Kang Guru magazine themes

FOOD is a topic in the SMP Curriculum - Year One, Semester 2, which begins in classrooms in January 2008. Kang Guru really hopes that teachers and students in SMP 1 can use the articles and information in this edition to help them in their work with their English language curriculum. The March 2008 magazine will have a SHOPPING theme and is also in the SMP curriculum. It will include fashion, design and all the latest trends plus plus .....

Kang Guru in 2008

As Kang Guru heads into 2008, we are looking at many, many ways to improve all areas of Kang Guru services. Your ideas are always welcome so don't hesitate to write to us. Your comments can be about the magazines and the radio programs. Big changes are planned for the website thanks to the clever suggestions and ideas put forward at the Kang Guru Consultative Group Meeting held in Bali in October. We can always use more ideas though. So write today!

... in Australia

Changes are taking place in school canteens in Australia. Obesity, in children as young as five, is becoming a problem. Healthy eating guidelines have been introduced to school canteens in many parts of Australia. Junk food is being replaced with healthy options. (Some Australian students eat up to 75% of their daily calories just from school canteens). The new guidelines encourage students, teachers and parents to lead healthier lifestyles and understand more about food and nutrition and do more exercise. An easy to use ‘traffic light’ guide rates food and drinks according to their nutrient content.

‘green’ means eat plenty, such as fruit, vegetables and lean meat.

‘amber’ foods should be selected carefully such as lasagne, pizza and noodles.

‘red’ is for food which is only allowed two days a month such as lollies, chips, pastries and soft drinks.

... in Indonesia

Febrianty from SMK Makassar wrote to KGRE about a new canteen in her school which cooks a variety of food, including her favourite, fried rice. She says she is bored with the other two canteens because they only cook noodles. Febrianty, and another student, Sri Dewiati, from SMPN Trowulan also point out that eating too many instant noodles is not good for you. Sri Dewiati says some foods and snacks contain too much food colouring, salt and Monosodium Glutamate (MSG). She says after learning about the dangers of these food additives she now only eats snacks that taste naturally delicious.

What is healthy food?

Have you ever heard the saying, “too much of a good thing is bad for you?” It’s probably true. If the ‘good thing’ are 'Chitato' potato chips and you eat them every day you will probably end up fat and spotty! How much you should eat to stay healthy is a tricky question – it depends on your age, whether you are a boy or a girl, and how active you are. For a healthy diet we should try and eat a balanced diet - something from each of the food groups every day.

Do you know what these groups are?

• Grains – rice, bread, cereal, pasta
• Vegetables – dark green and orange ones are best but all vegetables are good
• ruits – all fruits are good for us
• Milk and dairy food - we need calcium for strong bones and teeth
• Proteins – meat, fish, nuts and beans – including tahu and tempe
  A balanced diet should also include some fats and oils. You should eat more of the first four food groups above. Also being active and doing some exercise every day is very important to stay healthy. Don’t eat too many sugary snacks or drinks, as they are not good for your health or your teeth.

Healthy food preparation

Food which has been prepared or stored in unhealthy conditions causes many people to become ill. Here are several steps you can take when preparing food at home to minimize the risk of getting sick.

• First wash your hands well. Use soap and water and wash for at least 20 seconds – the same time as it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice.
• Don’t forget to clean under your finger-nails too.
• Rinse off the soap then dry your hands on a clean towel.
• Thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables, especially if they are to be eaten raw. Just use water, don’t use soap for that!
• Keep uncooked and cooked meat separate.
• Cover cooked food so flies don’t walk all over it.

Samsiah, the key to success in speaking is confidence. The more you practice the better you will be. Try speaking out loud to yourself about something that interests you. Maybe record your voice! Also talk to your friends in English as much as possible. Try to set aside time each day for speaking English with your friends and only speak English. The more you speak, the more confident you will become. Sometimes it is better to aim for fluency rather than accuracy. Just concentrate on speaking without worrying about making grammatical mistakes. Enjoy yourself, okay?

Your food tastes sound interesting Melina. I';m glad you find Kang Guru magazine helpful for learning English as well as being an interesting read.

Magazine request

I am a student of SMP Seminary, Mataloko. I am fourteen years old and my hobbies are playing football, volleyball and basketball. In my school, English is my favourite lesson and I like it very much. I am very happy if I can speak and write in English and read stories in English. My English teacher helps me every day and I dream of being a good English speaker. Once my teacher gave me a Kang Guru magazine. I tried to read it and I think it can help me to study English. I’d be very happy if you could send the magazine to me regularly. Thank you.
Medi Ja
Ngada, Flores
EAST NUSA TENGGARA

What a great email, Medi Ja! Remember readers, if you would like your own individual copy of KGRE
magazine, just write 75 words, in original English, describing yourself and why you would like to receive the KGRE magazine. Don’t forget to include your name and full postal address.

Communicate in English

First of all, I would like to say thank you very much for all things all Kang Guru staff have done for the improvement of education in Indonesia.
I am a 26-year old female English teacher. I have been teaching English at a senior high school in Pontianak for more than two years. The school's name is SMA Santo Paulus. Besides teaching regular classes at the school, I also manage the English Language Club. We have done a lot of activities so far, such as games, discussions, debates, drama, writing poems, and singing English songs. I really admire my students because they show great enthusiasm when doing the activities.

Josephine Lenny is a teacher at SMA Santo Paulus in Pontianak.

That's fantastic Josephine. Glad to hear the Kang Guru materials are so useful in your classroom. Your students are very lucky to have a teacher who uses such a wide variety of activities to make learning English fun.

School radio program

In my SMP English classes, we speak English all the time. Sometimes we discuss things or debate. We also discuss Kang Guru magazines. We are always so happy when we get the magazine. Whoever gets the magazine first always brings it to school to show to other friends and we discuss it together. Besides reading the magazine, our teacher always gives us assignments to listen to the Kang Guru radio program on PERSADHA FM. Our school also has a daily English broadcast program where we can request songs. Other students present the News. We can buy snacks in the canteen and listen to the daily English program while we are eating.

Ahmad Husnul Huluq
Blitar
EAST JAVA

You are very fortunate indeed Ahmad to have such an enthusiastic teacher who organizes such great activities. It’s good to hear you and your friends enjoy Kang Guru magazines so much and find it so useful. I’m sure your school English radio program is a great incentive for students to use their English.

That's wonderful Pradina! Not only have your English language skills improved but you have also made a good friend. I hope you continue to learn from each other. Another great example of 'Good neighbours making good friends'. Right?

The first one sounds a bit gruesome – eat your heart out! What it really means is that you or someone you know think they can do something better than a person who is famous for doing that thing. Here’s what Kevin said the other day in the office.

‘I’m taking singing lessons. Eat your heart out Glen Fredly!’

Have you ever heard the idiom eat your words? How can you eat words – do you have to eat an assignment or maybe even a dictionary? No! To eat your words means you are forced to admit that something you said before was wrong. Look at this example -

Sandra made Budi eat his words. Budi said Sandra wouldn’t be able to find a new job in just one week. She found a new job on the first day she went looking! She made Budi eat his words.

How about eating you hat! Are you so hungry you’d eat your hat or shirt or trousers? Be careful when you use idioms – you can’t change the words. Only hats are ‘eaten’ in this idiom. ‘I’ll eat my hat if Indonesia wins the World Cup in 2010.’ The person who says that means he would be very surprised if Indonesia won the World Cup. Other teams have a better chance of winning.

AUSSIE FOOD & SLANG

Do you understand what they are talking about?

They used some Australian slang and talked about special food that can probably only be found in Australia.

Other words to express what we like include: love, adore (really like/sangat suka) and quite like, don’t mind
(OK/lumayan suka).
For example -
I love sea food.
I really like barbequed fish and I adore chilli prawns.
I quite like steamed squid and I don’t mind sate lilit but I hate caviar.

A pair of words students sometimes find confusing is enjoying and enjoyable. Enjoyable is an adjective which describes something.
For example:

Nasi pecel is really enjoyable (adjective) and can be found all over Indonesia. I love eating it for breakfast. Some people really find eating durian enjoyable but others, including me, don’t like it.

But, enjoying is always part of a continuous verb and never used as an adjective.

Yesterday, Ari and Siti were enjoying eating bubur ayam at home when Ari’s mobile phone rang. It was their mother who was ringing from work.

‘How’s the bubur ayam? Are you enjoying your meal?’ she asked.
‘Yum! It’s delicious, Mum. We’re really enjoying it. Thank you.’

All living things are sources of food for other living things. Food chains and food webs show how food and energy are transferred between species.

A food chain is a single food pathway that links different species in a community. Most food chains have no more than 4 or 5 species. A food chain always starts with plant life and ends with an animal. For examle, plankton is eaten by very small fish which are then eaten by larger fish, which are eaten by bigger fish, which are then caught and eaten by people.

A food web shows how plants and animals are connected to help them survive. Different food chains are interconnected to form a larger network called a food web.

Producers are organisms such as plants which can make their own food. They are the first level in food chains so all the species in an ecosystem depend on them. Green plants use energy from the sun to produce food from carbon dioxide and water. This process is called photosynthesis.

Consumers can not make their own food so they eat plants and/or other animals. There are 3 types, grouped according to what they eat.

• herbivores, animals which only eat plants like grasshoppers, rabbits, goats and cows.
• carnivores, animals which only eat other animals, such as frogs, snakes and spiders.
• omnivores, animals which eat both plants and animals, eg. monkeys, which eat frogs and lizards as well as seeds, fruit and nuts.

Decomposers are important organisms such as bacteria and fungi. They break down (clean up) dead material and return it to the soil. It is then ready to be re-used and absorbed as nutrients by the plants. The food and energy chain then starts again.

The Ocean and fish - a staple part of the Indonesian diet?

I love eating ocean fish, especially when it is grilled, baked, in a curry or even raw. In fact, raw tuna Japanese style is one of my all-time favourites. Not only is fish good to eat, but it's also supposed to be good for your health and make you happy, so that's a bonus!

In Poliwali Mandar (Polman), on the coast of the new province of West Sulawesi, the most popular fish is ikan cipa. It is a large, silvery fish covered in a mixture of ground green chillies and salt, baked on an open fire, then served with rice and fresh tomato sambal. I recommend you try it if you ever go to Polman. I'm certainly looking forward to my next visit and trying more local specialties of the sea.

Coconuts in Indonesian cuisine!

Coconuts are one of the most useful fruits there are! The word coconut comes from the Spanish or Portugese word coco which means grinning face. There are 3 holes on the coconut which make it look like a strange, funny face. The botanical name is cocos nucifera which means bearing nuts. The flesh is used in meat dishes like curries, all kinds of cakes and the grated flesh and juice is also used in drinks. On page 15, Ibu Sisca talks about just how important coconuts are in the cooking of Indonesian food. In older coconuts, the flesh is used to extract coconut oil and also to make coconut cream. The husk is really useful too. It is used for gardening to keep water in the soil and as fuel for cooking. How about the fibre, the stringy part underneath the husk? I hear that it’s really useful too, right? It’s used as stuffing in mattresses and cushions. And also, the shell is used to make cups and bowls, so there’s another use; for utensils. What an amazing fruit! The tree trunks are also used to build houses. It is really strong wood. So that's one more use; for building. Be careful when you are sitting under a coconut tree. Many people are killed each year by falling coconuts! They can be dangerous!

My Mum’s Sunday roast dinner

Whenever I go home to Australia there’s one thing that I always look forward to. That's my mum’s cooking. My mother is pretty good in the kitchen and when I visit her these days she is always happy to cook my favorite food for me. Perhaps your mother, or even your grandmother, is the same as my mum?

Besdies my mum's fantastic fruit cakes, my mum's best cooking is when she makes her famous Aussie Sunday roast dinner. This meal is common all over Australia and isn’t just eaten on Sundays either. You need to use a knife and fork to eat it. It is a hot meal. Sambal is not required.

Look at the photograph (see below) of my mum’s Sunday roast dinner taken earlier this year at her house. Can you recognize any of the food on this plate? There are seven different types of food on that plate plus the very important gravy sauce. What arethey? One of them is potato of course! Can you name the others?

Kevin Dalton, Capt. KGRE

Get to know some of Australia's healthiest food!

Hermin Halim, is an Australian Development Scholarship awardee studying nutrition at Sydney University.

You might have heard about fish and chips, Anzac biscuits, or lamingtons which are undoubtedly Australian specialities. But, did you know that Australia also has wonderful traditional foods? These foods, called bush foods or bush tucker, used to be the main part of indigenous Australian's daily meals for thousands of years. Some of these foods are highly nutritious and delicious!

• Kakadu plums. They are the world’s best source of vitamin C, containing as much as 50 times the vitamin C content of oranges.
• 
  Macadamia nuts. These nuts are not only tasty, but also healthy! They are said to make the healthiest oil in the world: the highest amount of healthy fat content is in the oil, which also helps prevent heart attacks.
• Wattle seeds – the seeds look like coffee beans but actually are much more nutritious. They are high in protein and healthy fats. And what’s more, they are good for people with diabetes (kencing manis), since they don’t raise the blood sugar level too high, but help stabilise (menstabilkan) it instead.
• Pencil yam (literally “talas pensil”) – a common staple which has inspired some Indigenous (Aboriginal) folk stories. Like wattle seeds, they help stabilise blood sugar so they are good for diabetes too. Unlike most yams, pencil yams are a good source of calcium and iron. They are also high in fibre (serat) which helps keep us regular, (buang air besar secara teratur).

Traditional bush foods helped the indigenous people in the past to stay healthy. Unfortunately, since they have been exposed to Western foods which are high in fat, sugar, and refined starch (tepung yang digiling/ “dimurnikan” sampai kulit arinya hilang), a lot of them now suffer from diabetes and kidney disease.
Modern Bush Tucker Industry
These days, there are a number of restaurants in Australia specialising in traditional bush tucker. They are popular with overseas students. Many natural wild ingredients are now used in jams, jellies and flavouring, particularly lemon myrtle, which is similar to lemon grass (serai).

‘There is a famous and for me not very appealing recipe using spiders. Large spiders are deep fried and people eat them at the movies or sports games because they do have a satisfying crunch. They come in a nice little newspaper cone, a bit like peanuts.’

Ms. Louise Hand is the Deputy Head of Mission at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta talking about a food experience she had while Australian Ambassador in Cambodia.

‘My favorite Australian food is roast lamb. It is served with baked vegetables and usually served with potatoes and pumpkin and green beans. I also like to eat meat pies. In Indonesia I enjoy beef rendang, nasi goreng and gado gado’.

Debbie Bowman works in the AusAID office in Kupang

What are these?

• They are thought to have originated in China 5000 years ago.
• Bamboo is the most popular material, but they are also made of wood, bone, and precious metals such as gold and silver.
• In China they are called Kuai-Zi which means quick little fellows.
• About 45 million pairs are produced every year consuming millions of trees and bamboo plants. 25 million fully grown trees are chopped down every year in China to make them! To discourage people from using disposable ones and help protect the environment, the Chinese Government has introduced a 5% tax on disposable ones.
• They are popular eating utensils in China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam.
  

Find the answer somewhere on this page.

Bugs and grubs

Would you like to try some bugs and grubs! Actually Moreton Bay bugs are a species of lobster with delicious meat which can be found in seafood restaurants all over Australia. Witchety grubs really are grubs! They are the larvae of a type of moth which enjoys eating the roots of the witchety bush. The grubs are very high in protein and usually eaten raw or barbequed.
In Japan more than 20 diners die each year from eating one of the most expensive foods in Japan. It is a poisonous fish called Fugu. A pinch of the lethal poison (only one or two milligrams), which can fit on the head of a pin, can kill up to 30 people.

Who was the first person to climb to the top of a dark Asian sea cave and look at a bird’s nest and think “mmmm that looks yummy’? The nest is made from seaweed, twigs, moss, hair and feathers and glued together with the saliva of the birds and the spawn of small fish. Today bird’s nest soup is one of the most expensive foods in the world.

What about Indonesian food? Members of the KGRE team have tried fried buffalo milk from Rote, papeda in eastern Indonesia, singang and sepat from Sumbawa Besar and nasi jamblang from Cirebon.

Food quote -

‘My favorite Indonesian food is probably nasi rawon although I like opor ayam too. It is so hard to find nasi rawon in Bali. That's one of the reasons I love going to Surabaya’.

Kevin Dalton, Capt KGRE

Frog eating plants

Be careful next time you’re walking in the jungle. Not only humans and animals like to eat meat, but some plants do too! Of all the carnivorous (meat eating) plants in the world the ones that eat the largest prey are found in the rainforests of Asia, particularly in Borneo, Indonesia and Malaysia. Both the Nepenthes rajah and Nepenthes rafflesiana, commonly called pitcher plants, have been known to digest small frogs, mice and birds. The animals are attracted into the jug or pitcher part of the plant by bright colours. Then, they fall in and hairs and grooves prevent the animals from escaping. The animals drown in water which has collected at the bottom of the pitcher. Then, special digestive juices or enzymes digest parts of the animal to extract nutrients. Do you have any pitcher plants growing near you?

Bogong moths

Most Sydneysiders (people who live in Sydney) think bogong moths are pests, especially when they fly inside houses attracted by the bright lights. This usually happens in Spring. However, other people like to eat them. They have a nutty, crisp popcorn flavour. Unfortunately, they also have a high arsenic content from pesticides, so are poisonous.

• The can opener was invented 48 years AFTER cans were introduced.
• Mel Blanc, (who was the voice of cartoon character, Bugs Bunny) didn’t like carrots.
• Tomato ketchup (sauce) was sold in the 1830’s as medicine. It was called Dr Miles Compound Extract of Tomato.
• There are over 500 different types of banana in the world.
• Butterflies taste food with their feet.
• There are more chickens in the world than people.
• Peanuts are used in the manufacture of dynamite.
• The largest box of chocolates ever made contained 90,090 chocolates! The box was 2.03 m wide, 4.39 m long and 48cm deep.
• Lipton Yellow Label made the world’s largest tea bag in 2002. It measured 3.18 m long and 2.21m wide and weighed nearly 9 kilos. The string was 4.26m long and the bag contained 7kg of black tea. It was estimated that 3,500 cups of tea could be made from it.

• Chemicals used to intensify food flavours (such as MSG - monosodium glutamate or vetsin in Indonesian) have been shown to over excite and even kill brain cells. Be careful of MSG, okay?
• 69% of water used from the total world's water resource is used for agriculture, 23% for industry and 8% for domestic needs.
• During your lifetime, you’ll eat about 27,216kg of food. That's the weight of about 6 elephants.
• A company in Taiwan makes dinnerware out of wheat, so you can eat your plate.
• A chef’s hat is shaped the way it is for a reason: its shape allows air to circulate around the scalp, keeping the head cool in a hot kitchen.
  
  

Mr Blair Exell and AusAID

Blair Exell is the Head of AusAID in Indonesia. AusAID is Australian Government's agency for international development. Blair is responsible for all AusAID programs in Indonesia – their direction, their content and how AusAID activities are working. A major responsibility is to ensure that AusAID works closely with the Indonesian government and with the Indonesian people. The goal is to find out how Australia can support the development of Indonesia.
The work of AusAID in Indonesia is always discussed very closely with the Indonesian Government and other stakeholders to ensure that those activities support Indonesian Governments' goals. Sustainability is important in development work and only by working together will the work continue beyond Australia’s assistance. Sustainability is a long term mark of success. So a key lesson to remember is that local people need to be involved and know what the work is actually about.

Blair grew up in a small town in south-east Australia called Bega. By the way, did you know that Bega is famous world-wide for cheese? Well, it is - Bega Cheese! Blair has worked a lot in Southeast Asia in places such as Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. Blair’s last position with AusAID was in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. The capital city has only 50,000 inhabitants so moving to Jakarta, with around 15 million inhabitants has been a big change for his family. Blair and his wife moved to Jakarta with their three children, aged 10, 8 and 3 in August 2007. They are all very happy to be here and are looking forward to learning more about Indonesia.

Blair Exell (left) and Stuart Brown, Team Leader of the Roving Construction Team (RCT) looking at a housing project at Kahju village, Banda Aceh.

Using antibiotics wisely

Many people who have used antibiotics because they were feeling ill will tell you that the antibiotics helped them to feel better. But they will also tell you that taking the medicine correctly was also important.

Antibiotics must be taken correctly, as instructed by the doctor. If your doctor says you need antibiotics then be careful to take them in the correct dose for the right length of time. We can all play a part in using medicines wisely.

The Australian-Nusa Tenggara Assistance for Regional Autonomy (ANTARA) Medical Supplies Management sub-program is funded by AusAID. The program is providing technical and financial resources in partnership with health officials and the local com-munity to build awareness and improve the management of essential medical supplies.

Dr Phillip Passmore, Medical Supplies Management Consultant and Latifa Bay, Senior Program Officer.

Income generating activities with CAP

Ibu Atun is 40 years old. She has always wanted to study business management to get a better life for herself and two children, Lia and Asep Saefulloh. Almost 5 years ago Ibu Atun was a worker making emping crackers and earning a basic wage. Every day she collected 5 kilos of melinjo nuts and processed them back in her own house. For this she received Rp15,000. Then the Yogyakarta earthquake (2006) destroyed both her house and the emping business. Ibu Atun was one of the early recipients from the arisan set up by the Yogyakarta-Central Java Community Assistance Program (CAP). She used the Rp 400,000 to start her own independent business. She now has built up the business and employs two of her neighbours as well. Just 4 months after receiving money from the arisan she has already repaid the loan, her business is thriving and she has been appointed as the secretary of the arisan group.
The AusAID Yogyakarta - Central Java Community Assistance Program (CAP) is an Australian Government initiative which was designed in response to the earthquake which struck Yogyakarta and part of Central Java Province on 27th May 2006 - www.aip.jaty.info

Do you know of any people in your local area, such as Ibu Atun, who have their own small food business? Write to Kang Guru and tell us about their business, their food and why their food is so good. Practise your written English in a short essay. Five winners will receive terrific Macquarie dictionaries from Kang Guru.

On August 31st, Australia’s Deputy Head of Mission to Indonesia, Ms. Louise Hand, officiated at a ceremony in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, to open one of 17 junior junior secondary schools (SMP) the Australian Government is building in South Kalimantan in collaboration with the government of Indonesia. SMP Negeri 13, in Banjar Baru, is about 30 minutes by car from Banjarmasin, and the school is brand new. The buildings, and even the furniture, are new and local students are thrilled with their new school. The first group of students are SMP Kelas 1.

Six new BEP schools are being built in Bali. AusAID Assistant Director General, Mr Alistair Sherwin, and Australian Consul General to Bali, Mr Bruce Cowled, joined with national and local officials in a ceremony in Kintamani on September 14th,to celebrate the opening of three of the new schools - SMPN 7 Sukawarna, Kintamani, SMPN 7 Singaraja, and SMPN 4 Bebandem.

Whole District and School Development
(Pengembangan Kabupaten dan Sekolah Terpadu)

The Australia Indonesia Basic Education Program (AIBEP) is well underway with 380 schools completed for the 2007/2008 school year and construction of another 541 schools just beginning. AIBEP has constructed these junior secondary schools and madrasah in 104 districts across 18 provinces.
Now important work begins with the districts and school communities to support them in the provision of a quality education. To begin this process, the Whole District Development (WDD) and Whole School Development (WSD) team conducted socialization workshops in Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya and Makassar for district representatives, principals and the heads of the school committees of newly completed AIBEP schools.

The team has also recently finished the first two Training of Trainer workshops with Provincial and District Coordinators and National Trainers who will now begin to work directly with district and school teams. These training activities have all been developed in partnership with MoNE and MoRA. They are designed to support building of the capacity of districts and schools in –
· school based management
· teaching and learning and
· community participation
Those Provincial and District Coordinators and National Trainers will now begin to work directly in districts and with schools. This work began in late November. One major challenge for the training teams is the scope of the program – both geographically and numerically. This activity will enable the provision of some 200 workshops in 104 districts in 2007. However, the team is confident that through utilizing existing personnel at the local level and using existing government structures the program will be very successful in building capacity at schools in district, provincial and central levels.

On November 9th the Australian Ambassador Mr. Bill Farmer opened a new school in Nunkurus, NTT. Before this SMP school was built, many students graduating from primary school in the village were unable to continue their education. The nearest secondary school was more than 5km away and there was no public transport. Australia has funded the construction of close to 100 schools in NTT, with 56 of those schools, including this one at Nunkurus, already completed. Kang Guru visited Nunkurus in October - www.kangguru.org/kgretravel.htm

In September this year, Ogi Yutarini from Kang Guru, gave an introductory presentation at the Provincial and District Coordinators and National Trainers meeting in Surabaya. Ogi told them about the work of Kang Guru and explained how the English language teachers in their local AIBEP schools can access Kang Guru for materials and support. Supporting these brand new schools, and their English teachers, is a priority for Kang Guru for 2007-8.

Teachers from SMP Nunkurus, NTT, attended a Kang Guru Teacher Workshop in Soe in October 2007. In late November, Kang Guru traveled to the Selayar Islands in SULSEL to meet teachers at SMPN 3 Bontomanai and SD Inpres 98 Lebo (Bontosikuyu). Both are AIBEP schools.

The Australian Cooperative Research Centre for National Plant Biosecurity (CRC NPB) is interested in food, and better quality food at that. More, and better food, means less poverty. Building community capacity helps everyone manage their food supply and regional economy more effectively. A three-year research project across Eastern Indonesia is finding out about ways that communities themselves can identity and manage plant pests and diseases more effectively. Professor Ian Falk, who is working for the CRC NPB and Charles Darwin University in Australia, is living in Indonesia to manage the project. Ian is working in collaboration and partnership with many Indonesian researchers, NGOs, government agencies and groups such as SOfEI (the group which acts as a support for donor agencies and NGOs in poverty alleviation in Eastern Indonesia). Further information can be obtained from Ian.Falk@cdu.edu.au

Craniofacial Surgery and 25 years of marvellous service to Indonesia

Since the early 1980s, surgeons from Indonesia and Australia have been helping Indonesians with facial deformities to enjoy a better and brighter future. Children born with something as common as a cleft lip and palate to people with even more serious facial deformities have been operated upon with the most amazing and miraculous results. A team of highly trained doctors, led by Dr. David David from Adelaide in South Australia, has treated dozens of Indonesian patients over the last 25 years. The Citra Baru Foundation, based in Jakarta and Surabaya, together with the Senyum Foundation in Bali have provided much of the logistical and financial support required to help these doctors help patients in Indonesia.

Ibu Rusmini, before and after her fantastic operation.

Nasi Kang Guru

Our club often does social work. One day during the fasting month, all our members gathered at Keyko’s house to cook Nasi KangGuru. We gave it that name as while we were handing out the rice to becak drivers and police officers to break their fast, we were all wearing Kang Guru T shirts. They were all surprised when we explained the name. We did social work and Kang Guru promotion at the same time.
English Society Club, (KGCC# 010) Semarang, Central Java.

English Kitchen

Excellent English Club Kitchen was the title of the Sunday activity we did. There were 6 groups each with 5 members. They had to present their best dish or drinks in English in front of the others. We made a real kitchen for each group to support its performance. They brought stoves, frying pans, bowls, glasses, spoons, forks, a blender and ingredients etc. They had to act as if they were professional chefs. Mr Hakin and 3 seniors were the judges. If this activity is done by other clubs, we can guarantee that they will be laughing and very happy particularly in the end when everyone rushed to taste their favourite food.

Excellent Club (KGCC#026), Jombang, East Java.

Fast Breakers

There is one special food in Jenggawah, Jember which is only found in Ramadhan. It is called Bongko which is just like ordinary porridge from rice flour. What makes it special is the way it is cooked. Palm sugar and coconut milk are added to the porridge which is wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. Pandan leaves are used for the green colouring. We don’t need to cook for hours during Ramadhan as there are food stalls everywhere. I miss Bongko already.

Get Me English Community (KGCC#071)

Festive Foods in West Borneo

All West Borneo communities celebrate Lebaran, Idul Adha, Christmas and Cap Go Meh (Chinese New Year) no matter what their religion. This is why we say West Borneo communities have four festive foods a year! We eat ketupat (rice cake steamed in palm leaf), opor ayam (chicken cooked in coconut milk) and rendang (spicy beef in coconut milk) at Lebaran, delicious cakes at Christmas and special lontong and other Chinese specialties for Chinese New Year.

Borneo English Club (KGCC #097)

The Wallabies e-learning exchange

In late September, Kang Guru sent a survey to all SMP teachers on the Kang Guru teacher database to see if they wanted to take part in a new Kang Guru learning activity - the Wallabies e-learning exchange. Many wonderful teachers were happy to co-ordinate a group of 10 to 20 enthusiastic and capable English learners at their schools. But, most importantly, these groups / schools all needed good internet access to participate in this exciting new Kang Guru/Joeys activity.
Participating groups (Wallaby Mobs) were -

• GGO and COET - SMP 1 Cimahi in Bandung
• Bees - SMP Sandhy Putra, Bandung
• Singo Barong - SMPN 2, Ponorogo
• Singa Wallabies - SMPN 1, Singaraja, Bali
• Tasmanian Devils - SMPN 1,Sempu, Banyuwangi
• Kucur - SMPN 2, Kalibaru, Banyuwangi
• Enggang Gading and Eagles -SMP Kristen Immanuel, Pontianak, West Kalimantan
• Green Turtles - SMPN 1, Berau in East Kalimantan

Each Wallaby Mob was then paired with a Wallaby Mob from a different area in Indonesia so it became a real cross-cultural exchange of information within Indonesia.

Their first task? Wallaby Mob members worked together to write 1,000 words about their local area and local culture. This information was then emailed through Kang Guru to their partner Wallaby Mob. The groups then had to ask and answer 10 questions about this original information by exchanging emails with their partner group.

Congratulations to all the Wallaby Mobs and their enthusiastic teachers who took part in this Kang Guru e-learning cultural exchange. Everyone involved learnt a lot and Kang Guru will be supporting another e-learning activity early in 2008.

Maggie visiting Singa Wallaby Mob at SMPN 1 Singaraja, Bali on Nov. 12, 2007.

TEFLIN Conference

TEFLIN is a professional organisation which stands for the Association of Teachers of English As a Foreign Language in Indonesia. Are you a member? It aims to provide English teachers with opportunities to share and discuss contemporary issues, trends and development in English teaching in Indonesia. This year the 55th TEFLIN conference will be held at the State Islamic University in Jakarta from the 4th to the 6th of December. The theme of this year’s conference is Human Resources Development in English Language Teaching.

At the conference there will be formal presentations, parallel sessions and one hour workshops. Members from the Kang Guru team will be attending the conference and we hope to meet some of you there. Sue from Kang Guru will be conducting a workshop at TEFLIN titled Listening Activities That Work. Kang Guru, together with IALF Bali, will share a stand with all the information available about the services and materials that they provide for teachers in Indonesia such as you!

Kang Guru's Anniversary 5 CD Set

Did you know that KGRE has made a special ‘10 years in Bali’ compilation 5 CD set! The CD set includes a special CD of 'voices from the past' taken from radio programs recorded in Bali since 1997. Maybe you will recognize some of the voices. The set also includes two CDs containing two of the shows most popular segments – Idioms Inggris and Different Pond Different Fish. There is also a compilation CD of Celebrity Interviews and a Best of Show - Series 57 CD. That's 5 CDs all for free! Making fabulous new listening activities for your students will be easy using this set of 5 CDs - tapescripts included. Don’t forget to share your ideas with a friend. KGRE would love to hear from teachers who have used the CDs and some of the activities they have made.

To get a free copy of this new 5 CD Anniversary Set, just send a letter or email to Sue at Kang Guru explaining why you want the Anniversary Set. Be sure to mention teaching listening in your letter or email. After all, it is audio material - srodger@ialf.edu

An e-Learning Exchange for SMP students
October - November 2007

In October, emails were sent to SMP teachers on the KGRE database inviting them to take part in an e learning exchange. Eight schools are now involved in the activity. The students have exchanged information with a school in a different area of Indonesia. What a great way for students to learn about each other’s culture! Another KGRE e-learning exchange will take place early next year. So all you SMP teachers, don’t forget to check your emails! You can read more about the activity on the Kang Guru Connection Club Page.

Kang Guru - from NTT to Aceh

Kang Guru had a whirlwind trip to NTT in October - well it felt like a whirlwind anyway! Ogi and Sue’s bags were packed and unpacked many times over the space of 8 days as they visited four different locations on three different islands! It was great to meet all the teachers and students in Kalabahi in Alor, Ba’a on Rote and Kupang and Soe on Timor. Ogi and Sue travelled on planes, on fast ferries, by bemo, taxi and even ojek to visit all the locations. KGRE held workshops, met students and English club members and visited radio stations. They also visited the new AusAID office in Kupang and met the staff including Debbie Bowman and Quien. Sue and Ogi also met other AusAID staff including Richard Manning. Program Director for AusAID’s ANTARA program, plus Dr Phillip Passmore and Latifa Bay from ANTARA’s medical supplies management sub-program. Read all about the trip on the travel page on the KGRE website-www.kangguru.org/kgretravel.htm

In November Sue went to the other end of the archipelago and visited Aceh. The trip included visits to Bireuen and Lhokseumawe, workshops and school visits. Many thanks to Pak Samsul Bahari and IKAMA Aceh for their assistance.

Please send your money by pos wesel or bank transfer to KGRE:
Nama Account: IALF
Bank: Bank Central Asia Cabang Hasanudin
Alamat: Jl. Hasanudin No.58 Denpasar
No Account: 040-1-470-289
Note: For any order made by bank transfer, please send or fax the transfer slip to KGRE office with your name and phone no.

Her popular cooking program goes all over Indonesia and is even broadcast in Singapore and Malaysia. It can also be seen in Saudi Arabia. She has written 53 cook books. She has studied in Japan and the United States and travels regularly to Singapore to work there AND she absolutely loves what she does. Besides all of that she is also a grandmother of three.

Ibu Sisca has signed 9 of her terrific and easy to use cooking books as prizes. Do you like cooking? If you do then just tell us about the food you love to cook the most. What food can you cook the best? Perhaps include your favorite recipe too. Send it to Kang Guru before Jan. 31st by letter or email - kangguru@ialf.edu

The Aussie Tea Towel

Look at this tea towel (lap cuci piring). You probably can't read the recipes as the graphic is so small and unclear. The real tea towel is much larger – 25cm X 70cm. To win one of these tea towels (and the recipes), just send the answer to Kang Guru by letter or email. Here's the question: What do you think are the most important ingredients in Aussie Kangaroo Tail Stew?

Kang Guru flew to Yogyakarta on November 7th to meet a fine young SMA student who is destined to become a world champion. His name is Doni Tata Pradita. He is already famous in Indonesia. Have you heard of him? Kevin met Doni at his school, SMA N 1 Ngaglik, where he was interviewed, in English, for about 30 minutes. Dina from Kediri wrote to Kang Guru in late October and suggested that an interview with Doni would be fantastic for her to enjoy, and for other Kang Guru-ites as well. She was right. Doni talked about his love of motor bikes. He started riding when he was nine years old. He was good at it and has gone on to great success already and he is only 17 years old. The future is looking very good for him in the world of motorbike racing.

In January 2008 Doni begins a year of racing around the world. He will visit 18 countries doing the very thing that he loves the most – riding motorbikes. And what about school and study? Doni says his computer and the internet will come in very handy as he rides and visits countries such as Italy, China, Spain, Australia and Malaysia during 2008. Doni will continue his school studies though - by internet, he says.

One of his favourite subjects is mathematics. As he is constantly working with speeds and engines and times, mathematics is very useful. English is important too. When Doni was riding in Japan recently he couldn't use Bahasa Indonesia. He had to use English as his means of communication. For example, discussing problems and ideas with local mechanics had to be all done in English. Luckily Doni's English language skills are quite good already. He realizes also that a part of being in the ‘big league’ of motor racing means that his English needs to be even better especially when he makes those championship speeches in the future!

When racing, Doni normally rides bikes at a maximum of 250km per hour. That's fast. With bigger bikes it can mean 375 km per hour. That's very fast. So Kevin had to ask him if he rode a motorbike to school in Yogyakarta everyday. His response? Yes he rides a Yamaha of course but an automatic Mio - 'otobek'. Doni told Kevin that he rides slowly around Yogyakarta and definitely no racing. Listen to Doni talking with Kang Guru on the radio program early next year and Good Luck to Doni in 2008.

One thing I found strange about the food in Australia was the size of the portions! They are huge! At an International Food Day at UQ, I was working with a group of Australian students studying Indonesian. Our job was to make the beef and chicken satay. There was no goat satay as goat meat in Australia is uncommon. After a while, I had a look at the satays my Aussie friends had made. The chunks of meat they had used were enormous! I had made mine Indonesian style with tiny pieces of meat, whereas they had made theirs kebab style where the chunks are larger. Whatever the size though, when we ate them we all agreed they were delicious.

Ibu Ramlah, originally from Makassar, has been living in Cairns for over twenty years.

Sugeng, an Indonesian studying in Australia, was often hungry when he first arrived. At a party or BBQ, when he was offered a drink or some food, he often refused thinking he was being polite, and that the host would offer it again. In Australia, however, if you refuse when you are offered food, the hosts think you aren’t hungry and don’t offer again! So if you are in Australia and you want something to eat, accept it the first time you are asked. OK?

"The food I like best is from Padang because I like chili, I like spices. I like it really hot. I find again and again, because Indonesians are very polite, when they see me taking stuff and putting a great dollop of sambal or chili paste or something like that onto the side, they say, ‘Uh, hati hati!’ I said, ‘No, no, I like that’ but they’re not convinced you know. I think it’s fair to say that a number of Australians, their first question would be ‘Oh, is it hot?’ because they don't like it hot. Whereas my first question is ‘Oh, is it hot enough? Of course, I show off and I ask which is the hottest and then I take some of some of that, but I love it".

Mr. Bill Farmer, the Australian Ambassador to Indonesia. and his wife, Elaine, really enjoy spicy food.

* a great dollop = sesendok penuh

When Dayu, an IALF Indonesian teacher of English was teaching in Australia, she was surprised to find that mealtimes are often times for social conversation when family members discuss the events of their days. When people eat out at restaurants or invite their friends home for a meal, the conversation while eating is almost as important as the food. Mealtimes are often noisy occasions! In Indonesia, many people tend to focus mainly on eating their meal with a minimum of conversation. Many children are taught that it is impolite to speak while eating.

Table manners

In many western countries, it is very impolite to make a noise while chewing food and mouths are generally shut while chewing. In other countries it is considered normal. In Japan, for example, it is normal to make a loud noise while slurping soup or noodles but in Australia it is considered bad manners. In many Middle Eastern countries it is polite to burp after a meal as a sign that the meal was enjoyable. In other countries, burping at the table is bad manners. In Indonesia and many other countries it is normal to eat all kinds of food using the right hand. In many western countries, only snacks, fast food and finger food are eaten with the hand (usually both hands). Rice would rarely be eaten with the hand.

What often fascinates newcomers to Indonesia are the sounds the different food vendors make when they are selling food around the suburbs. It is so easy to tell what they are selling without actually going outside. Whether it is the tok, tok, tok of a spoon tapping on the side of a bowl for bakso, the steam whistle for putu or the sound of a spoon hitting the side of a piece of hollow bamboo advertising mie pangsit for sale, people immediately know what they can buy. In many other countries, the only sound advertising food for sale is the recorded sound from an ice cream van.

"I’m actually of Italian origin so my native cooking is Italian. But in any week we might have Mexican one night, BBQ one night, we might have stir fry (Asian) or we might have a pasta dish. So we’re very fortunate because we’ve taken all of the cultures from around the world, taken their food and adopted them as our own. This makes ‘Australian’ cooking and eating, very varied".

Jenny Da Rin, Director PR, AusAID Canberra

The Kang Guru Consultative Group 2007

This advisory group, the KGCG, has been extremely valuable to Kang Guru during 2007. Their role has been to give advice to Kang Guru about how to improve the magazine, radio and internet services that Kang Guru provides. As you may know, Kang Guru is always looking for ways to make these language services better for all those people who enjoy Kang Guru.The KGCG is made up of teaching staff from IALF Bali (Ayu, Joyce, Alana, Jeanette and Gayatri), Mr. Geoff Crewes, CEO of IALF Indonesia plus Kang Guru Champions and staff. Have you noticed any improve-ments in the magazine, website or the radio program this year? We hope so . Many thanks to the KGCG. The Consultative Group will meet again in early 2008 and will continue their work advising and assisting Kang Guru throughout 2008. The photograph (above) shows KGCG members reviewing the Kang Guru website in the computer lab at IALF Bali as a part of their Oct. 27th meeting.

2007 Writing Competition Winner

Jade Nugrahaningtyas from SMA Negeri 1 Boyolangu, Tulungagung, East Java won the 2007 Kang Guru Writing Competiton with her entry about local culture. It was a great piece of writing and you can read it now on the website - www.kangguru.org/competitionwinnerswriting.html

As a part of her prize, she visited Bali with her best friend, Ayu. Together with Ririn and Suryadi (Champions from Kediri and Sumenep who had time before leaving for Surabaya later that day), Ogi took them on a tour around Kuta and Nusa Dua. Jade wanted to see the beautiful beaches in Bali so Ogi took them to Kuta Beach, Tanah Lot, and Nusa Dua Beach. They also managed a big shopping spree at Bali's famous Joger Shop in Tuban. That certainly provided a great way to finish off Jade's prize for winning the 2007 Writing Competition.

Food In Space

THE FUTURE OF FOOD

When astronauts first went into space they ate dried food pellets and special food squeezed out of a tube like toothpaste. It wasn't very nice! Today astronauts eat similar meals to what we have on Earth. They use knives, forks and spoons or chopsticks to eat meat and frozen vegetables, macaroni cheese and dried fruit. Food on space stations must be safe and nutritious, light and compact, and in packages which are easy to use in a weightless environment. Some foods like bread are not recommended. Bread makes crumbs which can damage sensitive equipment and make the astronauts sick if they inhale them. Scientists are always working on new ways to provide food on space stations. Growing food would be a useful way of providing astronauts with fresh vegetables. Scientists are trying to solve the problems of growing plants in micro gravity and providing enough light and good water circulation.

Genetically Modified foods

A scientist takes DNA out of one plant or animal and transfers it to another one to make it bigger and better. Sounds like a good idea? Some people argue it will produce cheaper food, improve food production and feed more hungry people. Others argue that genetically modifying plants and animals (changing the DNA) is wrong and we don’t know what problems we will face in the future. Do you know all the arguments for and against genetically modified food? Go to http://idebatabase.org/ and look at all the arguments. Then make up your own mind whether you think it is a good idea or not. Have a debate or discussion with your friends and practise your English at the same time.

Food Miles

A growing trend in many countries these days, is encouraging people to think about their food miles, or the distance food has to be transported from where it is produced to where it is eaten. The further it travels, the more greenhouse gases it produces and the more it damages the environment. So, kilometers count! Only eat fruit and vegetables in season rather than eating imported ones, eg. if the grape harvest in your area is in April and March, wait until then to eat grapes. Don't eat grapes which have been transported a long way. Eating local fruit and vegetables leaves a lighter carbon footprint on our planet earth. As global warming increases, people also need to consider the amount of water used to produce a product when considering their food choices. So remember, eat local and eat seasonal! You'll probably find fresh, local produce more tasty too!

Some useful links: acfonline.org.au and organicdownunder.com

Your brain

The brain is a hungry organ. The cells of the brain require twice the amount of energy than that of other cells in the body. To work well and efficiently throughout the day, this energy level must be kept high enough so not to cause mental stress and exhaustion. When the brain isn't stressed it works continuously to ensure our bodies function well.

Hot Off The Press
Kang Guru's 2008 Calendar

Would you like a copy of this pictorial calendar from Kang Guru? Just send the word CALENDAR, plus your full name and your full address by SMS to Kang Guru before January 31st, 2008. Also check Kang Guru's website FORUM for more information.