The Interesting Parts of The Book
Traditional Skiing
This is a story that tells about education with simply, honestly, full of dedication, patient, faithful, and kind figures. Basically, poverty is not directly correlated with the ignorance and cleverness. Muhammadiyah elementary school, the poor school that only with two teachers. This book also tells about a beautiful scenery and natural resources that are owned by a little island, Belitong. It’s located in central between South China Ocean in west and Java Ocean in east. And it’s pinched by Karimata strait in north and Gaspar strait in south. 70% of Belitong Island is a rain forest and also has tons of tin. Belitong Island is called a tin island. This island is like a green emerald with full of a real beauty you’ve ever seen. A beautiful coast with the white sand, variation of endemic animals, fresh air, green forest, you can imagine that?? Have you ever seen people go skiing traditionally? This book tells about a game with a midrib of areca palm tree as the board for skiing and it uses human energy to pull it, yeah!! Go skiing manually! For them, the game is rainy party, a solemn moment that nature arranged for them, poor Belitong’s kids.
The Massively Incredible Carnival
Beside that, this book also mentions the term of science. Most of them are about biology, such as appocynaceae, mamilaria, calathea, stromanthe, azalea, etc. and also about Greece mythology (apphrodyte and narcisscus) or a spooky county’s myth. All of those are packed in unique language style; it looks like Indonesia very much. You know? How a poor school in village participated the biggest carnival that was arranged by a big school over there? The big school was owned by capitalist people in Belitong. It showed marching band with empire’s soldier style, while they were singing a song “Glenn Millers in the Mood” as a summit attraction, they showed “Concerto for trumpet and Orchestra” that was sung by Wyton Marsalis. How awesome they are! And I don’t know where Muhammadiyah Elementary School got an excellent idea. They showed the traditional dance from Masainese in Africa and they won it! Just a little poor school could conquer a big rich school? It is a miracle!
Are You Smarter Than Rural Kids?
The little island is isolated because it’s surrounded by ocean; meanwhile, not all of maps describe this island. There is only one access way to get the information, it is through on the steel door 30 cm thick as the separator between modern city and village. But, do you believe that elementary school student could explain about Newton laws, Einstein relativity, and technical operation of algebra, integral and differential and brave to debate with his teacher even the smartest teacher from the big school? And how an elementary school student creating choreography of foreign dance for the carnival, knowing the foreign song, such like “Tennessee Waltz” or “ Leaving On a Jet Plane”, a talented writer, theatre’s stage manager, zitherist, even made a print of Primitive’s creature’s bones. Fossil on a rock looks like very original. He used carbon layer to strengthen the oldest impression. The incredible art!! And how they conquered the big school in smart contest? Do you know? They are just poor peasants, fishers, and laborer’s children. No more no less, but they have a real smartness.