Salam Idul Fitri

Book: The Signature of All Things

When you are a heiress of a big fortune wealth, a pioneer scientist of a small world like moss, an adventurer of your own life, and an inventor of goodness in your family, then you must be very lucky. But life was certainly not a linear thing for Alma Whittaker despite all positive qualities she might have. She had a lonely life, a loveless marriage and a problem with her appearance. She had tried to move out from her comfort zone, only to find the 'real life' and 'truth' for herself. 

This is what I call a process of balancing and reinventing a wheel. I experienced my own journey many years ago with geopolymer issue on hand. However, this erratic and antic material has given me many opportunities to improve myself and find my own strength. I, eventually has a courage to tell myself that I have grown as a person and become a strong minded person, but resilient in the same time. Have I found my own positive qualities through the hard process? I hope, so!

So, a book of The Signature of All Things, is another magnificent story about Alma's adventure to find herself. In my opinion, this book is more engaging than Eat, Love, and Pray by the same author, Elizabeth Gilbert. Perhaps, because I like to be a botanist myself, or perhaps Alma's thirst for knowledge is more admirable. 

I recommend this 700 hundred pages book for anyone who loves adventure, science and and history in a fiction genre.

Pekanbaru,

Courage vs Confidence

I was quite shocked to hear the way two young women answer my question about their plan after their final year examination. 

The question itself is not that special, like "Are you interested in continuing your study?"

"Oh yes, we want to study abroad, I want to go to Australia, and she wants to go to Japan." 

My answer: "That's fantastic. Have you prepared your English qualification?"

The way they answered to my question perhaps has worried me.

"No, we haven't. How do we must prepare it?"

I gave them several hints and told them to contact me whenever they need help in this matter. 

I didn't realize that they were too overconfident to answer my question. The ugly truth is, perhaps they have never prepared actually. 

So, how could they be so confident to answer the question?

This fact that I've mostly seen from my students. 

Some of them were overconfident with their options. They thought they knew the answer once they've finished their final year project. Those who did over confident didn't have enough information about their preferences and the actual risks. When they know the difference between overconfident and courage, they might be conscientious in answering my question about their future. 

Courage is like knowing the actual risks but prepare to take action. In another way, overconfident is like "will do it without thinking'. When they are facing distress and hurdles in the process, later they will realize their lack of preparation, and they are overconfidence. Eventually, they've learned that things must not be underestimated. 

Though I was quite happy with their plan, I want them to understand that it is essential to know well about the demand of their dreams, the qualifications needed and the appropriate attitude.

Pekanbaru,