done to the Jew is seen clearly finally at the end of the novel. And it is what actually Boyne wants to show to the readers. Boyne uses the children’s perspective and character in leading the reader to the real message. Unlike what Boyne had done to the children readers, for the adult readers Boyne wants to make their thoughts growing up and catch the message be autonomous.

Finally, from the whole review, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas can be called as a novel which has two faces. When it is as a children novel, it tells the truth about the miracle of friendship. Then, when it is as an adult novel, it really trains the reader to have full concentration in getting the main spectacular point of the novel. It is not surprising that The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is published in 42 languages and also has sold more than 5 millions copies. And Boyne has done it really well.

Sources:
http://www.johnboyne.com/about/
Wikipedia, the free ensiklopedia

Boyne, John.2006.The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. New York: David Fickling Books.