Big Cities’ Appeal

Expository Essay


Topic: Urbanization
Thesis Statement: The urbanization phenomenon has some certain effects such as on population, employment, and life condition.

Outline
I.    Introduction
II.    The movement trend of people to the big cities causes the increase and decrease in population.
III.    One other effect of urbanization is in the area of employment.
IV.    Urbanization also has a role in changing people’s life condition.
V.    Conclusion

Big Cities’ Appeal

The term urbanization refers to the movement trend of people, especially rural people, to big cities. For example, there is an annual huge wave of people who come to Jakarta after Idul Fitri or Lebaran Day. Their common reason is to look for a better living. Most of them are unskilled labours who merely attracted by the glamorous offers shown in TV, to easily get job and money. As a result, big cities are being increasingly crowded. Generally speaking, the urbanization phenomenon has some certain effects, such as on population, employment, and life condition.

Movement trend of people to the big cities causes the increase and decrease in population. This flow is mostly in form of human resources drain, from many different areas, with their very own cultural backgrounds. Therefore, cities are being overpopulated and diversified. At the same time, rural areas or home areas are becoming more under-populated and underdeveloped or stagnant.

One other effect of urbanization is in the area of employment. As said earlier, the flow is mostly in form of human resources drain, with their different educational backgrounds. Most of them are unskilled labours that only rely on their luck. There is also a shift in their field of employment. For instance, the previously village farmers are doing different kinds of job after coming to cities. This creates many new occupations in order to be survived, and on the contrary, increases the number of unemployment. The latter will lead to many inconsiderate ways of making money found in the dark side of big cities, such as human trafficking, drugs trading, etc. On the other hand, rural areas are lacking of human resources to explore and develop their natural resources.

Urbanization also has a role in changing people’s life condition. Some of them become successful in a short of time, while others have to struggle for years. However, only small number of them is able to enjoy the convenient life. In contrast, most are living in shortages and hardships, even miseries and being another problem to the cities. The worse thing is that they keep on insisting to live there, regardless their poor condition, instead of coming back to their villages.

To conclude, urbanization trend has its own positive and negative effects on people, livelihoods, the cities, and the home regions themselves. Big cities always have their charms to attract various kinds of people. In spite of this, as young well-informed generation, we should think in different and creative ways to develop our region or locals to be able to keep up with big cities. Recent local autonomy provision can be an opportunity to stop human resources drain and can help us to utilize our resources for more meaningful and better life.    

coffeeholism

Writing Class II – Making Essays

Sari Susanti / 4110004

School of Foreign Languages, Salatiga

September 29, 2011

Coffeeholism

Coffee is one of the most familiar things we have in our daily life. In other words, we can find it in many different places all around the globe. For example, in cafes along the bistro area in French or small Acehnese coffee stalls in Indonesia. The purpose is also varied. Some young metropolis people have it as a habit, whereas Javanese people use it as a means to socialize. Drinking coffee habit can globally be ascribed to various aspects, such as personal interest, cultural sides, and lifestyles.

The way people enjoying coffee depend on their personal interest. First, it means that they choose this beverage as their favourite instead of tea, for example, or many other beverages. Second, the interest here can be referred to personal tastes. Some people demand high quality brand of coffee, while others prefer the aroma of home-made ground ones. Some like Arabica better than Robusta, roasted or not. Some like it black, some add it with milk or cream. Even, instant coffee is also popular. Therefore, personal tastes really play role or influence the drinking coffee habit.

Drinking coffee cannot be separated from several cultural sides. Coffee has widely known in many countries for centuries. Therefore, it explains why coffee or drinking coffee is really attached to many cultures. Since the old times, coffee has been culturally served as the way of socializing – to welcome or honour guest – as found in the Middle East and some Asian nations. In other places, Europe and America, people are used to wake up in the morning with a cup of coffee, before and after having breakfast, or before going to work. This old culture is also found in Indonesia, for example in Aceh and Manggar-Belitung, since the old Chinese traders used coffee stalls as place to meet, talk, and do business. It is also true in many other continents that coffee or drinking coffee is highly linked to culture.

Nowadays, coffee drinking is becoming a lifestyle. It especially can be seen in big cities, the places where modern urban people live. This trend particularly affects young cosmopolitans due to the increasing number of coffee shops. Recently, we see more people spend their time in a coffee shop, whether just sitting, reading or working with their computers, while enjoying a cup of hot (or iced) coffee. Also, we often see people walking and bringing a paper cup of coffee from Starbucks, for example. It can be said that we are witnessing, or perhaps experiencing, a growing trend in our society.

The trend of coffee shops indicates the growing interest in drinking coffee, especially the youngsters. Also, the booming business of franchised coffee houses enlivens this arena. They really serve the instant need of urban people in their hectic cosmopolitan life, even give more choices in types or tastes, and also comfort and atmosphere. To put in another way, this old culture has spread to various people, in different age levels, professions, and places. To sum up, drinking coffee crosses the boundaries of cultures, preferences, and also lifestyles.         


NOTE:

Above is my essay for Writing Class II. In this first phase, we should practice about:
1.    How to make a topic
2.    Brainstorming about the topic
3.    Decide our “thesis statement
4.    Make our “introduction, the body, and closing paragraph”

•      For the first week, we learned the theory if essay writing, types of essay, etc.

•      The next week, we tried to choose our topic, brainstorming, and narrowing our chosen topic.

•      We also could perform it at home, because Mr. Idea was not always around.

•      Thesis Statement is a sentence (not a topic or a noun or a noun phrase).

•      The third week, we make our “Introduction paragraph that contains our thesis statement, preferable at the last sentence of the paragraph”

•      After being checked, we continued with our “Body”

•      And the last week was for the “Closing Paragraph”

As you can see my TOPIC is: Coffee.
And as THESIS STATEMENT, I decided to be like this:

Drinking coffee habit can globally be ascribed to various aspects, such as personal interest, cultural sides, and lifestyles.

So in accordance to above thesis statement, I have to make THE BODY that encompasses three paragraphs which elaborate three main idea in my thesis statement: personal interest, cultural sides, and lifestyles, of course, related to coffee drinking habit.

The last paragraph is called CLOSING (CONCLUDING) PARAGRAPH.

Finish all, so I deserved to get this sign from my lecturer :D

 

phantasmagoria

by: oranye
as part of Creative Writing Assignment

Lying on my back

In the vast expanse of autumnal meadow

Watching the orange dusk

Adorned with lazy clouds follow

Musing on the flash of back times

Recognizing multitude of mundane wishes

Achievable sometimes

Yet some are inescapably out of reaches

Consider myself a lifetime learner

Hitherto lead a small life yet valuable

Trying my best even for something minor

Always keeping in mind that nothing is impossible

Now pursuing one of my big projects in life

Consciously realize of its winding long road

With a certain vision much alive

Hoping of roaming the globe, aboard

train of life

Life is like traveling by train

There are a lot of destinations

Yet you’re not sure where will they take you

What you need is just a ticket

Aboard, choose your wagon

Walking through the never-ending corridors

Hunting along the aisles of seats

And mostly near the window you sit

The whistle of the engine is the sign

That the journey will be begun

Same with life, it goes on

Passes and stops by at myriads of station

Keep going or detrain?

You must think it fast

Or just trust the train?

Because it gets to its journey’s end at last

Cinquain

During these two weeks we learned about Cinquain in our Creative Writing Class. As I said before, poetry is not my talent or even interest. As a result I think that the class will be more difficult for me. However, it turns into the otherwise. It turns to be lots of fun!

First, we learn about Cinquain, I think this is the simplest kind of poetry. Theoretically, it should consist of 5 lines. There are some ways to make it, for example:

Pattern #1

Line1: One word

Line2: Two words

Line 3: Three words

Line 4: Four words

Line 5: One word

or

Pattern #2

Line1: A noun

Line2: Two adjectives

Line 3: Three -ing words

Line 4: A phrase

Line 5: Another word for the noun

or

Pattern #3

Line1: Two syllables

Line2: Four syllables

Line 3: Six syllables

Line 4: Eight syllables

Line 5: Two syllables

 

Secondly, we should look for a topic or a theme. For example: life, love, etc.

And this is what I've made for the Pattern 3

 

Memories
Stands still behind
Faithfully following me
Penetrates like acute cancer
it's me  

 

So what about to start making one by one?

A Story of A Dreaming Girl

Once upon a time, when I was daydreaming in my room-sweet-room. Suddenly I heard my cell phone rang.

"Ring, ring!" I was sinking in my musing pose.

"Ring, ring!" I was still imagining many good things to be happened.

"Ring, ring!" the third one, I got disturbed with the kind of sound thus I picked up the stuff unwillingly.

"Yellow ..." I said in lazy, reluctant voice. Hoping that this isn't a joking call or, even worst, a missed call from someone in somewhere with something in purpose.

"Yellow??" responded a voice of a woman, got confused than surprised.

"I mean, hello ... Who is it?" I replied and unconsciously spread my little devil smile.

"Oh, I am the Goddess of Fortune. Am i talking to Miss. Miserably Pathetic?" answered and asked the woman who just said that she is the Goddess of Fortune?? So, no the Goddess also uses cell phone?

"Yeah, you just can call me Patty ..." I said in boring tone.

"Well, Miss Patty, you have been chosen as a lucky girl today. And I'm gonna make your dream come true!" said the Goddess of Fortune or whoever she is. I bet she is a sales representative of certain products from certain company.

"Are you gonna sell something to me, Ma'am?" I got upset.

"No, I'm not. You must believe me, dear. I'm gonna make your dream come true because, over time, you've been listed as unluckiest girl ever, only a dreaming girl. Am I right?" continued the Goddess of Fortune.

"Well, yeah ..." I became embarassed.

"So ... Do you believe in me?!" asked the Goddess of Fortune in lovely tone.

"Okay. I believe you. I must be crazy then. But believe or not, I have plenty of dreams! I want new latest cell phone, I want a digital camera the DSLR one, i wish to be able to go around the world especially to Greece, UK, and Egypt, I want to continue my study (you know education is highly costly today), if I can choose I don't want to fall in love again (although as an ordinary girl I also wish for a prince will come by, but I always not succeed in this love problems), I want to read all day long and buy my fav books and novel as my own collection, I want to ..." I impatiently said in non-stop words with delight, but she interrupted me.

"Wait ... wait... my dear, I forgot to tell you that you only have one dream to be come true..." said the Goddess.

"What, only one??!! it's unfair! I have a lot of great dreams in my head! That's unfair!" I said in not-believing way then I continued, " You know, I'm a normal girl, I'm a human. I have lots of unsatisfied demands. We are always greedy creature from the beginning. Remember?!"

"Well, I do know human. You're fighting against each other, killing each other, wars are everywhere, never-ending disputes, discriminations, high rate mortalities, severe poverties, dirty politic, weapons trade, drugs, pollutions, bla bla bla. This planet is getting old! I'm sorry for you as human!" said the Goddes in angry stressing.

"Uhmm... it's too general, but it's true. However, I'm only a girl, an ordinary girl, a selfish too. I have a lot of wishes!"

"That's why, you have to learn to choose one as your best one" said the Goddess of Fortune and I heard a smile in it.

"It's unfair ..." I repeated slowly and started to think what is the thing I want most. The important one!

"Have you make up your mind?" asked the Goddess patiently.

"Yes, I think just want to make my mom happy ..." I said calmly, after some seconds of thinking.

There was a moment of silence between me and the Goddess. Perhaps, she got shocked, hey where is the selfish gal?

"Oh, that's so sweet, my dear ..." the she commented.

"And you know what, you can make it real by doing someting hence I will be able to continue my study, I begly wish could be studying abroad, thus I can read and buy books there, become more clever and get my precious title, afterall, I could get a good job and make lots of money." I explained enthustiatically.

"That sounds a great-well arranged plan ..." said the Goddess. "But, I think you'd better just said that you want to be a rich people." she added.

"No, you don't get it. I just want to make my mom happy by making my own f**king money with my own f**king hands, that's all!" I replied with stress on the last words.

"Okay, then, why it should be  abroad England? What about your own beloved country?" asked the Goddes later on.

"Oh, come on, there are lots of countries out there with its great long histories, heritages, cultures, places, people, or even writers. I do only interested in books, literature, and culture. Do you know Shakespeare? or Charles Dickens, or many other famous inventors. What about Jane Austen or.. or Agatha Christe?" I almost lost my breath in delivering this impossible reasons.

"Well, that's quite a sound reason ..." said the Goddess got amazed, i hope.

"Thank you, as I said before, I have plenty of dreams in my head." I said in satisfied tone.

"Maybe I ...or we here should consider it first..." then said the Goddess in uncertain way.

"What? You must think it first? You said you're gonna make my dreams come true, and I've told you the way you can make it real easily!" I angrily shouted.

But suddenly I heard a familiar sound near my right-ear. And the voice of the Goddess became fade away.

"Ring, ring!" the sound screamed out. I got confused.

"Ring, ring!" Hey, I'm still talking to the Goddess of Fortune rightnow!

"Ring, ring!" The sound was real!!

I quickly picked up the phone, hoping that the Goddess will be willingly, patiently wait to continue our bargaining.

"Yellow ..." I replied in lazy-sleepy tone.

"WAKE UP, LAZY GIRL!!!" I heard my mom's shout echoed in my head. I immediately wake up from bed, watched the clock showing it's 10 a.m!

"Great! i'm late!" I slapped my forehead and fastly run to the bathroom! I'm already late and I have bundles of works to do!

Looking at the mirror I smiled myself, nothing to lose, at least I still can dreaming!


The End