Another weekend journey to another city, to Hangzhou, on a fast train, without internet access. Leaving me with the option either read
my Kindle or just write anything, I just finished reading the last book, pragmatic programming, finding a new book to read will takes some
time, and I do not yet decide what I want to learn for the next week. So let’s stick to writing this time. Writing without the internet is fun! No distraction to watch a movie or look at my web statistic or reading some Medium article. But yeah the publishing gonna be quite late, just note for myself, I write this post on 20 October, 12.10, fast train from Shanghai to Hangzhou, for Indonesia General Election socialization program.
I’m taking Chinese class now every morning, and I did not so good, compared to my peers in language campus, but hey it’s not so bad when we compare it to my peers in computer science campus.
Why not so good, because of most of the student in my language class, which is now I’m in Basic level 3, they just learn some month
While me? already 2 years in China and still in Basic level 3, above my level, there is Intermediate level 1 and 2, Advance level 1 and 2. So basically my capability is just 3/7 currently. My reading is bad, I’m one of the slowest readers in class. For writing, ah forget it, I prefer writing a website with HTML & PHP code by hand, on the damn paper, rather than writing a story about a duck in Chinese character.
One of my friend asking me why my Chinese learning speed so slow?
I answer him, I do my learning like a marathon, a really long marathon, that last for years. My expectation is not to see the difference in months, but years. I do plan to master the Chinese language not on just like 1 years, but I expect to learn it for much more years. Just like I learn English for 3 intensive years with debating community in high school, while actually I already learn some English vocabulary since junior high school. Until now I still learn English as well, trying to write it down this time.
Why did I do besides that? I do multiple marathons.
I’m not a good student on single specific things. Instead, I do my learning in parallel.
While I learn the Chinese language, I also learn Computer Science class.
If you want to know, I start to learn to code since junior high school, professionally. Because that time I selected as programming
competition candidate from my city. But until now I still learn a lot of new things as well, some of my studies paid off with my research going on well. So does my web development work with Megichina, accounting cloud software in Shanghai.
But then, compared to my peers in my engineering school, well, I’m kind of nobody here, I still need to learn so much more.
This case is not only for me, but I also try to influence my girlfriend, Chisil to do this process as well. She learns about financial analytics
since year 2 of her undergraduate study, last year use new tools (Stata) and method that used by her Prof to analyze the data, now she learn how to use IT tools and technique to do that. It takes years, and the result still not out yet, our paper even on revision, she did not win anything as well, but yeah she started just some years ago, let give her some time.
I need to get off the train now, I’m already in Hangzhou.
21 October, in the morning.
Wake up, get breakfast, breakfast in this hotel is excellent, love it.
The activity yesterday is fantastic, it’s nice to see so much new student coming to China, to learn in here. Some come to learn the Chinese
language, some come to finish their degree. Wish them all the best in their own marathon.
The feel of this room reminds me of my working time in Jakarta. When I’m working as a TOEIC test supervisor, go around Indonesia, testing
some student, or do some testing for recruitment for some company. Sometimes I will meet my friend from XLFL, or any other program
when I come to do a recruitment test. And the hotel room, sometimes it’s nice like this room, this room is quite similar to a hotel room
in Balikpapan. Oh my, I miss Balikpapan crab, they produce the best black pepper crab in my opinion.
The last night feels when I give my speech in front of the student, while at the same time giving them sponsorship, is precisely the same
like what I did when I work in OPPO smartphone. I sponsor their activity, bring the value of my working place (now for Election Committee
Indonesia), to support student activity, and reach them out. Both of that is my marathon when I’m in Indonesia. I implement what I learn to a new place. And everything just keeps repeating itself, I never know before that I will be back to do a speech in front of the student.
I just really like to be in the middle of students, well perhaps this is a natural trait, we used to live inside high school for like 13 years probably. My mother is a teacher for elementary school, while my father works in the ministry of education.
Now let me pack my backpack, and get ready to get back to Shanghai, and continue my marathon in Shanghai. My marathon here in Hangzhou is over.
Wish you all the best on your own marathon guys.