Creative Writing: Editing

Merapi, Part of Life

"It would be the end of Yogyakarta" they said, "Merapi would explode for the last time and turned it into the city of ash." It was the thing that Endah remembers the most when Merapi explosion in 2010.

As we know, Merapi is one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia. It may not ever died, even it has had "heavy cough" so many times; ……,1997,2001, 2006, and the last 2010.

Endah went to Yogyakarta to continue her study. She actually had never thought that she would see Merapi's anger in her first year at university. She prepared nothing and got no idea what she had to do to face it. She decided to runaway to Bantul with her friends for a while instead of came back to her hometown. Although in her deep heart she was really scared and wanted to go home, especially after hearing the rumors.

"There are so much bad rumors spread at that time. Television, newspaper, and almost all of media presented the news that I think too much exaggerating. One of the news programs even dare to say that Merapi would have a big last eruption and finally would sink Yogyakarta in ash. And also many stories and myths of the community itself, which increasingly made the refugees felt unsafe. You know what kind of scared they made to a person who has first experience like me" She explained.

Endah comes from Bengkulu, she explained that it has strong earthquake there. Although she little bit often felt earthquake but the explosion of Merapi took its own place in her mind. "Having earthquake in strength about five SR is something like a piece of cake for me, I live with it. However for the experience of earthquake that is followed by materials rain and thunder sound, it was like a surprise on my birthday" she said, " and would it be the end of life?."

Portrait of Malioboro "Past and Present"

Yogyakarta is one of big cities in Indonesia. When people come to Yogyakarta, they must go to Malioboro..

Malioboro in the past must be different with today. Actually i do not know what Malioboro in the past look like, but i just can give some description from seeing the picture. 

The first picture is Malioboro in the past and the second is today. We can see the differences between them. Malioboro was still fresh, less pollution because there were still many trees. There were few big buildings and few street vendors. It is so different like today. Malioboro is more crowded because many people come there to enjoy the beauty of Malioboro, seeing performers or even just for shopping. Now, also many buildings such as malls, other places to get shopping and also many street vendors and it makes the street to be narrower. 

In the past there were many traditional vehicles such as Dokar, Andhong and Pedicab. Dokar is a term used for the horse wagon with two wheels and Andhong is used for the same wagon but with four wheels. There were not many transportation like today such as bus, cars and also motorcycle. So that's why there were not much air pollution, so people could still get fresh air and also the environmental was still clean. However there are many transportation now and it makes more pollution because of the fumes. People also get difficulty when they want to across the road because many transportation like cars, motorcycles, bus, etc which are passing on the street and it makes they are worried and afraid if they will get hit by the transportation.  If we go to Malioboro, we also can see if there are not many traditional vehicles such as Dokar only there are few Andhong and more or less pedicabs which are available there.

I cannot say Malioboro at that time look like more traditional rather than today. Traditional and modern are two different things. I cannot say this is traditional or modern because it depends with time. If we compare now and the past, we can say "now" is more modern rather than "the past" but if we ask other people who live since in the past, they may say if it would be also modern.

Everything must have differences. It happens over time. Beyond of it, Malioboro is still attractive to make other people from everywhere even other countries come and visit Yogyakarta because Malioboro is one of the icon of Yogyakarta and there are special things that make Malioboro different with other places. There is no Malioboro in other places only in Yogyakarta, so come and visit Malioboro and you can get what you want there.. :D

-Just Little For Now-

This is a short story about my self that i can tell you guys..

Let's read...!!

August 30^th, 1992 i was born to the world. I completed my family's happiness. My father gave me the name Herlina Endah Atmaja. It has a meaning, my mother told me that Herlina is actually the name of beautiful girl at my father's senior high school. Everybody loved her and especially boys. Many boys tried to close her. Endah is beautiful and Atmaja is the name of my father's grandpa. Actually my mother also had a name for me but afterward my mother agreed with my father's to give me that name. So that's why you know me  as "Endah". I have one sister, my beloved sister and we have nine years age difference. Finally my parents only have two children for completing their happiness.

I came from Bengkulu, a small city. Actually Bengkulu is one of a province in Indonesia but i do not know why sometimes there are people do not know where is Bengkulu exactly. So sad.. :(

I know my self from people opinion, i often ask them about me and not only positive one but also negative one. Actually I have a big question in my mind first, when many people think if i have Chinese blood because they think i look like a Chinese  But actually i am Indonesian and there is no Chinese blood in mine. When i asked my parents about this, they were just laugh and said “really?” and then my mother told me when i was still child many people also said like that and you know, it makes me having a lot of experiences such as i have ever called “Amoy”, it was happened when i went to the hospital and a doctor called me “Amoy” and i was so surprised. He also said you look like a Chinese and oh God, i am Indonesian.. And there are other experiences about that. Second, if i ask my friend's opinion about me, the word “spoiled and childish” always emerge from their opinion. Waw..waw.. and it's happened until now.

I know and i realize that if i am still spoiled but i always try to do the best so they do not call me “spoiled girl” again. I do not know why maybe because i'm very close with my parents and i cannot live without them. oh Gosh. That's very dramatic.. hehehe

For my education, when i was in senior high school, 3^rd grade, i was confuse to continue my study. Actually i wanted to take the subjects which have connected to the medical. But i could not accepted, i only accepted in one of university in Lampung but finally i did not want to continue there because i got a news “if you would be difficult to finish your study there.” And then i told to my teacher and he told me you had better take an English Literature, you like English and it was oke for you. And i started to think yeah, i knew i like English and then i tried. Praise be to God, i was accepted here. And now i am a student of English Literature and i have started to do the best as best as i can. So that's why i am beside you now, guys..

I  know, being a human i'm not perfect human but i'm limited.. 

and i always try to do the best as best as i can to make all people happy and proud of me.. ♥